Androids, robots, and cyborgs are a part of mecha Anime, a subclass of the Anime genre.
Mecha Anime mainly features mechanical masterpieces, innovations, and futuristic settings including a world dominated by innovation, robots, and whatnot.
Apart from the plot and characters, there is a heavy focus on androids or robots in Mecha Anime.
However, every series has a different type of android, which can vary from gigantic bionic creatures like the ones in mobile suit Gundam, or a more human-like version like Astro boy.
These science fiction stories contain different origin stories of the androids. Some are made from scratch using scientific knowledge while some are aliens and some are even created by magical means.
Android characters have human-like appearances, distinct personalities, and the ability to feel the emotion on occasion. Human nature’s immutability is frequently called into doubt by androids.
Furthermore, observing their difficulties as they strive to fit into society, although drastically different from actual people, provides solace to viewers who may feel they are out of the norm.
Androids also have the effect of drawing us into a world that, considering our quickly growing technology, may not be all that far away.
Here are the most iconic Android characters in Anime so far:
Pino — Ergo Proxy
| Title | Ergo Proxy |
| Genre | Mystery Sci-fi |
| Studio | Manglobe |
| Release year | 2006 |
| No. of Episodes | 23 |
| Duration per episode | 25 minutes, |
Pino is a curious and talkative extrovert. She can be easily mistaken as a bubbly little girl but don’t let her looks and actions fool you, she is an android. Pino was initially created to be a surrogate for a childless couple who wish to have children.
Unlike the expected hollow persona of an Autoreiv, Pino is a wholesome pal. She has a soul and when she wears her beloved pink bunny dress she looks exactly like a human.
Isla — Plastic Memories
| Title | Plastic Memories |
| Genre | Drama, Romance, Sci-fi |
| Studio | Doga Kobo |
| Release Year | 2015 |
| No. of Episode | 13 |
| Duration per episode, | 24 minutes |
Without Isla, Plastic memories would not have become a touching Anime.
People in the future coexist with Giftia, androids who resemble humans in every aspect – they even have feelings!
They do, however, have a finite lifetime. Once it has gone, they transform into wanderers, who are extraordinarily powerful but uncontrolled.
Isla is one of these Giftia, and she works for SAI Corporation’s Terminal Service, which specializes in rescuing Giftia before their lives expire.
Isla is initially given minimal responsibility due to her clumsy personality. However, when teamed up with newcomer Tsugasa Mizugaki, she returns to the field for the first time in years.
While she is at first chilly and aloof, she gradually opens up and allows herself to feel the feelings she has denied herself for so long.
Genos — One Punch Man
| Title | One Punch Man |
| Genre | Shounen, Action, Superhero, Comedy |
| Studio | Madhouse |
| Release Year | 2015 |
| No. of Episode | 24 |
| Duration per episode, | 24 minutes |
Genos is One-Punch Man’s deuteragonist. He is a 19-year-old cyborg and Saitama’s apprentice.
He is continually striving for more power and fighting for justice. He is known as Demon Cyborg in the Hero Association and is now S-Class Rank 14.
Genos is an average-sized mechanical cyborg. His face and ears are formed of artificial skin material and resemble those of a regular person, and his eyes have black sclera with yellow irises.
Genos is a driven individual who is relentless in his ambitions. Since the start of the series, he has grown in strength and is more willing to fight strategically in order to win.
Android 18- Dragon Ball Z
| Title | Dragon Ball Z |
| Genre | Shounen, Action, Superhero, Comedy |
| Studio | Toei Animation |
| Release Year | 1989 |
| No. of seasons | 9 |
Android 18, born Lazuli, is a Dragon Ball franchise main character who appeared as a major antagonist-turned-major supporting character in Dragon Ball Z.
Although she had intended to murder Goku, 18’s goals flipped once the Bio-Android cell absorbed her and her brother to reach his ideal form.
Android 18 joined the Z-Fighters after being liberated from Cell’s body by Goku’s son Son Gohan. She later fell in love with and married the Z-Fighter Krillin, with whom she had a daughter named Marron.
Rudol von Stroheim — Jojo’s Bizzare Adventures
Stroheim is a callous, cruel, and fervent nationalist Nazi Major. He is especially proud of his cyborg body, applauding “German technology” and generally gloating about the Germans whenever the opportunity arises.
His strength improves dramatically as a Cyborg, having been built to crush an item with his palm at a pressure of 1,950 kg/cm2.
Stroheim had attained half immortality in this form, allowing him to withstand most attacks because the damage to his mechanical limbs reduced the effect on his life force.
His limbs are constructed of metal, he can bend his body abnormally and deflect opponent blows with them.
A magnifying gadget on one side of Stroheim’s face allows him to zoom in on items to the point that he can investigate their internal structure.
Ichise — Texhnolyze
Ichise is a shy 19-year-old prizefighter who was orphaned at a young age. He is chosen by Eriko Kamata to be the subject of her most daring experiment after having his limbs severed by his previous promoter.
Ichise is physically powerful. He has competed in underground fights and is an excellent fighter. His main fighting approach consists of straightforward boxing jabs.
His combat fighting abilities improved and became more effective when his arm and leg were Texhnolyzed (transplants that allow humans to replace portions of their bodies with cybernetic prostheses).
He can easily destroy a band of hitmen while being nearly entirely defenseless. He’s practically uncontrollable when he’s enraged, especially after being Texhnolyzed.
Ivan Whiskey — Cyborg 009
The Black Ghost organization created nine cyborgs in its “00” series in an early prototype phase.
The nine cyborgs in this line have been changed in various ways, with the majority having had organs, skin, muscles, and bones replaced or altered through reconstructive surgery.
Among all 9 of them, Ivan Whisky (Cyborg 001) has the closest resemblance to an actual human being. He is a young Russian cyborg with a very sharp mind.
This is owing to his father’s immoral research experiments and brain surgery, which unlocked the higher potential of the human brain. This made his brain 10 times more strong than the average adult’s.
He possesses psychic skills such as telepathy, teleportation, and telekinesis, among others. He will spend 15 days awake and then 15 days asleep due to the way his brain has been rebuilt.
Franky — One Piece
“Cutty Flam,” often known as Franky, is a prominent character in One Piece and the shipwright of the Straw Hat Pirates.
He is the seventh member of Luffy’s crew and the eighth member of the Straw Hat crew.
He is a 36-year-old Water 7 cyborg that appears in the novel as the leader of the Franky Family, a group of ship dismantlers.
Franky was introduced as the Water 7 Arc’s opponent against the Straw Hats until events forced them to become partners.
Franky was able to join the Straw Hats at the approval of the Franky Family in order to achieve his ambition of building and riding a ship capable of circumnavigating the earth.
Kotoko — Chobits
Kotoko is a powerful mobile Persocom that Yoshiyuki designed. Kotoko appears impassive, however, she has a quick temper and becomes quite opinionated.
With Kotoko’s serenity and Sumomo’s hyperactivity, she and Sumomo balance each other out.
Kotoko is also designed to always tell the truth, no matter what, even if it works against her owner. Except when investigating anything, she is serious and cynical to the point of becoming tsundere.
Motoko Kusanagi — Ghost in the Shell
Ghost in the Shell’s primary protagonist is Major Motoko Kusanagi. She is a cyborg that works for Public Security Section 9 as the squad leader. During her time in the self-defense force, she attained the rank of major.
At a very young age, her body was changed into a cyborg, and as she grew” she transitioned between a number of artificial bodies.
This, more than anything else, is probably what helped her operate cybernetic bodies of different sorts, even numerous ones at once, so easily.
Her extraordinary hacking skills are even more puzzling because she is equally as home in a cybernetic body as she is without one. She is also legally registered as a Super Wizard Class Hacker.
Watch this video to know more about android Anime characters:
Conclusion
- Androids, robots, and cyborgs are easily the most beloved characters in Mecha Anime mainly due to their uniqueness, backstory, and their capabilities.
- Androids also have the effect of drawing us into a world that, considering our quickly growing technology, may not be all that far away
- Apart from the plot and characters, there is a heavy focus on androids or robots in Mecha Anime.
- Some androids like Kotoko, Pino, and Isla can be cute and lovely—however, others can be savage, strong, and very smart like Motoko from Ghost in the shell.
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