Anime About Mars: 9 Series Set on the Red Planet

Anime about Mars is a bigger niche than most people realize. The red planet turns up everywhere in anime, and creators bend it into whatever they need. So Mars can be a warzone, a horror show, a lonely frontier, or a peaceful blue ocean, all depending on who is telling the story.

I have watched a lot of these over the years.

Some take place fully on Mars, some just make a key stop there, and a few use the planet as the whole reason the plot exists. Whether it is colonization, a fight for resources, or quiet drama in an alien setting, here are my favorite anime about Mars.

My Favorite Anime About Mars

These run in no strict order, just anime set on Mars that I think are worth your time. So let us blast off.

Terra Formars

If you only know one anime about Mars, it is probably this one. The premise is gloriously absurd, and I love it for that.

• Studio and year: LIDEN FILMS, 2014
• The Mars angle: humans try to terraform Mars by seeding it with mold and cockroaches
• The twist: 500 years later, those roaches have mutated into giant humanoid killers
• Their mission: the Annex 1 crew, injected with animal DNA, is sent to fight the Terraformars

So it is bug people versus bug monsters on the surface of Mars, and it fully commits to the gore. Still, one warning from me: the TV cut is buried under censorship bars, so hunt down the uncensored release if you can.

Martian Successor Nadesico

This 90s classic swings between goofy parody and real war drama, and somehow it nails both. So it earns its spot easily.

• Studio and year: Xebec, 1996
• The Mars angle: Mars is being terraformed when a war with the Jovians derails everything
• The hero: Akito gets dragged onto the Nadesico as a cook and a reluctant mecha pilot
• Why watch: the war is grey, and the soldiers are written as people, not villains

So one minute it is roasting other mecha shows, and the next it is breaking your heart. Still, that tonal whiplash is the whole charm. You can stream it on Crunchyroll.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans

This is the Gundam that lives on Mars, and it is the most gut-wrenching entry here. It is also my favorite modern Gundam.

• Studio and year: Sunrise, 2015
• The Mars angle: Mars is colonized but poor, and Kudelia’s Admoss Company fights for its economic independence
• The heroes: Tekkadan, led by Orga with Mikazuki piloting the Gundam Barbatos, are exploited kids turned soldiers
• Why watch: it shows the full cost of war, and it refuses to give anyone plot armor

So these are child soldiers fighting for a home that treats them as disposable. Still, that is exactly what makes every loss land so hard. Catch it on Crunchyroll.

Metallic Rouge

This is the newest anime about Mars on the list, and it is a stylish one. So if you want something recent, start here.

• Studio and year: Bones, 2024
• The Mars angle: androids and humans live side by side, and much of the hunt plays out on Mars
• The plot: Rouge, an android, and her partner Naomi are sent to eliminate nine rogue synthetic humans
• Why watch: gorgeous animation and a moody sci-fi mystery

So the plot can get tangled, and I will not pretend it all lands. Still, the Mars-set android noir and the sheer visual polish kept me watching.

Mars Daybreak

Here is a real deep cut where Mars is one enormous ocean. It is not a masterpiece, but the setting won me over fast.

• Studio and year: Bones and Sony, 2004
• The Mars angle: the whole planet is covered in water, and the economy is falling apart
• The plot: Gram, a low-paid worker, gets swept onto a ship of sea pirates
• Why watch: the crew goes hunting for Mars’s fabled treasure

So the story itself is a fairly standard hero’s journey. Still, a water-world Mars run by pirates is too fun a setting to skip.

Space Battleship Yamato

This legendary space epic makes a key stop at Mars early on. So even though Mars is not the whole show, the planet matters to the story.

• Origin and remake: the 1974 original, remade beautifully as Yamato 2199 in 2012
• The setup: with Earth dying, the crew rebuilds the sunken battleship Yamato into a starship
• The Mars angle: Mars is where they find the crashed messenger Sasha, and where the ship tests its warp and makes repairs
• Why watch: it basically invented the space-opera anime

So Mars is a brief but pivotal stop on a much bigger journey. For me, Yamato 2199 is the version to start with. It streams as Star Blazers on Crunchyroll.

Armitage III

This is a Blade Runner-style cyberpunk deep cut set entirely on Mars. It is older and rougher than the rest, but it is one of my favorites.

• Studio and year: AIC, 1995, released as an OVA
• The Mars angle: in 2179, humans and androids share a colonized Mars
• The plot: advanced Third-type androids hide among people until a killer named D’anclaude starts hunting them
• Why watch: Armitage, a Third herself, teams with cop Ross to stop him

So it blends sharp animation, real action, and a touch of romance with big questions about what makes someone human. It may not click for casual viewers, but for sci-fi fans it is a must-watch.

Carole and Tuesday

This is a gorgeous, music-driven anime about Mars, and it came from a director I trust completely.

• Studio and year: Bones, 2019
• The Mars angle: 50 years into Mars colonization, humanity has fully settled the planet
• The plot: two girls from opposite worlds team up to make music in an AI-dominated industry
• Why watch: the soundtrack is incredible, with “Loneliest Girl” a personal favorite

So I went in with high hopes, and the music delivered. Still, the story wanders in the second half, so watch it for the songs and the heart rather than a tight plot.

Aria the Animation (Now Aqua)

Now for the total opposite of everything above. This is the most peaceful Mars you will ever see.

• Studio and year: Hal Film Maker, 2005
• The Mars angle: Mars was terraformed, flooded with water, and renamed Aqua
• The setting: Neo-Venezia, a loving recreation of Venice, canals and all
• Why watch: Akari trains as an undine, a gondolier who ferries tourists

So there is no war here, no monsters, just a slow, sunlit vacation planet. This is my comfort-watch, and it stands as the peak of the slice-of-life and short story style.

Cowboy Bebop

The coolest anime ever made is also, quietly, one of the best anime about Mars. Most fans do not even clock how much of it happens there.

• Studio and year: Sunrise, 1998, directed by Shinichiro Watanabe
• The Mars angle: Earth is wrecked, so humanity spread across the solar system
• The setting: Mars is the main hub, with cities, malls, and a creepy abandoned theme park
• Why watch: the 2001 movie takes place almost entirely on Mars

So this is the most lived-in, believable Mars on the whole list. It follows a ragtag group of bounty hunters on a spaceship, and for me that grounded feel is exactly why it still holds up.

“Mars” Anime That Are Not Set on the Planet

Here is where a lot of searches go sideways. Several popular titles have Mars in the name, yet have nothing to do with the planet. So let me clear up the big three.

• Mars Red: a moody vampire anime set in 1920s Taisho-era Japan. Great show, zero planets.
• Mars (the manga): a classic shoujo romance by Fuyumi Soryo. The title is a nickname, not the Red Planet.
• Sailor Mars: Rei Hino from Sailor Moon. She is named after the planet, but the show is set on Earth.

So if you came here looking for those, now you know. None of them belong on a list of anime that take place on Mars.

Anime About Mars at a Glance

Here is a quick, mobile-friendly table of every pick. So if you just want the fast version, start here.

Which Version of Mars Would You Live On?

That is the fun of digging into anime about Mars. The same planet can be a warzone, a horror show, or a quiet blue vacation spot, all depending on who is telling the story. For me, I am taking Aria’s Aqua every single time. Still, Cowboy Bebop’s gritty Mars is the one that feels most real.

So which Mars would you pick?

Drop your favorite anime set on Mars in the comments, and tell me if I missed one.