After Earth was destroyed by an alien race known as the Gauna, humanity fled across the galaxy in giant seed ships looking for a new home. In the year 3394, a mysterious man named Nagate Tanikaze surfaced from the bowels of the ship Sidonia and breaks his lifelong seclusion in search of food. After being discovered, he finds himself dragged into the military just in time for a Gauna attack and discovers that he may just be the hero that the Sidonia needs.
Built upon a premise that is overused, Knights of Sidonia came out and showed that, with the proper care, even the most bland premise can reinvigorated into something special. While the mecha genre is overrun by the same old story lines, there are still some anime recommendations out there that are as special as Knights of Sidonia.
Anime Like Knights of Sidonia
For Fans of a Struggle for Humanity’s Survival
Gunbuster
In the near future, humanity made a push into outer space, and in doing so, they disturbed a race of insectoid aliens. With this alien life-form bent on humanity’s destruction, humanity has constructed giant robots designed to fight them. Hand-picking youth from around the world to pilot them, Gunbuster tells the struggles of the clumsy, but hard-working young pilot Noriko.
Not only do aliens threaten humanity in both shows, but the creatures even look the same. However, both shows also showcase students training to fight these aliens and eventually unlocking their true potential in battle. However, while Knights of Sidonia spans multiple seasons, Gunbuster mastered telling its great story in just six short episodes.
Blue Gender
In the near future, humanity has been replaced on the top of the food chain by a race of bug-like aliens called Blue. Retreating to their space station, humanity hopes to reclaim Earth someday in the future. On Earth, the cryogenically frozen Yuji Kaido is awakened after being frozen to halt his disease. Joining a team of soldiers sent to extract him, it isn’t long before he is forced to come to terms with the bloody horrors of his new reality.
Of all the series in this recommendation, Blue Gender is probably the most similar to Knights of Sidonia. It is like the Knights of Sidonia before it even existed, but with older animation. The major difference is the setting, since Blue Gender takes place on Earth while Knights of Sidonia is in space. However, everything from the sound to the developed characters makes both series so wonderful.
Space Battleship Yamato 2199
In the year 2199, Earth is nearly destroyed by an alien race known as Gamilas. In its desperation, the Earth Defense Force was established to be their last line of defense. However, when they receive a communication, they are tempted into the depths of space to the planet Iscander in search of a device to restore Earth. To make this 148,000-light-year trek, the formidable Space Battleship Yamato and its crew are tasked with navigating the Gamila Empire to save the human race.
The stories are almost completely the same, but the Yamato isn’t a seed ship like the Sidonia. However, both ships represent the last hopes of humanity and are forced to fight through alien territory to reach their goal of a planet in the end. However, Knights of Sidonia is also about problems inside and outside the ship while Yamato is more about fighting aliens.
For Fans of “Special” Main Characters
IS: Infinite Stratos
After engineering powerful exoskeleton suits called Infinite Stratos, they have become a mainstream weapon. Since only women can pilot them, they have now dominated society. However, when 15-year-old Orimura Ichika accidentally touches one, he is found to be the only known man that can become a pilot.
Knights of Sidonia is a little less obvious about its harem, but it’s there. Infinite Stratos is more in your face about the harem themes, but it also shares the action, 3D animation, and alien fighting. Of course, with any good harem, there is a ton of romance drama, too.
Tenchi Muyo! War on Geminar
After being mysteriously transported from Earth, Kenshi Masaki finds himself enlisted by a mysterious organization on a planet called Geminar. With the promise of being returned home, he is tasked with piloting a mech and fighting the Shtrayu Empire. After things go wrong and he ends up in prison, he must now redeem himself in order to get home.
Like Knights of Sidonia, War on Geminar is about an overpowered main character with tons of hidden potential that gets tapped into at the right times. Both stories are also about defending their homelands and both main characters seemingly end up being the only people good at doing so. Both shows keep their harem themes low key while using love triangles to keep things interesting. It is also worth noting that both shows have some pretty decent opening and ending themes.
For Fans of Love Triangles in Otherwise Serious Shows
Aquarion Logos
With words primarily stored on computers and cell phones, sorcerer Sogan Kenzaki sees an opportunity and infects words with a virus that brings them to life as monsters called MJBK. To counter this attack on humanity, an organization called DEAVA assembles a group of youths that pilot mechs for fight these monsters.
Both shows put a bunch of youths together and expect them to act like grownups. In the end, it is more about saving the world and getting the girl. However, Knight of Sidonia has a little bit of a different love interest going on. However, both shows take the time out of their space drama to develop their characters and pause for some humorous moments.
Kaiba
In this world, it is possible to store memories so that the death of your body is not the end. However, it has also led to the rise of memory trading, the illegal act of stealing memories. One day, a man named Kaiba awakens in a ruined room with no memories and a pendant with a picture inside. This is his story of unraveling his own mystery and that of a ruined world.
The biggest similarity between these two is that they take a more unorthodox route in their animation, but they are also both about humanity’s fight for survival, main characters that learn about their new worlds, and love interests that end up playing big roles in the plot.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team
After the success of Operation Odessa, more Earth Federation soldiers are sent to Earth to free it from the Principality of Zeon. As Zeonic troops retreat to unknown parts of the world, ground forces are sent to hunt them down. Ensign Shiro Amada leads the 08th MS Team into battle. His mission is to distract the enemy and find a mysterious new Zeonic weapon, but when he falls for a Zeon pilot, can he complete his mission?
Knights of Sidonia and 08th MS Team have the major similarity of people coping with their possible impending death. However, what makes this Gundam stand closer to Knights of Sidonia is that both shows feature scenes where characters are trapped in a desperate situation and end up growing closer as they wait for either death or salvation.
Did we miss any of your favorite anime recommendations for Knight of Sidonia? Tell us about them in the comments section below.
