Mecha

Real-world piloted humanoid or non-humanoid robotic platforms, existing or planned, may also be called "mecha". In Japanese, "mecha" may refer to mobile machinery or vehicles (including aircraft) in general, piloted or otherwise.

Characteristics

'Mecha' is an abbreviation, first used in Japanese, of 'mechanical'. In Japanese, mecha encompasses all mechanical objects, including

While the distinction is often hazy, mecha typically does not refer to form-fitting powered armor such as Iron Man's suit. They are usually much larger than the wearer, like Iron Man's enemy the Iron Monger, or the mobile suits depicted in the Gundam franchise.

In most cases, mecha are depicted as fighting machines, whose appeal comes from the combination of potent weaponry with a more stylish combat technique than a mere vehicle. Often, they are the primary means of combat, with conflicts sometimes being decided through gladiatorial matches. Other works represent mecha as one component of an integrated military force, supported by and fighting alongside tanks, fighter aircraft, and infantry, functioning as a mechanical cavalry. The applications often highlight the theoretical usefulness of such a device, combining a tank's resilience and firepower with infantry's ability to cross unstable terrain and a high degree of customization. In some continuities, special scenarios are constructed to make mecha more viable than current-day status. For example, in Gundam the fictional Minovsky particle inhibits the use of radar, making long-range ballistic strikes impractical, thus favouring relatively close-range warfare of Mobile Suits.^[2]

However, some stories, such as the manga/anime franchise Patlabor and the American wargame BattleTech universe, also encompass mecha used for civilian purposes, such as heavy construction work, police functions, or firefighting. Mecha also have roles as transporters, recreation, advanced hazmat suits, and other research and development applications.

Mecha have been used in fantasy settings, for example in the anime series

The 1868 Edward S. Ellis novel The Steam Man of the Prairies featured a steam-powered, back-piloted, mechanical man. The 1880

A transforming mech can transform between a standard vehicle (such as a fighter plane or transport truck) and a fighting mecha robot. This concept of transforming mecha was pioneered by Japanese mecha designer Shōji Kawamori in the early 1980s, when he created the Diaclone toy line in 1980 and then the Macross anime franchise in 1982. In North America, the Macross franchise was adapted into the Robotech franchise in 1985, and then the Diaclone toy line was adapted into the Transformers franchise in 1986. Some of Kawamori's most iconic transforming mecha designs include the VF-1 Valkyrie from the Macross and Robotech franchises, and Optimus Prime (called Convoy in Japan) from the Transformers and Diaclone franchises.^[16][17]

In various media

This article may contain irrelevant references to popular culture. Please remove the content or add citations to reliable and independent sources. (July 2022)

Anime and manga

In Japan, "robot anime" (known as "mecha anime" outside Japan) is one of the oldest genres in anime.[18] Robot anime is often tied in with toy manufacturers. Large franchises such as Gundam, Macross, Transformers, and Zoids have hundreds of different model kits.

The size of mecha can vary according to the story and concepts involved. Some of them may not be considerably taller than a tank (

The first titan robots seen were in the 1948 manga Atomic Power Android (原子力人造人間, Genshiryoku Jinzō Ningen)[9] and Mitsuteru Yokoyama's 1956 manga Tetsujin 28-go. However, it was not until the advent of Go Nagai's Mazinger Z that the genre was established. Mazinger Z innovated by adding the inclusion of futuristic weapons, and the concept of being able to pilot from a cockpit^[10] (rather than via remote control, in the case of Tetsujin). According to Go Nagai:

I wanted to create something different, and I thought it would be interesting to have a robot that you could drive, like a car.^[10]

Mazinger Z featured giant robots that were "piloted by means of a small flying car and command center that docked inside the head."^[10] It was also a pioneer in die-cast metal toys such as the Chogokin series in Japan and the Shogun Warriors in the U.S., that were (and still are) very popular with children and collectors.

Robot/mecha anime and manga differ vastly in storytelling and animation quality from title to title, and content ranges from children's shows to ones intended for an older teen or adult audience.

Some of the first mecha featured in manga and anime were

Not all mecha need to be completely mechanical. Some have biological components with which to interface with their pilots, and some are partially biological themselves, such as in Neon Genesis Evangelion, Eureka Seven, and Zoids. Attack on Titan creator Hajime Isayama draws particular inspiration from the mecha visual novel Muv-Luv with its use of "pilots" controlling larger humanoid apparatus.^[23]

Mecha based on anime have seen extreme cultural reception across the world. The personification of this popularity can be seen as 1:1-sized Mazinger Z, Tetsujin, and Gundam statues built across the world.

Film

• In the Godzilla franchise the monster Mechagodzilla created by Toho is an Alien Monster that first appeared in the 1974 film Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, in subsequent iterations, he was used as a weapon built by the Japan Self-Defense Forces, such as Kiryu and Super Mechagodzilla (which was actually built by the United Nations, along with the JSDF). In the MonsterVerse, he was built by Apex Cybernetics to destroy Godzilla and King Kong. with its consciousness taken over by that of Ghidorah. Mechagodzilla is one of Toho's big 5 kaijus.
• Also in the Godzilla franchise, there is a Mecha-King Ghidorah that travels from 2204 to 1992 to kill Godzilla. Also, there is a reimagining of a mech from The Mysterians, which appears in Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla and her name is M.O.G.U.E.R.A. which was meant to help Godzilla battle SpaceGodzilla and is also built by the United Nations.
• The Star Wars multimedia franchise features several walker types, such as the AT-AT and AT-ST.
• The film Robot Jox is based around gladiatorial combat between giant mecha.
• In the 1986 film Aliens, Ripley uses a Caterpillar P-5000 Work Loader to fight the alien Queen.
• Sentinel 2099, a 1995 film, features a 40 foot tall walking tank called a Sentinel unit. They are used to combat an alien race known as the Zisk.
• In the 1999 film Wild Wild West, Dr. Loveless attempts to use an eight-storey tall, steam-powered, walking spider to conquer a post-Civil War United States.
• In the 2001 film AI: Artificial Intelligence by Steven Spielberg, the term mecha refers to an advanced humanoid robot species featured in the film.
• In
  Captain Mifune
  leads the human defense of Zion, piloting open-cockpit mecha called APUs, against invading Sentinels.
• In James Cameron's 2009 film Avatar, mecha called Amplified Mobility Platforms (AMPs) are used as instruments of war.
• In Shane Acker's 2009 animated film 9, giant walking war machines called Steel Behemoths were created by the Fabrication Machine to destroy all life on Earth.
• A heavily weaponized powered exoskeleton that envelops the operator is featured in the 2009 film District 9, and aptly named the Exo-suit.
• second film the Hong Kong
  technology company, Shao Industries creates Kaiju-Jaeger Hybrids such as Obsidian Fury and the Drone Jaegers.
• In
  Rhino
  uses a one-person mecha suit that possesses super strength and defense.
• In the film Iron Man, the Iron Monger, a powered exoskeleton suit operated by Obadiah Stane, is another example of mecha.
• In the final scenes of The Lego Movie, the main protagonist Emmet creates a giant construction mech made of yellow Lego pieces which he pilots to fight in the final battle against Lord Business' forces.
• In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Iron Man uses a mecha named the Hulkbuster to fight the Hulk.

Video games

Mecha are often featured in computer and console

WiBArm in 1986 and Star Cruiser in 1988. Historically mecha-based games have been more popular in Japan than in other countries.^[26]

• Metal Gears
  are a recurring element.
• A popular classic of mecha in games is the
  Battletech
  universe.
• real robot
  -style. All battles are fought with mechas called Standing Tanks (ST).
• real robot-style mecha utilized by near future military forces. Xenogears (1998) also used mecha, called Gears, as a main aspect of the story, and the series continues the use of mecha with the Monolith Soft-developed Xenoblade Chronicles
  series (2010 – ).
• Armored Core (1997 – ) is a fast-paced action mecha series developed by FromSoftware, set in the distant post apocalyptic futures where mechas called "Armored Core" pilot by mercenaries are the dominant forces on the battlefield. Armored Core games have a wide selection in customizations with the first entry in the series Armored Core (video game) being as one of the early few 3D mecha games that introduced extensive customizations to the mechas in-game.
• In the
  Virtual-On
  fighting game series, players assume controls of humanoid mecha named Virtuaroids.
• In StarCraft series (1998 – 2017), two of the fictional races (Terran and Protoss) extensively use walkers. In the first game of the series, each faction had only one walker: Goliath (Terran) and Dragoon (Protoss). As of the latest release, in multiplayer games, Terrans have four different walkers (Viking, Thor, Hellbat, and Widow Mine,) while Protoss have three (Colossus, Stalker, and Immortal.) On the whole there are 18 different Terran walkers and 21 Protoss walkers across the entire franchise.
• The Monolith Productions game Shogo: Mobile Armor Division (1998) blended mecha gameplay with that of traditional first-person shooter games.^[27]
• Heavy Gear 2 (1999) offers a complex yet semi-realistic control system for its mecha in both terrain and outer space
  warfare.
• In
  super robot
  -like mecha type known as the Orbital Frame.
• Sonic Adventure 2 (2001) features Tails and Dr. Eggman in their own mecha suits, the Cyclone and Egg Walker respectively.
• Phantom Crash (2002) and S.L.A.I.: Steel Lancer Arena International (2005) by Genki, are mecha games set in a future where the sport of "rumbling" takes place. In each game the player must climb the ranks of rumbling using a Scoot Vehicle that they have customized and accompanied by an animal intelligence chip.
• In Mario Party 5 (2003), the minigame Mario Mechs features the solo player piloting a big warlike machine while the team of three players pilot smaller scooters.
• In
  APCs
  , and aircraft in the forces of the European Union and Pan-Asian Coalition.
• In Supreme Commander (2007), all three factions utilize mechs, along with tanks and gunships. The player's Armored Command Unit is one such mech.
• The
  Command & Conquer: Tiberian series franchise (1995 – 2012) features many mechanized walker units. In the last video game of this series, Command & Conquer 4
  , walkers have gained such predominance that even command centers walk. (In the prior games, they were stationary buildings.) Titan, Wolverine, and Juggernaut are three of such units that have appeared in four Command & Conquer titles.
• League of Legends (2009), developed by Riot Games, include mecha as part of champion skins, designed as super robots (Mecha Malphite, Mecha Kha Zix, Mecha Aatrox, Mecha Zero Sion, etc.).
• Hawken (2012) is an online first person shooter in which players can choose from a variety of bipedal mechas with different specializations and abilities.
• War Thunder (2012) held an April Fools event in which players were able to control mecha tanks, comprising multiple tank turrets and various other parts, after destroying a certain number of vehicles in a battle.
• Halo 4 (2012) introduced the HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark IX Armor Defense System (or Mantis), which would later reappear in Halo 5 (2015).
• In Titanfall (2014) and Titanfall 2 (2016) from Respawn Entertainment, mechas are heavily involved within gameplay and the story.^[28]
• In War Robots (2014) from Russian developer Pixonic, players only can control mechas to fight each other in a 6v6 battlefield.
• In Heroes of the Storm (2015), developed by Blizzard Entertainment, players can take control of the giant mecha, called "Triglav Protector", as a reward for winning objective on Volskaya Foundry battleground. The mecha is co-piloted by two different players, the first serving as a pilot, and the second serving as a gunner. Each player is given control to a different set of unique abilities.^[29] In January 2018 and June 2019, Blizzard created two "MechaStorm" events for Heroes of the Storm, featuring multiple mecha skins for a number of heroes, as well as other items for the Collection.^[30][31] A MechaStorm "anime video trailer" was also released, heavily inspired by series such as Mobile Suit Gundam, and Neon Genesis Evangelion.
• In Just Cause 3 (2015) and Just Cause 4 (2018) mecha make an appearance as downloadable content in both games where they are owned by fictional in-game factions named the eDen Corporation and The Black Hand respectively. In both games, they are able to be piloted by the player.
• Overwatch (2016), team shooter from Blizzard Entertainment, includes D.Va, a tank hero who pilots a mecha. Stylized as MEKA (Mobile Exo-Force of the Korean Army), D.Va's mecha provides her primary hero abilities as well as being a driver of her backstory in the game's lore.^[32] Wrecking Ball is a tank-class quadrupedal mecha robot driven by a genetically engineered hamster named Hammond. The mecha is armed with automatic assault weapons known as the "quad cannons", and can be transformed into a high-speed "wrecking ball" equipped with a grappling hook.^[33]
• tanks
  and flying "antigravs") with loadouts customizable for different objectives.
• Kirby: Planet Robobot (2016) features extensive use of mecha suit known as the Robobot Armor to solve puzzles and fight enemies. Mecha resembling Kirby with the ability to copy enemy abilities (known as Modes).
• Daemon X Machina (2019).
• Iron Harvest (2020) features many mechs piloted by multiple factions. It is set in the 1920+ alternate history universe Scythe, created by Jakub Różalski.
• "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (2023) features a ridable mech which can be unlocked through a main quest.

Toys

• Bionicle features many types of mecha sets such as Exo-Toa, Boxor, Nivawk and Skopio XV-1. Most of the story takes place inside Mata Nui, a colossal mecha maintained by its inhabitants.

Tabletop games

• In Warhammer 40,000, the forces use mecha of a variety of sizes and shapes.
• Battletech
  uses hex-maps, miniatures & paper record sheets that allow players to use mecha in tactical situations and record realistic damage.

Books

• John Christopher's Tripods saga and its TV series adaptation feature tri-legged walkers used by aliens to keep humanity subjugated.
• The Mecha Samurai Empire franchise by Peter Tieryas is about a world where the Japanese Empire rules over the United States of Japan with a variety of different mechas. Many of the pilots are trained at the Berkeley Military Academy and their primary enemies are the Nazis and their monstrous biomechs.^[34]

Real mecha

There are a few real prototypes of mecha-like vehicles. Currently almost all of these are highly specialized or just for concept purpose, and as such may not see mass production. Most of these experimental projects were made and first presented in East Asia.

• In 2012, Suidobashi Heavy Industry unveiled their prototype of a driveable mecha, the Kuratas.^[35][36]
• In December 2016, Korean company Hankook Mirae posted a video featuring a test run of their bi-pedal prototype mecha METHOD-01, designed by Vitaly Bulgarov.^[37]
• A machine called Land Walker was developed by Sakakibara Kikai with the intention of giving the impression of a bipedal mecha.^[38][39]
• In 2018, Japanese engineer Masaaki Nagumo from Sakakibara Kikai completed construction of a functional bipedal mecha inspired by the Gundam franchise. The device, standing 8.5 meters tall and weighing about 7 tonnes, possesses fully functional arm and leg servos.^[40]
• Another Gundam-based mecha, 60 feet tall and with fully functional articulation, was put on exhibit by Gundam Factory Yokohama on December 19, 2020, and is expected to remain until March 31, 2024.^[41][42][43]
• In 2023, the Japanese startup Tsubame Industries developed a 4.5-metre-tall four-wheeled robot called ARCHAX.^[44]

In the Western world, there are few examples of mecha, however, several machines have been constructed by both companies and private figures.

• In 1813, British engineer
  Steam Horse
  .
• The GE Beetle, a mobile piloted manipulator for nuclear materials, which entered operation in 1961.
• In 2006, Timberjack, a subsidiary of John Deere, built a practical hexapod walking harvester.^[45]
• In 2015, Megabots Inc. completed the MKII "Iron Glory" before challenging Kuratas to a duel. In 2017 they completed the MKIII "Eagle Prime".
• In 2017, Canadian engineering company, Furrion Exo-Bionics,^[46] unveiled Prosthesis: The Anti-Robot,^[47] invented by Jonathan Tippett, as the company's flagship prototype mech. It is a 3500 kg, 200 hp, electric powered, 4-legged, all-terrain walking mech intended for use in competitive sport. It is controlled by the human pilot inside via a full-body exo-skeletal interface. In 2020 it was awarded the Guinness World Record as "the world's largest tetrapod exoskeleton".^[48]

See also

• BattleMech
• Kuratas
• Megabots Inc.
• Mobile robot
• Powered exoskeleton
• Robot Romance Trilogy
• Sentry gun
• Walking vehicle

References

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External links

• Mecha Anime HQ: Extensive coverage on Gundams and other mecha.
• Mecha Co.
• Japanese Animation Guide: The History of Robot Anime