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86 isn’t just another mecha anime series that you’ll get to watch, but it actually has a pretty decent lore into it. I finished this anime some time in July and overall, I love the storytelling and everything. Without spilling some major spoilers, here’s why I think you should watch the 86 anime even if you don’t like the mecha genre in anime in general.

86 Anime Synopsis

The story takes place in the Republic of San Magnolia, a nation at war against the Giadian Empire for nine years. They are at war against the Giadian Empire and their autonomous biological robots called the Legions that come in different sizes.

Despite the war, inside San Magnolia is a peaceful city where the news reports that there are “zero human casualties” in the war since the country claims it uses its own autonomous unmanned robots called the Juggernauts to fight off the Legions outside their country’s walls.

However, the truth is that these Juggernauts are not unmanned and are piloted by a racial minority in the 86th district called the Eighty-Sixers. The Republic does not recognize them as humans and they are forced into service and given a false promise to be granted citizenship after their service. However, most of them die in their service.

Vladilena “Lena” Milizé is the remote handler who helps Shinei “Shin” Nouzen’s Spearhead squad navigate and strategize plans to fight the Legions.

Lena is trying her best not to let the Spearhead squad die while all other handlers are drinking all day and irresponsibly letting their squad/processors die, believing the lifespan of the autonomous Legion will die within a year. Unbeknownst to them, the Legion reproduce and sustain their numbers using autonomous industrial units called Wisel (Auto-Production Types) and Admiral units located deep within their territory. These mobile factories mine raw materials, recycle battlefield scrap, generate electricity, and continuously manufacture new mechanical drone bodies and ammunition.

Season 3 Possible Release Date

The possible release date could be around 2027 to 2028, though this has not been confirmed or announced yet.

86 is a single-season anime split into two parts or cours. The first part consisted of 11 episodes, the second consisted of 12 episodes (considered as Season 2 like in Crunchyroll).

A-1 Pictures is known for their other titles such as Sword Art Online (SAO), Kaguya-sama: Love is War, and Oshi no Ko, which usually took them 1.5 to 2 years until the next sequel dropped.

Unfortunately, A-1 Pictures, Aniplex, or the production committee has yet to release any teaser, renewal, or any news regarding this franchise for over four years since the final episodes aired in March 2022. It may also be possible that this anime could not receive a sequel at all.

Though the good news is that the light novel is still active and is already entering its final arc.

Where to Continue in the Manga or Novel?

The 86 manga was unfortunately canceled and will remain permanently incomplete. For anime watchers, pick up at Volume 7 (Mist) in the light novel.

What Happened to the Manga?

The first manga adaptation, illustrated by Motoki Yoshihara, began serialization in Young Gangan in February 2018 and adapted the story’s first arc, but health issues forced a suspension in 2021, with the series ultimately ending in July 2022 at Volume 3 with 19 chapters. A second adaptation, 86: Run Through the Battlefront by Hakuya Yamasaki, also faced cancellation in July 2022 due to the artist’s health issues, ending after just 1 volume and 5 chapters.

The Light Novel is Still Ongoing

The 86 light novel by Asato Asato, illustrated by Shirabii, is published by Dengeki Bunko and licensed in English by Yen Press. If you’ve finished the anime, start at Volume 7. The previous six volumes cover the anime’s events.

The Legion Explained

The Legion are a collective, self-sustaining autonomous military AI robot that has been waging war against every human nation, developed by the old Giadian Empire which also destroyed them.

Ernst Zimmermann, who is now the interim President of the new Federal Republic of Giad, was once the leader of a revolution that overthrew the imperial authorities due to their aggressive wars against other countries. Just before the Imperial faction was completely annihilated, its high-ranking members assimilated themselves into the Legion as Shepherds and issued one final order to the machines to destroy the enemy (all humans).

Shepherds

Shepherds are Legion units that capture highly skilled humans’ consciousness and coordinate entire swarms with human-level tactical intelligence. Shin has a special ability to hear these “voices” and the trapped consciousness.

How to End the Reign of the Legion

A shutdown code exists, but it can only be transmitted by a member of the Giadian Imperial family from a fortress deep inside Legion territory. Only Vika (prince of the United Kingdom of Roa Gracia, the kingdom that developed the AI for the Legions) and Shin know this, and only Shin knows that Frederica Rosenfort, the last surviving Imperial, can actually do it.

Human Races and Discrimination

The world of 86 has multiple ethnic groups, each associated with a nation and distinguished by physical traits like hair color, eye color, and complexion.

Republic of San Magnolia Race Classification

• Alba: dominant majority, characterized by silver hair, silver eyes, and pale skin. They are the founding racial group of the Republic and hold all political, military, and social power.
• Colorata: collective term for all non-Alba people of color who immigrated to the Republic under its original open-borders policy and became Eighty-Sixers during the war.

There are other distinct subclasses or specific names depending on the hair and eye color. For example, Onyx (black hair, dark or red eyes) and Pyrope (dark red or black hair, blood-red eyes).

Full Story and Expected Ending in the Final Arc

This section contains spoilers!

For anime watchers, we’ll pick up after Lena, Shinei, and the rest of the remaining Spearhead squadron members reunite at the newly reformed Federal Republic of Giad.

Lena becomes their handler again and their squad is renamed as the Strike Package, deployed across multiple countries as part of an international effort to contain the Legion’s spread.

They capture the consciousness of Zelene Birkenbaum, the original creator of the Legion, from a Legion unit. Vika discovers through Zelene the truth about Frederica’s potential ability and authority for the shutdown code to stop the Legions.

Later in the story, new Legion types called the Wisel and the Admiral are introduced. The Wisel introduces an aquatic combat element the coalition has never dealt with before. The Strike Package expands, but unfortunately, Theo loses his hand in the battle against the Noctiluca Legion and is retired since he is no longer able to pilot the Reginleif units.

Later in the story, the Legion launches an offensive across all nations at once, forcing the Strike Package to save the former Republic of San Magnolia’s citizens. Some of its citizens are hesitant to be rescued by the Eighty-Sixers and some Eighty-Sixers are hesitant to save them as well since they were mistreated.

Shin is in a dilemma whether to tell Lena that Frederica is the key to stopping the Legions. If he tells the secret, Frederica might be in danger and sent to war, or there could be backlash from the people finding out a child with imperial blood from the original Giad Empire was still alive. Overall, there are just too many factors at play making Shin hesitate.

The current volume is Volume 14 titled Paint It Black and marks the beginning of the final arc in the series.

Final Thoughts

I really like 86 because it shows the human nature of love, hope, and even the nasty parts like discrimination, blame, and despair. It doesn’t get too boring with the world building as well, and the story really walks you through slowly with a gradual introduction to more enemies, characters, and countries in the story.

It also doesn’t shy away from how gruesome and unforgiving war is. It shows the deaths, how other people take this, and how they move on and remember and honor them.

I know mecha animes can be repetitive and boring with the same plot of a guy going inside a robot to slay other robots and monsters, but I really like the touch of country lore here and the idea of undervaluing the soldiers that try to save humanity.

Have you watched this show before? What do you think? Comment down your thoughts below.

Copyright Notice: All characters, images, and excerpts referenced in this post are the property of their respective copyright holders. 86—Eighty-Six is © Asato Asato, Shirabii, ASCII Media Works/Kadokawa, A-1 Pictures, and Aniplex. Content is discussed for commentary, review, and educational purposes under fair use.