While pirates have a reputation for being scumbag criminals who commit multiple acts of violence at sea, they have managed to gain a ‘cool’ image in recent years. Pirates are frequently featured in Hollywood films, but they are less frequently seen in Japanese anime.
There are not only traditional pirates who travel by sea in Japanese anime, but also space pirates who travel by space ships! If you’re having trouble finding pirate anime, you’ve come to the right place because we’re about to show you the Top 10 Pirate Anime!
10. Gensou Jotan Ellcia (Ellcia)
Princess Crystal of Megaronia sets out on a quest to recover a legendary ship said to be extremely powerful after rediscovering The Sacred Book of Eija. A small band of unusual pirates led by Eira stands in the way of her desire to rule the world.
This is a classic good versus evil story that demonstrates that not all pirates are inherently evil. This short pirate anime series with a simple plotline may entertain you during a lazy weekend if you can look past the old animation style, which also includes old-fashioned sound effects. Despite the anime’s violent content, it is not lacking in humor, thanks to the amusing pirate characters.
9. Sol Bianca
Sol Bianca is the name of a starship piloted by an all-female pirate crew made up of Janny Mann, Feb Fall, April Bikirk, May Jessica, and June Ashel, whose names are based on months of the year.
They learn about the legendary treasure known as Gnosis from a stowaway on the ship, which is currently in the hands of the wicked Emperor Batros.
There may not have been many female pirates in the past, but they have always been a fantasy for many people, especially if they have attractive faces and figures (and in the case of Sol Bianca, the addition of striking hair colors). This series, which is centered on girl power and features the main cast of femme fatale pirates, serves as a foolproof premise. You can expect some mild harem action because there is a boy stowaway in the ship full of female pirates.
8. Queen Emeraldas
Emeraldas is a mysterious, powerful, and beautiful pirate who pilots the Queen Emeraldas spaceship. There is a race that wishes to rule the galaxy, but they must first overcome the Emeraldas, who refuse to do nothing and accept their tyranny! This series is part of the Harlock franchise, but it can be enjoyed without having seen any other Harlock series.
Forget about having a pirate crew and a pirate series centered on friendship; some of us can’t relate to such things because our nature is to go it alone! If you had similar thoughts after reading the synopsis, you might be disappointed because, despite the anime’s title, this series isn’t really about the lovely pirate Emeraldas. Rather, Hiroshi Umino, a young boy with big dreams, is the focus of the story.
7. Coyote Ragtime Show
Mister, an outlaw or coyote, has been in prison for a year and has escaped with the help of his old friends Bishop and Katana 10 days before his release. Pirate King Bruce was assassinated, and his daughter Franca has been left in Mister’s care. Mister looks for Franca, and the two embark on a quest to find her father’s treasure.
The theme of finding loot or treasure is central to the history of pirates, and it is exemplified in Coyote Ragtime Show, in which the plot revolves around a group of space pirates known as Coyote who are on the lookout for Pirate King Bruce’s stolen loot.
Mister is interested in the loot for the money, as are other pirates, but he also wants to fulfill his promise to Franca. As a result, it’s similar to a father-daughter relationship in a pirate anime series. Aside from pirates, there are robotic killer maids on a planet on the verge of being blown up!
6. Captain Harlock (Space Pirate: Captain Harlock)
Captain Harlock has been looting spaceships and fighting the Allied Forces for one hundred years. The Allied Forces are determined to kill him because of his legendary status as Captain Harlock, a formidable foe of the Allies. This anime film is a computer-animated adaptation of the Captain Harlock series.
The original Captain Harlock anime series aired in 1978, but we believe that many viewers would prefer to watch something more modern, so we recommend this CG film instead of the original series. Because this is a CG anime film, you can expect it to be of higher quality than the average anime.
The space pirates’ actions and battles are incredible. The CGI effects make even the spaceships look intimidating!
5. Kenren Butou Sai: The Mars Daybreak (Mars Daybreak)
The story takes place in the future, when humans have colonized Mars. Because Mars is mostly covered in water, humans live in massive city-ships, possibly inspired by the story of Noah’s Ark. Life on Mars isn’t ideal because of the poor economy, which leads to some people committing piracy instead.
The Ship of Aurora is the most well-known pirate ship, and Gram finds himself in the company of those pirates by accident.
Apart from pirates, the government also employs mechas in its fight against the pirates. A cat and a dolphin who can speak are among the pirate crew, so this anime is essentially a mash-up of various elements.
Gram, the protagonist, discovers that the notorious pirates are not as bad as they appear and are most likely doing the right thing, despite appearances.
4. Mouretsu Pirates (Bodacious Space Pirates)
Marika Katou is a high school student who works part-time at a retro café and spends her free time at the space yacht club.
One day, she discovers that her deceased father, Gonzaemon, was a space pirate who commanded the ship Bentenmaru. Marika becomes the new ship captain and begins her life as a space pirate after the leadership is passed down to his direct descendant.
One might expect this anime series to be full of silly, perverted moments based on the title, but this is not the case. In Mouretsu Pirates, you’ll follow Marika as she learns the skills she’ll need to be a successful pirate captain. The anime series also features adorable pirate costumes that are a visual feast!
3. Erementar Gerad (Elemental Gelade)
Edel Raids are extraordinary beings who can interact with humans and bestow incredible abilities on them. The plot revolves around Cou Van Giruet, a sky pirate who discovers Ren, a very rare and powerful Edel Raid, which makes many villains want to kidnap her. Cou tries to protect Ren and ends up falling in love with her.
Aside from the simple theme of good versus evil in this story, this anime series, which stars a sky pirate as the protagonist, also has a racial intolerance as an underlying theme. Due to the Edel Raids’ unique abilities, various parties are interested in using them for good or evil purposes. Cou, despite being a sky pirate, has a good heart and regards the Edel Raids as human beings rather than weapons.
2. Black Lagoon
Thailand’s Roanapur is a crime-ridden district. Rokurou Okajima is a businessman who travels to Southeast Asia on business but is captured by the Black Lagoon, a band of pirate mercenaries. The group intends to use him as a bargaining chip, but this plan backfires when Rokurou’s employer betrays him. Rokurou decides to join the Black Lagoon as a result.
The story of Rokurou, a businessman who makes a career change when he joins a band of pirate mercenaries, is told in Black Lagoon. Although more eye-opening than his mundane life as a businessman, his life as a pirate tests his spirit and morality, as he must sacrifice some aspects of his humanity in order to commit pirate crimes.
1. One Piece
Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, revealed the existence of the world’s greatest treasure, known as One Piece, before his death. Monkey D. Luffy aspires to be a pirate in order to embark on an adventure that will lead him to the great treasure. He gains the ability to stretch himself like rubber after eating a special fruit known as the Devil fruit, which helps him in battles against other pirates!
One Piece is a shounen anime that revolves around Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates, and his crew. There are various types of Devil Fruits in the pirate world of One Piece, each of which grants the user special abilities.
As the series progresses, there are a growing number of pirates with special abilities that Luffy’s crew must contend with! This series is also full of humor to keep you entertained.
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