World history has inspired a number of creative mediums, and anime is no exception. Among the countless anime retelling and reinventing historical stories, there are plenty of standout classic anime every history nerd needs to watch. Many of these series introduce fantastical elements while still staying inline with the spirit of the events they’re based on. Many times, these anime series’ most memorable events actually have a fully historical basis, rather than being inventions by the writers.
As a Japanese medium, it’s not surprising that anime often draws on Japanese history. In fact, the earliest surviving work of Japanese animation depicts an unlucky samurai trying to test out a new sword. There are also many worthwhile anime series inspired from other times and places throughout world history. Many anime creators have proven themselves knowledgeable of historical periods from every era. These diverse historical settings and characters have inspired some of the most memorable anime series of all time.
10 The Three Musketeers Reinvents A Classic Story
Created By Studio Gallop and Based On the d’Artagnan Romances By Alexandre Dumas
The Three Musketeers anime plays are as loose about adapting Alexandre Dumas’s original novels as the novels did with real history. That being said, the Three Musketeers and d’Artagnan Romances are all based on real people who lived in France in the 1600s. Dumas was inspired by several historical manuscripts containing the names of the historical inspirations for Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and d’Artagnan. From there, he used these figures as the basis for a fictional story that was seeped in real world historical events. The Three Musketeers anime used Dumas’ story as the basis for a rather loose, but thoroughly enjoyable, retelling of the story of the Three Musketeers.
Watch Now On Prime Video
9 Jubei-chan: The Ninja Girl Follows One Of Japan’s Most Famous Samurai
Created By Studio Madhouse
The real Yagyu Jubei lived in Japan during the 1600s and has gone on to become one of the most frequently depicted historical figures in Japanese pop culture. Despite the lack of historical evidence for him having lost an eye, fictional versions of Jubei are invariably depicted as wearing an eye patch. Jubei’s famous eye patch drives the story seen in Jubei-chan, an anime where the main character, a high school girl named Jiyu, adopts Jubei’s personality and skills with a sword when she puts on his eye patch. Admittedly, the depiction of Jubei is more based on folk tales and fictional accounts than any semblance of the historical figure. Most notably, the anime depicts him as a ninja instead of a samurai. Regardless, the series is a testament to how ubiquitous the fictionalized folk hero version of Jubei is in Japanese pop culture.
Watch Now On Crunchyroll
8 The Vision of EscaFlowne Depicts a Different Side Of Isaac Newton
Created By Studio Sunrise, Based On the Original Manga By Shoji Kawamori and Katsu Aki
After being transported to the world of Gaea, EscaFlowne‘s protagonist Hitomi quickly learns that she isn’t the first person from Earth to have traveled to the mysterious fantasy realm. In addition to learning that her own grandmother previously traveled to Gaea, it’s heavily implied throughout the series that the famous British scientist Isaac Newton was also transported to Gaea and took up the identity of Emperor Dornkirk of Zaibach, the series’ primary antagonist.
Becoming Emperor in a Fantasy world and building a destiny-altering machine actually isn’t that out of character for the historical Isaac Newton; in addition to being famous for his scientific contributions, the real Newton was also very interested in certain subjects that were considered dubious even in his own time. He extensively studied both occultism and alchemy, even writing a book on the latter.
Watch Now On Funimation
7 Vinland Saga Visualizes the Brutality of Vikings
Created by WIT Studio and Studio MAPPA, Based On the Original Manga By Makoto Yukimura
Most scholars mark the beginning of the Viking Age with the raid on Lindisfarne in 793, and ending with the death of Harald Hardrada at Stamford Bridge in 1066. Notably, both of these events happened in England. This 300-year-long reign was a very turbulent time in England, and there were more than fifteen different claimants to the throne of England between 966 and 1066. This is the historical backdrop for Vinland Saga.
Fittingly, the characters travel extensively, but the bulk of the action takes place in England after the Danish conquest by Sweyn Forkbeard and Canute the Great. Many of the series’ characters are at least loosely based on real historical figures. Sweyn and Canute really were Kings of England. Leif Ericson really did reach North America. Even the series’ main character, Thorfinn, is inspired by the real Viking explorer Thorfinn Karlsefni.
Watch Now On Crunchyroll
6 The Heike Story Studies the Fall Of Taira no Kiyomori
Created By Science Saru, Based On Hideo Furukawa’s Translation Of The Tale Of the Heike
As the head of the most powerful noble families of the time, Taira no Kiyomori was the power behind the throne in 12th-century Japan. Many of his sons were granted prestigious positions in the imperial court and his daughter became the Empress-Consort. Kiyomori is also remembered as an infamous tyrant, brutally crushing his enemies and rivals and oppressing the citizens of Kyoto, Japan’s capital city at the time.
Kiyomori’s rise to power, death, and the subsequent downfall of the entire Taira clan is famously narrated in the 14th-century poem known as the Tale of the Heike. The word “Heike” is based on an alternate reading of the Japanese characters for “Taira”. The poem features some of the most famous samurai in Japan’s history. Despite heavily abridging the story, the anime serves to highlight the most important events and serves as a good introduction to both one of Japan’s most famous stories and historical periods.
Watch Now On Crunchyroll
5 Romeo x Juliet Adapts One Of Shakespeare’s Most Famous Tragedies
Created By Studo Gonzo, Based On the Original Manga By Reiko Yoshida and Hiroki Harada
Notable for being a rare anime adaptation of Shakespeare’s play, which is itself inspired by the real-world state of Italian politics in the Middle Ages, Romeo x Juliet is the story of one of the most famous feuds between families in history. In real life basis for this feud is the decades-long fight between two warring Italians known as the Guelphs and the Ghibellines. At its most simple, the dispute arose due to the Guelphs supporting greater political power for the Pope, and the Ghibellines fighting for the Holy Roman Emperor to have more control over Church affairs within the Empire. Granted, Romeo x Juliet takes place in a completely fictional setting and introduces multiple fantastical elements to the story, but the most basic core of the story comes from this real-world historical conflict.
Watch Now On Crunchyroll
4 Yasuke Adapts the Story Of Japan’s First Black Samurai
Created by LeSean Thomas and Studio MAPPA
The historical Yasuke is notable for being the first known Black samurai. The anime adaptation of his life is notable for being one of relatively few anime series to star a Black character in the leading role. The historical Yasuke came to Japan on a Portuguese ship sometime around 1579, and entered the service of the powerful Daimyo, Oda Nobunaga. The anime series itself goes full fantasy, introducing mechs, magic, and global conspiracies. Admittedly, any series-length story about Yasuke would require a fair amount of artistic license, since very few of the details of the real Yasuke’s life are known. The core story, however, is true. Yasuke really did come to Japan and worked as a samurai for Nobunaga.
Watch Now On Netflix
3 Ya Boy Kongming! Places a Real Life Strategist In Modern Japan
Created By P.A. Studio, Based On the Original Manga By Yuta Yotsuba and Ryo Ogawa
Also known as Kongming, Zhuge Liang was the Chancellor of the Kingdom of Shu during the Three Kingdoms period of China, which has inspired countless fictional works, including a strategy video game. He is a historically verifiable figure best known for his highly fictionalized appearance in the 14th-century novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Although the exploits of the historical Zhuge Liang are exaggerated to an almost god-like level by the accounts in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he was nevertheless one of the brightest minds of his time and a major figure in the rise of the Kingdom of Shu. Many of the plans he uses to help Eiko’s musical career in Ya Boy Kongming! are based on various strategies from Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Watch Now On HIDIVE
2 Oshi no Ko Makes Real Commentary on Idol Culture
Created By Doga Koba, Based On the Original Manga By Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari
Oshi No Ko isn’t shy about depicting the dark, seedy underbelly of the entertainment industry in Japan, and that became very clear by the end of the very first episode. Several of its most disturbing plot lines are based on real scandals and tragedies in the industry, including the murders of several popular celebrities by obsessed fans. The most apparent real-life inspiration in Oshi no Ko is a storyline involving Akane that was seen as having clear parallels to the suicide of professional wrestler Hana Kimura in 2020. This particular story arc was seen by many Japanese fans as being in poor taste, leading to a vocal outcry, including criticism from Hana’s mother.
Watch Now On HIDIVE
1 Spy X Family Explores Eastern & Western Conflicts
Created By WIT Studio and CloverWorks, Based On the Manga By Tatsuya Endo
While Spy X Family takes place in the fictional countries of Westalis and Ostania, the fictional setting is transparently based on West and East Germany during the Cold War. Spy X Family introduces fictional elements like telepathic children, psychic dogs, and an entire secret network of assassins, as well as exaggerating the political tension for the sake of the story; the overall world building is grounded in real-life Cold War history, especially during the 50s and 60s. The spy agencies and secret police are clearly inspired by their real-life counterparts, the esthetics of the series are based on mid-20th century Europe, and the technology is straight out of a 60s spy movie.
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