Ever wonder what happens when the mystical world of Arabian Nights collides with giant robots, epic sword fights, and political intrigue?
Welcome to the wild world of anime with Middle Eastern settings, where ancient deserts become battlegrounds for mecha wars, and legendary kingdoms face the chaos of civil strife.
Anime often takes us to worlds full of mecha battles, magical kingdoms, and questionable haircuts. But what if I told you some anime are suspiciously close to the real world?
Here’s a countdown of seven series that dip their toes into the Middle East, blending fiction with conflicts that, let’s be honest, feel a little too real at times.
1. Gasaraki
| Genre | Drama, Mecha, Psychological, Supernatural |
| Episodes | 25 |
| Aired | Fall 1998 |
| Studio | Sunrise |
A military conspiracy involves bio-mechanical suits, secret rituals, and (because why not) ancient Middle Eastern prophecies. You might not understand it, but you’ll feel smarter for pretending to.
The show starts with a conflict in a fictional Middle Eastern country—because what’s an anime without a convenient geopolitical crisis? It’s like they Googled “Middle East issues” and sprinkled a little mysticism on top.
You’ve got a taste for political thrillers that give you just enough real-world tension to make you rethink your news sources. Plus, the mecha fights are as tangled as the show’s convoluted plot. Watching it might feel like an achievement in itself.
2. Full Metal Panic!
| Genre | Action, Comedy, Mecha, Sci-Fi |
| Episodes | 24 |
| Aired | Winter 2002 |
| Studio | Gonzo |
Boy meets girl. Boy saves girl from terrorists with a giant robot. Boy is also a child soldier. The setting of Full Metal Panic is mostly in a Japanese high school, but the boy is still haunted by his past when he was in the Middle East.
Welcome to the life of Sousuke Sagara, whose deployment to the Middle East is just another day in the life of a teenager with PTSD.
Before Sousuke was assigned to protect a high school girl, he spent his formative years dodging bullets in the Middle East. The show often hints at the gritty realities of modern warfare in regions plagued by endless conflict.
This series is like flipping through a teen drama and accidentally landing on a military documentary. You’ll stay for the high school hijinks but secretly learn a thing or two about the horrors of war.
3. One Piece: Arabasta Arc
| Genre | Action, Adventure, Fantasy |
| Episodes | 1 |
| Aired | Spring 2007 |
| Studio | Toei Animation |
Our favorite stretchy pirate, Luffy, and his crew land in the desert kingdom of Arabasta, where political unrest, drought, and a cunning villain are brewing a full-on civil war.
Drought? Civil war? Power-hungry leaders manipulating their people? Arabasta is like a hyper-condensed version of a modern Middle Eastern conflict.
The Arabasta arc is peak One Piece—adventure, epic battles, and a surprisingly deep political commentary. Also, watching a stretchy pirate punch his way through a desert conflict makes real-world diplomacy look like a missed opportunity.
4. Mobile Suit Gundam 00
| Genre | Action, Drama, Mecha, Sci-Fi |
| Episodes | 25 (S1), 25 (S2) |
| Aired | Fall 2007 |
| Studio | Sunrise |
In the 24th century, the world’s reliance on solar power leaves the oil-rich Middle East in economic despair. Cue the entrance of Celestial Being, a group of mobile suit pilots with one mission: stop war by blowing things up.
With its focus on resource wars and power struggles, this show eerily echoes the oil politics that have haunted the region for decades. Plus, why fight over solar energy when you can just build a giant robot to “negotiate” your problems away?
Do you love political drama, questionable military interventions, and the idea of peace achieved through superior firepower? Look no further for this Mobile Suit Gundam!
Also, it’s fun to pretend that global conflicts could actually be solved by pretty boys in Gundams. The main pilot of Celestial Beings is basically a boyband in disguise.
5. Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
| Genre | Action, Adventure, Drama, Supernatural |
| Episodes | 25 |
| Aired | Fall 2012 |
| Studio | A-1 Pictures |
Follow Aladdin and Alibaba as they roam a world very loosely based on the Arabian Nights, fighting evil djinn and navigating cutthroat politics.
It’s like a Disney movie, if that Disney movie got lost in translation and added more existential crisis. There are tyrannical leaders, oppressed populations, and how the shounen spirit can lead to the path of liberation.
If you ever felt that the Arabian Nights could use more fireballs and swordfights, then Magi is your jam. You’ll love watching how this fantasy world incorporates just enough Middle Eastern flair.
6. Arslan Senki
| Genre | Action, Adventure, Drama |
| Episodes | 25 |
| Aired | Spring 2015 |
| Studio | A-1 Pictures |
Prince Arslan is trying to reclaim his kingdom from invaders.
The setting is clearly inspired by ancient Persia, and you can’t help but notice the parallels between Arslan’s struggle for his homeland and the very real history of territorial conflicts in the region.
If you’ve ever wanted to feel superior because you know what a ‘strategically important oasis city’ is, this anime is for you. Bonus points if you’ve read up on ancient Persia, as this anime will make you feel cultured.
7. Fate/Grand Order: Camelot
| Genre | Action, Adventure, Fantasy |
| Episodes | 2 Film |
| Aired | Fall 2020 |
| Studio | Production I.G |
Knights, kings, and chaos in a magical rendition of the Middle East!
King Arthur (well, the gender-bent version) and her legendary castle Camelot plus the Knight of the Round Table has somehow ended up in the desert, technically take control of the Holy City.
Let’s be honest, it’s like a textbook case of European colonization. She rolls into the Middle East, claiming a land that’s not hers, enforcing foreign laws, and all in the name of “protecting the people.” Sound familiar?
Meanwhile displaced indingeous residents take refuge under the Order of Assassins. And not far from there, an overprotective Pharaoh Ozymandias ruling things. It’s Fate series, after all—who needs logic?
This Fate/Grand Order set in Jerusalem during the late 1200s where the Knights of the Round Table are locked in a deadly feud with the Order of Assassins and the forces of Ancient Egypt.
Led by Lion King, the Round Table seeks to safeguard humanity against Solomon’s calamity by sequestering them in her ideal holy city. Fujimaru and Mash back in time to mend this Singularity.
These anime tackle the Middle East’s complexities with varying degrees of accuracy and finesse.
Whether you’re into giant robots saving the world, princes reclaiming their thrones, or magic carpets overthrowing dictators, one thing’s for sure: anime never runs out of creative ways to drag the Middle East into its wild and wonderful stories.
