is a Japanese anime television and print series created by Olympus Knights and A-1 Pictures. It presents the fictional story of the Vers Empire's 37 clans of Orbital Knights' attempted reconquest of Earth—enabled by the empowering titular Aldnoah energy/drive technology—following return to Earth as a more technologically advanced people after a human diaspora to the planet Mars.
Plotted by Gen Urobuchi with direction by Ei Aoki, the series features principal Japanese voice acting by Natsuki Hanae, Sora Amamiya and Kensho Ono, with animated relational and battle scenes set on or in the orbit of the fictional Earth of 2014, the Landing Castles of the Vers Empire's Orbital Knights, Vers bases on a shattered remnant of Earth's Moon, and occasionally, the Vers palace of its failing emperor on Mars. The series began from July 2014 to March 2015, had presented two 12-episode seasons, with Urobuchi, Katsuhiko Takayama and Shinsuke Onishi, and then Hiroyuki Sawano and Kalafina, respectively, receiving principal script-writing and music credits. An 24.5th episode original video animation bonus titled "The Penultimate Truth" was originally incorporated into the compilation film that premiered in February 2025 and was later included in a Blu-Ray disc box set of the series that was released March 2025.
Plot
In an alternate 1972, during the Apollo 17 mission, an ancient alien artifact named the was discovered on the surface of the Moon, allowing for near-instantaneous travel to and from Mars and the colonisation of Mars. After settlers discover additional alien technology on Mars be known as , they unilaterally declare independence from Earth to found the Vers Empire. Later, the Vers Empire declares war on Earth in 1999 and a battle on the Moon's surface causes the Hypergate to explode, shattering the Moon and scattering the remnants of the Moon into a debris belt around Earth. Cut off from Mars, the remnants of the Vers Empire Forces establishes several massive orbital space stations within the debris belt and a ceasefire was established. 15 years later, in 2014, an attack on the First Princess of Vers during a diplomatic mission to Earth causes the Empire and its 37 clans of to launch a new attack on Earth, this time determined to conquer it once and for all.
Characters Main
A student attending Shinawara High School at the top of his class, he lives with his elder sister, Yuki, before the start of the war on which the plot is focused; when the war begins, he joins the United Forces of Earth along with his classmates in the war against the Vers. He is characterised by his emotionless, stoic demeanor; in addition, he displays extraordinary ingenuity in battle, regularly devising devastating tactics to defeat Martian Knights in battle. According to Yuki, he may have developed feelings for Princess Asseylum. This is later proven true when his AI partner inadvertently confesses to Asseylum that Inaho sees her as an extension of himself, and values her life even more than his own. During the war, while the rest of his squad uses the more heavily armored KG-7 Areion, he operates a training unit, the KG-6 Sleipnir as his personal machine, preferring its greater maneuverability over the thicker armour of the Areion, which he correctly determines matters little in the war against the more technologically advanced Vers Empire. He has the ability to activate Aldnoah Drive technology, having inadvertently received a part of Asseylum's powers after carrying out CPR on her and accidentally ingesting some of her blood and saliva. After he was shot by Slaine, he receives a cybernetic left eye to replace the damaged one; the eye, which contains both a processor specialized in movement-prediction algorithms intended to replace the also damaged temporal cortex of his brain and an artificial intelligence originally designed to run said algorithms, advances his ability to engage Orbital Knights to an even higher degree. But the powerful AI-run eye comes at a massive cost as his inability to process large amounts of data for a long period of time continues to damage his brain. In the final battle of the war, he defeats Slaine in one-on-one Kataphrakt combat, sparing his life at the request of Asseylum, after which Slaine is imprisoned. The series ends with Inaho, now having the AI-run implant removed, explaining Asseylum's wish that he live to Slaine, and confirming that Inaho will watch over him during his imprisonment. He leaves Slaine's private prison looking out to the sea, reminiscing about his days with Asseylum.
A Terran (Earth-born human) subservient to the Vers Count Cruhteo and Inaho's nemesis. Slaine is a close friend of Princess Asseylum, who saved Slaine and his now-deceased father five years prior to the beginning of the story. He is fiercely loyal to her and although he is at first a pacifist, he will shoot to kill when he believes that Princess Asseylum's safety is endangered. After Saazbaum nearly kills Asseylum, he shoots and leaves Inaho for dead, sparing Saazbaum and declaring his full loyalty to the Martians. He is later knighted by Count Saazbaum and pilots the Kataphrakt Tharsis, which once belonged to Cruhteo and has a precognitive ability. After being named as Saazbaum's heir, he kills Saazbaum as vengeance for Princess Asseylum and rises to the rank of Count. Long in love with the unconscious Asseylum, Slaine grieves her silently and agrees to marry Princess Lemrina, who poses as Asseylum. Upon Asseylum's reawakening, his frustration and despair corrupt his personality, and he changes from a peaceful, well-intentioned young man to a war-hungry militant. This, compounded with his growing ire of Inaho's success on the battlefield, his ignorance to his fellow Terran's political subterfuge, and the realization that Asseylum has feelings for his greatest rival, causes a mental breakdown that destabilizes his own ranks. This positioning allows Asseylum's revelation of his conspiracy to cause him to be abandoned by the majority of his allied Counts. In a final act of defiance, he engages in a brutal final battle with Inaho, piloting his Tharsis against Inaho in brutal one-on-one combat. He is narrowly defeated by Inaho, and afterward has the entire blame of the war placed on him and is subsequently imprisoned; his bitterness and rage are quelled only by Inaho's telling him that Asseylum specifically asked Inaho to spare him.
The First Princess of the Vers Empire. She is very close to Slaine and is curious to learn about Earth. Visiting Earth on a diplomatic visit, her motorcade is attacked, and she is presumed dead; while she was not killed in the attack (a body double replaced her, as she had fallen ill), the attempted assassination is used by the Orbital Knights as a casus belli for their invasion. Asseylum travels with Inaho's group under a false identity ("Seylum") until she transmits a message to her grandfather on Mars, in hopes of stopping the rekindled war. After Saazbaum nearly kills her, Slaine convinces the Count to save her instead. She remains in suspended animation while recovering from her injuries, eventually awakening to find that Slaine and Princess Lemrina are waging war against Earth in her name. While escaping Slaine's military base, she encounters an unconscious Inaho and is able to escape with the help of the AI implanted in his mechanical eye. While assisting her, the AI inadvertently confesses Inaho's affection for the Princess, explaining that the earthling views her as an extension of himself. Asseylum then asks the AI that she reciprocates his feeling, confessing her own admiration and love. After escaping, Asseylum eventually regains control of the Vers Empire and is betrothed to the son of Count Cruhteo, Count Klancain who shares her desire for peace with Earth. She does this to separate the Vers military from Slaine's forces, which he had allied by using Lemrina in disguise to claim the position for himself and exposing his treachery. By denying Slaine the majority of his allies, the Earth's military is able to defeat the remnants of Slaine's forces. Taking control of the Vers Empire, Asseylum marries Count Klancain and establishes a lasting peace between Earth and Mars. The series ends with her reminiscing about her lessons with Slaine, and her days at sea with Inaho.
United Earth
A Martian girl living on Earth. Her personality was seemingly cold and emotionless but before being heavily emotionally scarred, she was originally a cheerful girl that loved her father, who was stranded on Earth after the First Earth-Mars War. Her father and a few comrades carry out the assassination attempt on Princess Asseylum in exchange for the promise of extraction back to Mars and knighthood under the Vers Empire. Rayet witnessed Trillram murder her father and fellow conspirators to keep them quiet and, after Yuki rescued her, swore vengeance on the Martians. She eventually becomes a member of Inaho's squad.
Inaho's childhood friend and fellow high school classmate, who is strongly hinted to have feelings for Inaho. She is a member of the Student Council Committee and later a member of Inaho's squad.
Inaho's friend and classmate. He comes from a country that was severely affected by Heaven's Fall. Despite the name, he is actually very loud and jovial, though he swears vengeance on all Martians after a Knight kills his friend. He becomes a mechanic in service to the United Forces of Earth.
Inko's best friend who is also in Inaho's class. She comes from the same country as Calm that was severely affected by Heaven's Fall. She operates controls for the Deucalion aboard its bridge.
Inaho's friend and classmate. His friends call him . He is killed while trying to save Yuki from Trillram.
A Shinawara High student who is Inaho's senior, and one of the volunteers for lieutenant Marito's rescue crew.
A Shinawara High student who is Inaho's senior, and one of the volunteers for Lieutenant Marito's rescue crew.
Inaho's older sister and a Warrant Officer in service to the United Forces of Earth. She is capable of piloting a Kataphrakt into battle and has helped to train Kataphrakt pilots at the academy. She constantly worries that Inaho might get killed with all his plans, but supports him nonetheless. When Inaho is nearly killed, she abandons the Deucalion crew for 19 months before eventually returning alongside Marito.
A Lieutenant of the United Forces of Earth. He, along with Yuki, was originally a training instructor at the high school Inaho attends, but is also a veteran of the War of 1999, and witnessed firsthand the power of Aldnoah. Despite reporting what happened 15 years ago before Heaven's Fall, the governments of Earth refused to publicize any information, as it showed how outmatched Earth's forces truly were. One of his close friends was killed in that battle, and Marito now suffers from PTSD and drinks heavily to cope with his flashbacks to the battle.
A doctor living in the city of Shinawara and a friend of Marito who helps him deal with his trauma. / (birth name)
A Captain of the United Forces of Earth. She helps Marito evacuate the civilians while Inaho and his friends distract Trillram. She blames Marito for the death of her biological older brother, who died in the battle of Tanegashima before Heaven's Fall.
Captain Magbaredge's executive officer. She takes command of the refugee escort mission when Darzana volunteers to help Marito. Darzana usually tries to give her some dating advice, even in the middle of a battle.
A sergeant of the United Forces of Earth, and one of the volunteers for lieutenant Marito's rescue crew.
Vers Empire