Television series

Exosquad

Name: Exosquad
Genre: Drama, Action, Science Fiction
Released: 1993
Cast: Lisa Ann Beley, Michael Donovan, Richard Newman, Janyse Jaud, Michael Benyaer

Exosquad is a 1993 CGI animated military drama where genetically engineered servant beings stage a planetary takeover, forcing humanity's last hope—an elite unit of exosuit pilots—into guerrilla warfare across Earth and space. It's surprisingly dark and serialized, treating its premise with genuine stakes. For anyone who discovered they loved sci-fi worldbuilding through anime or who wants animation that respects your intelligence.

TVMaze rating

4.0

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love 1990s animated sci-fi with real military hardware, squad-level camaraderie, and a serialized story that rewards patience across its 52 half-hour episodes.

Skip it if you want self-contained episodes or a cartoon that stays light; this one has a serialized war story and an edge of grim seriousness that some viewers will find heavy for a kids-rated show.

What it asks of you: Half an hour a time over two seasons, with the story building steadily rather than resetting each week, so it pays off best when you keep coming back.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Mobile Suit Gundam1979

The definitive giant-robot war story, equally committed to military logistics and character arcs across a sprawling conflict. Influenced everything Exosquad aspires to be, with the same gritty aesthetic and moral complexity.

But Episodic pacing in the early episodes can feel slow, and the animation quality varies wildly depending on budget that week.

Neon Genesis Evangelion1995

Animated sci-fi that refuses easy answers about war, duty, and what it costs to save the world. Similarly unafraid to end on ambiguity and psychological wreckage rather than clean victory.

But Becomes increasingly abstract and nihilistic; if you're watching for plot closure, the ending will frustrate you deliberately.

Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch2006

A serialized anime about occupation, resistance, and tactical warfare where every decision compounds. The protagonist's moral descent mirrors the stakes Exosquad builds across its seasons.

But Melodrama and unlikely coincidences pile up; it sometimes values emotional impact over logical consistency.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Exosquad

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Serial Experiments Lain1998

Both deploy military/technological sci-fi aesthetics to explore existential questions about what human agency means when the rules of reality itself become negotiable.

A short, densely philosophical sci-fi anime about consciousness, identity, and what it means to exist in a post-human network. Like Exosquad, it refuses easy answers and trusts viewers to sit with dread.

But Deliberately cryptic and non-linear; if you're expecting plot you'll hate it. Feels like watching someone's nightmare about technology.

The Expanse2015

A militarized solar system where factions clash, politics fracture, and protagonists are outgunned but tactically brilliant. Treats space warfare with technical plausibility Exosquad gestures toward.

But First season feels scattered across too many storylines; dense politics can alienate viewers wanting pure action.

RahXephon2002

A serialized anime where a teenage pilot discovers his side isn't righteous, his enemy isn't monolithic, and piloting a giant robot doesn't make him a hero. Aesthetically gorgeous and thematically sophisticated.

But Deliberately obscure mythology and symbolism; plot clarity takes a backseat to atmosphere and philosophical questions.

Macross1982

A space military drama where aliens, robots, and human culture collide. Blends action, romance, and genuine political consequence; foundational to how anime handles military storytelling.

But Pacing is uneven; significant portions are slice-of-life romance when you might want combat.

Voltron: Legendary Defender2016

Modern animated team-based warfare with serialized narrative about colonization, resistance, and the cost of victory. Respects its premise and audience intelligence across multiple seasons.

But Tonal shifts between seasons; some viewers find the final season's choices narratively unsatisfying.

The Iron Giant1999

Both use mecha and military conflict as frameworks to ask what happens when combatants recognize each other's humanity instead of ideology.

An animated Cold War parable about a boy, a giant robot, and learning to see your enemy as something other than a weapon. Visually stunning hand-drawn animation with genuine philosophical depth and heartbreak.

But Marketed as a children's film but it's expressly about grief and the machinery of war; some find it too heavy for its format.

Ergo Proxy2006

Shares Exosquad's willingness to depict a civilization in collapse where allegiances blur and the war's original justifications become almost meaningless beside survival.

A post-apocalyptic anime about humans and androids in a dead world, gorgeously shot with jazz soundtrack and philosophical weight. Slow-burn worldbuilding that treats its setting as a character.

But Glacially paced; plot barely moves and dialogue-heavy episodes test patience. Feels more like reading a novel than watching action.