Summary

• Plenty of anime shows have the same aesthetic and themes as Metal Gear Solid, offering complex storylines, military technology, and larger-than-life characters.
• Shows like Spriggan, Genocidal Organ, and Lycoris Recoil provide thrilling and action-packed spy experiences, reminiscent of Metal Gear Solid.
• Whether it's exploring dark military stories, dystopic futures, or the tragedy of super soldiers, these anime series offer a range of themes that resonate with Metal Gear fans.

With the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 in stores, complex tales of espionage are hot again, and anime certainly is not lacking in that department. The adventures of Snake are often outlandish enough to be anime in itself, so it is not surprising that there are plenty of shows with the same aesthetic, be it science-fiction technology, dizzying gunplay, or intricate conspiracies. Either way, these anime will be sure to satisfy those craving more spy action.

Like Metal Gear, quite a few anime love to explore the world of clandestine operations, where allies are temporary, and every mission is fraught with danger. While the plots may confound their protagonists, spy enthusiasts shouldn't struggle to search for a good thriller. Whatever one is looking for, they are sure to find at least one story that equals the excess of Konami's popular stealth-action series.

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10 Spriggan

Yu Ominae is a Spriggan, a super soldier tasked with recovering "Out Of Place Artifacts" from a long-lost civilization while battling other nefarious groups seeking such "OOPArts". Secret paramilitary wars between enhanced troops should be familiar to Metal Gear fans, who can either watch the gorgeously animated 1998 movie, or David Productions' modern adaptation on Netflix. Either way, watching one teenager take on hordes of armed troops, and augmented thugs with code names like "Fatman", "Little Boy" or "Hummingbat" can't help but bring to mind Metal Gear's own eclectic cast of super-powered bosses that helped make the games so memorable

9 Genocidal Organ

This dark military story follows Clavis Shepard's international manhunt for John Paul, a man who is somehow causing genocides to break out in countries he visits. Project ITOH, the author of the novel that would eventually be turned into the 2017 movie, also penned the novelization for Metal Gear Solid 4, and the similarities are obvious in hindsight. The philosophical debates about man's relationship to their culture and language could easily turn up in a Kojima game, as could the high-tech gun fights and military technology interspersed between. Only a rushed third act hurts an otherwise solid gritty spy movie.

8 Lycoris Recoil

Hideo Kojima famously tweeted praise for this anime. In ways, seeing two agents of Japan's secret police banter about underwear does capture that signature Metal Gear oddness. Lycoris is definitely one of the more lighthearted takes on the genre, perhaps too much so for a fictional Japan that secretly murders criminals for public safety. Regardless, Chisato and Takina are memorable protagonists, both for their gunplay and their growing relationship. A little goofy, a little serious, and with plenty of action, Lycoris Recoil is definitely the "fun" sort of spy story about stopping bad guys on the sly, while looking good.

7 Obsolete

This Netflix Original explores the military consequences of making robots cheap and accessible for all when mysterious aliens start trading Exoframes for limestone. Across 13 short episodes, viewers follow world events from a variety of perspectives: scientists, mercenaries, child soldiers, and eventually a group of soldiers trying to stop the terrorist "Outcast Brigade". Metal Gear fans should feel right at home with the semi-plausible mech suits, as well as the exploration of battlefields that have been altered by these machines. With the episodes all available on YouTube, Obsolete is a hassle-free military story anyone can try, just like its Exoframes.

6 Golgo 13

This long-running manga follows the exploits of Duke Togo, the titular sniper, who will shoot anyone and anything for the right price. This story is more James Bond-esque, with Togo globe-trotting, seducing women, and looking good the entire time. Over the course of his long career, which has been translated into two movies and a 52-episode anime, the sniper has tangled with all sorts of bizarre enemies and made all sorts of impossible shots, all of which is done with a tactical flourish worthy of 007 - or Solid Snake. Golgo 13 deserves more attention as its formula is still one-of-a-kind.

5 Psycho-

Fans of Metal Gear Solid 2 and its mind-bending meditations on information control and social harmony should enjoy Psycho-'s dystopic Japan, where people are judged by their potential criminality via an advanced computer known as the Sybil System. Viewers will find similar aesthetics in both, with stainless steel and advanced electronics a common sight. While Psycho-'s TV broadcasts follow the formula of noir mysteries, its latter movies include more militarized elements as characters take on threats outside Japan's borders. Either way, it's a gritty, no-holds-barred conspiracy thriller interested in man's relationship with technology, in the same way Metal Gear is.

4 Gunslinger Girl

This manga puts a dark spin on the idea of super soldiers and emphasizes the tragedy of young girls being turned into killing machines. Madhouse's 2003 adaptation is favored among fans, who prefer its brooding imagery and accurately modeled firearms that give heft to the secret operations the so-called Social Welfare Agency engages in. The anime focuses more on slow-paced drama, as the cyborg girls try to manage their lives between their missions. While not as action-packed as its contemporaries, Gunslinger Girl still is an excellent bitter compliment for those who want maximum moral ambiguity involved in their spy stories.

3 Ghost in the Shell

This franchise has set the tone for all cyberpunk imagery going forward, so there is no surprise if Metal Gear is indebted to it in some way. The 1995 movie, with its giant spider tanks and invisibility cloaks, provides the most bang for the buck for reliving the feeling of being an elite agent like Snake. Its TV continuities, like Stand Alone Complex or Arise, meanwhile, provide plenty of juicy intrigue, as Section 9 handles corrupt armies, officials, and hackers. Whatever version one watches, Ghost in the Shell provides some of the best sci-fi spec ops teams to grace fiction.

2 Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade

Set in an alternate 1950s, where Japan employs secret police to gun down radical left terrorists, Jin-Roh is a very dark Cold War tale with just enough speculative dieselpunk to match Metal Gear Solid 3's space-age 1960s. The movie's plot boils slowly - perhaps too much so - but nonetheless provides an unpredictable tale of governmental infighting that will keep all viewers on their toes, all the way to its infamous ending. Jin-Roh is the perfect follow-up to MGS3, for those who want historical fiction about the dirtiest, most ruthless sorts of spycraft, where any sort of trust exists as a weapon.

1 Spy X Family

This series has become a favorite of the past few years, thanks to its eclectic cast, deft use of comedy, and a setting that imitates 1960s . Super Spy Twilight's "pretend" family, which includes an assassin, a mind-reading child, and a clairvoyant dog, is only short a giant robot to match the same absurdities MGS3 had. The manga is a farce in the best ways, as all sorts of espionage clash with daily activities in the funniest ways possible. With the story able to balance both drama and humor the whole way, Spy X Family has definitely earned its adoration.

It can be tricky to pin down what makes Metal Gear, Metal Gear. While it can seem like Konami's franchise is too weird to define, these shows perhaps capture its different elements, be it military technology, complex storylines, or larger-than-life characters. Spies, secret agents, and dark government secrets are always popular material to write about, even if it can be tricky to find an anime good enough to pull it off without becoming too depressing, or even worse, too ridiculous. But for those wanting more of what Metal Gear Solid has to offer, these shows hopefully will scratch that itch.