The Top 20 Wondarrrful Anime About Pirates

Pirates are criminals wandering in the sea to plunder ships and make a living out of illicit activities.

They are one of the most common tropes in anime and marine settings aren’t the only places where you will find them. Outer space is the futuristic background where many anime adventures take place, and many Sci-Fi shows make large use of this trope.

Treasures, glory, and crazy adventures are the keywords for pirate anime and you will be amazed by how much variety you will see.

This listicle is subjective and based on our personal experience.

20. Vandread

Vandread is a 2000 anime with science fiction, mecha, and ecchi elements as its core.

The story is set in a future where men and women fight each other and live on different planets. The main character, Hibiki Tokai, is a young boy who agrees to a bet to steal a high-tech humanoid robot, known as Vanguard, from a male attack battleship.

In an attempt to carry out his plan, Hibiki, following an attack by some female pirates, finds himself to be their prisoner along with two other men named Duelo and Bart. This will only be the beginning of trouble.

A classic anime of the early 2000s, both in terms of themes covered and technical and graphic appearance. Not to be missed if lovers of the genre.

19. Angel Links

Enterprising 16-year-old Li Meifon, to comply with her late grandfather’s last wishes, becomes the president of an agency that escorts cargo spaceships on their interstellar journeys for free.

This is to protect them from space pirates and other miscreants by guiding the Angel Links, a spectacular spaceship.

This is the premise of Angel Links, a 1999 vintage anime with very enjoyable adventure, action, and ecchi elements.

18. The Enemy’s the Pirates! : The Cats’ Banquet

A series of just 6 episodes released in 1989 and based on a novel.

The main characters are Apulo, a cat-like alien with the ability to lock a human’s emotions, and Latell. They both work for the Division of Space Piracy.

The two of them are extremely destructive in their solving of DSP cases, and their adventures will be quite entertaining to watch.

Another example of why the vintage style is still effective today and even better when the anime is short and can be watched in just one night.

17. Tenchi Muyo

Combine space pirates with sentimental elements with ecchi and harem contaminations and you get the Tenchi Muyo franchise. The story gravitates around Tenchi in different versions and products.

You can find anime, manga, OAVs, and movies, all set in the same fictional universe and with similar or related stories.

A must-see if you want a true multi-product franchise to stay committed to the same pirate-themed series. Tenchi Muyo sets the example of how you carry out a good harem anime without ruining it.

16. Space Pirate Mito

An anime series released during the 1990s, pioneering the vintage pirate series.

Mito is a three-foot-tall alien who, despite her stature, is considered the most dangerous pirate in the galaxy. Mutsuki, a member of the Galactic Patrol, will try to capture her.

Thus will unfold the events of this anime, all in all, light and unpretentious.

15. Coyote Ragtime Show

A 2006 12-episode anime consisting of a sci-fi series with action elements with mecha contamination and comic elements.

The legendary pirate king Bruce is killed by Madame Marciano, the boss of a criminal galactic guild. His bequest to his young daughter Franca is ten million space dollars, hidden inside a vault on a planet where war is raging.

So Franca will enlist the help of space pirates Mister, Kitana, and Bishop to find her inheritance before Madame Marciano appropriates it or the planet ceases to exist.

An anime with a graphic level typical of the 2000s series, perfect for lovers of space adventures in search of treasure.

14. Cosmo Warrior Zero

Another series by Matsumoto, the same author of Space Pirate Captain Harlock, which we will examine later.

The series is set in the same universe as the one just mentioned, and we will see Warrius Zero as the main character, charged with capturing Captain Harlock himself.

Another piece to add to the fictional universe of its main anime, not to be missed if fans of the work.

Indeed, many useful pieces will be added to understand the bigger picture.

13. Ellcia

The Sacred Book of the land of Eija has been rediscovered and with it the legends of a mysterious and all-powerful ship.

Now Princess Crystal of Megaronia has set forth on a quest to recover the ship and its ultimate weaponry, to gain the power to conquer the world.

Another vintage anime that features delightful world-building and wild settings.

12. Laputa – Castle in the Sky

The movie chronicles the adventures of Pazu and Sheeta as they search for the flying fortress of Laputa. It’s an enchanted island containing an extremely powerful secret weapon, already in the sights of the evil Colonel Muska and his army.

In the search, the two youngsters will be joined by a crew of wacky air pirates led by Mama Dola, a terrible grandmother who aims to seize the legendary treasures hidden in Laputa.

One of the most classic productions by the legendary Studio Ghibli, which has entered the history of animation and inspired at least hundreds of other works, even in media other than anime.

11. Black Lagoon

Black Lagoon is an anime series that aired in 2006 and it tells the story of a regular businessman named Rokurou Okajima.

One day he is tasked to take a business trip to the crime-riddled island of Roanapur where he is taken hostage by a mafia-pirate gang called Black Lagoon.

He won’t be saved by his employer who refuses to pay his ransom so Rokurou will join the gang and will turn from an average man to a ruthless criminal.

10. Enverified Sol Bianca – The Legacy

An OAV series released between 1999 and 2000 that makes adventure its strong point.

In the distant future, the world experienced a period of great happiness called the Age of the Frontier.

Mankind was venturing into the cosmos to expand its domain beyond the borders of Earth, leaving the earth behind. Against this backdrop begins the story of a group of space pirates, who travel the galaxy aboard the White Sol.

A very well-crafted anime even graphically for the period in which it was released, with the cast consisting of the female pirates all characterized very well.

9. Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet 

Adventure anime with mecha elements that features an incredible visual side capable of leaving anyone speechless.

The story is set in the distant future where the human race is engaged in a battle against menacing beings called Hidiaasu. During one of the clashes young Lt. Red is shot down along with his humanoid weapon Chamber and ends up in a space-time distortion.

Awakening from a state of hibernation, he finds himself on Earth at the edge of the galaxy, a planet now largely covered by water. The population lives on giant ships fishing their resources from the seabed and where pirates are the order of the day.

An anime that deserves to be seen for its technical and design compartment alone is definitely state-of-the-art for the period in which it was released, 2013.

The backgrounds, settings, and visual effects trust us, will be incredible, to say the least. The only issue is that the story is not as outstanding.

8. Elemental Gelade

Life for young Coud Van Giruet consists of raids and adventures within the Red Linx air pirates.

One day, during one of the assaults on merchant ships, he finds inside a sarcophagus a sleeping girl, who turns out to be of weapon, who expresses her potential by joining her user.

These are the Sci-Fi premises of Elemental Gelade, a 2005 series that transposes the concept of a human weapon to a pirate and space context.

7. Queen Emeraldas

Hiroshi is a young orphan living on Earth suffering constant abuse. One day he decided to travel to the planet Daibar to search for energy crystals to fulfill his dream: to build his own ship to finally be free.

During the voyage, the fleet led by Alfries attacks the ship on which he had boarded, and when everything seems to be turning for the worst, it appears a mysterious ship that annihilates the enemy fleet.

The ship will turn out to be the ship of Esmeraldas, champion of justice, and after this unexpected intervention, the lives of the two protagonists will become intertwined.

A short series consisting of only 4 very smooth flowing OAV episodes, so you have no excuses.

6. Kenran Butoh Sai – The Mars Daybreak

A 2004 series that combines pirate and science fiction themes with comic elements.

Life on Mars, where the anime is set, is hard for those who live here.

As the economy worsens, work becomes scarce and food becomes expensive and highly prized.

Gram and his friends try to do the best they can but, he finds himself on the run with the most notorious pirates on Mars. The only problem is he soon starts to enjoy the adventure, becoming part of the crew.

A series not to be missed for any reason if you are a fan of Sci-F with pirates.

5. Fena Pirate Princess

Fena Pirate Princess concluded recently and it wasn’t that popular, probably because of its weak narrative and characters. The visuals are extremely pleasing to the eye and that’s one of the main reasons why it’s so high in this listicle.

Fena Houtman is a young orphan girl raised on an island where the only prospect is to become a slave for the soldiers of the British Empire.

But, prompted also by the discovery of her past, Fena decides to make herself free by fighting with all her might to reach the planet Eden, accompanied by a wacky band of pirates.

Worth seeing for its technical qualities mentioned earlier while keeping in mind its flaws.

4. Bodacious Space Pirates

An anime that from the premise may seem like a very normal slice-of-life school anime, but then takes an almost absurd pirate turn.

The story revolves around high school girl Marika who, when not busy with her part-time job, likes to spend her free time in the Space Yacht Club with other of her classmates.

But, disrupting the girl’s daily routine, one day two men arrive who claim to be subordinates of her late father and ask her to take command of the pirate space ship Bentenmaru.

Thus the young girl, suddenly placed at a crossroads, will decide to embark on a new life as a privateer.

An anime bizarre as a concept that turns out to be an anime in the norm and is perfect to watch out of boredom or in downtime just to watch something.

3. Outlaw Star

Outlaw Star is based on a famous seinen manga and the anime adaptation aired in 1998.

We are in the future called the Towards Stars Era in which many star systems have been opened to space traffic. Gene Starwind and James Hawking run a small, unassuming handyman agency to make a living.

One day they are hired to protect Captain Hilda, who is piloting a spaceship, the XGP-15A II, also nicknamed Outlaw Star, in search of a legendary location that holds immense treasure.

But as usual, evil-doers lurk in every corner ready to take advantage at any time, and this situation is no exception. Space pirates and criminals are plentiful in outer space.

The lighthearted and unpretentious air will hold sway while watching this anime, making it an ideal product if you are looking for a light anime.

2. Space Pirate Captain Harlock

It’s the year 2977, in a future where the world’s population, thanks to the remarkable technological progress that has been achieved, no longer works.

They simply spend their days in idleness and entertainment. The political class that governs it is the exact mirror of it, corrupt and blind to the real problems of the people.

The protagonist Harlock decides to go against this general apathy and conformity, deciding to set out with his space fleet to revolutionize the world, becoming a liberty-driven pirate.

This anime issues a profound cry toward the freedom of every individual. Harlock abandons the Earth for this very reason. Tired of corrupt governments and politicians, and above all of the general indifference, he leaves his homeland for the sake of it.

1. One Piece

Who doesn’t know One Piece, the colossus of battle shonen? We talking about no less than the best-selling manga ever.

Gold Roger, the Pirate King, before he died opened the great age of piracy to the world, saying that his great treasure, the One Piece, exists and is available to anyone strong enough to find it.

This predictably throws the world into chaos, leading to piracy for anyone brave enough and eager enough to get their hands on such riches.

Among them springs up Monkey D. Luffy, the protagonist of the events, who once he comes of age sets sail to join the cause and in turn becomes Pirate King, thus entering legend.