Armored Trooper Votoms Returns With a New Anime Directed by Mamoru Oshii
Classic mecha franchise Armored Trooper Votoms is officially making a comeback with a brand-new anime project titled Sōkō Kihei Votoms Haiiro no Hexe (Armored Trooper Votoms: The Grey Witch). The announcement was made by Bandai Namco Filmworks, confirming that Sunrise and Production I.G are collaborating on the project as part of Sunrise’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
Adding major weight to the announcement, legendary director Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor) is set to direct the new anime. His involvement strongly hints at a darker, more philosophical take that aligns with the franchise’s gritty legacy.
Originally created and directed by Ryōsuke Takahashi, the 1983 Armored Trooper Votoms TV anime is one of the defining works of the “real robot” mecha subgenre. Unlike super robot series, VOTOMS portrays mecha as mass-produced military machines—powerful yet fragile—with pilots facing brutal survival odds on the battlefield.
The original story takes place during the final stages of a century-long war between the Gilgamesh Confederation and the Balarant Union. The protagonist, Chirico Cuvie, an elite VOTOMS pilot, becomes entangled in a massive conspiracy that brands him a traitor and forces him into constant conflict while uncovering the truth behind a mysterious woman.
The Votoms franchise has expanded over the years with numerous spin-offs, including The Last Red Shoulder, Armor Hunter Mellowlink, Pailsen Files, The Heretic Saint, and Alone Again, the last of which debuted in 2011. This new anime marks the first major animated entry in the series in over a decade.
Further details about the story, format, and release date of Votoms: The Grey Witch have yet to be revealed.