Aesthetically distinctive and magnificently expressive, steampunk is a subgenre of retrofuturistic science fiction featuring a society reliant on steam-powered technology. The visual flare of steampunk takes inspiration from the 19th-century Industrial Revolution, often incorporating both the technological merits and the socio-economic struggles of the time in its themes. Steampunk worlds took a different historical route from other science fiction narratives, where the use of steam engines became absolute.
The genre combines the elegance of Victorian-era fashion with the gritty mechanical practicality of industrialism to craft a distinctive aesthetic fans across all mediums adore. In anime, steampunk has a unique importance as a setting for countless iconic sci-fi epics, fantasy universes, and alternative historical fiction. Existing beyond limitations, anime is uniquely suited to produce some of the best stories in the steampunk genre.
10 Kabaneri Of The Iron Fortress
The events of Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress begin to differ from real-life history when a mysterious virus infects humanity during the Industrial Revolution. The epidemic transforms humans into undead monsters and forces the remaining people to hide in isolated fortresses.
Since the progress of humanity was hindered by the virus, steam power remains mainstream. The fortresses connect through steam locomotives, fight with steam-pressure guns, and rely on coal to power their cities. The post-apocalyptic steampunk setting of Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is dangerous and daunting, with zombies threatening to conquer humanity's remaining safe havens at any moment.
9 Steam Detectives
Steam Detectives is a classy example of steampunk fiction, even judging by the title alone. The show is set in a coal-fueled retrofuturistic Steam City, where all modern technology is substituted for its steam-powered counterparts. The progress went as far as creating giant steam robots called Megamatons, which are often used by criminals to carry out their mischievous schemes.
Young detective Narutaki and his associates, nurse Lingling and robot Gohliki, are daring enough to pierce the everpresent smog of Steam City to stop the rise of crime. Stylish and drenched in a charming noir atmosphere, Steam Detectives captures the appeal of steampunk perfectly.
8 Princess Principal
A rare modern anime that leans into the steampunk aesthetic, Princess Principal is set in an alternative history of 20th-century London divided by a silent war. The conflict between the ruling class and the common people is handled by spies, and the anime follows a group of them who infiltrated the prestigious Queen's Mayfair school as Commonwealth's intelligence agents.
Visually, Princess Principal leans heavily into the classic steampunk aesthetic, dressing its heroines in frilly period pieces, drenching the show in earthy browns and blacks, and adding gears and cogs to every design element. A gorgeous steampunk spy-action flick, Princess Principal is the epitome of the genre's charm in anime.
7 Metropolis
Arguably the most futuristic exemplar in anime's steampunk lineup, Metropolis still follows the conventions of the genre in tone and visual aesthetics. A bizarre mix between an adaptation of Osamu Tezuka's iconic manga and a 1927 silent film, Metropolis invites viewers into a retrofuturistic world where people and robots shakily coexist.
The city of Metropolis is drenched in prejudice and underground conspiracies, the likes of which the Japanese detective Shunsaku Ban and his nephew Kenichi strive to uncover. Yet, what stands out most about Metropolis is not its convoluted plot but the visuals, as they paint a sprawling steampunk cityscape where the result of innovation is hopelessness instead of delight.
6 Laputa: Castle In The Sky
The legendary Hayao Miyazaki is a creator with a particular fondness for the steampunk aesthetic. A lot of his movies are set in retrofuturistic worlds that blur the line between primitivity, innovation, and magic in their technological elements. Laputa: Castle in the Sky takes an especially strong influence from steampunk, taking viewers on an adventure through steam-powered cities.
Miyazaki's visual ingenuity shines in the film's aircraft designs, which seem both nature-inspired and technologically slick. Sheeta and Pazu's journey through the skies in search of the rumored flying castle evokes a sense of bittersweet nostalgia the steampunk genre thrives in generating.
5 Last Exile
One of the most detailed and multifaceted steampunk worlds in anime, Last Exile follows the adventures of two couriers delivering goods between two warring nations. The world of Last Exile primarily relies on air travel. As the conflict grows more heated, the communication between the countries of Anatoray and Disith is left to small two-person vanships traveling through an air current called the Grand Stream.
Unlike more contemporary fictional worlds, the steampunk universe of Last Exile is very dedicated to making its world feel lived-in and authentic. Its aesthetic charm draws heavily from the Industrial Revolution, and even 20 years later, Last Exile looks stunning.
4 Violet Evergarden
Set in a fictional country of Leidenschaftlich resembling early 20th-century Western Europe, Violet Evergarden's universe is a masterful blend of futuristic technology with subtle retro nostalgia. The titular protagonist is a former child soldier, yet, after losing her arms, she has to adjust to civilian life as an Auto Memory Doll, assisting others in writing letters.
Despite the conflict Violet engaged in resembling World War I in machinery and technology, the prosthetics the girl receives are futuristically functional, fully mimicking her real arms' utility. This steampunk merging of advanced and primitive technology translates to all aspects of the show's wonderfully crafted setting, from the old-school typewriters Violet uses to the steam-powered trains and chairlift cabins.
3 Howl's Moving Castle
Another steampunk masterpiece from Studio Ghibli, Howl's Moving Castle is a visually stunning love story set in a world of coexisting magic and technology. The film features one of steampunk anime's most iconic visuals — the titular moving castle powered by the fire demon Calcifer.
The giant mismatched walking structure is a character in and of itself. Its minimalist aesthetic and odd, retrofuturistic design incorporates the staples of the steampunk visual identity, including emerging gusts of steam and a peculiar combination of nature and technology. The rest of Howl's Moving Castle's world also exists in a steampunk era with its analog machinery and steam-powered weapons of war.
2 Steamboy
Katsuhiro Otomo's Steamboy is a love letter to the steampunk genre. The alternative Victorian society of the film is one reliant on steam-powered technology, with the world's greatest minds looking for an ultimate energy source to power all of their machinery. Such a device called the Steam Ball falls into the hands of teen inventor Ray, sent to him by his scientist grandfather.
Now, Ray must keep the Steam Ball from being obtained by the wrong people. In all aspects, Steamboy is the ultimate steampunk story, dedicated to incorporating the genre's charming aesthetic and thought-provoking themes of progress and war into every frame. While the movie never found mainstream success, it remains a beloved cult classic.
One of the most popular anime series in history, Fullmetal Alchemist, and its reboot Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, are both influenced by steampunk aesthetics. FMA embodies both steampunk and dieselpunk, which is a sci-fi genre that focuses on diesel-based technology. Automail, the automotive armored prosthetics prominent in the show's world, is the clearest steampunk element of FMA.
While it doesn't run on steam, automail is distinctively steampunk in its design, reminiscent of the iconic tech elements of the genre. Thematically, FMA resembles the interwar period, a common inspiration for steampunk fiction that wants to depict social tensions at the time of the industrial boom.
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