Mecha

Mecha refers to large piloted or autonomous machines, often humanoid in form, featured in science fiction, film, manga, and video games. The term comes from "mechanical" and is widely used in Japanese media to describe the genre of giant robots.

In anime and manga, mecha is commonly divided into real robot stories—emphasizing plausible technology, military organization, and constrained capabilities—and super robot stories, which are more fantastical and focus on heroic pilots and spectacular machines.

Design elements frequently include cockpit-based control, direct or neural interfaces, and detailed mechanical aesthetics. Mecha narratives often explore war, ethics of technology, autonomy, and the relationship between humans and machines.

Notable examples include Mobile Suit Gundam (real robot), Mazinger Z (super robot), and Neon Genesis Evangelion. The concept has influenced Western media and informs real-world robotics research, such as exoskeleton development and teleoperation concepts.