Sunrise and Production I.G released a new teaser for Armored Trooper Votoms: Die Graue Hexe (*The Grey Witch*) on October 23. It's the first new Votoms anime since 2011, and the teaser previews the theme song "Na mo Naki Shijin no Yō ni" ("Like Some Nameless Poet") by Mika Nakashima. Mamoru Oshii directs, which makes this one of the most interesting mecha projects of the year. The first film opens in Japan on November 20, 2026. If you've never watched Votoms, you have four weeks. Here's the order.
Quick answer
Armored Trooper Votoms (*Sōkō Kihei Votoms*, 1983) is Sunrise's 52-episode "real robot" classic, created by Ryōsuke Takahashi. According to SenpaiRanks, the original series holds 7.33 Consensus, the highest of any Votoms entry. Watch the 1983 TV series first, then the OVAs in release order. The new two-film project, Die Graue Hexe, is directed by Mamoru Oshii at Production I.G and Sunrise, with Takahashi supervising and Kenji Kawai composing the music. Film 1 opens in Japan on November 20, 2026. No international release has been announced yet.
Votoms watch order (release order)
- Armored Trooper Votoms (1983, TV, 52 episodes): 7.33. Start here.
- The Last Red Shoulder (1985, OVA): 6.92
- Big Battle (1986, OVA): 6.49
- Armor Hunter Mellowlink (1988, OVA spinoff about a different soldier)
- Red Shoulder Document: Roots of Treachery (1988, OVA): 7.00
- The Heretic Saint (1994, OVA, 5 episodes): 6.88
- Pailsen Files (2007, OVA, 12 episodes): 7.04. There's also a 2009 compilation film at 6.83.
- Case;Irvine, Votoms Finder and Phantom Arc (all 2010)
- Alone Again (2011, OVA): 6.88
- Die Graue Hexe (2026, two films, the first on November 20)
Red Shoulder Document and Pailsen Files are prequels. They hit harder once you know who Chirico Cuvie becomes, so keep them after the TV series. The SenpaiRanks scores show Pailsen Files and Roots of Treachery as the strongest follow-ups.
What makes Votoms different
Votoms arrived in 1983 as the grittiest version of the real-robot idea that Mobile Suit Gundam started. Its VOTOMS are mass-produced, thin-armored and cheap to lose. Chirico, an elite Gilgamesh pilot, gets framed as a traitor during the last stretch of a hundred-year war and becomes a pawn in a conspiracy across the Astragius Galaxy. Section23's Maiden Japan label released the original series on Blu-ray in 2019-2020, which is still the easiest way to own it in English. Streaming availability for the classic varies by region, so check each title's SenpaiRanks page.
The Grey Witch: what we know
The films are set during the final stage of the Hundred Years' War. Miyuki Sawashiro plays Ash Vamps, a feared AT pilot known as the Grey Witch. Mabuki Andou plays Maki Stauffenberg, an officer quietly assigned to dig into Ash's past. The supporting cast includes Shinichirō Miki, Yūki Kaji, Daisuke Ono, Takahiro Sakurai and Hōchū Ōtsuka. The mechanical designs come from Shinobu Tsuneki and Yoshiro Sōno, building on Kunio Ōkawara's originals, and THE ALFEE's Toshihiko Takamizawa wrote the theme song. Oshii and Kawai together again is the Ghost in the Shell and Patlabor 2 pairing, so read our Ghost in the Shell watch order if you need a refresher.
Where it ranks
Votoms competes on our best mecha anime ranking and the best Sunrise anime board. SenpaiRanks splits Consensus from Quality, so a 40-year-old cult classic isn't buried under a single average skewed by recency. If you've seen it, rate Armored Trooper Votoms and help decide whether it climbs before Oshii's films arrive. Gundam fans should also read our piece on Kenji Kamiyama's Gundam RG XARX-ZERO.
More SenpaiRanks guides: Made in Abyss Watch Order & Where to Watch Before Awakening Mystery, Cosmoship Yamato √2199: Hideaki Anno's Film, Release Date & Where to Watch, What to Watch Winter 2027: Anime Release Dates & Where to Stream, and What to Watch Spring 2027: Anime Release Dates & Where to Stream.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What order should I watch Armored Trooper Votoms in?
A: Start with the 1983 TV series, then The Last Red Shoulder, Big Battle, Red Shoulder Document, The Heretic Saint, Pailsen Files, the 2010 OVAs and Alone Again, in release order.
Q: When does Armored Trooper Votoms: Die Graue Hexe come out?
A: The first of the two films opens in Japan on November 20, 2026. No international release date has been announced.
Q: Who is directing the new Votoms films?
A: Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell) directs at Production I.G and Sunrise, with original creator Ryōsuke Takahashi supervising.
Q: Who sings the Die Graue Hexe theme song?
A: Mika Nakashima performs "Na mo Naki Shijin no Yō ni", written by THE ALFEE's Toshihiko Takamizawa.
Q: Is Armored Trooper Votoms good?
A: Yes. The original series holds 7.33 Consensus on SenpaiRanks, the highest of any Votoms entry.
Q: How can I watch Votoms in English?
A: Maiden Japan released the original series on Blu-ray in 2019-2020. Streaming availability varies by region.