86: Best Season One Episodes Of The Anime Ranked By IMDb
86 is an anime series that began in 2021 and is based on a light novel series of the same name. The anime follows Major Vladilena "Lena" Milizé, an Alba military officer who commands a squadron of Juggernauts, and the Spearhead Squadron, which is made up of people referred to as the Eighty-Six.
While the show is relatively young, 86 has garnered enough attention for fans to express their love for the show via user ratings on IMDb. Fans in particular praise the story, and as the series is in its second season, it is appropriate to look back at the content that gripped audiences and made them fall in love with the anime in the first season.
11 Episode 1: "Undertaker" - 8.2
The first episode of the series, "Undertaker," shows Lena going through her day as a Handler, leading a squadron into battle against the Legion, artificially intelligent machines that come from the Giadian Empire. She then receives the offer to lead an elite group known as Spearhead, which she accepts.
This episode sets up Lena's compassion from the beginning while also showing the public perception of Eighty-Six people, who are referenced in horribly derogatory ways. It is clear that Lena seeks to help the members of the squadrons under her command, and the audience can immediately sympathize with her.
10 Episode 2: "Spearhead" - 8.3
After hearing of an incoming attack from the Legion, the Spearhead Squadron enacts a counterattack, leading to Lena seeing the capabilities the squadron's leader, Shin, has. She then attempts to educate other members of the military on some of the history of Eighty-Six people in the Republic, including the government's removal of their citizenship and dehumanizing acts taken toward them.
Lena's relationship with the Spearhead Squadron grows in this episode, and her scenes show that she is becoming more willing to do whatever it takes to help. They also show that, unfortunately, no one else seems eager to help. Furthermore, the audience gets a more thorough look at members of the squadron, including Shin, who is one of the most likable characters in 86.
9 Episode 3: "I Don't Want To Die" - 8.7
Lena's relationships with members of the Spearhead Squadron continue to develop, but some are skeptical of her. Lena tells one of the members about an experience she had in which an Eighty-Six person saved her life, leading to her understanding that they are all human as well. During a battle, a miscalculation of Lena's leads to one of the members of the group being killed by an enemy.
The relationships become tenser as Lena contemplates her role in the operation. This episode helps the audience to sympathize with both Lena and the Spearhead Squadron while acknowledging that Lena has little understanding of the situation, having not even learned the real names of the squad members. 86 has many emotional moments, which puts it on par with many of the best anime on Netflix, though it is not available on the site itself.
8 Episode 4: "Real Name" - 8.7
Lena spends time reflecting on her position in the Republic of San Magnolia and her prejudices against Eighty-Six people, which she was not aware she had. She asks Shin for the real names of the members of the Spearhead Squadron and apologizes to the group. Shin also tells of his experience in the war, showing some of the pain he has endured.
After the events of the previous episode, "Real Name" begins to mend bridges, and it creates some heartfelt moments between Lena and Shin. Both were sympathetic characters from the beginning, but this episode provides more context for their personalities.
7 Episode 6: "Through To The End" - 8.9
A flashback between Shin and his brother shows that the two had a strained relationship because the latter blamed Shin for their parents' deaths. The Spearhead Squadron then prepares for a dangerous mission in the present day.
This episode gives more insight into Shin's past and his complicated feelings towards his brother. It also lets the audience get invested in a potential romance between Lena and Shin, in a scene that provides some much-needed humor to the tense atmosphere of the show.
6 Episode 5: "I'm With You" - 9.0
At the end of "Real Name," Lena asks Shin if he knows a man named Shourei, and Shin states that he is his brother. In "I'm with You," Lena reveals that this is the man who saved her life. During a battle that ensues with the Legion, Lena has a concerning experience through the Para-RAID, a device that connects her to those on the battlefield.
Afterward, Shin tells her that the Legion uses the minds of people they kill in battle, making them more dangerous. This episode increases the stakes even further by showing the war is not a guaranteed victory for the Republic, which is what the government believes. The newfound determination and the cooperation between Lena and Shin are enjoyable to watch.
5 Episode 7: "Will You Remember Me?" - 9.0
Throughout the past few episodes, Lena had been trying to get approval for reinforcements to be sent to the Spearhead Squadron. During "Will You Remember Me?", a festival takes place, offering all involved a brief but enjoyable celebration. After an ambush kills many of the Spearhead Squadron, Shin reveals to Lena that they will not receive reinforcements, as they are expected to die.
This information shocks Lena, and this episode shows the audience just how hopeless the situation seems. The inclusion of the celebration and this revelation in the same episode provides an excellent juxtaposition and emotional experience for those who watch it.
4 Episode 10: "Thank You" - 9.1
The remaining members of the Spearhead Squadron seek out shelter while they make their next plan. They are now free from the Republic, and Shin determines that they should find another nation to live in. Most of the episode is calmer than those leading up to it, which allows the audience to relax and enjoy the change of pace.
This feeling cannot last forever, though, and there exists a tense feeling that something terrible could happen at any moment. In the end, the viewers are reminded of the dangers of the world the characters inhabit. This episode also prominently features Fido, a machine that could be considered one of the best non-Disney animated robots, who provides some emotional moments with the rest of the Spearhead Squadron.
3 Episode 8: "Let's Go" - 9.2
After the events of "Will You Remember Me?," Lena pleads with several people she knows to help stop an upcoming dangerous mission the Spearhead Squadron is supposed to undertake. Lena learns from her uncle that no Eighty-Six people are supposed to survive the war. This would preserve the image of the Republic, and no information about the atrocities committed would come to light.
This terrible revelation shows that even those whom Lena trusted most have no interest in helping anyone they deem unworthy. While the persecution of Eighty-Six people was evident up to this point, this episode shows the extent to which the government is willing to go.
2 Episode 11: "Here We Go" - 9.2
After a fight with the Legion that started in "Thank You," the Spearhead Squadron finds shelter in another abandoned town. Though Shin wants to battle the Legion on his own, giving his friends the time to escape, they choose to join him. Lena learns that they have left a note for her, telling her goodbye.
She vows to keep fighting, and the season ends on an uncertain fate surrounding the members of the Spearhead Squadron. This episode concludes the season somberly, and it leaves the audience eagerly awaiting the release of the second season. As with some of the most anticipated anime of Fall 2021, the second season is likely to be worth the wait.
1 Episode 9: "Goodbye" - 9.5
Hearing the voice of his brother in the form of a Legion Shepherd, a machine that has absorbed his mind, Shin chooses to face the enemy alone. Also, after an emotional conversation, Annette helps Lena by hacking into artillery systems and letting Lena assist the Spearhead Squadron in a situation that would have been dire otherwise.
The build-up to a confrontation between Shin and the Shepherd led to an epic battle between the two, ending in a beautifully executed scene. "Goodbye" is not the final episode of the season, but it provides the audience with some excellent and memorable moments.