Aldnoah.Zero
is a Japanese anime television and print series created by Olympus Knights and A-1 Pictures. It presents the fictional story of the Vers Empire's 37 clans of Orbital Knights' attempted reconquest of Earth—enabled by the empowering titular Aldnoah energy/drive technology—following return to Earth as a more technologically advanced people after a human diaspora to the planet Mars.
Plotted by Gen Urobuchi with direction by Ei Aoki, the series features principal Japanese voice acting by Natsuki Hanae, Sora Amamiya and Kensho Ono, with animated relational and battle scenes set on or in the orbit of the fictional Earth of 2014, the Landing Castles of the Vers Empire's Orbital Knights, Vers bases on a shattered remnant of Earth's Moon, and occasionally, the Vers palace of its failing emperor on Mars. The series began from July 2014 to March 2015, had presented two 12-episode seasons, with Urobuchi, Katsuhiko Takayama and Shinsuke Onishi, and then Hiroyuki Sawano and Kalafina, respectively, receiving principal script-writing and music credits. An 24.5th episode original video animation bonus titled "The Penultimate Truth" was originally incorporated into the compilation film that premiered in February 2025 and was later included in a Blu-Ray disc box set of the series that was released March 2025.
Plot
In an alternate 1972, during the Apollo 17 mission, an ancient alien artifact named the "Hypergate" was discovered on the surface of the Moon, allowing for near-instantaneous travel to and from Mars and the colonisation of Mars. After settlers discover additional alien technology on Mars, they unilaterally declare independence from Earth to found the Vers Empire. Later, the Vers Empire declares war on Earth, and in 1999, a battle on the Moon's surface causes the Hypergate to explode, shattering the Moon and scattering the remnants of the Moon into a debris belt around Earth. Cut off from Mars, the remnants of the Vers Imperial Army establishes several massive orbital space stations within the debris belt and a ceasefire was established. 15 years later, in 2014, an attack on the First Princess of Vers during a diplomatic mission to Earth causes the Empire and its 37 clans of Orbital Knights to launch a new attack on Earth, this time determined to conquer it once and for all.Characters
Main
;Inaho Kaizuka;Slaine Troyard
;Asseylum Vers Allusia
United Earth
;Rayet Areash;Inko Amifumi
;Calm Craftman
;Nina Klein
;Okisuke Mikuni
;Kisaki Matsuribi
;Yūtarō Tsumugi
;Yuki Kaizuka
;Koichirō Marito
;Sōma Yagarai
;Darzana Magbaredge / Darzana Humeray
;Kaoru Mizusaki
;Shigō Kakei
Vers Empire
;Eddelrittuo;Cruhteo
;Saazbaum
;Trillram
;Vlad
;Femieanne
;Orlane
;Harklight
;Yacoym
;Marylcian
;Barouhcruz
;Mazuurek
;Selnakis
;Zebrin
;Rafia
;Orga
;Klancain
;Rayregalia Vers Rayvers
;Lemrina Vers Envers
Music
The series' soundtrack was composed by Hiroyuki Sawano. The first soundtrack album was released on September 10, 2014, featuring 20 tracks, including vocal performances by Aimee Blackschleger, Cyua, Mika Kobayashi, and mpi. A second soundtrack album was included in the sixth Blu-ray & DVD volumes of the anime, which was released on March 18, 2015. The second soundtrack album features 19 tracks, with vocals by Sora Amamiya for the track "Harmonious".The opening theme song of the first season tilted "heavenly blue" performed by Kalafina, The ending theme songs of the first season tilted "A/Z" and "aLIEz", both performed by SawanoHiroyuki:mizuki. The opening theme song of the second season tilted "&Z" performed by SawanoHiroyuki:mizuki, and the ending theme song of second cour tilted "Genesis" performed by Eir Aoi and for episode 23 and 24.5 tilted "Harmonious" performed by Sora Amamiya.
Track listing
Production
Aldnoah.Zero was announced on February 15, 2014, as a project headed by Nitro+, with animation by A-1 Pictures and TROYCA. It was created by Gen Urobuchi and is directed by Ei Aoki, with mechanical designs by Kenji Teraoka, characters by Masako Matsumoto, and designs by Takako Shimura. Aldnoah.Zeros production committee, Project AZ, consists of Aniplex, Houbunsha, Tokyo MX, Nippon BS Broadcasting, Asahi Broadcasting Corporation, MAGES, Nitroplus and Movic.Katsuhiko Takayama has been responsible for series composition, managing the flow and story of the series. Urobuchi created the mainframe from the story until the preliminary version as Aoki was responsible for the characters; as a result, he does not feel connected with the Inaho developed by Aoki, although he stated, "Aoki-san is a pleasure to work with on storyboard."
The director of Aldnoah.Zero is Ei Aoki and the original creator is listed as Gen Urobuchi, both of whom had previously collaborated on Fate/Zero. The main cast was announced by Aoki at AnimeJapan on March 22, 2014. Urobuchi produced the scripts for the first 3-episodes of the first season, after which Katsuhiko Takayama took over, completing the remaining 9 episodes; Takayama continued in the second season, doing 7, with further writing credits going to Shinsuke Onishi and Ayumi Sekine.