15 Most Impressive Anime Castles of All Time

Anime has castles in the sky, underground, and everywhere in between... and we wish we could live in them all.

In the present day, castles are rightly regarded as national treasures in the countries lucky enough to have them. However, they fulfill a somewhat different function in anime.

1. Howl's Castle from Howl's Moving Castle

Howl's Castle is a true marvel to behold. A steampunk nightmare mix of industrial architecture and Miyazaki's whimsical charm, the sheer scope of it stumbling across the landscape is one of anime's most iconic images.

The seemingly endless corridors, filled with trickster spirits, mysterious knickknacks, and more magic than you can shake a wand out make the castle as much a character as the rest of the cast, and create an unforgettable viewing experience.

 

2. Laputa from Laputa: Castle in the Sky

The film tells the tale of Sheeta, a girl with a mysterious past pursued by rogues, and her chance encounter with a small-town boy named Pazu. The animation, heart-warming characters, and edge of your seat story helped cement Studio Ghibli as the fan-favorite studio the world over.

3. Ecbatana from The Heroic Legend of Arslan

Ecbatana is the capital city of the prosperous Kingdom of Pars, centered on important trade routes, and tragically built on the backs of slaves.

The castle at the heart of the city sits high on a hilltop, for easy defense, and is architecturally reminiscent of medieval and Middle Eastern architecture, with sweeping parapets and a grand golden dome.

4. Cagliostro from Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro

This entry in the Lupin III franchise has another great castle, once again featured prominently in the movie's title. It's luxurious, full of deadly traps, and rumored to be the source of the infamous goat currency forgeries.

5. Mariejois Castle from One Piece

Luffy and his crew have seen many different lands and sights on their adventures across the world. But one stands out as the most impressive: the castle of Mariejois.

This castle is gigantic, with at least six stories and additional structures towering above those. Any time the castle is shown, it's shrouded in mist. This might be because the location itself is misty due to its high altitude, but it sure adds a pretty cool vibe to the whole place.

6. Einzbern Castle from Fate/Stay night

On the outskirts of Fuyuki City lies Einzbern Castle, a classic piece of Germanic architecture befitting Ilya, an angelic aristocrat with nearly unsurpassed magical abilities who enters the fifth Holy Grail War.

Like her home, her family legacy is checkered with intrigue and sadness. She lives in solitude with her servant, and loyal maids, while honing her powerful abilities on the extensive castle grounds.

7. Hellsing Manor from Hellsing

The Hellsing Organization is an ancient order of Protestant knights named after the legendary vampire hunter, Abraham Van Hellsing. Of course, every secret organization is only as good as their headquarters, and Hellsing Manor is a castle worthy of any reclusive count.

Placed in the idyllic British countryside with ample room to house an army on a crusade to rid the world of blood suckers, its fortified position and defensive artillery make it the perfect last bastion of humanity.

8. Sakurada Family Castle from Castle Town Dandelion

It's fantastical architecture and towering spires are indicative of the royal family that acts as the main cast of characters. The royal family all living in a rather mundane looking house in a town wired with over 2000 security cameras to help keep the royal heirs as safe as possible.

9. Aincard Castle from Sword Art Online

Aincard Castle is an imposing structure, once again shaped nothing like the castles of yore. This anime castle is a humongous armored core, a floating fortress that just dares you to try and infiltrate it.

10. Castle of Liones from The Seven Deadly Sins

It's no surprise that the castle at the center of the Kingdom of Liones is a typical-looking castle, considering the anime is a re-imagining of Arthurian lore and mythology. The castle comes complete with a fully-equipped dark dungeon, and a violently bloody history, as all real castles should.

11. Shabboneau Castle from Pokemon X&Y

The protagonists of Pokemon have been to everything from a haunted mansion to a live volcano. Shabboneau Castle is notable for its stark contrast between the castle and the rest of the town. It rises out of a mountainous hill, and resembles a mansion more than a castle. Perhaps fittingly, it's ruled over by a Lord.

12. Mercurius Castle from Fairy Tail

In a long-running anime like Fairy Tail, you'd expect the cast to come across one or two castles in their travels. The castle that stands out here is Mercurius Castle, which is fantastic to behold by day or night.

Located in Fiore, the castle towers over the rest of the city's buildings. It appears to be created of a mishmash of other buildings, all joining together into one large edifice.

13. The castle from King of Thorn

In King of Thorn, the imposing castle is the location chosen to keep 160 individuals who are not infected by a deadly virus that's sweeping the world. Waking up after years, the castle takes on a life of its own, full of darkness, mysteries, and monsters.

14. King's Castle from Blood Lad

Every vampire needs a good castle, and the castle featured in Blood Lad is pretty fitting. Rendered in dark purples and blacks, floating on a cliff, and perpetually cloudy and thundering, this anime castle hits the mark.

 

15. Krul's Castle from Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign

While we're on the subject of vampires castles, Seraph of the End has an awesome one. The underground castle looks ancient, and is gothic in style. It's dark and menacing, and more than a little creepy.

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