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About Knights of Sidonia

About Knights of Sidonia

The revolutionary CGI mecha franchise that redefined space survival through haunting alien threats and advanced animation.

Knights of Sidonia stands as a revolutionary force in mecha anime, pioneering full CGI animation whilst delivering a haunting narrative of humanity’s desperate survival against incomprehensible alien forces in the depths of space.

Created by mangaka Tsutomu Nihei in 2009, this groundbreaking franchise emerged from the mind behind cyberpunk masterpieces like BLAME! and Biomega, establishing itself as a landmark achievement that bridged the gap between traditional anime aesthetics and cutting-edge digital animation technology.

The Knights of Sidonia franchise features massive generation ships housing the remnants of humanity, defended by humanoid mecha called Gardes against the mysterious Gauna—shapeshifting alien entities with near-impenetrable defences that can only be destroyed by specialised Kabizashi spears. These technological concepts are powered by Higgs particles, creating a unique scientific framework that distinguishes the series from conventional mecha anime.

Knights of Sidonia is the foundational manga series that established the franchise’s core themes of survival, evolution, and humanity’s adaptation to extreme circumstances. The story follows Nagate Tanikaze, an under-dweller who emerges from the depths of the generation ship Sidonia to become a Garde pilot defending against the alien Gauna threat.

Knights of Sidonia emerged during a period when Nihei consciously shifted his artistic approach to create more accessible narratives whilst maintaining his signature hard science fiction sensibilities. The franchise achieved international recognition as Netflix’s first original anime series, marking a significant milestone in the globalisation of Japanese animation content.

The Knights of Sidonia Universe

The franchise takes place in a single timeline set in the year 3394, approximately one thousand years after Earth’s destruction by the Gauna. Unlike many mecha franchises with multiple timelines or alternate universes, Knights of Sidonia presents a unified narrative focused on humanity’s survival aboard massive seed ships scattered across the galaxy.

The series explores themes of genetic engineering, photosynthesis-capable humans, non-binary gender identities, and the psychological toll of perpetual warfare against an unknowable enemy. The generation ship Sidonia represents a microcosm of evolved human society, where traditional concepts of reproduction, sustenance, and social structure have been fundamentally altered by necessity.

Notable works in chronological order:

  • Knights of Sidonia (2009-2015) - The original manga series
  • Knights of Sidonia (2014) - First anime season by Polygon Pictures
  • Knights of Sidonia: Battle for Planet Nine (2015) - Second anime season
  • Knights of Sidonia: Love Woven in the Stars (2021) - Anime film conclusion

History of Knights of Sidonia

Creation and Early Development

The Knights of Sidonia franchise originated in 2009 when Tsutomu Nihei returned to Kodansha’s Monthly Afternoon magazine with a deliberately more accessible approach to storytelling. Having established his reputation with the dense, wordless narratives of BLAME! and Biomega, Nihei consciously adopted what he described as “Tezuka-level mass appeal” whilst maintaining his distinctive hard science fiction aesthetic.

Nihei’s architectural background profoundly influenced the series’ design philosophy, with the generation ship Sidonia conceived as a massive, functional structure housing half a million inhabitants across multiple stratified levels. The creator drew inspiration from his year spent in New York during the 1990s, which provided him with an outsider’s perspective on Japanese society that would inform the series’ exploration of isolated communities and cultural preservation.

The manga’s serialisation coincided with Nihei’s intentional evolution as an artist, moving away from his signature heavy use of black ink towards a more line-driven approach that could convey greater visual information whilst remaining suitable for eventual animation adaptation. This stylistic shift proved prescient when the series attracted international attention for its unique blend of realistic military science fiction and existential horror.

Evolution and Expansion

The franchise’s transformation into a multimedia property began with Polygon Pictures’ acquisition of the animation rights in 2013. The studio, known for its work on Transformers Prime and contributions to Star Wars: The Clone Wars, recognised the potential for Knights of Sidonia to serve as a breakthrough project demonstrating the viability of full CGI anime production.

The anime adaptation premiered in 2014 as a collaborative effort between directors Kōbun Shizuno and Hiroyuki Seshita, with scripts by Sadayuki Murai and character designs by Yuki Moriyama. The series became Netflix’s first original anime content, marking a significant milestone in the platform’s expansion into Japanese animation and establishing a new distribution model for anime content worldwide.

The production utilised advanced motion capture technology and proprietary software to achieve a distinctive visual style that honoured traditional cel animation aesthetics whilst embracing the possibilities of three-dimensional computer graphics. This technical innovation earned recognition from industry luminaries including Hideo Kojima, who praised the series as exemplifying Japan’s cultural assets through cutting-edge digital technology.

The franchise’s second season, subtitled Battle for Planet Nine, continued the story in 2015, followed by the concluding film Love Woven in the Stars in 2021. Each successive entry refined the visual approach, with the final film incorporating new rendering techniques developed specifically for high-definition and 4K presentation.

Cultural Impact and Recognition

Knights of Sidonia achieved significant critical recognition, winning the 39th Kodansha Manga Award in the general category in 2015 and the 47th Seiun Award for Best Comic in 2016. The series was also recognised at the 26th Salón del Manga de Barcelona and listed among the Young Adult Library Services Association’s Top 10 Graphic Novels for Teens in 2014.

The franchise’s influence extended beyond commercial success, establishing new technical standards for CGI anime production and demonstrating the viability of simultaneous global distribution for Japanese animation content. The series’ approach to depicting space combat, zero-gravity movement, and the psychological realities of generation ship life influenced subsequent science fiction anime productions.

Tsutomu Nihei’s integration of themes including gender fluidity, genetic modification, and post-human evolution within an accessible narrative framework contributed to broader discussions about representation and scientific speculation in anime. The series’ exploration of humanity’s adaptation to extreme circumstances resonated with audiences during a period of global uncertainty, establishing Knights of Sidonia as both an entertainment phenomenon and a thoughtful meditation on survival and identity.

Technological Innovation and Production

The Knights of Sidonia franchise pioneered several technological advances in anime production that influenced the broader industry. Polygon Pictures developed proprietary animation techniques specifically for the series, including advanced motion capture systems and custom rendering software that achieved a distinctive visual style bridging traditional cel animation and modern CGI.

The studio’s “Photo-Surreal Rendering” approach eliminated the need for traditional compositing by integrating effects and colours directly into scenes. For the 2021 film, Polygon Pictures collaborated with J.Cube Inc to develop “Maneki,” new software integrated within Maya specifically designed to capture the 2D look adapted for HD and 4K resolutions.

The series’ depiction of zero-gravity combat and space physics set new standards for realistic mecha action sequences. Unlike traditional mecha anime where weight and resistance constrain movement, Knights of Sidonia exploited the properties of space combat, allowing for unprecedented mobility and weapon configurations such as the massive Gauna Railguns that could extend six times the length of a Garde whilst maintaining manoeuvrability.

Merchandising and Commercial Impact

The franchise generated extensive merchandising across multiple categories, establishing Knights of Sidonia as a significant commercial property beyond its media releases. Good Smile Company produced detailed figma and Nendoroid figures of major characters, whilst Kotobukiya released plastic model kits of the various Garde units.

The series’ success on Netflix demonstrated the viability of simultaneous global anime distribution, influencing subsequent licensing strategies for Japanese animation content. The franchise’s performance as Netflix’s inaugural original anime series validated the platform’s investment in Japanese content and contributed to the broader internationalisation of anime consumption patterns.

Influence on Science Fiction and Mecha Anime

Knights of Sidonia’s approach to depicting generation ship society influenced subsequent science fiction anime productions. The series’ integration of advanced genetic engineering concepts, including photosynthetic humans and fluid gender identities, expanded the scope of speculative biology in anime narratives.

The franchise’s realistic approach to space combat mechanics, including the necessity of specialised weapons like Kabizashi spears for Gauna core destruction, influenced mecha design philosophy in later productions. The series demonstrated that hard science fiction concepts could coexist with accessible character-driven narratives without compromising either element.

The Gauna themselves represent a significant contribution to alien design in anime, combining Lovecraftian incomprehensibility with biological horror whilst maintaining distinct tactical challenges for human defenders. Their ability to perfectly replicate human technology and biology whilst remaining fundamentally unknowable established new paradigms for depicting alien intelligence.

Beyond the core manga and anime productions, the Knights of Sidonia franchise expanded into additional media formats. A mobile game was announced in development alongside the 2021 film release, though detailed information regarding its gameplay mechanics and release status remains limited.

The franchise’s connection to Tsutomu Nihei’s broader body of work includes thematic and design elements shared with BLAME! and Biomega, creating an unofficial “Nihei universe” of interconnected concepts and aesthetic approaches. The 2017 BLAME! anime film, also produced by Polygon Pictures, demonstrated similar technical innovations developed during Knights of Sidonia production.

See Also

  • Tsutomu Nihei - Creator and original manga artist
  • Polygon Pictures - Animation studio
  • Gardes - Humanoid mecha used by Sidonia
  • Gauna - Primary alien antagonists
  • Sidonia - Generation ship setting
  • Nagate Tanikaze - Protagonist pilot
  • BLAME! - Previous work by Tsutomu Nihei
  • CGI anime - Animation technique overview