Full Metal Panic!

Full Metal Panic!

フルメタル・パニック!
2002 Gonzo WOWOW 24 episodes Completed
Action Mecha Comedy Sci-Fi
Details & Synopsis
Sousuke Sagara is an elite, socially inept 17-year-old mercenary working for the anti-terrorist organization Mithril. His newest assignment: go undercover at a Japanese high school to protect Kaname Chidori, a hot-headed schoolgirl who might secretly possess world-altering Black Technology. The problem? Sousuke's idea of "blending in" involves blowing up shoe lockers with military-grade explosives because he thought a love letter was a threat.

Produced by Studio Gonzo in 2002, Full Metal Panic! is a masterclass in tonal whiplash. It takes a gritty, geopolitical mecha thriller and crashes it head-first into a chaotic high school romantic comedy. It shouldn't work, but it absolutely does. It set the stage for the pure comedy gold of Fumoffu and the incredibly dark, gritty warfare of The Second Raid.

24 episodes. Real mecha stakes. Unhinged comedy. A defining classic of its era.
Alt Title フルメタル・パニック!
Studio Gonzo
Network WOWOW
Aired 2002
Episodes 24
Genre Action, Mecha, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Status Completed
Search Go to ep Filters
Arc List (5)
The Whispered Arc (7) Standalone Missions (3) Behemoth Arc (4) Wind Blows at Home Arc (3) Tuatha de Danaan Arc (7)
The Whispered Arc 7 eps 7 canon 📷 5
001 The Guy I Kinda Like is a Sergeant Aired Jan 8, 2002 canon 📷 156 ►
Sousuke Sagara, an elite, socially inept 17-year-old mercenary for the anti-terrorist organization Mithril, is assigned an undercover protection detail at Jindai High School. His target: Kaname Chidori, a hot-headed schoolgirl who may secretly possess world-altering Black Technology.
Lore Debut: Sousuke Sagara (M9 Gernsback) vs. High School Shoe Lockers
View all 156 screencaps from this episode →
002 I Want to Protect You Aired Jan 15, 2002 canon 📷 162 ►
Sousuke's complete inability to function in civilian society results in utter chaos as he uses military-grade tactics to handle minor high school inconveniences. Meanwhile, the ruthless terrorist Gauron begins making his move to capture Kaname.
View all 162 screencaps from this episode →
003 Lingerie Illusion Aired Jan 22, 2002 canon 📷 156 ►
The high school field trip to Okinawa goes violently off the rails when the plane is hijacked by Gauron's heavily armed forces. Sousuke is forced to drop his cover and rely on his brutal combat instincts to keep Kaname alive.
View all 156 screencaps from this episode →
004 Kidnap Aired Jan 29, 2002 canon 📷 148 ►
Trapped in a secret facility in North Korea, Kaname's latent "Whispered" abilities begin to awaken under intense psychological pressure. Sousuke coordinates a desperate, high-risk rescue operation to break her out of the heavily guarded compound.
Lore Debut: Sousuke, Mao & Kurz vs. Inimic Flight 208 Hijackers
View all 148 screencaps from this episode →
005 A Whisper in the Dark Aired Feb 5, 2002 canon 📷 159 ►
Mithril launches a massive counter-attack. Pushed to the absolute brink by Gauron's advanced Arm Slave, Sousuke is forced to pilot the experimental ARX-7 Arbalest. Guided by Kaname's Whispered intuition, he activates the reality-defying Lambda Driver.
Lore Sousuke, Mao & Kurz vs. Inimic Flight 208 Hijackers
View all 159 screencaps from this episode →
006 Still Alive Aired Feb 12, 2002 canon ►
The dust settles after the brutal battle. Sousuke and Kaname navigate the awkward, terrifying aftermath of their escape, forging a deep, unspoken bond built on the trauma they just survived together.
Lore Debut: Sousuke Sagara (Savage) vs. Zaied (Helmajistan Guerrillas)
007 Boy Meets Girl Aired Feb 19, 2002 canon ►
Kaname returns to her normal life at Jindai High, but the reality of Sousuke's bloody profession lingers between them. An emotional breather that solidifies their bizarre, deeply protective dynamic.
Lore Sousuke Sagara (Savage) vs. Zaied (Helmajistan Guerrillas)
Standalone Missions 3 eps 3 good filler
008 Part-time Steady Aired Feb 26, 2002 good-filler ►
A classic FMP! comedic detour. Shirou needs a fake girlfriend to impress his visiting former flame, dragging Sousuke, Kurz, and Melissa Mao into a ridiculously over-engineered, disastrously executed charade.
Lore Sousuke Sagara (Savage) vs. Zaied (Helmajistan Guerrillas)
013 The Cat and the Kitten's Rock & Roll Aired Apr 2, 2002 good-filler ►
Melissa Mao's fiercely independent past is explored when her estranged, aristocratic ex-fiancé tracks her down. Kurz and Sousuke get dragged into a chaotic, alcohol-fueled bar fight to protect their commanding officer's honor.
014 Is Narashino Burning? Aired Apr 9, 2002 good-filler ►
Absolute comedy gold. Sousuke and Kaname visit the JSDF Narashino base for a festival, only for Sousuke to ignite a massive, violently competitive rivalry between the military platoons over a trivial contest.
Behemoth Arc 4 eps 4 canon
009 Dangerous Safe House Aired Mar 5, 2002 canon ►
Kaname takes shelter in a Mithril safe house when a rogue terrorist faction known as A21 begins operating in Tokyo. The tension ramps up as Sousuke realizes the safe house has been completely compromised.
010 Run, Running, Ran Aired Mar 12, 2002 canon ►
Sousuke and Kaname are forced on the run through the neon streets of Tokyo, engaging in brutal, close-quarters urban combat against A21's elite assassins who are determined to capture the Whispered.
011 Behemoth Awakening Aired Mar 19, 2002 canon ►
A21 unleashes their ultimate weapon: the Behemoth, a colossal, impossibly massive Arm Slave that defies the laws of physics using a Lambda Driver. The sheer scale of the machine leaves Mithril's standard forces completely outgunned.
012 One Night Stand Aired Mar 26, 2002 canon ►
Sousuke drops into Tokyo in the Arbalest for a desperate, David-vs-Goliath clash against the Behemoth. With the city crumbling around them, Kaname uses her Whispered knowledge to find the massive machine's single, fatal design flaw.
Lore Debut: Sousuke Sagara (ARX-7 Arbalest) vs. Gauron (Plan-1056 Codarl)
Wind Blows at Home Arc 3 eps 3 canon
015 The Wind Blows at Home, Part 1 Aired Apr 16, 2002 canon ►
Sousuke, Kurz, and Mao are deployed to the war-torn deserts of Helmajistan. Sousuke is forced to confront the ghosts of his past as a child soldier when they cross paths with his old guerrilla mentor, who is now leading a resistance force.
016 The Wind Blows at Home, Part 2 Aired Apr 23, 2002 canon ►
The mission goes catastrophically wrong. Separated, out of ammo, and stranded in the blistering desert, the Mithril pilots are relentlessly hunted by an enemy ace in a customized Arm Slave.
017 The Wind Blows at Home, Part 3 Aired Apr 30, 2002 canon ►
Pushed to his absolute physical and mental limits, Sousuke executes a brutal, brilliantly tactical ambush in the desert canyons to eliminate the enemy ace, proving why he is Mithril's most lethal specialist.
Tuatha de Danaan Arc 7 eps 7 canon
018 Deep Sea Party Aired May 7, 2002 canon ►
Kaname is invited aboard the Tuatha de Danaan, Mithril's hyper-advanced, Whispered-designed submarine, to attend a celebration. She bonds with Captain Teletha "Tessa" Testarossa, sparking a quiet rivalry over Sousuke.
019 Engaging Six and Seven Aired May 14, 2002 canon ►
The celebration is violently interrupted when the seemingly dead Gauron infiltrates the submarine. Utilizing a terrifyingly precise mutiny, he systematically takes control of the most powerful warship on the planet.
Lore Debut: Tuatha De Danaan Crew vs. Hijacked Submarine Commandos
020 Venom's Fire Aired May 21, 2002 canon ►
With Gauron in control of the ship's AI, Tessa and Kaname are forced to navigate the claustrophobic, lockdown-sealed corridors of the submarine. Gauron's sadistic psychological warfare begins to tear the crew apart.
Lore Tuatha De Danaan Crew vs. Hijacked Submarine Commandos
021 Deep Trap Aired May 28, 2002 canon ►
Sousuke and Kurz launch a desperate, two-man guerrilla campaign inside their own submarine to retake the engineering decks. The tension skyrockets as Gauron arms the Danaan's massive cruise missiles.
Lore Tuatha De Danaan Crew vs. Hijacked Submarine Commandos
022 Jack in the Box Aired Jun 4, 2002 canon ►
Kaname and Tessa link their Whispered minds to directly interface with the submarine's core systems, engaging in a high-speed, digital hacking war against Gauron's overrides to prevent a global catastrophe.
Lore Debut: Sousuke Sagara (Arbalest) vs. Plan-1055 Behemoth
023 Field of Giants Aired Jun 11, 2002 canon ►
Sousuke finally corners Gauron in the hanger bay. The two rivals deploy their Arm Slaves inside the confined, highly explosive belly of the submarine for a brutal, metallic deathmatch.
Lore Sousuke Sagara (Arbalest) vs. Plan-1055 Behemoth
024 Into the Blue Aired Jun 18, 2002 canon ►
The explosive finale. Sousuke pushes the Arbalest's Lambda Driver to its absolute peak to annihilate Gauron's Venom. The crew successfully retakes the Danaan, and Sousuke returns to his bizarre, peaceful high school life with Kaname.
Lore Debut: Sousuke Sagara (Arbalest) vs. Gauron (Venom Codarl Rematch)
ⓘ Legend
canon Episode adapts events from the source manga.
mixed Adapts source material but adds anime-original scenes.
good-filler Anime-original episode generally well-received by fans.
filler Anime-original episode not based on the source manga.
📷 Number of user-uploaded screencaps available for this episode.
SS

Sosuke Sagara

Military Specialist / Clueless Student

The quintessential fish-out-of-water protagonist. Raised in warzones and completely devoid of civilian common sense, Sosuke's attempts to blend into a normal Japanese high school usually involve blowing up shoe lockers with C4 to deal with suspected "threats." His deadpan delivery and absolute inability to read the room make him an icon of early 2000s anime comedy, while his lethal proficiency as an Arm Slave pilot grounds the series' high-stakes mecha action.
+5 LORE
Sousuke Sagara (Arbalest) vs. Gauron (Venom Codarl Rematch) fmp-combat-ledger Sousuke Sagara (Savage) vs. Zaied (Helmajistan Guerrillas) FMP! Master Combat Ledger Sousuke Sagara (M9 Gernsback) vs. High School Shoe Lockers FMP! Master Combat Ledger Sousuke Sagara (ARX-7 Arbalest) vs. Gauron (Plan-1056 Codarl) FMP! Master Combat Ledger Sousuke Sagara (Arbalest) vs. Plan-1055 Behemoth FMP! Master Combat Ledger
KC

Kaname Chidori

The Target / Class Representative

The fiery, fiercely independent class representative who single-handedly keeps Sosuke in line using a heavily weaponized paper fan (harisen). Beyond her explosive temper, Kaname is secretly a "Whispered", a living repository of impossibly advanced black technology. She is the emotional core of the series, seamlessly pivoting from a screaming, stressed-out high schooler to a brave, highly competent survivor when the bullets start flying.
LORE
T"

Teletha "Tessa" Testarossa

Mithril Captain / Whispered

The sixteen-year-old tactical genius commanding the Tuatha de Danaan, a state-of-the-art Mithril submarine. Tessa perfectly embodies the "clumsy prodigy" trope. On land, she can barely walk down a hallway without tripping over her own feet, but put her on the bridge of a warship, and she becomes an impossibly sharp, cold-blooded commander. Her quiet rivalry with Kaname for Sosuke's affections fueled countless early internet ship wars.
LORE
KW

Kurz Weber

Sniper Prodigy / Ladies' Man

The resident sniper prodigy and unapologetic playboy. Kurz is the slick, laid-back foil to Sosuke's suffocatingly rigid military discipline. While he spends 90% of his downtime miserably failing to pick up women or getting violently rejected, once he climbs into his Arm Slave and grips his sniper rifle, his accuracy and ice-cold composure are unmatched. He is the essential, charming scumbag every good mecha squad needs.
+2 LORE
Sousuke, Mao & Kurz vs. Inimic Flight 208 Hijackers FMP! Master Combat Ledger Lieutenant Melissa Mao & Sergeant Kurz Weber SRT Operatives & Command
MM

Melissa Mao

Squad Leader / Ex-Marine

The tough-as-nails ex-Marine and squad leader who constantly has to babysit Sosuke and Kurz. Mao is a master of close-quarters combat, an exceptional Arm Slave pilot, and holds an almost supernatural tolerance for alcohol. She acts as the vital older-sister figure to the team, bringing a necessary dose of grounded, pragmatic maturity to a covert military organization heavily reliant on traumatized teenagers.
+2 LORE
Sousuke, Mao & Kurz vs. Inimic Flight 208 Hijackers FMP! Master Combat Ledger Lieutenant Melissa Mao & Sergeant Kurz Weber SRT Operatives & Command
GA

Gauron

Sadistic Mercenary

The absolute nightmare from Sosuke's past and one of the most relentlessly terrifying villains of the early 2000s. Gauron is a sadistic, deeply unhinged mercenary who operates the deadly Venom Arm Slave. He possesses an almost supernatural ability to survive explosions, headshots, and mecha destruction just to come back and torment Sosuke again. His deeply twisted, almost affectionate obsession with breaking Sosuke's mind makes every single one of their encounters incredibly stressful to watch.
+5 LORE
Amalgam Shadow Syndicate MITHRIL & Black Tech Tuatha De Danaan Crew vs. Hijacked Submarine Commandos fmp-combat-ledger Sousuke Sagara (Arbalest) vs. Gauron (Venom Codarl Rematch) fmp-combat-ledger Sousuke, Mao & Kurz vs. Inimic Flight 208 Hijackers FMP! Master Combat Ledger Sousuke Sagara (ARX-7 Arbalest) vs. Gauron (Plan-1056 Codarl) FMP! Master Combat Ledger
KT

Kyoko Tokiwa

Best Friend / Civilian Grounding

Kaname's bubbly, photography-obsessed best friend and the ultimate representation of a normal high school life. Kyoko is the necessary, oblivious civilian buffer in a show filled with child soldiers and international terrorists. While she initially just thinks Sosuke is a hilarious military otaku, her unfailing loyalty to Kaname through hostage situations, school trip hijackings, and general explosive chaos makes her the unsung MVP of the Jindai High School cast.
RM

Richard Mardukas

Submarine XO / The Strict Dad

The severely strict, by-the-book Executive Officer of the Tuatha de Danaan. Mardukas serves as the rigid military foil to Tessa's teenage clumsiness. He spends half the series aggressively scolding her for wearing slippers on the bridge or drinking too much tea, but beneath his gruff exterior lies an unshakable loyalty to his young captain. When the submarine takes fire, his veteran combat experience makes him the exact person you want standing right behind the commander's chair.
LORE
LT

Leonard Testarossa

SPOILER!

Amalgam Executive / Whispered

Tessa’s twin brother and a major player in the shadowy terrorist syndicate known as Amalgam. Like his sister, Leonard is a "Whispered," but his grasp of black technology far exceeds almost anyone on the planet. With his silver hair, smooth-talking demeanor, and profound nihilism, he represents the ultimate ideological threat to both Mithril and Sosuke's protection of Kaname. He is the brilliant, tragic prodigy who chose to embrace the darkness of his own mind.
BO

Bonta-kun

Tactical Mascot / Power Armor

"Fumoffu!" What started as a cheap amusement park mascot costume was quickly reverse-engineered by Sosuke into highly advanced, bulletproof tactical power armor equipped with voice-changers, flashbangs, and assault shotguns. Bonta-kun is the absolute peak of the series' comedic absurdity. Watching an adorable, fuzzy bear-mouse completely dismantle a squad of heavily armed Yakuza thugs while aggressively squeaking is an iconic piece of anime history that can never be replicated.
LORE
AK

Andrei Kalinin

SPOILER!

Veteran Commander / Father Figure

The stoic, borscht-loving father figure who raised Sosuke in the warzones of Helmajistan. On the surface, Kalinin is the backbone of Mithril’s tactical operations, guiding the young crew with quiet, battle-hardened wisdom. However, his eventual defection to the enemy syndicate Amalgam is one of the most devastating, heart-wrenching twists in mecha history. It forces a tragic, inevitable final showdown between mentor and student that completely shattered the fanbase.
LORE
WR

Wraith

SPOILER!

Intelligence Agent / Shadow Guard

The mysterious intelligence agent sent by Mithril to keep an eye on Kaname from the shadows. Unlike Sosuke, Wraith is a master of blending in, but she absolutely despises her assignment, constantly complaining about having to babysit loud-mouthed high school kids. The reveal of her various disguises and her cold, purely pragmatic approach to espionage makes her a brilliant, cynical foil to the high school antics.
SK

Shinji Kazama

Military Otaku / Classmate

The ultimate military nerd of Jindai High School. Shinji is constantly trying to talk tactical gear, fighter jets, and weapon specs with Sosuke, completely oblivious to the fact that his classmate is an active-duty black-ops mercenary. His enthusiastic, civilian "knowledge" of the military provides some of the absolute best dramatic irony in the slice-of-life episodes, grounding the show's comedy perfectly.
GA

Gates

Psychotic Amalgam Commander

The theatrical, completely unhinged Amalgam executioner introduced in The Second Raid. Gates is a brilliant dark mirror to Gauron; where Gauron is cold and calculated, Gates is a loud, erratic psychopath who listens to classical music on headphones while executing his own soldiers for minor mistakes. His wild mood swings and terrifying, erratic fighting style made him a highly memorable, chaotic villain to round out the series' darker turns.
AH

Atsunobu Hayashimizu

Student Council President / Mastermind

The terrifyingly brilliant, unshakeably calm Student Council President of Jindai High. Hayashimizu is a political prodigy who treats minor school events, like a hostage standoff with the rugby team or a school janitor strike, with the tactical gravity of a nuclear crisis. Rather than punishing Sosuke for his explosive antics, he happily weaponizes them, utilizing Sosuke's extreme military paranoia to resolve school disputes. He is the undisputed king of the comedy arcs.
AL

Al

Tactical AI / Co-Pilot

The advanced, highly sophisticated artificial intelligence installed in Sosuke's signature Arm Slave, the ARX-7 Arbalest. Initially functioning as a dry, purely analytical tactical assistant, Al slowly begins to develop a distinct, almost human-like personality through his constant bickering and bonding with Sosuke. His dry, sarcastic commentary and growing emotional capacity make him far more than just a computer system, he is Sosuke's ultimate co-pilot and confidant.
+4 LORE
ARX-7 Arbalest (Prototype 3rd-Gen Frame) Arm Slaves & Lambda Driver Sousuke Sagara (Arbalest) vs. Gauron (Venom Codarl Rematch) fmp-combat-ledger Sousuke Sagara (ARX-7 Arbalest) vs. Gauron (Plan-1056 Codarl) FMP! Master Combat Ledger Sousuke Sagara (Arbalest) vs. Plan-1055 Behemoth FMP! Master Combat Ledger
← All lore

Arm Slaves & Lambda Driver

Arm Slave Tech & Mind Integration

Arm Slave (AS) Generational Mechanics

Humanoid bipedal combat suits operated via semi-master-slave muscle-tracing suits. 2nd-generation suits (like the M6 Bushnell and Soviet Zy-98 Shadow) rely on diesel or gas-turbine power. 3rd-generation suits (like MITHRIL's M9 Gernsback) utilize palladium reactors and artificial muscle fibers for high-velocity agility.

ARX-7 Arbalest (Prototype 3rd-Gen Frame)

AL AI Core · Monocoque Frame · Heavy Ordnance
A specialized 3rd-generation Arm Slave piloted by Sergeant Sousuke Sagara. Built upon an M9 Gernsback frame, the Arbalest houses "AL", an advanced autonomous AI unit, and the experimental, Black-Tech-derived Lambda Driver converter.
Al

The Lambda Driver (Psionic Kinetic Converter)

Willpower Forcefields · Biological Overheat
A mysterious device that converts the pilot's mental concentration and emotional willpower into physical kinetic force. When active, it projects impenetrable energy shields and amplifies physical strikes to destroy enemy armor, but drains the pilot's psychological stamina and causes rapid thermal overheating.