[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ATVotoms_5764.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''WarIsHell. [[MookHorrorShow Especially if you're the cannon fodder.]]'']]

->''That day, the accursed war which had so disrupted my destiny had ended. But its end was ultimately meaningless for me. The moment I saw her, my own personal war had begun.''
-->-- '''Chirico Cuvie'''

Astragius Galaxy, year 7213. For one hundred years the space nations of Gilgamesh and Balarant have warred against each other for reasons long forgotten. Severely exhausted, they both agreed to a ceasefire. With peace just over the horizon, some Gilgamesh soldiers turned traitor and attacked a Gilgamesh research station to steal its contents.

Their only problem is that Chirico Cuvie, a last-minute transfer from the Special Forces who is not in the know about the whole treason thing, finds their main objective first: a strange woman locked inside a container filled with blue light. Almost dying from the traitors' attempt to silence him, Chirico is picked up by the main Gilgamesh force, who brutally interrogate him about the operation. He escapes, and sets out to find the truth behind that day and that woman.

''Armored Trooper VOTOMS'' is a 52-episode {{anime}} series that ran on Creator/TVTokyo from April 1, 1983 to March 23, 1984, directed by Ryosuke Takahashi. It is divided up into four separate arcs, each one with their own unique mood and setting. Several additional VOTOMS {{OVA}}s have been created, such as the ''Pailsen Files'', set before the events of the main series, and the ''Brilliantly Shining Heresy'', set 32 years after the events of the series, as well as several other [[ShortFilm one-shot [=OVAs=]]] detailing the life of Chirico Cuvie, the series protagonist and others. A spinoff, ''Armor Hunter Mellowlink'', was also created; it is set in the same universe as VOTOMS, but involves an entirely different cast of characters.

The [[Characters/ArmoredTrooperVOTOMS character sheet]] is practically complete now.

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!!''Armored Trooper VOTOMS'' contains examples of the following tropes:

* TwoDVisualsThreeDEffects: The Pailsen Files, although not as JustForFun/{{egregious}} as some other CG adaptations of older anime it's still cheap looking enough to set off some fans who preferred the conventional animation of the older [=OVAs=].
* AbsentAliens: Although we do see some subspecies of humans, like the Quentmen and the purple-skinned Nor Barcoff from Pailsen Files.
** There are also various strange animals like the spider-like creature Chirico throws at a police officer.
* AceCustom: Considering how simply designed an average AT is, it isn't a surprise that quite a lot of individual mods exist. Most notably, there are the Turbo Custom, Red Shoulder and Burglary Dog derivatives of the regular Scopedog made and used by Chirico. Subverted in that they break as easy as normal [[AMechByAnyOtherName [=ATs=]]] and the difference is usually a bunch of extra guns strapped to it.
** Chirico has the habit of getting very special variations. Of special note is [[SuperPrototype the ISS]] he got as part of the Barcoff squadron, the [[MoreDakka heavily armed and armored Burglary Dog]] and finally the upgraded Strike Dog specially customized for him, [[LightningBruiser the Rabidly Dog]].
%%* AlienSky: The planet Sunsa
* AntiHero: Chirico, to Byronic levels. Also, Mellowlink, powered by [[ThePowerOfHate hatred]] and [[{{Revenge}} revenge]].
* BadassNormal:
** Chirico [[spoiler:Subverted, because the last story arc reveals Chirico to be superhuman]]
** Played straighter than any show should be allowed to with Mellowlink. He's basically the Anime/Golgo13 of the VOTOMS universe.
* BavarianFireDrill: Subverted. Captain Rochina tries to do one near the end of the series: [[spoiler:telling the soldiers from the Society that he has to enter the Wiseman Chamber as an order from Killy. He fails.]]
%% * BerserkButton: It's probably not a good idea to play the Red Shoulder march anywhere within the earshot of Chirico.
%%* BigBrotherMentor: To some extent, Gotho
* BloodSport: Battling on Planet Uoodoo.
** Paygan takes this to the extreme in Case; Irvine, going as far as [[spoiler: firing into the crowd just to have Irvine fight him in his upgraded Blood Dog]].
* BornLucky: Chirico, who with a combination of his own skill and some pretty unbelievable luck manages to defy odds and survive things no other man should. [[spoiler: Subverted when he's revealed to be an Abnormal Survivor, with minor RealityWarper powers.]]
** Mellowlink. Although he has some pretty cunning tactics [[BatmanGambit and prepares]] [[CrazyPrepared for the worst]] when he can, many times he survives his fights simply because fortune favors him. [[spoiler:Also, one of the more important factors for Red Shoulders and Abnormal Survivors is luck, or at least Pailsen believes so.]]
%%* ClingyJealousGirl: Coconna
%%* CoolOldGuy: Gotho, in spades.
* CrapsackWorld: Melkia seems to have deteriorated into this following the Gilgamesh-Balarant conflict, if Uoodo and the Kunmen region are anything to go by.
* {{Determinator}}: Chirico, Yipsilon and multiple other characters. Though Mellowlink tops all of them.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything:
** The [[spoiler:entire Kunmen arc is more than a little reminiscent of the Vietnam War, complete with the jungle villages, the harsh conflict between the stubborn natives and the brutal mercenaries, the moral ambiguity...and the fact that it takes the form of a proxy war between the Melkians and the Secret Society]].
** The first scene of the Pailsen Files is D-Day, plain and simple. The show doesn't even ''try'' to be subtle with it. It uses some of the exact same camera shots as ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan''. Lampshaded by the fansubbers by having inserting on-screen during the eyecatch "was it me, or was that whole scene just D-Day with robots?"
* EarnYourHappyEnding: Arguably subverted, in that [[spoiler:while Gotho, Vanilla, and Coconna go on to live happy and peaceful lives, the galaxy is plunged back into war, this time without Wiseman guiding them, and an entire planet has been destroyed, displacing all its inhabitants.]]
* {{Eyecatch}}: Starts out as Chirico looking back as the show logo comes on, but gets [[AnimationBump upgraded]] to Chirico looking back as the screen flashes blue and the show logo comes on, then to Chirico looking back as the show logo flashes blue to come on.
* FauxActionGirl: Surprisingly, [[spoiler:Fyana, despite her being really tough in the first arc, she quickly descends into a DamselInDistress. Later remedied somewhat, fighting alongside Chirico, but her dependance of Jijirium radiation often leaves her incapacitated.]]
* FragileSpeedster: The [=ATs=] zip around much faster than your average HumongousMecha thanks to their RollerbladeGood but they really can't take much punishment. The whole point of giving the mechs wheels on their soles was so the action could be much more dynamic than in ''Gundam.'' Interestingly enough, [[https://ghostlightning.wordpress.com/2011/08/18/code-geass-vs-votoms-the-mecha-roller-derby-of-destruction/ as one of the comments on this page shows]], production was originally intending to simply have the VOTOMS dash in straight lines, stopping every 40 or so meters, but a female member of the animation crew was a slalom fan and suggested they should strafe, giving us the extended battle sequences of the show.
* FunWithAcronyms: The titular VOTOMS stands for '''V'''ertical '''O'''ne-man '''T'''ank for '''O'''ffense and '''M'''anuever'''S'''.
* GambitPileup: Much of the series, but the [[spoiler:final showdown of the Kummen arc in particular]].
** Everyone having been manipulated by Wiseman.
* GunsAkimbo: Mostly used as concentrated fire in the general direction. The effective use of different targets in different directions variant is restricted to the Super Soldiers. [[spoiler:Barcoff, already fatally wounded, stands in the open and keeps firing left and right to take as many Balarant [=ATs=] with him and to buy time for Chirico and Zaki.]]
* HandCannon: Chirico's handgun resembles a sawed-off shotgun more than your average pistol, and he can take out an AT with it, shooting the pilot straight through the armor.
%%* HistoryRepeats: ''Phantom Arc''.
* HonorBeforeReason: Chirico trying to save Fyana even though he could easily walk away and in doing so would probably escape from those who are after him. Coconna also, when she tries to save him, forcing Gotho and Vanilla to come along with her early on in the series--when the three of them could just as easily escape and leave Chirico behind, especially considering Chirico doesn't always ''want'' their help.
* InsistentTerminology: Taking a page from Asimov; despite Wiseman's true form being [[spoiler:a Quaintian Overman who uploaded his consciousness into a massive supercomputer mainframe]] and Chirico's origin [[spoiler: as a Overman (an evolved human with perfect reflexes and survival instinct)]], the majority of the galaxy still declare such beings as either [[spoiler:'God', or 'Children of God'.]]
* InterrogatedForNothing: Being subjected to this forces Chirico to desert from the Gilgamesh army.
* InTheHood: Referenced with the design of the Standing Tortoise, the Secret Society's generic AT and the main mass-produced 'villain machine' of the series. Its vestigial 'head' resembles a shadowy cowl, fitting for the face of the enigmatic and ominous Society's armed forces.
* LightningBruiser: The Strike Dog and Rabidlydog in TV series. They're heavy-class [=ATs=] like [[MightyGlacier Standing Tortoises]], but have better performance than [[JackOfAllStats Scopedogs]]. The Strike Dog [[AwesomeButImpractical suffers from short operational time]], but the Rabidlydog fixed that. ''The Last Red Shoulder'' added the Bloodsucker and ''Big Battle'' added the Ecrevisse to this trope. It's worthy to note that while Chirico could stand up against the Strike Dog and Bloodsuckers with just a modified Scopedog, he needed a [[FragileSpeedster Light Scopedog]] to keep up with the Ecrevisse.
* MadeOfExplodium: Polymer Ringer's Solution, the fuel that allows [=ATs=] to move in a fluid human-like way, is so volatile that a sufficiently hard impact, or even exposure to a large enough temperature difference will cause it to ignite without warning.
* MassiveMultiplayerCrossover: Appears in the [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsZ Z]], [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOE OE]], [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsT T]], and [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsDD DD]] incarnations of VideoGame/SuperRobotWars, as well as [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWars30 SRW 30]] via paid DLC.
* MightyGlacier: Technically, the Standing Tortoise is this to the [[JackOfAllStats Scopedog]]. It has thicker armor and can carry more missiles. But it isn't as fast and also is harder to control, notable for fact that it can't turn its head camera independent of the body; the pilot's only sideview option is by sliding a shutter on the cockpit's side and looking with his own eyes.
* MiniMecha: The four-meter tall Armored Troopers, expendable to the extent that they are usually deployed in thousands or perhaps hundreds of thousands. Of which it is unlikely for even a tenth to survive. While sufficiently equipped to wage war anywhere, from difficult terrain to open space, they are still quite vulnerable and easily destroyed.
** The upgraded version of the Blood Dog in Case; Irvine almost broke tradition.
%%* MoralityChain: Coconna, to Chirico and company.
* TheNeidermeyer: Capt. Kan Yu of the Assemble EX-10 mercenaries. [[spoiler: While he actually is a fairly proficient soldier and AT pilot, he sucks as a team leader. He is short-tempered, refuses to listen to anything his subordinates say that isn't obsequious agreement, guns down civilians at the slightest provocation (real or imagined - half the time, the civvies die simply for breathing), and has compromised at least one covert op simply to show what big balls he has. Then, there's the little fact that he despises Chirico yet keeps getting his ass saved by him, which just adds fuel to the fire of his hate...]]
* NiceJobBreakingItHero - In Pailsen Files, [[spoiler:After Chirico, Godan and Zaki blow up an entire PRL tank deposit, the explosion created a massive dust cloud that completely blocks out the sunlight, causing the entire planet to turn from a hot desert into a snowy tundra, thrown in with an impending super cold air-mass as cold as minus 250 degrees]].
* NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup: Meta example. The fact that there's never been a remaster or blu-ray of Mellowlink or Shining Heresy is because the original masters were destroyed in a fire.
* OnTheNextEpisodeOfCatchPhrase: The show went above and beyond with this - ''every'' episode of the original show has its own variation.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: The official names for various AT's are never revealed. Some are only known by their Battling ringname like the Purple Bear (a scout variant of Scopedog) or Strong Bacchus (heavy armored Scopedog), while the Balarant Union's AT's are known by Gilgamesh's silly English codenames (e.g. the Fatty), with the sole exception being the Ecrevisse (French for "crayfish").
* PileBunker: Mellowlink's signature weapon. Also seen on all Berserga-type AT.
* PimpedOutDress: Coconna wears a dress with [[FluffyFashionFeathers feathers on the sleeves]] in the Kunmen arc.
* ThePowerOfFriendship - Gotho, Vanilla, and Coconna are somehow always there to save Chirico whether he wants their help or not. Early on Coconna had to somehow force Gotho and Vanilla to come along and help rather than leave Chirico to die.
* ThePowerOfHate: What drives Mellowlink in his quest for {{Revenge}}.
* RagtagBunchOfMisfits - The Barcoff Squad in Palisen Files.
* RankScalesWithAsskicking: Kanjelman. He might be pretty old but for a regular human he's very agile and strong.
* RealityWarper: Abnormal Survivors. [[spoiler:several are speculated to be these, but only Chirico seems to truly incarnate the often insane survival skills seen mainly in Roots of Ambition, Pailsen Files and the last episode of Shining Heresy]]. To be more specific, it's believed (or at least Pailsen thinks so) that Abnormal Survivors subtly influence given probabilities of things happening around them, causing lethal situations to become non-lethal or even harmless.
* RealRobotGenre: One of the early pioneers of this genre. Armored Troopers are mass-produced, have a very basic design, have limited ammunition, require refueling, and are basically bipedal tanks.
* ScrewDestiny: In the finale, [[spoiler:Chirico is offered godhood by Wiseman, an ancient computer system that has been manipulating civilization for millennia. He has been groomed by Wiseman for this fate his entire life.]] Naturally, [[spoiler:he [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu destroys Wiseman]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSONA-fwT4c first by shooting it, and then by dismantling it piece by piece]].]]
%%* ShirtlessScene: Chirico gets a ''lot'' of these.
* ShortFilm: Over the years many {{OVA}}s have been released, expanding the storyline and character details and filling in some of the loose threads of the series.
* ShoutOut:
** To ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey''. [[spoiler:The destruction of Wiseman is very obviously based on HAL-9000's death scene.]]
** Teitania is a Franchise/{{Terminator}}. Even the music when she is chasing some "freelance cold capsule contractors" is similar to the score of the films.
** Each of the four arcs is similar to a film. Woodo is ''Film/FirstBlood'', Kunmen is ''Film/RamboFirstBloodPartII'', Sunsa is ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', and Quent is ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey''.
* SinisterMinister: Borough. While the nature of religion in the Votoms universe is largely unexplained (until Shining Heresy), his garb is unmistakably that of a high religious official.
* StormingTheBeaches: The first episode of Pailsen Files features a disastrous opposed landing against a Balarant position. While the overall operation was a success, the on-screen battle only has a single survivor - Chirico.
* StuffBlowingUp: Everything, from a lowly Scopedog to a mighty space battleship blows up ''very'' easily. And in droves. Taken to the limits in Pailsen Files where an entire armada and a fortress planet with garrison is destroyed.
** Taken a step further in episodes 30 and 33, where Standing Tortoise Mk-2s blow up just by being slammed with EMPTY bazookas, one thrown, and one used as a baseball bat.
** You can usually tell how close to the end of an Act in the original series you are by the amount of explosions seen in an episode. Generally by the arc finale EVERYTHING will be blowing up, including vehicles, [=ATs=], and random scenery.
** The show's love of applying this trope led to an imageboard argument that concluded "The tech in Votoms honestly isn't realistic, in fact it may be less so than even some Gundam series. Votoms tech is cheap, highly prone to exploding, and would generally give a safety review board heart attacks."
* TheStoic: Chirico Cuvie, to a degree that vastly exceeds many other mecha protagonists (or even anime protagonists in general), only rarely changing his expression, and then usually not changing beyond dull surprise or pain. It's such an iconic part of the character that literally every picture of him when he appears has him wearing this expression.
* SuperPrototype: Double subverted in [=PS1=] ''Steel Force'' video games, where player can find the prototype of Scopedog, Spending Wolf. At first glance, it seem to be slower version of Scopedog. The "super" part come from fact that Gilgamesh actually ''want'' every Spending Wolf to come back from battle and collect their data. So Spending Wolf has thicker armor, and few equipments, including fire extinguisher, that got removed in Scopedog.
* SuperSoldier: The Perfect Soldiers Fyana and Ypsilon. The "Nextant" Tietania in the Shining Heresy OVA. Also, what Red Shoulders strive to be. Chirico too, although his origins are shrouded in mystery.
* TrackingDevice: Gilgamesh has one injected in Chirico, which is removed at the start of the Kummen arc.
* {{Transhuman}}: The PS's arguably inspired [[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Zeta Gundam]]'s Cyber-Newtypes
* TrueCompanions: Chirico, Gotho, Vanilla, Coconna, and later on Fyana, though Chirico isn't that requiting and often runs off to do things on his own, particularly early on in the series.
** Coconna especially due to her strong infatuation toward Chirico.
%%* UsedFuture
* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:Kan Yu suffers this after losing his position as the commander of Chirico's special team in a secret mission.]]

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