World Trigger anime series is getting a reboot but it won't be as successful as previous seasons if it doesn't honor Heinlein's Starship Troopers.
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SUMMARY
- World Trigger anime series might be getting ready for its fourth season.
- The series is returning after a very long break.
- However, it will have to focus on the sci-fi themes that were inspired by Starship Troopers.
After a long wait, Daisuke Ashihara’s World Trigger anime series will finally make a comeback as the official X account of the franchise hinted at a reboot. This reboot will most likely introduce the much-awaited fourth season, but it might not see the same level of success if it doesn’t honor the sci-fi themes that were influenced by Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers. This was, in fact, confirmed by Ashihara himself during an interview with Viz Media in 2014. He stated:
In terms of sci-fi, I read a lot of books in between working on my series, and I really liked Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers and Tunnel in the Sky.
He not only confirmed that the sci-fi concept of Starship Troopers and Tunnel in the Sky influenced him, but also explained how he embedded this theme in his own work. Thus, the fourth season will have to put a special focus on it.
How Heinlein Helped Shape the Sci-Fi Theme of World Trigger
Ashihara being influenced by Heinlein’s masterpiece is quite evident from the World of Trigger story and the concept that it revolves around. A strong parallel between World Trigger and Starship Troopers is the idea of a structured defense organization. In Heinlein’s story, soldiers are trained and assigned roles within a formal military that exists to protect humanity from extremely dangerous external threats.
World Trigger more or less takes a similar approach within the storyline through Border, where members join squads, train together, and use advanced gear to defend their world from Neighbors. Their narratives do not completely rely on a single hero who is tasked with saving the world, but instead, they focus on the development of an entire group and how it affects the entire storyline.
Another major connection between the two stories is how they portray growth through training and real danger. Heinlein’s characters become stronger by facing intense challenges that test their judgment and courage. World Trigger evidently uses a similar idea, placing young agents in situations where they must adapt quickly, learn from mistakes, and take responsibility.
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World Trigger Isn’t the Only Anime Inspired by Starship Troopers
It won’t be a stretch to say that Heinlein’s Starship Troopers is a heavily influential story, and World Trigger is not the only anime series that was inspired by it. Fans might not know this, but Yoshiyuki Tomino’s Mobile Suit Gundam also had some elements that were inspired by the Starship Troopers’ narrative. In fact, the Mobile Suits, which are probably the most significant aspects of the series, were a part of this inspiration.
In 1991, American translator Frederik Schodt translated Tomino’s Mobile Suit Gundam novel, and in the “a word from the translator” section, he revealed that after being inspired by Starship Troopers, Tomino abandoned traditional Japanese robot concepts and made the Mobile Suit, which is a type of armored suit or piloted exoskeleton. It is the centerpiece of his entire storyline and has gained a lot of fame and recognition over the years.
Heinlein is one of the greatest sci-fi writers the world has ever seen, and his works prove his talent. The fact that he inspired such great franchises and delivered a world created around a future society shows how deeply his ideas shaped modern science fiction. Hopefully, the fourth season of World Trigger will carry this influence further. Which other popular anime series do you think is inspired by Starship Troopers? Let us know below!
| Anime Series | World Trigger |
| IMDb Rating | 7.4 |
| My Anime List Score | 7.58 |
World Trigger is currently available to watch on Crunchyroll.
