Sci-Fi Tanks We Wish Were Real

Science fiction is a genre that can encompass a very wide range of ideas, styles, tones, and elements, which is partly why it's been so popular since the days of Mary Shelley, Jules Verne, and H.G. Wells. One particularly interesting — and fun — aspect of sci-fi is seeing all the different concepts of advanced technology that, for now at least, can only exist in our imaginations. 

That includes various futuristic weapons and vehicles, as a lot of sci-fi takes place in the future, and features designs that are both rooted in hard science and are completely fantastical. While spaceships often get a lot of attention when conjuring up famous sci-fi media, there are also many books, movies, video games, and franchises that include ground-based tanks. After all, the fundamental idea of a tank — an armored land-based vehicle that can protect and advance infantry on the ground — is a straightforward blueprint that can be iterated upon in countless ways. 

Even as our own contemporary technology quickly advances and today's armed forces continue to design and build some of the best military tanks in the world, we can't help but think about what it would be like to get our hands on some of the more impressive tanks that only exist in fiction. Here are some iconic sci-fi tanks that we wish were real (while also wishing that, if they were, they were firmly on our side and not the enemy's).

"Halo" was a groundbreaking video game in many ways, taking the well-worn sci-fi trope of space marines but adding enough of a nuanced original spin to make the game's soldier protagonist — the Master Chief — a gaming icon in the pantheon of characters like Mario, Link, and Sonic. The subtitle of the first game, "Combat Evolved," was an apt one, as the first game introduced a lot of familiar military iconography with futuristic twists.

In the game's 26th-century setting, most of the vehicles operated by the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) Marine Corps are named after animals, such as the beloved Warthog Jeep and Mongoose ATV. The game's version of a main battle tank is likewise named after an animal: The M808B Scorpion. The Scorpion looks a lot like one of the best tanks ever made, the M1 Abrams, despite being developed over 500 years later. That's because the human forces in the game still typically use bullets and artillery rather than the sci-fi plasma weapons that the alien Covenant forces employ against them.

Despite not looking all that futuristic, the 66-ton Scorpion is a force to be reckoned with, armed with a powerful M512 90 mm smooth-bore, high-velocity cannon, and a coaxial M231 machine gun. In both single and multiplayer modes, you can control the tank and both weapons or even hop a ride on its side and take advantage of its heavy armor for protection. The Scorpion is a fan-favorite aspect of the "Halo" canon and has appeared in most games of the franchise, including the open-world adventure, "Halo: Infinite," which SlashGear gave a positive review of 8 out of 10.

While some sci-fi introduces far-out concepts and unrecognizable alien worlds, "hard sci-fi" keeps things relatively grounded and can often take place in settings that look eerily similar to our own. The "Battlefield" franchise of video games, which has typically stuck to historical or contemporary wars, crept into sci-fi territory with its 2021 release, "Battlefield 2042," which takes place only two decades in the future. 

That's not very far, and it's interesting to see how our armed forces may be more advanced in ways that are subtle and logical. If you picture the real-world armed forces of 20 years ago, for example, it doesn't seem all that different — until you consider the impact of drone warfare, widespread internet connectivity, and other recent advancements.

One of the mid-21st century tanks featured in the game is the Russian T28 main battle tank, a fictional successor to the next–generation T-14 Armata main battle tank that was only recently developed in the real world. The 120 mm primary cannon of the T28 is actually slightly smaller than its real-world predecessor, but the tank makes up for that with several other formidable weapons, including 7.62 mm and 12.7 mm coaxial machine guns, 40 mm volley pods, 60 mm mortar pods, TOW missiles, rockets, and kinetic grenades.

The tank also has a thermal sensor array and detection pulse and can be customized with smoke launchers and a cyberwarfare protection system, among other features. While it would be very cool to see the T28 in action, we wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of its weaponry. Given that the game takes place less than 20 years from now, there's also a good chance we could actually soon see the T28 or a main battle tank that's very similar to it.

The "Starfox" franchise is one of Nintendo's most popular thanks to its groundbreaking aerial combat, featuring cool, angular space fighters piloted by cute (but tough) anthropomorphic animals. "Starfox 64" didn't just include space and aerial combat; some levels are dedicated to underwater and ground combat. For the ground levels, the player — as Starfox — was able to pilot a futuristic tank designed by none other than Slippy Toad himself: The Landmaster.

If it wasn't already clear from the talking animals, "Starfox" is not very realistic sci-fi, and the Landmaster has some far-out specs. It uses gravity diffusion for shielding and is equipped with a T&B-J2 laser cannon, smart bombs, and missiles. It uses a plasma engine, and it's powered by hydrogen.

The tank can cross rough, alien terrain and can even hover for short periods. And, because it's "Starfox," it can even do barrel rolls to obstacles and avoid enemy fire. If you want to get behind the wheel of the Landmaster, you can still play "Starfox 64" on consoles newer than the Nintendo 64, including the Nintendo Switch, Wii, and Nintendo 3DS.

One of the most iconic science fiction franchises began with James Cameron's 1984 film, "The Terminator," which featured a war fought in the near future between humans and a sentient AI known as Skynet. Most of the evil robots depicted in the film and its several sequels serve one purpose: To hunt down and eliminate any humans that survived the initial nuclear war started by Skynet. 

These hunter-killer robots include walking metal skeletons that are sometimes covered in human flesh resembling Arnold Schwarzenegger, while others are more mechanical and drone-like in nature. In the short glimpses we see of the future war in the first few "Terminator" films, we see the HK-Aerial and the HK-Tank. You can even get a hi-res look at the HK-Tank in the restored 4K Blu-Ray release of "Terminator 2: Judgment Day."

Like traditional tanks, the HK runs on treads to better cross uneven terrain (the apocalyptic debris of Los Angeles), but it's more upright and the size of a small building. It's a direct descendant of Skynet's original Terminator, the T-1 drone (which was actually designed, ironically, by the U.S. military). It resembles a much larger T-1 and is equipped with powerful, twin-barreled directional plasma cannons. Its head sports the same infrared sensor and red HUD that many Terminators have, able to easily find its targets, day or night.

What's scariest about the HK-Tank is that it's not just a vehicle — it's a sentient robot with the body of a tank. It's not being steered through a battlefield but instead maneuvering through it of its own accord — basically a giant, armored Terminator that dwarfs even Schwarzenegger's large, formidable frame.

There is no shortage of military vehicles featured in the "Star Wars" franchise, including the Armored Assault Tank for ground-based battles on any of the thousands of alien planets depicted in the series. While the Droid army first introduced in "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace" are infamously ineffective, their tanks are a different story. In fact, the AATs nearly won the Battle of Naboo for the Trade Federation, which would have set the entire Skywalker Saga on a different path.

Unlike many tanks — even sci-fi ones — the Armored Assault Tank doesn't rely on treads to cross harsh terrain but instead hovers a few feet over them thanks to "repulsorlift" technology. Like any good tank, it's heavily armored and features an array of laser and projectile weapons. The reliable vehicle was used throughout the Clone Wars and appeared not just in "The Phantom Menace" but also "Revenge of the Sith" and the animated series, "The Clone Wars" and "The Bad Batch," as well as several books, comics, and video games set in the galaxy far, far away.

While it's unlikely that the technology that powered the Armored Assault Tank (or hyperspace or lightsabers) will exist anytime soon, you can get a real-life version — in LEGO form. While it's not currently one of the best-rated "Star Wars" LEGO sets you can buy, the AAT would be a great gift for any superfans of the franchise, sci-fi tanks, or both.