Grimgar Essentials contains anime episodes 1-12 and was directed by Ryosuke Nakamura.

After waking up in a strange new world surrounded by people who can't remember who they are or where they came from, Haruhiro finds himself drafted into the service of the Volunteer Soldiers. Together with a ragtag party he must set out to make a name for himself in a world where magic and monsters are a part of everyday life.