In this study, a fractional-order sliding mode backstepping control method was proposed, which involved the use of a fractional-order command filter, an interval type-2 fuzzy logic system approximation method, and a grey wolf and weighted whale optimization algorithm for multi-input multi-output nonlinear dynamic systems. For designing the stabilizing controls of the backstepping control, a novel fractional-order sliding mode surface was suggested. Further, the transformed errors that occurred during the recursive design steps were easily compensated by the controllers constructed using a new fractional-order command filter. Thus, the differentiation issue of the virtual control in the conventional backstepping control design could be bypassed with a simpler controller structure. Subsequently, the unknown plant dynamics were approximated by an interval type-2 fuzzy logic system. The uncertainties, such as the approximation error and the external disturbance, were compensated by the fractional-order sliding mode control that was added in the backstepping controller. Furthermore, the controller parameters and the fuzzy logic system were optimized via a grey wolf and weighted whale optimization algorithm to obtain a faster tuning process and an improved control performance. Simulation results demonstrated that the fractional-order sliding mode backstepping control scheme provides enhanced control performance over the conventional backstepping control system. Thus, in this paper, a fractional-order sliding mode surface and fractional-order backstepping control are studied, which provide more rapid convergence and enhanced robustness. Furthermore, a hybrid grey wolf and weighted whale optimization algorithm are proposed to provide an improved learning performance than those of conventional grey wolf optimization and weighted whale optimization methods.