20 Great Anime Featuring Strong Female Protagonists

Summary

• Female-led anime series offer diverse storytelling and strong characters.
• Highlights include
  Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
  ,
  Canaan
  , and
  The Twelve Kingdoms
  .
• These series showcase women in leading roles across various genres like fantasy, action-thriller, and
  isekai
  .

It’s no exaggeration to say that some of the best anime feature strong female characters. Anime is an incredibly diverse media that has something for everyone. Whether the audience is looking for an action-packed, battle-oriented story with larger-than-life characters who possess all kinds of cool powers, or a down-to-Earth, heartwarming tale of everyday life with a relatable cast of characters, there’s a whole list of anime to choose from.

From mystery thrillers to magical girl adventures, these are some of the best female-led anime series of all time.

With that in mind, female leads aren’t exclusive to magical girl or shoujo outings, either, as plenty of quality romance, isekai, and action-thriller series prominently feature women in leading roles.

25 Darling In The Franxx’s Female Hero Makes Up For Its Lackluster Writing

Anime Series by Studio Trigger & A-1 Pictures

Of all the eccentric and overall entertaining characters of Darling in the Franxx, none have stood out more than its female lead, Zero Two. Zero Two’s intensity and aggressive impulses are what make this anime so much fun to watch, and the depth of Zero Two’s character does a lot to make up for the various shortcomings of Franxx’s script.

The soundtrack also helps to boost this show’s ratings along with other strong female characters like Ichigo, Miku, Kokoro, Ikuno, and, of course, their Franxx, which are every bit as important to the series as their operators.

24 Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Is Already A Landmark In Fantasy Anime

Anime Series Produced by Studio Madhouse

The first great anime with a female protagonist to discuss is 2023’s Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End uses its high fantasy setting to tell a poignant story about dealing with loss and the importance of forming meaningful connections with others, and that, naturally, results in Frieren being a character who always grows as a person and can always showcase how good a person is expected to be. Add in how she’s always more than capable of fending for herself, and Frieren is bound to go down as one of the best female protagonists in all of anime.

23 Canaan Is Action Thriller At Its Finest

Anime Series by P.A. Works

When a photographer is on the hunt for her next big story, she finds herself investigating the strange happenings at a local carnival and pulled into a conspiracy about a deadly virus. An old friend who happens to be a mercenary, the titular Canaan, comes to help her. Of course, Canaan is also out to get former teammate Alphard, the antagonist of her story.

Canaan is the rare anime where the strong female protagonist, the damsel in distress, and the antagonist are all layered and complicated women who ally and come into conflict with one another repeatedly.

22 Black Lagoon Is the Cowboy Bebop of the Mid-2000s

Anime Series by Madhouse

The beauty of any anime series featuring strong female protagonists is that it can manifest in more cerebral or low-concept affairs or ultraviolent spectacles like the modern pirate anime Black Lagoon. One of the main characters at the center of this anime is Revy, a trigger-happy mercenary with uncanny fighting ability. However, living such a dangerous life leaves Revy with little space for vital components of the human experience, including emotion.

Revy’s skills in combat include deadly hand-to-hand skills, along with her iconic mastery of dual-wielding Beretta 92Fs with deadly accuracy. Yet, her character is fascinating and far too foul-mouthed to be anybody’s poster girl. Despite this, Revy’s look and personality embody Black Lagoon perfectly as an overcharged Cowboy Bebop-like series in a modern setting.

21 The Twelve Kingdoms Is A Great Take On The Isekai Genre

Anime Series by Pierrot

High school can be hard enough on students without them suddenly being transported to a whole new world where their status as an Earthling makes them a wanted fugitive, but that’s exactly what happens to Youko Nakajima in this 2002 isekai anime.

Based on a novel series that began a decade earlier, aspects of The Twelve Kingdoms are definitely dated, but watching Youko grow from a whiny teen into a full-blown strong female protagonist is worth it. The anime also features a great musical score.

20 Made In Abyss’ Dark Writing Makes For An Incredible Story

Anime by Kinema Citrus

Made in Abyss is a classic story of adventure at its core, driven by the curiosity of its main character Riko. Riko has spent her childhood looking up to her mother, an explorer who vanished into the mysterious Abyss soon after Riko was born. So when Riko receives a letter from her mother telling her to come to the bottom of the Abyss, Riko jumps at the chance.

While she may not seem like a typical strong female character, the strength Made in Abyss’ Riko shows in the face of adversity makes her one of the strongest anime protagonists, regardless of gender.

19 Chihayafuru Makes An Obscure Card Game Fun To Watch

Anime Series by Madhouse

Chihayafuru is one of the more niche anime on this list, focusing on the obscure Japanese card game of karuta. However, it is hard not to get invested in the game when seeing how passionate the show’s protagonist Chihaya is about it.

Chihaya’s passion also draws many of the show’s other characters to the sport of karuta, making her the anime’s most important character. Chihaya is one of the most unique strong female protagonists on this list and she makes Chihayafuru compelling despite its niche subject.

18 Kill La Kill Is Still One Of Studio Trigger’s Best Works

Anime Series by Studio Trigger

The story of Kill la Kill is about Ryuko Matoi, a girl who sets out to find the one responsible for her father’s death and exert her revenge. She ends up at the Honnouji Academy, an elite school where clothes are a crucial element of its competitive hierarchy.

Kill la Kill relies heavily on clothes to explore themes like fate, freedom, and sexuality—hence the weird costumes. But it’s also immensely fun and hilarious with tons of stunning action and one of anime’s strongest female protagonists.

17 From The New World Is Incredibly Inventive Dystopian Fiction

Anime Series by A-1 Pictures

Set in a dystopian future society where humans have developed psychic abilities, From the New World is a coming-of-age story told from the perspective of Saki Watanabe as she narrates the events from her childhood. Saki’s world is an isolated society of psychic humans that’s bound by complex rules and shrouded in mystery.

It’s abundantly clear that there’s much more to things than meets the eye, and the audience follows Saki and her group of friends as they unearth the dark truths about the nature of their society, and that reveal will leave fans with plenty to think about.

16 Fate/Zero Finally Gave The Fate Franchise The Anime It Deserved

Anime Series by Ufotable

Saber is essentially the mascot of the Fate franchise, and Fate/Zero is one of her strongest showings. A prequel to the original Fate/stay night, the series shows what Saber was like before her debut, and in addition to being just as powerful and competent as before, Fate/Zero takes the time to truly explore the emotional weight of Saber’s past and her struggles to overcome it.

While it might be a prequel, the success of Fate/Zero paved the way for the Fate franchise to become the major success it is today, and Saber’s writing undoubtedly played a big part in that.

15 Love Is Hard For Otaku Is A Near-Flawless Adult Romcom

Anime Series by A-1 Pictures

Most romance anime tend to focus on the pursuit of the relationship rather than the actual relationship, but that’s not the case for Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku. Wotakoi tells two love stories: there’s the story of two friends who have common otaku interests and decide to start dating, eventually falling in love with each other realistically; and then there’s the already established, occasionally dysfunctional relationship of their two friends.

With its refreshingly adult take on romance anime, Wotakoi sets itself apart from the abundance of high school-based romance series. If anime fans are sick of standard sappy rom-com, Wotakoi will feel like a breath of fresh air.

14 Kaguya-sama: Love Is War Balances Comedy and Great Characters

Anime Series by A-1 Pictures

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War is a stellar example of what happens when male and female protagonists are arguably too strong for their own good, or conversely, perfectly opposed enough to create conflict and comedy. Much of the initial premise of Aka Akasaka’s popular anime features Kaguya Shinomiya, the student council vice president, and Miyuki Shirogane, the president, playing mind games to trick each other into confessing their feelings. However, their relationship isn’t where the series ends, either.

Part of Akasaka’s true gift as a mangaka is creating a strong supporting cast to endear the readers beyond Miyuki and Kaguya’s hijinks, and to great effect. The result is a fantastic, character-driven series far deeper than a typical romantic comedy. That it starts with its titular protagonist being so headstrong that she gets in her way is merely the initial draw of this multifaceted anime hit.

13 The Apothecary Diaries Features a Female Medical Sleuth

Anime Series by Toho Animation Studio and OLM

The Apothecary Diaries introduces viewers to a quasi-Chinese historical setting where its protagonist, Maomao, is the brilliant daughter of an apothecary, taking on her father’s practice and passions as she’s abducted from her red-light district. She initially starts as a servant at the Imperial Palace but is quickly able to climb the ranks, becoming a lady-in-waiting to one of the Emperor’s concubines. Maomao achieves this ascent by being one of the most brilliant, strong female anime protagonists in recent years.

Maomao’s concern for others in medical distress is apparent even early on, as she catches onto the ignorant practices of people with herbs or products they don’t expect to be harmful. She’s also fairly pragmatic, knowing her knockout beauty and choosing to conceal it to prevent being abducted. Despite her strong personality, able even to resist the charms of the beautiful eunuch, Jinshi, Maomao has gaps in her social walls, such as how easily she’s tempted by alcohol, yet she commands viewer attention when she starts unearthing the truth in her latest medical mysteries.

12 Nana Is a Beautiful Story Of Female Friendship

Anime Series by Studio Madhouse

Nana tells the story of two women who, despite sharing the same name, couldn’t be more different; where one is helpless and naïve, the other is proud and bold. Nevertheless, they end up becoming close friends and supporting each other through life.

Nana’s story is that of friendship, romance, and the difficulties of transitioning to adulthood, and the execution is where this anime truly shines. Nana relies on realistic dialogue and thought processes, relatable characters that act like real people, and believable plot lines that resonate in order to explore themes relevant to young adults who are stumbling through adulthood.

11 Aggretsuko Thrives Off Of Its Relatability

Anime Series by Fanworks

Based on the eponymous Sanrio character, Aggretsuko, short for “Aggressive Retsuko“, is a hilarious anime about a 25-year-old anthropomorphic red panda named Retsuko who works in the accounting department of a Japanese trading firm, and whenever she gets stressed out, she decides to blow off steam by going to a karaoke bar after hours and singing death metal.

Aggretsuko is a brutally honest and biting satirical take on modern life, and that relatability, despite the goofy premise and art style, makes for some of the most resonant writing of any anime.

10 A Place Further Than The Universe Is Adventure At Its Finest

Anime Series by Studio Madhouse

A Place Further than the Universe was one of the best anime of 2018. The adventure comedy follows four girls traveling from Japan to Antarctica, and their story is so incredibly earnest, inspiring, and heartwarming.

A Place Further than the Universe is about having the courage to follow a dream; it’s about conquering the paralyzing fear of living life. On their journey to a place further than the universe, the four girls support each other in facing their fears, all the while engaging in all kinds of shenanigans that will make the audience burst into laughter and tears.

9 Violet Evergarden Is One Of Kyoto Animation’s Most Gorgeous Anime

Anime Series by Kyoto Animation

Violet Evergarden is known for its gorgeous animation, but it’s far from being style without substance. It follows the titular hero, Violet, as she attempts to reintegrate into society after returning from the battlefield and learn the meaning of emotions, most notably why her superior officer said that he loved her. To do this, she becomes a ghostwriter for people who can’t write but want to convey their emotions in a letter.

The emotional growth Violet goes through in Violent Evergarden is always rendered most poignantly, and it plays a big part in why the series has so much appeal.

8 Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex Is A Great Alternative To The Classic Film

Anime Series by Production I.G

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex follows Major Motoko Kusanagi and Public Security Section 9 as they investigate highly sensitive criminal cases in a world where many people have become cyborgs. But these amazing advancements in technology also have drawbacks; the existence of cyberbrains led to a whole new class of dangerous crimes, as criminals can take control of people’s cyberbrains, alter memories, and manipulate their sensory input.

With lots of action and thought-provoking ideas, Stand Alone Complex is a must-see series for any anime fan, especially if they’re looking for a strong female lead.

7 Sailor Moon Crystal Is The Perfect Update To The Legendary Classic

Anime Series by Toei Animation

Regarding anime with strong female characters, it would be remiss not to mention Sailor Moon Crystal. Not only does Usagi undergo an incredible transformation throughout the manga and both anime series, but she also saves Tuxedo Mask consistently throughout. In addition, the rest of the Sailor Senshi are some of the most epic sidekicks anyone could ask for, each offering their own unique personality along with a skill they’ve honed from day one.

Teamwork, feminism, and general butt-kicking are all part of the Sailor Moon series, and it’s iconic in every category.

6 Fruits Basket Is A Hallmark Of Romantic Drama

Anime Series by TMS Entertainment

Fruits Basket tells the tale of Tohru Honda, a young girl who finds herself in the company of Yuki Sohma and the Sohma family. The Sohmas have a secret, however: when under stress, embarrassed, or when hugged by a member of the opposite gender, they transform into a corresponding animal of the Chinese Zodiac. Tohru vows to keep the Sohma family curse a secret and quests to find a cure for the strange ailment.

Fruits Basket is a tale of love, loss, and everything in between and exists as a tentpole shoujo anime series that almost anyone will enjoy.