For a long time, women in anime were simply background characters, eye candy for the male characters, mother figures, or quiet wives waiting on their men. Luckily, most anime has moved on, and now, women are getting the exciting and complex stories they deserve. And while they might still be wives, girlfriends, or mothers, they are no longer defined by those roles.
Now, women in anime have enough agency to defy the stereotypes. A few female characters even stand out because of their daring and outright badass behavior. They don’t take no for an answer or let anyone in their lives make decisions for them; they face challenges head-on and take down the bad guys without hesitation. From Frieren to Nami,the most badass women in anime are independent, fierce, and ready to take on the worldwith their intelligence and fighting skills.
18Asuna Yuuki
‘Sword Art Online’ (2012), ‘Sword Art Online II’ (2014), ‘Sword Art Online: Alicization’ (2018)
The main heroine ofSword Art Online, Asuna is one of many players who partook in the Day 1 release of SAO and found herself trapped just like everyone else. Though she felt dismal about it at first, she leveled up rather quickly and secured her own life in the process.
Though not many viewers think much of her thanks to the second half of season one, where she essentially becomes a damsel in distress, in the beginning, Asuna is a powerful foe and a strong asset who works well alongside Kirito.She proved herself to be a strong wielder of the rapier, and she was one of the strongest players in SAO. Nothing after could ever tarnish Asuna’s name, as she has proven that she can take care of herself.
Sword Art Online
17Mitsuri Kanroji
‘Demon Slayer’ (2021–2024)
Mitsuri Kanroji is one of the nine Hashira inDemon Slayer, all of whom have developed their own breathing types. Mitsuri is the Love Hashira who established her own breathing style that represents her perfectly. With great personality, a kind heart, and a colorful demeanor, Mitsuri is one of the gentler demon slayers to exist.
While kindhearted, Mitsuri is also not a Hashira to be messed with, as her strength and prowess know no bounds. She can cut through any demon with ease, and her swiftness allows her to slaughter any demon with efficiency. Looks can be deceiving, and in this timid slayer’s case, Mitsuri is not one to mess around.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
16Erza Scarlet
‘Fairy Tail’ (2011–2019)
A part of the infamous Fairy Tail Guild, Erza is an S-Rank Mage under Natsu’s leadership. InFairy Tail, Erza is known to be quite critical and strict around her guild members, often coming off as rather cold and harsh at times.
One notable trait about Erza, though, is that she has a fantastic sense of justice, which makes her an evenbetter and underrated anime character. Not to mention, Erza is not only strong, but she deals a lot with magical damage, making her a well-equipped fighter in the Fairy Tail Guild. No other woman could ever come close to the powerhouse that Erza is.
Fairy Tail
‘Akame ga Kill!’ (2016–2017)
Akame fromAkame ga Kill!is the silent hitman and mercenary and the female protagonist of both the manga and anime. She is known as Akame of the Demon Sword Murasame, and she works for the infamous Night Raid.
A silent killer who hides her emotions away, Akame is mercilesswhen it comes to killing and protecting her team. Though her personality doesn’t shine through like other characters in the show, Akame is a badass, plain and simple. With her fighting style and passion, it’s hard to find anyone as good as what they do like Akame.
Akame ga Kill!
14Kobeni Higashiyama
‘Chainsaw Man’ (2022)
Kobeni is a character fromChainsaw Manwho has limited appearances. One of Makima’s new recruits for her devil-fighting squad, Kobeni appeared initially like any other ordinary devil hunter. Timid and often easily frightened, Kobeni often gives viewers the wrong impression due to her outward demeanor. However, it turns out, Kobeni is actually a bit of a badass.
At first, Kobeni didn’t seem like much; fans found her to be somewhat of a coward for freaking out all the time and wanting to go home instead of finishing the mission. But when the other devil hunters were taken out during a surprise attack,Kobeni showed her hidden skill set. With an expression of anxiety, Kobeni dodged bullets and attacks with ease, attacking her assailants as if they were nothing. Though she retires during the Public Safety Saga, seeing her skills in action puts her at the top of the list of badass women in anime.
Chainsaw Man
13Touka Kirishima
‘Tokyo Ghoul’ (2014), ‘Tokyo Ghoul √A’ (2015), ‘Tokyo Ghoul: re’ (2018)
The older sister of Ayato Kirishima and a former waitress at Anteiku, Touka Kirishima is a ghoul who met and helped Kaneki Ken become the ghoul he is today. Though she is often full of anger, rage, and judgment, she is also kind at times and understanding. Her harsh demeanor and attitude are due to a complicated and tough childhood.
She is a tough and determined ghoul who encourages Kaneki Ken to eat human flesh and live, though she does so forcibly. She helps to take care of Kaneki and has even taken on a loving role to care for her younger brother. Not to mention, she is a fierce ghoul who is not to be messed with. Though later on inthe must-see anime seriesshe grows a tad bit softer, underneath her quiet and sweet complexion is a ghoul full of carnage.Touka is nothing short of a badass woman who gets what she wants inTokyo Ghoul.
Tokyo Ghoul
12Elizabeth Midford
‘Black Butler’ (2008–2009), ‘Black Butler Season Two’ (2010), ‘Black Butler: Book of Circus’ (2014), ‘Black Butler: Public School Arc’ (2024)
Elizabeth Midford is the heiress of the Midford family and fiancée of Ciel Phantomhive, the protagonist of theBlack Butlerseries. After almost losing Ciel to the manor fire, she has shown herself to be clingy and overly attached to him, visiting him every chance she gets. Even though he appreciates and cares for her, Ciel often considers her presence to be a nuisance, as she can be overbearing and overwhelming, often attempting to dictate Ciel’s life.
Despite these frustrations Ciel may have with Elizabeth, often feeling as though he needs to protect her due to his duty as the queen’s guard dog, Elizabeth later on proves herself to be capable of protecting herself. During theBook of Atlanticfilm, when Elizabeth was surrounded by the undead and Ciel was injured, she proved her prowess and swordsmanship without hesitation. Hiding her capabilities under the guise of pure femininity, Elizabeth broke her own rules and protected Ciel while defending herself. Though she has often shown herself to be vulnerable and weak, this was all to protect Ciel’s manhood, proving thatjust because she decides to abide by society’s gender roles does not mean she can not take care of herself when necessary.
Black Butler
11Sakura Haruno
‘Naruto’ (2002–2007), ‘Naruto Shippuden’ (2007–2017), ‘Boruto: Naruto Next Generations’ (2017–2023)
Sakura Haruno is one ofNaruto’s protagonists. She is a kunoichi of Konohagakure and a medical ninja. She is close friends with Naruto and Sasuke, having been part of the same team as them. Currently in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, she is the wife of Sasuke Uchiha and mother to Sarada Uchiha.
Though Sakura was once considered the weakling of Team 7, she has trained consistently and grown tremendously since her debut in Naruto. Having trained under Sannin Tsunade, Sakura grows to become extremely powerful; this is especially true since she has proven to beincredibly good at chakra control and growing stronger physically. There were even points in time when Sakura was predicted to become stronger and more powerful than Tsunade herself. As a proud and determined mother, Sakura will always be a badass.
Naruto Uzumaki, a mischievous adolescent ninja, struggles as he searches for recognition and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the village’s leader and strongest ninja.
‘Dragon Ball’ (1986–1989), ‘Dragon Ball Z’ (1989–1996), ‘Dragon Ball GT’ (1996–1997), ‘Dragon Ball Super’ (2015–2018)
Bulma is one of the few female characters in theDragon Ballfranchise. She is the daughter of Dr. Briefs, the founder of The Capsule Corporation. When she is sixteen, she meets Goku, and they set out on a quest to gather Dragon Balls. Bulma eventually takes over her father’s company and builds herself a career as an inventor.
Simply put,there is noDragon Ballwithout Bulma. Although she is a mother and wife, she doesn’t let this role define who she is. Bulma is, first and foremost, an inventor, but she still indulges her girly side because she doesn’t need to be defined by just one quality. She is able to come up with new inventions, like the Super Dragon Radar, an updated version of the original Dragon Radar, and the Universal Translator. Bulma is amongthe bestDragon Ballcharacters, and her contributions to the franchise are too great to ignore.
Dragon Ball
9Sailor Jupiter
‘Sailor Moon’ (1992–1997), ‘Sailor Moon Crystal’ (2014–2021)
Sailor Jupiter, whose real name is Makoto Kino, isone of the Sailor Guardians. Makoto transferred from her previous school to Juuban Public Junior because she got in trouble for starting fights. Her parents died when she was young, and she learned how to become independent very quickly. Sailor Jupiter’s powers include the ability to throw thunder and lightning bolts. She is also a skilled martial artist and has incredible strength.
Even when she isn’t fighting alongside the Sailor Guardians, Makoto is extremely loyal to her friends and defends them, no matter what the cost.Sailor Jupiter is the strongest Sailor Guardian. She doesn’t back down from a fight, even when she is by herself. While her strength is impressive, it’s her fierce loyalty to Sailor Moon and the other Guardians that makes her truly badass. If a demon or a high school bully tries to mess with her friends, Sailor Jupiter is there to protect them from harm.
