The world of Japanese anime is home to thousands of fictional characters of all sorts, and these characters can be hugely popular for various reasons. Classic shonen protagonists are famed for their strength and courage, and shojo heroines are inspiring role models for girls everywhere. Anime waifus are equally admirable.

An anime waifu is the theoretical ideal life partner for a viewer—typically a female character with desirable traits such as beauty, intelligence, personal loyalty, certain talents/skills, a fascinating worldview, a good sense of humor, and more. It's ultimately a subjective field, but certain waifus have established themselves as clear favorites and can be approximately ranked according to popularity and merit.

Updated on April 13th, 2024 by Louis Kemner: Fan-favorite anime waifus stand out for their stellar personalities and intriguing stories. They are all different, but all equally admired by fans around the world. This article has been updated to adhere to CBR's current publication standards and features five new waifus, including some from recent anime titles that fans loved.

40 Shoko Nishimiya Is a Quiet Girl Trying to Express Herself

Shoko Nishimiya is the dandere co-star of the dramatic anime movie A Silent Voice. She is a kindhearted and compassionate person who always sees the best in others and will forgive anything, which greatly impressed anime fans, considering all she's been through.

Shoko completely forgave Shoya Ishida for bullying her, and she will give him a second chance now that they're older. Shoko is a wonderful waifu and human being, though she also has a lot to figure out about herself and her family's affairs. Shoko Nishimiya is a wonderful character to love in the A Silent Voice movie and has plenty of fans as a realistic, charming anime girl, though she's not memorable or unique enough to beat the industry's best waifus ever. So, Shoko humbly ranks at the bottom of the industry's best.

39 Sawako Kuronuma Is Much Kinder Than She Looks

Kimi Ni Todoke is a popular shojo romance anime starring the dandere Sawako Kuronuma. She may look like The Ring's villain on the outside, but she is actually a friendly and supportive person who wants to build relationships with her peers and express herself more clearly.

Sawako may seem like a fairly conventional shojo lead, but fans still adore her as a gentle, compassionate person who wants what's best for everyone. She can also be charmingly dense or goofy at times, which makes her feel more well-rounded.

38 Kosaki Onodera Is the Sweet Girl Next Door

Even if Kosaki Onodera is not part of Nisekoi's main couple, anime fans often like her better than Chitoge Kirisaki because Kosaki is not a typical violent tsundere. Chitoge has her merits, but she can also be annoyingly brash and aggressive, which fans don't usually like.

Kosaki is the charming girl next door who runs a sweets shop with her mother and younger sister. Kosaki dearly hoped that she was Raku's promised girl, but no matter which girl has the key to Raku's locket, Nisekoi fans agree that Kosaki—not Chitoge—should end up with Raku as a wonderful waifu and girlfriend.

37 Yumeko Jabami Savors the Erotic Thrill of Gambling

Kakegurui is an unusual high school anime series where the sons and daughters of society's elite learn to gamble in high-stakes games of all kinds, so they can practice risk-taking and reading other people. Hyakkou Academy has strict rules and a rigid hierarchy, but then Yumeko Jabami arrives.

Yumeko is a whirlwind of reckless gambling, rule-breaking, and gleeful pleasure, and fans love how she's a bull in a china shop while also being a loyal, trusting friend to Ryota and Mary. Yumeko is popular as a somewhat edgy, roguish antihero waifu who is beautiful, funny, and vicious all at once.

36 Tohru Honda Has Boundless Empathy For the Needy People Around Her

Tohru Honda is the heroine of the classic shojo anime Fruits Basket. Her father Katsuya died when she was small, so Tohru was raised by her kind single mother, Kyoko. Growing up, Tohru learned all kinds of life lessons from her doting mom, including the importance of giving other people another chance.

Even with Kyoko gone, Tohru still carries the lessons she learned from her mother, which helped inspire her to help the Sohmas, who have curses and personal baggage to deal with. Only with her incredible empathy, kindness, and patience can Tohru help people like Kyo and Yuki break free from their mental prisons. Tohru also made two excellent friends at school, Saki and Arisa, both of whom needed a friend like her.

35 Mai Sakurajima Wishes People Could See the Real Her

Mai Sakurajima from Rascal Does Not Dream Of Bunny Girl Senpai is a lovable tsundere who wants to stay on the down-low despite her status as a model and actress. Her mother forced her into the industry at a very young age, so Mai feels disenchanted since most people only see her for the characters she's played instead of who she really is.

Mai's Adolescence Syndrome grants her the anonymity she's always wanted, but it also gradually erases her from existence. However, Sakuta loves her for who she is and helps stop the syndrome from getting worse. Mai may have a cold exterior, but she's loyal and protective of the people she cares about. Fans of emotionally complex characters have plenty to love about Mai, hence her place among the best waifus, though she's not memorable enough to rank that high.

34 Asuna Yuuki Fights By Kirito's Side In Digital Dungeons

Yuuki is Sword Art Online's Best Girl by a comfortable margin, and she's a great example of a lovable sword-wife character. Like Kirito, Asuna decides to play a virtual fantasy MMORPG, only to get trapped in that digital world. Instead of giving up or grieving other players, though, Asuna toughens up and fights for survival with Kirito.

Asuna impresses SAO fans with her ferocious combat skills, her loyalty, and her friendly, supportive personality. She needs Kirito to save her from Oberon, but returns the favor and rescues Kirito from the Underworld despite the danger both in the game world and the real world.

33 Raphtalia Vowed to Become Naofumi's Loyal Sword Arm

The Rising of the Shield Hero has relatively few likable characters, so a fine anime waifu like Raphtalia stands out all the more. Raphtalia suffered greatly in her childhood, but now she is empowered as a strong and fair-minded hero who will save others from any threat, from monsters to slavers.

Raphtalia is lovable because of her cheerful, goofy personality and her fierce loyalty to Naofumi and Filo, two other members of her found family. In a fight, Raphtalia is courageous and fierce, favoring swords in close-range combat while relying on Naofumi's shields to protect her from harm.

32 Shoko Komi Wishes to Make 100 Friends in School

Komi Can't Communicate stars one of anime's best dandere characters, the beautiful but terribly shy Shoko Komi. At first, she had no friends and was widely misunderstood, but then her new friend Hitohio Tadano extended a hand in friendship.

Now Shoko Komi is much happier with friends who understand and support her, which helps Shoko show her best side. Anime fans simply adore her as a precious anime waifu, wanting to protect and cheer her on as she strives to make even more friends in high school, especially in Season 2 of Komi Can't Communicate, when Shoko Komi branched out to make some new gal-pals during a Kyoto school trip.

31 Katarina Claes Just Wants to Make Everyone Happy

My Next Life as a Villainess is a delightful shojo isekai anime starring Katarina Claes, who earned the nickname Bakarina thanks to her incredibly dense and goofy personality. Katarina may be clueless half the time, but she means well and can be surprisingly crafty with her meta-knowledge.

Katarina is a charming anime waifu with genuine compassion and altruism; combined with her innocent, friendly demeanor and classy but unpretentious looks and aura, Katarina is an excellent waifu. She's so good at what she does, as Katarina accidentally created a co-ed harem around her—which might include a few anime fans too.

30 Yui Is Gabimaru's Adoring Wife

Yui and Gabimaru’s marriage may have been arranged, but the way Yui treats Gabimaru is as if they had been in love this entire time. Although she disapproves of Gabimaru’s work, she understands and accepts him. Most importantly, though, Yui shows Gabimaru that he is deserving of love.

Yui grew up with an abusive father with death all around her, yet she remains just as kind as ever. She does her best to make their marriage more real and never complains when Gabimaru has to go away. Yui is a supportive, loving person who would do anything for her husband and her family. She may seem a bit straightforward compared to more exotic warrior-waifus, but sometimes, anime fans like a refreshingly straightforward, lovable character like Yui, so she earned a place among the best waifus of all.

29 Yor Forger is the Ultimate Assassin Mom

Spy x Family's Yor Forger lives in the best of both worlds as an unassuming city hall employee by day and master assassin by night. Despite her reputation as the Thorn Princess, Yor's real personality isn't intimidating at all. She gets flustered easily and even seems naive in most situations.

However, Yor's martial arts skills paired with her weapon expertise make her a truly deadly assassin. She can instantly cut down mobs of people without giving it a second thought and come out relatively unscathed—though Yor would rather not have Loid or Anya see her like that.

28 Kana Arima is a Child Actor Turned Tsundere Love Interest

Kana Arima is one of the supporting characters in Oshi no Ko, and Kana is immensely popular as a lively tsundere with relatable insecurities and fears. She was a successful child actress, which was when she met Aqua Hoshino, and by her teens, Kana isn't entirely sure how to keep her career going. She might make it big as a pop idol alongside Ruby Hoshino and Mem-Cho, at least.

On a personal level, Kana is a tough, smart, and largely self-reliant girl who has amusing chemistry with the Hoshino twins, who intrigue and annoy her. She might even get swept up in a love triangle with Aqua and Akane Kurokawa, which promises to deliver all kinds of drama and humor in the upcoming Season 2 of Oshi no Ko.

27 Holo Enjoys Teasing Everyone Around Her

Holo from Spice & Wolf is a wolf spirit who doesn't take life too seriously. She's always teasing Lawrence, the series' protagonist. Holo is a classic hiyakasudere, so she loves bantering and poking fun at the people she cares about.

However, Holo's generally cheerful and lighthearted personality shouldn't be mistaken as naivety. She's a wolf goddess, after all, so she has five centuries' worth of wisdom in her arsenal. Holo constantly makes fun of Lawrence because she's been around the block enough times to know that his negotiating skills could use a lot of work.

26 Darkness Is a Goofy Yet Noble Crusader Fighting For Kazuma's Team

The parody isekai anime Konosuba has some of isekai's wackiest waifus of all, including the explosion-loving Megumin and the goofy, juvenile goddess Aqua. Fans mostly like Aqua for her good looks and Megumin for her personality, while Darkness (or Dustiness Ford Lalatina) is the best-rounded of all.

Darkness may be an ineffective crusader/paladin warrior, but she still has a noble, heroic heart and values her new friends deeply. She is also a relatively responsible and idealistic fantasy adventurer and, as a noble-born girl, really knows how to dress up for an evening ball. Now anime fans can see more of Darkness in action in the third and newest season of Konosuba, which is currently airing in the Spring 2024 anime season.

25 Mirko Is a Hard-Hitting Rabbit Superhero

Mirko, or Rumi Usagiyama, from My Hero Academia, is the number five Pro Hero according to the Japanese Hero Billboard Chart. Her legs are wickedly powerful, and a single kick can knock out entire mobs of villains.

Mirko has a tough personality and prefers to work independently, unlike most of her peers. She's a fierce fighter and never backs down from a fight, even after enduring brutal injuries. Her personality is amazing enough, but add in her stunning character design and Mirko is the total package. All this means Mirko ranks right in the middle of all the best anime waifus, and if fans see more of her in My Hero Academia Season 7, she may get even more fans.

24 Casca Accepted Guts For Who He Was

Even a famously dark seinen anime like Berserk can have a Best Boy and Best Girl. Knight Casca is Berserk's best waifu by a wide margin. She's tough but fair as a former member of Griffith's mercenary band, and she and Guts soon become lovers, too.

Casca has been through a lot, but she never gives up hope, and her leadership proves both skillful and inspiring after Griffith's capture. She is also a charming tsundere with sympathetic vulnerabilities she hides behind her knightly bravado and shining armor in battle.

23 Nobara Kugisaki Is the Ideal Shonen Heroine

Nobara Kugisaki represents an often-lost demographic in anime. Not only is she a competent, competitive fighter, but she also likes a lot of traditionally feminine things. She likes shopping just as much as she enjoys putting Cursed Spirits in their place.

Nobara is one of the best anime waifus because she doesn’t feed into conventional female anime tropes. She feels like a real, human teenager. She likes hanging out with her friends and playing pranks, and she is fiercely protective when she's provoked. Nobara proves to the world that females are just as complex as men. Unfortunately, the events of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 sidelined Nobara after a disastrous encounter with the villain Mahito.

22 Fern Has Studied Magic to Become a Skilled Wizard

Fern is a key member of Frieren's adventurer party in Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. Fern was once adopted by Heiter, only for Frieren to take over the duty of training and raising the young Fern. Before long in the story, Fern was a teenage girl with immense talent and skill with magic, to the point she was a worthy participant in the first-class mage exam.

Anime fans adore Fern not just because of her impressive magic, but also her amusing personality as a quiet tsundere. She has fun chemistry with her ally Stark, with vague romantic undertones, and Fern might even get exasperated by Frieren's whimsical silliness, such as with clothing-dissolving potions.

21 Makima Is Cool, Mysterious, and Alluring

Chainsaw Man's Makima quickly became one of anime and manga's most popular female characters, despite her status as the series' ultimate villain. It's unclear why fans are so drawn to Makima, especially after witnessing all of her terrible, manipulative actions throughout Chainsaw Man. Still, she's garnered a loyal army of followers in the Chainsaw Man fandom who worship her.

There's no denying that Makima is a well-written antagonist who succeeded in her role as Chainsaw Man's despicable puppet master. Makima also has a stunning character design that isn't tacky or overly sexualized, which helps cement her status as an unconventional but unforgettable anime waifu.