Some queens inherited the throne thanks to a line of succession, some married into royalty, and a few select others simply found themselves on the winning side of a revolution. In the world of anime, however, no matter how a queen gained the throne, she can still make an impression on viewers, not to mention her subjects.
Many anime queens win people over by being loving and maternal, effectively serving as the ultimate force of goodness. On the other hand, queens don't have to be good to make a lasting impression on viewers. Morally ambiguous queens can win over viewers' respect and, sometimes, even evil queens can still be a lot of fun to watch.
10 Sailor Moon: Sailor Moon's Mother Is The Celestial Queen Serenity
In Sailor Moon, in contrast to the more villainous queens, like Beryl and Nehelenia, Queen Serenity was the kind and lovely ruler of the Moon Kingdom and was even said to be an incarnation of the moon goddess Selene. Her role in the story was being the mother of Princess Serenity, who would eventually be reborn as Usagi Tsukino and become Sailor Moon.
Although a posthumous character, her role in the manga is heavily explored in flashbacks, where it was hinted that she was not originally from the Moon Kingdom. Her daughter would eventually follow in her example by becoming the ageless Neo-Queen Serenity, the queen of the Earth.
9 Sailor Moon: Neo-Queen Serenity Certainly Takes After Her Mother
As mentioned, Sailor Moon's destiny is to become the queen of the Earth, taking on the mantle of Neo-Queen Serenity. While her husband Endymion has the title of king, it's generally assumed she's the one in charge.
The '90s anime originally implied that Neo-Queen Serenity had matured out of Usagi's childish personality, but the manga and later episodes assured that wasn't the case at all: for starters, she still can't write in kanji despite being centuries old. She has a wide array of abilities, with her having the power to grant subjects ageless immortality or make cake into health food.
8 Pretty Cure: The Queen Of The Garden Light Always Has A Smile On Her Face
In the original Pretty Cure series, the Queen of the Garden of Light serves as the secret protector of Cure White and Cure Black and is effectively the source of their powers, being the one who sent the fairies to Earth. Notably, she is contrasted against the evil Dark King, the effective personification of destruction.
In the follow-up series, Max Heart, she is split between Hikari, who can transform in Shiny Luminous, and the twelve Heartiels.
7 Black Clover: The Witch Queen Is The Mother Of All Witches
In Black Clover, the Witch Queen rules the Witches' Forest and is the mother of all witches. Calculating and manipulative, she imprisoned Vanessa Enoteca in a cage, seeing potential in her Thread Magic. The Witch Queen herself is known for her powerful use of Blood Magic.
Whenever the Witch Queen has shown someone some form of kindness or mercy, it's usually a sign that she's found a way to manipulate the situation to her benefit.
6 The Familiar Of Zero: Henrietta De Tristain Went From Princess To Queen
In The Familiar Of Zero, Henrietta de Tristain is the beloved Crown Princess of Tristain, although she eventually ascends to the throne as queen of the realm. Normally a serious character, she is politically active in the affairs of Tristain, even taking command of the army.
While she's a possible love interest for Saito, she rarely throws her royalty around against her rivals. She also ends the series on good terms with Louise: she adopts her as a sister, making her second in line to the throne.
5 Mermaid Melody: Aqua Regina Even Has Queen In Her Name
Officially, Aqua Regina of Mermaid Melody is a goddess but her name literally means "Water Queen." Rather fittingly, she is seen as the mother and leader of the seven mermaid princesses, each of whom is the leader of their own kingdom.
While she's an important figure in helping the princess fight the villains, she lost most of her powers years ago. The manga reveals Lucia is her successor and eventually assumes this form.
4 The Ancient Magus' Bride: Titania Is The Alluring Faerie Queen
Just like her namesake in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Titania of The Ancient Magus' Bride is the beautiful queen of the fairy folk. While her husband Oberon is the king, the elegant Titania comes off as the far more regal and commanding of the two.
She isn't above using her powers to help the protagonists as she is loving and empathetic. Being fae, her concept of love is different than that of humans, however. Ironically, she's had quite a few mortal lovers that she's outlived over the years.
3 The Twelve Kingdoms: Youko Grows Into The Role Of Queen Sekishi Of Kei
Youko starts out as more or less a shy schoolgirl in Japan. But then she found herself dragged into the realm of the titular Twelve Kingdoms.
While initially wanting to return to Japan, she finds herself the new queen of Kei. This isn't necessarily an easy feat, given that the previous few queens haven't given the role a positive image. Her life is tied to the realm, meaning she must stay there and rule justly so that it will thrive.
2 Ojamajo Doremi: The Witch Queen Is Closer Than She Appears
In Ojamajo Doremi, the witches are ruled by the mysterious Queen Lumina, who hides her face behind a veil. While she can be stern, she is as just as much sympathetic towards the Ojamajos and often intervenes on their behalf, allowing them to pass exams they would have otherwise failed.
As the series goes on, it's revealed her true appearance isn't as secret as viewers were led to believe: she is none other than Miss Yuki, the school nurse, who has been secretly watching over Doremi for years.
1 Cinderella Monogatari: Cinderella Ends Up Queen Of Emerald Castle
In Cinderella Monogatari, an anime retelling of the classic story, viewers see kindhearted, hard-working Cinderella, humiliated by her stepmother and stepsisters and protected by her fairy godmother, ultimately find happiness as the bride of Prince Charles, named for Charles Perrault himself.
In one twist to the story, however, Cinderella doesn't end up a princess: her wedding concludes with the King and Queen abdicating the throne in favor of their son and his new bride, meaning Cinderella is crowned the new queen of the realm.