One of anime's most common criticisms is that there aren't enough well-written female characters. While some only serve as love interests to the protagonists, others are only used as convenient plot devices to show the male characters' improved strengths. However, there are plenty of well-written women in anime who deserve just as much, if not more, praise than their male counterparts.
Whether or not they're protagonists, these female characters have shown tremendous growth over the course of their respective series. Some have complex backstories, while others entirely disregard the "damsel in distress" trope and pave their way as admirable heroines.
Updated on February 9th, 2023, by Sarah Martin: Though it may seem like female characters get the short end of the stick when it comes to writing in anime, plenty of them prove otherwise. Not all of them are damsels in distress whose most memorable lines are crying out the male lead's name during stressful moments. We've added a few more of anime's most well-written female characters to this list.
11 Haruhi Challenged The Norm For Shojo Leads
Ouran High School Host Club
In Ouran High School Host Club, Haruhi Fujioka is the sole "commoner" in a school full of snobby rich kids. She's often disregarded and mocked for having gotten into Ouran Academy via scholarship instead of having wealthy parents. When Haruhi stumbled into the host club's room and accidentally got in over her head with debt over a broken vase, she had to pretend to be a guy and make money with the host club.
Though the other host club members and her father forced her to dress more femininely, Haruhi boldly stated that she doesn't care about gender norms and even joked about referring to herself with masculine indicators. She never fawned over her co-hosts, either. Haruhi definitely broke shojo's norms at the time.
10 Rukia's Development Was Believable
Bleach
In Bleach, Rukia Kuchiki is one of the most likable characters and stands out as one of the most well-written shonen heroines of her time. Unfortunately, she didn't get as much screen time as fans would have liked simply because Bleach's cast is too bloated. However, that shouldn't detract from her many accomplishments.
Rukia's character development in Bleach was realistic and believable. She's a multifaceted character with several different layers, proving that solid heroines should always have nuance. Rukia's greatest strength is that she's never one-dimensional or boring.
9 Yona Learned To Fight
Yona Of The Dawn
Before the coup in Yona of the Dawn, Princess Yona was out of touch with the world's harsh realities. Tucked away in a gaudy castle, Yona never had to worry about the political fallout from her father's actions until Soo-won killed him.
As she and Hak defected the kingdom, Yona wanted to learn how to fight and fend for herself. As she began her journey to find the four dragons, Yona's resolve even stunned Hak, who didn't know she had such a fighting spirit despite being childhood friends. Yona not only learned how to fight, but she became hardened to the world's ways.
8 Kagura's Character Is One Of Chaotic Nuance
Gintama
In many ways, Kagura comes off as Gintoki's female counterpart in Gintama. She's lazy, crude, and has several habits that aren't typically associated with female characters in anime. At first, she seems like a comic relief character. However, she's one of the most complex characters in the series.
Kagura's antics are enough to set her apart from the rest, but her backstory is one of the series' most interesting. She came from the Yato tribe, an oppressive, bloodthirsty regime seeking power. Kagura had more expectations placed on her than anybody could handle, so she rebelled and left her home planet to find true happiness.
7 Nobara Kugisaki Is Always True To Herself
Jujutsu Kaisen
Nobara Kugisaki from Jujutsu Kaisen is one of the best-written female characters in shonen anime. She always stays true to herself and refuses to abide by anyone else's rules. Nobara is not afraid to get her hands dirty, and she'll do whatever it takes to win.
Nobara's proven time and time again that she has what it takes to thrive in the dangerous world of jujutsu sorcery. She's unapologetically herself and never backs down from a fight. As one of the most badass women in the series, she's stolen the spotlight from other characters several times.
6 Nana Osaki Never Gave Up On Becoming A Musician
Nana
Nana Osaki from Nana is one of the most recognizable anime protagonists of all time. Not only does she have a distinct appearance, her rebellious attitude made fans fall in love with her. Nana endured plenty of awful things throughout her life. Her mom abandoned her, so Nana grew up with her grandmother.
Nana's grandmother was abusive and controlling. She wouldn't allow Nana to express herself through fashion the way she wanted. Nana was suspended from school over a false allegation of prostitution and entered a complicated relationship. However, she never let these things interfere with her dream of becoming a musician.
5 Nico Robin Is The Straw Hats' Most Valuable Member
One Piece
In One Piece, Nico Robin starts off as a villain. She was the former vice president of Crocodile, a bounty-hunting organization. Nico left the agency in favor of the Straw Hats. Though no one trusted her at first, Nico earned their respect and proved her loyalty to Luffy's crew.
Arguably, Nico is the most valuable member of the Straw Hats. Her abilities are the most useful for locating the One Piece. Her calmness and maturity also balance out the rest of the crew, which is otherwise full of rambunctious personalities.
4 Tohru Tried To Hide Her Pain
Fruits Basket
In Fruits Basket, Tohru Honda initially seems suffocatingly kind. Always monologuing and going on tangents with bizarre analogies, it seems that Tohru's painfully concerned with everyone else's needs and puts her safety on the back burner. Her overly polite way of speaking and general naivety worries those closest to her.
It turns out that Tohru grew up overwhelmingly lonely after her father died. She wanted to be like her father, so she started speaking keigo to earn her family's respect. Most of her family verbally abused her and her mother, so everything she does is to hide her loneliness. Tohru is lonely from losing both of her parents, and she's in pain because she was rejected by everyone but her grandfather.
3 Makima Is A Master Manipulator
Chainsaw Man
In Chainsaw Man, it's fairly obvious from the start that something's not quite right with Makima. Though she comes off as kind and charitable to Denji and the audience at first, it's soon apparent that she's grooming him. Makima strings Denji along with sexual advances and potential romance only so that he'll do whatever she says.
Makima doesn't actually care about Denji. However, she greatly admires the Chainsaw Devil, who she thinks is key to ushering in her ideal world. Makima is a master manipulator, and her true identity makes much more sense after critically analyzing her personality.
2 Maki Zenin Is Unstoppable
Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisen is praised for its well-written female characters, and Maki is certainly at the forefront of such admiration. The story of the Zenin Clan is enough to put even Naruto's Uchiha Clan's lore to shame. Despite her inability to see cursed energy, Maki beat all of the odds and became a powerful jujutsu sorcerer.
Maki suffered terrible abuse and mistreatment in the clan, so she rebelled and started studying at Jujutsu High to hone her skills as a sorcerer. In later arcs of the manga, she gets the ultimate retribution on her clan. Overall, Maki is unstoppable. Anybody who dares underestimate her just made the worst mistake of their life.
1 Jolyne Cujoh Has Unwavering Resolve
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean
As the first-ever female JoJo's Bizarre Adventure protagonist, Jolyne made her mark on the series with a snappy personality, stylish fashion, and badass fighting skills. Because of how Jolyne grew up, she seemed like the typical rebellious teenager. However, she learned the importance of standing on her own two feet. She realized that the only one she could depend on was herself. Especially after being convicted of a murder that she didn't commit, Jolyne understands that her only true ally is herself.
Jolyne shares several traits with her predecessors that define the Joestar bloodline. She has an unwavering resolve and isn't afraid to put people in their place. She doesn't forgive, nor does she forget anyone's wrongdoings. Jolyne is certainly one of the best female anime characters of all time.