Poorly-written female characters aren’t something new, nor are they limited to just anime. Even in anime, there’s a severe scarcity of well-written female characters, especially those who don’t lose all their brain cells the moment they fall in love with a guy. Sure, we all know characters like Mikasa, Rem, and Erza, but how many of us ever appreciate female characters that aren’t from hugely successful shounen franchises?

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Without further ado, here are 10 extremely underrated female characters in anime. Do keep in mind that this list talks only about good female characters, and does not in any way comment on the anime that they featured in.

10 Clare from Claymore

Clare is the protagonist of the action anime Claymore – where a group of half-human and half-youma (flesh-eating demons) female warriors fight youma and rid villages of their evil. Clare is a lone wolf and part of the 78th generation of Claymore. She’s a low ranker who doesn’t let her lack of power come in the way of her goals.

Clare is mentally and physically strong, determined, and extremely stubborn, although, in rare cases, she does showcase her softer side. As a bonus, it is also the woman here (Clare) who ends up saving an almost useless and constantly worrying boy (named Raki) from a youma. Quite the gender-based role reversal!

9 Michiko from Michiko & Hatchin

Michiko is talking to someone while Hatchin sits behind her on the motorbike.

This entire anime is about female empowerment. Right from having a dark-skinned, motorcycle riding heroine who escapes from jail to seek revenge against a man, Michiko is everything one can wish for from a female character and more.

Despite being a total badass and someone who despises children, she not only decides to take on the responsibility of a young girl named Hatchin but also becomes a responsible adult because of Hatchin’s presence in her life. It’s one of those rare anime where you get to see women taking the lead and men being on the sidelines.

8 Hinako from Kenka Bancho Otome: Girl Beats Boys

It’s rare to have a reverse harem where the female isn’t a complete pushover, which is why Hinako is a blessing. Due to some reason, she’s forced to switch places with a boy (who looks similar to her in appearance) and attend Shishiku Academy in his place. This is an all-boys school that is full of delinquents, who take no time in bullying Hinako.

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So what’s left for her to do? To beat all these boys up (quite literally), become the #1 delinquent in her school, and do all of this without letting anyone know she’s actually a girl.

7 Misaki Kirihara from Darker than Black

Misaki Kirihara from Darker than Black

Being the main character, Yin often steals the spotlight in Darker than Black. However, an argument can be made that the police officer Misaki Kirihara is a much better-written character. Not only is Misaki an extremely determined and independent young lady, but she’s also a very intuitive officer.

Misaki has a strong sense of right and wrong, and her reason for becoming a police officer is extremely noble – to protect the weak and bring justice to those who have been wronged. She is how Akane from Psycho-Pass could have been written, and it’s truly sad to see the absence of many strong women like Misaki.

6 Shirayuki from Snow White with the Red Hair

There are no dwarves in Snow White with the Red Hair

How often does one come across a female character who uproots her entire life when she realizes that a certain lecherous prince wants to make her his concubine? Meet Shirayuki, who not only braves her journey alone but also cuts off her beautiful red hair the second she realizes that it was her hair that attracted the prince towards her.

The strong-headed yet extremely feminine girl wants nothing but respect and freedom. She becomes a court herbalist in another prince’s kingdom, and the best part is that not only does she not instantly fall in love with him, but she saves his life a few times over (a rarity in shoujo)

5 Riza Hawkeye from Fullmetal Alchemist

riza hawkeye fma pointing gun

The Elric brothers get a lot of love from fans, and rightfully so, as do Winry, Roy Mustang, and a few other miscellaneous characters. However, Riza Hawkeye tends to get the short end of the stick when it comes to fan adulation.

Not only is she an officer in the Amestrian State Military, but she’s an exceptional sharpshooter. She also happens to be Mustang’s personal bodyguard and, in his own words, an invaluable asset to his team. Riza is loyal to Mustang and his cause, even if it means going against everything she believes in.

4 Krul Tepes from Seraph of the End

Krul’s pre-teen appearance often gets in the way of her being taken seriously, both by fans and her vampire comrades. But she’s a 3rd Progenitor and among the highest-ranking members of the Progenitor Council. Even Ferid Bathory fears her power, which is saying something.

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Krul is cruel and deceitful, and yet, her heart years to be united with her brother, whom she lost to vampires when she was a human child.

3 Erika from Wolf Girl & Black Prince

Shoujo main characters get a lot of flak for being complete doormats and confusing abusive male behavior as a display of romance. Of course, the hatred is understandable, and Erika is one shoujo lead who stands out in an array of doormat female leads.

Not only is she the first one to break up with the asshole Kyouya after he refuses to stop constantly humiliating her, but she also goes out on a date with a sweet guy who had his eye on her since the very beginning. Erika also doesn’t hesitate to put Kyouya in his place if need be, and she deserves more love for being able to stand her ground in front of an infuriating know-it-all.

2 Yuu Kashima From Monthly Girls' Nozaki-Kun

Due to her extremely androgynous appearance, Yuu is the kinda girl who attracts more attention from girls than boys. Despite that, she has her eyes set on one guy, and it’s endearing to see her get his attention without losing an iota of her personality.

We see too many “transformations” where girls are encouraged to become prettier or take on a more conventional appearance, and it’s definitely wonderful to see the anime’s creators not forcing this sexist trope on Yuu.

1 Elizabeth From Black Butler: Book Of The Atlantic

Elizabeth was a character who was hated from the get-go, and rightfully so. She was excessively emotional, too cute and klutzy, and gave a lot of importance to parties and dresses. However, everything changed in the Book of the Atlantic, where it is revealed that Elizabeth is an expert swordswoman who, in the words of Sebastian himself, is extremely skilled (for a human).

Elizabeth takes it upon herself to save the life of Ciel by slicing and dicing through zombies as if she was cutting through butter, turning the "damsel in distress" trope upside down in the process.

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