It's not a secret that finding quality female friendships in anime is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Apart from the shojo genre, which inherently discusses relationships at its center, most other anime genres only have female characters for them to fight each other or serve as the main male character's emotional anchor.
The few female friendships that stand out, however, are incredibly well-written and compelling and deserve a lot more love than they currently receive. Whether it's a drama-filled high school friendship, one made on the road, or another filled with a little magic, these girls prove that there's no one better to spend your days with than your best friends.
10 Kagome And Sango Are Supportive Travelling Pals (Inuyasha)
Sango and Kagome are a formidable duo, especially when they join forces against their two male companions and knock some sense into them. As they travel across feudal Japan in search of the Shikon Pearl fragments, they often support each other with advice and comforting words whenever Kikyo is mentioned or Miroku blatantly flirts with other women.
Their appreciation and admiration for one another's talents show their maturity and friendship, which continues into their adulthood as they marry and become mothers in the Inuyasha sequel, Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon.
9 Kiyoko And Yachi Bond Over Their Roles As Managers Of The Volleyball Club (Haikyuu!!)
They meet when Kiyoko is trying to recruit a new manager. An anxious Yachi, astonished by Kiyoko's beauty, immediately agrees without giving it much thought. She ends up learning managerial duties under her senpai for the rest of the school year.
While Yachi certainly thinks highly of Kiyoko and admires her, Kiyoko thinks of Yachi as a younger sister that needs her protection. Many of the volleyball club members have also noted that since Yachi joined them, Kiyoko has become more open and has started smiling a lot more. Yachi has also become more sure of herself.
8 Sakura And Tomoyo Are Always There For Each Other (Cardcaptor Sakura)
Sakura and Tomoyo are an inseparable pair. Without Tomoyo's constant belief in her, Sakura probably wouldn't have gotten far in her quest to capture the Clow Cards. Just having her best friend with her, providing her with one cute outfit after another, is enough to give Sakura that little push of confidence she needs.
The home movies Tomoyo films about their adventures prove that you don't need to have magic powers to accompany your best friend and be useful. Sometimes, saying the right words and being there is all it takes!
7 The Sailor Scouts' Friendship Transcends Lifetimes (Sailor Moon)
The Sailor Scouts' friendship is so tenacious that it transcends lifetimes and allows them to find each other again after their rebirth. Their group is as diverse in terms of personalities as it can be, which makes for a hilarious dynamic, especially when Rei and Usagi bicker over the smallest things.
Their teamwork has saved the world multiple times from greedy, entitled aliens, and they've gone to great lengths to save each other from terrible fates and protect the Silver Crystal from falling into the wrong hands. The four main Sailor Scouts have put their lives on the line on multiple occasions to save Usagi (and vice versa).
6 Taiga And Minori Have An Unbreakable Bond (Toradora!)
Despite their differing personalities, these two make their precious friendship work. Minori is very extroverted and loud, and while this would bother Taiga if it were anyone else, she just seems to overlook it because she appreciates Minori above others.
They both fall for their friend Ryuuji and have romantic interactions with him, but Minori eventually decides to step aside for Taiga, who loves him the most. When Taiga finds out about this, it leads to a confrontation that strains their friendship just as Taiga is transferring to another school. They seem to patch things up in the end, reconnecting over a postcard Taiga sends them from her new high school.
5 The U.A. Girls Are A Team Like No Other (My Hero Academia)
My Hero Academia stands out for its many female characters, but there's no beating the friendship between the main girls in Class 1-A. Mina, Asui, Ochaco, Jiro, Hagakure, and Yaoyorozu all have unique personalities and powerful quirks that, when put together, make them an exceptionally talented team of pro heroes.
The fact that they all live together, have to deal with the boys in their class, and must fight the supervillains who are constantly trying to take over the city all just strengthens their friendship even further!
4 Sakura And Ino's Rivalry Just Pulls Them Closer Together (Naruto)
Sakura and Ino are similar in many ways. They're both very intelligent and perceptive, terribly stubborn, and highly skilled at ninjutsu. Their friendship begins when Ino saves Sakura from a group of bullies and slowly sours as they grow up, with a strong rivalry over Sasuke and their ninja skills developing between them.
Thankfully, they're able to look past their differences and rekindle their friendship successfully. They still tease one another all the time, but there's far more affection in every "Ino pig" and "forehead girl" they throw at each other now.
3 Chizu, Yano, And Sawako Are An Inseparable Trio (Kimi Ni Todoke)
Chizu and Yano give Sawako the confidence to be herself and come out of her shell, earning them her unconditional friendship and kindness. Sawako provides genuine support to her friends when they're having relationship troubles, and Chizu and Yano help her befriend the rest of the class and confront and accept her feelings for Kazehaya.
Throughout Kimi ni Todoke, they're able to look past the prejudiced personas they've been given at school to create a strong bond that lasts well after graduation, being there for each other through thick and thin, uncaring of what anyone else says.
2 Homura And Madoka's Relationship Transcends Time And Space (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
Homura and Madoka's acute devotion to each other is what the entire Puella Magi Madoka Magica series is based on. Homura was willing to relive an entire month over and over, trying to save her best friend from a terrible end, and Madoka couldn't stop giving her life up to do the same for Homura.
Eventually, their relationship ends in tragedy, with Madoka turning into a godlike figure and Homura taking on a demonic form, allowing darkness to consume her. Despite their grim fate, their deep love for each other lives on in their respective sacrifices.
1 Tohru, Uo-chan, and Hana-chan Found Each Other When They Needed It Most (Fruits Basket)
Tohru, Hanajima, and Uotani are the definition of found family. All three of them were lonely when they found each other and formed an unbreakable bond, protecting each other from pain, grief, and even bullying. They're a group of misfits coming together to prove that there's always someone out there that's willing to care and listen.
As the story of Fruits Basket progresses, Hana-chan and Uo-chan are there to look out for Tohru as she gets involved with the Sohmas (and later on, Kyo in particular). In turn, Tohru goes above and beyond to reciprocate by trying to convince Kureno to meet up with Uotani and by making sure Hanajima knows how important she is to her.