Anime has an array of sword wielding women who aren't afraid of commitment. Their dedication to their cause can sometimes work in concert with their romantic relationships, like with Haruka's relationship with Michiru in Sailor Moon. This sometimes puts these warriors at odds with finding love. But their loyalty is unwavering, both to the sword and to the people they hold dear.
As knights, protectors of the realm, demon hunters, and war generals, their devotion to the blade is a huge part of their character. Whether these women wield a magical blade wider than their shoulders, or they're armed with daggers and thin historical rapiers, they're accomplished threats to their foes.
10 Lina Inverse Is A Powerful And Caring Warrior Sorceress (Slayers)
Slayers' Lina Inverse is so powerful that she leaves great damage in the wake of her battles. She's also called Lina the Pink because of her mage color. She's a battle mage who also uses the Ragna Blade, a spell cast in the form of a sword that summons a wave of dark energy, causing immense destruction.
Lina's love interest is Gourry Gabriev. She develops affection for him over time as she didn't care for him as a person at first. Now, she would do anything to protect him, as he does for her.
9 Asuna Fights With Everything She Has (Sword Art Online)
In Sword Art Online, Asuna is the Knights of the Blood subleader, and she wields a rapier with speed and precision. Later on, Asuna is a healer class in a different game but still prefers to fight offensively with her trusty rapier. She has a devil-may-care attitude when it comes to fighting in either game; that is until she meets Kirito.
Asuna and Kirito first meet in battle and become allies. Their ability to fight together so naturally against their mutual foes seems to foreshadow their happily ever after. Asuna admires Kirito for his wisdom and eventually starts to fall for him.
8 Saya Otonashi Wields A Katana And Has A Long Love Story With Hagi (Blood+)
Vampire swordswoman Saya of Blood+ lives for a long time as an ordinary girl before her true identity is revealed. Her greatest skill is her swordsmanship, and she uses it to defend herself against vampiric, bat-like creatures. Her primary weapon is the katana, though much of her skill must be regained when her memories are awakened.
Hagi is Saya's love interest and the sole living chiropteran chevalier. Saya didn't make a good impression on Hagi at first, who found her immature. Hagi is chivalrous and his relationship with Saya doesn't truly begin for decades, well after he's already fallen in love with her for many years.
7 San Will Do Anything To Preserve Her Forest From Human Machinations (Princess Mononoke)
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San's blade may not be large, but she is skilled and relentless with it in Princess Mononoke. She gives the antagonist Lady Eboshi and her longsword a run for her money in their first battle in the movie. San would have devoted her life and death to warring with the humans to protect her forest, but the cursed Prince Ashitaka helps her, wanting her to be able to live in peace and know that she's worth more than her death.
By the end of the story, she and Ashitaka ride off into the sunset to help restore the balance between humanity and nature. San's a fierce warrior and representative of the Wolf Clan.
6 As A Royal Guard, Lady Oscar Has Many Affairs In The French Court (The Rose of Versailles)
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The Rose of Versailles' Lady Oscar is a tall, beautiful, and androgynous royal guard of the French Court, following in her father's footsteps. Oscar trains very hard to be a guard from a young age.
Throughout the story, Lady Oscar has a few love interests, including one of her servants, a solider, a sweet man named André Grenadier, and Queen Marie Antoinette, herself. Lady Oscar's relationship with André is particularly sad as he dies protecting her the day after they admit their feelings to one another. In Lady Oscar's more subtextual relationship with Rosalie Lamorlière, Oscar teaches her how to fence.
5 Sailor Uranus Fights Galactic Evil With Her Sword Of Deep Space (Sailor Moon)
Haruka Tenou, one of the outer Sailor Guardians of the Sailor Moon series, represents the planet Uranus and carries the Space Sword. The Space Sword acts as both weapon and a talisman, and with it, Sailor Uranus can summon her Space Sword Blaster attack.
The Space Sword has a silver or scarlet blade, depending on the version of the anime, and can change in length. Uranus' sword also has a jewel-encrusted sheath, in some versions. Sailor Uranus often fights shoulder-to-shoulder with the love of her life, Sailor Neptune.
4 Rukia Kuchiki Is Small But Mighty (Bleach)
Bleach's Rukia's greatest skill may lie in her Kido, but she is also adept with the sword. She uses spell-work in concert with her blade, like when she summons ice to bridge the gap between her hand and her sword if she's ever disarmed.
She eventually marries Renji Abarai, who is also a master swordsman. In the beginning, they in turn competed with and supported each other as they trained at the Academy. Though they often bicker, they are a constant thread in each other's lives and care deeply for one another.
3 Ymir Is Devoted To Historia (Attack On Titan)
Attack On Titan's Ymir is a warrior who can change into the Jaw Titan. Ymir's height and hard, gray eyes lend her an air of intimidation. Titan abilities aside, Ymir is highly capable in her human form, utilizing weapons like dual katanas. Her regard for Historia is the one thing that supersedes her commitment to training.
Historia and Ymir confide in each other when they find it hard to trust anyone else in their world. Ymir would do anything for Historia and would stop at nothing to ensure her safety.
2 Utena Values Honor And Becomes A Champion Duelist (Revolutionary Girl Utena)
The titular character in Revolutionary Girl Utena is a pragmatic person who goes from an orphaned nobody to becoming a champion duelist. Utena's a character who values honor and aspires to be prince-like. She wears a boy's uniform with epaulettes, has romanic, flowy pink hair, and carries a rapier.
Her relationship with Anthy Himemiya begins with Utena's impulse to protect her. Their friendship takes on a more romantic note as the story progresses. Depending on the version of Revolutionary Girl Utena, Utena saves Anthy, or Anthy saves Utena.
1 Striga Dons Day Armor To Protect Morana (Castlevania)
Castlevania's Striga is the general of Carmilla's army of vampires. She's a brawny, beautiful vampire and is one of the biggest threats to humankind. She also fights with a blade that's nearly as tall as her considerable height. Though she's dispassionate toward the plight of humans, her first instinct is to fight and strategize Carmilla's war with honor.
Striga has a longstanding relationship with a fellow council member, Morana. She showed that love by donning day armor and walking into the sun to protect Morana from the humans that attempted to kill them as they slept.