What do you look for in a friend? A good friend is someone who understands you and accepts you for who you are, whatever your quirks, strengths and weaknesses, and baggage might be. A friend is there when you're down, and they're there to cheer you on. Many of the best friendships can last a lifetime.
One of the many positive messages in the anime world is that of friendship. This is seen everywhere, from comedy to shonen action to shojo romances and more. So, who are ten girls and women who have proven to be the best possible friend for someone in need? These ladies bring out the best in others, and in themselves, in friendships that stand the test of time.
10 Mikasa Ackerman (Attack on Titan)
While Eren Jaeger is the protagonist of this action horror series, many fans may agree that Mikasa is the Best Girl, best fighter, and best friend of all. She endured tragic loss at an early age, but Eren taught her to fight back, and now, she returns the favor every day.
Mikasa backed him up in street fights as a kid, and now, she's Eren's best friend and fellow soldier. If Eren is ever in peril, Mikasa leaps right into the fray, never giving a thought to her own safety. If it weren't for Eren's Titan powers, Mikasa could easily be the protagonist herself.
9 Tohru (Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid)
It doesn't hurt to get a little help around the house, and the lonely office worker Miss Kobayashi has a real friend in Tohru. In fact, this girl hails from the magical world, and she can morph back and forth between dragon and human forms.
Tohru is eager to repay a debt to Miss Kobayashi, and though she often gets carried away with her chores, her loyalty and willingness to please are totally admirable. More than once, Tohru has also protected her mistress or even ordinary pedestrians from harm, such as thugs or rogue dragons or monsters.
8 Narumi Momose (Wotakoi)
As you can tell from the Valenine's Day visuals, Narumi is not only Hirotaka Nifuji's childhood friend, but now his girlfriend, too. Poor Hirotaka was a lonely kid even though he had a brother, but Narumi reached out and gave him a friendship that transformed his life. Like her boyfriend, Narumi is a huge otaku, but it's not easy to be open about that.
So, Narumi and Hirotaka (and two more of their co-workers) hang out together, where they can be openly geeky without judgment. That, and Narumi is a really upbeat young woman who always has everyone's best interests at heart. She's not one to abandon a friend in need, even for the small stuff.
7 Tohru Honda (Fruits Basket)
If you count the many members of the Sohma family whom Tohru has befriended and healed, she could occupy all ten slots on this list by herself! But that wouldn't be fair. Suffice it to say, Tohru Honda is easily one of the purest souls out there, and she cares only for her good friends.
She will accept anyone for who they are and see the best in them, and Tohru learned from her late mother that it's easy to doubt, but takes work to trust and accept someone. And that effort is often rewarded. Not even the darkest or most lost or damaged soul is beyond the reach of Tohru's healing hands!
6 Orihime Inoue (Bleach)
Not all of the ladies on this list are fighters, but Orihime sure is. What's even more remarkable is that she is an ordinary high school girl, and she didn't undergo training like Ichigo or Chad did. Still, she wields a squad of six fairies in battle, and she can create barriers, heal people, and launch a ranged attack with Tsubaki. She's also completely loyal to not only Ichigo, but to Tatsuki, who is ultra-protective of her in return.
Finally, don't forget that while Orihime had zero obligation to invade the Soul Society in a dangerous mission to rescue Rukia, she did so anyway. So strong is Orhime's loyalty she walked away from her safe and ordinary life to face unimaginable danger. Bravo!
5 Winry Rockbell (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
While the brothers Edward Elric and Alphonse Elric are the heroes of Fullmetal Alchemist, they couldn't do it without the help of Winry Rockbell. She is the Elric brother's childhood friend, living nearby in the town Resembool.
She's no alchemist, but her skills with automail are beyond her years, which made her an instant star in Rush Valley. Winry is kind, compassionate, tough, smart, and highly skilled, not to mention brave. She was Kimblee's unwitting hostage up north, but that didn't deter her, nor did all the scary battles and monsters.
Don't forget that time when Al was convinced he had false memories, until Winry whipped him back into shape and helped Al realize the kind of emotional torment his brother was going through. Now that's a friend.
4 Ochaco Uraraka (My Hero Academia)
Time for another fighter girl. Ochaco Uraraka is part of UA's hero class 1-A, and she's not only a clever and brave hero-in-training, but a simply wonderful friend to everyone around her. She can get along with anyone, and she was Izuku's first friend when he arrived as a nervous newcomer.
She even twisted Bakugo's insult of "Deku" and made it into something heroic, and Izuku adopted it at once. Ochaco is brave and loyal in combat, and she will never hesitate to uplift and inspire her classmates, either. A hero inside and out!
3 Kagome (InuYasha)
What's not to like about this time-traveling teenager? Kagome's ordinary life is turned upside-down when she falls into an enchanted well and arrives in feudal Japan. Soon after, she and the half-demon InuYasha form their own group, and they wander Japan, defeating evil and bringing peace and hope back to the land.
Kagome is quick to fight with a bow and arrow when anyone threatens her friends, and she's also a very nurturing and kind girl. Anyone can rely on her for either emotional support or some fire support.
2 Chiyo Mihama (Azumanga Daioh!)
Chiyo is the youngest lady on this list, being just 10-years-old at the start of the series. But she's got a big heart. This girl genius was moved all the way up to high school, and at once she easily made friends with everyone there, being a kind and compassionate girl.
Many times, she welcomed her older friends to her family's house and vacation home to help them study, and never will she turn her back on someone in need. Chiyo is also very responsible, owning a large dog and even making meals for her entire family. She can do it all!
1 Kaori Miyazano (Your Lie In April)
Here's one to tug the heartstrings. Kosei is a 14-year-old boy and a genius piano player, but his muse has long since abandoned him. Enter Kaori, a lively blonde who can play the violin with great skill. Upon meeting the moping Kosei, she became his best friend at once, and she brought him back onto the stage so that they could perform a stunning duet together.
With Kaori's boundless support and faith in Kosei, Kosei unlocked his piano prowess and became a much happier person. Tragically, Kaori died young of an illness, but Kosei did read some letters where she explained her great joy of knowing him.