Japanese anime characters can be described or categorized in all sorts of ways, far beyond the traditional protagonist, antagonist, or personal foil. The anime industry uses plenty of its own terms for characters, such as tsundere or kuudere, but there is also the concept of moe. Anime fans absolutely love moe characters.
In general, a moe anime character is any innocent, wholesome female character whom viewers adore and cherish. Some fans even declare their intent to protect these characters, and such strong, positive emotional attachment is a key part of moe. With all that in mind, a handful of especially popular and lovable moe anime characters rise right to the top.
10 Megumin Loves What She Does (Konosuba)
Megumin is an explosion witch, dedicated to setting off the biggest and best magical explosions in all the land. She can be obnoxious and cocky about it, but there is still no denying Megumin's appeal since, unlike Kazuma and Aqua, Megumin is actually working toward a halfway concrete goal.
Megumin's sheer enthusiasm is infectious, and better yet, she has a "cute witch" aesthetic that fans love and a charming personality to match. She's bratty at times, but also surprisingly friendly and caring toward her friends, mostly Kazuma in particular. She has a good heart after all.
9 Filo Is Naofumi's Innocent Bird Friend (The Rising Of The Shield Hero)
Most characters in The Rising of a Shield Hero are a long way from being moe, such as the scheming princess Malty or the aloof Glass. But then there's Filo, a charming blonde girl whose true form is that of a big, fluffy bird. She is a filolial, and a powerful one at that.
Filo instantly won over Shield Hero fans with her cheerful, innocent enthusiasm and her loyalty to Naofumi, Raphtalia, and the others. She is a carefree and fun-loving kid, but she also knows how to demolish her foes in battle with her talons and wind magic alike. She's a moe girl who can fight.
8 Nadeshiko Kagamihara Loves Camping Fun (Laid-Back Camp)
The easygoing seinen series Laid-Back Camp is a "cute girls doing cute things" sort of anime, and that promises lots of moe. To some extent, the five main girls are all moe, but the pink-haired Nadeshiko Kagamihara is the most moe of all.
Nadeshiko is impossible to dislike with her sunny disposition and her enthusiasm for fun adventures in the great outdoors across Japan. She is an innocent, hardworking, and friendly teenage girl who can see the best in absolutely everyone and everything around her. She makes a lot of cute expressions, too.
7 Kanna Is A Cute Little Dragon (Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid)
The reverse isekai anime Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid has the solid fantasy waifus Tohru and Lucoa. But it also has Kanna dominating in the moe department. Little Kanna is a youngster in both dragon and human terms, and she views Tohru and Kobayashi as her foster moms.
Kanna is a charming, innocent young dragon who amuses viewers with her goofy and unpredictable antics. Kobayashi is understandably protective of her, and with a face like that, any anime fan would want to protect her, too. She even has her own spinoff manga for interested fans.
6 Hinata Hyuga Is An Innocent Dandere (Naruto)
The shy kunoichi Hinata Hyuga was instantly a fan favorite, what with her modest but passionate personality and her desire to live up to Naruto Uzumaki's example. She was like a second Naruto, minus the bragging and pranks, and that makes her moe in the eyes of many fans.
Hinata grew up between the original Naruto and Shippuden, becoming a more confident and powerful fighter than ever before, but without losing any of her moe qualities. If anything, Hinata was even more moe in Shippuden since she had the courage to openly show her wholesome, endearing affection for Naruto at last.
5 Shoko Komi Can Hardly Say A Word (Komi Can't Communicate)
It's not easy being Shoko Komi, what with her persistent communication disorder and, until recently, her total lack of friends. But while her classmates see an aloof ice queen, Shoko is actually a kind, compassionate girl who is desperate to finally express herself and make some real friends.
Shoko's moe factor derives not just from her wholesome personality, but also from her endearing gasps and whispers in the anime and her whimsical, carefree imagination and lifestyle. She even has stuffed animals in her room and will take part in snowball fights.
4 Miku Nakano Wants Futaro To Notice Her (The Quintessential Quintuplets)
Miku Nakano is yet another beloved dandere who won over countless fans with her shy but wholesome personality. She is the most timid of the five Nakano sisters, lacking the calm confidence of Itsuki and Nino's boldness, but that won't stop her. Miku is determined to express her love to Futaro somehow.
Miku is a charming, innocent girl who will slowly and patiently build her way to that love confession, and anime fans love watching her do her best one step at a time. She's not even a good cook, but she'll try it anyway, determined to break out of her dandere shell and find true love.
3 Rem Is Everyone's Favorite Ogre Maid (Re:Zero)
Rem is a key part of Re:Zero's main love triangle, directly competing with Emilia for Subaru Natsuki's heart. Rem and her sister Ram were wary of Subaru at first, but now Rem is one of Subaru's best friends and indeed, his lover. And she has very wholesome ways of expressing that love.
Rem is a wonderful moe character with her charming good looks, her kind personality, her bold love confession, and most of all, her excellent combat skills to balance things out. She is a popular waifu, and not all isekai fans think Subaru was right to reject her in favor of Emilia.
2 Yui Hirasawa Loves Music & Cute Things (K-On!)
Yui Hirasawa is a total deredere and is widely known for being one of anime's most moe characters of all. She is a cheerful, fun-loving high school student who joined the music club, and it helps that she has perfect pitch and substantial musical talent while playing her guitar.
Yui may get lousy grades, but she makes up for it with sheer enthusiasm and a great personality, including her fondness for cute things, sugary treats, and more. She is also known for snuggling under the kotatsu in the chill of winter.
1 Nezuko Kamado Is Precious, Big Or Smol (Demon Slayer)
Nezuko Kamado is a fierce warrior when facing demons like Daki and Rui, but she is best known for her incredible moe factor. Every Demon Slayer fan has sworn to protect Nezuko no matter what, and when she goes smol, she becomes exponentially more moe. No other Demon Slayer character even approaches this level of moe.
Nezuko is also recognized in-universe for her beauty and her fancy robes, so it's no wonder Zenitsu is smitten with her. Nezuko is seemingly oblivious to that, though, and instead lounges around comfortably anytime the group isn't on a mission. It's fun watching her killing time while Tanjiro takes care of business.