The legendary Pretty Cure, or Precure, warriors have been battling against evil for almost twenty years now. For some fans, it might be hard to believe, but in Japan, Precure is as much of an institution as Gundam or Dragon Ball Z at this point. It’s been going strong even after nineteen seasons and nearly nine hundred episodes, and there’s no sign of the series slowing down.
Most of the seasons are disconnected from each other, so anyone interested in the franchise could start anywhere. But that can be daunting with so many different seasons. For those who don’t want to start from the beginning, these are the best the franchise has to offer.
10 Yes! Precure 5 GoGo! Has Cure Dream And Her Friends Protect The Cure Rose Garden (7.17)
Yes! Precure 5 GoGo is the second season of Yes! Precure 5, the third generation of Pretty Cure. The series scored a 7.17. Once again, Nozomi Yumehara and her allies are pulled into another adventure, regaining their powers as the Pretty Cure 5. This time around, the group is tasked with tracking down the rulers who hold the keys to the Cure Rose Garden by a woman named Flora. Their enemies are the organization known as the Eternal, who have already destroyed several kingdoms already in their goal to attain the Cure Rose Garden.
9 Magic Girls Precure! Has Magical Girls Protecting The Magic And No Magic World (7.17)
Magic Girls Precure started in 2016 and scored a 7.17. The series follows Mirai Ashina, who believes in the power of witches and wizards even though everyone else tells her they’re fake. But when she runs into Riko, a being from Magic World, she’s finally proven right. But then, the two of them are attacked by the Dark Magicians, a group that’s aiming to take over the realm of the Magic World and No Magic World with the help of the Linkle Stone Emerald. The only thing standing in their way are Mirai and Riko.
8 Precure: Splash Star! Has Cure Bloom And Cure Egret Protecting The Fountain Of The Sun (7.17)
Precure Splash Star aired in 2006 and scored a 7.17. This was the first series where there was a new generation of heroes, as the first two Pretty Cure series followed the same protagonists.
In Splash Star, the protagonists are Saki and Mai, two girls who were once guided to the Sky Tree in their home by two magical balls. These balls chose the girls to protect the Fountain of Sun from a threat known as the Dark Autumn as Cure Bloom and Cure Egret.
7 Suite Precure Has Magical Musical Girls Seeking The Melody Of Happiness (7.28)
Suite Precure was the Pretty Cure series of 2011 and scored a 7.28. In Suite Precure, the land of Major Land is a world where music is power, and every year, a song called the Melody of Happiness is sung to spread happiness everywhere. But when the king of Minor Land, Mephisto, tries to rewrite the song into the Melody of Sorrow, the queen of Major Land has the notes for the song split up. Hummy, the cat-singer responsible for singing the song, goes on a journey to find the Pretty Cure who would be able to put the song back together. Hummy arrives in the city of Kanon, where she meets Hibiki Houjo, who gains the power to transform into Cure Melody.
6 Tropical-Rouge Precure Has Magical Girls Empowered By Mermaids (7.29)
Tropical-Rouge! Precure was the most recent Pretty Cure series, releasing in 2021 and finishing at the end of January 2022, getting a score of 7.29. The protagonist is Manatsu Natsumi, a young girl who recently moved to Aozora City. While there, she meets Laura, a mermaid in search of the Pretty Cure with the hopes that these powerful warriors can save the Grand Ocean. But while Laura doesn’t find the Pretty Cure, Manatsu is transformed into Cure Summer. Along with her friends, Manatsu helps to bring down the Witch of Delays.
5 Fresh Precure! Features A Band Doubling As A Magical Girl Group (7.34)
Fresh Precure aired in 2009 and was the sixth Pretty Cure anime series, scoring a 7.34. The lead protagonist has one of the most fitting names for a magical girl protagonist ever, Love Momozono. Momozono is a member of Yotsuba Junior High and a big fan of the popular dance group “Trinity.” While at an event seeing them perform, Love is given the power to become Cure Peach to protect the people from the evil group of the Labyrinth Kingdom. Over time, Love’s own dance group Clover all become their own Pretty Cure fighters.
4 Star Twinkle Precure Features The Star Princesses Battling The Notraiders (7.43)
Star Twinkle Precure began in 2019 and managed to score a 7.43. The series begins with a group of Star Princesses who find themselves under attack by the evil group known as the Notraiders.
The Star Princesses place their powers into Princess Star Color Pens, and one of them lands into the hands of middle schooler Hikaru Hoshina. With the power of the Star Color Pen and Star Color Pendant, she transforms into the powerful Cure Star. Eventually, she teams with other students at her school to battle the Notraiders.
3 Go! Princess Precure! Sees A Princess Battling Against The Forces Of Dys Dark (7.73)
Go! Princess Precure is the 12th Precure series, which scored a 7.73 on MyAnimeList. The main villains this time are Dys Dark’s forces, who want to spread chaos and destroy the Hope Kingdom for good. The protagonist is Haruka Haruno, a young girl who dreams of becoming a princess. Though it seems impossible, she finds herself accepted into Noble Academy, where she meets a member of the Hope Kingdom, Kanata, by chance. Kanata offers her a Dress-Up Key that transforms her into Cure Flora, the leader of the Princess Precure team.
2 Hug! Precure! Has Magical Girls Protecting The Future And The Present (7.77)
Hug! Pretty Cure was the 2018 Pretty Cure series and was meant to celebrate the series’ 15th anniversary. This time around, the threat is the Criasu Corporation, a group from the future looking to take the power of the Future Crystals to alter time for themselves. The protagonist is Hana Nono, a young girl empowered by her desire to protect a baby named Hug-tan. Transforming into Cure Yell, Hana fights back against the Criasu Corporation alongside her classmates, who transform into Pretty Cures themselves to protect the future and the present. The series was a success, scoring a 7.77.
1 Heartcatch Precure! Has A Team Battling Against The Desertians (7.80)
The seventh season of Pretty Cure, HeartCatch Precure!, has the highest rating at 7.8. The series is about the Pretty Cures’ battle against a group of enemies known as the Desert Apostles. Their goal is to weaken the Heart Tree and turn everything into a desert, and only Cure Moonlight was there to stand in their way. But when she’s defeated, a pair of fairies grant the power to transform into Pretty Cures to Tsubomi Hanasaki and her friends. Tsubomi and fellow Fashion Club member Erika transforms into Cure Blossom and Cure Marine respectively and gains the goal of strengthening the Heart Tree by defeating the Desert Apostles’ army, the Deserarians.