Manga fans know that Shonen Jump is famous for bringing strong male characters to the world, but for girls looking for role models, it can be tough to find a place to start. In the west, Shojo Beat was discontinued, and finding strong female characters can be a bit tricky. The truth is that there are actually tons of manga out there that have a strong female main character that can inspire readers. There are women in manga who excel at their careers, fighting, and even falling in love. While the series may not be as popular as some of the shonen manga series, there are plenty of great manga with strong female leads out there.
10 Inuyasha
Inuyasha is a story about a young girl named Kagome who is dragged into a well that transports her into the past. There she teams up with her love interest Inuyasha, learns that she is the reincarnation of a powerful priestess, and takes on demons.
Kagome is nothing to laugh at as she is incredibly skilled with the bow and has powerful purification powers. By the end of the series, she is able to fight alongside the demon slayers without much of an issue.
9 Sailor Moon
Usagi is the reincarnated princess of the moon who took her own life after seeing her lover killed. Usagi now protects Earth using the power of the moon and has a team of girls that are incredibly powerful surrounding her.
Usagi is usually the one that ends up saving Mamoru, her boyfriend, instead of the other way around. In the future, she even becomes the ruler of an Earth where females are the sole protector of the planet.
8 Darling in the Franxx
The Darling in the Franxx manga is actually quite different from the show in several aspects. One thing that doesn't change, however, is how outgoing and willing to fight that 002 is, especially when it concerns Hiro.
RELATED: Darling In The Franxx: 10 Things You Never Knew About The Anime
Despite being looked down upon through most of the books, 002 keeps an upbeat attitude and doesn't falter in her combat ability. In addition, there is also Ichigo and Kokoro, who also make a huge impact on the story.
7 Nana
Nana is literally a book series about two young women supporting each other as they move to a new city and start their young adult lives. Both girls are named Nana and end up forming a deep connection after a chance meeting on a train.
Whether it be boy troubles or bad days at school, both girls are there to comfort each other. For readers looking for a more down to earth story about two supportive friends, Nana is a perfect choice.
6 Fruits Basket
Fruits Basket is another famous book series on this list that revolves around a supernatural family that is cursed to turn into animals when hugged by the opposite sex. Tohru is the main character and ends up living with part of this family.
The story follows the tragic family and Tohru as she falls in love with an outcast named Kyo. Tohru falls deeper and deeper into the family's tragic past but never gives up her hope for breaking their curse.
5 Ouran High School Host Club
This story starts when a young girl named Haruhi gets a scholarship to a prestigious academy and becomes indebted to the host club after breaking a vase. To everyone outside of the host club, Haruhi is thought to be male.
Her friends know that she is actually a girl, though, and the boys spend their time trying to get closer to her. This is a rom-com with a female lead that is down to Earth and intelligent.
4 Danganronpa
Danganronpa throws readers into the middle of a world that has been thrown into despair. In the first part of the series, a young detective named Kirigiri is introduced who takes on the grizzly murders around her with ease.
Kirigiri is one of the only reasons the first class is able to survive and is an important part of fighting back against despair. Kirigiri is possibly even the most crucial character in the whole series, thanks to her detective skills.
3 The Promised Neverland
The Promised Neverland puts readers in the middle of a world where children are grown in farms to be fed to monsters. The story follows along with Emma, Norman, and Ray, three kids who accidentally learned the truth of their fate.
Emma is the leader of the group and helps to keep her group from becoming dinner for the demons. Emma, despite being of a young age, is quick-witted and incredibly intelligent when it comes to survival situations.
2 Kakegurui
Kakegurui takes a bit of a different approach as the main character is neither good nor bad. The manga focuses on Yumeko, a young girl who is completely obsessed with gambling to the point of risking her life.
Yumeko is incredibly strong and has a will that can't be broken no matter what type of situation she is put in. Yumeko even seems to have a kind heart as she bailed the boy who showed her around school out of a massive debt.
1 Saint Tail
Saint Tail is a much older manga series that follows the adventure of a girl named Meimi, who turns into a thief during the night. Meimi isn't your normal thief, though, as she steals back precious items that have been stolen and returns them to their owner.
Meimi also helps the police capture the criminals, all while being arrested by her crush Asuka Jr. who she sends notes to every time she is about to pull off a heist.