Anime is full of many different genres & demographics, and shojo content is one of the more popular varieties of the medium. Shojo series tell exciting adventures and they’re very much the female counterparts to the shonen demographic. Shojo material is aimed at a young teen female audience and there are some very exciting stories that come out of this framework and make up some of the most popular anime series.

RELATED: The 10 Biggest Ways Shojo Fiction Changed Since Its Beginning

Shojo anime has introduced some fantastic characters that have become classics over the years, but there are also some fascinating villains in the genre that often go overlooked. It’s not a hard rule that shojo anime needs to have dangerous female villains, but it often leads to more personal showdowns and some extremely wicked enemies.

10 Queen Beryl’s Rage Knows No Bounds Against Sailor Moon

Beryl - Sailor Moon

Sailor Moon is easily one of the most popular shojo anime series and the property covers a lot of ground and reaches some heightened places by its conclusion. Sailor Moon faces off against more powerful and personal individuals than Queen Beryl, but she’s the first real danger that sets their sights on her. Queen Beryl staffs out agents to steal energy from the Earth, all under the pretense to power Queen Metalia. This is in fact all a ruse and Beryl is jaded by the desire for domination. She becomes convinced that Sailor Moon’s death is necessary for her success.

9 A Broken Hearts Transforms Magic Knight Rayearth’s Princess Emeraude

Shojo Magic Knight Rayearth Princess Emeraude Sad

Princess Emeraude is an incredibly tragic villain and her turn to villainy is far beyond her control. Emeraude initially has pure intentions and she only wishes to focus and protect the land of Cephiro. Her love for Zagato becomes a distraction that leads to her hiring the Magic Knights, only for all of this to end in Zagato's death. The loss of Zagato transforms Princess Emeraude into a being of pure hatred that tries to finish the Magic Knights off. It turns into a very epic fight and it's so sad that lost love is what triggers it all.

8 Vampire Knight’s Shizuka Hio Combines Beauty & Bloodlust

Shojo Vampire Knight Shizuka Hio Holds Zero

Shojo series feature many antagonists that are deadly and dangerous, but look quite delicate and beautiful in contrast. Vampire Knight's Shizuka Hio is a strong example of this as she's the leader of all of the pureblood vampires, but wears a face of pacifism at most times.

RELATED: The 10 Most Confusing Things About The Shojo Genre, Finally Explained

These make the moments when Shizuka snaps all the more terrifying. Shizuka has suffered a torturous youth where she was isolated and robbed of humanity. She's not only responsible for biting Zero Kiryu, but the majority of the pureblood vampires that follow her remain tense and uneasy around how she may suddenly act.

7 Akito Sohma Brings Drama & Judgment To Fruits Basket

Shojo akito looking in room

Fruits Basket is a shojo series that focuses on character dynamics and romance, but that doesn't mean that the series doesn't contain antagonists. Fruits Basket explores Tohru Honda's indoctrination into the Sohma family and it's Akito Sohma that's shown to be in charge of the group. Akito is the head of the family and the designated "God" of the Chinese Zodiac. She emotionally manipulates her family and makes sure that none of them will escape their cursed ways. Akito is also deeply misogynistic, which stems from how she was raised as a male, despite being born female.

6 Seika Ayanokoji Is Threatened By Haruhi’s Allure In Ouran High School Host Club

Shojo Ouran High School Host Club Seika Ayanokoji

Ouran High School Host Club is a delightful shojo series that looks at the entertaining human drama and young love that blooms at a high school. The stakes are very grounded, but they still strongly resonate. Seika Ayanokoji is a bully that Haruhi meets in the very first episode of the series. Seika is threatened by the attention that Tamaki shows Haruhi and she exhibits troublesome behavior to take Haruhi out of the picture. Seika unsuccessfully tries to ruin Haruhi’s reputation and frame her for assault. Seika’s role is small, but she's Haruhi's first taste of jealousy.

5 Wolf Girl & Black Prince’s Reika Sata Suffers No Fools

Shojo Wolf Girl And Black Prince Reika Sata Slaps

Wolf Girl and Black Prince is an endearing slice of life shojo series that looks at a lie that gets out of hand after new high school student, Erika, makes up a boyfriend to fit in with her new peers. Reika Sata is one of the bitterest characters in Erika’s orbit and her brutal opinion of men makes her a terror to the opposite gender.

RELATED: 10 Ways Shoujo Anime Has Changed Since Sailor Moon

Reika has no patience and she even cuts her younger brother’s clothes into ribbons to prove a point. Reika eventually becomes a friend to Erika, but at first, she’s highly intimidated by the confident woman.

4 Megumi Kitagawa Is An Assassin Of The Heart In Say I Love You

Shojo Say I Love You Megumi Kitagawa Photograph

Say I Love You negotiates the awkwardness of inexperienced teen love and the social cliques that can form as a result. Mei Tachibana has convinced herself that all friendships end in heartbreak and it's led to her putting up walls around herself. Megumi Kitagawa enters as a friend for Mei, but she's actually putting up a front with the intention of stealing Mei's boyfriend, Yamato. Megumi is the product of bullying and ostracizing, and even though her and Mei find peace with each other, she's still a chilling reflection of two-faced individuals.

3 Kurumi’s Delusions Fuel The Trauma In From Me To You

Kurumi Looking Shy in From Me To You

From Me To You is a very sweet and intimate projection of a young and awkward romance between two unusual high school students, Sawako and Kazehaya. The two slowly grow closer together, but rumors about Sawako's creepy nature and her connection to the paranormal persists. Sawako has enough to worry about, but Ume "Kurumi" Kurumizawa pretends to be Sawako's friend with the intention of only knocking her down more. Kurumi's obsession with Kazehaya pushes Kurumi to act in callous ways that may not be on the same scale as other shojo villains, but it's still very emotional for everyone involved.

2 Sato Matsuzaka's Aunt Kicks Off The Cycle Of Violence In Happy Sugar Life

Satou uncomfortably smiles at Shio in Happy Sugar Life

Happy Sugar Life is a mature shojo series that dresses itself up in a bright and happy exterior, only for it to be a dark and violent drama about manipulation and abuse. Sato Matsuzaka is technically the hero, but she keeps a young girl, Shio, in a prison of sorts to preserve her purity. Lots of murder transpires as a result, but the series examines how Sato's trauma is the result of her aunt, who abused and neglected her during her youth. The cycle of violence that Sato's aunt instills in her is absolutely the real antagonist of Happy Sugar Life and the fallout continues to be explored.

1 Skip Beat’s Kyoko Loses Herself In Her Natsu Kitazawa Performance

Shojo Skip Beat Natsu Kitazawa Crazed

Skip Beat! digs into the romance, everyday lives, and professional aspirations of several teenagers. Skip Beat! adds layers to layers as it features shows and productions within its larger narrative. For instance, Kyoko Mogami is a cheerful actress, but she begins to lose herself in her characters after she joins these darker productions. Kyoko's alter egos become quite callous and the line between fiction and reality uncomfortably blurs for her. Kyoko becomes a threat more to herself than those around her, but it’s still a dangerous event for them to handle.

NEXT: 10 Classic Shojo Manga That Still Don't Have An Anime