Anime is one of the most versatile mediums of entertainment and it’s incredible to see not only the eclectic range of series that get produced but also how their sensibilities have been able to evolve over time. Anime works hard to create content that can appeal to all demographics and as a result, there are plenty of anime that showcase powerful and dangerous female characters just as much as they do with men.
There are entire genres of anime that cater towards a female audience and it’s allowed for there to be some truly inspiring female protagonists to rise to the forefront. International Women’s Day was this week and so it seems especially fitting to take a look at some of the most inspirational female characters that have come out of anime.
10 The Sailor Scouts In Sailor Moon Crystal Are Pure Empowerment
It’d be impossible to talk about a list of anime with strong female role models and not touch upon the Sailor Moon series. The anime has become the prototypical shojo and magical girl series, which succeeds in a diverse cast of female characters that display all kinds of representation.
Sailor Moon helped young girls see themselves in anime and understand that they can be superheroes, too. Sailor Moon is still a beloved classic and Sailor Moon Crystal is able to reframe the original series in an even more positive light.
9 Kill La Kill Showcases Strong & Powerful Female Fighters
Kill la Kill is a pure rush of adrenaline where Ryuko and Satsuki duel for supremacy at an all-girls school with heightened alien weapons. Kill la Kill sometimes seems shallow, but it does an excellent job with its female characters, all of which are extremely powerful.
Kill la Kill can often get categorized as ecchi due to the sensationalized costume designs that don’t leave much to the imagination. However, this detail is due to the animation studio, TRIGGER, and its attempt to do something different with the anime’s look. It’s never at the expense of the characters’ agency.
8 Higurashi: When They Cry - GOU Emphasizes Unique Female Friendships
Higurashi: When They Cry uses its deceptively bright art style and sweet characters to make its swings into horror and existential dread hit as hard as possible. Higurashi: When They Cry - GOU is the latest iteration of the tale and while it's typically the male Keiichi who is the lead, GOU has put more focus on Rika and Satoko's struggle.
There are heavy themes and disturbing mysteries at play, but Higurashi is also a series that thoroughly explores female friendship and the lengths that friends will go for each other.
7 The Vision Of Escaflowne Turns Hitomi Into Its Muse
The Vision of Escaflowne is a slick action anime from the '90s that also functions as an isekai series since the premise involves teenager Hitomi Kanzaki getting whisked away to the fantasy world of Gaea. Hitomi enters Gaea in a helpless state, but upon entering this kingdom she's revered and discovers her voice as the Wing Goddess.
Escaflowne makes sure that Hitomi is a smart agent of change rather than a damsel in distress. Her romance with Van is very sweet, but it also doesn't strip her of her identity or make her powerless as a result.
6 Excel Saga Puts Two Women In Charge Of World Domination
Excel Saga is one of the most exaggerated and surreal gag anime of all time. Every episode lampoons and deconstructs a different genre of anime and while it’s not necessarily the first series that comes to mind over the topic of female empowerment, it certainly qualifies.
Excel and Hyatt are ACROSS’ primary agents of chaos and they embody opposite extremes when it comes to their personalities. Both characters represent different representations of femininity, but in a way that’s action and comedy-focused. It subtly presents two capable, confident women who will do anything for each other.
5 Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon Continues InuYasha’s Story From A Female Perspective
InuYasha was a popular shonen series that often leaned toward shojo sensibilities due to its softer side and focus on Inuyasha and Kagome's relationship. Next-generation sequels are becoming the norm in anime for popular series.
However, Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon differs from its predecessor in the sense that its three leads, Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha, are all-powerful female demon slayers. Yashahime retains the same sense of adventure and exciting battles as InuYasha, but this next generation of female warriors seems even more skilled and competent its their ancestors.
4 Violet Evergarden Looks At A Woman’s Need For Purpose & Identity
Violet Evergarden tells an utterly beautiful story that's one of the most poetic and inspirational romances to come along in anime in years. Many series examine PTSD and feelings of uselessness after outliving their purpose, but Violet Evergarden carefully unpacks these emotions.
The anime follows Violet Evergarden, a former soldier. Violet is such a real and pained individual, which makes it devastating to watch her journey to figure out her purpose in life now that she's without a war and a lover to care for anymore. Violet Evergarden is a muted and important story that presents a phenomenal female figure.
3 Fruits Basket Proves To The Soma Family That Tohru Honda Is Special
Fruits Basket is one of the most endearing shojo anime series that uses a reverse harem structure. An overwhelmed orphan, Tohru Honda, is invited into the Soma household. A bizarre curse afflicts the Soma family where they'll turn into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac whenever they're hugged by the opposite sex.
This premise effectively blends the supernatural with a slice-of-life romance and it's so enjoyable to watch Tohru get closer to each member of the Soma family. Tohru is initially a little too naïve, but she's an empowered and respected woman by the end of the series.
2 Wonder Egg Priority Breaks Down The Pain Of Loneliness & Loss
Wonder Egg Priority is one of the most fascinating surprises of the 2021 anime season. At first, Wonder Egg Priority looks like a gentle slice-of-life drama, but it instead perverts tenets of the magical girl genre with psychological horror. Ai Ohto is a young girl who is distraught after her best friend’s suicide and searches for meaning afterward.
It's a moving, cathartic process that presents a number of vulnerable female characters who are looking to heal. It's important how Wonder Egg Priority normalizes these characters' feelings and explores the pain of female friendship in a radical new light.
1 FLCL: Progressive Authentically Taps Into The Female Teenage Experience
All three FLCL series are glorious deconstructions of coming-of-age stories where teen drama is as important as an intergalactic apocalypse. The original FLCL still gets the most acclaim, but it's FLCL: Progressive that tells the most female-specific story.
FLCL: Progressive realistically taps into the malaise of teenagers and juxtaposes Hidomi's insecurities about herself and the future with surrealist chaos that turns adolescence into a literal battlefield. Each FLCL series presents a different variety of protagonists, but Hidomi's shy and reserved nature in FLCL: Progressive is incredibly honest and relatable.