7 Best Anime Heroines of All Time

Over the years, women in anime have gotten a bad reputation. Fans have the tendency to side-eye female characters out of fear they will turn into little more than fan-service ‘waifus’ with no backbone. However, not all heroines in anime are as doe-eyed as those offending characters, and ComicBook.com is here to prove it.

Anime has a very long history, and the medium has birthed some of the most complex heroines of all-time. Whether you’re looking for cunning fighters or deceptively powerful princesses, there is an anime series out there praising the movement that is girl power.

Here at ComicBook.com, we’re bringing you a list of seven such heroines who defy tropes and undergo fascinating character arcs along the way.

Saber – Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night

When fans first meet Saber in Fate/Zero, they are forced to recognize her fighting skill. The heroine is equipped with insane strength and battle prowess, but her cold exterior does keep viewers at a distance from Saber. However, fans soon realize that the gifted warrior uses her tsundere front as a way to protect her precious goals, and they watch as Saber eventually embraces friendship on her quest. By the time Saber is seen in Fate/stay night, the heroine fights to balance both her relationships and her desire to win the coveted Holy Grail.

Chihiro Ogino – Spirited Away

When it comes to character development, there are few heroines who can match Chihiro Ogino. The girl acts as Hayao Miyazaki’s protagonist in Spirited Away, the Chihiro is one of many reasons that the film has become so iconic. In the animated film, Chihiro starts off as a squeamish, fearful girl who lacks motivations. However, that all begins to change when a witch curses her family and friends by turning them into livestock. Terrified, Chihiro begins working for the witch in order to free her family, but she eventually ditches her fear and becomes a responsible girl who will do anything to protect the ones she loves.

Celty Sturluson – Durarara!

Celty Sturluson is not a person you’d want to run into in the middle of the night. If the heroine’s appearance wasn’t shadowy enough, her supernatural strength and sly fighting skills make her an intimidating opponent. When fans are introduced to Celty in Durarara!!, they are left stunned by her deadly poise. The mysterious character was introduced as the ‘Headless Rider’ who rides around the city on her motorbike and saving people. Later in the series, fans learn that Celty is actually a Celtic spirit who has been searching for her long-lost head. And, unsurprisingly, Celty is willing to kick anyone’s butt who stands in her way.

Asuna Yuuki – Sword Art Online

In recent years, a slew of strong female characters have made their anime debut, and Asuna Yuuki is one who truly stands out. The heroine is one of a few girls in Sword Art Online, and she’s not a gamer you would want to camp out against. Asuna is one of Kirito’s partners and his eventual in-game wife. Fans might have noticed the heroine for her looks at first, but Asuna quickly redirects that focus to her full-on battle skills. The warrior is strong enough to stand against Kirito, and she acts as the sub-leader of one of Sword Art Online’s most powerful guilds. While Asuna can be full of cute and innocent charm, fans have fallen for her level-headed fighting skills and strategic prowess. Really, you don’t want to be caught on the wrong end of her sword.

Usagi Tsukino – Sailor Moon

In the name of the Moon, she will punish you – but also make you laugh and smile. If you are looking for a quintessential shojo heroine, then you will find one in Usagi Tsukino. The young girl is the star of Sailor Moon, an anime which tells the story of its titular hero as she fights against extraterrestrial evil with their Sailor Scout cohorts. Fans first meet Usagi when she’s little more than a whiny teenager who hates school and wants nothing to do with saving the world. However, as the series progresses, audiences see Usagi transform into a (mostly) mature teenager who cherishes friendship and family above all else.

Motoko Kusanagi – Ghost in the Shell

When it comes to anime, Motoko Kusanagi is a legend. The character was birthed by Masamune Shirow in Ghost in the Shell, and Kusanagi has become one of the most recognizable anime characters of all-time. The heroine exemplifies her intellect and enhanced strength with finesse, but there is more to her than just cybernetic augmentations. While the heroine might be considered a hybrid cyborg-human, Kusanagi learns that her gifts are actually holding her back once she begins questioning her true humanity. Her powers tried to separate Kusanagi from her comrades at Public Security Sector 9, but they did the opposite.

Mikasa Ackerman – Attack on Titan

In many ways, Mikasa Ackerman is the anime heroine fans have dreamt of years. The heroine is part of Attack on Titan‘s main posse, and she totally subverts tropes about damsels-in-distress. The quiet, stoic character unabashedly displays her prodigal battle sense in the series, but she does to to support her adoptive brother Erin. Mikasa channels all her past trauma involving the Titans and her parents’ brutal murder into protecting those closest to her, but she doesn’t do that perfectly. Attack on Titan is as much of an exploration of Mikasa’s internal struggles as it is about Erin, and the heroine is totally unapologetic about the room she takes up doing so.