Top 10 Anime Heroines Who Carry Their Series
For a long time anime heroines were love interests first and characters second. That is no longer true, and the best modern series are built around women who drive the story. These ten are ranked on writing, agency and how much the show belongs to them.
The rankings
- Maomao, The Apothecary Diaries. The smartest person in every room, uninterested in romance, and the reason the series is a phenomenon.
- Frieren, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. An elf learning to grieve a thousand years too late. The most quietly devastating lead in recent memory.
- Mikasa Ackerman, Attack on Titan. The strongest soldier in the series, and the one who makes its final choice.
- Violet Evergarden. A weapon learning to be a person, one letter at a time.
- Makima, Chainsaw Man. Not a heroine, technically. The most compelling antagonist in modern manga, and the series orbits her.
- Nobara Kugisaki, Jujutsu Kaisen. Arrived, refused to be the token, and left a hole.
- Nezuko Kamado, Demon Slayer. Says almost nothing and steals every episode she is in.
- Anya Forger, Spy x Family. A six year old telepath holding an entire franchise together.
- Yor Forger, Spy x Family. The assassin housewife who gets the funniest and the most human moments.
- Power, Chainsaw Man. A disaster of a person and one of the best written characters in the series.
The classics we skipped
Motoko Kusanagi, Nausicaa and Sailor Moon built the road these characters walk on. This list is about the current era, and it is a good one.
My take: Maomao at number one is the easiest call on this list. She is the rare protagonist who would still be interesting with the plot removed.
