Most viewers erroneously believe that female characters are just vehicles for fan service, but every great anime series knows that its female characters are vital to the story—not just through romance and comedy, but in ways that twist and advance the narrative. Here are some of the most badass anime series with female characters, serving as proof that they aren’t just there for fan service—and in some cases, they’re stronger than their male counterparts.
13. Daki (Demon Slayer)
Daki is an Upper Moon of Muzan and one of the main antagonists in the Entertainment District Arc of Demon Slayer. She disguises herself as a courtesan and appears to be just a simple entertainer. She later releases her inner demon (literally) in one scene when her brother Gyutaro appears, increasing the tension—not just for the Corps, but also for viewers. This revelation showed how terrifying the enemies in the current arc could be.
12. Annie Reinhart (Attack on Titan)
Annie is one of the special Titans sent to infiltrate the Walls and capture the Founding Titan. She showed how capable she is in battle many times throughout the series, both in her human and Titan forms. One scene in particular shows her at her most badass and terrifying—when she spins a soldier like a yoyo and slings them into the sky.
11. Mikasa (Attack on Titan)
Another badass femme fatale from the series Attack on Titan is Mikasa, who appears badass throughout the entire show across numerous scenes. She’s one of the strongest characters. There’s one moment in particular that stands out for us: when she chased down the Armored Titan who was holding Eren captive. Her fervor came through and she showed how serious she was about saving him, to the point that it even scared Bertholdt who was inside Reiner’s armor.
10. Yamato (One Piece)
Yamato, the daughter of Kaido, is a badass fighter as seen when she knocked Ulti down with her Thunder Bagua. Of course, she inherited the strength of his father and was fueled by the ideology of Kozuki Oden. She claims herself as Kozuki Oden and wants to open up the Wano Kingdom to free the citizens—just like what the real Oden wants.
9. Muzan Kibutsuji (Demon Slayer)
Muzan is definitely a “he,” but in one scene where he gathers all the Lower Moons, he appeared as a gorgeous yet dangerous woman in front of her (his) subordinates. She decapitated a Lower Moon demon and killed the others, all to prove that she has no interest in the weak and only cares to have the strong ones under her wing.
8. Mereoleona Vermillion (Black Clover)
There are no words to describe how terrifying this raging lioness of the Clover Kingdom’s Crimson Lion Squad can be. Black Clover is full of badass characters, and she’s among the top. As proof, she single-handedly faced five elves and dealt considerable damage to them before passing out. A few moments later after some rest, she’s back on the battlefield again like nothing happened.
7. Himiko Toga (My Hero Academia)
Every time she appears in a scene, Himiko Toga never fails to amaze viewers with her easy-going attitude—like casually talking about something as if they were never planning something evil. But every time she uses her Quirk, we witness how dangerous she can be in battle, with her bloodlust that makes her look like a monster wanting a taste of her enemies’ blood.
6. Pitou (Hunter X Hunter)
Pitou is the feline Royal Guard of the Ant King in Hunter X Hunter. Throughout the course of the Chimera Ant Arc, up to her very death, she always showed how badass she is. The scene where she used Pokkle—specifically, his brain—to gather information about Nen was so horrifying yet badass. Another example is when she propelled herself towards Kite, Gon, and Killua, then influenced the young Hunters with Malice.
5. Rangiku (Puppet Princess)
Rangiku is a princess in Puppet Princess whose family was murdered. Aside from the badass mercenary ninja who stay by her side, she also controls cool warrior puppets, which is fitting for her who’s a fighter-princess fueled by a desire for revenge.
4. Shion (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime)
Shion is the secretary of Rimuru Tempest (who’s now a Demon Lord), and she’s shown how capable she is in battle many times throughout the series That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. But her fight against Clayman is when she proved not only how strong she was, but Jura Forest as a whole. Clayman’s best abilities—which he claimed could defeat even a Demon Lord—couldn’t scratch Shion.
3. Nel (Bleach)
In Bleach, Nel saved Ichigo from Nnoitra Gilga, the 5th Espada of Aizen. Among the characters in that very scene, she was the last one we thought could do that, since she was introduced as a kid. What really surprised us was her badass return to form—returning to her adult form—and flexing her Espada number “3,” which indicated that she was one of the highest-tier fighters.
2. Kugisaki Nobara (Jujutsu Kaisen)
Nobara is one of the first-year trio in the Jujutsu Kaisen series, along with Yuji and Megumi. During their battle against the Curse Brothers (Death Paintings), she doesn’t hesitate to stab herself with her own technique in order to utilize and counter the curse technique used on her. The moment she used “Hairpin” against one of the brothers was so badass, and it showed that Nobara isn’t a girl to mess with.
1. Kamado Nezuko (Demon Slayer)
Kamado Nezuko, a demon on the Demon Slayers’ side, recently showed a new demon form—one which her opponent stated has a regenerative power equal to them, the Upper Moon Demons. Her form has a mature physique with vine patterns running through her skin, but that’s not what makes her badass. It’s how she nearly decapitated Daki with a single kick, and even burned her with the Blood Demon Art: Exploding Blood. Read next: The Best Anime Animation Studios of All Time, Ranked
