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A medium equally diverse in its plots and character types, anime features no shortage of outstanding female leads. Although most well-known anime series commonly highlight male heroes, female characters also prominently star as protagonists. In fact, some of the best anime series feature outstanding female MCs in mold-breaking roles that underscore their awe-inspiring strength, battle prowess, and coolness.

From gun-blazing hot-headed action leads to unconventional deconstructions of classic “damsel in distress” clichés, female protagonists in anime are incredibly interesting and multifaceted, defying stereotypes by setting in motion some of the medium’s most dynamic, thrilling plots. The heroines of these exceptional series rightfully hold the title of anime’s most badass leads, regardless of gender.

Clare is a Lone Swordsmen Fighting Bloodthirsty Shapeshifters in Claymore Streaming on CrunchyrollImage via Madhouse

Medieval-inspired landscapes, unearthly fairytale creatures, and sword-wielding, monster-slaying heroes are all staples of the dark fantasy genre featured in the shonen anime classic Claymore.

Some of the best LGBTQ+ stories in anime are found in shojo ai or yuri, also called Girls' Love. Strictly speaking, yuri refers to series involving explicit girl-on-girl romantic relationships. However, some of these spell it out as a special bond between two female characters without clarifying if it's only platonic. As it happens to most anime sub-genres, some yuri series stand out among the rest for their quality.

Whether it is due to their relatable characters, their thoughtful reflection on the Japanese LGBTQ+ experience, or their excellent writing, these series are top-notch. Any yuri lover out there cannot miss classic series such as Maria Watches Over Us, Adachi and Shimamura, or Bloom Into You.

Updated on January 26, 2025 by Robbie Robinson: The collection of actually decent yuri anime is slowly, but surely growing. While plenty of anime feature fetishized relationships between girls or women, it can be tricky to...

Female-led anime series offer diverse storytelling and strong characters. Highlights include Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Canaan, and The Twelve Kingdoms. These series showcase women in leading roles across various genres like fantasy, action-thriller, and isekai.

It's no exaggeration to say that some of the best anime feature strong female characters. Anime is an incredibly diverse media that has something for everyone. Whether the audience is looking for an action-packed, battle-oriented story with larger-than-life characters who possess all kinds of cool powers, or a down-to-Earth, heartwarming tale of everyday life with a relatable cast of characters, there's a whole list of anime to choose from.

From mystery thrillers to magical girl adventures, these are some of the best female-led anime series of all time.

With that in mind, female leads aren't exclusive to magical girl or shoujo outings, either, as plenty of quality romance, isekai, and action-thriller series prominently feature women in leading roles.

Alice Munro, the Nobel and prize-winning Canadian author of short story collections and novels including “Lives of Girls and Women” and “The Love of a Good Woman,” died Monday night at her home in Ontario, the New York Times reported. She was 92

Munro won the Nobel Prize in literature in 2013 for her short stories, the Man Booker International prize in 2009 and the O’Henry award in 2012. Born Alice Laidlaw in Ontario, Canada, she often wrote about women living in small towns in the province.

The Booker jury wrote in its prize statement, “Alice Munro is mostly known as a short story writer and yet she brings as much depth, wisdom and precision to every story as most novelists bring to a lifetime of novels. To read Alice Munro is to learn something every time that you never thought of before.”

Several of Munro’s stories were adapted for film and television,...

The Sex Lives of College Girls is accomplishing what we rarely get to see on television: young college women living authentically. For years, storylines about the college experience have often felt one-dimensional and hollow. Honestly, we can probably count on one hand the shows that truly capture women in their 20s in a real way.

I'm sure I wasn't the only one who raised an eyebrow at the show's title, which dares to depict the sex lives of college girls. But I was pleasantly surprised that the show explores so much more than sex. The hit HBO Max series also touches on race, discrimination, classism, identity, male privilege, family, friendship, and the importance of community. The show doesn't leave out some of college students' everyday problems - like stressing over deadlines and their social lives. The writers' room makes sure women always come first in every sense of the word,...