Top 10 Best Written Female Characters in Shonen Anime

Shonen anime is full of male protagonists who step up to handle all the high-octane battles and life-threatening situations that come their way. While these guys are often accompanied by female characters, they are reduced to side characters or simple love interests, and the audience often loses interest in them.

However, there are a few instances where a female character is written so well, that the audience tends to love them even more than the protagonist. Here are 10 such well-written female characters in Shonen anime that stole the spotlight.

10. Iki Hiyori represents the best of Noragami

Noragami, a Shonen monthly manga by Adachitoka follows Yato, a lesser god who goes around granting favors in hopes of being worshipped by more people. During one such adventure, he meets Iki Hiyori, a high schooler, and their fates are intertwined.

While Hiyori is not a central combatant in the series, she does help Yato from time to time by being a bridge between him and his regalia, Yukine. She is often the voice of reason and cares for both of them. She helps Yukine understand Yato better when he loses confidence in his master, guiding him back to Yato.

She cares about Yato so much that she helps him out of instinct even when her memories are erased. It is through her encouragement that Yato decides to confront his dark past and re-invents himself, deciding to become a god of hope rather than a god of war.

9. Konan saw Jiraiya’s values in Naruto

Even though she was a founding member of the Akatsuki, Konan from the Shonen series Naruto felt different to fans. She seemed calmer and much more approachable, despite being acquainted with a criminal organization.

During her confrontation with Naruto, she proves herself to be one of Shonen’s most reasonable characters by listening to Naruto, recognizing his sincerity, and wishing him luck on his journey to end all hatred and pain.

She would go on to cement her status as a strategic mastermind by nearly killing Obito by trapping him in her paper bomb jutsu. Though she may have lost against him, the delicate balance she achieved between vengeance and reason had impressed everyone.

8. Shinobu from Demon Slayer is graceful yet deadly

Shinobu from the Shonen series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is one of the few female characters that can be graceful and deadly at the same time. Serving as the Insect Hashira, Shinobu uses intense poisons to kill demons due to her strength being insufficient to decapitate their heads.

Her eerie smile and blank eyes mask her dark past but she constantly battles her inner demons in secrecy. She is just one of the many multidimensional characters in the series and forces herself to smile even when being unable to control her raging emotions.

The way she deals with all her burdens and continues to carry on with her duties is both inspiring and serves as a testament to her resolve, making her an amazingly written character.

7. Rukia is unyielding

From being imprisoned by her people to becoming a Captain, Rukia is perhaps the only character in Bleach (aside from Ichigo) that we can almost see as a protagonist. Despite momentarily losing her powers, she stays true to her duties as a Soul Reaper, showing her dedication.

She is constantly training to better herself at every turn, even managing to achieve a bankai and going toe-to-toe against threats like the arrancars and quincies, showing us just how far she has come.

She isn’t a damsel in distress, but a brave warrior, as shown in her several battles. Her character was so popular that several fans of the Shonen series demanded that she be made the primary love interest, but Kubo stuck with his decision to depict her as a warrior, which made her even better.

6. Mikasa is Isayama’s masterpiece

While the meme community insists on joking about her manner of speech, even they can’t deny that Mikasa is the most well-rounded character in all of AoT. Isayama cemented her importance by introducing Eren alongside her and ending him with her hand, which is truly poetic.

She is probably the most developed character in the series besides Eren, with the anime showcasing how she can be both ruthless and caring, serious and funny, and intense and soft. The sheer number of emotions showcased by her and the depth of her character almost makes her feel like a real person, and this makes her hugely relatable.

She is also very enduring and is ready to do the right thing, seeing as how she killed the man she loved the most, knowing that it would break her heart, but would save humanity. This makes her truly unique and memorable.

5. Maki didn’t let the clan stop her

To Maki, giving up because of destiny is just a lame excuse. You just ain’t working hard enough. Born with a trait that caused her progress to halt because of her twin, Maki faced criticism and ridicule from her clan, which caused her to leave to prove herself.

Maki is an inspiration to anyone who believes that they can do better. Despite being born with a natural debuff, Maki is super-strong and has worked harder than anyone else to become a master of combat, using cursed weapons to deal with cursed spirits.

Once her twin died, allowing her to break through her limit, Maki became an absolute monster. But growing stronger did not make her forget about her values. She still stayed true to her friends and was a huge help in the battle against Sukuna. Her brash yet caring nature, along with her tendency to never give up made her a great Shonen character.

4. Hawkeye does not miss

Few can boast of being so good with a gun that they never miss. Riza Hawkeye from Shonen’s Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the few who can. Serving as Roy Mustang’s Adjutant Weapons specialist, Riza has several feats to her name in the universe.

Riza is a skilled sniper and shooter, being able to shoot targets from insane distances, reacting to enemies and projectiles in a matter of seconds, and loading a gun in the blink of an eye.

But shooting isn’t the only thing that she is good at, as she can decrypt enemy messages in a matter of seconds, and can convey encrypted messages through small talk while the enemy is listening. All these skills and her comedically stoic demeanor made her a fan favorite.

3. Makima is evil personified

An anomaly on this list, Makima is the primary antagonist of the Public Safety Saga of the popular Shonen series Chainsaw Man. While she was introduced as a friendly face, the intrigue around Makima soon grew as the story unfolded.

Certain decisions that she made and the words she chose while speaking of her actions made viewers question if she was a good person. With the revelation that she was secretly a devil in disguise, everything made sense to the audience.

While this turn surprised fans initially, no one could deny how well laid out everything was about her. Her attitude towards Denji, her manner of speech, and the warnings about her, all signaled her true motives, and fans realized that she was a masterpiece that made sense only when everything was connected.

2. Bulma stands tall even among the strongest

The one who started it all by asking Goku to go on an adventure with her, Bulma Briefs is perhaps the most recognized name within Shonen. Even with her introduction, it was clear that Bulma was bound to be an interesting character.

Being the heir to the Capsule Corporation, Bulma was very intelligent, and one of the series’ core gadgets, the Dragon Radar was her invention, and is used to track the locations of the Dragon Balls.

As the series progressed, so did Bulma. Though she has settled down with Vegeta, she often steps in to help the gang with her smarts and sometimes her money. Every time there is a meaningless argument between the two Saiyans, Goku, and Vegeta, fans can count on Bulma to put both of them in line.

1. Robin has learned to appreciate life and camaraderie

What does it mean to be a great character? Does it only require physical strength, or one’s strength of mind as well? From wanting to die to appreciating the value of life and camaraderie, Nico Robin is truly Shonen’s greatest, and most well-written female character who inspired people with her growth.

Forced to be on the run since childhood, Robin never believed that she would be allowed to live by the World Government. This changed when she met Shonen’s most wholesome protagonist, Luffy, and joined his crew.

Being surrounded by friends turned her from a cold, untrusting person into a warm individual who trusts her friends, and goes the extra mile for them. This growth feels inspiring and authentic because of how well-written this is, making it one for the ages.

While many people admire Shonen manga for their intense combat sequences and epic dialogues, the core value of Shonen is to inspire people to be better, and these women have truly showcased this through their roles in their respective stories.