The 22 Greatest Shonen Anime Heroines Of All Time, Ranked

Over 1.1K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The 22 Greatest Shonen Anime Heroines Of All Time, Ranked
Voting Rules
Vote up your favorite shonen heroines.

While shonen anime does tend to focus on male characters, that doesn't mean there aren't some amazing shonen female characters to get hyped about. For this list, we're counting down some of the best shonen heroines out there. 

We love side characters, but this list is focused on protagonists or near-protagonists. So, Nezuko Kamado from Demon Slayer gets the spotlight, while the equally awesome Shinobu Kocho will be highlighted elsewhere. 

Some of these characters aren't just the best in shonen - they're among the best female anime characters, period. Which ones are your favorites?

Latest additions: Power - 'Chainsaw Man'

  • Mikasa Ackerman - 'Attack on Titan'
    Photo: Attack on Titan / Wit Studio

    After Titans destroyed her hometown, Mikasa Ackerman joined the Survey Corps alongside her childhood friends Eren and Armin.

    Throughout all of the dangerous, life-threatening conflicts, her one goal is to protect Eren from harm. But as she learns more and more about the secrets behind the Titans - and as Eren turns out to be someone very different than who she thought he was - her goal is called into question. 

    866 votes
  • 2
    501 VOTES

    Akame - 'Akame ga Kill'

    Akame - 'Akame ga Kill'
    Photo: Akame ga Kill / White Fox

    As an assassin for Night Raid, Akame is both loyal to her comrades and ruthless with those who oppose her.

    Using her Imperial Arms weapon - a poisonous sword called Murasame - she fights gainst injustice wherever she finds it. 

    501 votes
  • Nobara Kugisaki - 'Jujutsu Kaisen'
    Photo: Jujutsu Kaisen / MAPPA

    Nobara Kugisaki is a Grade 3 jujutsu sorcerer at Tokyo Jujutsu High. She works alongside Megumi Fushiguro and Yuji Itadori to take down Curses. She's confident in her strength, and for good reason - she can totally kick butt in fights.

    She fights by channeling Cursed Energy through a hammer, a set of nails, and a straw doll.  

    • Appears In: Jujutsu Kaisen
    807 votes
  • When the Kamado family is attacked by a demon, Nezuko and Tanjiro are the only survivors. But while Nezuko might still be alive, she's changed significantly - she's been transformed into a demon.

    However, instead of becoming a man-eating monster, Nezuko joins Tanjiro in his mission to slay demons who harm humans, all while trying to find a way to turn back into a human. 

    • Appears In: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
    828 votes
  • 5
    376 VOTES

    Maka Albarn - 'Soul Eater'

    Maka Albarn - 'Soul Eater'
    Photo: Soul Eater / Bones

    Maka Albarn is a student at Death Weapon Meister Academy. Her goal is to become a death-meister like her mother, and to create a living weapon more powerful than her father.

    With Soul at her side, she has both a powerful ally and a partner with a completely different personality whom she has to figure out how to get along with. 

    376 votes
  • Rukia Kuchiki - 'Bleach'
    Photo: Bleach / Studio Pierrot

    Rukia Kuchiki currently serves as the captain of the 13th Division of the Gotei 13. She's also the reason Ichigo has his Shinigami powers.

    She has a wide range of swordfighting and supernatural abilities, the most noteworthy of which is probably White Haze Punishment, her Bankai. This allows her to transform into an ice princess and attack using the freezing element. 

    • Appears In: Bleach
    • Powers & Abilities: Kido, Zanjutsu, Hoho, Hakuda
    527 votes