The audience of anime is accustomed to watching the male or boys in action in any specific series. In general, as well, anime especially the shōnen genre, is aimed at boys and tends to focus on male characters only and there is a huge catalogue of such shows encrypted with the tales of male heroes. But, wait what about some good anime with a female cast?

Indeed, 90% of the anime doesn’t have that much of important roles for females. Or just think of when was the last time you saw a female character in the lead role? Except, JoJo Stone Ocean and Violet Evergarden you’ll hardly recall any other names. Although anime is a bit more lopsided in favor of male counterparts, that doesn’t mean female characters never play pivotal roles.

And, in today’s article, we’ll take a look at some of the best anime with a female cast who exist alongside their opposite gender as equals. So, without any further ado let’s get started.

10. Black Lagoon

Black Lagoon is a crime-thriller anime series that follows the Lagoon Company, a four-member team of pirate mercenaries smuggling goods in and around the seas of Southeast Asia. The group takes on various jobs, usually involving criminal organizations and resulting in violent gunfights. Do you know who leads this badass group?

The answer is Revy, a Chinese-American woman who is lovingly nicknamed “Two Hands” for her ability to wield two guns. She serves as the main protagonist of the series and is capable enough to kick anyone’s butt. And, in Black Lagoon, there’s no shortage of such strong and capable female characters. Whether it’s Roberta, the assassin maid, or Balalaika, the Russian mafia boss, this anime is a refreshing action series where women dominate the battlefields.

9. Akame Ga Kill!

Akame ga Kill! is one of the most gruesome anime series fans ever witnessed. Written by Takahiro, the series began with an appealing storyline as it portrayed an oppressive & cruel world where nobody was truly safe. Surprisingly, it is one of the rarest anime in which both the protagonist and antagonist roles are performed by female characters.

Almost half of the members in the Night Raid were women even the leader and all of them were capable to fulfill their duties. Regardless of the situation, every single feminine character in the series was good enough to be a formidable opponent. Akame and Esdeath, both showed the calibre they had during the final battle of the series.

8. Claymore

The number of good anime with a female cast is pretty low and the count drops significantly when it comes to shows with a female lead however, Claymore breaks this stereotype by featuring an amazing female protagonist like Clare. Her journey is pretty inspiring as she starts at the very bottom and is considered a failure, but gets stronger throughout her life.

Unlike other typical shōnen anime, Claymore is a series about one woman’s journey for revenge. Despite the fact that it’s the women dominating in most of the series, the role of male characters is also very strong and appealing making this show even more of an interesting dynamic between both the genders.

7. Cowboy Bebop

Cowboy Bebop is one of the most popular sci-fi series ever made and it was also the first anime that got broadcasted on Adult Swim in the United States. Even after so many years, the series is praised heavily for its art style, character design, story, soundtrack and incredibly written female cast.

Faye Valentine, a snarky female bounty hunter is an indisputably iconic character in Cowboy Bebop. Her clever criminal antics and complex emotional moments make her an unforgettable anime character. In addition, the series also stars talented female hackers like Ed and the former love of Spike Spiegel, Julia in very significant roles.

6. Gintama

The hilarious acts of Gintama are really hard to forget about and the show is entertaining the audience for over a decade. One of the coolest things about Gintama is that everyone is portrayed as complete jerks, regardless of gender. Gintama is arguably the only anime which is gender unbiased when it comes to cracking utterly stupid jokes or performing weird acts.

The screentime given to Gintoki scratching his butt is as equal to Kagura playing with her booger. Gintama is special in itself as, unlike other shōnen series the female characters of Gintama don’t have to be beautiful or romantically involved with the male characters to be interesting. Whether they’re one-off characters or central figures, the female cast is treated no differently than the male one.

5. Sailor Moon

Without the inclusion of Sailor Moon, no list of good anime with a female cast would be complete. The classic 90s anime television series produced by Toei Animation focuses on Usagi Tsukino and her team of magical girls who fight evil by moonlight and win love by daylight. The portrayal of Usagi as the main protagonist is done fabulously in the series.

But, Usagi isn’t the only girl present as almost the entire cast of the series is female favoured. The variety is pretty amusing as everything from cautious nerds to hot-tempered goddess are present in the show. The strong feminine energy that’s exuded during every episode is exceptional. Teamwork, feminism, and general butt-kicking are all part of the Sailor Moon series and it’s iconic in every category.

4. Attack On Titan

Attack On Titan is a world full of horrifying creatures, dark mysteries and unconventional possibilities. Even imagining living here for a minute will freeze anyone but, the men and women of this world coexist by fighting every single day. The only thing that matters in Attack On Titan is, that one should know how to draw a sword regardless of gender.

Throughout the series, the women of Attack On Titan have filled all kinds of roles that are often reserved for men. Whether, it’s Mikasa slaying Titans or Sasha cramming food into her face – the women of AoT break all the stereotypes. Besides these two, the series has the likes of Hange, Ymir, Annie, Gabi and many more who are equally as important as the rest of the male cast.

3. Bleach

Whether it’s the coolest anime villain or a dominant group, Bleach has all sorts of elements to entertain the viewers. Bleach is generally isn’t counted in the big three, but considerably it’s a great show with one of the most amazing female cast in the history of the shōnen genre. The girls of Bleach are ridiculously strong and effective in battles.

The creator of Bleach, Tite Kubo admitted himself that two of the female characters, Rangiku and Yoruichi are his favorite in the series. All the females involved in the series have very different personalities, but one thing is common among them – they all are extremely powerful. Don’t go on looks, as even a sweet woman like Retsu Unohana was the first title holder of “Kenpachi” – master of all forms of swordsmanship.

2. Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu Kaisen is arguably one of the best new-gen animanga out there, and it’s reflected in its incredible female cast as well. Each female character of Jujutsu Kaisen is extremely badass and talented in their own ways. Just pick up, Nobara Kugisaki who is one of the main characters in the show. She’s not only a breath of fresh air within the shonen genre but is also, strong and independent while also being goofy and funny.

The strong female cast of the series also includes Maki-Mai Zenin, Miwa, and Mei Mei, which are all well-written. Furthermore, none of the female characters is overly sexualized and their motivations aren’t revolved around the men in their lives. Instead, they have fleshed out backstories and interesting character development which is a pretty intriguing thing about the show.

1. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood isn’t just an extraordinary series filled with awesome women, it was also written by a female mangaka: Hiromu Arakawa. Although the centre figures of the series are male, the side roles of female characters are every bit as competent and important. Olivier Armstrong delivers brilliantly in her role as the respected commander of Fort Briggs while, Riza Hawkeye is a firearms expert with a fascinating backstory.

It was a mentor like Izumi Curtis who taught the main characters how to perform alchemy while also imparting painful lessons gleaned from her own past mistakes. Ed’s childhood friend and eventual wife, Winry Rockbell spent her days working as a mechanic and Mei Chang was a girl of many talents. No matter their role in the series, the females of Fullmetal Alchemist have been given equal treatment with their own unique personalities and motivations.

Which one of the following anime with a female cast is your favorite? Feel free to comment down your thoughts and make sure to recommend some other anime like the ones listed above, also don’t forget to share this article with your fellow otaku friends.

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