However, in the past decade we’ve started to see strong females more often, so we finally have some diversity going on. In honor of the changing tides and new traditions, we’re going to go over some of the strongest girls in all of anime. And as a side note: we’re ranking how strong they are in their respective universes, not overall. This is also a ranking of actual strength, not simply aesthetics (although we did do a separate list on really muscular anime girls, so check that out too)
30. Mereoleona Vermillion
Anime: Black Clover Mereoleona is one spicy lioness of a warrior in the Black Clover universe who even the captain fears. She’s always ready to scrap, and takes her training very seriously. How seriously, you might naively ask? Well, she trains inside of a volcano. And frequently kidnaps other characters to force them to train alongside her. Even our stylishly constipated badboy Yami had a lot of difficulties at just keeping up with her pace, so she’s obviously S class and deserves a spot in this ranking.
29. Kiss-shot Acerola-orion Heart-under-blade
Anime: Monogatari Series For the most part, Kiss-shot’s power is just stated – but with the movie trilogy we got to see exactly how broken she was in her prime. Being her servant meant basically being immortal, as no amount of damage seemed to stick to the vampire queen. In a later series, Kiss-shot even ended the entire world simply because she was lonely. No wonder her mere presence disrupted the entire world, she’s a borderline god.
28. Eri
Anime: My Hero Academia As it stands, Eri arguably has the strongest Quirk the My Hero Academia universe has ever seen. This is because she can literally rewind someone’s biological clock, to the point that she can phase them out of existence. She could also, for example, just rewind Deku back to a phase where he didn’t have One for All – or rewind All for One back into an infant. She can’t control her power just yet. But there’s a reason Overhaul was so obsessed with Eri and the earth-shattering powers that come along with her.
27. Anri Sonohara
Anime: Durarara!! I will never understand why everyone slept on Anri’s power after she got the hang of Saika. In case you haven’t watched the show, let me just explain how powerful Saika is. She has a demonic blade that can take full control over anyone it cuts. And if that wasn’t powerful enough, that person can then “contaminate” other people around them, giving Anri an entire army in just a matter of hours. Comparatively, the second strongest character is just a very slim handsome hulk boy in a vest.
26. Shalltear Bloodfallen
Anime: Overlord Anime really likes overpowered lolly vampires, doesn’t it? For the most part, Overlord just showcased how powerful Ainz was, while his guards were just understood to be strong in their own way. But man, once Shalltear got some spotlight we learned that the power dynamic is a lot more complicated. Even though Ainz is like the god of his universe, he had to metagame the hell out of his fight with Shalltear to secure victory. Plus, he had to do a lot of prep, and used a lot of rare items that only he possesses. Vampire supremacy confirmed?
25. Mikasa Ackerman
Anime: Attack on Titan In a world where people can literally turn into giant monstrosities with strong jaws, claws, and hardening abilities, the S-tier of this anime still manages to have two humans in it. Mikasa is like a gender-swapped Levi, as she can make quick work of even the biggest Titans, as well as kick the sasageyo out of most soldiers. This is especially true if Eren is in danger and her momma bear instincts start kicking in. Then she just looks like a horror villain ready to pounce.
24. Yoko Littner
Anime: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann I’m honestly fascinated that Yoko is as strong as she is. All of the main characters in Gurren Lagann wield giant mechs with giant weapons, and the possibility to destroy entire cities, countries, and later on even galaxies. And then there’s Yoko, who managed to stay relevant throughout most of the story simply because she’s a badass sniper. She never felt like an unneeded addition to the party either. And her skills as a warrior somehow made her as important as the giant robot-driving dudes of the show. Respect.
23. Revy
Anime: Black Lagoon Since we’re already on the topic of gunslingers, we have to talk about Revy: our favorite foul-mouthed badass working on the other side of the law. Every bullet at Revy’s disposal feels like a guaranteed kill. And she could easily take on entire platoons of enemies without breaking a sweat. Her will is as tough as the lead she keeps lodging into people’s skulls, and her no-nonsense attitude makes her both an interesting character to watch, and a mercenary you’re bound to fear.
22. Milim Nava
Anime: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Since Rimuru is agender, I can’t really put them on here. However, Millim is just as impressive. She holds so much power that she never has to take anything in this world seriously, because she can just destroy it with a snap of her fingers. In fact, she’s so powerful that she literally declared war to an entire country and won without any real issues. Just let that sink in. An individual declared war on an entire country, and everyone knew that the place is bound to get wiped off the map.
21. Tanya Degurechaff
Anime: The Saga of Tanya the Evil I think it’s just common sense that if a soldier has a nickname involving the words death, demon or evil, you need to run away as quickly as you can. And yet people keep making the mistake of engaging Tanya in battle simply because she looks like a little girl. The poor bastards have no idea that their entire platoon is about to get blasted away, while Tanya dances on their country’s monuments and laughs at their puny military. She’s so powerful that she even broke the vengeance trope in anime, as she fought a dude twice, killed him, and then subsequently even defeated his daughter who was seeking revenge. Ice cold man, ice cold.
20. Erza Scarlet
Anime: Fairy Tail For a lot of anime fans, Erza is the posterchild of a female badass. She’s second to none when it comes to combat, as her magic allows her to adapt to any situation and kick some ass. Some of the best fights in the series have her as the star player. And her ability to both be so powerful and be really entertaining/likable outside of the battlefield really cements her as a staple in this topic. Her battle with alcohol might be on the tougher side of things, but besides that, she’s undefeated.
19. Bishamon
Anime: Noragami In the universe of Noragami, gods obtain power through lost souls they have a contract with, or “shinki”. These shinki can also transform into various weapons, armor, or accessories, to give the god some battle presence. Our main character Yato has one shinki who turns into a sword, and is among the more powerful gods in terms of combat. But then Bishamon comes along carrying eight shinki on her person – and also having hundreds back at home. Needless to say, she’s stacked beyond belief. And the fact that she hadn’t murdered Yato in their very first encounter is astonishing.
18. Tatsumaki
Anime: One Punch Man In One Punch Man, you have three tiers of heroes. The protagonist Saitama who’s so powerful he’s depressed, then Tatsumaki who feels like a nerfed god who ascended to Earth… and then the rest of the cast who are all fodder. Tatsumaki is so powerful that she can make comets fall from the sky, as well as severely damage a spaceship the size of Texas. She has never taken an L in her life. And I doubt she ever will, as she’s leaps and bounds above every other non-Saitama character in the series. Just don’t let her drink. That’s a catastrophe waiting to happen.
17. Tsunade
Anime: Naruto: Shippuden As a series, Naruto is terrible at portraying female characters. However, Tsunade is the closest they have ever gotten to making an actual female badass. In terms of physical strength, she outperform the fourth Raikage, and her durability is right up there with Hashirama himself. I mean, the woman got chopped in half and yet managed to keep going. Not to mention that this was after she healed an entire army by herself. She might have fallen off compared to Naruto or Sasuke. But in terms of the series overall, she’s definitely in the top 1%.
16. Merlin
Anime: The Seven Deadly Sins I love Merlin because she gives no damns about anything in life. She was a prodigy from birth, and if that wasn’t good enough, she also managed to trick both the Demon King and the Supreme Deity into making her even more powerful. In other words, a literal child deceived two gods and managed to become the best mage Britannia had ever seen – or will likely ever see. She isn’t highlighted as frequently as the other sins. But she has been shown to be capable of taking down the Commandments, so she is no joke.
15. Ghislaine Dedoldia
Anime: Jobless Reincarnation Ghislaine should be the golden example when it comes to strength-bound female characters. Not only does she have a realistic figure, and buns of actual steel, but she also acknowledges the power of knowledge – and does her best to learn from the young butt enthusiast. And when it comes to fighting, she’s second to none in terms of the sword. Plus she has no issues with covering the cement in blood. She quickly became one of my favorite characters in the series, and her immense strength only makes her that much more interesting to watch.
14. Nana Hiiragi
Anime: Talentless Nana Nana is simultaneously the weakest and the strongest character in the entire series, as she’s the only student who does not possess any superpowers whatsoever. But she’s also the most adept at murder. Even though her enemies have extremely powerful abilities, like raising the dead to life or turning back time, Nana’s wits and assassination techniques prove to be too strong for them to bear. She has killed plenty of her classmates already. And even though everyone is on high alert, she still manages to squeak by and nab a few more kills. What a lass.
13. Morgiana
Anime: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic If you like characters whose thunder thighs can open up the heavens and impress the gods, Morgiana should be high up on your list. Even though she started off as a slave girl whose ancestors were persecuted for generations, she quickly rose to the top and became a major player in the game. Her combat abilities are off the charts, and her endurance is nothing to scoff at either. Plus, she accomplished all of this without even having a Djinn of her own.
12. Ryuko Matoi
Anime: Kill La Kill Although Ryuko initially paled in comparison with Satsuki, she became an absolute beast by the end of the series. First it was little improvements, like Senketsu evolving and giving her more forms to work with. But then (spoiler alert) we learn that she’s actually infused with Life Fibers. If you’ve watched the show, you know what a big deal that is. Late game Ryuko could literally be chopped in half and carry on as if nothing had happened – plus she packed enough punch to cut down entire building with only a single swing of her sword.
11. Neferpitou
Anime: Hunter x Hunter Neferpitou is single-handedly one of the most terrifying antagonists in all of anime. She looks like your typical innocent cat girl at first glance. But her claws have torn through quite a few bodies. She can detect you from miles away and jump to your location in one swoop. Even Kite was rendered powerless against this blood-thirsty cat. She also has the ability to heal her own wounds, or someone else’s wounds. So even if you do manage to get a lick in, it won’t matter all that much. As Gon learned: even when she’s dead, she is still a threat.
10. Lucy
Anime: Elfen Lied Speaking of characters that haunted my dreams and made me fear death… Lucy is quite the monster herself. Even in a fictional universe where everyone has superpowers, she would be a strong pick. I mean just look at Petelgeuse. But no one has powers in her universe aside from her and her siblings. This really puts into perspective the first scene of the anime where she absolutely massacres dozens of scientists and soldiers. So getting on her bad side is basically certain death.
9. Shuka Karino
Anime: Darwin’s Game In terms of the titular Darwin, Shuka has surpassed the average human. Even though all of the players in the show have some sort of power, I think it’s safe to say that Shuka is in a tier of her own. I mean, you don’t get the title “Undefeated Queen” for just looking pretty and being mediocre. She has great mobility with her chains, as well as long range utility and one-shot potential. Kuname might be the leader. But we all know who’s actually carrying this team.
8. Akame
Anime: Akame ga Kill! I was initially convinced that Esdeath is the strongest in the universe of Akame ga Kill. Sure, Akame had a sword that would kill you if she so much as grazed your finger… but Esdeath could freeze an entire army in the blink of an eye. However, I was quickly reminded that titular characters are gods among men with no equal. Spoiler alert for the final fight: Even though Esdeath got even stronger by revealing that she can freeze time, Akame still came out on top – because she’s so fast that even in frozen time, she has an after-image. Nothing more to say about that.
7. Shiro
Anime: Deadman Wonderland If this pick at all confuses you, skip it and go to our next pick while you still have the chance. Initially Shiro seemed like the wholesome character of the show that would keep the narrative moving, and that would spice up some dynamics within the show. But then we learn that she has a split personality, and is actually the main villain of the show who in episode 1 massacred an entire school. Fun times right? This definitely does not give me trust issues moving forward in life.
6. Haruhi Suzumiya
Anime: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya If we take away our usual measurement of power (basically whoever can hit the hardest), then Haruhi is among the strongest characters in all of anime. This is because she’s literally a god who can manipulate everything around her at will. Didn’t have enough fun this week? How about we relive it a thousand times. You think ghosts are cool? Let’s add some to our universe to spice things up. Whatever comes to Haruhi’s mind will materialize in one way or another, making her undefeatable even by the might of Nietzsche.
5. Kaede Kayano
Anime: Assassination Classroom I’m really on a roll with these unassuming overpowered little girls. Kaede is another case of the hidden OP, as it’s discovered late into the series that she also possesses tentacles similar to Koro-Sensei. This in itself makes her among the strongest creatures on the entire planet (in this anime) as their speed and strength are far beyond anything a normal human can muster. Even Koro-Sensei had difficulties dealing with Kaede, as her backstory gave her some major revenge power bonus points.
4. Freya
Anime: Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? I was initially going to put Ais on here since she is by far the most capable warrior the series has ever seen. But I decided to focus on a different kind of strength. Freya just has so much political power and presence, that her appearance always means things are about to get dangerous. Like a perfect puppet master, she controls nearly every part of the show. And those who dare oppose her are quickly squashed under her boot. One of the only god killings we’ve seen in the show was done by Freya. So that should put into perspective what an important and powerful character she is.
3. Shinobu Kochou
Anime: Demon Slayer Rarely do you see a character that’s as equal parts adorable as they are terrifying. She’s one of the few high-ranking demon slayers we got to see in action. And I for one was not disappointed. She showed incredible mobility, being able to jump over entire trees, and her skill with the sword is quite legendary as well. It’s her demeanor, however, that really makes her terrifying. She’ll talk to you in a soft voice about how she’s going to release you from your mortal shell. She’s a waifu, but she’s also a nightmare.
2. Misa Amane
Anime: Death Note In terms of power, Misa is only rivaled by Light in her entire respective world. Being that she also owns a death note, she can kill whoever she wants, as long as she knows their full name and has a mental picture of them. Although she’s not as cunning as Light, she is still a god-like existence in her own world – being able to bring swift death to just about anyone. It’s a shame that she was just Light’s lackey, but what can you do.
1. Krul Tepes
Anime: Seraph of the End Did you really think another vampire girl wasn’t going to sneak her way onto this list? Not only is Krul a vampire, but she is THE vampire, being a Queen of Japan. This means that not only is she stronger than any human could ever wish to be, but that she can also make mincemeat out of other vampires, as seen when Ferid dared to challenge her. She does have a very miniscule soft spot for Mikaela. But aside from that, she’s the definition of human suffering and brutality.
