Action anime is one of the most popular subgenres in anime. In fact, the majority of people are drawn to anime because of the action. And they begin to anticipate more of the action, and before they realize it, they have evolved into anime enthusiasts who also enjoy other genres. This time, we’ll look at some of the best action anime featuring female leads that you should watch.
As a general rule, most anime revolve on a young kid who wishes to accomplish something in his life, and as you follow his path, you will find the anime to be intriguing and worthwhile to watch. That isn’t always the case, though, as there have been a number of anime that have a female lead character and are just as entertaining as any action anime.
If you enjoy female characters and realize their importance in anime, this is the list for you. We have some interesting and action-packed anime where a female character leads the group. You’d think that if we concentrated on such anime, we’d only be able to list a few. However, we have a large number of them to which you can devote some of your anime viewing time.
Now, while we look over our list, keep in mind that things are certain to change when a new anime season begins. As a result, this will be a long list that will change every time a new anime is released.
A Certain Scientific Railgun
A Certain Scientific Railgun is a 25-episode anime series about Misaka Mikoto, who is most recognized as the ranked third level 5 and maximum attainable level of an esper who is a role model to most pupils at the academy. Mikoto is also well-known for being far from the role model figure that most people imagine her to be. Mikoto’s varied exploits in the city, along with her dedicated roommate Kuroko, are also depicted in the anime.
The initial season of the anime, as one of the few with a female protagonist, was about a mystery sound file that can grant listeners esper powers and the teacher who created it. Season 2 of A Certain Scientific Railgun references to a major plot point in the series novel, which features an experiment that uses Mikoto’s DNA to create clones, which are then slain to make room for an attempt to build the first level 6. The third season is all about a sports festival, with Mikoto’s competitor level 5 as the main character.
Akame ga Kill
Tatsumi, joined by two boyhood friends, travels to the capital in quest of a method to acquire money to aid their impoverished village, but instead of enlisting in the army, he is conned out of his whole inheritance. He is subsequently taken in by a noble family, who provides him assistance but also wants to murder him, like they do with other individuals. He was eventually rescued by the Night Raid and invited to join them.
Night raid is led by Akame, a youthful swordswoman, and each member carries a Teigu. Over 900 years ago, as part of the supernatural Danger Beasts, an alchemical weapon was invented. Even though just 48 of these weapons were developed at the time, almost half of them have been lost to history. They include swords and firearms, as well as more practical goods like armor and living beings. Because their use is not acceptable for everyone, they must be compatible with them if they are to be used as a weapon.
Black Lagoon
The Lagoon Company is a group of pirate mercenaries that smuggles goods in and out of Southeast Asia. It consists of four individuals, including Revy, the primary gunfighter. Their base of operations is in Roanapur, a fictional harbor city. It’s in a metropolis where the Japanese yakuza, as well as a diverse group of pickpockets and thugs, thrive.
The Lagoon firm also uses its Black Lagoon ship to transfer products for other clients, and they have a close association with the Russian crime syndicate Hotel Moscow. Across Southeast Asian nations, the unit frequently engages on numerous missions involving firefights and hand-to-hand combats as well as naval clashes. They are commonly found at the yellow flag, a bar in Roanapur that is frequently destroyed during firefights, when they are not on duty.
Blood +
Blood Plus was a 50-episode television series that aired from October 2005 to September 2006. The anime is set on Onikawa Island, where Saya Otonashi has been living as an anemic amnesiac under the care of her adoptive family. She is a regular high school student whose pleasant existence is cut short when she is attacked by a Chiropteran, a bat-like creature that feeds on human blood. She subsequently discovered that she was the only one who could defeat these creatures since her blood had the ability to fracture their bodies.
She takes her Katana and sets out with her family and friends on a trip to rid the planet of the Chiropteran danger and reclaim her identity. The Chiropterans’ history and Saya’s enigmatic past were revealed during her journey, which spanned the nineteenth century. Saya traveled around the world as the anime progressed, from Japan to Vietnam and even the United States.
Bofuri
Bofuri anime focuses on the life of Kaed Honjou, who was encouraged by her friend Rasa Shiramane to join the game New World Online with her. While she isn’t normally a gamer, she does despise being in agony. So she made a character called Maple and chose to put all of her points in VIT to reduce agony. She became sluggish and unable to use magic to the point where even a rabbit could defeat her.
Due to her pumping points into VIT, she was able to get a special talent known as absolute defense, as well as a counter-skill that works against special moves. She goes on excursions with her buddies, using her new ability to negate all damage. The Bofuri anime only has 12 episodes, and fans are eagerly awaiting word on whether or not it will be renewed for a second season.
Canaan
Maria Osawa and Minoru Minorikawa are deployed as reporters to Shangai to cover the next international anti-terrorist conference, two years after the events of the 428 Shibuya stampede. Their presence in the city was overshadowed by Alphard, Canaan’s opponent, who was planning a strange event. Alphard was preparing a major anti-terrorism plot when Cummings and Liang Qi arrived to save him. Canaan is a 13-episode anime that debuted in 2009 and only lasted one season.
Maria and Minoru returned to Japan from their journey in China, where Maria launched a photo gallery and pondered on the friendship she and Canaan experienced. She also retained a portrait of Alphard, who was once known as Cannan, and the Cannan she met during her Middle East tour, which she named after Canaan.
Claymore
Claymore was a one-season anime that followed Clare, a half-Yoma, half-Human hybrid Claymore, through her adventures. She strives for existence in a planet populated by Yoma, shapeshifting monsters.
Yoma that feed on people torment mankind, and for a charge, a mysterious group known as The Organisation develops Human Yoma Hybrids. These female fighters are known as Claymores, and they wield demonic-powered Claymore swords.
Cross Ange
Cross Ange is a mecha anime featuring a female protagonist that centers on the creation of mana, a revolutionary information transfer and material generation technology. Pollution and conflict are no longer issues, and the globe has entered a period of peace. People who gain from the mana, on the other hand, live in a false serenity. Those who are unable to employ mana are referred to as norma and are considered to be in opposition to society, living under oppression. Angelise Ikaruga’s life is followed in 24 episodes of Cross Ange.
Angelise Ikaruga is the first princess of the Misurugi empire, and she is a firm believer in the norma’s extinction. Julio, her older brother, revealed her as a norma to the public when she was 16, and she became a focus of popular hatred. She is deported to Arzenal, a military base where norma are forced into duty against their will to fight interdimensional creatures, and it is here that she begins her new life as Ange, a norma soldier.
Ga Rei: Zero
The manga’s original anime was announced as a distinct narrative. Fans were confused as soon as the first episode aired because the only thing that the new tale copied was the locale, and the major cast was murdered off in the first episode. All of these events were then transformed into a background for Yomi and Kagure before the manga’s events, making Ga-Rei: Zero a prequel to the original Ga-Rei anime.
Ga-Rei: Zero is a good anime with a female lead that chronicles the life of Kagura, a government agent who wields a Ga-rei, also known as a spirit devourer that she names Byakuei. She utilizes it to combat Kensuke’s spiritual awareness, and his desire to her leads him to follow her to the supernatural agency where he was recruited to battle. Ga-rei: Zero includes 12 episodes, so you won’t have to wait long to finish watching it.
Ghost in The Shell
The original anime for Ghost in the Shell has 26 episodes and was set in the Ghost in the Shell Story’s sub-universe. It also includes all of the manga’s primary protagonists and locations. It differs slightly from the events of the manga, resulting in contradictions between the manga and the stand-alone universe.
Gunslinger Girl
The Gunslinger Girl anime was a 13-episode series based on the manga’s first two volumes. The anime takes place in Italy, where a government-sponsored social welfare service specializes in counterintelligence and counter-terrorism. On the face of the public, it is portrayed as a rehabilitation center for the physically injured, and it is formed of two autonomous branches. The anime only lasted one season with 13 episodes and two OVAs, and the agents were young girls who had had near-death experiences and were equipped with cybernetic implants.
Fratello is the name given to each girl who is paired with an adult male trainer. The trainer is free to employ any tactics he deems appropriate, and these can differ from one trainer to the next. The Fratello has a distinct dynamic, with the majority of the trainers having police or military backgrounds and the ability to select their own cyborgs from a list of hopefuls. Gunslinger Girl Anime, as one of the few anime with a female lead, only aired for one season in 2008 and hasn’t been updated since.
Jojo Bizzare Adventures: Stone Ocean
Jojo Bizzare Adventures eventually got an anime with a female lead, Jolyni Cujo, who was framed for murder and condemned to 15 years in prison. Her father, Jotaro, takes her to Green Dolphin prison and gives her a pendant that has awakened mysterious powers within her.
She then discovered that a Dio disciple had set her up so that he could easily assassinate her in prison. As a result, she had to battle for her life while attempting to flee. Stone Ocean includes 12 episodes and premiered on Netflix in 2021 as Season 5.
Kill La Kill
Ryuko Matoi, a vagrant transfer student, is the focus of Kill La Kill. She arrives with a scissor-shaped royal sword capable of slicing Goku uniforms. She arrives in Honno City in search of the assassin who killed her father, and she suspects Satsuki is involved. Ryuko discovered a sentient sailor suit in a complex beneath her father’s home after a failed attempt to challenge Satsuki on her first day. She gave it the name Senkesu, and subsequently discovered that the suit’s name is Kamui, and that it may boost her powers while she’s transformed.
Ryuko and Satsuki both mentioned that their suits have superpowers and their own will. As a result of the animation, Kazuki Nakashima and Hiroyuki Imaishi, who had previously worked together on Gurren Lagann and later went on to work on Promare, created and directed an original anime project called Kill la Kill, which was shown in October 2013. Kill la Kill was one of the first anime to have a female protagonist, and it would later receive an Ova as a 25th episode, despite the main anime only having 24 episodes and a single season.
Medaka Box
Medaka Kurokami, a charming and gorgeous first-year student at Hakoniwa Academy, is the protagonist of the Medaka Box anime. She is elected student council president, and with the help of a childhood friend, she establishes a suggestion box and responds to various requests in unusual ways. She even goes so far as to assign leadership roles to other students, and the student council learns that the chairman plans to implement the Flask Plan.
Medaka Box is another anime featuring a female protagonist, and because it is based on the student council, it features a large number of female characters. When Misogi Kumagawa, who sought to replace Medaka’s council with his own, challenged the student council to a tournament. Kumagawa was beaten, and two students were able to finish their transfer to Hakoniwa Academy after being unsealed from his powers. They were dubbed not equals, with Anshin as their commander, because they appeared to be more powerful than abnormal.
Moribito
The anime Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit follows Balsa, an itinerant female spear-wielder who has saved the life of Chagum, New Yogo’s second prince. Her life ended up changing abruptly, and at the request of Chagum’s mother, Balsa accepted the task of defending Chagum for the remainder of his life after she found out that he was an assassination target from his father.
Chagum appears to be possessed by something, and all indicators point to it having something to do with a water demon Mikado’s forefathers destroyed many years ago. In order to survive, Balsa and Chagum must allude to the Hunters, a secret elite organization of soldiers who serve Mikado and their leader Mon. In comparison to most anime, Moribito obviously delves more like an anime with a female lead and examines distinct aspects of character development.
Peach Boy Riverside
Peach Boy Riverside is a current anime that debuted in 2021 and has since become one of the most exciting action anime available. Peach Boy Riverside has only had one season thus far, with 12 episodes, and no plans for a second season have been announced. However, given how exciting and action-packed the first season was, a second season is almost certain, so if you like the anime, keep an eye out for any news regarding Peach Boy Riverside Season 2.
The anime follows Princess Saltherine Aldarake of the Kingdom of Aldarake, who wishes to travel throughout the world. The outer world, on the other hand, is a place where monsters roam free and humanity are safe behind thick walls. However, a fortunate encounter led her to Mikoto, a wanderer who encouraged her to follow her aspirations further. When he discloses that he is Momotaro, though, she decides that she has to learn more about the world outside the walls and joins him on his adventure.
Shakugan no Shana
Focusing on the age-old war between the Crimson Realm’s inhibitors, a parallel universe to our own. Crimson Denizens populate the realm, and they have the ability to manipulate the power of existence, which is a fundamental power within any living creature that serves as fuel for people’s survival. Lords of the Crimson Realms are Denizens whose strength shines out among their peers, while Gods are those who are even more strong.
Denizens that are unconcerned with the Crimson Realm’s balance with the human world gather the power of existence from humans to use for their own ends. The Flame Hazes, humans who have made contracts with a Crimson Lord, are in charge of keeping the equilibrium by assassinating any Denizens who try to upset it. Denizens and Flame Haze battle utilizing tremendous magic spells known as the power of unrestraint, and the story is set primarily in Misaki, Japan. Shakugan no Shana only lasted one season and had 24 episodes.
Vivy Flourite Eye’s Song
Following countless tests with autonomous AI, humans came to the conclusion that AI could only be useful if they were given a specific task to which they could devote their lives. The first autonomous AI, Diva, was then established, with the purpose of making people happy through her music. However, her plans to perform on the main stage of the amusement park NiaLand are thwarted when Ryunji, an AI from a century in the future, arrives and informs her of a world where AI has determined to exterminate mankind and wishes to join hands with her to stop it.
From April through June of 2021, Vivy Flourite Eye’s Song aired for only one season, consisting of 13 episodes. It is also one of the anime featuring a female lead character and has managed to garner popularity and a fan base of its own. However, it is currently unknown whether the anime will be renewed for a second season.
Witchblade
Witchblade is based on an American comic book of the same name, but it is not an adaptation of the original tale because it includes a new location and characters. It was one of the first anime to have female lead characters back in 2006. Instead of the previous Witchblade bearers, it had a new protagonist, yet it was still set in the same universe as the comic book. Witchblade was a 24-episode anime that aired for one season, making it one of those brief anime that can be binge-watched.
Witchblade is an anime with a female protagonist about a weapon that only chooses women to wield it. It is claimed to have been sought by men’s greed throughout history, yet it is only given to the women whose fate it will eternally scar. Its wielder must figure out the answers for herself since she will always be on the edge of fate, compelled to find a balance between ecstasy and destruction.
Yona of The Dawn
A red dragon that came down from the heavens and transformed into a human named Hiyuu created and governed Kouka kingdom many years ago. Four Gods’ warriors stood at his side, assisting him in leading the realm to prosperity. With the passage of time, this mythology evolved into a children’s story. When the kingdom had no male successors and just a single princess, Yona, who enjoyed a life of luxury. Her bodyguards defend her while she falls in love with her cousin Soo-Won.
She had all she desired and was safe from the dreadful reality outside the castle walls. Unlike these idyllic illusions, Kouka experienced and survived a political revolution from within the kingdom after her beloved Soo-won mounted a bloody coup and assassinated her father. Yona was forced to depart with just Hak by her side and began living a nomadic existence. She became a prominent figure in this anime as the female protagonist, and she was constantly encircled by adversaries from all sides as she yearned to live and rescue her kingdom.
