Underestimate these badass female leads at your own peril.
From former princesses to trained warriors, these ladies all have their own missions to accomplish. They aren't your average damsales in distress who need rescuing. They're doing the rescuing.
10. Kill la Kill
Ryuuko Matoi is on the hunt for her father’s killer with only one clue: half of a scissor blade. Her search leads her to Honnouji Academy, a school where might is right, ruled by the iron fist of student council president Satsuki Kiryuuin. As Ryuuko goes head to head with the school’s elite fighters, she begins to learn that maybe the students aren’t her enemies and that maybe there’s a greater evil lurking in the shadows that must be defeated.
You'll like Kill la Kill if…
- You like intense action scenes
- You like characters with super powered abilities
- You like plots with high intensity
9. Teppuu
Ishidou Natsuo was born incredibly talented, but that gift is also a curse. Because everything comes so naturally to her, everything bores her, that is, until she meets Yuzuko Mawatari. Yuzuko invites her to the MMA club and even defeats Natsuo in a spar. Driven by her competitive nature and burning desire to beat Yuzuko, Natsuo takes on challenge after challenge in order to gain the skill she needs to fight Yuzuko publicly.
You’ll like Teppuu if…
- You like martial arts
- You like mean protagonists
- You like simple characters
8. The Queen’s Flower
Aki is a princess who was banished from her country because of her skill, and with only her slave Hakusei remaining by her side, she is determined to return to her kingdom and take revenge. However the king’s second wife, the Second Queen, is willing to do whatever she must to keep Aki from succeeding. Aki will have to face the realities of war and brave the world of court politics if she hopes to survive long enough to carry out her plans of vengeance.
You’ll like The Queen’s Flower if…
- You like historical dramas
- You like shoujo manga
- You like adventure manga
7. Kakegurui: Compulsive Gambler
Hyakkaou Private Academy is a school for the rich where gambling makes the laws. Yumeko Jabami is a transfer student who is a gambling addict with a passion for putting everything on the line for a moment of thrill. Her goal is to gamble as much as she can, and to do that she’s willing to take on the dangerous elites of the school.
You’ll like Kakegurui: Compulsive Gambler if…
- You like gambling
- You like competitions with high stakes
- You like elaborate strategies
6. Elfen Lied
Lucy is a mutated species known as a “Diclonius” born from mysterious circumstances. The defining features of her kind are horns and dangerously powerful invisible telekinetic hands. One day, Lucy seizes a chance to escape from the people holding her captive, but during her escape she receives an injury that causes her to develop a split personality. She is found by Kouta and Yuka who find themselves caught up in a world of secrets and death as the government uses every means at their disposal to capture Lucy.
You’ll like Elfen Lied if…
- You like psychological themes
- You like gore
- You like traumatised characters
5. Ghost in the Shell
Major Motoko Kusanagi and her partner Chief Daisuke Aramaki are investigating the Puppeteer, a criminal who hacks into brains in a world where most of the public has cyberbrains. Their investigation leads them to discover that the Puppeteer is actually an AI residing in the body of a robot. Though Kusanagi manages to destroy the Puppeteer’s host, the Puppet Master is far from dead and what happens next is completely up to Kusanagi.
You’ll like Ghost in the Shell if…
- You like sci-fi
- You like cyberpunk
- You like mysteries
4. Black Lagoon
There is a group of mercenaries known as Lagoon Company who smuggle goods in the Southeast Asia region. One of Lagoon Company’s members is Revy, an exceptionally skilled user of firearms who shows no hesitation in battle. She and the crew take on various missions from all sorts of clients, which usually bring bloody results.
You’ll like Black Lagoon if…
- You like episodic plots
- You like fast paced action
- You like plots with underworld activities
3. Claymore
In a medieval island humans live their lives in fear of Yoma, shape-shifters that can take on the form of humans and hunger for human flesh. To fight these monsters, The Organization created human-Yoma hybrids called Claymores that share the Yomas’ mysterious and demonic powers. Clare is a low ranked Claymore on the hunt for vengeance, and in her pursuit of it she learns about the world ranging from lessons about friendship to sinister truths about the very organization she hails from.
You’ll like Claymore if…
- You like intense battles
- You like demons
- You like people with supernatural abilities
2. Song of the Long March
Princess Yongning is forced to flee from home after a coup d'etat led by the crown prince’s brother killed her family. She swears that she will avenge them, and to do this she assumes the identity of a young man. Disguised, she is able to gain the trust of the emperor of the Shou province as well as gain acknowledgement in the military for her skill as a strategist. The path of revenge is a rocky one full of challenges, but it is one the princess is determined to take.
You’ll like Song of the Long March if…
- You like historical settings
- You like military strategy
- You like fast paced stories
1. Yona of the Dawn
After her father is killed by the cousin she is in love with, Princess Yona of Kouka is forced to escape from the palace with her loyal bodyguard Hak. Having lived a simple life of luxury until now, Yona is lost and above all confused about what had just happened. In order to save the kingdom, Yona and Hak travel in search of the four dragon warriors of legend, and as they journey they begin to learn that life in Kouka is not as perfect as Yona thought.
You’ll like Yona of the Dawn if…
- You like fantasy manga
- You like shoujo manga
- You like complex characters
