Many of the highest-watched anime of all time fall under the Shonen genre. These are targeted towards teen boys aged 13-18, though they attract viewers of all ages and genders. Considering their target audience, many of these anime focus on male characters, with most of the main characters and villains all being men.
Unfortunately, this means that a lot of shows don't represent female anime characters in a strong and powerful light — but they have the potential to do so. The incredible female characters who do shine in the spotlight in their shonen anime deserve some major recognition for standing out.
Updated on March 28, 2023, by Suzail Ahmad: Female characters in anime have improved a lot over the years. Earlier, they were completely sidelined and had little to do with the plot. Most anime utilised them for fanservice, but nowadays female characters are just as good, if not better than their male counterparts. Many new shonen anime have done well to represent female characters in a much better way. It is safe to that the female characters are given immense power so that they can down strong characters without much difficulty. With so many new powerful female characters popping up, the question is: who are the strongest female anime characters?
22 Mereoleona Vermillion (Black Clover)
Mereoleona Vermillion is the eldest daughter of the Vermillion royal family. She was offered the captaincy of the Crimson Lions Squad, which she initially turned down. Later on, Mereoleona became the captain at Julius' behest. She is a zestful individual, and she takes training very seriously.
Mereoleona specializes in Fire Magic, and she has used multiple techniques of varying scales. She can also utilize Reinforcement Magic to increase her physical abilities. Mereoleona is adept at hand-to-hand combat, as evidenced by her fights in the series. Many mages consider her to be the strongest fighter in the kingdom. If needed, she can use the mana zone to enhance the power of her spells further.
21 Clare (Claymore)
Clare used to be a normal human, but after the deaths of her parents, everything changed. She was abused by the Yoma, which resulted in her being mentally scarred. In order to change her life, Clare decided to become a Claymore. The process was excruciating, but it paved the way for Clare to become more powerful.
Clare's transformation into a Claymore helped her become a partially Awakened Being. She was able to transform her limbs into different weapons, allowing her to take down Yokai and other enemies. Clare also had acute Yoki sensing ability, which enabled her to read the movement of her opponents. This gave Clare a major advantage over her targets, as she was able to dodge most of the attacks. In addition to her great strength and speed, Clare was also cunning. If she was unable to overwhelm her opponent physically, she used her wit to force an opening.
20 Biscuit Kruger (Hunter x Hunter)
Biscuit Kruger, better known as Bisky, is one of the main characters in Hunter x Hunter. She is a powerful Hunter, who also served as the mentor of Gon and Killua. Before she became a Hunter, Biscuit trained a lot, which helped her attain superhuman strength.
Over time, Biscuit learned about Nen and mastered all the basics and advanced techniques as well. Biscuit is a Transmuter, and she can use Emission, Manipulation, and Enhancement. So far, no one has been able to push Biscuit to her limits, which proves that she is a cut above the ordinary Hunters. She is also a great tactician, capable of setting traps and anticipating the moves of her opponents.
19 Morgiana (Magi)
Morgiana is a close friend of Aladdin and Ali Baba. She used to be a slave and was only freed after Ali Baba defeated her captor. Due to years of abuse, Morgiana was very traumatized. She ended up becoming strong mentally, which made her unstoppable in battle. As a member of the Fanalis tribe, Morgiana is physically stronger than ordinary people.
She has shown her immense strength time and time again in the story. She can easily overwhelm five to six individuals, which is a major testament to her strength. Morgiana can also use echolocation to monitor her surroundings and sniff out any potential dangers. Morgiana's Battle Cry is another useful ability that helps her scare away any big, ferocious monsters.
18 Kagura (Gintama)
Kagura joined Odd Jobs after she was run over with a scooter by Gintoki. As a member of the Yato clan, she is far superior to humans in terms of physical strength. Kagura's Yato lineage allows her to fight the strongest of characters without any problems.
She has displayed her strength several times in the series, but she rarely goes all-out in fights because of her kind nature. If she loses control of her emotions, she becomes a ruthless killing machine. She is considered to be a lot stronger than an average Yato, which makes her one of the strongest characters in Gintama.
17 Charlotte Linlin (One Piece)
Charlotte Linlin, better known as Big Mom, was one of the Yonko, making her one of the four strongest pirates in the series. She ate the Soru Soru no Mi, which is a paramecia-type devil fruit that allows its user to steal the souls of other people.
After stealing the soul of a person, Big Mom can use it to boost her own strength or to create homies, who fight for her. In addition to the powerful devil fruit, Big Mom could also use three types of Haki, which made her an extremely dangerous character. Big Mom's skin was so tough that she had never been scratched in a fight. Furthermore, she was able to fight against Kaido without any problems.
16 Lisa Lisa (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
Lisa Lisa is one of the main characters from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Battle Tendency. She met her son, Joseph, when he came to Venice to learn about Hamon. Lisa Lisa took him and Caesar under her wing, and she also assigned Messina and Loggins to supervise them.
Lisa Lisa was a talented Hamon user whose power scared Kars and forced him to use underhanded means to defeat her. Lisa Lisa never got a chance to show off her full power, but considering that she was trained by Straizo, it is safe to assume that she was undoubtedly a very powerful fighter.
15 Retsu Unohana (Bleach)
Retsu Unohana used to be the Captain of the Fourth Division of the Gotei 13. She was a veteran who had amassed a great deal of experience during her service. Retsu was also considered to be the best healer within Soul Society, and she learned the art of healing from Tenjiro Kirinji, a Royal Guard.
Retsu's swordswomanship is just as good, if not better, than her healing abilities. She had mastered almost all the sword fighting techniques, which allowed her to overwhelm her opponents without any problems. She fought against Kenpachi numerous times, and she managed to beat him almost every time. Retsu also possessed a keen intellect, and she would always assess the situation before jumping into a fight. All these qualities make her one of the strongest female anime characters.
14 Nobara Kugasaki (Jujutsu Kaisen)
Nobara is a powerful jujutsu sorcerer in training with some impressive skills. Even from the start of the anime, when she is barely 16 years old, she already possesses incredible skills far beyond the main protagonist Yuji. She has incredible mental fortitude and can beat down lower cursed spirits like it's no big deal.
Even as a first-year at Tokyo Jujutsu High, Nobara has the potential to combat special-grade curses and can even surpass upperclassmen with far more experience than her. She's truly a force to be reckoned with.
13 Mitsuri Kanroji (Demon Slayer)
Mitsuri, or the Hashira of Love, is a Demon Slayer in the Demon Slayer Corps with extraordinary strength and abilities. From the age of one, she had an amazing amount of strength that made her seem nearly non-human.
Mitsuri is very nimble and fast while also tough and muscular, having a muscle mass that is nearly eight times the density of a regular person. She completed the Final Selection in an unbelievably short time and is a master swordswoman with skills beyond some of her fellow Demon Slayers.
12 Milim Nava (That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime)
This destructive force is one of the strongest and deadliest demon lords and can transform from a cute pink-haired girl to a fierce dragonoid. Viewers shouldn't let her initially adorable appearance fool them.
When her beloved pet dragon was killed in the war, Milim obliterated an entire country all on her own. She has the nickname "Destroyer," which is quite fitting for how much damage she can deal without breaking a sweat. Thankfully, she ends up on the protagonist Rimuru's side and uses her immense power for good (most of the time).
11 Lucy (Elfen Lied)
Lucy is a member of the diclonii, a species that branched off from humans with incredible strength, horns, and invisible destructive arms called vectors. After dealing with a tormented past and a life of sadness and violence, Lucy killed an enormous amount of human beings with her undetectable power.
Lucy is always at risk of having a murderous outburst and spent the majority of her terrifying childhood slaughtering entire families due to her initial hate of humans. She is powerful, hard to catch, and has nearly unbeatable abilities. Her story goes much deeper than just being a killer, but her power is scary nonetheless.
10 Mikasa Ackerman (Attack On Titan)
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Attack on Titan is of the few popular shonen animes whose women are just as valuable, well-rounded, intricate, and powerful as the men. Mikasa Ackermann is a strong, intimidating girl who protects Eren and those she cares about.
She is terrifyingly tough from childhood and grows up to become the second most skilled Scout in the entire world, right after her older relative, Levi. Mikasa rarely gets injured, has an impressive kill count, and is always there to rescue those in need.
9 Mirko (My Hero Academia)
The Rabbit Hero, Mirko, proves her immense strength time and time again. She's the highest-ranked female Pro-Hero in My Hero Academia, consistently rising in rank over time. Her quirk gives her enhanced strength, incredible hearing, boosted speed, great agility, and high pain tolerance.
Mirko is also proficient in hand-to-hand combat, utilizing her powerful legs to beat down her opponents. She takes on multiple Nomu at a single time, something no other hero has been able to do. She's well deserving of her spot as a top Pro-Hero.
8 Misa Amane (Death Note)
Misa Amane doesn't have any magical combat skills or experience in fighting. Instead, her power comes from her passion, wittiness, and of course, from her Death Note. Misa made the deal to get the power of Shinigami Eyes, allowing her to see the name and lifespan of anyone she looks at.
This gives her an edge over her enemies, as she can write down any person's name after seeing their face. Misa makes this list because of the sheer number of people she has killed. And in the world of Death Note, she is the most deadly human being to exist, next to Light.
7 Izumi Curtis (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Izumi is a master alchemist and master martial artist. She is easily one of the physically strongest characters in the series, having immense skill in hand-to-hand combat and using weapons. Her alchemy skills are impressive as well, and she is highly intelligent when it comes to using alchemy for good.
Izumi's best attacks were often followed by her painfully spitting up blood due to a failed Human Transmutation in her past. However, she eventually overcomes this internal trauma and continues to be the toughest Fullmetal Alchemist woman.
6 Akame ga Kill (Akame ga Kill)
Akame, the titular female protagonist in Akame ga Kill, is the toughest member of the group Night Raid. She wields two masterful swords that make for deadly attacks, and her physical power is almost superhuman.
Akame can slice through people as if they are water. She moves quicker than any human should be able to, defeating her enemies without giving them a chance to fight back.
5 Erza Scarlet (Fairy Tail)
Erza is an S-Class Mage of the Fairy Tail Guild and a part of Team Natsu. She excels at swordsmanship, archery, and hand-to-hand combat. She also boasts incredible endurance, reflexes, durability, strength, and intelligence. Erza is famous for being the only sword Mage so efficient at re-equipping weapons and armor during a fight.
She has over 100 different armor to utilize in battle. Erza also can use Telekinesis, combining the ability with her proficiency in Sword Magic to control her swords remotely and send them at her enemies.
4 Merlin (Seven Deadly Sins)
Seven Deadly Sins' take on this character is a very skewed version of Merlin from the story of Camelot. She is a mysterious figure who reveals more and more of her godly power as the show carries on, helping defeat some of the most terrible villains in the entire realm.
Her magic is stronger than any other character so far. Not to mention, her intelligence surpasses that of even Goddesses and Demons, having outwitted the leaders of both races. Her power level is utterly frightening, but she uses it to make sure her comrades and friends are safe.
3 Kale (Dragon Ball Super)
Kale is a pure-blooded Saiyan whose power is unmatched by any other female character in Dragon Ball Super. She can even overpower some of the toughest male characters in the show. Though usually timid, she unlocks a more violent personality when she enters her Super Saiyan state.
As Kale unlocks her more powerful Super Saiyan abilities, she goes up against even tougher opponents and even walks out unscathed by Goku's Super Saiyan Blue Kamehameha. Kale even kept up with Goku in his Super Saiyan God form.