This article is part of a directory: Best Anime of All Time || Game Rant’s Official Best Anime Ranking
Table of contents

Highlights

  • Maid outfits are a beloved and iconic aspect of anime, with many fans cosplaying as their favorite anime maids.
  • Maids in anime are not just background characters, but often play important roles in adventures, conflicts, and comedic moments.
  • Anime maids come in diverse personalities and have unique stories, often stealing the spotlight with their abilities and contributions to the main characters' journeys.

The iconic maid outfit is a staple within the anime community. Maid costumes are especially popular in Japan due to the abundance of maid cafes and cosplay events there, so it's no surprise that the style found its way into anime and video games. Anime characters that wear maid outfits are much-loved by anime fans, and many people love to cosplay as their favorite anime maid.

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In recent years, mangakas and anime producers have started to include maid cafes more and more in their content, with some anime solely focused entirely on the dynamic within a maid cafe. Many anime fans dream of being able to go to a maid cafe in Japan due to the unique aspects and cute outfits.

Updated October 30, 2023 by Via Erhard: Anime isn't just about epic battles, magical realms, and overpowered heroes. Since anime shows often introduce fans to characters who might seem simple but are capable of leaving a lasting impression. Maids in anime, for instance, are not just there to clean and serve tea. They're often at the heart of many adventures, conflicts, and comedic moments.

From the dignified and powerful to the hilariously quirky, anime maids often steal the spotlight with their diverse personalities and unique stories. Whether they're battling villains, supporting the main characters, or just bringing a smile to viewers' faces, these maids have earned their place in the anime hall of fame.

21 Mahoro Andou

Mahoromatic

Mahoro Andou in Mahoromatic

Japanese Title

Mahoromatikku

Studio

Gainax, Shaft

Where to Stream

HiDive, Prime Video

Mahoromatic fans can meet one of the cutest yet deadliest maids in anime history. The story follows the combat android Mahoro who decides to live her remaining days as a maid. Even though she could have chosen any life, she decided to serve Suguru Misato, whose father was tied to her past.

Mahoro is iconic because she's not an everyday maid. While she has normal duties, fans can also witness her incredible combat skills as well as get to know her emotions and personality. Anime fans love her for her dedication to Suguru and her internal struggles with her history and short lifespan. Her character reminds viewers that even in the mundane tasks of life, there's a story of passion and purpose.

20 Anna Kurauchi

He Is My Master

Mitsuki, Yoshitaka, Izumi, and Anna in He Is My Master

Japanese Title

Kore ga Watashi no Goshujin-sama

Studio

Gainax

Where to Stream

Sentai Filmworks, HiDive

He Is My Master is a quirky and laugh-out-loud funny tale of two sisters who end up working for a young millionaire. Anna Kurauchi, the energetic and assertive friend of the sisters who later joined the household, made the dynamics even more entertaining. Anna's bold and somewhat aggressive nature towards her crush makes her unforgettable.

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Her antics often lead to comedic situations, but it's her unwavering dedication and protective attitude toward her friends that make her such a beloved character. Anna epitomizes the idea that maids in anime aren't just background characters but can be at the forefront of comedy and drama.

19 Maria

Hayate the Combat Butler

Maria in Hayate the Combat Butler

Japanese Title

Hayate no Gotoku!

Studio

SynergySP, J.C.Staff, Manglobe

Where to Stream

Crunchyroll, Netflix

Hayate the Combat Butler not only introduces viewers to one of the most iconic anime butlers but also to Maria, the personal maid and confidante of Nagi Sanzenin. While the series revolves around the comedic adventures of the unfortunate Hayate and his role as Nagi's butler, Maria shines with her calm demeanor and wisdom beyond her years.

She often acts as the voice of reason in the chaotic Sanzenin mansion and offers guidance to both Hayate and Nagi. Maria's serene presence amid the whirlwind of craziness and her motherly instincts toward the household makes her a fan favorite. She's beloved because she is fun, yet she still embodies the essence of a true caretaker in the wild world of anime maids.

18 Haru

The Secret World of Arrietty

Haru - The Secret World of Arrietty

Japanese Title

Kari-gurashi no Arietti

Studio

Studio Ghibli

Where to Stream

HBO Max, Netflix

Even beautiful Studio Ghibli movies have hated characters, and one of its most unpopular ones is Haru, who was the seemingly kind elderly maid who worked for Sadako Maki. Unfortunately for Arrietty and her family, Haru was an ignorant person who cared about nothing but rules and thought that the only way to protect the household was to get rid of the Borrowers.

Haru never looked at Arrietty as an equal or a sentient being but only as a tiny thief who disrupted the order of the house. While she is the most unlikable anime maid, her presence is still vital for The Secret World of Arrietty's story since it adds more tension to it as well as serves as a reminder to viewers that they shouldn't be intolerant and prejudiced towards new people and new things.

17 Lilia Greyrat

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation

Lilia Greyrat - Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation

Japanese Title

Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu

Studio

Studio Bind

Where to Stream

Funimation, Hulu

Even though Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation is not an anime about maids, it still has many different kinds of maid characters. However, its most important and memorable one is Lilia Greyrat, who worked at the Greyrat family home.

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While Lilia was a reliable, diligent, and hardworking maid, she wasn't without faults either, and because of her loneliness and attraction the Paul Greyrat, she ended up pregnant. Even though the family had to overcome this difficult period, she eventually stayed at the Greyrat household, and over time she developed an even stronger relationship with all its family members.

16 Virgo

Fairy Tail

Virgo - Fairy Tail

Japanese Title

Fearī Teiru

Studio

A-1 Pictures, Satelight, Bridge, and CloverWorks

Where to Stream

Funimation, Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix

Fairy Tail is one of the funniest battle shonen anime shows of all time, and its most mischievous and cute character is Virgo. She's one of the most magical anime maids since she's not a simple human but one of the celestial spirits of the Zodiac sign and can be summoned by her master, Lucy.

Virgo is one of the most interesting anime maids since she not only helps Lucy with household tasks like cleaning and cooking but is a capable fighter who can use earth magic and supports her during battles too. She's also one of the most loyal celestial spirits and often asks for punishment since Virgo is also a masochist.

15 Saber

Carnival Phantasm

Saber - Carnival Phantasm

Japanese Title

Kānibaru Fantazumu

Studio

Lerche

Where to Stream

-

Saber is one of the most hilarious characters in Carnival Phantasm who, thanks to a special event, had a chance to become a member of a fun maid cafe. Naturally, Saber got to wear a maid outfit as well as had to serve customers at the cafe.

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While many characters and even fans idolize anime maid cafes, Saber has a surprisingly hard experience and ends up realizing just how hard it can be to work at a maid cafe as a waitress. However, thanks to Saber's stoic and fun personality, this episode became one of the most entertaining ones in the anime.

14 Maid Chan

The Pet Girl of Sakurasou

maid chan from the anime The Pet Girl of Sakurasou

Japanese Title

Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo

Studio

J.C.Staff

Where to Stream

Crunchyroll, Hulu, and HiDive

Maid Chan is an AI program in The Pet Girl of Sakurasou, owned by Ryuunosuke, who is the programmer who created her. She mostly helps with blocking and replying to messages with words that she has learned through exposure to texts and the internet. Maid Chan is also highly skilled in hacking and can create malicious viruses.

She also likes to give Sorata advice while he's playing a video game on his computer. Ryuunosuke plans to eventually produce an artificial body for Maid Chan so she can live in the real world.

13 Narberal Gamma

Overlord

Narberal Gamma from the anime overlord

Japanese Title

Ōbārōdo

Studio

Madhouse

Where to Stream

Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Hulu

The iconic Narberal Gamma is a member of the Pleiades Six Stars, a battle maid squad in the anime Overlord. She is a battle maid for the Great Tomb of Nazarick and is a caster of magic. Narberal is well-known amongst the Sorcerer Kingdom's adventurers due to her impressive skills and battle techniques.

She sees humans as inferior but isn't a fan of killing them unless they give her reason to. Nerberal is loyal to a called Ainz and was created by Nishikienrai, who is, in fact, one of the founders of Ainz.

12 Lilith

The Maid I Hired Recently Is Mysterious

The Maid I Hired Recently Is Mysterious edit

Japanese Title

Saikin Yatotta Meido ga Ayashī

Studio

SILVER LINK., Blade

Where to Stream

Crunchyroll

Lilith is hired as the new maid for Yuuri, but she seems to be hiding something. While she appears to be a brilliant maid, her suspicious behavior makes Yuuri extremely cautious of Lilith. Her cooking skills are amazing, and she leaves the mansion spotless after a cleaning session. Lilith is portrayed as an extremely beautiful woman who works hard. She enjoys teasing Yuuri but is surprised when Yuuri responds bluntly.

Lilith worked for Yuuri’s family previously but left after being offered a permanent position. She worked for another family for a period of time but ended up working for Yuuri again after finding out the news of his parent’s passing.

11 Roberta

Black Lagoon

the maid roberta from the anime black lagoon

Japanese Title

Burakku Ragūn

Studio

Madhouse

Where to Stream

Funimation, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video

Despite being a maid, Roberta isn’t the best at cooking a meal or cleaning, which is the complete opposite of what a maid’s skillset should be. While working for the Lovelace family, she became close friends with the youngest son, Garcia Lovelace.

Roberta was trained as an assassin in Cuba while she was part of the F.A.R.C guerrilla, making her a wanted criminal. She’s often referred to as the “Bloodhound of Florencia” but is a polite woman overall. Fans of Black Lagoon often see Roberta trying her best to repent her past actions, showing that she feels guilt for what she has done.

10 Chihiro Komiya

Shonen Maid

Shōnen Maid Characters  in front of house

Japanese Title

Shōnen Meido

Studio

8bit

Where to Stream

Funimation

Chihiro ends up alone with no home after his mother suddenly passes away. One day, he meets a rich man called Madoka Takatori, who ends up being Chihiro’s uncle. He then moves into Madoka’s lavish mansion but is surprised when he notices how much of a mess the home is. Chihiro is a very neat individual, so this instantly makes him want to start cleaning the mansion up.

He officially becomes the housekeeper while wearing a cute maid dress that was created by Uncle Madoka. Not only is he great at cleaning, but he’s also a fantastic cook and makes meals every day for the household. Because Chihiro is still a child, he’s surprisingly mature and tries his best to spark up Madoka, who has started to become a little bit too relaxed when it comes to daily chores.

9 Kaho Hinata

Blend S

the character kaho from the anime blend s

Japanese Title

Burendo Esu

Studio

A-1 Pictures

Where to Stream

Crunchyroll and Netflix

Kaho works at Stile Cafe and plays the archetypical tsundere anime maid. Her true personality is quite bubbly, and her favorite hobbies consist of playing video games and spending all of her wages at the arcade. Kaho is a popular maid at Stile Cafe as the tsundere act is popular amongst the customers, and her love for video games makes her more relatable to them.

When she's teased for her love for video games by her co-workers, her actual tsundere side appears. Kaho also loves to take her co-workers to the arcade throughout the show, creating some heartwarming and fun scenes between friends.

8 Faris NyanNyan

Steins;Gate

faris nyannyan from the anime steins gate

Japanese Title

Shutainzu Gēto

Studio

White Fox

Where to Stream

Funimation, Hulu, and Crunchyroll

Steins;Gate is a visual novel and anime that is hugely popular within the anime community. Faris owns a maid cafe called MayQueen NyanNyan and is even a part-time employee there. She likes to add "nya" to the end of every sentence and focuses on keeping her maid cafe "moe." Faris claims to have an ability called the "Chesire Break," which allows her to take a peek into people's hearts and is very perceptive when it comes to others.

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She finds it hard to trust people, but on the outside, she's bubbly and charismatic. Faris uses her maid persona to cover up the fact that she is deeply self-conscious.

7 Mey Rin

Black Butler

mey rin from the anime black butler

Japanese Title

Kuroshitsuji

Studio

A-1 Pictures

Where to Stream

Netflix, Funimation, and Hulu

Mey Rin is a maid at the Phantomhive Manor under the rule of Ciel Phantomhive in the manga and anime, Black Butler. She believes in complete loyalty to her master Ciel and to her fellow butler, Sebastian Michaelis, whom she has a crush on due to his kindness towards her. As well as being a lovable anime maid, she is also a highly skilled sniper and takes her glasses off when using a gun.

These are some of the only scenes where viewers can see Mey Rin's eyes properly due to her glasses. She can be clumsy, but she is a trusted maid and works hard for Ciel, especially when she guards the manor during the night with her sniper rifle.

6 Sadayo Kawakami

Persona 5

sadayo kawakami and ren in persona 5 animation

Japanese Title

Perusona Faibu: Ji Animeishon

Studio

CloverWorks

Where to Stream

Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Hulu

Sadayo Kawakami is a teacher at Shujin Academy and is introduced to fans as the homeroom teacher of the protagonist of the JRPG Persona 5, AKA Joker. Much to Joker's surprise, he finds out that his homeroom teacher is, in fact, a maid.

During her part-time job, she calls herself Becky, and she provides housekeeping services as well as massages and spending time with clients. Her personality as Becky is the complete opposite of her actual persona at school, and she acts stereotypically "moe." In the Persona 5 game, players can even choose Sadayo as a relationship option.

5 Ai Hayasaka

Love Is War

ai hayasaka from kaguya sama love is war

Japanese Title

Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Ren'ai Zunousen

Studio

A-1 Pictures

Where to Stream

Funimation and Crunchyroll

While Ai Hayasaka doesn’t look like a typical anime maid, with her usual outfit either being a school uniform or a smart collared shirt while at home, she’s still a fan favorite. Ai studies at Shuchiin Academy and is a valet for the Shinomiya family. The Hayasaka family has worked for the Shinomiya family for generations.

Due to Ai’s job role, she has a pretty close relationship with Kaguya, which leads to Kaguya showing Ai her true self. Ai Hayasaka comes across as a stern individual, but during the day, she’s a typical high school student and works hard to help Kaguya deal with her romantic interest in the school council president, Shirogane.

4 Tohru

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, Tooru

Japanese Title

Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon

Studio

Kyoto Animation

Where to Stream

Crunchyroll and Funimation

Tohru suddenly appears at Kobayashi's front door. Much to her surprise, Tohru is, in fact, a dragon. As Tohru transforms into a human, Kobayashi notices that she's also wearing a maid outfit. Tohru is grateful to Kobayashi for letting her stay at her home and starts to fall in love with her extremely quickly.

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Due to her love for Kobayashi, she decides to become her full-time maid. Despite being a dragon, Tohru is a bubbly individual. This is until someone comes along to get in the way of her love for Kobayashi, which makes her cheerful personality soon turn sour.

3 Maika Sakuranomiya

Blend S

Blend S anime maika sakuranomiya

Japanese Title

Burendo Esu

Studio

A-1 Pictures

Where to Stream

Crunchyroll and Netflix

Blend S is a maid anime that is entirely focused on a maid cafe called Stile. It's a fun and light-hearted anime that follows the lives of each maid. The viewer is introduced to Maika, who is a cheerful girl but scares people when she smiles due to her sadistic expression.

The owner of the maid cafe, Dino, is caught off guard by Maika and thinks she would fit in perfectly at Stile Cafe. Each maid at the cafe has to adorn a different personality to attract various types of customers. Maika must play a sadistic role and is told to treat the customers badly. She struggles with this at first because she is a kind-natured and bubbly girl.

2 Rem

Re:Zero

re-zero-subaru-rem-emilia

Japanese Title

Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu

Studio

White Fox

Where to Stream

Crunchyroll, Funimation, and HBO Max

Rem is a maid at Rosmaal Mansion, and at first, she finds it hard to trust Subaru when he suddenly appears. Throughout the show, they take part in many battles and go through many hardships. Rem eventually develops feelings for Subaru and starts to find it easy to open up to him more and more.

She's a polite girl but tends to act spontaneously sometimes without thinking it through first. Rem and her twin sister Ram were raised in an Oni village, but as they only have one horn each, they were never seen as true Oni.