Fantasy anime is notoriously a male-dominated genre, and for good reason – however, there are some great anime with female leads for those who know where to look. Whether fans love epic, serious stories or fun parodies of fantasy stories, there’s something to enjoy.
Here are 10 female-led fantasy anime that any fan looking for more representation needs to check out. This list includes some all-time classics and some hidden gems, hoping to provide fresh recommendations whether you’re new to fantasy anime or a longtime fan.
10 Freeze
Frieren takes place after a Lord of the Rings-like epic in which a group of warriors spent ten years fighting the Demon King and working side by side to save the world. However, decades later, the mortal members of the group have aged, while the titular elves have not. The anime explores Frieren’s unique understanding of time, mortality, and knowledge, all from the perspective of an ageless being who only truly experiences the passage of time by how it change the world around her. Even though it only has a few episodes, the anime is adapted from a great manga and Frieren is a fascinating character, through his eyes fantasy stories take on a whole new meaning.
9 Little Witch Academy
While not a Magical Girl anime in terms of genre, this story does follow a group of magical girls. Little Witch Academy sees the eager but magically lacking Akko enrolling in Luna Nova witch school to follow in the footsteps of her idol, famous witch Shiny Chariot. When Akko learned magic, she made up for her lack of ability with sheer determination and sincerity in her love of magic. While there is an overarching plot about the fate of the entire magical world being at stake, Little Witch Academia is primarily a humorous look at everyday life in a magical setting. Except for a few male supporting characters, the entire cast is female, mainly girls attending Luna Nova. Featured characters include a fish wearing a witch’s hat who serves as Luna Nova’s Philosophy professor.
Miss Kobayashi’s 8 dragon maids
The story of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid begins with a dramatic reverse Isekai episode. Dragon Tohru arrives at the doorstep of humble office worker Kobayashi and assumes human form. After Kobayashi gets drunk and invites the Dragon to stay with her, she finds her painfully mundane existence turned upside down by a grateful Tohru claiming to be Kobayashi’s new maid. The series’ humor is driven by the everyday banality of Kobayashi’s life contrasting with the fantastical nature of the Dragon characters. The cast is almost entirely female and their interactions are the main draw of the film.
7 Do not hurt me, my healer
The title of the fantasy parody series is a request from the series’ male lead, bumbling novice adventurer Alvin, to the female lead, Carla, the Dark Elf healer. Carla is the more prominent of the two, especially because of the curse she accidentally placed on Alvin that would kill him if he got too far from her. The two make an unlucky pair, as Alvin proves he’s no good at adventuring and constantly needs Carla’s help – only to fall into even deeper trouble. The series’ deadpan humor is perfectly preserved in the English dub – a remarkable achievement, since that’s where much of the fun of the anime comes from.
6 Yashahime: Half-demon princess
A sequel to the beloved and iconic Inuyahsa, Yashahime is set approximately fifteen years after the original series to follow the adventures of Towa and Setsuna, the daughters of Sesshomaru and their cousin Moroha. Although original creator Rumiko Takahashi had little involvement with the sequel series, Yashahime still captures the tone and visual style of the original Inuyasha. The general consensus was that it wasn’t as good as the original, although many fans were actually upset by the story revelations that bridged the gap between this and Inuyahsa. Taken on its own, Yashahime is compelling enough to stand on its own merits.
5 The great Jahy will not be defeated
With the fall of the Dark Kingdom at the hands of a crusading Magical Girl figure, the demonic second-in-command Jahy was banished to Earth. And without the Mana Crystal to maintain her powers, she is trapped in her child form and forced to work as a waitress to pay the bills that arise in her mundane life in the real world. Outwardly, Jahy is committed to taking over the world and restoring the Dark Kingdom. Most of the time, however, she’s too busy paying rent and putting food on the table. Jahy’s supervillain persona is extremely out of place in such a mundane setting, but the series tells an accessible story about working a dead-end job to make ends meet. Although Jahy never truly renounced evil, she grew a lot as she became close to the sisters Boss and Landlord, her former henchmen from the Dark Kingdom, and the little girl next door Help her search for the Mana Crystal.
4 assassins
Existing at the midpoint between parody and a sincere fantasy story with clear Dungeons & Dragons influences, Slayers is a comedy that tells the story of sorceress Lina Inverse and her companions. Miss. Slayers is a fantasy game with a ridiculous cast of characters who still have the ability to save the world. There are moments of real tension, but for the most part it’s a light, self-aware comedy. It’s undeniable that Lina is the main character, and the original novels upon which the anime is based were recently translated into English for the first time.
3 Claymores
Claymore echoes Attack on Titan with its premise – a medieval fantasy society tries to survive on an island inhabited by cannibal monsters, with only a cadre of highly trained warriors (Claymores in the title) to protect them. Comprised of empowered (literally) heroines, Claymore has a controversial ending, but it takes its time delving into the perspectives of its half-monster heroines and delivering immeasurable action. song is often considered the sole domain of male heroes. It is also tied to the idea of personal and social power – Claymores may be deadly warriors, but they fight to serve a society run by men.
2 Escaflowne Vision
A cult classic, partly because it never aired in its entirety in the United States when it was first localized into English, The Vision of Escaflowne is one of the best anime of the 1990s. Essentially an Isekai romance, The Vision of Escaflowne sees high school student Hitomi transported to the world of Gaea, where she meets Van, prince of the fallen kingdom of Fanelia and concubine. the work of Escaflowne, a shape-shifting machine powered by the heart of a dragon. . Although at its core a romance, Escaflowne features intense mechanical combat scenes with images of human casualties, which played a key role in the series being pulled from the air in the United States.
1 sailor moon
As the most iconic and influential Magical Girl series of all time, Sailor Moon is the epitome of female-led fantasy anime. Sailor Moon has been consistently popular for decades, and the Sailor Guardians are one of the most recognizable hero teams in not only anime but pop culture in general. The Sailors are an all-female team that works together, supporting each other in crisis and bringing out the best in each other, while also demonstrating a great power of imagination that has been repeated over and over again. ever better.
Fans may have to seek out female-led fantasy anime, but once they do, there’s a treasure trove of great stories waiting to be found, often built around these the strong relationships and impressive companionship of women and girls.