Best Shonen Waifus

The shonen genre is replete with ruthless characters who fight beyond their limits for the sake of justice. The majority of heroes have lofty ideals that they defend and protect with all their might. Most of these characters are male, but there is an increasing number of female characters who shine in shonen anime.

Shonen waifus are typically strong, independent women and girls with unwavering resolve. They are oftentimes tougher than the men. Though they are not always the stars of their series, many of these female characters have stolen fans’ hearts since their shows were first broadcast.

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10 Karen Tendou (Gamers!)

Karen Tendou is a hardworking shonen waifu. She makes the top grades, and she is also the president of the gaming club. Most of her classmates see her as the most popular girl in the whole school. Yet, Karen is very relatable.

Like a lot of teenagers, Karen develops an all-consuming crush and loses herself when she is rejected by Keita Amano. Fortunately, she plucks up enough courage to keep asking him until he finally understands her intentions. Karen is tenacious, studious, and enthusiastic, which makes her the perfect, fun shonen waifu.

9 Sister Iris (Fire Force)

The Company 8 Fire Force has many strong soldiers to its name, but the most compassionate (and one of the bravest) is Sister Iris. Despite not having powers nor weapons, Sister Iris willingly goes into flaming combat zones simply to give the raging Infernals their final peace. She braves the smoke and heat to pray for the soul who was lost to the fire.

Outside of her duties as a nun, Sister Iris is a loving person. She shows everyone kindness, no matter who they are, and she strongly believes in the power of second chances. She may be overlooked at times in favor of her super-powered comrades, but Iris is the only one who charges in without any defenses of her own.

8 Ryuko Matoi (Kill la Kill)

Ryuko Matoi is a ruthless shonen waifu out for revenge against her father’s killer. With her trusty half-scissor blade at her side, and adorned with her new partner and Kamuy, Senketsu, Ryuoko is an unstoppable force. Even when it looks like she is defeated for good, she always manages to get back up to fight all over again.

Ryuko is fiercely loyal to her family and friends and strives to do right by them. Though she doesn’t always succeed, she never stops trying to uphold their honor. Ryuko has a hot temper, but it is part of what makes her such a dynamic shonen waifu. Her feisty attitude and nearly unparalleled combat skills add to her top shonen waifu status.

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7 Ochaco Uraraka (My Hero Academia)

Ochaco Uraraka has had her ups and downs throughout My Hero Academia, but her skills have come a long way. Her Zero Gravity Quirk has transformed from an assisting power to one that packs a punch. Uraraka has also grown personally as her attitude toward hero work has changed.

Now that she has been in a few major battles, Uraraka has become an indispensable hero. Not only does she have more grit, but her inherent kindness allows her to empathize even with the villains she fights. Uraraka is one shonen waifu who still doesn’t get as much screen time as she should, but she has grown and her is character is no longer reduced to soley being a romantic interest.

6 Kyoko Hori (Horimiya)

Kyoko Hori is not one to be trifled with. She has a popular-girl persona at school, but she is the main caretaker of her home as well – including looking after her younger brother, Souta. Anyone who tries to cross her has her wrath to look forward to.

Despite this, Hori is also a very loving person. She isn’t shy about her feelings and communicates her desires openly with her boyfriend, Izumi Miyamura. Hori sticks up for Miyamura when others are getting him down, and she loves him with her whole heart. Hori is such a beloved shonen waifu because she doesn’t let others dictate how she is going to live her life.

5 Shoko Komi (Komi Can’t Communicate)

Shoko Komi is a painfully shy young girl who is still trying to overcome her struggles. Although she seems like a cold individual at first, Komi is just like any other teenager looking to make friends in high school.

The hard work Komi puts in to speak to others is admirable. Her eagerness to make friends is also adorable. Although she hasn’t quite crossed the last hurdle on her road to recovery, Komi is getting better and better with each new adventure she and her friends go on.

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4 Shinobu Kocho (Demon Slayer)

Shinobu Kocho may not be the biggest Hashira, but what she lacks in strength, she makes up for in effectiveness. Unlike all other Demon Slayers, Kocho developed a special poison that would kill demons without cutting their heads off. Her Nichirin sword was even specialized to deliver the poisons to the demons through the numerous cuts she inflicts on her targets.

Kocho is exceedingly agile, flitting around her opponents much like the butterflies that represent her family. In addition to her impressive scientific skills, Kocho has proven herself to be incredibly resilient. After her sister Kanae’s passing, Kocho took her place and cared for their adopted sister, Kanao Tsuyuri. Kocho is a surprisingly deadly Hashira who exudes confidence in everything she does.

3 Yor Briar (Spy x Family)

Yor Briar is the Femme Fatale from Spy x Family. She is a ruthless assassin who never hesitates to end the lives of her targets. Yor is also fiercely protective of her family and sometimes loses herself to her deadly Thorn Princess persona when she feels threatened.

However, by day, Yor is a shy civil servant and adopted mother to Anya Forger. Yor is also slightly awkward in her civilian life and one of the worst anime chefs ever. Yor never lets her faults get her down, though. She practices tirelessly until she can make or do something great. Yor is a rare waifu who flawlessly represents both the light and dark sides of herself.

Riza Hawkeye is a no-nonsense Lieutenant who keeps everyone (including Colonel Roy Mustang) in line. Her sniping skills are unmatched, and she has a ruthless conviction that has helped her and her team escape more scrapes than they can count.

Although she is an unshakable warrior, Hawkeye also has a softness to her personality. She appears to have a very close relationship with Mustang beyond the military, and she genuinely cares for her friends and for Edward and Alphonse Elric. Hawkeye is a shonen waifu who knows the price of war, but fights on and stays kind anyway.

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1 Nobara Kugisaki (Jujutsu Kaisen)

She may be from the country, but Nobara Kugisaki is one of the most promising Sorcerers-In-Training at Tokyo Jujutsu High School. Kugisaki is very feminine at heart. She loves shopping and sweets, and she has a unique sense of style when she is not in her uniform. Kugisaki also likes to play pranks on her fellow students (usually with Yuji Itadori’s help). Yet, with all the sweet and fun-loving aspects she has, Kugisaki also has a dark side.

Kugisaki’s Straw Doll Technique is not only impressive because of her unique use of voodoo dolls, but because she can use her own body as the voodoo doll. Though she doesn’t do this all the time, Kugisaki has performed her Straw Doll technique on herself to get a leg up on a particularly difficult Cursed Spirit. Kugisaki is a ruthless young woman who proves that girls don’t have to be masculine to be tough.