To be a badass, a character has to act in a way that stands out from most. Whether that’s saving the day at the last minute or having unmatched charisma, these traits aren’t frequent among anime protagonists. Protagonists like Haruyuki from Accel World or Kazuya from Rent A Girlfriend are proof of that. With main characters as embarrassing as them, the audience has to focus on the main heroines in their stead.
Some heroines have gotten so popular that audiences feel they should’ve been the focus instead. Satsuki Kiryuin from Kill La Kill and Mikasa Ackerman from Attack On Titan are notable examples. They are just some of many heroines whose level of badassery exceeds the protagonists massively.
10 Ayame Kajou (Shimoneta)
Shimoneta was a bizarre series that was ahead of its time. In a version of Japan where all lewdness ceased to exist, Ayame Kajou fought for the freedom of all who wanted to be perverse. The series protagonist, Okuma Tanukichi, fell in line with the rules and saw no problem being oppressed. That is, until he met Ayame, who taught him that everyone should act however they wanted as long as it didn’t harm others.
Through dressing provocatively and leaving nude magazines around Japan, Ayame opposed Japan’s attempts at suppressing anything lewd. Unlike Okuma, she didn’t bow down to authority and was at the forefront of making a change for Japan’s future.
9 Kasey (Super Crooks)
Despite being a villain, Kasey from Super Crooks grew tired of committing crimes. Unlike her boyfriend, Johnny, Kasey wished to settle down and live an easy life with luxury. Johnny couldn’t imagine a life without villainy, which caused the pair to break up. Ironically, Kasey was a better villain than Johnny without having to try as hard as he did. Compared to her boyfriend, Kasey’s win-loss record was much higher with minimal effort.
Kasey’s most prominent achievement in Super Crooks would be defeating the famous supervillain, “The Bastard.” Initially seen as the most powerful psychic, Kasey put him under a powerful illusion that was so realistic that he couldn’t separate it from reality.
8 Saya Tokido (Little Busters!)
Out of all the strange anomalies in Little Busters!, the story of Saya Tokido, whose real name was Aya, was arguably the oddest. After dying in a flood, Saya’s soul strayed into the artificial world created by Kyosuke Natsume. While there, she reincarnated into a manga character named Saya Tokido, who worked as a secret agent in her series.
From then on, Saya went on numerous missions with the series’ protagonist, Riki Naoe. Saya’s skill with weaponry was exceptional, with her using multiple firearms with ease. Her first confrontation with Riki made him fear for his life due to how skilled she was.
7 Nazuna Nanakusa (Call Of The Night)
2022’s summertime anime Call Of The Night was a series that accurately depicted people known as “Night Walkers.” Nazuna Nanakusa, the aloof, easygoing secondary protagonist, demonstrated how people like her were born to live the nightlife. As a vampire who could only operate at night, she taught the protagonist, Kou Yamori, to be himself during a time of day when he couldn’t be judged.
Unlike typical vampires in anime, Nazuna is friendly and caring around humans. As a Night Walker, she lives a wild lifestyle that regular people who operate during the daytime wouldn’t understand.
6 Ayaka Kagari (Witch Craft Works)
One of the first characters to demonstrate that women can be the rescuers instead of the rescued, Ayaka from Witch Craft Works was a Mary Sue who acted as Honoka Takamiya’s protector. Nearly joined at the hip, Ayaka never left his side and put her life on the line several times to save him from other witches. Most of the time, Honoka was prone to danger.
Unbeknownst to Honoka, he met Ayaka years before the story. That encounter led to Ayaka swearing to protect Honoka until she died. Nearly unparalleled in magecraft, she was the third most powerful character in Witch Craft Works.
5 Ram (Re:Zero)
Although audiences favor Rem in Re:Zero, it’s universally accepted that her sister is a badass in her own right. Recognized as a prodigy in her village as a child, Rem envied her sister, Ram. After losing her power, Ram and Rem began to work for Roswaal Mathers in his mansion. Superficially, Rem is the better half of them, as she excels at cooking, cleaning, and all manner of chores.
However, Ram’s considered much more powerful, even without her horn. She’s also shown to be more analytical and pragmatic than Subaru and her sister.
4 Yuri Nakamura (Angel Beats!)
Yuri’s tenacity is so strong that she resisted god’s will for likely hundreds of years. In Angel Beats!, Yuri Nakamura appeared in Purgatory after she died in a car accident. Unable to accept her fate, she fought against god’s “angel,” Kanade Tachibana, to ask god for a second chance at life. Alongside other teens who wanted to restart their lives, Yuri created the “Afterlife Battlefront” to take the war to god in heaven.
While Yuri’s plans were unorthodox, her team respected her unshakable will and wit. As skilled and gifted as she portrayed herself to be, though, Yuri secretly worried about her effectiveness often.
3 Saber (Fate/Zero)
As the legendary king of Britain, Saber, whose real name is Arthur Pendragon, commanded tens of thousands of men. In Fate/Zero, Shirou Emiya summoned Saber to fight for him during the Holy Grail War. Saber proved a formidable servant, going up against the toughest heroes and leaving the battles unscathed. While Saber’s power reflected her prominent legend, Shirou’s magic did not.
Shirou’s skill as a mage poorly mirrored Saber’s status. Many mages in Fate/Zero commented that Shirou didn’t deserve to own her spirit. Her legendary blade, Excalibur, arguably went unrivaled throughout the entire series.
2 Mereoleona Vermillion (Black Clover)
Indisputably the most dominant female in Black Clover, Mereoleona is the only person in the series who scares more people than Yami Sukehiro. As the sister of Fuegoleon Vermillion, the two would constantly get into fights that destroyed their estate. Tired of her restrictive environment, Mereoleona moved to the forest to live with ferocious beasts.
Mereoleona’s strength is nearly mythic. Before the time skip, one could argue that she was the most powerful captain in the Clover Kingdom. She effortlessly dominated Rhya The Disloyal, an elf who boasted more strength than Julius Novachrono’s most challenging opponent.
1 Velvet Crowe (Tales Of Zestiria)
Despite appearing in two episodes, Velvet Crow stole the spotlight in Tales Of Zestiria. After Velvet’s brother-in-law, Artorius Collbrande, sacrifices her younger brother to save the world, Velvet makes it her duty to get revenge. As a Therion, she gains power through devouring beasts known as Daemons. To find Artorius, Velvet fought her way through the toughest exorcists in the world, in both armed and unarmed combat.
Referring to herself as a “Lord Of Calamity,” Velvet made it clear that she would do whatever it took to find Artorius, beating whoever stood in her way of reaching that goal. Her two-episode story put the actual plot of the series to shame.