9 Female Black Anime Characters that Inspire Us

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Representation matters. And that’s why it’s exciting to see female black anime characters on screen!

Unfortunately, there aren’t nearly enough black female anime leads. It’s more likely to see black women appear as support characters, if we see them at all. Hopefully, more creators will continue to push for more robust inclusion in the future.

Here’s a list of black female characters that appear in popular anime shows.

Black Anime Characters that Inspire

Canary

Hunter x Hunter

Canary serves as the butler and protector of the Zoldyck family. She’s only a teenager, but we wouldn’t want to chance crossing her. When she was only ten years old, she neutralized the threat of a trespasser and 100 of his men.

Heles, Goddess of Destruction

Dragon Ball Z

The character of Heles is designed to combine the physical features of Nefertiti and Cleopatra. She cares for life and existence. She does not accept any form of evil. Even though she’s in charge of destruction, she actually displays benevolence and cares for her warriors.

Sister Krone

The Promised Neverland

Krone acts as the caretaker of the Grace Field House orphanage alongside Isabella. She grew up in the orphanage, and after learning its horrible secret, she had a choice: die, or become a caretaker that perpetuated the system.

Atsuko Jackson

Michiko to Hatchin

Atsuko, a Brazilian cop, grew up in an orphanage alongside Michiko Malandro, the titular character. While they have a history as children, she now spends her adult life trying to hunt her down. Even though she’s in pursuit of Michiko, her relationship to her seems complicated. It’s exciting to see black characters in anime with nuanced plots and characterization, especially since these two female anime characters play off each other.

Francheska Mila Rose

Bleach

Mila asserts herself as a formidable foe to the main characters later on in this anime series. She is the 55th Arrancar, and makes up part of the Fracción of Tier Harribe. She cares for her fellow Fracción, despite her tendency towards a sadistic fighting style.

Miyuki Ayukawa

Basquash

Miyuki worked as a mechanic to help the team of basquashers. She always helped to fix their Big Foots. She happens to be the childhood sweetheart to Dan JD, but she’s much more than just a love interest. Sometimes a female character in an anime remains one dimensional when they’re only used as the main character’s crush. She’s actually the one that teaches him how to pilot a Big Foot. It’s great to see female black anime characters that are such pros with technology and craftsmanship.

Mira Naigus

Soul Eater

In the world of Soul Eater, people can pair up as a demon weapon and a weapon meister duo. Mira is a demon weapon, specifically a demon knife. Her meister, or wielder, is Sid Barrett. They train together within the Death Weapon Meister Academy, and she always shows loyalty to the academy and her craft.

Casca

Berserk

Casca shows her strength as one of the top commanders of a mercenary band. She grew up poor, and at the age of 12 was sent by her family to work for a nobleman. When he attempts to sexually assault her, Griffith intervenes. He gives Casca the chance to kill her attacker, and she does. She joined the Bank of the Hawk to rise above her station.

S.A.M

Cannon Busters

The acronym S.A.M. stands for Special Associate Model and is the name of a major character in Cannon Busters. She is a sophisticated robot designed for friendship. If her programming registers you as a friend, you’ll find loyalty and kindness in her company. She may seem sweet on the outside, but her character learns there’s more to life than emotionless kindness.

The Best Female Black Anime Characters

Just including a black character in your content isn’t enough. There’s a difference between tokenization and true representation. And not all representation is created equal. Many fans think that the creators of Cowboy Bebop made a mistake in naming Coffee after a food, considering the history of fetishizing language and dark skin. Keeping creators accountable makes it more likely that their future work will be more inclusive.

This list of nine women is certainly not comprehensive. So who are your favorite black anime characters? Did they make the list? Tell us in the comments!