Top 18 Best Ninja Anime Girls and Kunoichi [2024]

As we all know, anime and manga originated from Japan. That’s why it’s really not surprising that there’s an abundance of ninja-themed shows that exposes the culture and traditions of Ancient Japan.

In this article, we ranked the best female ninjas or kunoichi around not just for their looks but, of course, their expertise as shinobi warriors.

Best Ninja Anime Girls and Kunoichi

18. Chelsea, Akame GA Kill!

Chelsea is a woman in her 20s with a striking personality. As a member Night Raid, she is a bit of a mischievous person, but with a cold side.

Throughout the show, she experiences great loss in her fight against the corrupt Empire. Chelsea is also a talented assassin and exceptionally stealthy, making her an equally calculating person.

With her excellent stealth, Chelsea definitely qualifies as a ninja on this list, with her long history as a hired assassin.

17. Irina Jelavic, Assassination Classroom

As modern-day ninjas and assassins go, Irina Jelavic is one of the best. When she makes her first appearance as a homeroom teacher for Class 3-E, she quickly became one of the least favorite people of the students.

But in time, her cruel and arrogant personality began to shift. Deep down, she is a humble woman with childish tendencies.

Irina also learns to connect with the students in time, eventually showcasing her softer side.

She is skilled more in stealth and conversational extractions, so her attempts on Koro-sensei’s life were admirable but ineffective.

16. Levi Kazama, Trinity Seven

Not all ninjas only rely on hand-to-hand combat and weapons, as Levi Kazama uses spells. As one of the top strongest tricksters and mages at Royal Biblia Academy, Levi is a force to be reckoned with.

Levi is confident in her abilities, openly declaring herself as a ninja. She is also easygoing, rarely getting upset or nervous. Even with those who are hostile or rude to her, Levi maintains a level head and civility.

However, as a ninja, she is always ready to spring into action and get serious when necessary. She will exploit friend’s weaknesses and make rash decisions when caught in a bind, as well.

15. Seraphim, Kore WA Zombie Desu Ka?

Seraphim is a hybrid vampire-slash-ninja that has both killer looks and instincts.

Her vampire abilities heighten her ninja skills, pretty much makes her an unstoppable force.

But this innate ability actually ranks her pretty low on this list because the show isn’t really much about being a ninja, too.

So if that’s what you’re looking for, take a look at some of our other suggestions.

But then again, if you actually dig this type of funny anime magical girls combined together, then be my guest.

14. Yukikaze Panettone, Dog Days

Technically, the only reason why we can call Yukikaze Panettone a ninja is because of her outfit. She’s really a member of the Biscotti Knights Secret Squad.

But before you hate her for not being a ninja, let me convince you otherwise. Yukikaze is a pretty great character who actually has a ninja’s qualities, like her swift movements and mastery of various weapons.

If only she was a real ninja, she’d quickly rise to the top of this list!

13. Misao Makimachi, Rurouni Kenshin

Now here’s a real ninja! Don’t be fooled by MisaoMakimachi’s petite frame because that would likely be a fatal error.

She’s exceptionally skilled at throwing kunais, which makes her an awesome ally in battle. She has proven this many many times.

The great thing about Misao is the fact that despite being a ninja, who at the end became the leader of the Oniwaban, she’s pretty cute and is a whole lot of fun, too!

Now, where’s a dedicated series for this ninja when you need it?

12. Kagero, Juubee Ninpuuchou (Ninja Scroll)

Ninja Scroll is one of the pioneer anime movies of this genre, and it did exceptionally well for its time. This movie was one of those who started to mix being a ninja with other crazy demonic powers.

For her part, Kagero is the main female character of the movie, as the poison-filled female ninja who is out to investigate the reason for her village’s wipeout.

But the fact that her mere touch could kill virtually anyone has made her somewhat of a mixed warrior and damsel in distress.

She thinks so little of herself up to the point that she’s open to the thought of her demise.

The only part I hate about how her character was portrayed was she needed her knight in shining armor, aka JubeiKibagami, to allow her to recognize her self-worth.

You gotta do that on your own, girl!

11. Kaguya, Naruto

Kaguya is the first-ever chakra-wielder on Earth, having come from an alien planet just to harvest from the Chakra Tree.

Once a truly good and caring person, Kaguya transformed into a true antagonist when she started feeling like no one else, but she should be able to use chakra.

After merging with the ten-tail, she is incredibly powerful, and it took everything Naruto and his gang had to defeat her.

She might be a villain, but she deserves all the props for being the incredible ninja that she is.

10. Sarasvati, Kore WA Zombie Desu Ka?

Here’s another ninja from Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka. Sarasvati is Seraphim’s senpai, which means she is also a vampire ninja.

So in all areas, Sarasvati or Saras is better than Sera except for the latter’s more pronounced bust. But aside from being a vampire ninja, Saras also has another job… being an idol!

Yep. Just when you thought that she’s a strict and rigid commander, you’ll find out that Saras is also called Lovely Kirara, the famous idol.

Plus, Saras also has her hands busy managing a maid cafe and the rest of her peers. How’s that for a hustle?

9. Hikage, Senran Kagura

Hikage is among the fan favorites in the anime series of Senran Kagura. What makes her so captivating is her badass ninja skills and her ice-cold stare.

That stare says it all. Hikage isn’t one to talk, isn’t one to show emotions… and she also does not feel so much of it either.

This becomes her weakness but ultimately is also her strength. Feeling so little (or nothing at all) meant she’s a great killer with her poisonous knives.

However, as the anime progressed,  Hikage became eager to learn more about emotions (especially the ones she felt while having a deathmatch with Katsuragi).

8. Oboro Iga, Basilisk

OboroIga might be the calmest, nicest, and the most beautiful female ninja around. But you can’t really mess with her since she is the leader of the Iga Clan.

Through her marriage with Gennosuke Kouga, the heir to the rival Kouga clan, Oboro was able to bring peace to their people even for a short while.

It’s pretty much an iteration of Romeo and Juliet, so there isn’t anything we could say about that.

Although, I really respect Oboro’s pacifist nature, which is pretty hardcore given that she grew up in a warring ninja clan.

7. Lan Fan, Fma Brotherhood

As Prince Ling Yao’s personal bodyguard, Lan Fan is nothing if not loyal. She flies into a fit of rage if anyone so much as tries to insult her master.

With her sharp combat abilities, enemies would often express disbelief upon learning that she’s just a teenage girl in a ninja suit.

Despite her impeccable fighting skills, she is easily flustered whenever she has to be in the prince’s presence without her face hidden behind a helmet.

6. Tsunade, Naruto

There is no doubt that Tsunade is one of Naruto’s strongest ninjas, being one of the three legendary Sannin.

She was instrumental in Konoha’s victory during the Second Shinobi World War, and later on, became the fifth Hokage at the behest of Jiraiya and Naruto himself.

Her tactical wits and medical expertise proved indispensable for the village’s young ninjas.

She is exceptional in battle and can always be relied on for strength and healing.

5. Sarutobi Ayame, Gintama

Even though trained as a ninja, Sarutobi worked as an assassin for the most part. She is serious at work but also knows how to kick back and have playful fun when she’s not on duty.

She enjoys S&M and seems to enjoy being completely ignored and tormented by Gintoki.

One of the most interesting things about her is that she’s near-blind, which only makes her fighting prowess even more impressive.

4. Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, Soul Eater

Patient, forgiving, generous, and caring, Tsubaki is definitely not your usual demon weapon.

She is level-headed and loving, which makes her a great friend and a formidable opponent if you ever land on her bad side.

Because of her nature, she is often criticized for being too generous and for being a pushover, but she doesn’t mind all that, because she enjoys having her heart in the right place.

3. Sakura Haruno, Naruto

Sakura may not be a top choice if this is a list of the most feminist characters, because she spent a considerable amount of time just getting Sasuke to notice and like her.

However, this is a list of the best ninja girls in anime, so there’s no leaving the pink-haired ninja from Konoha out.

She may have started out as a plain and ordinary girl, but she ends up being one of the most skilled medical ninjas in Japan, under Tsunade herself’ tutelage.

Sakura gets a lot of hate for being way too soft, but she was able to prove that being a good ninja comes in many different forms and appearances.

2. Eri Shiina, Angel Beats

Her past may be shrouded by mystery, but Shiina’s present is invites zero confusion: she’s a badass ninja with enviable concentration skills, and killing enemies is like second nature to her.

Despite that, she gets weak when seeing cute things, especially stuffed animals. Sometimes, her enemies use such things to trap her. No worries, she always manages to win.

1. Hinata Hyuga, Naruto

Hinata is often criticized for being weak and undeserving of her distinction as the heiress of the Hyuuga clan, but she was able to hurdle everything to reach her full potential before settling down as the wife of the title character, Naruto.

She is very special because she may not be the strongest or most skilled ninja in the village, but she’s the one willing to risk her life for the village and her family, despite going up against much stronger adversaries.

Hinata Hyuuga definitely deserves more love and praise than what she gets.

Final Thoughts

If you ever travel to an alternate universe where everything about anime is true, you already know to befriend and steer clear of agitating these ninja girls.

They’re invaluable on your side, but an absolute nightmare when you have to face them in battle.

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