2023 has been a year of massive fights and deep stories. Series have ended and premiered, but they all brought something new to the medium. However, a common thread between all of them is awesome female characters. These ladies lead the pack when it comes to anime, and all absolutely earn the label of waifu.
Mikasa Ackerman (Attack on Titan)
Mikasa has had to put up with a lot when it comes to being Eren’s protector. It all began in the early days when Eren was thought dead and instead emerged a Titan. She’s been through the highs and lows of the group of Scouts as they battled massive monsters and suffered betrayal.
The end of Attack on Titan isn’t quite a happy one, but Mikasa fought tooth and nail for Eren and what she believed in, and that’s commendable.
Annie Leonhart (Attack on Titan)
Okay, not every waifu on this list has to be a hero. All that truly matters is that they are awesome, and Annie nails that completely. Her same villainous ways are why she became so helpful at the end of the series when it came time to foil the Rumbling and stop Eren.
Her initial titan-form reveal certainly cemented her as a great villain, but the later reveal of her motivations definitely made her a more sentimental one. The finale earlier this year only proved that Annie is easily one of the toughest ladies in anime.
Yor Forger (Spy X Family)
Versatility is also extremely important when it comes to waifu selection, and that’s where Yor Forger shines the most. Not only is she a renowned assassin, but she also easily handles all sorts of household duties, which is quite an undertaking.
Yor is the best of both worlds, incredibly deadly but also the ideal waifu. Even if her place in the story is somewhat due to several misunderstandings and subterfuge, she still does her best.
Maki Zen’in (Jujutsu Kaisen)
When it comes to having a personality that is a very calm type of cool, anyone would likely think of Maki. This list is all about celebrating the best ladies in anime this year, and there is no mistaking that Maki deserves to be on this list.
Her passionate determination to be the best Jujutsu Sorcerer isn’t diminished at all by the fact that she lacks the techniques held by her fellow students. Instead, it is the fact that she is normal and still trying so hard to fight curses that earns her a place on this list.
Riho Tsukishima (The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses)
It’s pretty difficult to pick one lady from the cast of The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses, but Riho definitely stands out from the very beginning. The first episode lays out the girls’ personalities and their early adversarial stance with Hayato.
However, it is Riho’s brilliant planning that creates a few comedic scenarios to get Hayato to let them all stay. This particular bit of evil mastermind work makes her an easy favorite and the best waifu in the series.
Sagiri Yamada Asaemon (Hell’s Paradise)
Gabimaru was incredibly lucky to get Sagiri as his assigned executioner/escort. While the series makes it clear that many of the other “escorts” are just waiting for an excuse to kill their respective prisoner, Sagiri’s sense of duty prevents that.
Her stern adherence to her orders does afford Gabimaru a little more freedom than the others, but he also gets the best bodyguard possible. Considering the hell that still awaits them on Shinsenkyō, Sagiri’s bravery establishes her as one of the most perfect waifus.
Yuzuriha (Hell’s Paradise)
The deadly kunoichi in Hell’s Paradise also deserves her own recognition. There’s something incredibly cool about her selfish demeanor and unwillingness to do anything that doesn’t benefit her. Though there’s not much backstory given to explain her life, it’s obvious that Yuzuriha completed many solo jobs before accidentally landing herself among the convicts.
However, it is also her moments of camaraderie and tenacity that lead to her being an excellent choice for this list. She’s also hiding some incredible abilities, as well.
Mitsuri Kanroji (Demon Slayer)
As with most other Hashira, Kanroji was a huge mystery when first revealed at the Hashira gathering early in the series. Between her vibrant hair and exuberant attitude, it was tough to know what to make of her. She, like Rengoku, didn’t seem to match the usual Hashira attitude.
This certainly changed when we finally got to see her in action in the Swordsmith Village Arc, and her awesome ribbon-like Nichirin sword made for the best fight scenes. As the story progresses, yet another amazing Hashira has been revealed, and her goofy personality is a nice offset for the seriousness.
Shiori Goshiki (A Galaxy Next Door)
Of the waifus on this list, Shiori is perhaps the most enigmatic of them all. The anime starts with a short scene showing her leaving a mysterious island home but doesn’t give much more until later.
She arrives almost like a helpful spirit, coming into Ichiro’s life at the perfect time to provide her considerable talents. It is Shiori’s sweet personality and unexpected backstory that makes her so intriguing and, therefore, entirely worthy of this list.
2B (Nier: Automata Ver1.1a)
As soon as this anime was announced, 2B was guaranteed for this list. As she had already garnered all sorts of love from her video game appearance, the swap to anime was no different. She is still the same cool character as ever, but now viewers get even more of her through the anime’s story.
It only makes sense to label one of the most waifu-worthy video game characters as an equally terrific anime waifu. Plus, she only looks more awesome in action when getting to see it played out cinematically rather than in an action game.
Make sure to check out our other end of year anime articles, from the best shonen anime and most underrated anime, to our picks for anime of the year. Oh, and of course, there’s our top husbandos, too — if you got this far, chances are this will be right up your alley!