Purple-haired anime girlsare rarely the center of attention. They tend to be more on the sidelines, leaving room for the main characters to shine, like Asuna fromSword Art Online, Mikasa fromAttack On Titan, Usagi and Chibiusa fromSailor Moon, or Nezuko fromDemon Slayer. These main characters are so iconic and over-popularized by pop culture and the media that they easily steal anyone’s spotlight. They are fan favorites and serve as inspirations to many people.
However, many characters deserve the same recognition and love. Whether they are a friend of the protagonist, a side character, or an enemy,purple-haired anime girlscan be as iconic as anyone else.
In this case, “girls” is just a general term, and all female characters will be considered. That said, there are not manyanime women with purple hair.
Updated on June 27, 2025, by Mark Sammut:Winter 2025features a fewpurple-haired anime girls, although it remains to be seen whether they will be remembered long after the season comes to an end. 100 Girlfriends' Kurumi Haraga was season 2’s first new addition to the harem, and she is likable enough. That said, she is overshadowed by quite a few of the show’s louder characters. I’m Living With a Otaku NEET Kunoichi?! has a lot of girls with purple hair, do the point that none of them stand out. Ave Mujica’s Nyamu can be infuriating, although she does inject a lot of drama into the story. The Daily Life of a Middle-Aged Online Shopper in Another World’s Myaley is fine.
Starting off as a series of books written for children, Ghost Stories found more fame when it was adapted for television, in which the group of friends find themselves coming face to face with several ghost and demons haunting their school and town. Armed with a book detailing how to perform exorcisms, Satsuki and her friends are the only ones who are capable of saving the town from the supernatural enemies threatening to destroy the town.
Satuski won’t be dealing with this all alone though, as she is accompanied by others, such as Momoko. Momoko is one of the more fearless members of the group, though her character in the English dub goes through a rather drastic personality change that turns her into a joke (a funny one, though). However, her appearance is the same in both versions, including her iconic purple hair, which helps separate her from the rest of the cast. In fact, her hair is even the butt of a joke as a demon breaks the fourth wall to state they must be in an anime when looking at the shade of Momoko’s long, lilac locks.
One of thebetter isekai anime,Log Horizongoes against the grain by using an ensemble cast that emphasizes group coordination above solo expertise. While Shiroe is arguably the closest thing to a bona fide MC, Akatsuki has nearly as big of a presence as the support mage, and she is a vital part of the main party.
With a cool ninja aesthetic, Akatsuki’s design is top-notch, and it is backed by a likable personality and a sympathetic backstory that links everything together. Even though Shiroe is the protagonist, Akatsuki is arguably the most popularLog Horizoncharacter, at least in Japan.
Future Diaryis home to one of the most iconic pink-hairedyandere characters of all time: Yuno Gasai. But aside from her, there is another iconic anime girl in the series: Minene Uryuu. She is an expert when it comes to demolition and explosives, which makes her a person no one should take lightly or underestimate. Aside from that, she is also independent and strong, a result of her tough and loveless upbringing.
Her character was so iconic that she was chosen as the protagonist for the spin-off seriesFuture Diary: Mosaic, which shows more of Minene’s hard life before and after acquiring her diary. It is certainly one to watch, just to see more of this iconic purple-haired girl.
Themagical fantasy worldinBlack Cloveris populated by a number of interesting characters that are a joy to watch, with Dorothy Unsworth being one of the best. A talented witch born in the Witch’s Forest, she quickly rises in the ranks of the Magic Knights, attaining the rank of Captain, which is a testament to her strength and skill.
One might expect the character of Dorothy to be stalwart, serious, and straight-edge, but the truth of her character is far more fun. Dorothy spends most of her time in a state of sleep but is still somewhat aware of her surroundings, which makes for some hilarious scenes. The times that she is awake, she is very carefree and happy-go-lucky, which makes her character immediately likable, and all to easy to underestimate, which would be to the detriment of any of her foes.
Thecomedic slice-of-life anime,Lucky Star, captured the hearts of fans all across the world with comedic relief, a cutesy art style, and endearing characters, following the daily lives of these high school girls. Otaku culture, academia, food–Lucky Stardelves into many different avenues to humorous effect.
One of these cutesy girls is Kagami Hiiragi, the purple-haired twin to Tsukasa Hiiragi. Part of what makes Kagami so iconic is how she perfectly embodies the Tsundere stereotype, acting aloof and cold towards others to hide the fact she cares deeply, which she does, especially towards Konata. The two play off each other perfectly; their dynamic is one of the many joys viewers will experience while watching this show. Kagami steals the show whenever she is on screen.
This little-known supernatural anime tells the tale of the Great Spiritual Disaster, an incident that unleashed spirits and demons upon Japan. The Onmyo Agency was established to help bring order to the chaos, only for it to try and recreate what initially led to its inception in a shocking twist.
One character deadset on not allowing this to happen is Natsume Tsuchimikado, the estranged childhood friend of the main protagonist. Though shy and easily prone to bouts of jealousy, Natsume is far from a pushover, often stern and blunt to friends when needed and fiercely protective of her family and their reputation. Fans know better than to be fooled by first impressions when it comes to Natsumem who became a favorite among those who have seen this vastle underappreciated anime.
Fairy Tailis a long-standing successful anime show, loved by anime fans far and wide. It is set in a world where magic, wizards, dragons, and all other hosts of fairy-tale elements create a fantastical show full of adventure and is backed up by a colorful cast of characters to help move the plot along. Every episode is a fantastical joy to watch, and there are plenty of iconic characters to roote for.
One such character is Ultear Milkovich, who is far from a fairy tale Princess and more akin to a wicked witch. Manipulative, ruthless, and ambitious are just a few words used to describe this antagonist. But there is more to her character than just irredeemable villainy, as she is also a victim, making her sympathetic to the audience, and an iconic character all around that it is hard to dislike.
Akame ga Kill!follows the story of Tatsumi, a young villager who is recruited by Night Raid, a group of assassins who fight against the Capital and its corruption alongside childhood friends, meeting all manner of people in his time as an assassin, including Sheele.
Sheele may be a clumsy character, but her cuteness makes up for it. She’s also the most compassionate of her gang of assassins, which is certainly a unique trait to have in her profession, and she is always there for her friends when they need her. Fans know not to let her cuteness fool them, however, as she is merciless and terrifying with her large pair of scissors when the time calls for it.
Pretty much every main character inNeon Genesis Evangelionis iconic.Asuka is the tsundere poster girl, while Rei might just be the most recognizable female character not from one of the biggest shonen properties. Shinji is loved and hated in equal measure, and Gendou is among the most detestable characters in fiction. In the presence of those figures, Misato Katsuragi tends to be overshadowed, particularly during the second half of the original series. That said, she is still a fantastic character, just like all ofNGE’s representatives.
Initially, Misato seems to exist to act like something of a parent figure for the young pilots, all the while serving as a more “ordinary” and “casual” adult figure in comparison to Gendou. However, she carries quite a few demons that dictate her current behavior, and they gradually come out as the story progresses.
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiyawas one of the most influential anime of the 2000s, even if a confusing episode schedule and a polarizing sequel season ended up hurting its momentum substantially. Fortunately, the adaptation went out on a high note withThe Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, which is still one of the best anime movies of all time. All the main characters are spectacular in their own way, with Kyon and Haruhi generally hogging most of the limelight and Mikuru most of the sympathy. However, Itsuki and Yuki are crucial in establishing the lore and mythos behind Haruhi, and they are also great characters beyond their importance to the story and world-building.
Like nearly every character in this anime, Yuki is more than meets the eye. At a glance, she might seem like a fairly typical representative of the “shy girl” archetype, which was pretty common during this era. Eventually, Yuki reveals that she is essentially an AI who is largely imitating human emotions while struggling to understand them. She goes on a pretty great journey, despite the adaptation being cut short.
