Accomplished warriors hone their skills over years of difficult and repetitive work. Even the most talented warriors must develop their skills. Some fighters survive such a difficult life that they don't have time to process their past and what it means for their future.
The best-written female warriors aren't girl bosses but women with complex minds and full lives. It's not a matter of them never needing a community or help from anyone else, but depicting them as human. It's easy to pigeonhole women as flat characters and uncomplicated archetypes. But the best characters have complicated motivations and fully developed character arcs.
10 Jeanne D'Arc (Ulysses: Jeanne D'Arc And The Alchemist Knight)
Jeanne d'Arc of Ulysses: Jeanne d'Arc and the Alchemist Knight is based off of a real female knight. Joan of Arc of France lead the Dauphin's armies in the Hundred Years' War, rising from farmer to the first knighted woman in history.
Jeanne is in good hands with the director from Berserk. The real Joan saw her backyard ravaged by war; that and the word of her god spurred her to go to war. Jeanne's reasons for fighting are because the war took her sister. Jeanne's most powerful form is limited, but she does much with little. And like Guts in Berserk, her Ulysses state complicates her virtuous character.
9 Yona (Yona Of The Dawn)
The entire premise of Yona of the Dawn is the journey from pampered, frightened princess to legendary warrior and leader. Yona may have been born to a privileged ruling class, but she doesn't have a clear idea of what it's like for people outside her castle walls. Her journey isn't earned easily, either.
After losing her father is assassinated, Yona plunges into the real world and confronts how people really feel about her family. She also gains a better understanding of what her people need. Her character arc isn't just measured in gaining martial skills, but in learning how to exercise good and decisive judgment, advocating for others even when she's frightened.
8 Youko Nakajima (The Twelve Kingdoms)
Youko has no idea what to do when she's thrust into a strange new world in the isekai The Twelve Kingdoms. She goes from unprepared school girl to sword-weilding warrior maiden. Youko was always intelligent, and she doesn't fall into the "Too Stupid To Live" trope that often haunts young girl protagonists for the sake of plot fodder.
Youko accepts the mantle of responsibility that's thrust on her when most would walk. She's like a blade that sharpens with each demon she flays. One by one, she steps into the person she was always meant to be.
7 Kusanagi (Ghost In The Shell)
Motoko Kusanagi is haunted by a philosophical question throughout Ghost in the Shell. She's an accomplished cyborg warrior, and she carries out her task for the Japanese National Public Safety Commission with precision. It's not until the end that she finds a satisfying answer to her question.
Kusanagi cuts through enemies, fulfilling her mission as she questions what makes someone human. As an augmented human, she cannot ignore the idea that she's fractured. Her final conclusion changes her entirely, and she embraces a whole new state of being, becoming something whole and new.
6 Leila (Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust)
Leila starts out as a capable gunslinger in Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. But it wasn't always that way for her. Tragedy and loss honed her like sharpened steel. It's partly why D feels sentimental toward her.
Like many warriors that must survive a harsh landscape, Leila is scrappy and defensive about her emotions. But D and Leila form a kind of soldier's bond as D mentions that he heard her call out for her mother when she was vulnerable. Leila is a sad and stoic figure, and the soft moment she shares with a fellow warrior who has also known loss infuses her with a hope and sense of humanity she hasn't felt in a long, long time.
5 Sango (Inuyasha)
Sango stood out among the others, even among a village full of demon slayers in Inuyasha. But that warrior's life comes with a price. She lost her entire village, but for her brother Kohaku, and she devotes her life to his protection.
Sango has as good a reason just like Miroku and Inuyasha for wanting to defeat Naraku. She's a vital part of their team. Like her father, eventually she makes a family of her own, but not before ensuring that there's peace. And even though she becomes a mother, she keeps her battle skills sharp and doesn't hesitate to fight when necessary.
4 Striga (Castlevania)
Striga has many years under her belt as an adept and honorable war general in Castlevania. She can hold the line of territory with ease and strategizes with an old, careful wisdom. She knows how to listen and survive among other crafty vampires.
Striga's character arc doesn't lie in her gaining or honing more strength, but in reckoning with her role in war. A good warrior should have limits, even a bloodsucking vampire. And when the time comes, Striga chooses peace and life and proper defense over aiding greedy conquest.
3 Usagi Tsukino (Sailor Moon)
Usagi Tsukino comes a long way in her journey as a femal warrior. The first Sailor Moon episode takes great care to show that she's an average schoolgirl with everyday concerns. She's lazy in school and cares more about hanging out with her friends than challenging herself.
Usagi may be young and often silly, but she carries the heart of a defender of Earth – and the entire galaxy. But she doesn't go from schoolgirl to accomplished warrior woman overnight. It takes years of two steps forward and one step back. When she's scared in battle, it's understandable. Every time she taps that wellspring of courage in her spirit, she becomes a more powerful warrior and leader.
2 San (Princess Mononoke)
San is an honorable warrior from the start in Princess Mononoke. She doesn't need to develop her abilities more, but step into a nuanced leadership. Her mother Moro taught her well and led by example, and she steps into her mother's role so naturally.
San detests humans and the humans misunderstand her, but her vengeance is justified. However, she is young and like her wolf brothers, there are times when she would throw herself at the problem like a cannonball. As she fights and supports her allies, she becomes more and more like her wise wolf mother.
1 Utena (Revolutionary Girl Utena)
Utena has great character motivation in Revolutionary Girl Utena. She wants to embody the spirit of a prince, which many girls can relate to. Her noble spirit is spurred further when she needs to defend her lady, Anthy.
Utena's virtues, passion for the blade, and her keen intellect are her best facets. They shape her into an exemplary, honorable warrior. And that honor doesn't come easily, she must earn it over and over as she's tested and works through her flaws. Utena has a clear vision and even if she may falter, she never fails.
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