Although tomboys in anime have only recently developed a cult following, they have been ever-present. It’s hard to trace the first-ever anime tomboy, but Sapphire from Princess Knight looks like the trailblazer representing tomboys in anime since 1967.
Yes, the weird and wonderful world of anime has been defying Japan’s gender norms for decades. The only difference now is the amplification of the impact because the whole world sees it.
Seeing the ladies in a new, more carefree, and slightly masculine avatar was a refreshing change. Heck, some of these tomboy anime characters will chew up the “BOYS.”
And we’re listing the most iconic ones.
30+ Anime Tomboys
31. Amanda O’Neill

- Anime: Little Witch Academia
- Age: 16
- Voice Actors: Arisa Shida (Japanese), Marin Miller (English)
- Watch On: Netflix
This tomboy anime girl is a cross-dressing witch, and she looks cute in both avatars. I may or may not have a crush on her, just like one of her classmates.
In her feminine appearance, she lets her hair loose and is mostly seen wearing the Academy uniform.
But she gets more classy with her tomboy avatar.
She looks handsome with her slick-back hair, a black and gray suit over a white shirt, and shiny black shoes.
30. Minene Uryuu

- Anime: Future Diary
- Age: Late 20s
- Voice Actors: Mai Aizawa (Japanese), Emily Neves (English)
- Watch On: Funimation
Minene Uryuu was a secondary protagonist in the original Future Diary but later turned into an anti-hero. And who doesn’t love anti-heroes?
This gothic tomboy got her very own spin-off manga, titled Future Diary: Mosaic.
If you are wondering why she’s on this list, it’s the intimidating personality that only softens around animals and kids.
And her attire only adds to her intimidation- military trousers, a tank top, and a black sleeveless jacket give off frightening vibes.
29. Tomo Aizawa

- Anime: Tomo-chan Is a Girl!
- Age: 16
- Voice Actors: Rie Takahashi (Japanese)
- Watch On: Crunchyroll
Tomo Aizawa is the MC of Tomo-chan is a Girl!, a highly popular manga. And it’s being animated right now. Titled after the manga, the anime series will release in January 2023 on Crunchyroll.
It follows the story of Tomo Aizawa, a competitive and strong tomboy, who falls in love with a boy named Jun. However, Jun thinks of her as a friend because for years he believed Tomo was a boy.
If you love tomboys in anime, this series must be on your watchlist.
28. Winry Rockbell

- Anime: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
- Age: 18
- Voice Actors: Megumi Toyoguch/Megumi Takamoto (Japanese), Caitlin Glass/Muriel Hofmann (English)
- Watch On: Crunchyroll
What’s more tomboyish than a girl who’s a motorhead and dresses like one too?
Winry Rockbell is an engineering otaku who helps Edward and Alphonse, the MCs of the series, with their mechanical parts. But apart from the help, she’s also the one who beats them up the most for their stupidity.
Wearing a black tube top and a jumpsuit folded in half, Winry does extremely well to hide her feminine side.
But there’s a girly side to her when she treats her patients because she’s a doctor too.
27. Revy

- Anime: Black Lagoon
- Age: Late 20s
- Voice Actors: Megumi Toyoguchi (Japanese), Maryke Hendrikse (English)
- Watch On: Funimation
Also known as Two Hands, Revy is the female lead of the series and takes tomboys in anime to new heights.
The tattoos, gun holsters, fingerless gloves, and jean shorts perfectly suit her role as Main Gun Fighter. Her rude, cold, and ultra-competitive attitude gets her the tomboy treatment, and she doesn’t care.
She’s a chain smoker and a heavy drinker who’d kill you out of boredom.
26. Touka Kirishima

- Anime: Tokyo Ghoul
- Age: 18
- Voice Actors: Sora Amamiya (Japanese), Brina Palencia (English)
- Watch On: Crunchyroll
A tomboy anime girl in a mature anime like Tokyo Ghoul might sound out of place, but Touka Kirishima fits perfectly.
Touka is a ghoul who can only survive on human flesh. And with her bob cut, slender figure, and long bangs that cover half of her face, she blends in with humans while working as a waitress.
She doesn’t show many tomboyish traits, but she certainly looks the part.
25. Melissa Mao

- Anime: Full Metal Panic!
- Age: 25
- Voice Actors: Michiko Neya (Japanese), Allison Keith (English)
- Watch On: Crunchyroll
This Chinese-American military contractor is another character who has morphed into a tomboy over time.
She was born into a Chinese family, but ran away to the United States and joined the Marines after her parents arranged her marriage. After a dishonorable discharge, Melissa joined a private Special Response Team and soon became their commander.
In the process, she ditched femininity and became an icon for badass tomboys in anime.
24. Haruko Haruhara

- Anime: FLCL
- Age: 19
- Voice Actors: Mayumi Shintani/Megumi Hayashibara (Japanese), Kari Wahlgren (English)
- Watch On: Crunchyroll
If human tomboys are too boring, perhaps a chaotic and erratic alien tomboy anime girl might be more your speed.
Haruko Haruhara is an alien inspector of the Galactic Space Police who’s investigating the most powerful space pirate by going undercover as a maid.
While she doesn’t appear a lot like a tomboy, she certainly behaves like one. Her vehicle of choice is a yellow Vespa that’s capable of flight. And her favorite weapon is a bass that transforms into a hoverboard, a gun, and even a bat.
23. Casca

- Anime: Berserk
- Age: 24
- Voice Actors: Yuko Miyamura (Japanese), Carrie Keranen (English)
- Watch On: Crunchyroll
Casca gave up on being a woman so she could lead the Band of Falcon and become the merciless killer she needed to become to protect others.
However, underneath the facade is a vulnerable woman who wants to be known as a warrior and a woman.
Nevertheless, she’s got the tomboy cut, wears men’s clothing almost all the time, and chooses physical violence over talking it out.
So, she made the list.
22. Misty

- Anime: Pokemon
- Age: 10
- Voice Actors: Mayumi Iizuka (Japanese), Rachael Lillis/Michele Knotz (English)
- Watch On: Netflix
Some fans don’t think of Misty as a tomboy. But the creators nicknamed her the Tomboyish Mermaid for a reason. She’s an expert in water-type Pokemons, and she’s a tomboy anime girl.
Aside from her short hair and boyish attire, Misty regularly showcases tomboy traits. She is a lot more athletic and way more masculine than her sisters. And above all, she was never interested in pretty dresses and cute makeup looks. Instead, she wanted to be the best Pokemon Trainer.
21. Utena Tenjou

- Anime: Revolutionary Girl Utena
- Age: 14
- Voice Actors: Tomoko Kawakami (Japanese), Rachel Lillis (English)
- Watch On: Funimation
After meeting a prince and getting blown away by his demeanor, Utena decides to become a prince herself. She learns sword fighting and starts dressing like a prince to the point that everyone believes she’s a prince.
But after Utena ends up in a dueling tournament, she sticks to her persona to protect the Rose Bride.
The series really is a must-watch if you’re looking for some mature anime.
20. Seishirou Tsugumi

- Anime: Nisekoi
- Age: 17
- Voice Actors: Mikako Komatsu (Japanese)
- Watch On: Funimation
Wearing khakis, a white shirt, and a blue blazer, Seishirou is tall and fair-skinned. But because of her petite figure and chin-length hair, she looks more masculine than feminine.
Even her first introduction was as a male student, which was later clarified.
Her biggest tomboy flexes are that she is a hitman, hacker, great with guns, and super strong.
But, She does show off her feminine side on occasion, but it doesn’t last long because she hates feminine dresses.
19. Mikasa Ackerman

- Anime: Attack On Titan
- Age: 22
- Voice Actors: Yui Ishikawa (Japanese)
- Watch On: Funimation
If you’re looking for a tomboy anime girl with black hair, Mikasa is the “IT” tomboy brunette. She did cut her hair to chin length, but it still counts.
Mikasa Ackerman, a distant cousin to Levi Ackerman, is part of the Survey Corps and one of their best soldiers.
Although her strength and fighting skills can be intimidating, Mikasa does care for her loved ones.
18. Sora Takenouchi

- Anime: Digimon Adventure
- Age: 11
- Voice Actors: Yuko Mizutani (Japanese), Colleen O’Shaughnessey (English)
- Watch On: Hulu
Sora is often called the Misty of Digimon Adventure, and it’s clear why.
Fans have drawn parallels because of the similar character design and tomboy traits. Much like Misty, Sora is quite athletic.
Instead of doing girly things, Sora would be seen playing soccer.
Although the 2020 reboot did feminize her a bit, the original Sora will always stay our favorite Digimon tomboy.
17. Momoe Sawaki

- Anime: Wonder Egg Priority
- Age: 14
- Voice Actors: Hinaki Yano (Japanese), Michelle Rojas (English)
- Watch On: Funimation
Momoe is one of the few anime tomboys who made this list purely because of her looks. She exhibits zero tomboy traits, but her appearance is spot on.
The 14-year-old is unusually tall for her age and has broad shoulders as well as a toned body as if she works out twice a day.
So, to cover it all up, Momoe switched to masculine clothes.
She wears a blue sweater, a white button-up shirt, and baggy slacks. But it only adds to the confusion and girls often fall for Momoe.
16. Nana Osaki

- Anime: Nana
- Age: 20
- Voice Actors: Romi Park/Anna Tsuchiya (Japanese), Rebecca Shoichet (English)
- Watch On: Hulu
The perfect mix of tomboy and goth, Nana Osaki is an anime icon.
She is the lead singer of the Black Stones, wears gothic clothes, and is a heavy smoker.
But it’s her rebellious and independent nature that brings her to this list.
She rarely speaks to others, dumped her band the first chance she got, and she even walked away from school after she was wrongfully accused of prostitution. All this because she just doesn’t care.
Not setting the best examples, but it is what it is.
15. Hotaru Tachibana

- Anime: Aoharu x Machinegun
- Age: 16
- Voice Actors: Komatsu Mikako (Japanese)
- Watch On: Crunchyroll
Hotaru Tachibana is the primary protagonist of Aoharu x Machinegun.
Being the Student Council President, Hotaru is a popular figure in her school, but a vast majority don’t know whether she’s a girl or a boy.
Because she has a bob cut, an above-average height, and unnoticeable breasts, everyone mistakes her for a boy. And the fact that she wears the male uniform doesn’t help either.
On top of all this, she regularly picks fights with others and beats up delinquents.
14. Naoto Shirogane

- Anime: Persona 4: The Animation
- Age: 17
- Voice Actors: Romi Park (Japanese), Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (English)
- Watch On: Amazon Prime Video
Here’s an interesting entrant.
Naoto Shirogane isn’t originally an anime tomboy. She is from the Persona Game Series, Persona 4 to be specific. But the game got an OVA, and she got on our list. And if you finish the OVA too quickly, you can play Persona 4 as Naoto.
Also called the Detective Prince, Naoto has an androgynous appearance causing confused reactions from boys and girls.
Also Read: 10 Best Anime About Detectives in 2023
13. Natsume

- Anime: Konohana Kitan
- Age: Unknown
- Voice Actors: Ayaka Suwa (Japanese), Emily Fajardo (English)
- Watch On: Funimation
From appearance to personality, Natsume is a tomboy through and through.
Natsume is one of the MCs of Konohana Kitan, a show about cute feminine foxes running a hot springs inn. While other foxes act all coy, Natsume gets by just fine with her tomboy attitude.
She loves sumo wrestling and often sports men’s attire, including a kimono. And naturally, she often gets mistaken for a boy.
12. Yuu Kashima

- Anime: Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun
- Age: 17
- Voice Actors: Mai Nakahara (Japanese), Monica Rial (English)
- Watch On: Amazon Prime Video
Not to throw around androgynous, but that’s the perfect description for Yuu Kashima. Although she’s a girl, her most prominent features make her look like a boy.
For starters, she’s tall- much taller than her classmates. Then there’s the short, K-pop-inspired haircut. She does wear the girl’s uniform, but that doesn’t seem to affect others’ opinions about her being a tomboy. Mostly because she is the “Prince of her School,” and flirts with girls, A LOT!
11. Kino

- Anime: Kino’s Journey: The Beautiful World
- Age: 15
- Voice Actors: Aoi Yūki (Japanese), Lindsay Seidel (English)
- Watch On: Funimation
Another anime series based on a video game that many enjoyed back in the PS2 days.
Kino’s Journey introduced us to the most adventurous tomboy in anime history. A 16-year-old girl, dressed up as a boy, riding her motorbike across countries was a treat to play and watch.
Her biggest fear is “settling down,” so she never stays in any country for more than 3 days. Aside from travel and bikes, she enjoys guns too. And she’s quite the marksman.
10. Eiko Aizawa

- Anime: Squid Girl
- Age: 18
- Voice Actors: Ayumi Fujimura (Japanese), Heather Pennington/Kira Vincent-Davis (English)
- Watch On: Crunchyroll
Eiko isn’t your average anime tomboy. Yes, she dresses like one, behaves like one, and talks like one, but she’s not ordinary.
She runs the Lemon Beach House along with her older sister. And unlike her older sister, she is very impatient. Once she loses her temper, she becomes very dangerous. To the point that she not only stopped an invasion from the Squid Girl but also hired her as a helper staff for her beach house.
Now that’s iconic.
9. Kaori Makimura

- Anime: City Hunter
- Age: Mid-20s
- Voice Actors: Kazue Ikura (Japanese), Pamela Ribbon/Morgan Garrett (English)
- Watch On: Crunchyroll
The City Hunter reboot of 2019 did make some noticeable changes to the 90s original, but thank god they did tamper with the Kaori Makimura.
It might have been just a long-running gag, but Kaori is a popular tomboy among anime fans.
She formed and now runs the City Hunter team, a group of mercenaries-for-hire. And because Kaori’s got the build for it, she’s the main assassin. Seeing her masculine body, clients often mistake her for a man, which she isn’t too fond of.
8. Haruhi Fujioka

- Anime: Ouran High School Host Club
- Age: 15
- Voice Actors: Maaya Sakamoto/Aya Hisakawa (Japanese), Caitlin Glass (English)
- Watch On: Funimation
Haruhi Fujioka is the ambisexual protagonist of Ouran High School Host Club.
During middle school, she got gum stuck in her hair, so she decided to cut them short. Then she started wearing baggy clothes and grandpa glasses. Moreover, she’s got a deep voice and a blunt personality.
Everyone thought Haruhi was a boy when she first joined Ouran High, so Haruhi decided to play along.
7. Hiyori Sarugaki

- Anime: Bleach
- Age: 280+
- Voice Actors: Reiko Takagi (Japanese), Mela Lee/Laura Bailey/Lara Cody (English)
- Watch On: Hulu
I wanted to include one ultra-aggressive anime tomboy on this list and couldn’t find someone more short-tempered than Hiyori from Bleach.
She’ll slap anyone who annoys her, shout insults, and abuse others for no good reason. Mostly wearing a jogging suit, Hiyori is ever-ready for any sort of fight. But her preference is a sword fight, so she can cut up people and let out all the rage.
6. Ryuko Matoi

- Anime: Kill La Kill
- Age: 17
- Voice Actors: Ami Koshimizu (Japanese), Erica Mendez (English)
- Watch On: Crunchyroll
The main protagonist of Kill La Kill is the personification of deadly tomboys in anime, Ryuko is as dangerous as she is cute.
She doesn’t have the looks, but her personality couldn’t be more tomboyish.
Ryuko has become a fierce warrior in the hunt for her father’s killer. And while looking to avenge her father, she has unearthed more weapons of badassery. As the series progresses, Ryuko’s personality grows more and more ferocious.
5. Anko Mitarashi

- Anime: Naruto
- Age: 24
- Voice Actors: Takako Honda (Japanese), Julianne Buescher/Laura Bailey/Cherami Leigh (English)
- Watch On: Netflix
There were a few tomboys in Naruto, but Anko Mitarashi was the best of the lot. Often compared to Naruto himself, Anko had a loud and stubborn personality. And thanks to her baggy long coat and short hair, she doesn’t have that feminine look.
Remember, this is the Naruto version I’m talking about. In Naruto, Anko was a cool anime girl tomboy.
What they did to her in Boruto is just cruel.
4. Shima Nishina

- Anime: Kiss Him, Not Me
- Age: 16
- Voice Actors: Sawashiro Miyuki (Japanese), Michelle Rojas (English)
- Watch On: Funimation
While Shima Nishina appears to be an LGBTQ+ tomboy, her sexuality is undefined.
While she mostly hangs around girls and is head over heels for Kae Serinuma, the female lead of the series, it’s hard to decide whether she is homosexual or bisexual.
But whatever the orientation, she’s quite popular among anime tomboy fans. Because she might be doing the most tomboy thing ever- competing for a girl’s love!
3. Hajime Shinoda

- Anime: New Game
- Age: 22
- Voice Actors: Megumi Toda (Japanese), Tia Ballard (English)
- Watch On: Crunchyroll
Apart from the short brown hair, there’s nothing tomboyish about Hajime’s appearance. Her busty figure will put some of the hottest anime girls to shame.
But, at her core, she’s as tomboyish as it gets.
Hajime is the MC. She enjoys sports, rides her bike to work, and has a loud, in-your-face personality. But she’s cute, so she gets by.
2. Yuzuki Seo

- Anime: Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun
- Age: 17
- Voice Actors: Miyuki Sawashiro (Japanese), Joanne Bonasso (English)
- Watch On: Amazon Prime Video
Yuzuki Seo has to be one of the cutest anime tomboys. The eyes, face, hairstyle- everything looks adorable.
But then there’s the rude and brash attitude toward everyone, and the absolute absence of self-awareness gets her into the tomboy category. And she’s so competitive at basketball that she’s nicknamed the “Death God of the Basketball Court.”
The only thing that she takes seriously is her Choir Club. She sounds like an angel, even though others call her the Lorelei of the Choir Club.
1. Sailor Uranus

- Anime: Sailor Moon
- Age: 17
- Voice Actors: Megumi Ogata (Japanese), Sarah LaFleur/Erica Mendez (Japanese)
- Watch On: Hulu
This is a listing, not a ranking. But even if it was a ranking, Sailor Uranus will sit on top. She’s the quintessential LGBTQ+ character in the history of anime.
Leading a dual life, Sailor Uranus looks like a male in her normal form but transforms into a female for her Sailor look. She loves race cars and swords but hides her love for Sailor Neptune, her bi-girlfriend.
The fact that the creators did this all the way back in 1992 makes her an LGBTQ icon.
And that’s it for the coolest and most iconic tomboys in anime.
Do share who are your favorite tomboys in anime and let us know who else should’ve been here.