Best anime girls with short hair — top 25 cutest characters

Every anime has its fair share of anime waifus, some with unique hair colors and some with unique character traits that make them special; however, there is no competition with the impeccable anime girls with short hair. Determination, and persistence is what makes them special. Check out our top lists section for more favourite waifus.

There is a popular rumor in the anime world regarding anime girls with short hair; in every anime, there are winners and losers, and short-haired girls are the ones who end up with the short straw; we’ve seen this popular trope carry on to this day. But that isn’t what separates them from the rest; these girls are passionate, true to their feelings, and remain strong.

Check out this great list of beloved anime girls with short hair. And if you’re interested, check out our list of best romance anime, and if you want to watch some old-school anime series, see our curated list of top 90s anime, and you’re sure to find an anime of your choice.

So, without wasting any more time, let’s continue with the list of best anime girls with short hair.

1. Hinata Hyuga from Naruto

Credit: Pierrot

This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the Byaugan princess. Hinata Hyuga is an iconic anime waifu from the Naruto series; she won the hearts of millions of fans with her determination and innocent personality. Even when the whole village looked down on Naruto, she stood by him and supported him however she could.

Even as a kid, Hinata admired Naruto and followed in his footsteps to never giving up, and unlike everyone else in the village, she treated Naruto with respect. The iconic moment when Hinata risked her life to protect Naruto from Pain is the moment Naruto realized that Hinata loved him.

Hinata has a shy personality; she is often afraid to say what’s on her mind because she doesn’t want to offend anyone accidentally. She’s somewhat afraid of conflict but doesn’t hesitate from a battle if it means she can protect the people she cares about.

2. Mikasa Ackerman from Attack on Titan

Credit: Wit Studio

Mikasa Ackerman is the queen of strong women in anime; she’s reliable and strong when fighting against a hoard of titans. Her physical combat skills are also unmatched. She has a strong sense of justice and doesn’t back down when injustice is being served. However, as an Ackerman, Mikasa is constantly trying to protect Eren as if he is the reason she fights.

Like Annie Leonhart, Mikasa doesn’t get along with others, she prefers to work alone if she can not be in the same squad as Eren. She has a deep emotional connection with Eren, so much so that he is the reason for her to keep fighting, she tends to lose focus if Eren isn’t around.

Mikasa usually has a monotone expression on her face, but she can show extreme emotions when it’s about Eren. Although Mikasa doesn’t care about most things, you don’t want to make her angry.

3. Rem from Re:Zero Starting Life in Another World

Credit: White Fox

Rem is the most controversial character in the world of anime, the entire Re:Zero fandom is divided between team Emili and team Rem. Rem is the sweetheart who helped Subaru through his tough times, her remarkable love speech is what made her character so Iconic. Her love for Subaru is pure and innocent.

Though Rem looks like a sweet maid who will never harm anyone, she’s actually quite scary when angry. Throughout the series, we see different sides of Rem, one where she confesses her love to Subaru and the other where she tortures him relentlessly.

Rem has a somewhat shy personality, she’s very polite when she speaks and carefully uses the proper honorifics when talking about another person. She’s hesitant toward people and doesn’t trust anyone easily; however, after getting rescued by Subaru, she begins to see him in a different light.

4. Mina Ashido from My Hero Academia

Credit: Bones

Mina Ashido is the eccentric lifeline of Class 1-A; she’s the girl who always participates in in-class activities and gets others to join in. She’s exceptionally talented in basically everything, she doesn’t hesitate to take a chance and always rushes to help others, you might as well call her the best girl, the only problem is that she doesn’t get enough screen time.

Mina also gets along very well with everyone in her class, she’s always organizing some sort of contest or creating some other activities such as the best room contest. It is shown throughout the series how much of a good friend she is to others, she cares about her friends and does anything to cheer them up.

5. Merlin from Seven Deadly Sins

Merlin’s character is shrouded in mystery, there’s isn’t much information about who she is or where she’s from, or how is she able to gain so much power except for the subtle hints that she’s the daughter of a powerful demon. She’s also known as the greatest mage in all of Britannia, referred to as Boar’s sin of gluttony.

Much like the other Sins, Merlin was hiding in the Kingdom of Camelot serving as a mere mage for King Arthur, but she later decided to join Sir Meliodas on his quest to find the other members. Merlin doesn’t take an interest in normal things; she’s fascinated by Escanor’s unique power.

Merlin has somewhat of a boastful personality, she considers herself to be the greatest mage alive and takes pride in that fact, she’s often seen as playful toward other members of the Seven Deadly Sins, she has a laid-back personality.

6. Touka Kirishima from Tokyo Ghoul

Credit: Pierrot

Touka Kirishima stole our hearts from her first appearance; even if Kaneki didn’t see her that way, we know in our hearts that she was special. She may seem like an ordinary girl who works at a coffee shop, but she’s actually a ghoul, and an S-rated one at that.

She was initially portrayed as brooding and arrogant towards Kaneki, believing that everyone should be able to take care of themselves. Even though she was rough with him at first, Touka actually cared about Kaneki and wanted him to be strong so she wouldn’t have to protect him.

However, after the time skip, Touka transformed into a more gentle and warm person, her character went through some development after the Anteiku incident. She began to accept her feelings toward Kaneki.

7. Tanya Degurechaff from Saga of Tanya the Evil

Credit: Nut

The trope of a gender-bender isekai anime is still somewhat new or at least isn’t overly used, Tanya Degurechaff is the protagonist of the amazing Youjo Senki series, she may seem like an ordinary girl but she’s nothing less than death incarnate itself. She constantly risks her life in battles and defies the unknown god-like entity she refers to as ‘Being X’.

Before the incarnation, Tanya was a salaryman and his job was to control the budgets of companies and fire employees, his isekai journey began when one day someone pushed him onto the tracks in front of a speeding train.

And after reincarnating as a young girl, Tanya kept her memories from the previous life and began plotting her next move after gaining consciousness, setting her goal to become a high-ranking officer so she can lead a comfortable life in the capital.

8. Shinobu Kocho from Demon Slayer

Credit: Ufotable

Shinobu made her first appearance along with Giyuu Tomoika when she arrived to rescue Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu. She mistakenly began to hunt Nezuko, thinking that she’s a demon which apparently gave us a hilarious scene in all of Demon Slayer, a small Nezuko running away from Shinobu.

Despite her strong personality, Shinobu is actually a very calm and gentle person, she has a good connection with almost everyone other Hashira, even Giyu Tomioka who doesn’t get along with others. She’s protective of the people who she cares about and will do anything to keep them safe.

Shinobu has a friendly personality, she’s quite pleasant; easily able to make friends. She also loves to tease others (mostly Giyu) and although she seems like an easygoing person, you don’t want to make her mad.

9. Mayuri Shiina from Steins;Gate

Credit: White Fox

There is honestly no other character who comes close to the cuteness level of Shiina, she’s sweet, adorable, innocent, and always ready to help others. Tuturuu is her iconic catchphrase, and she uses it as her usual greeting and as a goodbye, she’s Rintaro’s childhood friend who she deeply cares for.

Despite the troubles she had to face after losing her grandmother, she was the first one to join Rintaro’s Future Gadget Lab, because she thought Rintaro would be alone all by himself; she would visit his Lab every day to keep him company.

Shiina has an extremely childish personality, she’s happy to make new friends and give them nicknames, she’s also very sociable, able to make friends quite easily.

10. Yuki Nagato from Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Credit: Kyoto Animation

Yuki Nagato is unironically the most relatable person out of all the members of the SOS Brigade, she was originally a member of the literature club until Haruhi took over the club and made her join the SOS Brigade. Nagato is always by herself, just keeping herself in her studies, she claims to be an alien from space, hence her limited social abilities.

Unlike other members of the club, Nagato doesn’t part in Haruhi’s shenanigans but still comes along with the group, she’s usually quiet and doesn’t talk much with others, she looks for Kyon whenever she needs help with something.

Yuki is portrayed as the introvert of the group, she always has a monotone expression on her face and rarely speaks to anyone outside the SOS Brigade.

11. Minori Kushieda from Toradora

Credit: J.C.Staff

Even though we don’t deserve someone like her, we all wish that we had a friend like Minori, she’s a hard worker who always gives her all in everything, she is also a very good friend to Taiga as she’s unable to see her cry and would do anything to make her feel better.

Earlier in the series when Minori discovered Ryuuji had a crush on her, she was happy that someone could actually fall in love with her; however, after seeing the close relationship between Ryuuji and Taiga, she let go of her true feelings.

Minori has an eccentric and cheerful personality, she’s always busy with school’s softball practice and her many part-time jobs but still manages to make time for her friends. No matter what happens, she keeps a positive outlook on life.

12. Tenten from Naruto

Credit: Pierrot

Tenten is by far the most underrated character in the Naruto series, she’s severely overlooked because of her less screentime but she’s undoubtedly an amazing character. She’s a kunoichi from the hidden leaf village who specializes in sealing techniques; she’s able to store a variety of weapons in her scrolls.

Tenten was also the first to actually follow in Lady Tsunade’s footsteps. She wanted to become a medical-nin like her, but she soon realized that she didn’t possess the necessary chakra control.

And as a member of Team Guy, she has to keep up with the crazy antics of Might Guy and Rock Lee; who are not easy to handle but she tries to keep up with them the best she can.

Tenten is kind, she’s compassionate and a hard worker, she thinks before she acts; never acting on her impulse, and unlike other girls in the series, Tenten is well-mannered.

13. Yuigahama Yui from Oregairu

Credit: Brain’s Base

Deep down, we all wanted Hachiman to end up with Yuigahama, she was always there for him trying to make him feel less lonely in any way she could but she was always hesitant because Hachicman kept his distance from everyone. After finding out about the Service Club, she became a member to make better friends with Hachiman and Yukino.

Yui blamed herself for Hachiman being a loner because Hachiman got into an accident trying to save Yui’s dog on the first day of school, which made him miss the opening ceremony.

Yui has a cheerful personality, she tries to smile and look for the good in people no matter how hurt she is. She struggles to find a place to fit in and that’s why she goes along with whatever her friends demand her to do.

14. Hotaru Shidare from Dagashi Kashi

Come for Hotaru, stay for the facts. Hotaru is the female protagonist of the series, and the one who carried the entire show on her back, her crazy antics and passion for dagashi are what makes her interesting, she gets excited whenever she’s about to lay some knowledge about each specific candy and demonstrate the proper way to consume it.

Hotaru is the heir to the Shidare candy company that mass-produces candy products, she came from a big city to recruit Yo Shikada to work for her father’s company. But, Yo refuses to leave until Kokonotsu takes over the family shop. Hence, Hotaru decides to introduce Kokonotsu to the amazing world of Dagashi and make him fall in love with it.

15. Rikka Takanashi from Love Chunibyou and Other Delusions

Credit: Kyoto Animation

Rikka Takanashi lives in her own world; she’s the female protagonist of the series and lives inside her own fantasy world and struggles to interact normally until she meets Yuuta, who helps Rikka come out of the fantasy world and see things for what they are. Rikka isn’t interested in anything that’s normal and always finds a way to make things interesting.

She first showcased her imaginative powers to Yuuta when she stopped the train and got in looking smug, Yuuta then meets her at school and the two of them inadvertently become friends when Rikka decides to create a club.

Because of her chuunibyou tendencies, Rikka is theatrical, often using her delusional powers to run away from her problems, if only we all could do the same.

16. Ochako Uraraka from My Hero Academia

Credit: Bones

Ochako is the possible love interest of the protagonist, Izuku Midoriya; her motivation to become a pro hero is to earn a lot of money to make life easier for her parents which isn’t a lofty goal, her innocent persona is what makes her a loveable character and what makes us root for her.

Ochako isn’t a special character, she doesn’t get much screen time or an important role throughout the series; however, she plays an important role in Izuku Midoriya’s character development. She looks up to him for inspiration and is always there to help him however she can.

On the surface, Ochacho is a cheerful character with a laid-back personality, often seeming bubbly and an airhead at times, but she’s serious when it comes to her training, she’s a hard worker and looks to make the best of a bad situation. 

17. Iris Cannary from Violet Evergarden

Credit: Kyoto Animation

Iris Cannary is the most underrated character in the Violet Evergarden series, her dream is to become the best Auto Memories Doll ever and she won’t stop until she has reached her goal, her unyielding spirit and enthusiastic personality are quite refreshing; although her eagerness to build a name for herself often leads her in troubles.

Iris believes that everyone should work hard to achieve their goals and gets jealous when someone is given special treatment, which is why she first rejected Violet joining the CH Postal Service as an Auto Memories Doll.

Iris doesn’t hold back when holding back her feelings, she boldly says what’s on her mind, and she’s quite impulsive, acting without thinking about the consequences. She’s also very dedicated, working hard every day to better her skills as an Auto Memories Doll.

18. Shinozaki Rika from Sword Art Online

Credit: A-1 Pictures

Shinozaki Rika, more commonly known by her in-game name, Lisbeth is a character no one talks about, she was among the 10,000 people who were trapped inside Sword Art Online, she was Kirito’s first actual friend in-game who helped him, she later became an official part of the group.

Initially, she had her own blacksmith shop; she met Kirito when he first came to buy a sword for his dual-wielding skill. They went on a dangerous quest to collect rare materials to craft a better sword; it was then, Elizabeth began developing feelings for Kirito.

Elizabeth has an upbeat personality, she’s always in a cheerful mood and happy to meet the rest of the group, and even though she doesn’t get much screen time, she’s still a valuable member of the team.

19. Ichigo from Darling in the Franxx

Credit: A-1 Pictures / Trigger / CloverWorks

You can’t help but feel bad for Ichigo, it was clear from the very start when Zero Two jumped in the ring for Hiro’s attention, that she would take home the main character. Many fans of the series actually consider Ichigo somewhat annoying for her continuous interventions between Hiro and Zero Two.

Hiro and Ichigo are childhood friends, and Ichigo truly cares about Hiro which is why she was against the idea of him flying a Franxx; all she wants is for him to be safe. Although, it’s true that she was also jealous of Zero Two getting to spend time with Hiro.

Ichigo is insecure, she’s self-conscious about her role in other people’s lives; she’s a responsible leader and caring toward her friends. 

20. Yuuko Aioi from My Ordinary Life

Credit: Kyoto Animation

Yuuko plays the role of the leader for her little group along with the impulsive Mio Minakami and stoic Mio Nagahara, her spree of bad luck is what makes her character so interesting, many illogical negative things happen to her without a proper cause which never fails to get a laugh.

Yuuko is constantly skipping homework and is worried about her grades; she’s either sleeping in class or doing some other fun activity while everyone else studies. She’s also very poetic, using poems to express her depressive feelings.

Yuuko loves to joke and make others laugh; she’s always trying new things and failing horribly. She loves to spend time with her friends; playing games or eating at restaurants.

21. Fubuki from One Punch Man

Credit: Madhouse / J.C.Staff

Fubuki might just be an actual love interest of Saitama, but that is still a far-fetched idea because Saitama already has a maid living with him by the name of Genos who wouldn’t let a come between him and his master. Fubuki is the highest-ranking psychic hero in Class B, and the younger sister of Tatsumaki.

Her goal is to stay as the highest-ranking hero in B-class and recruit everyone below her rank into her group, she tried to recruit Saitama but after meeting him and seeing how strong he is, she decided to be a part of Saitama’s little group along with King.

Fubuki has a boastful personality; however, she’s also very self-conscious about her large breasts compared to her older sister Tatsumaki. Fubuki wears expansive clothes, travels around in a limousine with her bodyguards; she does all this to feel good about herself.

22. Haruhi Suzumiya from Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Haruhi isn’t like your other cliche anime girls, her fascinating lies within the supernatural world; she doesn’t care about anything that’s ordinary, including people. Haruhi is curious about supernatural beings such as aliens, espers, and time-travelers.

She’s a high school student and leader of the SOS Brigade, a club she created whose sole purpose is to investigate supernatural things. But what makes her so special is that she unknowingly has the ability to bend reality and reshape it.

Haruhi is impulsive, she doesn’t think before she acts and always rushes to a new adventure, which often leads to her getting in trouble. Her fascination with extraordinary things is what keeps her going.

23. Jirou Kyouka from My Hero Academia

Credit: Bones

Jirou is definitely an underrated character in the My Hero Academia series, she’s the quiet girl in class who always keep her feelings to herself; she doesn’t talk much and often feels out of place whenever she’s surrounded by lots of people. However, just give her a guitar and see her rock the house.

Earlier in the series Jirou didn’t get much screen time or the focus she deserved, it was not until later during the Festival Arc that we get to learn more about her character, she has been practicing playing music with her dad ever since she was a kid.

Jirou often seems unenthusiastic, but that’s just because nothing excites her besides playing music; she gets pissed very easily when someone talks about her tomboyish charms or compliments her.

24. Sakura Haruno from Naruto

Credit: Pierrot

If we talk about the most hated character from the Naruto series, Sakura Haruno will definitely take the top spot. She’s a Kunoichi from the Konohagakure’s leaf village and a member of the original Team 7 along with Naruto and Sasuke. 

As a member of Team 7, Sakura always found herself helpless, relying on Naruto and Sasuke for assistance. Her desire to catch up to them pushed her to train every day under Lady Tsunade to become one of the strongest medical ninjas.

Earlier in the series, Sakura was arrogant and selfish, always caring about herself and what she wanted, but she became more sympathetic and caring toward others as she grew up. Sakura has gone through some serious rounds of character development and she is a better character because of it.                              

25. Megumin from Konosuba

Credit: Studio Deen

True art is an explosion! This is the motto of and way of life to our beloved Megumin; she’s an arch wizard from the infamous Crimson Magic Clan, her fascination with explosion magic is what makes her character so interesting, especially when that is the only magic she can use and only one time.

She initially came to Axel, the city of adventurers, to live a life of adventures, but she found herself kicked from every party she ever joined, which is understandable because nobody wants a crazy explosion fanatic in their party who is useless after using one spell.

Megumin has a boastful personality; she’s always bragging about her superiority as an arch wizard of explosion and displaying her chuunibyou tendencies. Though she’s quite immature and childish, she also has a habit of naming things.

We hope you’re satisfied with our list of the best anime girls with short hair; these girls are hand-picked by the community and rated much higher in terms of votes. Have you ever fallen in love with animals in anime, more than the actual characters? If you have, you’ll definitely be our top picks for the best anime cats; while most of them just roll around and look cute, some actually contribute to the plot.