One of the first things I look for when watching an anime is the red-haired girl. She’s usually the one going on a passionate rampage about some belief or other they have. Other times, they have a fierce emotional loyalty to a person or place, and must let the other characters understand how deep that loyalty runs. How do these red haired anime girls have people going crazy for them? And what has made them an integral part of the anime world? Is it their fiery passion and headstrong personalities? Or is it because of their unexpected soft sides? Exploring some of the common traits throughout some anime series might help us determine their appeal.
The following data was taken from the Character Ranking Page on MAL on the date of publication and is based on the amount of times each character is added to a user's "Character Favorites" section.
Shana from Shakugan no Shana
Member Favorites: 7,200
Let's kick things off with one of MAL's all-time favorite red-heads! She usually masquerades as a black haired high school student, but her true form is a fierce, red-headed, sword-swinging Flame Haze! Her hair suits her personality as she is sassy and opinionated. Like all tsundere, however, she has a sweet side (or sweet tooth－she loves melon bread)!
Kushina Uzumaki from Naruto: Shippuuden
Member Favorites: 575
The mother of our favorite ninja, Kushina is no plain Jane herself! Like the other redheads, she is brash, and quickly angered, often punching things out of frustration. Her husband, Minato Namikaze, fell in love with her for her beautiful red hair, which everyone else used to mock. We think that it's pretty damn gorgeous too!
Maki Nishikino from Love Live! School Idol Project
Member Favorites: 1,814
Maki Nishikino is a red haired high school idol! This simple fact cannot be the only reason anime fans worldwide have fallen for her. She uses her tsundere behavior to push people away, but sometimes can’t help but let her sweet side show. So, does this mean that red haired anime girls are all tsundere? Although it’s true in the case of Maki Nishikino, it’s certainly not true of all red haired anime characters.
Ranma Saotome from Ranma ½
Member Favorites: 1,073
If you had the choice between being a man or a woman, which would you choose? Well, in Ranma ½ the main character Ranma is actually a guy, but has the ability to turn into a redheaded woman. His feminine side is stubborn and sly, but she retains her high energy and brash attitude. Ranma isn't afraid to use his feminine form to his advantage, getting guys around him hot under the collar. Is it the thrill gender benders that attract us to this red-head, or is it her coy attitude? There are multiple reasons why people have fallen for Ranma, one of them being her charismatic regard for life and its many challenges.
Chiyo Sakura from Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun
Member Favorites: 1383
Red can also stand for love, and Chiyo certainly has a lot of it! Her one-sided crush on secret manga artist Umetaro Nozaki leads her to become his assistant! Chiyo's bright personality means that she gets along well with the other characters!
Miia from Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou
Member Favorites: 423
Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou stars our beloved Miia, a Lamia, a half-human half-serpent species. This girl has the stereotypical fiery passion and seductive personality of a "true red-head"－all she wants to do is get hot and heavy with the man of her dreams! Rarely is this serpent calm, and oftentimes her obsession of her guardian Kimihito overcomes her. Although when she is calm, she’s caring and minds those around her. With her headstrong and overwhelming passions, who wouldn’t admire this creature?
Yoko Littner from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Member Favorites: 3901
What top red-head list would be complete without Yoko? Yoko's beauty, personality, and skimpy outfit make for a great combination! The flames on her bikini top as well as her long red ponytail complement her fiery, trigger-happy (literally) character!
Lisara Restall from Dakara Boku wa H ga Dekinai. (So I Can’t Play H!)
Member Favorites: 431
Dakara Boku wa, H ga Dekinai (So I Can’t Play H!), focuses on Lisara, a red-headed grim reaper who’s full of energy, or rather, soul energy. She’s a hard shell to crack, but steely personality has its vulnerabilities, which she has only shown to her partner, Ryosuke Kaga. Her tough mentality is one to be reckoned with, and she’s not one to back down from anything, be it an enemy or her ultimate goal. Of course, having red hair might have something to do with these tough qualities, or it could also be the fact that her world is filled with grim reaper magic and revolves around a lustful partner.
Erza Scarlet from Fairy Tail
Member Favorites: 9,823
Even her name is red! Erza is yet another fierce, brave fighter in our roster of red-heads. She is famous for possessing dozens of sets of armor which grant her various powers! Whatever armor she wears, you know she won't go down without a fight!
Stephanie Dora from No Game No Life
Member Favorites: 303
Stephanie Dora from No Game No Life is the type of red haired girl who couldn’t cheat or lie even if she tried.
She’s emotionally expressive and has an air of innocence that gives way to her naive perspective regarding Imanity, the human kingdom on the world Disboard. Her passion and loyalty to her kingdom and grandfather are fierce, and it’s plain to see that her passions reach out to those around her. Despite, or maybe because of her hot-headedness, she is often teased by her companions. Is this behavior stereotypical of red haired girls? No, but her generous nature and innocence throughout the series has captured the hearts of viewers throughout the world.
Lilith Asami from Trinity Seven
Member Favorites: 202
Let’s meet the renowned ice queen Lilith of Trinity Seven. Lilith Asami, a teacher in Biblica Academy, displays a formal by-the-book attitude as a teacher. Although she's strict, her moments of compassion oftentimes lead her to neglect her own safety. In other words, this tsundere-like behavior of showing her caring side only in danger might be part of the ever growing list of red haired characteristics, and provides the magnetism to draw us into her world.
Akane Sakurada from Joukamachi no Dandelion
Member Favorites: 136
In Joukamachi no Dandelion (Castle Town Dandelion), Akane Sakurada represents the opposite trend of headstrong and high-spirited traits attributed to red haired characters. Her introverted and timid nature creates obstacles throughout the series. With this, her lack of awareness leads her to become tangled up in embarrassing situations. However, Akane’s never-give-up attitude doesn’t allow her timid side to stand in her way. These traits are different to the usual attributes given to red headed anime girls, but her never-back-down attitude is what makes her part of the list of popular red-heads.
Cthuko from Haiyore! Nyaruko-san
Member Favorites: 397
It’s time to tango with aliens in Haiyore! Nyaruko-san. Cthuko (Kuuko) is a slim girl that possesses a fiery spirit－literally, because she has the ability to control fire. She has an affinity for anything that involves video games or otaku culture. She will do anything for her love, Nyaruko. It’s no coincidence that she would possess a strong will like others with red hair, and stand up for what she believes in. Maybe having the ability to control fire has something to do with having red hair, or maybe it’s just her passionate spirit. Whichever the case, it’s easy to see that her spirit is as fiery as her hair.
Shirayuki from Akagami no Shirayuki-hime
Member Favorites: 631
The red head anime character list obviously has to contain herbalist Shirayuki from Akagami no Shirayuki-hime (Snow White with the Red Hair). She’s a headstrong character who isn’t afraid to follow her own path in life. Her approach to life and tough obstacles is to tackle them head-on. Shirayuki has a fresh honesty about her, especially when dealing with the politics of a kingdom. She’s determined to use her own strength to advance her status in life, and refuses help from her friend, prince Zen. Her diligent work ethic and focus towards her goal only adds to her charm. Her red hair is a focal point of the anime and compliments her straight-as-an-arrow personality.
Rias Gremory from High School DxD
Member Favorites: 5,210
Rias Gremory, also known as the "Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess", is a devil from the Gremory Clan in High School DxD. She’s an affectionate and passionate person, but has moments of burning-hot rage. Her displays of loyalty and concern for her companions touches those around her. Issei is her pawn, and she brims with confidence in her position as a devil. Her confidence and straight forward manner are characteristics commonly associated with red-haired anime girls.
Final Thought
After examining the quirks that go along with red-haired anime girls, do you think there's a connection? Not all of them match up, but some of the girls do share similar traits. Of course, this could be said of any anime character, but as people we try to attribute meaning to similarities. As mentioned above, many of the red haired girls are stereotyped into the headstrong, no-one-will-defy-me type of girl, which is part of their charm. Having fresh takes on red haired girls, such as giving them a shy personality, makes the anime and that character, all the more exciting.
If you just can't get enough of these funky anime hair colors, please feel free to check out the following articles:
・Girls with Blue Hair
・Girls with Black Hair
・Girls with Pink Hair
・Girls with Green Hair
・Girls with Silver Hair
・Girls with Purple Hair
・Girls with Blonde Hair
・Girls with Brown Hair
