5 female Shonen anime characters who are loved (and 5 who are unfairly hated)

Across the vast realm of shonen anime, there are many female characters that are loved beyond what mere words can describe. These female characters get loads of praise, tons of fan fiction written about them, and otherwise are considered some of the top-tier written characters.

Then there are those that are utterly hated beyond words. These characters generate nothing but scorn wherever they come up as if they personally pillaged someone's home or murdered their dog. While sometimes this is justified, often the outrage gets too far and breaks the fandom containment and into real-world harassment.

Needless to say, the writing surrounding women in shonen anime is usually divisive. This division will come into play as this list chronicles five beloved and five hated female anime characters.

Disclaimer: This article will involve spoilers galore for all the anime listed. It likewise contains strong opinions from both fans and the author.

5 shonen anime female characters who are loved beyond measure

1) Hinata Hyuga (Naruto)

What is there to say about Hinata Hyuga from Naruto that fans haven't already said? Hinata's beloved status stems from her being the first person not to give Naruto a hard time as a child. Her goal of becoming stronger was reached by Shippuden after saving Naruto from Pain's assault.

The fact that she was painfully shy around Naruto netted her more than a few points with shonen anime fans as well. Her growth as a character is commended, and being a mother to Boruto and Himawari (not to mention wife to the Hokage himself) is practically a full-time job. She's relatable to many and loved likewise.

2) Rukia Kuchiki (Bleach)

Rukia Kuchiki (Image via Studio Pierrot)

To be fair, it was a hard choice between Rukia and Yoruichi. What tipped the scales was Rukia's immense popularity in the popularity polls. In every single Bleach poll that came out after the first one following Volume 8, Rukia was always second only to Ichigo in popularity. She slipped from second to third place behind Toshiro Hitsugaya but is always in the top five.

Rukia achieved first place in the 7th, technically 8th (her zanpakuto took that), and 10th poll. The reason she's so beloved ranges from the fish-out-of-water comedy she's often subjected to, from being too strict to her ice-based powers. It also helps that she's very talented and highly aggressive and is the main female character.

3) Saber (Fate: Stay/Night)

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The Fate franchise has many characters that fans have considered the best for a long time, none more so than Saber. The Stay/Night version of Saber, being the same version as the Zero version, is Artoria Pendragon. Being an incredibly skilled swordswoman, having a light and tasteful outfit, and being comical gave her plenty of fans.

She may not top the popularity polls, but many folks still appreciate that she's a well-written, guilt-ridden version of King Arthur. It helps that she defrosts over time and has more than a few secrets up her sleeve, as even her idea of selflessness originally led to her downfall in her backstory. She's also a big eater.

4) Andriod 18 (Dragon Ball Z/Super)

Choosing between Bulma and 18 was tough since both had their fair share of detractors when they started out. However, as the shonen anime franchise Dragon Ball has gone on, the results are clear: fans love 18 far more. It probably has a lot to do with 18s more aloof personality and the fact that she hasn't lost a step regarding fighting.

The fact that 18 comes off as warmer, less loud, and calmer than Bulma, and especially Chi-Chi especially wins her more points with fans considering who she used to be. 18 has come a long way from being a killer android, and even then, she was only a sadistic killer in Trunks' future timeline.

5) Sasha Braus (Attack on Titan)

Sasha Braus (Image via Wit Studio/MAPPA)

This entry should be no surprise, nor should the hated entry. Despite being a side character, Sasha Braus already won shonen anime fans over when she went feral for bread and meat. Antics aside, Sasha was shown to be a kindhearted soul and fierce hunter in a harsh and cold world.

This, plus her epic save of Kaya during the Clash of the Titans arc in the shonen anime Attack on Titan, quickly put her on everyone's favorite list. Sure, she might not have Mikasa's kill streak. But Sasha had vast experience with a bow and later a rifle and was friendly enough to help Connie and Jean through the darkest of times. Her death enraged many, both inside and outside the series.

5 shonen anime female characters for whom fans wish death or worse

1) Sakura Haruno (Naruto)

To say Sakura Haruno from the shonen anime Naruto has plenty of hateful comments and people going after her is an understatement. She's been called useless so much it has become a meme. Sakura sometimes tops the worst character lists or at least is in there somewhere.

This is folly for more than one reason: for one, Sakura had to improve arguably the most in Team 7 compared to Naruto and Sasuke. As of Shippuden, she succeeded and went beyond in Boruto. Much of the hate against her has to do with the writing, which can be inconsistent with her abilities, but ultimately does portray Sakura as someone worth the time and attention.

If nothing else, the fact that many characters would be dead if not for her medical help has eased off some of the hatred. That, and her prime showings against Sasori and other big threats.

2) Orihime Inoue (Bleach)

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There seems to be a theme about healers being mistreated by the shonen anime fandom since Orihime also has that going against her. Some of that hatred can be attributed to her being a damsel in distress during the Aizen conflict. The rest is attributed mostly to rabid Rukia/Ichigo shippers who would not see reason.

To wit, Rukia told Orihime on more than one occasion that she's more powerful than she thought she was and a great person and that Rukia would've died if not for her. Likewise, there's also the fact that Orihime's powers are now way more than where she started, including deflecting attacks and being asked by Ichigo to fight alongside him. She also marries Ichigo by the end.

Safe to say, whatever hatred there was for her has evaporated.

3) Sakura Matou (Fate: Stay/Night)

Shonen anime fans are no strangers to hating women who get in the way of a fan-preferred relationship, though Sakura and Rin have had their share of detractors. To put this into perspective: she was hated for being very reactive and because her personality was not entirely relatable.

A lot of the flaws that hurt her throughout Stay/Night are simply being reactive instead of active when compared to others like Rin or Saber. Then Heaven's Feel came along, and it all mostly went away. She has a better reputation today than when the series took place.

4) Pan (Dragon Ball GT)

These last two entries can easily be described as shonen anime fans hating on kids. If Goten and Trunks are hated for supposedly taking time away from the adults, then Pan is hated for many reasons that aren't truly fair. She's hated for not being as strong as Goku, Gohan, or Trunks, for crying, and for many other things.

Truth be told, most folks hate Pan due to either being annoying, berating characters, or constantly being a damsel in distress. This is mitigated by the fact that she's a child that never got training. Bear in mind that Goten, Trunks, Kid Goku, and others have received training, whereas Pan didn't. She's also proof that you don't need to be godly strong to help save people, as she does so a few times.

5) Gabi Braun (Attack on Titan)

Gabi Braun was so hated for killing Sasha in Attack on Titan that even her voice actress got attacked. It's one thing that shonen anime fans hated the act of killing a beloved character, and it's another when Gabi got more hatred and vitriol than Eren. Remember that Eren massacres 80% of the world with the Rumbling, and people still liked him!

Gabi is a character that represents Marley's indoctrinated Eldians. The fact that she's a kid, part of a discriminated group, and fully believes the indoctrination she's force-fed should be enough to at least pity her. The fact that she goes through a lot when she finds herself in Paradis does lessen the hatred, but some shonen anime fans will always hate her. Even when she ultimately ends up on the good side, there are shonen anime fans who will always despise her.