History ActionGirl / Anime

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* Several of the women in ''Manga/SevenSeeds'', to varying degrees initially, though most become this due to CharacterDevelopment.
** Hana, who is not above exploring new places, often the first to even volunteer to check things out and will fight when it is necessary.
** Botan is a trained policewoman and is no stranger to danger. One of her first action badass moments is ''tackling a crocodile'' to save some of her team members.
* ''LightNovel/AbsoluteDuo'' is set at a school that teaches combat techniques, so the most if not all the female students are skilled fighters.
* Maki, [=AKA=] ''Manga/{{Airmaster}}'', is a streetfighting HugeSchoolgirl with an added dash of [[BloodKnight desperate thrill-seeking]]. Her UnknownRival, Sakiyama Kaori is also an ActionGirl.
* Maki of ''Manga/AllRounderMeguru'', is a red haired kickboxing HugeSchoolgirl, and clearly an {{Expy}} of the above.
* Ryoko and Ikuno in ''Manga/AngelDensetsu'', being [[DarkMistress always around]] [[FaceOfAThug Kitano]] it's a wonder they still mange to find people [[MuggingTheMonster trying to bother them]].
* Naomi Armitage from ''Anime/ArmitageIII''. She's so {{Badass}}, in the second OVA, a lecherous creepo ends up getting absolutely ''terrified'' of her! And in Dual Matrix, she suplexed a guy in a heavy mech suit!
* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'': There's more than a few tough ladies in this series, on account of the army not discriminating based on gender.
** [[{{Badass}} Mikasa]] is the most deadly in battle amongst the 104th Trainee Corps, and is stated to be as good as one hundred soldiers by herself, cooly killing with Titans with relative quickness.
** [[DarkActionGirl Annie]] also stands out as a strong combatant and expert at hand-to-hand combat. [[spoiler:She's also a Titan Shifter]].
** Although usually portrayed as TheDitz, [[CloudCuckooLander Sasha]] deserves a mention for being the only character so far [[BadassNormal to have fought one-on-one against a Titan with no special equipment]] and live to tell the tale.
* Most of the females of ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'' are hinted to be or at least count as this. Being [[MoeAnthropomorphism personified countries]] who have lived through several wars probably means that they sort of have to be.
** The biggest example would be [[NinjaMaid Hungary]], who was a CuteBruiser even as a small child. Even after her GirlinessUpgrade she still manages to single handedly ''punch and kick the crap out of Prussia's army''. She also is shown to have skill with a sword, [[BladeOnAStick a spear]], and, most iconically, [[FryingPanOfDoom a frying pan]]. Although she also is shown with a [[{{BFG}} rifle]] in some official art.
** [[{{Yandere}} Belarus]] gets shades of this, threatening [[ShrinkingViolet Latvia]] with [[KnifeNut knives]] in her first appearance and gaining a generally BoisterousBruiser attitude in more recent strips, outright attacking Finland and Denmark in the 2010 Christmas and 2011 Halloween events respectively.
** [[CoolBigSis Belgium]], [[ProperLady Liechtenstein]], [[TheOjou Monaco]], [[AloofDarkHairedGirl Vietnam]] and [[TeamMom Ukraine]] are all hinted to be this. All are [[PluckyGirl Plucky Girls]], and in official art Belgium and Liechtenstein have been depicted with rifles (and we see Liechten training with Switzerland in canon), Monaco in chain mail and a coif, Vietnam with an oar [[ImprobableWeaponUser held as if she were about to beat someone with it]] and Ukraine with a saber.
* In ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}'' we have Chane, a mute KnifeNut that holds her own against a guy with a shotgun, Ennis, a BattleButler for the BigBad of the 1930 storyline, and Rachel, BadassNormal ActionSurvivor who climbs around on moving trains and saves hostages from heavily armed aggressors without carrying any weapons of her own. The novels include several more that never made it into the anime. Lampshaded in the anime itself:
-->'''Isaac:''' "Girls who are strong are ''faaantastic''!"
-->'''Miria:''' "Just like Amelia Earhart!"
* Casca from ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' was a very credible one until... [[BreakTheCutie stuff]] [[GoMadFromTheRevelation happened]]. It's not and never was {{chickification}} because, considering what exactly happened, she has '''all''' the right in the world to break down.
** Though not to the extent of Casca, Farnese has started heading in this direction as of late.
** Schierke also kicks ass, but she tends towards being the BlackMagicianGirl rather than fighting physically.
* ''Anime/BirdyTheMighty'': True to the series' name, the eponymous heroine is a Space Federation officer with Herculean strength and [[NighInvulnerable nigh invulnerability.]] Meaning, she's someone whose "bad side" you don't wanna be on... unless your name happens to be [[ImplacableMan "Gomez"]], or [[BigBad "Crystella]] [[TheUnfought Revi".]]
* ''Manga/BlackGod'' firmly establishes [[CuteBruiser Kuro's status]] in it's first episode, after a Tribal End [[BullyingADragon made the mistake of picking a fight with her]], which made her spill her bowel of ramen. It was a hard lesson learned: '''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLToP6xF5tU Don't. Do it.]]'''
* ''Manga/BlackLagoon'' is crawling with them... you've got the DarkActionGirl, the LadyOfWar, the NinjaMaid...just about every female character with lines can kick much arse when the mood strikes them.
* Virtually all of the main female characters in ''Anime/BladeAndSoul'' such as Alka, Hazuki, and Dan Roana are these. Which is a good thing, because most parts of the world they inhabit is pretty harsh towards those unprepared for it.
* Makie from ''Manga/BladeOfTheImmortal''. Granted, she does not fight much, but when she begins she easily proves herself to be the best fighter in the entire series.
** Doa is also seriously dangerous and even Rin can make a reasonable showing on a good day. Since Rin's goal aside of getting her revenge is to become one of these. . .
** Hyakurin herself is quite competent [[ArcherArchetype with her bow and arrow]].
* Amanda from ''Anime/{{Blassreiter}}'', in addition to being the only one of her whole BadassNormal ''team'' to [[spoiler: survive...with her humanity]]. [[spoiler:Maria]] also counts later in the series
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' has plenty of these:
** Yoruichi Shihouin is probably the fastest and the most {{Badass}} female character in the whole series, being able to lay a smack down on Soifon, Yammy, Aizen, and several {{Mook}}s. In fact, she spends a good majority of her screen time kicking ass with hakuda alone.
** Soifon succeeded her mentor Yoruichi to both the [[{{Ninja}} the Onmitsukido]] and the Gotei's 2nd Division. Also like Yoruichi, she is exceptionally skilled in hakuda and shunpou and chooses to fight with a hakuda/shikai combination. She's taken on some of the toughest opponents in the story, such as Barragan, a WalkingWasteland who could only be killed with his own power.
** Neliel Tu Odershvank made her introduction by nearly taking down Nnoitra Jiruga. Unfortunately, we haven't seen her since then, but if / when she shows up again, expect her to come back with a vengeance.
** Rangiku Matsumoto is a lazy slacker in everyday life, but when she gets into battle mode (which, given the nature of this series, is often)? Don't Fuck. With. Her. Ever.
** Rukia Kuchiki, the little pint-sized-ice person...(not Toshiro) fought and won against [[EldritchAbomination Aaroniero Arruruerie]]. To put it into perspective, that battle made into the top 10 most popular Bleach fights of all time.
** Hiyori Sarugaki is extremely aggressive both in and out of battle, using plenty of punches, kicks, and some impressive swordfighting. She just might be one of the most action-oriented ladies in the series.
** Retsu Unohana is also heavily implied to be an extremely powerful fighter, even when she tends to be more of TheMedic alongside her whole medical squadron. So far she made [[BigBad Aizen]] back down [[spoiler: with good reason; she's the original Kenpachi and a BloodKnight.]]
** Lisa Yadomaru, with her badass Zanpaktou and Shikai, is the series' resident BadassBookworm.
** Mashiro Kuna does indeed kick quite a bit of ass, considering she was [[spoiler:a lieutenant]] back in the day. Which is hard to believe since she's such a GenkiGirl.
** Ururu Tsumugiya, with her giant-ass bazooka-thing, is one of the standout examples of SmallGirlBigGun.
** Kuukaku Shiba hasn't seen much action, but she did do a little bit of fighting at the end of the Soul Society arc, knocking a giant flat on his butt with a single spell. Not quite as much of an Action Girl compared to, say, Yoruichi or Soifon, but still.
** Momo Hinamori, after spending her time in the Soul Society arc as the BrokenBird, got to show off her ActionGirl chops in the Fake Karakura Town arc when she pulled a BigDamnHeroes to save Matsumoto from getting obliterated. She then proceeded to fight alongside Matsumoto against DarkActionGirl Harribel's AmazonBrigade. She's also pretty badass in the fillers.
** Jackie Tristan from the Fullbringer arc is pretty good at fighting as well.
** Ichigo's mother, Masaki, gets point for [[spoiler: using her Quincy powers to take on a Hollow that was giving a Captain class Shinigami trouble. Granted she didn't do much damage, but A for effort.]]
* ''Manga/BlueSeed'''s Koume Sawaguchi fits this trope exactly, even to the point where she is considered to be the TAC's muscle against the Aragami. It's even acknowledged in the post-series TimeSkip {{OVA}} when the other characters directly state that they can't fight the Aragami without Koume's help.
** There's also second-in-command Ryoko Takeuchi, an ex-cop who doesn't take crap and is an excellent shot. She even carries a 10mm even when she's off duty. She and Koume team up on missions from time to time throughout the series, and when they do it results in a CurbStompBattle.
* Amir from ''Manga/ABridesStory'' is a skilled equestrian, archer and hunter. Apparently, this was part of a normal upbringing where she's from.
* ''Anime/BubblegumCrisis'' centers around the Knight Sabres, an all womens group of power armored mercenaries who opposes the [[MegaCorp Genom Corporation.]] All of them (except [[{{Hackette}} Nene]]) are physically fit and routinely face-off against Boomers that're capable of mowing down entire divisions of heavily armed police.
* Sakura Kinomoto and Mei Ling from ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura''. Since Sakura is one of the iconic MagicalGirl heroines, this is to be expected. Mei Ling, meanwhile, is just a straight-up {{Badass}}.
* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' has many (as to be expected when all of the students in the city most of the story taskes place in go through superpower development programs) to lista few theres: Misaka, Index (in a couple scenes), Itsuwa, Mugino, Kazaki...the list goes on.
* Rosette Christopher in ''Manga/ChronoCrusade'' - a ChurchMilitant, BadassNormal ''and'' HandicappedBadass that manages to be one of the strongest characters in the entire manga due to her being an ''epic'' PluckyGirl.
** [[DarkActionGirl Rizelle]] also counts, (although she prefers manipulating others to fight for her unless she's pushed in a corner).
** Satella and [[spoiler:her sister Florette, AKA "Fiore"]], who are powerful jewel summoners.
* All Claymores in ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'', and also many [[EldritchAbomination Awakened Beings]]. In fact, [[WorldofActionGirls for this series it's far easier to list those who aren't Action Girls than those who are!]] The aforementioned Claymores are superhuman half-monsters and half-women who wield the immense broadswords that give them their name, they're the only ones capable to recognize a Yoma disguised among Humans (monsters who can perfectly disguise themselves as Humans so that they can feed on their guts) and the only ones strong enough to actually fight them. In the past [[spoiler: there used to be also male Claymores, but it turns out that only women can properly control their Yoma Energy, and when Yoma Energy goes out of control a Claymore is doomed to give in to his or her monster half and turn into an [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie Awakened Being]]]].
* Kallen Stadtfeld / Karen Kouzuki from ''Anime/CodeGeass'', AcePilot of LaResistance.
** C.C. also qualifies, maybe not as much as Kallen, but she can still kick quite a bit of ass.
** Then there's Anya Alstreim and ActionMom Empress Marianne [[spoiler: Even more if we consider that Anya was Marianne's SoulJar]]. Princess Cornelia, meanwhile, fluctuated between this and DarkActionGirl. And then there's [[spoiler: Sayoko]], and Alice from ''[[Manga/CodeGeassNightmareOfNunnally Nightmare of Nunnally]]'', too.
* Electra from ''Anime/CowboyBebop: Knocking On Heaven's Door''
-->'''Spike:''' Are all the employees around here like you? You got some classy moves for a corporate girl.\\
'''Electra:''' The more you know, the shorter your life will be.\\
'''Spike:''' I love the kind of woman who could kick my ass.
** Faye most certainly counts as well. Remember when she started kicking the ever-loving shit out of a bunch of thugs on Callisto? The same ones that ''Spike'' held his own against?
* Honey Kisaragi from ''Anime/CuteyHoney'' may be one of the earliest examples in anime (along with Sapphire from ''Manga/PrincessKnight'', mentioned further down) where the female lead was the main character AND a downright competent ActionGirl.
* Francoise Arnoul aka 003 from ''Manga/{{Cyborg 009}}'' is this when at her boldest. While she relays more in her SuperSenses and WrenchWench skills, when she needs to defend herself and she can't relay on 009 or others, she'll do it without hesitation.
* Mina Tepes in ''Manga/DanceInTheVampireBund'' is an extremely badass young lady, dishing out plenty of WaifFu to spare.
* The first several episodes of ''Manga/TheDaughterOfTwentyFaces'' show Chiko's rapid development from a seemingly SpoiledBrat to a cunning, resourceful, and skilled PhantomThief action girl.
* ''Manga/DetectiveConan'': Karate expert Ran Mouri can kick down doors, break knives, dodge bullets, help kick the ass of 50-60 armed men, kick the ass of any person who hostages her or harms her loved ones, and even dent a cement telephone post if she's in the mood for it. And she's not the only one: Satou (standard police training, which include judo), Kazuha (aikido), Sera (jeet kune do), Ran's mom Eri (judo) and Heiji's mom Shizuka (former kendo champion who has ''not'' let her skills go rusty) can handle themselves pretty well too.
* ''Anime/DevilHunterYohko'': If the show's title ''doesn't'' [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin make it clear enough]], the titular heroine is a MagicalGirlWarrior who can be best described as: "Anime/SailorMoon [[XMeetsY meets]] [[VideoGame/StreetFighterII Chun Li".]] Meaning, [[SettleItWithoutWeapons she'll put the sword down]], if [[SupernaturalMartialArts that's what it takes]] to get the job done.
* Lenalee from ''Manga/DGrayMan'' is actually ''such'' an ActionGirl that she Action Girls herself ''past her capabilities'' and temporarily gets BroughtDownToNormal until she recovers and goes back to being the local ActionGirl.
* Yoshino from ''Anime/DigimonSavers'' had her moments as this. (Izumi, from the ''Franchise/SuperSentai''-inspired 'kids-turn-into-Digimon' ''[[Anime/DigimonFrontier Frontier]]'', was a FauxActionGirl, unfortunately.)
** Don't forget Rika of ''Anime/DigimonTamers''.
** Miyako/Yolei of ''Anime/DigimonAdventure02'' predates both of the above in terms of sheer ballsiness. She almost never fights hand to hand as her Digimon is the one doing it, but she never backed out of fights and once even had the pluck to try attacking [[DarkActionGirl Lady Devimon]] to protect her friends.
** Sora of ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'' definitely qualifies as she was a {{Tomboy}} when she wasn't being the TeamMom.
* Ranfan of ''Manga/DragonBall'' was the first female fighter the series showed. Despite her FanService tactics, her punches were so powerful they literally ''sizzled''. Following after this was Chi-Chi, daughter of the Ox-King and future wife of Goku, and Colonel Violet, the only female officer in the Red Ribbon Army.
** The trend continued in ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', introducing [[DarkActionGirl Android 18]], the first character on-screen to ever defeat a ''Super Saiyan'', and later [[BadassNormal Videl]], a powerful human in her own right who fought crime and learned ki and flying from Gohan. The movies then brought in [[TheLadette Fasha/Selypa]], a full-blooded Saiyan woman on Bardock's team, and [[TheDragon Zangya]], a space pirate who defeated Krillin and went toe-to-toe with Trunks.
** Still continuing the trend in the much controversial ''Anime/DragonBallGT'' is Pan, the granddaughter of Goku.
* The title character from ''Anime/ExplorerWomanRay'', Rayna "Ray" Kazuki, an AdventurerArchaeologist and also a black belt in karate, which comes in handy when fighting the bad guys after a mysterious artifact belonging to her.
* ''Manga/FairyTail'': Pretty much ''every'' female character is one. Some notable ones, however;
** Erza Scarlet, also known as Titania, is one of the strongest members of Fairy Tail and a prominent fighter in every arc.
** Mirajane is usually placid and acts as the Guild's bartender, but when she finds her loved ones in danger, she unleashes her own transformation powers which are said to be comparable to Erza.
** Cana Alberona, the heavy-drinking, card-carrying bad-ass mage who never backs down from a fight, even against stronger opponents. After the TimeSkip, she can use [[spoiler:Fairy Glitter]] effectively, making her exceptionally powerful.
** Juvia Lockser's entire body is made of water, and she's capable of creating and manipulating water however she pleases. When it's time to [[LetsGetDangerous get dangerous]], the results can be rather epic.
** Ultear Milkovich of Grimoire Heart starts out as an evil DarkActionGirl, but eventually she turns over a new leaf and loses the "dark" part. However, she certainly doesn't lose a tiny bit of her badassery.
** Wendy Marvell is a cute, sweet little 12 year old girl who can mercilessly tear you apart with Wind magic. Did we also happen to mention she's the Sky Dragon Slayer?
** Lisanna can transform parts of her body into those of animals in a form of magic called "Animal Soul." [[spoiler: Also, she's ''not'' dead like everyone thought, which qualifies her even more now.]]
** Lucy Heartfilia gradually makes the transition from TheChick to full-on action girl with each arc, as she begins to fight alongside her Celestial Spirits. She also begins to rely less on said spirits and more on her agility and whip as the story progresses.
** Merudy comes from the same guild as Ultear, and has an AbsurdlySharpBlade that can cut through just about anything. She also gets significantly more badass over the TimeSkip, and also turns over a new leaf like Ultear.
** Evergreen of the Raijin Tribe can turn you into stone by looking at you. Holy shit.
** Bisca Moulin may be a more minor character, but she can awesomely kick your ass with freaking ''magic guns.''
** Levy is on one of the most valued teams in Fairy Tail, and was even considered for a S-Class exam.
** Sherry Blendy of the Lamia Scale guild is a MarionetteMaster who's fully capable of taking charge and leaping into battle with the best of them. This is particularly shown during the Oración Seis arc.
** Laki Olietta, also a minor character, has some awesome BackToBackBadasses moments with other members. Said partners she's teamed up with include Max and [[MemeticBadass Gildarts]].
** Mavis is the ''founder'' of the whole Fairy Tail guild. This alone makes her worthy of special mention.
** Kagura Mikazuchi, who fought on par with Erza using a ''sheathed'' sword!
** Hell, even Carla has her moments, and she's a cat!
* Saber and Rin Tohsaka in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' are the two leading ladies, and are both awesomely kickass.
* Manga/FullContact: Yumi Kiryu and Kana Kiyru, [[BadassGrandpa the karate dojo President]]'s granddaughters. [[TheAce Yumi, in particular, is the strongest and most skilled character in the series]], [[TheDreaded feared by all others who know her]] (including the President)). And Kana has the skill and power to still go head-to-head with [[TheHero Ryuuichi]], even after she dropped karate for the past few years, while Ryuuichi has spent the whole series gradually [[TookALevelInBadass taking one level in badass after another]].
* In the ''Manga/FushigiYuugi'' meta-universe, out of all the ''mikos'' only Takiko aka Genbu no Miko from ''Manga/FushigiYuugiGenbukaiden'' is trained in self-defense, and she's very good at [[NaginatasAreFeminine handling herself with a]] [[BladeOnAStick naginata spear]]. It's a JustifiedTrope: Takiko is from [[ImperialJapan the Japan of]] TheRoaringTwenties and a YamatoNadeshiko to boot, so she was required to learn at lwast some basic moves of ''naginatajutsu'' as part of her rising.
* Riza Hawkeye from ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' pretty much defines this status. She is easily the most consistently competent and the least goofy of the Military Men, and let's not forget the "You're useless in the rain" scene. This is even more obvious in the manga and ''Brotherhood'' where she's portrayed as an expert sniper having saved both Hughes and Mustang's life during the Ishval Rebellion/massacre.
** The manga ''and'' the ''Brotherhood'' anime series also gives us Lan Fan (bodyguard ninja to Ling Yao), Mei Chan (the cutest warrior princess ever), and Olivier Milla Armstrong (who defeats her younger brother Alex in a fight, and takes on a homunculi in a tank).
** The most badass female and the most badass person is Izumi Curtis, the local ActionMom; she cements it during the Tales of a Master flashback to her training in Mount Briggs, where she is forced to fight for her life in Winter and does this by taking out patrols from the heavily trained Fort Briggs, then she throws a bear to the ground, knocks the damn thing out, and drags the bear back to the person who told her to fight for her life for a month. She then beats the shit out of him for being a famous martial artist instead of a famous alchemist.
*** Hell, Izumi even manages to intimidate/impress ''Olivier'' and ''Alex''! [[http://www.onemanga.com/Full_Metal_Alchemist/96/20/ See for yourself]] (spoiler-ish)
* Melissa Mao from ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic''. Being a mecha pilot does [[http://www.youtube.com/user/FMPsecondraid#p/u/28/H3l28vZf7VY this]] to you.
** Tessa has had some particularly {{Badass}} moments of her own, being the captain of a military submarine.
** Kaname Chidori, believe it or not, also has some elements of this. She's just a regular, OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent with absolutely no military/combat training whatsoever, yet she still manages to outwit and beat up assassins and is always somehow involved in the counter-attack that takes place following her capture, whether or not it's in a combat role.
* Nagisa and Honoka of ''Anime/FutariWaPrettyCure''. Actually, every member of every incarnation of ''Anime/PrettyCure'', period. [[Anime/YesPrecure5 Kurumi]], [[Anime/FutariWaPrettyCureSplashStar Michiru and Kaoru]] can come too. Sorry, [[BarrierMaiden Hikari]], you're out.
* Anise and Lily of ''[[VideoGame/GalaxyAngel Galaxy Angel II]]'' and ''Anime/GalaxyAngelRune'', more obviously so than two previous Angels, Forte and Ranpha.
* It would seem that in ''Anime/{{GaoGaiGar}}'', if you're a female humanoid, you're almost guaranteed for [[MissionControl supporting roles]] [[BridgeBunnies on the backstage]]. However, starting in the OVA, we're introduced with Rune Cardiff Shishioh, who is actually a total ActionGirl on her own and is probably the only female who takes combat directly head on. Hell, in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'', she DOES actually take on robots bigger than her size armed with just her bazookas and fists (but with the help of her companion femmebots as well).
* Major Motoko Kusanagi from ''Franchise/GhostInTheShell'' is likely the best there is in Section 9 at just about everything. The only character who was shown to be better than her at something was also thought to be ''too cool to exist''.
* Ginrei and Youshi from Manga/GiantRobo are members of an international police organization known as the Experts of Justice.
* Remy Shimada in ''Anime/GoShogun'' and ''Go Shogun: The Time Étranger'', first a mecha pilot, then a revolver-wielding explorer/adventurer.
* {{Deconstruct|ion}}ed in ''Manga/GreatTeacherOnizuka'' with Tokiwa. A traumatized girl who has some skill in karate, she lures boys to a make-out spot and then beats the hell out of them... until one of them comes back for revenge with his buddies, who know martial arts and are actually prepared for her, and they defeat her with ease.
* Rushuna in ''Anime/{{Grenadier}}''. Her goal is to get the enemy to lose their will to fight by the power of her smile. She regularly fails on this part. So she has to use her ImprobableAimingSkills and UnorthodoxReload to shoot anything that moves. In a world of riflemen and samurai and superweapons, the most dangerous thing is a girl with large breasts and a six-shot revolver.
* In ''Animation/GuardianFairyMichel'', Kim White is an ace pilot, sharpshooter, and friend to fairies everywhere. While Michel gets powers as well, it's Kim who helps turn the tide of battle.
* Alita from ''Manga/{{Gunnm}}'' [[ZigZaggedTrope ZigZags]] between this trope and DarkActionGirl. With a sound mind, she's a regular Action Girl. But make her mad and she'll start getting ''really'' violent.
* Yuki Nagato of ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya''. There's a reason why she's called a BadassBookworm. She's badass enough that she doesn't need to move a limb to fight. She can open her mouth, and (at least in the anime), chant SQL queries backwards, sped up. At one point, she blocks a gigantic cave cricket's attack without flinching by using a gigantic forcefield. Most of the time, she uses her data manipulation for good, like helping the team win a baseball match in order to prevent the world from ending, and playing a kickass electric guitar solo. And that's not even mentioning the battle with [[CutePsycho Ryoko Asakura]], who is no slouch in that department herself.
* Hinagiku of ''Manga/HayateTheCombatButler''. She regularly defeats opponents, inspiring awe from the protagonist. She tries playing DeliberatelyDistressedDamsel to capture his attention, under the impression he likes weak girls, but usually the opponents trigger her BerserkButton and she completely demolishes them.
** [[spoiler:Athena]] could also qualify. [[spoiler:She's the one who opened Hayate's potential and trained him,]] but since all of her battles so far have been against the main character, it's questionable whether she goes here or DarkActionGirl.
* Seras Victoria and Integra from ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}''; Integra is just, well, Integra, and Seras... Oh my gosh, after Seras [[spoiler: drinks Berandotte's blood]], she [[TookALevelInBadass takes so many levels in badass]] it's not even funny!
* ''Manga/HighschoolOfTheDead'' has [[http://www.citymanga.com/highschool_of_the_dead/chapter-26/14/ Rei Miyamoto and Saeko Busujima]], who's her DarkActionGirl counterpart:
** Rei begins the series using makeshift polearms, but is eventually given a [=M1A1=] Springfield assault rifle with a bayonet attachment, which becomes [[http://www.citymanga.com/highschool_of_the_dead/chapter-25/12/ her weapon of choice]] for the remainder of the series. She's also had training in martial arts and [[http://www.citymanga.com/highschool_of_the_dead/chapter-26/25/ isn't afraid to get physical with "them".]] Depite this, she occasionally lapses into DistressedDamsel territory, but soon claws her way back full-on badass status.
** Saeko is [[LadyOfWar aloof and composed on the battlefield]], and [[BornInTheWrongCentury well suited for the new world she finds herself in]], since it allows her to indulge in her true nature. Beneath the calm exterior, lies an AxCrazy sadist [[http://www.citymanga.com/highschool_of_the_dead/chapter-17/19/ who revels in cutting down her enemies]], to the point of becoming [[InterplayOfSexAndViolence sexually aroused]] [[http://www.citymanga.com/highschool_of_the_dead/chapter-17/28/ by it.]] For her, [[TheDreaded "they"]] are little more than a RedshirtArmy, which she's [[OrgasmicCombat more than "happy"]] [[http://www.citymanga.com/highschool_of_the_dead/chapter-25/13/ to demonstrate.]]
** For most of the series, [[{{meganekko}} Saya]] serves as [[TheSmartGuy the brain]] of their group, but after spending time watching [[FriendlySniper Hirano]] and [[TookALevelInBadass picking up a few pointers along the way]], she eventually becomes their second gunner. Those lessons came in handy when she went into MamaBear [[http://www.mangareader.net/high-school-of-the-dead/29/22 mode]] to save Alice, in chapter 29. She even tells Hirano [[http://www.mangareader.net/high-school-of-the-dead/29/27 not to help her]] because she was determined to do it herself with her next shot. Next page... [[http://www.mangareader.net/high-school-of-the-dead/29/28 scratch one bogey.]]
* Sango from ''Manga/{{InuYasha}}'' is a demon-slayer with a [[{{BFS}} ludicrously-sized]] [[PrecisionGuidedBoomerang boomerang]], of all things. Kikyou also was an excellent [[ArcherArchetype Archer]], and Kagome eventually evolved into an ActionGirl of the same type as time passed. And we also got a CuteBruiser in Ayame. Kagura, however, started off as a DarkActionGirl, but became one of the rare few of that trope to undergo a HeelFaceTurn (into the stand-offish and cynical type mentioned in said trope).
* Sakuya from ''Manga/{{Isuca}}'' is a girl from a clan that [[DemonSlaying captures and seals away monsters for a living]] and is a very skilled [[ArcherArchetype archer]].
* ''Manga/KimagureOrangeRoad'', being a junior high school romance story, doesn't often call for action sequences. But when it does, Madoka "the Pick" Ayukawa is ready and able to take out a whole gang of delinquents. Or, you know, skateboard down the girders of a building under construction. Whatever the situation, she can handle it . . . as long as it doesn't involve ghosts.
* Practically every single female character in ''Anime/KillLaKill'' qualifies, even the more feminine ones like Mako's mother.
* Sumire Iwaya of ''Manga/KimiWaPetto'' (''Tramps Like Us''), is a classy career woman who's punched out a boss's fake tooth, beaten up muggers on at least three different occasions, taken out Yakuza goons, given her boyfriend a split lip, and busted out some wrestling techniques to use on the men who kidnapped her pet, Momo.
-->'''Momo:''' No wonder they call her the Department of Technique!
* ''Franchise/LupinIII'':
** Naturally, Fujiko Mine is the series' primary example. While often portrayed as anti-heroine, her status has varied. She was originally [[FemmeFatale a seductress]], who got by on her looks and feminine wiles since she lacked any fighting skill. However, she was later retooled by Creator/HayaoMiyazaki, during his work on ''[[Anime/TheCastleOfCagliostro The Castle of Cagliostro]]''. Reception to the change was lukewarm at first, but was well received with time, so that it's become her standard characterization. She was even given her own [[Anime/LupinIIITheWomanCalledFujikoMine spin-off series]], years later.
** ''[[Anime/LupinIIIIslandOfAssassins Island of Assassins]]'': [[BrokenBird Ellen]] didn't have a choice in the matter, because her parents [[spoiler: sold her into slavery when she was a child, in order to support their alcoholism]]. She was [[MadeASlave conscripted]] into [[MurderInc the Tarantulas]] sometime afterward, and was trained to be an assassin.
** ''[[Anime/LupinIIITheSecretOfTwilightGemini The Secret of Twilight Gemini]]'' featured Lara as its GirlOfTheWeek, who was the gun-toting rebel leader of [[LaResistance the Geltic Tribe.]] Shortly before the film's climatic final battle, The Elder reveals to her and Lupin that Lara [[spoiler: is descendant of the Geltic Royal Family, which literally makes her a RebelliousPrincess]]!
* ''Anime/{{Madlax}}'' has a good number of them;
** Limelda Jorg fits in this catagory [[spoiler: Even though she did kill Vanessa, she did managed to take out a good number of the Elite Guard she used to be in plus a group of mercinaries out to kill Madlax. And in later episodes it's hinted that she's taken out a few more squads but it got credited to Madlax by Friday Monday.]]
** Finally there's Elenore Baker; a prime example of NinjaMaid. In certain circles it's joked er...hinted that she's the teacher of Roberta from ''Manga/BlackLagoon''.
* ''Franchise/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'' has [[SmallGirlBigGun Nanoha]], [[SuperSoldier Fate]], [[LittleMissBadass Vita]], [[LadyOfWar Signum]], [[CuteBruiser Subaru]], [[GirlsWithGuns Teana]]... you know, it'd probably be easier to list the female mages that ''wouldn't'' count as an ActionGirl. Even the WhiteMagicianGirl could kick your ass, or at least [[TheBeastmaster have her]] [[SummonMagic dragons]] do it for her.
** In ''Manga/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaInnocent'', Nanoha's [[ThoseTwoGuys two friends Arisa and Suzuka]] as well as Fate's older (but [[OlderThanTheyLook younger-looking]]) sister [[SparedByTheAdaptation Alicia]] are upgraded to Action Girls now.
* Hikaru Shidou from ''Manga/MagicKnightRayearth'' is this in spades - threaten any living being, or ''heaven forbid her dearest friends'', and you might as well curb-stomp your own ass.
** Umi and Fuu also qualify lots and lots. (The three did have training previous to the Cefiro Read Trip after all: Hikaru as a kendoka, Umi as a classic fencer, and Fuu as archer). Also Caldina. And of course...we can't forget Nova (which gives action-girl Hikaru a whole new dimension since Nova [[spoiler: ''is'' Hikaru...or more specifically her shadow]]). Now just take a moment to consider how badass Nova herself is and you'll get my meaning...
** Don't forget the princesses Tatra and Tarta. Aska is a pretty decent Summoner, too.
** [[spoiler: Princess Emeraude]] herself. Though she initially refused to do anything, when grief took over her heart, she decided it was time for action, which involved a {{BFS}} and her own Mashin.
* You don't have to look far in ''Manga/MagiLabyrinthOfMagic'' to find an Action Girl, because almost all of them are notable for being real ''Action Girls.'' From main character Morgiana, to Sinbad's Generals Yamuraiha and Pisti, to even the Kou Empire's Princesses Hakuei and Kougyoku. And they're all awesome for it.
* Despite being [[NakedPeopleAreFunny a victim of]] [[ButtMonkey a lot of pranks]], HotTeacher Machiko Mai from ''Manga/MaicchinguMachikoSensei'' often gives back as much as she takes. She's more athletic than the rest of the staff (including the phys ed teachers), able to pick up skills like skateboarding in one or two tries, and knows martial arts of some kind — several episodes involve her beating the crap out of someone who goes too far. (One memorable instance of this involved her breasts popping free from her shirt from a thief who had taken her as a hostage, which she used as a the start of a breast-and-karate-chop combo.)
* ''Anime/MaiHime'':
** The [=HiME=], plus [[spoiler:a RobotGirl and a fake [=HiME=]]].
** Haruka Suzushiro, who [[BadassNormal isn't]] a [=HiME=], kicked a tank, held off two armed guards so her friend could run for help, and head butted [[PsychoLesbian Shizuru Fujino]] before [[spoiler: dying by disintegration]].
* ''Manga/MakenKi'': It'd be easier to list the girls who aren't, since [[WorldOfActionGirls virtually every female in the series]] is combat ready. So we'll focus on the ones in the main cast:
** Haruko grew up studying martial arts with her friend, Takeru, at his father's dojo. Since then, she's become a proficient swordswoman and is the wielder of Murakumo; which is one of the original 8 Maken. Near the end of the Venus arc, she fought and defeated Demitra, the vice-commander of their unit.
** [[TheCutie Inaho]] doesn't see as much action as the others, mainly because she's the {{plucky comic relief}}. But she still gets her moments to shine, such as when she saved Takeru from a rockslide and when she helped fight Celia.
** Himegami is the {{deuteragonist}} and the daughter of [[spoiler: Yamato no Orochi]]. As such, [[BlueBlood she's royalty]] ''and'' [[spoiler: a demigoddess]], who's capable of casting high-level summons and magic. Plus, she possesses Yasakani which has [[spoiler: the power of the 8 original Maken combined]]. Meaning, she's inherently [[LadyOfBlackMagic one of the most powerful characters]] in the series, and was ultimately the one who [[spoiler: defeated [[BigBad Ouken Yamato]]]].
** Azuki serves as the group's [[CloseRangeCombatant unarmed combat specialist]] and is acknowledged as [[AmazonianBeauty one of the strongest girls]] at the academy. She's introduced being challenged to a duel by Kai, [[BestHerToBedHer for the right to be with her]] (which he loses). Later, she fought Yan-Min during the Venus arc and narrowly defeated her. And during the Okino Island chapters, she joined the battle against Otohime Yamato's enslaved minions and her brother, Gouken.
* Rune Balot of the novels/manga/movies, MardockScramble. She's an ex-hooker cyborg capable of shooting bullets out of the air with her eyes closed, has a transforming weapon, super-senses, and highly advanced technopathic abilities. She's practically a force of nature.
* Almost every single female character in ''Anime/MasterOfMartialHearts''. Even the most unsuspectable ones. Single exceptions are FauxActionGirl Miko and CuteMute, nameless, Natsumi's mom. Partly subverted because [[spoiler:Natsumi's mom, before getting [[MindRape broken into a mute StepfordSmiler]] used to be a fairly good Action Girl]].
* Masako Natsume from Anime/MawaruPenguindrum is a deadly shot with her slingshot and can handle herself in had-to-hand combat pretty well.
* From the creator Creator/GoNagai, the ''Mazinger'' trilogy features several {{Action Girl}}s:
** Sayaka Yumi from ''Anime/MazingerZ'' was [[TropeCodifier one of the first Action Girls in anime]] (together with of the first {{Tsundere}}s who was a main character).
** Jun Hono from ''Anime/GreatMazinger'' who also was a martial artist besides mecha pilot. One of her most remembered feats was [[spoiler:killing one general of the Mykene empire army with one single EyeBeam from her mecha in the final episode]].
** ''Anime/UFORoboGrendizer'' has Hikaru Makiba who began the series being a farm girl before [[TookALevelInBadass taking a level in badass]] and becoming a mecha pilot; and Maria Grace Fleed, [[TheGunslinger gunslinger]] and [[BadassPrincess warrior princess]].
** Finally, all of them were reunited in ''Manga/MazingerAngels''. [[WorldofActionGirls It was awesome.]]
* Mikura from ''Anime/MezzoForte'' is the weapons and hand-to-hand combat specialist of the Danger Service Agency, and easily outclasses any of the male characters in a one-on-one fight. Her foil, MafiaPrincess Momomi Minoi, qualifies as a DarkActionGirl being that she's the only character in the OVA that can stand toe-to-toe with Mikura.
* Allenby Beardsley from ''[[Anime/MobileFighterGGundam G Gundam]]'' is an example in the ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' franchise. Don't let the girly-looking Gundam and the girlish speech patterns fool you: she can kick you ass six ways to Sunday, and she ''will''. If you have to doubt her skill, [[EstablishingCharacterMoment in her first scene]] she actually fought Domon in an arcade simulation when they first met; neither of them won, but the machine was the real loser as their combined fighting skills caused it to break down.
** Rain Mikamura is more of a WrenchWench than a full-blooded ActionGirl, but [[spoiler: she [[TookALevelInBadass ends up outdoing Allenby]] by actually ''defeating her'' in battle and finishing Domon's DefusingTheTykebomb process]] so she's not exactly to be trifled with. Not to mention that despite not being specifically trained as a Gundam Fighter, she could withstand putting on the series' LatexSpaceSuit through a ''very'' painful process.
* In ''Anime/{{Monster}}'', Nina is not only capable of kicking ass (and running without pain while in heels) but also scaring people completely shitless (and in at least one case, pissless) when they get in her way. It's possible she inherited some of this from her mother who [[spoiler: escaped from a high security military base [[PregnantBadass while in labor]].]]
** However, Nina could be seen a possible subversion and a {{Deconstruction}} of this. She starts out as a martial-arts expert who quickly becomes adept with fire-arms. However, in the second half of the series, she becomes less and less "action-y" as we learn the massive MESS of a past that she's been through. [[spoiler: Although present at the climax, all she does is tell Johan that she forgives him.]] Even more so: the fandom conveniently "forgets" that while Nina ''is'' a martial-arts expert... we don't ''meet'' her as such: we met her as a mix of CreepyChild and Ophelia, and it's later when we know what she can physically do.
* ''Anime/MoribitoGuardianOfTheSpirit'': Balsa is a wandering spearwoman turned bodyguard, in order [[TheAtoner to atone for the 8 lives she once took]], who finds herself charged to protect Prince Chagum. So if anyone wants him, they're gonna have to go through '''''[[MamaBear HER]]'''''. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdkW7nHD5wU Good luck with that.]]
* Syal and Lennard in ''Manga/MotherKeeper'' are both the main {{badass}} for their respective groups and do most of the fighting.
* Anyone in ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' who gets into U.A. High School's superheroics class counts towards this trope by default. There's also an action girl among the support-oriented group, a GadgeteerGenius named Mei Hatsume.
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
** Sakura Haruno. She TookALevelInBadass in Shippuden when she defeated Sasori, an Akastuki member and became a full-on Action Girl. She had more ActionGirl moments such as killing with a single punch one of the Pain's summons, taking charge when Naruto [[spoiler:was going eight-tailed fox]] in that arc, when she takes down White Zetsu in one punch. Later it's revealed that she knows how to use the Strength of a Hundred Seal like Tsunade and kills a massive a amount of juubis to everyone surprise and shock. [[spoiler:She even goes against Madara Uchiha on her own so Naruto and Sasuke could have an opening to attack him. In the final fight she punches the major villain of the series and if it wasn't for that Naruto and Sasuke couldn't have won that fight.]]
** Temari holds the shining distinction of not only being the only female to participate in the Chunin exams to actually win a fight, but to add insult to injury she did it twice in a row. She later [[ShipTease rescued Shikamaru]] and defeated Tayuya in the Sasuke Retrieval arc.
** Tsunade is this in her introduction in Part 1. The whole thing was just one giant awesome scene as she fought then-BigBad Orochimaru alongside Jiraiya, but after that, she became the Hokage and focused more on being a ReasonableAuthorityFigure. In [[spoiler: chapter 562, she proved that she had more than some few seconds of ActionGirl set aside for a special occasion by activating a secret forbidden technique and punching a hole through Madara's Susanoo. And then she ran out of seconds and Madara (who was not even mildly inconvenienced by the attack) turned his Susanoo into a mountain-busting giant]].
** The introduction of Mei aka the Mizukage has added another ActionGirl to the list. When [[spoiler: Sasuke attacked the Kage summit]], she almost killed him by having won the local SuperpowerLottery by having ''a double kekkei genkai''.
** And of course, Kushina Uzumaki, [[spoiler: the former Kyuubi jinchuriki and Naruto's ActionMom]]. The first [[spoiler: and only]] time she appeared outside a flashback featured her [[spoiler: completely restraining the Kyuubi with her chakra alone.]] Then when the flashback does come, we discover that Kushina was possibly the only person ever to actually [[spoiler: survive having a Bijuu extracted from her; less than an hour after she had given birth. After a ten month pregnancy. And less than an hour after ''that'', the Kyuubi tries to kill Naruto with its claw. Kushina does the HumanShield bit and catches the claw in her stomach. Despite all the crap previously listed, she [[BattleCouple (with some help from her husband)]] stops a giant eldritch abomination's claw with pure physical strength.]]
** Ten-Ten, who has a very hands-on fighting style. [[OffscreenMomentOfAwesome If only the story could show us her achievements...]]
** Hinata Hyuuga began as a shy and self-deprecating ShrinkingViolet, but ever since Part 2 she slowly but surely evolved into a LadyOfWar in training. She finally achieved full-blooded ActionGirl status in ''The Last'', where not only [[spoiler: she becomes Naruto's BattleCouple partner and vital to defeat the BigBad]], but she also [[spoiler: personally takes back her little sister Hanabi's stolen eyes by ripping them from said BigBad's own eye sockets.]]
** But the best example in this series is a villain, namely [[spoiler:Kaguya, the mother of the Sage of Six Paths, inventor of the Sharingan and Rinnegan and the first person ever to use chakra. She once stole a sacred fruit and used its power to win all wars, and in her day, the entire world either worshiped her as a goddess or feared her as a demon.]]
* In ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' the two female leads, Asuka and Rei, perform incredible acts of badassery from within their Evas at multiple points in the series. Additionally, Major Misato Katsuragi is the operations director for the Evangelion project, and although she mostly functions as MissionControl, she is very deadly with a pistol, as three JSSDF Commandos found out the hard way when they attempted to harm Shinji in ''End of Evangelion''.
** And the ''[[Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion Rebuild]]'' movies give us Mari.
* Mirielle, Kirika, and Chloe in ''Anime/{{Noir}}''. I mean, they are assassins! Definitely warrior material.
* ''Manga/OnePiece'': Several actually. The most prominent currently probably being [[LadyOfWar Boa Hancock]] who is said to be the strongest woman in the whole world and can '''perfectly'' back up said claim thanks to her KickChick skills and TakenforGranite powers. Tashigi is of the the more traditional variety being a swordsman. The female Straw Hat Pirates are frequently in the fore of the fighting as well, with Nami using the [[WeatherControlMachine Clima Tact]] to attack with the weather and Robin [[MultiArmedAndDangerous sprouting arms]] to break enemies' backs. WordOfGod states this is intentional because Oda wants to make female characters both male and female fans can like.
* ''Manga/OutlawStar'' has Aisha [[RepetitiveName Clan Clan]], who's a member of [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy the Catrl Catrl empire]] and one of the strongest characters in the series. While [[RedBaron "Twilight" Suzuka]] is a reknowned underworld assassin, who earned her name and reputation for having eliminated all of her targets at sunset... with a ''wooden'' sword!
* ''Anime/PanzerWorldGalient'': Hilmuka. Martial artist, sniper, strategist... you better believe she can look after herself in a fight (even if she is forced to fight in a gravity-altered environment).
* ''Anime/{{Patlabor}}'': The women of the [=SVU2=][[note]]Special Vehicles Unit 2[[/note]] are all dedicated police officers, like their male counterparts:
** As the series' {{protagonist}}, Noa Izumi is the pilot of Unit 01 and eventually becomes one of the division's top [[HumongousMecha Labor pilots.]] But she's shown to be just as capable when she isn't piloting "Alphonse".
** Lt. [[TheAce Kanuka Clancy]] is "on loan" from the NYPD's bomb squad and is the Forward for Unit 02[[note]]the Forward is essentially the Labor pilot's field commander[[/note]]. She returns to her own division, at the end of her stint with the SVU, and is eventually replaced by Kumagami.
** In addition to taking over as Forward for Unit 02, [[{{bifauxnen}} Takeo Kumagami]] is a black belt in Judo and is a qualified instructor. She's so proficient at it, that no one in the division has lasted more than a few seconds in a spar with her (though Noa holds the record for lasting 8 seconds against her).
** Finally, there's [[ColonelBadass Shinobu Nagumo]], the reserved and respected captain of Special Vehicles' 1st division. Her service record is so exemplary, that some have wondered [[ChekhovsGun why someone of her obvious talents]] would settle [[ReassignedToAntarctica for such a thankless position.]]
* ''Anime/PhantomQuestCorp'': As Phantom Quest's president, [[HardDrinkingPartyGirl Ayaka]] [[ChristmasCake Kisaragi]] has made a living from [[OccultDetective studying the occult]] and [[WhoYouGonnaCall eliminating all manner of spooks]] across Tokyo. And while she's undeniably good at her job, [[DestructiveSaviour she's the reason]] that her company's [[PerpetualPoverty constantly up their ears in debt.]]
* A cardinal rule of ''Manga/PokemonSpecial'' is that if you have paired X chromosomes and you come into a Pokédex by hook or by crook, you are one of these to a degree without exception.
** Blue is the ClassyCatBurglar who is more than willing to use her [[FilleFatale feminine wiles]] ([[CrazyPrepared as well as some major advance planning in some cases]]) to get what she wants. Sabrina and Lorelei learned this the hard way.
** Yellow is the kind of person who would rather befriend Pokémon than battle with them, but even Sird realizes (and Lance learns through experience) that cutting off any possibility of diplomacy with her is a ''[[BewareTheNiceOnes cosmically bad]]'' idea.
** Crystal is the only trainer ''in the entire series'' to complete the Pokédex for all non-legendary entries, and even then she may borrow off the others to fill out those entries. Her accuracy with leg-propelled Pokéballs is second to none, [[ExtremityExtremist and Arceus help you if she learns Capoeira to compliment that style]].
** Anyone who looks under the WildChild and BadassNormal entries should be aware of what Sapphire is capable of; capable in combat both with and without her Pokémon, and hardly a slouch in the cranial department [[BookDumb despite her complications in Roxanne's written challenge]]. She also developed a soft spot for [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass Ruby]], and though he hasn't gotten in a hot spot she needed to wholly bail him out of, it's safe to assume that threatening his safety with her in proximity is akin to a death wish.
** Despite her isolated and spoiled upbringing, Platinum Berlitz comes from a family of scholars and can easily classify as the most knowledgeable out of the entire lot. Even though her bodyguards aren't what you'd [[BigEater expect from]] [[HotBlooded their profession]], it's not a bright idea to tick her off or endanger them, either.
** White started out as mainly a Neutral Female, but when [[spoiler: her Tepig Gigi left to be with N]], she TookALevelInBadass and quickly gained 6 Pokémon, defeated a Battle Subway Master, and defended a Legendary, ALL IN THE SPAN OF ABOUT 2 CHAPTERS.
** Although, her arc has literally just started, Fitsu is implied to have been a former [[spoiler: Team Plasma member]]. We can assume she was definitely a Badass in this regard.
** [[InexplicablyIdenticalIndividuals Officer Jenny]] tends to take this role throughout the ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' anime. [[PoliceAreUseless It doesn't always]] [[FauxActionGirl work out]].
** Speaking of Action Girls from the Pokémon anime, all of Ash Ketchum's female companions are this, with Misty and Iris arguably being the most blatant ones. Although May and Dawn are no slouches themselves. May very much came off as one, evident in [[{{Leitmotif}} her theme song.]] And Dawn may well be the biggest ActionGirl of them all, with her battle style being the closest to Ash's and often having Piplup deliver the finishing blow along with Pikachu.
* Princess Sapphire is one of the earliest examples in this medium, what with ''Manga/PrincessKnight'' being created way back in the fifties and considered as the mother of ''all'' {{shoujo}} manga. Friebe also counts.
* Sakurako and Matsuri from ''Manga/{{Psyren}}'' are "Universal-type" PSI users, which as the name implies means they are good at everything. Fredrica and Marie, despite being kids, are equally capable.
* Due to battling against Witches, all of the {{Magical Girl}}s in ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' fall under this trope. Of particular notability is Homura, whose powers didn't give her a magical weapon, forcing her to improvise with explosives and guns [[spoiler:that were stolen from the Yakuza]].
* ''Anime/QueensBlade'': Pretty much everyone without a Y Chromosome is capable of kicking ass to some degree or other.
* To some extent, Akane Tendō and most of Ranma's harem from ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf''. While they may not be as strong as Ranma and most of the main male martial artists, they can still beat the shit out of 90% of the boys their age.
** For comedic purposes, Akane tends to become temporarily physically stronger than all the characters.
** In a normal world, Akane would be the most badass person around. This is the girl who has to fight every single guy in the school just to get to class each morning, because Kuno had unilaterally declared that any guy who can defeat her gets to date her, and she's never lost to any of them. And she views this routine as merely irritating. It's her bad luck that she lives in a world with martial artists on the level of Ranma and Ryoga, and she appears weak only in comparison.
* From the ''Anime/RobotRomanceTrilogy'': Chizuru Nanbara of ''Anime/CombattlerV'' is a mecha pilot capable to sortie even when she is deadly ill; Megumi Oka of ''Anime/VoltesV'' is mecha pilot, highly-trained soldier and ninja; and Nana from ''Anime/{{Daimos}}'' is TheGunslinger and a jet fighter pilot (the female lead, Erika became this in the manga ''Victory Five'').
* Juliet Fiamatta Asto Capulet, ''Anime/RomeoXJuliet''. An excellent Swordsman, she was a vigilante known as the Red Whirlwind and was more than a match for the guards of the city. As she realizes what her heritage as the last Capulet truly means, she has to balance both mental stability and fighting skills...
* Inner Moka, especially, from ''Manga/RosarioToVampire'', but all of them have solo or tag-teamed at beating the snot out of some hefty MonsterOfTheWeek candidates.
* ''Manga/RuinExplorers'': Ihrie, [[CuteMonsterGirl Fam]], and Rasha, are all adventurers who make their living by exploring ancient ruins in search of treasure they can either use, or sell. Of the three, Ihrie is the only swordswoman, while Fam and Rasha are spellcasters.
* ''Anime/RuneSoldierLouie'': [[AmazonianBeauty Jeanie]] is not only the most action oriented member of the female cast, she doubles as TheBigGuy of the group, being she's the tallest and has more muscle than Louie! The two of them even [[GoodOldFisticuffs duke it out]] near the end of episode 12. Jeanie outlasts Louie and knocks him out.
* ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'' has Misao Makimachi, a fast and agile {{Ninja}} girl, in contrast to Kaoru who walks the fence between ActionSurvivor and FauxActionGirl.
* ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' is about Usagi Tsukino and her friends who transform into {{Magical Girl Warrior}}s to battle demons, Usagi herself becoming the titular Sailor Moon. Her friends, meanwhile, become Sailor Mercury, Sailor Venus, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Saturn, Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, and Sailor Pluto. The series is iconic for not only running on this trope, but doing it in a way that portrays their "girly girl" aspects as strengths instead of weaknesses. Not only that, there are several occasions where the male lead (Usagi's boyfriend) is put in the DamselInDistress position and the eponymous heroines must rescue him.
* ''Manga/SaintSeiya'' is usually less fair to the females in this sense due to the ValuesDissonance (it's a shonen franchise that comes from TheEighties), but two Action Girls from the much newer spinoff series stand out: Crane Yuzuriha from ''Anime/SaintSeiyaTheLostCanvas'' and Aquila Yuna from ''Anime/SaintSeiyaOmega''. While Yuzuriha certainly can hold her own, Yuna has the advantage of being one of the core cast of the series and receives a lot of developments.
* Pururuun aka Polly Esther in ''Anime/SamuraiPizzaCats''. So tough, she has even been known to beat up her own ''co-workers'' if they annoy her in any way!
* Jun from ''Anime/ScienceNinjaTeamGatchaman''. She actually can be considered as another TropeCodifier of this, since the mere fact that she was an ActionGirl [[TheSmurfettePrinciple in an otherwise male team]] was [[FairforItsDay revolutionary]] for [[TheSeventies its time.]] Though the FanDumb tends to dismiss her [[WhatMeasureIsANonBadass simply because she doesn't win all of her fights.]]
* Whenever anything action oriented needs to be done in ''Manga/SchoolLive'', it's up to Kurumi and her trusty shovel. Later, Miki becomes a secondary Action Girl, acting when Kurumi can't.
* Mutsumi Mitsuba from ''Manga/SeitokaiYakuindomo'' is a 2-dan black belt in Judo and is generally competent in that. In fact, she founded the judo team when she just entered high school and immediately have respectable results, despite recruiting a team of complete newbies.
* The OneHundredAndEight Sekirei in the series of the [[Manga/{{Sekirei}} same name]] are an overwhelmingly female species of battle aliens. About half of them have been shown, and only three girls don't qualify as Action Girls. Of those three, two make up for their lack of physical prowess by being MoreDeadlyThanTheMale.
* ''Manga/SgtFrog'': Nearly every main female character will qualify occasionally, if not regularly.
* Anna Kyoyama and Tao Jun from ''Manga/ShamanKing'' are two of the biggest {{Badass}}es in the series, every bit on-par with the male badasses.
* Tiara from ''Anime/ShamanicPrincess'' uses FullContactMagic during a fight, summons shadow creatures to do her bidding, whips out shadow-swords, and becomes a sexy demon warrior with deadly fighting skill.
* Chizuru from ''Manga/ShinryakuIkaMusume'' is normally peaceful but if you A) mess with her family or B) mess with her store she will [[CurbStompBattle kick your ass]] and like Tomoyo she kinda stands out since it's not a action manga.
* Himeko Onizuka from ''Manga/SketDance'' was an [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower insanely powerful]] [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Delinquents: ''yankee'']] who unintentionally built a fearsome reputation for herself by taking on all comers wherever she went. Then she met Bossun. She got a lot better, choosing to use her strength for the sake of helping others through the Sket Dan.
* Lina Inverse from ''{{LightNovel/Slayers}}'': She left a path of devastation wherever she went, kicking the collective arses of everyone between her and whatever goal she was pursuing at the time.
** Amelia has plenty of action girl moments, including [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8apNwPQwiOY&list=SL this one]] at 18:05 where she exorcises an entire town of its ghost infection.
** Filia qualifies even if she can have a [[TheChick Chick-like]] demeanor, having angrily destroyed a town under baiting by Xellos [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPwcf6n-m98&list=SL in this episode]] at 17:04
* Maka Albern of ''Manga/SoulEater''. There is no shortage of instances where she's kicking ass by swinging and [[WeaponTwirling twirling]] that SinisterScythe of hers. Tsubaki and the Thompson sisters Patti and Liz are shown as very capable too, on the rare occasion that they fight without their meister partners.
** And later on there's TeamMom Marie Mjolnir, fighting [[spoiler: Justin]].
* Trixie from ''Anime/SpeedRacer'' actually was quite more action-geared [[ValuesDissonance than the then-norm]] in the original 60's series. When she ''did'' get whacked with a DistressBall, she did her best to fight back and often was more trouble than worth to their captors.
* ''Anime/TenchiMuyo'': As the show's title implies, the girls really [[StealthPun have no need for Tenchi.]]
** [[ArtificialHuman Ryoko]] was formerly the Galaxy Police's "Most Wanted" SpacePirate and is easily the most powerful female among the main cast, thanks to Washuu creating her to be the ultimate biological weapon. Ryoko has [[SuperpowerLottery a shitload of powers and abilities at her disposal]] - including self-replication, the ability to regenerate lost body parts, teleportation... Suffice to say, you'd do better to make a list of powers ''she doesn't'' have.
** As the crown princess of Planet Jurai, [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses Ayeka]] is nothing to sneeze at either. She wields the power of Jurai, which is said the be the greatest in the known universe, and can create [[BarrierWarrior high-level barriers.]]
** Ryoko's "mother", Washuu, is heralded as the greatest scientific genius in the universe (noticing a trend here?), including being able to create pocket dimensions on a whim. At times, [[StoryBreakerPower her abilities seem too much for the series]], until it's revealed she's really [[spoiler: one of the Four Goddesses that created the universe]].
** And Kiyone is a hyper competent and proud officer of the Galaxy Police, which sadly, isn't reflected in her service record, due to being stuck [[TheLoad with Mihoshi]] as her partner. But in the few moments she's allowed to shine, she's shown to be very resourceful and dedicated to her career.
* [[{{Intangibility}} Renka Urushiba]] and [[TeleportersAndTransporters Minami]] in ''Manga/TokyoESP'' serve as easily the two most {{Badass}} characters in the series and their fights are absolutely brutal.
* ''LightNovel/TheTestamentOfSisterNewDevil'' has several of the main heroines who can fight. However, Mio is not as good, though it's justified as she just recently learned about her powers, and is still in the process of mastering them.
* ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'' has quite a few. Namely Touka, who can fight on par with dangerous Ghouls with her kicks and kagune, which can [[FlechetteStorm fire shards]] and deliver slashes. There's also Akira Mado, a powerful Investigator who can go toe-to-toe with S-Rank Ghouls with Quinque known for their difficulty to use. Hinami even becomes one by ''Tokyo Ghoul:Re'', mastering her dual kagune to the point she could give [[OneManArmy Takizawa]] trouble.
* All five of the main girls in ''Manga/TokyoMewMew''. Zakuro's undoubtedly the most straight-up example, but Ichigo, Mint, Lettuce, and Pudding are capable of fighting as well.
* Alicia Melchiott and all the other girls in the ''Anime/ValkyriaChronicles'' anime are {{Action Girl}}s, just like their [[VideoGame/ValkyriaChronicles video game counterparts]]. (Except for [[ReluctantWarrior Susie]], who was never one to begin with...)
* Yui Lee from the ''Manga/VampirePrincessMiyu'' TV series, specially noticeable in that [[BadassNormal she is NOT a Shinma and yet manages to survive out there.]] Miyu herself is more of a DarkMagicalGirl.
* ''Anime/VariableGeo'' features [[WorldOfActionGirls an entire cast]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwVbpSM-j1U of super-empowered heroines]], who're competing in an MMA tournament for the title of "Virgin Goddess".
* In a canon omake of ''Manga/VinlandSaga'', Ylfa fantasizes about becoming a BadAss pirate queen. The fact that she eagerly joins in on the occasional whale hunt proves she's no tender maid.
* ''Words Worth'' is a rare departure from the norm in {{hentai}}, as it features women who're capable of actually defending themselves:
** [[LadyOfWar Sharon]] is one of the [[DarkIsNotEvil Shadow Tribe's]] top two generals (the other being Kaiser) and spends much of the series on the front lines of [[GreyAndGreyMorality the war against the Tribe of Light.]] She was skilled enough to outlast Kaiser when she fought King Fabris, though she was still defeated by him. By the time of the 20 year timeskip, she had improved enough to stalemate against [[ArrangedMarriage her fiance, Prince Astral.]]
** Fabris' adopted daughter, [[LadyOfBlackMagic Maria]], is a high-level paladin [[LightEmUp who specializes in white magic]], and was so powerful that [[StoryBreakerPower she had to be written out of the story]] by the end of the third episode. Her daughter, [[BlackMagicianGirl Miyu]], [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute assumed her role]] for the remainder of the series and ultimately helped to defeat [[BigBad Tezio and Menza's]] [[EldritchAbomination true form.]]
* ''Manga/YoureUnderArrest'': [[TomboyAndGirlyGirl Natsumi and Miyuki]] are almost always involved in every major case and have the service records and commendations to prove it. They're known to the people of Tokyo as Bokuto Precinct's [[FamedInStory "Super Duo".]]
** Natsumi is strong enough to act as the emergency brakes for their patrol car, [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower by opening the passenger side door and skidding her heels against the asphalt.]] She's also a black belt and regularly engages in arm wrestling contests, during her brakes.
** Miyuki is [[TheSmartGuy a whiz with computers]], a crackshot with a rifle, and [[BadassDriver the best driver at the precinct.]] So she excels at gathering intel and coordinating their patrols. Put simply, as long as she and Natsumi are together, criminals don't have a chance.
* ''Franchise/YuGiOh'': The franchise doesn't have that many female Duelists in comparison to male Duelists, but they are present.
** ''Manga/YuGiOh'':
*** Mai Kujaku is the most prominent example of the franchise, being the first Duelist in the manga and never goes into FauxActionGirl territory like Anzu.
*** Ishizu Ishtar is the only female Duelist who came close to beating Kaiba in a duel (and the only woman who ever dueled him on-screen, anyway). Granted, her Millennium Necklace granted her the power to see the future, but she followed the very same moves she did within her visions. The only reason she lost is because Kaiba [[ScrewDestiny Screwed Destiny]].
*** Her ancestor Isis was one of the six High Priests, the royal guards of the Pharaoh Atem.
*** Rebecca Hawkins, most prominently in the first half of season 5, where she is the only Grand Championship participant besides Jounouchi to be on the side of the heroes.
*** Vivian Wong, an antagonist (but not a villain) in the Grand Championship arc. Plus points for knowing martial arts.
*** Mana is a magician and uses magic to fight enemies. Her ka is even Black Magician Girl.
** ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'':
*** Asuka Tenjouin, the Queen of Obelisk Blue and the strongest female student of Duel Academia. Her alternate ''ARC-V'' counterpart is even one of the good guys.
*** Rei Saotome is another competent female Obelisk Blue student.
** ''Anime/YuGiOh5Ds'':
*** Aki Izayoi started as a DarkActionGirl, who used her Psycho Power to hurt her opponents. She later joins Yusei's side and eventually becomes a D-Wheeler (...and benchwarmer),
*** Luca, who is a much more competent Duelist than her older twin brother Lua.
*** Sherry, a fully-fleshed female D-Wheeler who came very close to defeat Yusei and might had won if the duel wasn't interrupted. However, she seems to prefer physical violence to settle things over dueling.
** ''Anime/YuGiOhZEXAL'':
*** Rio Kamishiro, Shark's younger twin sister, is a fully-fleshed Duelist and doesn't like to be simply Shark's sister and she even challenges him at one point. [[spoiler:As Merag, she is a DarkActionGirl.]]
*** Cathy is not only a female Duelist, but she also has the agility of a cat (or Catwoman), and she can be competent in dealing foes outside of dueling.
*** Anna Kozuki has a very aggressive dueling style and has a lots of faith in raw power. She is also physically very strong and carries her flying cannon everywhere she goes around.
*** Droite becomes this after her HeelFaceTurn, shifting from DarkActionGirl to Action Girl.
** ''Anime/YuGiOhArcV'':
*** Yuzu Hiiragi, the {{Deuteragonist}}. She is also one of the very few female Duelists who want to become stronger.
*** Serena, Yuzu's Fusion counterpart, is a BloodKnight and is very proud about her abilities. Whether she has the same physical skills like other Academia students is unknown.
*** Rin, Yuzu's Synchro counterpart, is a D-Wheeler. At one point, she gave Yugo some trouble.
*** Ruri Kurosaki, Yuzu's Xyz counterpart, is a Duelist of Resistance.
*** Yoko Sakaki, Yuya's ''mother'', used to be a JapaneseDelinquent and a BikerBabe when she was young. She is still a Duelist.
*** Ayu Ayukawa is a Duelist-in-training.
*** Masumi Kotsu is the Junior Class ace of LDS's Fusion course.
*** Mieru Hochun is TheAce of her Duel School, although her playing style is very defensive.
* ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'':
** Genkai is still one of these [[NeverMessWithGranny as a seventy-plus year-old woman]], and, when she was younger, [[spoiler:she helped Team Toguro with the Dark Tournament, her being the only girl on that team]].
** Mukuro is so {{Badass}} that [[spoiler:she rose to the rank of a demon king [[WithMyHandsTied while having her hands shackled together for hundreds of years]]]].
** Also Kokou and Natsume, who are among the old drinking and fighting pals of none other than [[spoiler:Raizou, a Demon King just like Mukuro]].
** Botan also counts. If attacked directly, she'll easily be able to defend herself, even with mundane items like a baseball bat.
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* Ranfan of ''Anime/DragonBall'' was the first female fighter the series showed. Despite her FanService tactics, her punches were so powerful they literally ''sizzled''. Following after this was Chi-Chi, daughter of the Ox-King and future wife of Goku, and Colonel Violet, the only female officer in the Red Ribbon Army.

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'''s Sakura Haruno. She TookALevelInBadass in Shippuden when she defeated Sasori, an Akastuki member and became a full-on Action Girl. She had more ActionGirl moments such as killing with a single punch one of the Pain's summons, taking charge when Naruto [[spoiler:was going eight-tailed fox]] in that arc, when she takes down White Zetsu in one punch. Later it's revealed that she knows how to use the Strength of a Hundred Seal like Tsunade and kills a massive a amount of juubis to everyone surprise and shock. [[spoiler:She even goes against Madara Uchiha on her own so Naruto and Sasuke could have an opening to attack him. In the final fight she punches the major villain of the series and if it wasn't for that Naruto and Sasuke couldn't have won that fight.]]

** Tsunade is this in her introduction in Part 1. The whole thing was just one giant CrowningMomentOfAwesome as she fought then-BigBad Orochimaru alongside Jiraiya, but after that, she became the Hokage and focused more on being a ReasonableAuthorityFigure. In [[spoiler: chapter 562, she proved that she had more than some few seconds of ActionGirl set aside for a special occasion by activating a secret forbidden technique and punching a hole through Madara's Susanoo. And then she ran out of seconds and Madara (who was not even mildly inconvenienced by the attack) turned his Susanoo into a mountain-busting giant]].

** And of course, Kushina Uzumaki, [[spoiler: the former Kyuubi jinchuriki and Naruto's ActionMom]]. The first [[spoiler: and only]] time she appeared outside a flashback featured her [[spoiler: completely restraining the Kyuubi with her chakra alone.]] Then when the flashback does come, we discover that Kushina was possibly the only person ever to actually [[spoiler: survive having a Bijuu extracted from her; less than an hour after she had given birth. After a ten month pregnancy. And less than an hour after ''that'', the Kyuubi tries to kill Naruto with its claw. Kushina does the HumanShield bit and catches the claw in her stomach. Despite all the crap previously listed, she [[BattleCouple (with some help from her husband)]] [[FridgeLogic stops a giant eldritch abomination's claw with pure physical strength.]]]]

** Speaking of Action Girls from the Pokémon anime, all of Ash Ketchum's female companions are this, with Misty and Iris arguably being the most blatant ones. Although May and Dawn are no slouches themselves. May very much came off as one, evident in [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome her theme song.]] And Dawn may well be the biggest ActionGirl of them all, with her battle style being the closest to Ash's and often having Piplup deliver the finishing blow along with Pikachu.

* All five of the main girls in ''TokyoMewMew''. Zakuro's undoubtedly the most straight-up example, but Ichigo, Mint, Lettuce, and Pudding are capable of fighting as well.

* ''Manga/BlackGod'' firmly establishes [[CuteBruiser Kuro's status]] in it's first episode, after a Tribal End [[BullyingADragon made the mistake of picking a fight with her]], which made her spill her bowel of ramen. It was a hard lesson learned: '''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLToP6xF5tU Don't. Do it.]]'''

* Genkai and Mukuro from ''Manga/YuYuHakusho''. Genkai is still one of these [[NeverMessWithGranny as a seventy-plus year-old woman]], and, when she was younger, [[spoiler:she helped Team Toguro with the Dark Tournament, her being the only girl on that team]]. Mukuro is so BadAss that [[spoiler:[[{{badass}} she rose to the rank of a demon king]] [[WithMyHandsTied while having her hands shackled together for hundreds of years]]]].
** Also Kokou and Natsume, who are among the old drinking and fighting pals of none other than [[spoiler:Raizou, a Demon King just like Mukuro]].
** Botan also counts. If attacked directly, she'll easily be able to defend herself, even with mundane items like a baseball bat.

** Momo Hinamori, after spending her time in the Soul Society arc as the BrokenBird, got to show off her ActionGirl chops in the Fake Karakura Town arc when she pulled a BigDamnHeroes to save Matsumoto from getting obliterated. She then proceeded to fight alongside Matsumoto against {{Dark Action Girl}} Harribel's AmazonBrigade. She's also pretty badass in the fillers.

* The OneHundredAndEight Sekirei in the series of the [[Manga/{{Sekirei}} same name]] are an overwhelmingly female species of battle aliens. About half of them have been shown, and only three girls don't qualify as {{Action Girl}}s. Of those three, two make up for their lack of physical prowess by being MoreDeadlyThanTheMale.

* Amir from ''Manga/ABridesStory'' is a skilled equestrian, archer and hunter. Apparently, this was part of a normal upbringing where she's from.

* ''Anime/MoribitoGuardianOfTheSpirit'': Balsa is a wandering spearwoman turned bodyguard, in order [[TheAtoner to atone for the 8 lives she once took]], who finds herself charged to protect Prince Chagum. So if anyone wants him, they're gonna have to go through '''''[[MamaBear HER]]'''''. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdkW7nHD5wU Good luck with that.]]

* Anna Kyoyama and Tao Jun from ''ShamanKing'' are two of the biggest {{Badass}}es in the series, every bit on-par with the male badasses.
* Chizuru from ''ShinryakuIkaMusume'' is normally peaceful but if you A) mess with her family or B) mess with her store she will [[CurbStompBattle kick your ass]] and like Tomoyo she kinda stands out since it's not a action manga.

* The OneHundredAndEight Sekirei in the series of the [[{{Sekirei}} same name]] are an overwhelmingly female species of battle aliens. About half of them have been shown, and only three girls don't qualify as {{Action Girl}}s. Of those three, two make up for their lack of physical prowess by being MoreDeadlyThanTheMale.

* ''Manga/{{Kurokami}}'' firmly establishes [[CuteBruiser Kuro's status]] in it's first episode, after a Tribal End [[BullyingADragon made the mistake of picking a fight with her]], which made her spill her bowel of ramen. It was a hard lesson learned: '''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLToP6xF5tU Don't. Do it.]]'''