Anime used to be a word that only referred to cartoons from Japan. Today, it can mean almost any kind of serialized anime regardless of the country of origin, but the iconic image of the anime girl with blue hair still seems to be confined to cartoons from Japanese animation studios.
Best Gender-Bender Anime Of All Time, Ranked
Gender-bender anime have been around for a long time, spanning several genres. These great shows make the most of the trope.
The term "bluenette" is part of the anime lexicon, and it actually refers to any character with hair that's not a natural color. That means even characters with green or purple hair can be referred to by this term. However, the anime girls featured here literally do have blue hair and are famous for it.
Updated on November 1, 2025 by Mark Sammut: Blue-haired anime girls are way more common than they should be, although they are popular for a reason. We've introduced galleries for each girl, along with adding Sayaka from Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
28 Mabel Rayveil
Winter Is Coming
Uncle From Another World
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2022 - 2023
- Studio
- Atelier Pontdarc
- Seasons
- 1
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
Mabel's background has a lot to do with the color palette the artists chose for her, including her blue hair. She also has blue eyes and is usually shown wearing a white and blue dress.
As the last surviving member of the Ice Clan, which explains some of her powers, Mabel is also the keeper of a legendary ice sword, and any negative feelings she has cause nearby things and people around her to freeze. On the other hand, when she has positive feelings, which include love, they cause things to melt, which creates some awkward moments when someone she likes is nearby.
27 Shea Haulia
A Rabbitman With A Great Look
Arifureta: From Commonplace To World's Strongest
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2019 - 2025-00-00
WHERE TO WATCH
- Japanese Title
- Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou
- Studio
- Asread, White Fox, Studio Mother
- Creator
- Ryo Shirakome
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
Rough start aside, Arifureta managed to evolve into an above-average isekai anime that is worth recommending to general fans of the genre, even if newcomers should try to track down the superior light novels or manga. Similar to most other female characters in the anime, Shea is somewhat overshadowed by Yue, a vampire who comes across as Hajime's main partner rather than just a member of his expansive harem.
Still, Shea gets her fair share of moments to shine, particularly during season 3. As the most recent season pushes rabbitmen to the forefront, Shea is effectively the storyline's MVP, which allows her to show off her fighting abilities and dedication to her race. Also, her design is just all-around fantastic.
26 Roxy
A Talented Mage Who Makes The Most Of Her Limited Time
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- January 11, 2021
- Japanese Title
- Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu
- Studio
- Studio Bind
- Creator
- Rifujin na Magonote
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation is one of the most divisive isekai anime, but that reputation is almost solely due to Rudy, the male protagonist. For the most part, the other characters are well-liked, and Roxy is right up there with the best of them. Introduced as Rudy's magic teacher, this powerful mage leaves a great initial impression with her calm demeanor and subtle incorporation of humor. She also has a fantastic design that shows a lot of personality despite being fairly traditional for a mage.
6 Most Underappreciated Characters In Mushoku Tensei
While Rudeus, Eris, and Sylphiette get the most attention, these other characters in Mushoku Tensei deserve a lot more recognition than they get.
After the opening arc of the anime, Roxy disappears from the story for a very long time, only returning towards the end of season 2. Even though she does not appear on screen for dozens of episodes, Roxy's presence is continuously felt due to Rudy's appreciation for his sensei.
25 Index Librorum Prohibitorum
Divisive But Iconic
A Certain Magical Index
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2008 - 2019
- Network
- MBS, AT-X
- Directors
- Hiroshi Nishikiori, Shigeki Awai
- Japanese Title
- Toaru Majutsu no Index
- Studio
- J.C.Staff
- Based On
- Light Novel
- Creator
- Kazuma Kamachi
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
OK, this one might be controversial. As one of the most recognizable light novel characters, Index's anime version is also very well-known, even if A Certain Magical Index's adaptation leaves something to be desired. However, she is not universally beloved and might be regarded as one of the show's weakest elements, overstaying her welcome after the opening arc. Index does not always treat Touma well, and she is certainly not as adored as Misaka Mikoto.
That said, Index is among the best-designed blue-haired female anime characters of all time, arguably perfecting the look of the "priestess" archetype. Love or hate her, there is no forgetting Index.
24 Konan
Uses Unique Origami Jutsu To Battle Against Her Opponents
Naruto: Shippuden
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2007 - 2017-00-00
- Studio
- Pierrot
- Creator
- Masashi Kishimoto
- Seasons
- 19
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Hulu
Naruto may have many strengths, but one area where it wholeheartedly fails is in its depiction of women. Most females in Naruto end up playing second fiddle to their male teammates and partners, which is a shame given the sheer influence this series has.
A blue-haired character in Naruto who plays a fairly central role in the grand scheme of things is Konan, a unique ninja who uses jutsu related to origami and paper. Unfortunately, barring one fight against Obito where she shows the full extent of these powers, Konan doesn't really do anything major aside from being a steadfast companion to Yahiko and Nagato.
23 Sayaka Maizono
One Of The First Friends Makoto Naegi Makes In Danganronpa
Danganronpa: The Animation
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2013 - 2013-00-00
- Studio
- Lerche
- Based On
- Video Game
- Seasons
- 2
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
Danganronpa loves to subvert expectations, with the anime adaptation being a decent, if somewhat rushed, way to enjoy this mind-bending story. The protagonist, Makoto, is one of many high school students caught in a twisted killing game.
Things feel slightly better when he becomes friends with Sayaka, only for this character to be the first person to be killed by a student. What makes things worse is that everyone deduces that she was actually planning to kill Makoto, only for it to be revealed later on that she decided not to go through such a heartless act with the one person she became close friends with in the short time she was alive.
22 Umi Ryuuzaki
An Early Incarnation Of The Water Mage
Magic Knight Rayearth
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 1994 - 1995
- Studio
- Tokyo Movie Shinsha
- Creator
- Clamp
- Seasons
- 2
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime Video, Fubo TV
Considered by some to be one of the greatest magical girl anime series of all time, Magic Knight Rayearth made the genre cool years before Cardcaptor Sakura and Sailor Moon appeared. Umi is one of the show's three main characters, and her powers focus on the element of water.
Her attacks have names like Water Dragon and Icicle Blades. Umi Ryuuzaki is often pictured in clothing that mirrors the blue spectrum, especially when in Magical Knight form, so it's not a surprise that her hair is also blue.
21 Kaname Chidori
The Secret Agent Known As Mithril
Full Metal Panic!
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2002 - 2006-00-00
- Studio
- Gonzo, Kyoto Animation, Xebec
- Creator
- Shoji Gatoh
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
A 16-year-old high school student who has equal experience living in both Japan and the United States as the daughter of a UN ambassador, Kaname Chidori is also one of the main characters of both the anime and light-novel versions of Full Metal Panic! Part of the drama of this story is why several different intelligence organizations seem so interested in this blue-haired anime girl.
One Piece: All Known Islands That Aren't Affiliated With The World Government
The One Piece anime series showcases a ton of different islands. These are all the known ones that aren't with the World Government, so far.
Sousuke Sagara is an agent for one of these organizations, known as Mithril, one that happens to be tasked with protecting Kaname. He enrolls in the same high school as her, and a complex plot unfolds.
20 Shino Asada (Sinon)
From Gun Shy To Lethal Sniper
Sword Art Online
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2012 - 2020-00-00
- Studio
- A-1 Pictures
- Creator
- Reki Kawahara
- Seasons
- 4
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Hulu
This part of the series brings the vast universe of SAO to Story Arc 3 and a new FPS MMO called Gun Gale Online. Shino doesn't star in the arc, but in literary terms, this blue-haired anime girl is the deuteragonist of the story. This means she's as important to the plot as the main protagonist and can even switch places with him.
Shino started playing Gun Gale Online to get over her own fear of guns, and the result is that she becomes one of the most lethal snipers in GGO. This continues in other games featured in the popular isekai franchise including ALfheim Online, in which she plays a Cait Sith archer.
19 Ami Kawashima
Manipulative Charm
Toradora!
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2008 - 2009
- Directors
- Tatsuyuki Nagai
- Writers
- Mari Okada
- Studio
- J.C.Staff
- Based On
- Light Novel
- Creator
- Yuyuko Takemiya
- Streaming Service(s)
- Amazon Prime Video, Crunchyroll, Tubi
Toradora's main female characters are pretty much all iconic, even if they can be somewhat divisive. Despite coming into the picture later than Taiga or Minori, Ami is almost as popular as both of them, and she tends to be less polarizing as well.
Now, like most of the anime's characters, this model does not start as a purely great person as she tends to rely on manipulation, something she learned through her career. However, as the series progresses, Ami gradually lets down her guard and builds proper friendships with the rest of the characters. More than anything, she is just a fun personality to have around.