Summary
- Sae Kashiwagi sabotages with a smile, excelling in psychological warfare.
- Sailor Galaxia's tragic ambition led her from heroism to ruthless villainy.
- Queen Nehelenia's obsession with youth makes her a manipulative and formidable enemy.
Shojo manga is often remembered for dreamy romances, iconic friendships, and the emotional rollercoasters that tug at readers’ hearts. But let’s not forget that behind every wide-eyed heroine and brooding love interest, there’s usually a villain pulling strings, spreading rumors, or controlling everyone around them with an iron fist of tyranny.
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And while some of these antagonists might not always have magical powers or world-ending plans, what they do have is range. From petty schemers and toxic friends to cursed royalty and power-hungry goddesses, shojo villains thrive on emotional warfare. Some are tragic, others terrifying, and a few are just plain mean. However, it’s also true that each one brings out something essential in the heroes, from resilience and growth to the desperate need to win for once. Here are the best female villains in shojo manga who made being bad look way too interesting.
6 Sae Kashiwagi
The Fake Friend Who Turned High School Into A Warzone
- Manga: Peach Girl
- Written by: Miwa Ueda
- Published by: Kodansha
- Original run: September 13, 1997 – December 13, 2003
- Volumes: 18
Sae Kashiwagi mastered the art of sabotage with a smile in Peach Girl. Beneath the soft features and faux sweetness lurked a schemer whose mission was simple: ruin the heroine Momo Adachi’s life and enjoy every second of it. From spreading venomous gossip to stealing boyfriends, she turned high school politics into psychological warfare. And the worst part was that everyone believed her. Her angelic facade made her lies stick while Momo’s looks made her easy to villainize. The result was a social minefield, rigged entirely by Sae.
What makes her such a standout antagonist isn’t just the betrayal, though. It’s how relentlessly petty and precise she is when she just wants to humiliate one girl, monopolize popularity, and steal the spotlight with ruthless, manipulative intent. It’s simple but disturbingly effective. So while many shojo villains fade into melodrama, Sae remains unforgettable because she hits where it hurts most—social reputation, trust, and friendship.
5 Sailor Galaxia
The Galaxy’s Most Dangerous Fallen Hero
- Manga: Sailor Moon
- Written by: Naoko Takeuchi
- Published by: Kodansha
- Original run: December 28, 1991 – February 3, 1997
- Volumes: 18
Sailor Galaxia’s story is one of tragic ambition. As a protector of the galaxy once upon a time, she sealed away the destructive force known as Chaos to save everything she loved. But what seemed like a noble act ultimately became her undoing. The influence of Chaos slowly consumes her, transforming her from a hero into one of the most powerful and ruthless villains the galaxy has ever known.
Galaxia’s goal was simple: total control. She didn’t just want to be a Sailor Guardian; she wanted to be the strongest, ruling over all the stars. She went to extreme lengths to collect Star Seeds, destroy planets, and prove her supremacy. Her arrogance and hunger for power made her a lethal enemy, even taking on Sailor Moon herself to break her spirit. But while it’s true that Galaxia is ruthless and manipulative, there’s also a lingering sense of the hero she once was, making her a truly compelling villainess.
4 Queen Nehelenia
A Sorceress Obsessed With Eternal Youth
- Manga: Sailor Moon
- Written by: Naoko Takeuchi
- Published by: Kodansha
- Original run: December 28, 1991 – February 3, 1997
- Volumes: 18
Queen Nehelenia’s downfall began with a fear of aging, and it led her down a dark, twisted path. Once a beautiful queen, she became consumed by vanity and sought out dark magic to keep her youth forever. And her legacy as a villain is defined by the haunting way she combined her insecurities with a thirst for power. As the leader of the Dead Moon Circus, she used her powers to curse, manipulate, and steal the dreams of others, believing that doing so would preserve her beauty and her power.
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But Nehelenia didn’t just rely solely on brute force for her nefarious purposes. She knew how to exploit the vulnerabilities of those around her, particularly the Sailor Senshi. Her ability to manipulate and control dreams made her a formidable enemy, challenging the core values of the heroes she faced. From cursing Princess Serenity as an infant to corrupting the Amazoness Quartet, Nehelenia’s influence was far-reaching.
3 Akito Sohma
The Woman Who Broke Her Family Just To Feel Loved
- Manga: Fruits Basket
- Written by: Natsuki Takaya
- Published by: Hakusensha
- Original run: 18 July 1998 – 20 November 2006
- Volumes: 23
Feared, fragile, and firmly in control, Akito Sohma doesn't use fists or fireballs, but something far more damaging: psychological power. As the head of the cursed Sohma family in Fruits Basket, she reigns as the “God” of the Zodiac, manipulating loyalty into submission and twisting love into fear, locking them into emotional cages all while claiming it's “destiny.” Perhaps most interestingly, her particular brand of villainy isn’t loud and flashy as is typical of shojo villains; it's bizarrely quiet, calculated, and insidious. Whether it's throwing Rin out a window or emotionally scarring Hatori’s fiancée into leaving him, Akito doesn't hold back.
But what makes her such a complex villain is the bitter irony of it all. Forced to live as a man under a false identity, emotionally neglected, and twisted by a mother who saw her as competition, somehow Akito's pain bled into everyone around her as she became both jailer and prisoner—desperate for love, yet convinced it must be earned through ironclad control. Still, Akito doesn’t stay static for long. Her unraveling is just as fascinating as her tyranny, as love, ironically, also becomes her only shot at healing.
2 Queen Beryl
A Dark Sorceress Fueled By Jealousy And Obsession
- Manga: Sailor Moon
- Written by: Naoko Takeuchi
- Published by: Kodansha
- Original run: December 28, 1991 – February 3, 1997
- Volumes: 18
Queen Beryl is the villain who sets the stage for the chaos to come in Sailor Moon. Once a mere Earth sorceress, she became obsessed with Prince Endymion, but when he chose Princess Serenity instead, that obsession twisted into something darker. Her jealousy made her an easy target for Queen Metalia, who sensed the malice in her heart and corrupted her.
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As the leader of the Dark Kingdom, Beryl wasn’t just an ordinary antagonist; she was a master manipulator. Her true goal was not simply to serve Metalia, but to destroy Princess Serenity and claim the Moon Kingdom for herself. With the Four Heavenly Kings under her control, she orchestrated attacks across Earth, all under the guise of gathering energy for Metalia. But really, it was about her thirst for power and revenge. In short, she’s ruthless, cold, and willing to go to any length to get what she wants, making her one of the most memorable villains in the shojo genre.
1 Queen Metalia
Sinister Energy Being Who Manipulated The Dark Kingdom
- Manga: Sailor Moon
- Written by: Naoko Takeuchi
- Published by: Kodansha
- Original run: December 28, 1991 – February 3, 1997
- Volumes: 18
While Queen Beryl takes most of the attention in the early arc, it’s Queen Metalia who quietly runs the show, feeding Beryl dark energy and setting the stage for the collapse of the Silver Millennium. As an ancient entity formed from the sun’s chaos, Metalia isn’t interested in petty rule. She absorbs energy, expands her presence, and leaves nothing but destruction in her wake. Her strength isn’t just raw power, though; it’s influence. Her ability to corrupt minds and push even the loyal toward betrayal makes her one of the most dangerous forces in Sailor Moon.
In fact, Metalia thrives in the background, rarely making grand appearances, yet every major downfall somehow traces back to her. Even without a dramatic personality or flashy battles, her presence looms large, shaping the world’s darkest turning points. So, for a villain without a face, Queen Metalia certainly leaves a strangely catastrophic mark.
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