Best Anime Female Characters With Brown Hair

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• Brown-haired anime girls are relatable and beloved for their down-to-earth, kind-hearted personas.
• Popular anime now feature characters with unique hair colors to stand out, like gold, black with orange tips, and blue.
• The characters’ growth and personal struggles make for wholesome and memorable storylines in anime shows.

One of the most popular and common hair colors for people out there is brown. Although chocolate-colored locks are beautiful, they seem to be overrated, especially when it comes to anime characters. In recent years, most anime protagonists, whether a girl or a boy, have unique hair colors or highlights to make them more memorable. An example of this trend is Usagi from Sailor Moon, who sports golden hair, Nezuko from Demon Slayer, who has black hair with orange tips, and even Rem from Re: Zero, whose hair is blue.

Female characters who tend to be brunettes are usually more down-to-earth people. They’re often shy at the start and clumsy, but they will always fight for what they believe in. They are also a lot more relatable to young anime fans due to their common hair color, which is a rarity in most anime shows that try to be as over-the-top as possible when it comes to their character designs. Sometimes, these grounded characters with believable looks end up being the most beloved ones of the lot instead.

Updated on December 11th, 2024, by Nadia Grace Mullings: Anime dominates modern-day popular culture, and this is largely due to its incredible array of diverse and well-developed characters. Whether one of the iconic shonen protagonists, a romantic anime deuteragonist, or even a stalwart member of a series’ supporting cast, the vast number of anime characters come with fully fleshed-out backstories. Many characters must learn to overcome some sort of personal disadvantage, struggle, or even tragedy; all these aspects give viewers some of the most wholesome stories seen in modern-day television shows. The same things apply to many female anime characters. These anime girls with brown hair may at first look plainer than many of their female counterparts but underneath lies spunky attitudes, kind hearts, and vastly unique personalities.

Takagi

Nishikata Just Can’t Catch A Break With Her

• Age: 12-14
• Japanese Voice Actress: Rie Takahashi

Teasing Master Takagi-san is an anime series that also received a live-action adaptation on Netflix. The series follows Nishikata and his relationship with his infamous classmate, Takagi, who constantly finds ways to tease him. From tricking him into saying certain things or outwitting him at a game, Takagi may seem like a gentle and polite girl, but she actually possesses a mischievous and cheeky side.

It’s pretty obvious from the start, but Takagi constantly toys with Nishikata since she’s in love with him, something which eventually Nishikata reciprocates. Takagi is a loveable character due to the many surprises she always seems to have in store for Nishikata.

Miyo Sasaki

An Eccentric Yet Insecure Girl

• Age: 14
• Japanese Voice Actress: Mirai Shida

Miyo is an eccentric young middle schooler with an overwhelming desire to attract the attention of her crush, Kento. Unfortunately for her, Kento finds her extremely pushy and annoying, prompting Miyo to do something drastic. After meeting a mysterious cat known as the ‘Mask Seller’, she trades her own mask for that of a cat and thus can transform into a cat named Tarou.

Miyo firmly believed she didn’t need anyone but Kento, and that her school and family didn’t need her. However, Miyo’s dilemma, when she realizes she’ll remain a cat forever unless she takes action, prompts her to face her insecurities and learn to love and appreciate others. This belief, in turn, helps Kento realize how much he needs her too.

Smile

Learns To Overcome A Personal Struggle

• Age: 16
• Japanese Voice Actress: Hana Sugisaki

Smile, real name Yuki, is the deuteragonist of this Netflix original movie, alongside Yui ‘Cherry’ Sakura, a shy boy with an exceptional talent for Haiku, a form of poetry. In direct contrast to Cherry, Smile is upbeat and outgoing, yet has a deep insecurity, hence why she wears a face covering for most of the film. She’s extremely insecure about her buck teeth, but her budding friendship with Cherry begins to change that.

Smile decides to help Cherry find Mr. Fujiyama’s missing record, but this adventure leads her on her own journey of self-development, as through it she learns to love herself and let go of her self-consciousness over her teeth. She also had a great influence on Cherry, who gradually becomes less withdrawn and more confident, even confessing his feelings for her at the end of the movie, publicly, at the summer festival. As such, Smile’s character arc and personal growth is a wholesome and fulfilling story.

Chinatsu Kano

Taiki’s Inspiration

• Age: 16-18
• Japanese Voice Actress: Reina Ueda

Blue Box is an anime series with a distinct and beautiful art style, following first-year badminton player Taiki and his unrequited love for a girl, Chinatsu, who’s a basketball star and two years older than him. Due to her incredible skill, Chinatsu made a life-changing decision to stay behind in Japan, away from her family, to focus on making it to the Nationals. During this time, she ends up living with Taiki and his family, a subject as comedic as it is cute.

With a gentle disposition, kind attitude, and fierce determination to win, Chinatsu is idolized by many others at her school, prompting a love-struck Taiki to work exceptionally hard to both impress her and follow her to the Nationals. She is his driving force through it all.

Chizuru Yoshida

A Peppy Classmate And Loyal Friend

• Age: 15
• Japanese Voice Actress: Yuko Sanpei

Chizuru Yoshida, often going by her nickname ‘Chizu,’ was one of Sawako Kuronuma’s closest friends, alongside Ayane. Never afraid to speak her mind, Chizu helped defend Sawako from her bullies and thus became one of her first friends. As the series progresses, Sawako is able to help Chizu navigate some of her own inner struggles, such as her helpless love for Ryu’s older brother Toru.

Chizu is memorable for her upbeat and peppy personality, as well as her short temper. Although this contrasts a lot with Ayane’s levelheadedness and Sawako’s shyness, the three prove to be an inseparable trio of best friends. Chizu wasn’t afraid to help Sawako gather enough confidence to confess her feelings to Kazehaya, though she had to be firm, even angry, at her, but this shows that she deeply cared about Sawako finding true happiness.

Chihiro Ogino

A 10-Year-Old Girl Who Accidentally Enters The Spirit World

• Age: 10
• Japanese Voice Actress: Rumi Hiiragi

Fans love Studio Ghibli’s movies to bits, with Spirited Away being one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most beloved films that anime viewers can’t get enough of to this day. The wonderful animation and charming characters help this movie stand out as one of the most iconic anime films ever made with a brown-haired anime girl serving as a protagonist.

Chihiro Ogino is pretty shy and finds it hard to adjust to the fact that she accidentally stepped into the spirit world. However, circumstances demand that she become headstrong and brave for the sake of her friends, leading to a refreshing moment of character growth as this girl becomes a lovable protagonist by the end of this magical experience.

May

A Pokemon Coordinator From Petalburg City

• Age: 10
• Japanese Voice Actress: Kaori

Pokemon is an anime that won’t be ending anytime soon, even if Ash finally wins the Pokemon World Championship after struggling for years, establishing himself as a top Pokemon trainer who knows no equal. It’s a journey a long time in the making, with the Pokemon Trainer struggling over and over again to get over this final hurdle before finally crossing the line and emerging victorious.

Throughout his journey, several characters accompanied Ash, including May. This Pokemon Coordinator comes from Petalburg City and trains Pokemon to be battle-ready and take on the toughest challenges without breaking a sweat. The idea of competing in Pokemon battles excited the brown-haired anime girl and she decided to become a respected Pokemon trainer during her adventures.

Mei Terumi

The Fifth Mizukage

• Age: 31
• Japanese Voice Actress: Yurika Hino

The Kages are some of the strongest ninja in Naruto, proving time and time again why their power made them perfect to lead their respective villages while protecting them from any cataclysmic threat that threatened to upend the peace. The Village Hidden in the Mist has its fair share of tough shinobi, with the legend of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist being known by many. So, it’s clear to see that Mei Terumi is strong beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was chosen to serve as the fifth Mizukage.

This Mizukage had a lot on her plate, especially since Obito was controlling the previous Mizukage and causing him to lay the village to ruin. She sports two powerful kekkei genkai — Lava Release and Boil Release. This shows the brown-haired anime girl‘s natural talent as a shinobi and why no fan questioned her power when she was introduced in the Five Kage Summit arc.

Rin Nohara

Kakashi And Obito’s Friend Who Meets A Tragic Fate

• Age: 9-11
• Japanese Voice Actress: Haruhi Terada

Naruto is one of the most iconic anime ever made, with Shippuden introducing a new group of criminals known as the Akatsuki who have the diabolical plan of taking the chakra of all the Tailed Beasts to unleash the power of the Juubi. One of the goofier members of this group, Tobi, ends up being a member of the Uchiha named Obito who was assumed by many to be dead, sharing a history with Kakashi and the third member of their group.

Rin was a chirpy and capable shinobi who was captured by Kirigakure and forcibly turned into the jinchuuriki of the Three-Tails. In a bid to prevent herself from being used as a weapon, she wilfully steps in front of Kakashi’s Chidori to sacrifice herself and save her village. Obito sees this happening from a distance, and his love for Rin causes him to go down a dark path as he decides to carry out Madara’s will.

Hange Zoe

A Memorable Member Of The Survey Corps Who Has An Unnatural Obsession With Titans

• Age: 29-31
• Japanese Voice Actress: Romi Park

Attack on Titan is a series that doesn’t rely on cliches, which is why a lot of the characters feel more realistic, including their hair colors. Hange Zoe is a particularly memorable part of the show who serves as an inquisitive member of the Survey Corps and has an unhealthy obsession with Titans.

After a series of events that completely flips the show’s script, Hange becomes the leader of the Survey Corps and sacrifices herself in a noble attempt to help the Survey Corps sail off and potentially save the world. It’s a tear-jerking moment, with her meeting the rest of the people who served as the Corps’ commanders in a final sendoff for one of the most entertaining characters in the series.

Nobara Kugisaki

Forms A Dastardly Trio With Megumi And Itadori

• Age: 16
• Japanese Voice Actress: Asami Seto

The second season of Jujutsu Kaisen left Nobara’s fate up in the air, with Mahito’s transfiguration causing permanent damage to her face and maybe even her mind. The extent of this injury hasn’t been explored yet, but fans can only hope that this powerful cursed technique user has what it takes to power through this injury.

Her ability requires a lot of work to trigger, but Nobara makes things engaging with her drive and spirit in battle as she finds a way to defeat her opponent time and time again. Her headstrong nature makes this brown-haired girl one of the best characters in Jujutsu Kaisen and a steadfast friend to both Itadori and Megumi.

Chiho Sasaki

Maou’s Friend And A Fellow Employee At MgRonald’s

• Age: 16
• Japanese Voice Actress: Nao Toyama

The Devil is a Part-Timer is about Satan, the lord of demons, who tried to conquer the land of Ente Isla but got stopped by the hero Emilia. While trying to evade her, he ended up on Earth as a human with one of his generals. In a magic-less world, Satan assumes the identity of a human named Maou and must find a way to survive until he can go home.

Chiho Sasaki is Maou’s fellow employee at MgRonalds and friend. Ever since Maou started working with her, she has developed a massive crush on him that will not falter even after learning the truth about his true identity. Chiho is a petite teen girl with reddish-brown hair. She’s kind-hearted, and polite and can get jealous of other girls who might pose a threat to her “relationship” with Maou.

Nagisa Furukawa

One Of Clannad’s Main Heroines

• Age: 17-19
• Japanese Voice Actress: Mai Nakahara

Clannad is about Tomoya, a guy with no interest in school until he meets a shy girl named Nagisa and agrees to restart the drama club as a way of impressing her.

Nagisa is one of the main protagonists alongside Tomoya. She has short wavy brown hair and a very petite and frail look due to her poor health and immune system. Despite her weak appearance, she’s very kind and selfless and will often put other people’s happiness before hers.

Yuki Cross

The Protagonist Of Vampire Knight

• Age: 16-17
• Japanese Voice Actress: Yui Horie

Cross Academy is a particular school that teaches two different groups of students; the Day Class and the Night Class. Unbeknownst to the Day Class, the Night students are vampires, which only classmates Yuki and Zero are aware of, and they must ensure the secret never gets revealed by upholding order and peace.

Yuki, a human from the Day Class, takes her job at the school very seriously even though she fears vampires, except for one named Kaname Kuran. She is caring, and her cheerful attitude is inspiring to many fans.

Sakura Kinomoto

One Of The Most Popular Magical Girls

• Age: 10
• Japanese Voice Actress: Sakura Tange

Magical girl anime is pretty popular in its own right, with many people considering Cardcaptor Sakura to be right up there along with Sailor Moon as one of the very best in this genre. Elementary school student, Sakura, makes a life-changing discovery while browsing books at her school library. A book titled The Clow captures her attention, but once the book opens, magical cards get unleashed into her world. This event awakens Kero, a cute little lion who keeps watch on the cards. It then informs her she must retrieve them before each card uses its abilities to cause chaos.

Sakura is an energetic ten-year-old girl who is an excellent athlete even though she appears to be clumsy. She may also look dense to some people, but she always surprises them by finding different ways of catching the wild cards. Her determination truly inspires people. The character design of this magical girl is pretty notable in its own right, with her brown hair being a recognizable facet of her character that is pretty great indeed.

Atsuko “Akko” Kagari

A First-Generation Witch And The Series’ Protagonist

• Age: 16
• Japanese Voice Actress: Megumi Han

Little Witch Academia‘s plot resembles My Hero Academia a lot. Like Deku, Akko is born without any abilities, well in her case, magical abilities. However, that doesn’t stop her from dreaming of becoming a witch like her favorite idol Shiny Chariot. She even applies to Luna Nova Magical Academy, a school of witchcraft, to learn how to become one of the best witches and get accepted despite low odds.

Akko is a dreamer at heart whose compassion, energy, and kind soul make it easy for her to make friends. Her determination to reach her goal, like Sakura, is a major inspiration for most fans of the anime.

Tohru Honda

Helps Out The Cursed Sohma Family

• Age: 15
• Japanese Voice Actress: Manaka Iwami (2019 anime)

Fruits Basket is about Tohru, a high school student who finds herself living in a tent on the grounds of a unique family called the Sohmas. After being invited to live with them, Tohru discovers their secret curse and befriends two teens, Kyo and Yuki, who then become her potential love interests.

Tohru Honda is a caring young girl who always puts her friends’ needs first, often hiding her own out of fear of being a burden. Her optimism and positive outlook on life never cease to brighten up someone’s day, and even if that doesn’t win over people’s hearts, her kindness and clumsiness definitely will.

San

The Princess Of The Wolf Gods

• Age: Teenager
• Japanese Voice Actress: Yuriko Ishida

Princess Mononoke follows the story of Ashitaka, a prince who after getting infected during an animal attack, must find a cure if he wishes to survive. During his journey, he encounters the harsh reality of humans and their wrath upon Earth and how they disrupt the harmony between Gods and animals. Then he crosses the path with Princess Mononoke, a young girl fighting for the forests and their animals.

San is the name of the princess Ashitaka meets. She’s the second main character of this Ghibli movie and is nicknamed the “wolf girl” due to her wolf companions. She’s another anime girl with brown hair that many fans adore thanks to her warrior-princess status.

Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter

A Tough Magical Girl Who Takes No Nonsense

• Age: 14
• Japanese Voice Actress: Emi Shinohara

Sailor Moon is about Usagi, a young girl who encounters a struggling cat on her way to school and helps it. The cat, named Luna, reveals that it can talk and explains how Usagi is a guardian of the galaxy, known as Sailor Moon, and she must find the other sailors if they wish to protect their world from evil.

Sailor Jupiter, aka Makoto Kino, is the tomboy of her squad. Her intimidating height and strength usually scare her classmates, but she is a very kind and loyal person. As Sailor Jupiter, she uses the lightning ability to defend herself and attack her enemies.

Diane

The Serpent’s Sin Of Envy

• Age: 700+
• Japanese Voice Actress: Aoi Yūki

The Seven Deadly Sins is a group of knights who once protected the Liones Kingdom of Britannia but disbanded after the Holy Knights tried to get rid of them and destroyed their reputation. Ten years later, the Holy Knights managed to replace the king after capturing him and began ruling over the region leaving Elizabeth, the princess, to set out on a quest to reunite the Seven Deadly Sins and ask for their aid in reclaiming her home.

Diane is a member of the Seven Deadly Sins and represents the sign of Envy within her group. As a giant, she often intimidates people at first glance, but her beauty and friendliness reassure people that she isn’t one of the bad guys. She’s a brave and fierce fighter who always protects her friends and innocents.

Rin Tohsaka

Archer’s Master And One Of Shirou’s Potential Love Interests

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  Fate/stay night

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  Release Date

  January 7, 2006

  Studio

  Studio Deen

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  Creator

  Type-Moon

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  Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works

  Release Date

  October 4, 2014

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  Ufotable

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• Age: 17 (Fate/stay night)
• Japanese Voice Actress: Kana Ueda

The Fate series is one of the most popular shonen titles around, spawning from an adult visual novel into something way bigger than anyone could’ve imagined. It helps that the premise of this series is amazing yet simple, focusing on the Holy Grail War and how everyone tries their hardest to win this competition and make their wildest dreams come true.

When Shirou Emiya becomes an unwitting participant in this competition, he ends up attracting the attention of three important women in his life. One of them is Rin Tohsaka, another mage who uses Archer as her servant. She’s a boisterous character who is pretty entertaining, and players love it whenever she interacts with Shirou and the gang, showcasing a lot of depth to her character than what meets the eye.

Revy

The Fearless Two Hands And A Stalwart Member Of The Lagoon Company

• Age: 20s
• Japanese Voice Actress: Megumi Toyoguchi

Black Lagoon is a great seinen series with a simple yet captivating premise, focusing on a group of pirate mercenaries who carry out various odd jobs and interact with a whole host of memorable characters in the process. The group at the heart of this tale is the Lagoon Company, with Revy being a member who is excellent when it comes to wielding guns.

Her chemistry with the rest of the main cast is pretty engaging, and players love how unapologetically rude she can be. She’s a brash-mouthed character who always talks in an over-the-top and colorful manner, infecting a lot of energy in whatever scene she’s featured in.

Ochako Uraraka

Uravity’s Quirk Lets Her Control The Gravity Of Certain Objects

• Age: 15
• Japanese Voice Actress: Ayane Sakura

My Hero Academia is an anime about a world where most of its population got blessed with superpowers or unique abilities known as Quirks. Although many view this gift as a blessing and use it for good, not everyone is kind-hearted. Some use their Quirks for crimes and selfish acts prompting the need for heroes like All Might, Deku’s idol, to keep the city safe. Deku always dreamed of following in his idol’s footsteps but found out he’s part of the minority who won’t develop Quirks in their lifetime. This temporary setback only drives Deku’s determination to attend UA and become a superhero despite it all.

Ochako is Deku’s classmate and fellow superhero in training. She’s known as a laid-back, warm, and empathic character who can sometimes be blunt but always has the best interest of her friends at heart. Her Quirk, Zero Gravity, may seem useless to many, but it has many advantages not everyone can foresee.

Sasha Braus

A Foodie Who Becomes One Of The Survey Corps’ Most Endearing Members

• Age: 16
• Japanese Voice Actress: Yū Kobayashi

Attack On Titan focuses on Eren and his friends who live in a town reinforced by walls to prevent man-eating Titans from entering and disrupting their lives. When a Titan manages to break in with others, Eren loses everything and vows to rid his world of these monsters by becoming one of the best members of the Surveys Corps.

Sasha was one of Eren’s team members known for her insatiable appetite and even got nicknamed “potato girl” after being caught stealing a potato to snack on while training. She was brave and often relied on her intuition to protect innocents. Her teammates and fans of the anime admired her courage and grew attached to the quirky girl. She’s an incredibly likable character who matures in her way throughout the series, making her fate in the Final Season even harder to swallow.

Raphtalia

Naofumi’s Steadfast Companion

• Age: 18 (Estimate)
• Japanese Voice Actress: Asami Seto

Naofumi, a regular man in his early twenties, discovers an incomplete novel about four heroes at a bookstore and gets summoned to their world with three other guys. As the chosen ones, they must fulfill the duty of these four heroes and are each given a weapon. Naofumi gets stuck with a shield and gets titled the Shield Hero, the only warrior to be hated and mocked by the kingdom he must protect if he wishes to go back home.

Raphtalia is a demi-human slave hired by Naofumi to act as his sword since he cannot use any other weapon than his shield in combat.

Raphtalia starts the series as a sweet, innocent girl with self-esteem issues, but as she grows closer to Naofumi, she learns to believe in herself and becomes a skilled fighter.

Yuuki Asuna

Forms A Bond With Kirito As One Of The First And Foremost Characters Introduced In Sword Art Online

• Age: 15
• Japanese Voice Actress: Tomatsu Haruka

Sword Art Online (SAO) is a brand new Virtual MMORPG game that Kirito gets early access to. While completing quests within the game, he discovers he cannot log out and isn’t the only player with the same issue. He learns that every player is trapped within the game unless they succeed in completing the 100 levels or die. Dying in the game also results in death in the real world. Kirito must stay alive and clear all the levels if he wants to escape the game.

Asuna is the first official player to join Kirito’s party in SAO. She’s a kind and proud swordswoman who watches over Kirito and her friends, often putting her own life at risk to spare them. She also becomes romantically involved with Kirito as time marches on. She is one of the most famous female anime characters with brown hair and her strength, courage, and determination are qualities praised among fans.