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Anime princesses are a very common trope across the medium, especially when it comes to the shonen and shojo genres. This is because they are often associated with powerful kingdoms or societies, thus allowing the writers and the readers or viewers to explore these lands and the role these characters fit within them.
In that regard, there are anime princesses who prefer to fight alongside their warriors and allies on the battlefield. Meanwhile, there are others who have political roles to play, which can oftentimes be more influential than swinging a sword. Therefore, here are, in no particular order, five anime princesses who fight on the front lines and five more who play a political role.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for all of the series on this list. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a whole.
Yoruichi Shihoin and four other anime princesses who fight on the battlefield
1) Yoruichi Shihoin (Bleach)
Yoruichi being one of the beloved anime princesses is quite interesting because she never plays that role throughout the entirety of the main Bleach storyline. It is shown through flashbacks that she is the princess of the Shihoin clan, one of the five main families of the Soul Society. Yoruichi Shihoin was also the leader of the 2nd Division of the Gotei 13 and the commander of their intelligence organization, the Onmitsukidō.
However, once her lifelong friend Kisuke Urahara was branded a traitor to the Soul Society because of Aizen's manipulations, Yoruichi left everything behind. She went to help him and turned into a cat to live in the human world. During the main events of the series, she is an invaluable aid to Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends. She has also proven to be one of the most powerful female characters in the entirety of Bleach.
Yoruichi's fighting style stands out because she doesn't rely on a Zanpakuto like the rest of the Shinigami but rather her use of speed, intelligence, and Shunko prowess.
2) Yona (Yona of the Dawn)
One of the main reasons that people are still longing for a new season of the Yona of the Dawn anime is because the manga by Mizuho Kusanagi is still going strong. However, fans are also awaiting the new season for the protagonist, Yona. She is not only one of the most celebrated shojo manga protagonists of all time but one of the best-developed anime princesses in the entire medium.
Yona starts the series as the good-hearted but naive and spoiled princess of the Kouka Kingdom, longing to get married and have the life she was expected to. However, once her father, King Il, is murdered by treason, Yona has to escape her own kingdom with her best friend and bodyguard, Hak, thus starting her journey as a recluse in her land.
As the story progresses, Yona becomes a lot stronger while making mistakes and realizing her own flaws. She also makes a lot of strong allies, discovers her role in a major prophecy, and learns about the nature of her kingdom, which is something she was oblivious to when living as a princess.
3) Lum (Urusei Yatsura)
It might qualify as reaching by claiming that Lum is one of those anime princesses who fight on the battlefield when considering that Urusei Yatsura is a comedy. However, she does have electricity powers and has shown to be a capable fighter at some points of the series, so it makes sense that she is at least a part of this list.
Lum is the princess of planet Oniboshi and her race was bound to conquer Earth. However, Ataru Moroboshi beat her in a game of catch and, because of shenanigans, she believed that he asked to marry her. Now Lum lives on Earth and is looking forward to marrying Ataru, although the latter wants to get involved with other women, leading to a lot of funny moments between them.
As happens with a lot of anime princesses on this list, Lum is independent and opinionated but also very devoted to Ataru. That makes the moments where he shows appreciation toward her really heartfelt, thus giving their relationship a degree of progress.
4) Usagi Tsukino (Sailor Moon)
It is fair to say that Usagi's role here goes beyond most anime princesses on this list because she isn't just the protagonist of Sailor Moon but also one of the most iconic characters in the medium. Her role as a princess is quite peculiar in the sense that she is a reincarnation that grants her that role.
Usagi is the reincarnation of Princess Serenity, the heir of the Moon Kingdom. Once her beloved Prince Endymion passed away, she followed suit and was reborn on Earth as the protagonist of the series. As a character, Usagi starts immature and naive but grows into her role as a leader and is willing to sacrifice herself for the good of the world, if necessary.
5) Hinata Hyuga (Naruto)
Known as the Hyuga Princess because of her role as the heir to one of the most powerful clans in Konoha, Hinata's journey throughout the Naruto franchise has been fairly chaotic. She was a very minor character throughout the original series, only to be paired with the protagonist at the end of the story, which led to some major discussions online.
Hinata, as a fighter, can use the Byakugan and the Gentle Fist, thus becoming a very capable shinobi in her own right. As a character, she is very timid and introverted, which often leads to her being unable to talk with Naruto, with whom she was romantically interested in.
5 anime princesses who have more political roles
1) Vivi D. Nefertari (One Piece)
One Piece is probably the mainstream series with the most anime princesses, especially considering how many times the arc of helping one has been played in the story. However, Vivi D. Nefertari was the first one to show up and was arguably the best. That is because of the way her arc was developed and how much of a bond she built with the Straw Hat crew, thus becoming a fan-favorite in the series.
Vivi's country, Alabasta, was in the middle of a civil war but got the help of the Straw Hats to deal with the situation. Before arriving in her country, she was part of some adventures with the main cast, thus building a stronger bond with them. While she isn't much of a fighter, her political influence is still quite notorious throughout the series.
2) Historia Reiss (Attack on Titan)
Historia's case is a lot different from most anime princesses on this list, particularly when it comes to her upbringing and connection with the Reiss royal family. She is the illegitimate child of the nobleman Rod Reiss. This leads to her usually being scolded and rejected by the upper class, especially her own family, wishing (and often planning) death upon her.
There was even a point during the Attack on Titan series where she had to witness the death of her mother. She was then forced to renounce her name so she wouldn't have any claim to the throne, making her journey all the more tragic to see. While she does become the Queen of the Walls eventually, she did have a very difficult path in life.
3) Euphemia Li Britannia (Code Geass)
The Britannian Imperial Family in Code Geass is filled with sadistic, power-hungry, and simply evil individuals who have no qualms about destroying anyone to get what they want. Then there is Princess Euphemia Li Britannia, who is not only the kindest member of that family but also one of the most tragic anime princesses of all time.
Euphemia is not a fighter but tries to help change Britannia and their conflict with Japan through kindness and understanding. She tries to instill the mentality that change can happen through non-violent ways. However, once Lelouch's Geass is activated by accident, Euphemia's actions take a dark turn and her character ends up having one of the most heartbreaking resolutions in the series.
4) Melty Q Melromarc (The Rising of the Shield Hero)
Melty could also qualify in the category of anime princesses who engage in combat because she fights throughout The Rising of the Shield Hero series. However, her role as the princess of Melromarc is a lot more important. It's through her that Naofumi begins to clear his name in the series due to the time they spent as comrades and friends.
Melty is also one of those anime princesses who is heavily involved in the political side of things, especially when it comes to her sister Malty. They often fight one another because Malty has devious and selfish goals, which leads to Melty trying to stop her for the greater good of the kingdom.
5) Lady Elianna Bernstein (Bibliophile Princess)
Set up in historical times of other eras, Elianna Bernstein is very different from most anime princesses. This is in the sense that she is not looking for love or to end a huge war in her country but rather just enjoying reading books. So when she agrees to marry the crown prince, Christopher Selkirk Asherald, her most common assumption is that she is going to have a marriage of convenience and move on with her life.
However, Elianna doesn't know that Christopher was always in love with her, which becomes a major plot point throughout the series. There are some political elements when it comes to Elianna's involvement with the kingdom but the biggest focus is her relationship with Christopher.
Final thoughts
There are more anime princesses out there but these are some of the most prominent because of the way they are handled, their popularity, or their plot relevance. Many of them have their roles as princesses being extremely important to their stories, thus giving the authors the chance to use that angle.
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