The internet is obsessed with cats, and anime characters imitating cats get the same kind of love from fans. Catgirls, also called "Nekomimi," traditionally mean cat ears, but these anime girls try to resemble a lot more. Some have several features of cats and possess supernatural abilities, which are more towards the feline side.
Whether these characters are made to cater to the withstanding popularity of cats on the internet or to add cuteness, which would technically be fan service, no one is complaining about it, and the community loves them.
Anime catgirls who dazzled us with their feline charm
1) Nozomi Kiriya from Mayoi Neko Overrun
Nozomi tends to be susceptible and doesn't seem to care much about her surroundings or the people she is with. However, she was trained to master her limitless potential, and thanks to that, she excelled in all her classes. She would overcome her only flaw of not opening up to her friends and being emotionally unavailable.
Eventually, she learns to open up to her friends and expresses her feelings. Nozomi has beautiful ruby eyes and cat ears which match the light purple color of her hair.
2) Blair from, Soul Eater
Blair, the one responsible for Soul's intense nosebleeds, has a pretty bold and attractive figure with short violet hair and pointy cat ears. However, this is only when she's in her human form as she can shapeshift into a cat. She tends to be overly affectionate with Soul and is always in the mood for some fun.
One should be highly cautious when dealing with this charming nekomimi as she possesses a huge list of supernatural abilities like having nine lives, magical prowess, and cat-like agility!
3) Cyan Hijirikawa from, Show by Rock!!
Fans adore musically talented Catgirls, and Cyan fits the job without question. When life gave her a second chance at joining a music club, she seized it with grace and joined Plasmagica, the female-fronted rock band.
Cyan cares deeply for her bandmates and has undeniable skills in playing "Strawberry Heart," her talking guitar. Together, they make a great musical duo destined to save the Sound World.
4) Koneko Toujou from, High School DxD
Without much indulging in the plot of High School DxD, Koneko can be described as a pretty petite girl with white hair and shiny golden eyes.
Koneko's constant trauma since childhood had caused her to bury all her emotions deep in her heart. Her cold and collected personality stemmed from these particular issues.
Her character has come a long way since then, and she portrays more feline characteristics like ending her sentences with "Nya" or collecting cat-themed merchandise.
5) Eris from Cat Planet Cuties
Eris is a Catian, an alien species best described as feline humans. She is quite skilled at hand-to-hand combat, and her charm has its way of letting fans know what to expect from this anime.
Eris fell for Kio as they spent more time together, but that didn't stop other Catians from falling for him, making things a bit complicated.
That got resolved soon enough when Eris decided to share her love interest with many other cats. Eris has light orange hair cut into messy bangs and ruby red eyes
6) Leone from, Akame ga Kill
Leone is a blonde beauty with a chill and relaxed personality in Akame ga Kill. Her Teigu, Lionel, gives her beast-like abilities and influences her body in several ways, like long hair and cat ears.
Her childhood wasn't delightful as she grew up in the slums of the capital, taking on a job very early to put food on the table. This influenced her sense of justice and morality; thanks to that, fans adored her.
7) Millianna from Fairy Tail
Millianna from Fairy Tail took Nekomimis a step further with red whisker tattoos on her face. She has a sparkling personality and desperately tries to mimic cats, from their calls to their shenanigans.
Like many Catgirls on this list, Millianna also suffered a rough childhood. That didn't affect her cheerful and bright personality, though. Her hair color is brown, her eyes are just a darker shade of brown, and her mermaid heel tattoo can be found on her back.
8) Alicia Rue from Sword Art Online
This petite and adorable character is the Lord of the Cait Sith race in Sword Art Online. She wears a bell collar, a tiara, and earrings on her cat ears. She had a crush on Kirito and tried to use her feline charm to approach him but was soon rejected.
She is quite chill, like most of the characters on this list, but her battle prowess is not up to par considering the power levels in the anime.
Final thoughts
These characters have a lot in common, as mangakas take direct inspiration from cats. However, Japan has a love-hate relationship with cats as they are adored for their cuteness, and pop culture has incorporated it well enough to sell. On the other hand, Japan has a spooky folklore history dedicated entirely to cats.
Evil or not, these characters are great additions to their particular anime as they bring a truckload of cuteness.