Because much of it is geared toward younger viewers, anime is chock full of schoolgirl characters, whether they actually wear the iconic sailor-inspired uniform. As they grow and learn about the world, so does its intended audience.
But there are also loads of anime that subvert the “innocent schoolgirl” trope to depict characters that are actually quite powerful and even potentially deadly. Fans will immediately think of Talentless Nana as a recent example, so let’s take a look at that one, as well as some other schoolgirls whose abilities betray their perceived innocenceć¼some of who actually wear uniforms.
10 Nana Hiiragi (Talentless Nana)
Nana Hiiragi is a mercenary who is tasked with assassinating the Enemies of Humanity. After they killed her parents, she became determined to get vengeance. She spends a lot of time appearing sweet and making friends with her classmates, but at the same time, she is there as a killer, and she has no qualms about murdering people with whom she has formerly been fairly friendly. She is the perfect example of a deadly schoolgirl who looks innocent.
9 Ryuko Matoi (Kill La Kill)
Ryuko Matoi from Kill La Kill doesn’t seem like the most innocent person globally. She is fairly grumpy and somewhat off-putting. She doesn’t necessarily get along with anyone, and she’s not afraid to pick fights.
But everyone in her school thinks of her as someone who is fairly harmless. That’s before they know about her Goku Uniform and the skill with which she wields the Scissor Blade her father gave her before his death.
8 Makoto Kino (Sailor Moon)
Truthfully, any Sailor Senshi in Sailor Moon probably rightfully deserves to be mentioned here, as they are all magical girls with pretty devastating powers. But Makoto Kino is the only Sailor Senshi member who is truly intimidating beyond being Sailor Jupiter. Despite her sweet demeanor and enjoyment of feminine pursuits, she is a martial arts expert who has no qualms to pull out her skills when her friends are in trouble.
7 Kaguya Shinomiya (Kaguya-Sama: Love is War)
Kaguya Shinomiya isn’t a physically powerful character the way some others are. But she is actually somewhat scarier in a way. Kaguya is incredibly polite and charming for the most part, but she is also deeply deceptive and manipulative. Her attempts to trick her crush into confessing his love for her can involve some truly over the top schemes, and the things she can talk people into are pretty surprising. While she doesn’t ever quite pull off what she’s trying to do, she has shown herself a formidable opponent.
6 Jiyu Nanohana (Jubei-Chan: The Ninja Girl)
Jiyu Nanohana herself isn’t necessarily a deadly schoolgirl. In fact, she’s charming, kind, and small. But as a magical girl, she does have a deadly side. Through her Lovely Eyepatch, Jiyu can transform into Jubei-Chan, who has all of the skills with a sword as the famed swordsman Yagyuu Jubei. As Jiyu, she is swift and strong, but she tries to avoid combat. If she does put on the Lovely Eyepatch, her skills with a sword make her almost indestructible.
5 Hitagi Senjougahara (Monogatari)
Hitagi Senjougahara is something of a tsundere in Monogatari, but that still doesn’t make her honestly impressive skills any less shocking. Hitagi appears somewhat weak and frail and is often out of school, so her classmates usually think she’s sick. The truth is that her body is as light as a feather, for magical reasons. In keeping this secret, she’s not afraid of attacking people with office supplies, even going so far as to staple Araragi’s cheek when she thinks he’ll tell people about her.
4 Ochako Uraraka (My Hero Academia)
Ochako has one of the cuter Quirks in My Hero Academia. She can make herself, or other objects and people, weightless, allowing them to float. Her cheerful, sweet nature makes this an even more adorable ability.
But Ochako has trained to be a Hero for long enough now that she can use this Quirk very successfully in combat, and the amount of damage she can do to terrain (or an enemy) with it is pretty remarkable.
3 Haruhi Suzumiya (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is best known for its infectious end-credits dance that one couldn’t avoid seeing performed at anime conventions for several years. But the titular character, Haruhi Suzumiya, is not someone to write off as a cute schoolgirl in the show. In fact, Haruhi is essentially a god, and one with a bad temper no less. When things aren’t going her way, she destroys the universe and starts over, making her possibly the most deadly schoolgirl out there.
2 Anri Sonohara (Durarara!!)
Anri Sonohara is a perfect example of a schoolgirl who tends to fly under the radar and one who even seems like she could be a victim. Early in the series, she is even someone who is regularly picked on and harassed, and she doesn’t seem to know how to get out of situations without someone rescuing her. But as the series goes on, she discovers her ability to wield Saika, which allows her to lead an army and is even a gang member.
1 Yu Mira (The God of High School)
Yu Mira is a pretty quiet girl at first in the series, devoted to and protective of her friends and interested in boys, powerful ones. But the moment she enters battle, she is absolutely deadly, particularly when it comes to her sword, which she is talented at using and very protective of. She can handle bullies on her own and continuously gets stronger as the series proves herself a very formidable opponent in battle.
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