One of anime's most enduring and defining tropes is the use of unusual hair colors. Whether it's a high fantasy epic or a mundane school life setting, viewers can always count on seeing someone with bright blue, purple, or other bizarre colors in their hair. These hair colors are usually natural, too - no hair dye necessary!

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Among the various hair colors depicted in anime, red hair is among the more realistic options. While there are plenty of exceptions, red-haired characters tend to be hot-headed and reckless. Here are some female red-headed characters that nearly every fan of anime will recognize.

Updated May 1st, 2024, by Danny Guan: Red-haired girls are all over anime, what with it being a great and common way to separate important cast members from the mob of background characters by making their hair a bright color. Red is a color that always stands out, even in the real world, so characters with red hair usually have standout personalities to match their looks. There are plenty of these characters in anime, and as such, this list has been updated to feature a few more memorable girls from anime with bright red hair.

1 Benten

Urusei Yatsura

• Japanese VA: Yuko Mita (1981 series); Shizuka Ishigami (2022 series)

Benten is one of Lum's many alien friends, having known her since childhood, along with Oyuki and Ran. She is a member of the Fukujin clan, which often engages in various competitions against Lum's Oni clan. Despite having a relatively low number of appearances, she is a popular character in the show.

A fiery girl with a biker aesthetic, Benten's personality matches her bright-red hair. She is easily the most rambunctious troublemaker among Lum's friends, and while she is certainly a tomboy, she does know how to use her charm to get what she wants.

2 Eris Boreas Greyrat

Mushoku Tensei

• Japanese VA: Ai Kakuma

Eris Boreas Greyrat is a distant relative of Rudeus, and was tutored by him in their childhood. They became close after the Teleportation Incident left them stranded on the Demon Continent, but a cruel misunderstanding saw them separate, with Rudeus heartbroken over her for several years.

Fiery, tomboyish, and rash, Eris prides herself on her physical ability, particularly her skill with a sword. Though she has incredible intuition and fighting ability for her age, she can be very short-sighted when it comes to other things, a fault Rudeus frequently covers for.

3 Morgiana

Magi: The Labyrinth Of Magic

• Japanese VA: Haruka Tomatsu

Morgiana was once a slave to a man named Jamil, who abused and broke her until she followed his orders without complaint. An incredible fighter with superhuman strength and speed, she was saved and freed by Alibaba and Aladdin, who have become irreplaceable friends to her ever since. After searching for her homeland, she returns to help Alibaba in his endeavors as a king.

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Despite being red-haired, Morgiana is much calmer than the usual red-haired anime girl, a result of her abuse and torment as a slave. However, as time goes by, she becomes more cheerful and energetic as she opens up to her friends..

4 Tomo Aizawa

Tomo-chan Is A Girl!

• Japanese VA: Rie Takahashi

Tomo Aizawa is the long-time childhood friend of Junichiro Kubota. Tomboyish, sporty, and full of energy, Tomo is in love with Junichiro, but their friendship has caused him to be unable to see her as anything else but a friend.

Worried that Jun doesn't see her as a woman, Tomo begins to make efforts to be more girly. Despite this, she can't help her natural tomboyish personality from bursting out. Ultimately, the series focuses on her coming to terms with herself as a person while also doing her best to convey her feelings to her crush.

5 Shura Kirigakure

Blue Exorcist

• Japanese VA: Rina Sato

Shura Kirigakure is an Upper Class Exorcist of the True Cross Order. Initially sent to infiltrate the True Cross Academy to find and destroy any signs of Satan's influence, she decides instead to teach Rin Okumura how to control his demonic powers due to their shared connection through his adoptive father Shiro Fujimoto.

Unlike her fiery red hair, Shura is actually quite laidback, often speaking casually even to superiors and slacking off on the job. Despite that, she can be serious when the job commands it, and she is a good teacher to Rin and the other Exwires.

6 Kana Arima

Oshi No Ko

• Japanese VA: Megumi Han

Kana Arima was once a famous child actress renowned for her ability to tear up on a dime. However, as she grew older, she lost popularity, causing her to struggle in her attempts to find acting work as a teen.

While she was spoiled rotten as a child, as a teenager Kana is humble, respectful, and hard-working. The years of failure in the entertainment industry have taken a toll on her self-esteem, but she still does her best to shine in the roles she is given, whether it be as an actress or an idol.

7 Koume Sawaguchi

Blue Seed

• Japanese VA: Kotono Mitsuishi

Koume Sawaguchi is a member of the Terrestrial Administration Center, also known as the TAC, which is in charge of exterminating Aragami, supernatural threats intent on destroying humanity. Sawaguchi is one of many agents assisting the main character Momiji Fujimiya in her battles against the vile Aragami, whether it be in combat or as support.

Koume Sawaguchi perfectly displays the hot-blooded attitude a red-haired girl would be expected to present, as displayed by her brash attitude and rugged style. Her main mode of attack is to use as big a gun as possible and to never let up on the offense regardless of whether or not she is actually hitting anything. Despite all this, she does have a sensitive side that she does her best to hide from the others.

8 Rika Nonaka

Digimon Tamers

• Japanese VA: Fumiko Orikasa

Rika Nonaka (known as Ruki Makino in Japan) is one of the main characters of Digimon Tamers, the third Digimon series. Once a prodigy Digimon Card player and a champion of the Digimon Card Tournament known as the "Digimon Queen." Rika soon meets her Digimon partner Renamon, and this new partnership leads her on a new adventure.

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Initially, Rika has a volatile and abrasive personality, appropriate considering the fiery color of her hair. She cares only about winning and at first sees her fights with Digimon as a way to become stronger. It takes some time for her allies Takuto and Henry to get her to see the error of her ways, allowing her to become a more caring and noble character.

9 Cutie Honey

Cutie Honey

• Japanese VA: Eiko Masuyama (original)

Cutie Honey is one of the oldest heroines in manga, having initially debuted in 1973 in the pages of Weekly Shonen Champion. An android named Honey Kisaragi who transforms into the scantily clad Cutie Honey to fight evil villains, her creator Go Nagai claims that she is the first-ever female protagonist in a shonen manga.

Cutie Honey is an obvious parody of the magical girl genre, what with the magical girl-like transformations that momentarily leave her naked. Cutie Honey fights her enemies with a mix of fiery justice and impish mischief. While the original series has certainly aged poorly over the decades, the legacy of the character continues to the modern day, influencing and inspiring reboots and even live-action adaptations.

10 Tia Noto Yoko

Bastard!!

• Japanese VA: Yuka Koyama (1992 OVA), Tomori Kusunoki (2022 ONA)

Tia Noto Yoko is the only daughter of the Great Priest Geo Noto Soto and the childhood friend of Lucien Renlen, whom she has protected and cared for ever since they were young. That all changes when Lucien is revealed to be the reincarnation of the great wizard Dark Schneider, who can only be unsealed by a kiss from a virgin.

Yoko soon becomes a target of Dark Schneider's incredibly passionate affections, which she quickly rebuffs with her hot-blooded attitude and strong will. Though she initially sees Dark Schneider as a parasite inside her friend Lucien, she soon starts to fall in love with some of his better aspects. Thankfully, Dark Schneider's constant attraction to her also allows her to keep him in check, leaving the villainous wizard at the constant mercy of a rambunctious young girl.

11 Suletta Mercury

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury

• Japanese VA: Kana Ichinose

As the newest Gundam protagonist, Suletta Mercury marks a first for the franchise as the first female protagonist. A transfer student from Mercury, Suletta first comes off as an enthusiastic but rather awkward young girl in search of new friends.

Her shyness and social awkwardness belie her incredible fighting capability, especially when she is piloting her personal mobile suit, the Aerial. While Suletta certainly has quite a few confidence issues, watching her grow throughout the series is part of her appeal.

12 Shirayuki

Snow White And The Red Hair

• Japanese VA: Saori Hayami

Shirayuki is a normal girl learning to be an herbalist in the Kingdom of Tanbarun, with one small exception: her red hair, which attracts attention wherever she goes. Shirayuki just wants to live a normal life, but when her red hair catches the attention of Prince Raj, he immediately demands that she become his concubine.

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Shirayuki escapes to the neighboring Kingdom of Clarines, where she is protected and befriended by the prince. There, she uses her knowledge of herbs to become a royal herbalist. Hard-working and independent, Shirayuki easily proves her ability to survive without relying on others.

13 Yona

Yona Of The Dawn

• Japanese VA: Chiwa Saito

As the princess of Kouka, Yona has lived her life never wanting for anything. However, when her father is killed by someone she loved and trusted, Yona is forced to flee her own country. Guided by a myth of Four Dragons who once helped the Crimson Dragon King unify the nation, Yona decides to go on a journey to gather allies to get her country back.

Though she initially starts quite sheltered, Yona is incredibly strong of heart. Quickly overcoming her father's death, Yona learned that she needed to gain strength to survive, using guile, charisma, and whatever she could to stay alive until she could take back her kingdom.

14 Makima

Chainsaw Man

• Japanese VA: Tomori Kusunoki

Makima is easily one of the most popular characters to come out of 2022, with a charm that is both alluring and terrifying. The head of Public Safety Division 4, Makima is in charge of hunting down and killing the various devils that appear in Tokyo.

Despite working to protect the peace of the city, Makima is an unnerving and chilling character whose motives are indiscernible. Despite this, she radiates a soothing charm that characters like Denji and Aki are simply unable to resist.

15 Shana

Shakugan No Shana

• Japanese VA: Rie Kugimiya

As a being known only as a Flame Haze, Shana's duty is to exterminate Denizens attempting to toy with the Power of Existence keeping people alive. One such victim of such an attack is Yuji Sakai, who has a mysterious power that allows him to remain alive even though his Power of Existence is so weak.

While Shana is unconcerned with Yuji, the two's paths remain intertwined. It is Yuji who names her Shana, and she slowly begins to care for him in her way. With her ability to wield flame and a powerful sword that serves as her namesake, Shana is both strong and capable.

16 Mereoleona Vermillion

Black Clover

• Japanese VA: Junko Minagawa

The oldest daughter of House Vermillion is also one of the fieriest characters on this list, not just in her magic specialty but also in her personality as well. She cuts a belligerent and intimidating figure, but she is also an inspiring figure who was born to lead, even if she prefers not to.

Unlike many of her family members, Mereoleona chose not to become a member of the Magic Knights, only choosing to become the temporary captain of the Crimson Lions when her brother Fuegoleon is incapacitated. She is shown as incredibly competent in that role and later leads the Royal Knights as well.

17 Lucy/Nyu

Elfen Lied

• Japanese VA: Sanae Kobayashi

Two young university students discover a young woman who is unable to speak. They call her Nyu due to the only sound she can make at the time, but they soon realize that there is more to her. Eventually, they learn that Nyu is a split personality of Lucy, a murderous Diclonius with the power to control invisible arms called vectors that can kill indiscriminately.

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While Nyu is kind, peaceful, and introverted, Lucy is violent, merciless, and hates all humans. While her time living with Kouta and Yuka mellows her out slightly, she never loses her murderous tendencies, and fate as a Diclonius means that her life could never be peaceful.

18 Rias Gremory

High School DxD

• Japanese VA: Yoko Hikasa

Seemingly a normal third-year student at Kuoh Academy, Rias Gremory is actually a devil and a member of the Gremory Clan, a high-ranking clan of devils. She revived Issei Hyodo after his death at the hands of Yuma Amano, turning him into her servant.

As the President of the Occult Research club, Rias secretly assembles a clan of devils loyal only to her. Compassionate, kind, and caring, Rias Gremory is nevertheless an authoritative leader with incredible strength. Her beautiful figure belies her incredible powers, and she is easily one of the strongest characters in the series.

19 Radical Ed

Cowboy Bebop

• Japanese VA: Aoi Tada

While the main cast of Cowboy Bebop is generally mature and grounded, Radical Ed is the complete opposite. A 13-year-old computer hacker living alone, Ed ends up stowing away on the Bebop and joining the crew on their various adventures.

Calling Ed unique is an understatement at best; she is childlike, curious, carefree, and a constant source of trouble. Nevertheless, she is also incredibly capable and has constantly saved the Bebop crew from certain doom. While she had the least screen time of the four main characters, she is still a vital part of the show.

20 Kei

Dirty Pair

• Japanese VA: Kyoko Tongu

Kei is one of two members of the “Lovely Angels,” a task force meant to solve problems for the World Welfare Works Association. However, due to their reckless, devil-may-care natures that often cause their missions to end in massive collateral damage, the two are more popularly called the “Dirty Pair.”

Matching her ferocious red hair, Kei is the more aggressive of the two, being more experienced with weaponry and willing to jump into combat situations. Despite being tomboyish, she is just as obsessed with finding a boyfriend as Yuri is.