Highlights
- “Girls with guns” is a popular subgenre in anime, combining beautiful young women with action-packed gunplay.
- These anime feature female protagonists or multiple women using guns in combat, with diverse storylines.
- From classic series like Noir and Dirty Pair to newer shows like Lycoris Recoil, there is something for every fan of the genre.
The action genre is one of the most represented genres in anime, and the “girls with guns” subgenre is one of its more popular offshoots. The combination of beautiful and alluring young women with plenty of gunplay and action is a match made in heaven for most anime fans.
“Girls with guns” is a fairly apt description for the subgenre, as any anime in this category usually features multiple women (or even just a female protagonist) using guns in combat. The story can be just about anything so long as that particular feature is included to qualify as a “girls with guns” anime. Here are some of the best “girls with guns” anime out there.
Updated November 19, 2023, by Danny Guan: More and more anime come out every year, and the majority of them undoubtedly fall under the action umbrella. Whether it be martial arts, crime thrillers, or superpowered battles, action remains a popular genre in the anime sphere, and every season is bound to have a handful of options for fans of these shows. While “girls with guns” anime is a little rarer in comparison to some of the other action subgenres, viewers can always expect a show featuring the concept to pop up occasionally. Here are some more “girls with guns” anime for fans of the genre to check out.
1 Burst Angel
MyAnimeList Score: 6.79
In a Japan where possession of firearms has become legal to counter the rising levels of crime, Kyohei Tachibana finds himself working as a cook for four strange young girls: Jo, Meg, Amy, and Sei. Turns out these four aren’t just ordinary girls, but mercenaries working for a mysterious organization called Bailan.
Burst Angel is an early 2000s action anime that also features some elements of mecha. Aside from high-octane action, the series also has plenty of laugh-out-loud comedy and fanservice galore.
2 Dirty Pair
MyAnimeList Score: 7.21
In the spacefaring future, Kei and Yuri work as Trouble Contractors for 3WA under the codename “Lovely Angels.” However, the world knows them better as the “Dirty Pair,” due to how often the situations they come to resolve often get worse just from their mere presence.
Dirty Pair is one of the earliest examples of the “girls with guns” genre, and possibly the first real example of the genre for anime, having come out in the 80s. Dirty Pair is a classic anime series, and fans of action should absolutely check it out.
3 Canaan
MyAnimeList Score: 7.22
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P.A. Works |
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Where to Watch |
HiDive |
While investigating strange phenomena happening in Shanghai, photographer Maria Oosawa is pulled into a gunfight between masked assailants. She is saved by a friend named Canaan, an assassin from the Middle East. Canaan and Maria soon learn of a plot to obtain a deadly virus, and they must do anything they can to stop it.
Canaan is an anime spin-off of the video game 428: Shibuya Scramble, based on a script by Type-Moon writers Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi. Despite that, the show is watchable even without playing the game, though there are certainly occasional callbacks here and there.
4 Noir
MyAnimeList Score: 7.29
Two female assassins, Mireille Bouquet and Kirika Yuumura, cross paths and find that they have a strange connection to each other. Wanting to find the truth of that connection, the two girls decide to work together, becoming known under the code name “Noir.” As they continue to take jobs, they inch closer to the mysterious truth hidden in their pasts.
Noir is a classic “girls with guns” anime that helped to popularize the genre. The studio behind it, Bee Train, followed it up with two more “girls with guns” series, Madlax and El Cazador de la Bruja, creating a sort of trilogy exploring the subgenre.
5 Gunsmith Cats
MyAnimeList Score: 7.39
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Studio |
OLM |
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Where to Watch |
N/A |
Rally Vincent and her friend “Minnie” May Hopkins run Gunsmith Cats, a gun shop in the middle of Chicago. However, the two have another job as bounty hunters who hunt down fugitives and runaway criminals. Rally is a skilled sharpshooter and driver, while Minnie is a master of explosives.
Gunsmith Cats is a classic 90s anime series full of nonstop action and thrills. While Gunsmith Cats is a very short 3-episode OVA adaptation of a manga, it is still a very good example of the archetypal “girls with guns” genre.
6 Gunslinger Girl
MyAnimeList Score: 7.39
The Social Welfare Agency is an Italian organization that outwardly aids the rehabilitation of the injured but is secretly a counter-terrorist agency. Part of its organization is Special Ops Section 2, which takes young girls who have experienced intense trauma and turns them into cybernetic killers for the sake of Italy’s peace.
Gunslinger Girl is a classic example of a “girls with guns” anime from the mid-2000s. This series is much darker compared to other entries, with lots of cruelty, tragedy, and death occurring throughout the series.
7 Akiba Maid War
MyAnimeList Score: 7.62
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Japanese Title |
Akiba Maid Sensou |
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P.A. Works |
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HiDive |
Nagomi Wahira is just a normal girl who loves maids. Hoping to fulfill her dream of becoming one, she lands a job at the maid cafe Ton Tonkoton, only to find out that the job is nothing like she imagined. Rivalries between maid cafés are violent and deadly, and while Nagomi has no chance of surviving on her own, the surprisingly adept Ranko Mannen is right at home using all sorts of weaponry to take out her opponents.
Akiba Maid War is a rambunctious, over-the-top anime that is covered head-to-toe in violence and gore. While it is certainly not for the faint of heart, fans of action anime will enjoy how this series injects humor into its violent spectacle.
8 Michiko & Hatchin
MyAnimeList Score: 7.83
Michiko Malandro breaks out of a South American prison and kidnaps Hana Morenos, freeing her from her abusive foster family. Michiko tells Hana, whom she nicknames “Hatchin,” that her father was her former lover, and the two embark on a journey to find him, fighting through thugs, gangs, and all sorts of criminals on the way there.
Michiko & Hatchin is a rather unique girls with guns anime set in a fictional South American country. The unusual setting and the surprisingly heartwarming bond between the two main characters is easily the draw of the series, though there is certainly plenty of action as well.
9 Black Lagoon
MyAnimeList Score: 8.03
Rokuro Okajima finds himself in an unfortunate situation, taken hostage by a group of mercenaries known as the Lagoon Company. Abandoned by his boss, Rokuro decides to join the crew of the Lagoon, helping sharpshooter Revy, leader Dutch, and mechanic Benny as they take on jobs in the city of Roanapur.
Black Lagoon has plenty of male characters, but the most prominent fighters are the ones who see the most action. Main character Revy obviously gets her share of fights, but many other female characters get just as much play, such as the maid Roberta and the fake nun Eda.
10 Lycoris Recoil
MyAnimeList Score: 8.18
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In a future Japan, peace is kept by a group of female assassins and spies known as Lycoris, who disguise themselves by wearing high school uniforms. Takina Inoue, a member of Lycoris, is dismissed when she jeopardizes the safety of her comrades to save a hostage. She is sent to LycoReco cafe, where she comes under the guidance of Chisato Nishikigi, an elite yet rather happy-go-lucky Lycoris agent with a penchant for pacifism.
Lycoris Recoil is a relatively recent anime series that features plenty of gunplay and spy-thriller action. Aside from that, there is also plenty of lighthearted humor and slice-of-life antics, giving it a good balance in tone.
11 Ghost In The Shell
MyAnimeList Score: 8.52 (SAC 2nd), 8.42 (SAC), 8.27 (Original Movie)
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Japanese Title |
Koukaku Kidoutai |
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Production I.G |
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N/A |
In the future, cybernetic science has advanced to the point that nearly the entire body can be replaced. In this world where nearly everything is cybernetic, Public Safety Section 9 works to protect Japan from criminal hackers who could destabilize the country. Leading the group is Major Motoko Kusanagi, whose body has been completely replaced by cybernetics.
Ghost in the Shell is one of the most well-known anime franchises, with its cyberpunk setting being one of its most attractive draws. While Motoko Kusanagi is one of the few major female characters in the franchise, her prominence in the films and TV series qualifies Ghost in the Shell as a “girls with guns” anime.
