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The anime season of Winter 2024 was packed with fantastic shows. Some got their rightful 24-episode runs, and others earned a place in our hearts with only 12. While many avid watchers remember this season due to its compelling stories, fantastic animation, and a sprinkle of fan service, certain characters stick with us for months to come. Who are we talking about? Well, none other than the beautiful waifus of the Winter 2024 anime season. Whether you like a badass apothecary or any of the lineup of elves, this cold season wasn’t chilly at all, thanks to these beauties.
Top 10 Anime Waifus of Winter 2024 Ranked from Worst to Best
We have to put a quick disclaimer before we begin our ranking. First, this is our personal list. If you don’t see your waifu here, that doesn’t mean we hate them; we just found some who are better. Second, we’ll limit the list to one entry per show, so if you were expecting the whole cast of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, that won’t be the case. So, without further ado, let’s get this list started.
10. Rouge Redstar (Metallic Rouge)
Whenever an original anime comes around, we are all skeptical. Nowadays, it seems we can’t enjoy a show without first knowing the source material, but I still try to welcome all anime with open arms. I’ll tell you something: Metallic Rouge wasn’t my cup of tea. It felt rushed, lacked character development, and Bones’ studio budget went somewhere else. However, Rouge Redstar was fantastic.
She’s a goofy and heroic lady who, despite the mystery behind her creation, kicks metallic butts left and right. Her design is fabulous, and there couldn’t be a better voice actor for her. Still, she didn’t make the splash I was hoping for an original anime, so she stays at the back of the list.
9. Utena Hiiragi(Gushing Over Magical Girls)
If you ask me if I watched this anime only for the fan service, I’d proudly answer “yes.” If you ask me if I regret watching all those scenes, I’d say “no.” Gushing Over Magical Girls is a show that doesn’t shy away from making a proper ecchi anime. It has peak fan service that may or may not be to the liking of many, and despite the extremely suggestive scenes, the show’s story isn’t bad.
However, Utena takes the cake. She’s a walking dichotomy, and I love her for that. On the one hand, she is the biggest fan of magical girls, and on the other hand, she ties them up with tentacles and “tortures” them in ways that are not TV-appropriate. Still, the fact that she struggles with both of these feelings and even shames her heroes for breaking in front of her makes Utena one of the best protagonists in this season.
8. Rishe (7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy!)
Last season, the ending of Tearmoon Empire left a hole in my heart that I thought no other show would fill. Thankfully, the Winter 2024 season brought 7th Time Loop, the anime that brought one of the most memorable waifus I’ve seen lately. Rishe is your run-of-the-mill princess who gets betrayed right before her wedding, and the whole kingdom shuns her. After escaping, she meets merchants, doctors, and even soldiers. How does she do so many things, you ask? Well, she did all these in seven different lives.
That’s right; this show pulls off a Re: Zero type of deal where whenever Rishe dies, she returns to the day when she was shunned and gets to re-do her life. However, in her seventh loop, she marries the prince who caused her demise in previous lives and becomes the jack-of-all-trades waifu we all love. Whether it is with prime maid skills, ninja moves to escape a kidnapping, or the good old firework-crafting, Rishe is the full package.
7. Yumiella Dolkness (Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss, but I’m Not the Demon Lord)
Say whatever you want about Villainess Level 99. The 3D animation is terrible, yes. The husbandos are the worst anyone has ever written. But no one can touch Yumiella because I’ll die on a hill claiming she’s one of the best anime waifus of Winter 2024.
After reincarnating in her favorite otome game, our protagonist takes the role of Yumiella Dolkness, the game’s secret boss. She’s the otome version of Saitama, where she’s so strong she can defeat the game’s boss with one hit. Besides, she’s the true wingman when it comes to leveling. She will call hordes of monsters that might kill you instantly, but she does that so you can become stronger. If Yumiella went to the gym, she’d be the perfect spotter.
6. Suzune Inukami (The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic)
One of the shows that blew me away this season was The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic. After Redo of Healer, anything with healing magic got a bit tainted, and with good reasons. However, Usato and friends showed us there can be a great anime where healing magic takes names and kicks ass.
Of all the well-written characters in this show, I picked Suzune Inukami as the best waifu. She’s your average “perfect student” in the real world. However, once she gets the isekai treatment with her friends, her weeb identity goes up the roof. She simps for the protagonist’s power, doesn’t care at all about returning to the real world, and has a blast while fighting in the war. She’s the ideal isekai companion and a standard I’d love to see in other shows with this trope.
5. Arisu Sakayanagi (Classroom of the Elite)
Once again, I’m faced with a Jonas Brothers situation: I hate to love them so much, and that’s what happens with Classroom of the Elite‘s Sakayanagi. This cane-wielding genius seemed like she’d be a pain in the butt for our poker-faced protagonist, and it turns it she indeed was a pain in the butt, yet not completely.
This white-haired lady met Ayanokoji back as a kid and always wanted to help him not become the well, poker-faced guy he is now. She might’ve failed a bit there, but well, the show isn’t over (or so we hope). Still, we love her due to how easy it is for her to manipulate Class A, not to care about anything anyone says to her, and just to be the white-haired waifu every anime needs nowadays.
4. Yuki Itose (A Sign of Affection)
My biggest surprise of the Winter 2024 anime season was Sign of Affection due to how well-written the waifus and husbandos are, with Yuki taking the lead. Although, if this were a husband ranking, Itsoumi would win hands down. Anyway, back to our girl. In the most inclusive show I’ve seen in years, the studio behind this anime did a flawless job of writing these characters.
Despite her disability, Yuki isn’t afraid of trying to communicate with others and even gets a job to travel with her boyfriend. Furthermore, she’s one of the cutest ladies we’ve seen in romantic anime, and I was glad to see her grow in a personal and romantic way throughout the season. I hope we get more episodes in the future, but if not, this 12-episode run was marvelous.
3. Marcille Donato (Delicious in Dungeon)
The elven season began in the Fall of 2023, and it got better once Delicious in Dungeon arrived. What I loved about this season’s elves is that none of them relied on fan service to become likable. Marcille is your average mage who doesn’t want to eat any of the delicious creatures inside a dungeon, and despite her complaints, she always reacts with the good old “oishii,” which is delicious in Japanese.
Beyond that, we love a lady who isn’t afraid to fight. In many episodes, despite being hurt as all heck, she blasted foes with her spells, healed some, and even used necromancy for reasons we won’t spoil. She might not have the power of the following elf, but she had the strength to become one of the top three waifus of the Winter 2024 anime season.
2. Frieren (Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End)
Oh, Frieren, how it hurt to see your show end, for now. This thousand-year-old elf grew so much after her initial journey, which is the anime’s premise and the reason why I love her so much. This show is one of the most nostalgic out there. It presents you with a story full of regrets and people trying to make amends to always leave a small footprint as years go by.
Despite her age, Frieren still acts like a novice adventurer because she’s now finally learned the meaning of a “fleeting human life.” With her goal of reaching “heaven,” this is a show that will make everyone cry her heart out once the party reaches its destination. Nostalgia and personal growth aside, we’ll never get tired of seeing Frieren’s gimmick of getting trapped inside a mimic.
1. Maomao (The Apothecary Diaries)
The award for the best waifu and one of the most badass female characters in modern anime goes to Maomao. If I could tell you what The Apothecary Diaries is, it is Dr. House but better and with more likable characters. Maomao is a brilliant apothecary who is sold to the palace for work. After showing off her skills, she moves through the ranks to work with none other than Jinshi, the show’s prime husbando.
Throughout the 24-episode run, fans are thrown into a web of mysteries that not even Ron Kamonohashi could solve. One thing I love about Maomao is that she’s never a damsel in distress. Heck, she’s the one who saves damsels and knights alike. Thankfully, the show has been renewed, and we’ll see more of this green-haired apothecary in 2025.
There you have it, our curated and cultured list of the best waifus in Winter 2024. With this season over, we can’t wait to see the new ladies coming our way in Spring 2024. Thanks to the current lineup, we can already feel we’re in for some great shows and to get smitten again by some anime ladies.
