What Are Anime Waifus — And Why Are They So Popular? (2024)

Fans of Japanese anime use all kinds of terms to describe their favorite characters, from the diverse -dere types to moe characters to Best Boy and Best Girl. Those are all terms of endearment, but the term "waifu" stands above them all. An anime waifu isn't just a cool female character fans like – in her fans' eyes, an anime waifu is the ultimate partner, the idealized girlfriend who can do it all.

Even if waifus and husbandos are subjective and are the topic of friendly debate and banter online, there are some clear-cut differences between a waifu and a typical Best Girl in any anime franchise. A waif is something more personal and sincere for an anime fan, and a fan's choice in their favorite waifu can say a lot about them and what they look for in a partner, imaginary or not.

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The Basics Of An Anime Waifu

The term "waifu" is meant to sound like the English word "wife," and as a pop culture term, it traces back to the Azumanga Daioh! anime. A character named Mr. Kimura had a photograph of his beloved wife, and when asked, he explained in English that she was "mai waifu," or "my wife." Even if that was meant as an off-hand gag with English dialogue, Mr. Kimura's statement soon became an anime fandom staple, and everyone started talking about who their own waifu is. Notably, in real-life Japan, people do not call their wives "waifu," instead using their own language's terms for their spouses. "Waifu" is purely an informal term that blurs the line between English and Japanese, but even if it's just for fun, anime fans might take it quite seriously. An anime waifu may speak to them on a deep and meaningful level, and choosing a waifu can be a form of self-expression for anime fans.

An anime waifu is a fan's idealized romantic partner, someone they would conceivably marry and spend their entire lives with, if that were somehow possible. The simplest meaning of waifu is "my ideal wife," hence the term, but there's still some nuance that's worth exploring. A waifu is the complete package in her fan's eyes, and not just the most beautiful or most interesting character in an anime series. An anime waifu, in her fan's opinion, will check off every box for an ideal life partner, such as compassion and kindness, loyalty to her friends and lovers, honesty and trustworthiness, self-respect, and more. Fans can add their own subjective criteria too, from a lively and energetic personality or a shy, timid personality or something in between. An ideal waifu might be a fighter who can defend her partner, or conversely, a waifu is someone who would trust her partner to protect her, and the anime fan would feel honored to shield her from harm.

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Anim Waifus Vs Best Girls

In some cases, a waifu and a series' Best Girl might be the same character, but even if plenty of female anime characters have both waifu and Best Girl qualities, these two terms have different fundamentals. The concept of waifus is fairly specific, a female character who is the viewer's ideal life partner, while a Best Girl can be practically anything. Best Boys and Best Girls are even more subjective and can be chosen for any reason, serious or not. A Best Girl is simply an anime's most appealing and worthwhile female character, and any metric whatsoever can be used to decide this, including ironic or subversive ones. A series' Best Girl might be the strongest and most exciting fighter, for example, or the character with the most interesting dialogue, most compelling backstory, the most relatable hopes and dreams, or simply the best looks.

This means Best Girl is the broader category, with waifus being one of many types of characters who can be a Best Girl. But it does not work the other way around, since plenty of Best Girls may be cool characters, but they would not make good waifus. Some do make good waifus, but plenty of Best Girls are given that title for non-waifu reasons. In the eyes of anime fans, a Best Girl is someone to cheer on or someone the fan would want to be friends with, but a waifu has different criteria to meet. A tough-talking, independent-minded bad girl is fun to watch, but she would fall short as a long-term romantic partner. Subversive Best Girls aren't typically good waifus either, since their appeal comes from their unusual nature that makes a statement in the anime rather than being idealized romantic partners. It's still possible for off-beat Best Girls to be someone's waifu, even subversive ones, but by default, they are Best Girls while not being standard waifus.

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Examples Of Popular Waifus – And Why Fans Love Them

The anime fandom has named hundreds of female characters as their waifus, and some are obscure and niche while others are more mainstream. The most popular anime waifus are household names among anime fans, and these characters' personalities and character design may reveal a lot about what most anime fans look for in a waifu. These girls help set the standard for the waifu archetype, though of course, in theory, any female character with any design can be someone's waifu.

Among the most popular anime waifus, a few general archetypes emerge, including shy but earnest girls, assertive warrior women with a hidden soft side, and playful women who can be serious and cool if they need to. Plenty of examples exist for each, with shy waifus, or dandere, often ranking among the most popular. These waifus charm anime fans with their gentle, soft-spoken personalities and their non-confrontational ways, such as Shoko Komi in Komi Can't Communicate, Miku Nakano from The Quintessential Quintuplets, and Rem the ogre maid from Re:Zero. Warrior-waifus are popular too, including Erza Scarlet from Fairy Tail, Mikasa Ackerman from Attack on Titan, and Rukia Kuchiki from Bleach. The third archetype, goofy girls with a hidden serious side, include fan-favorite waifus such as Tohru Honda from Fruits Basket, Yoruichi Shihoin from Bleach, and Marin Kitagawa from My Dress-Up Darling.

There are many ways to interpret these trends, but the simplest and most convenient is that anime fans like a waifu who has a single, overriding personality trait, with a few sub-traits to balance her out. Shy girls are defined by being gentle and needing protection, while tsunderes are confident and assertive and warrior waifus can look after themselves and their friends. Goofball and genki girl waifus, meanwhile, make audiences laugh and remind fans that romance isn't just serious drama – love should be fun, too.