Best Girls With Guns Anime

The action genre is one of the most represented genres in anime, and the “girls with guns” anime 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 one 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 4, 2024, by Mark Sammut: Fall 2024 might not have all that many girls with guns anime, but a sequel is airing that should at least scratch that itch.

Galleries have been added for most of the highlighted anime, along with a refreshed entry for SAO Alternative.

17 Upotte!!

MyAnimeList Score: 6.45

A new teacher arrives at the all-girls school Seishou Academy, expecting it to be like any other high school. However, there is one thing that makes Seishou different from other schools: every student there is the personification of a gun. Whether it be elementary school, middle school, or high school, the girls of Seishou Academy learn how to serve as lethal weapons so that they can be effective in battle.

Upotte!! is less of a “girls with guns” anime and more of a “girls are guns” anime, but the former certainly applies. Unlike other series that fall under the genre’s umbrella, the anime is more comedic than it is action-packed, so it might suit fans of school comedy and fanservice more.

16 Burst Angel

MyAnimeList Score: 6.78

In an alternative-reality Japan, 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. The group is investigating the appearance of mutated monsters causing havoc all over Tokyo.

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. While not everything holds up extremely well, the anime is generally quite entertaining and has pretty great animation for its era.

15 High-Rise Invasion

MyAnimeList Score: 6.69

One day, Yuri Honjo finds herself transported to a mysterious world full of skyscrapers and bridges. Hunted by masked murderers wielding all kinds of weapons, Yuri desperately wants to escape, but she soon learns that her brother is also trapped in this world. As she slowly becomes accustomed to this bloodthirsty world, Yuri resolves to find her brother and get the both of them out.

High-Rise Invasion is a “girls with guns” anime with hints of both isekai and survival horror. The blend of genres gives the anime a hair-raising tension that similar shows might lack. Fans of action-packed and thrilling survival stories will certainly enjoy this series.

14 Gunsmith Cats

MyAnimeList Score: 7.39

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.

13 Canaan

MyAnimeList Score: 7.22

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 game428: 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.

12 Blue Archive the Animation

MyAnimeList: 7.05

Based on quite a popular tactical RPG, Blue Archive the Animation came and went in Spring 2024 without leaving too great of an impression, a consequence of the anime not being readily available on a platform like Crunchyroll or HIDIVE. That said, fans of the source material might wish to track the adaptation down if they just want to see the main girls and sensei engage in some mindless but fun action set pieces.

Blue Archive the Animation has a somewhat interesting post-apocalyptic setting, but it does not do that much with the concept. Ultimately, this series is happy to just pit a group of school girls against each other in over-the-top and generally lighthearted explosions of action.

11 Sword Art Online: Gun Gale Online

MyAnimeList: 7.01 (Season 1)

Sword Art Online season 2 introduced Gun Gale Online, a contemporary game that revolved around gunplay rather than the conventional fantasy tropes. This arc was not especially well-received, but it did spawn a spin-off called Gun Gale Online. Rather than Kirito, this series pushes Karen to the forefront, a woman who is self-conscious about her height and, therefore, decides to create a short character for the game.

Gun Gale Online‘s gunfights do not have much in the way of tension since they boil down to people simply playing a game, with the primary stakes being bragging rights. That said, the anime’s action sequences are consistently fun and tend to implement strategy and teamwork. There are also plenty of battle royale-style tournaments that pit different teams against each other.

10 El Cazador De La Bruja

MyAnimeList Score: 7.20

Nadie is a feisty bounty hunter who is one day given a job to look after a girl named Ellis. Ellis is a young girl who can’t remember her past, nor does she know the reason why so many people are after her. The two go on a journey in order to discover the truth behind Ellis’s past.

El Cazador de la Bruja is the last of three “girls with guns” anime created by Bee Train, the studio that also worked on Noir and Madlax. The three shows feature similar character tropes and storylines, making all three of them enjoyable for fans of the genre.

9 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. Despite their reputation, the girls continue to insert themselves into nearly every troublesome circumstance, making things worse in the process.

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.

8 Sabagebu! -Survival Game Club!-

MyAnimeList Score: 7.34

Most girls with guns anime are action thrillers that lean into the deadly nature of using these types of weapons; however, exceptions exist. Sabagebu goes down a different route by revolving around a school club that loves firearms, which generally means engaging in mock battles. While described as a “survival game,” the anime basically revolves around an activity similar to paintball, which makes for some pretty fun and silly battles.

The characters are, for the most part, really likable. Momoka is a fantastic and hilarious protagonist, and she is supported by a great range of girls. Out of all the recommended anime, Sabagebu is the closest to a “cute girls doing gun things” show.

7 Noir

MyAnimeList Score: 7.28

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 about 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.

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, and it has arguably left a longer-lasting impression than most mid-popularity shows from the era. This series is much darker than most stories that explore this theme, with lots of cruelty, tragedy, and death occurring throughout the series.

5 Akiba Maid War

MyAnimeList Score: 7.59

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.

4 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.

3 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. The 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.

2 Lycoris Recoil

MyAnimeList Score: 8.16

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.

1 Ghost In The Shell

MyAnimeList Score: 8.52 (SAC 2nd), 8.42 (SAC), 8.27 (Original Movie)

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.