The role of a mother in the life of her offspring is a crucial one. A mother’s actions can shape a person’s entire personality. In the world of anime, there have been countless displays of incredible motherhood, which makes it extremely difficult to choose.
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But, there are few anime mothers, who are a cut above the rest in terms of parenting. They take care of their kids while fighting against all the problems of the world. With that in mind, here’s a list of the most lovable moms in the anime world.
Updated on February 3, 2025, Mark Sammut: The Winter 2025 season is going strong, and the lineup includes a few anime moms who might eventually be contenders. 100 Girlfriends’ Hahari is a bit of an acquired taste, but she can be quite funny at times. Despite mainly featuring in only one episode so far, From Bureaucrat to Villainess’s Mitsuko is instantly likable. Medalist’s Nozomi has gone through a surprising amount of development so far, even if she is not necessarily the most lovable. While it is still too early to include any of the above, two 2024 characters deserve to be mentioned among the best anime mothers.
22
Ine Saitou
Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again
This one is a bit of a strange case. As hinted by the show’s title, Ine Saito is primarily presented as a grandmother; however, she interacts frequently with her son, so that relationship is not an afterthought either. Most importantly, she is charming and likable. After eating a golden apple, Shozo and Ine revert to their younger selves, although the change is (initially) exclusive to their bodies. They both make the most of the situation, while still mostly sticking true to the people they have become over the years.
Shozo and Ine’s relationship is pretty adorable, with the couple sharing a level of trust that only comes from decades of experience. Ine’s personality is fairly traditional, and she has a great rapport with nearly everyone. At one point, Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again even reverts Ine to her teenage self, giving the audience a chance to see her at different stages of her life.
21
Takae Niijima
TsumaSho
A fairly modern anime, TsumaSho uses a convoluted reincarnation premise to tell a powerful story about grief, family, and moving on. Now, Takae rarely appears in the flesh since she died a decade before the story’s events. However, she shows up at her family’s doorstep as a 10-year-old child, claiming to have reincarnated. While initially having no plans to reach out to her former self’s husband and daughter, she decides to do so after realizing they have not moved on from her death.
TsumaSho‘s earliest episodes are essentially wish-fulfillment slice-of-life about three family members who are reunited in the most unlikely of situations. As enjoyable as these earlier parts are, the anime becomes far better when it turns into a drama that touches upon mature themes. Takae is a fully fleshed-out character who has to constantly make tough decisions.
20
Chi-Chi
Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball Z
- Release Date
-
1989 – 1995
- Directors
-
Daisuke Nishio
- Writers
-
Akira Toriyama, Takao Koyama
Chi-Chi is the wife of Goku and mother to Gohan and Goten. She met Goku at a very young age, and the two eventually got married. Goku was absent for almost the entire childhood of his kids, so Chi-Chi was the one who took care of them.
Chi-Chi tried to help them in any way she could, and her affection undoubtedly played a big role in making Gohan and Goten good people. She is also very protective of her family, and she doesn’t hesitate to stand up for her kids and husband.
Bulma is also a good mother to Trunks.
19
Mito Freecss
Hunter x Hunter
Mito Freecss is the only mother figure in Gon’s life. After Gon’s father left to pursue his own ambitions, Mito was left in charge of the young boy. Mito raised Gon as if he were her own son, and she tried to keep him safe from harm.
Mito didn’t shy away from scolding Gon if he did something stupid and risky. It was only because of her protective and caring nature that Gon didn’t become a ruffian. Gon has also shown his respect for Mito many times, which further solidifies her reputation as one of the best anime moms.
18
Kurumi Saiki
The Disastrous Life of Saiki K
Kurumi Saiki has been a crucial figure in the life of her son, Kusuo. She is a kind and compassionate person, but she can become terrifying if her family is threatened. While she does not have any special abilities like her son, Kurumi isn’t afraid to face a challenge.
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Her personality has had a massive influence on Kusuo, who has openly stated that without her presence, he would have used his powers to do evil deeds. This is a big testament to Kurumi’s skills as a mother.
17
Ojiya
Dororo
Dororo
- Release Date
-
2019 – 2018
- Directors
-
Kazuhiro Furuhashi
- Writers
-
Yasuko Kobayashi
Ojiya is the mother of Dororo, who is one of the main protagonists in the series. Even though Ojiya didn’t get much screen time, it was enough for her to melt the hearts of viewers with her incredible dedication toward her child.
When Ojiya and Dororo were struggling, they couldn’t even find food. One day, as they were walking, they came across a person giving away free food. When it was their turn to collect the food, the person asked them for a utensil, but they didn’t have one. However, Ojiya wasn’t going to let her child go hungry again. So, she asked the person to put boiling hot food in her hands. Then she cooled it down for Dororo to eat. This particular incident alone is enough for her to be called one of the best anime moms.
16
Tomoko Higashikata
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
Tomoko is the mother of Josuke Higashikata. She fell in love with Joseph, and together they had Josuke. As Joseph was already married to Suzy Q, he could not stay with Tomoko, and thus, he had to go back.
Tomoko was devastated by Joseph leaving, but she didn’t let the setback affect her or her son’s life. She raised Josuke mainly on her own and she ensured that he would have a great life. When he came down with a serious illness, Tomoko went to great lengths to get him to the hospital to save his life. It is also easy to see that many of Tomoko’s qualities are reflected in Josuke.
15
Akari Kawamoto (Special Mention)
March Comes In Like A Lion
Akari is the eldest of the Kawamoto sisters. When their grandmother and mother passed away, the sisters were extremely distressed. To make things worse, their father also walked out on them, so the responsibility fell on Akari to take care of her younger sisters.
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Akari raised both of them on her own and made sure that they would not suffer from any kind of problem. Under her care, the sisters were able to live a predominantly trouble-free life. Akari is also extremely kind, as she helped Rei, who was completely drunk and vulnerable. She brought him into their house to help him recover, and eventually, he became acquainted with the rest of her family. While Akari did not have any kids on her own, she acted as a mother to her sisters, which makes her one of the best anime moms.
14
Kyoko Honda
Fruits Basket
Kyoko was the mother of Tohru Honda. During her younger days, Kyoko used to be a violent person, and she was also the leader of a gang. Kyoko could hardly keep herself out of trouble, but once she met Katsuya, everything changed.
Katsuya helped her to become a better person and eventually, she left the gang. After leaving the gang, Kyoko and Katsuya got married, and they had a daughter named Tohru. Sadly, Katsuya passed away and left Kyoko to raise their daughter, Tohru alone. In the beginning, she did suffer from a few setbacks, but ultimately she did a splendid job at raising Tohru. Kyoko taught Tohru everything that she knew and left a very positive influence on her daughter’s life.
13
Clara Magnolia
Violet Evergarden
Clara Magnolia was the mother of Ann. She was suffering from a terminal illness, which made her body frail. Clara knew that she did not have much time to live, so she wanted to create as many happy memories with her daughter as she could.
In her short life, Clara taught her daughter to be kind and polite to people. Clara would also scold Ann if the latter tried to cause any kind of trouble, and in this way, Clara ensured that her daughter would not go down the wrong path. Suffice it to say, Clara performed all the duties of being a mother to the best of her abilities, which makes her an extremely lovable character.
12
Trisha Elric
Fullmetal Alchemist
-
Fullmetal Alchemist
- Release Date
-
November 6, 2004
Cast
-
Vic Mignogna
Edward Elric
-
Aaron Dismuke
Alphonse Elric
-
Rie Kugimiya
Riza Hawkeye
Trisha Elric married Hohenheim with the hopes of starting a family. However, Hohenheim left Trisha and the kids on their own. Trisha accepted the harsh reality and decided that she wouldn’t let it affect her kids. She was an extremely loving mother, who took great care of her kids.
Trisha was brave as she raised them on her own. When she died of an illness, it caused Edward and Alphonse great distress and they decided to resurrect her, which shows how much they loved her.
11
Inko Midoriya
My Hero Academia
Inko Midoriya is the mother of Midoriya Izuku. Originally, she was skeptical of Midoriya’s chance of getting into U.A., but gradually she decided to be supportive of her son. Inko even designed a superhero costume for Midoriya, and she apologized to her son for her mistake, which is an extremely rare thing for a parent to do.
After Midoriya’s admission, she monitors his progress and makes sure that her son is okay.
10
Kushina Uzumaki
Naruto
Kushina Uzumaki is the mother of Naruto Uzumaki, the main protagonist of Naruto. Kushina’s motherhood did not last for long as Obito decided to attack the Hidden Leaf. Kushina sacrificed herself to save baby Naruto from the Nine-Tails. Before dying Minato sealed a bit of Kushina’s chakra inside Naruto, which would come in handy later.
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Naruto finally met Kushina when he was trying to tame the Nine-Tails, and the interaction between mother and son was very emotional. Kushina asked Naruto about his health and how he was doing and the final exchange between the two brought a tear to many eyes.
9
Bell-mere
One Piece
Bell-mere was a brave Navy soldier who adopted Nojiko and Nami when they were young girls. She adored both Nojiko and Nami and taught them to be strong in the face of danger. The two girls learned many things from their mother, and they loved her a lot.
Bell-mere made the ultimate sacrifice for them when she gave all her money to Arlong to save Nami and Nojiko. As Bell-mere did not have enough money for all three, Arlong killed her.
8
Delia Ketchum
Pokemon
She has always been supportive of Ash’s dream to become a Pokemon master. Delia Ketchum always tries to look out for her son and whenever Ash visits her, she makes sure that he has everything that he needs on his journey.
Despite Ash’s journey continuing for twenty years, Delia is just as supportive of Ash as she was on the very first day.
7
Dadan (Special Mention)
One Piece
Dadan is the leader of the mountain bandits on Mt. Colubo, but she was tasked with the responsibility of taking care of Ace by Monkey D. Garp. Dadan didn’t react kindly to Garp’s request, however, she had no choice but to accept.
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Soon afterward, Ace was joined by Luffy and then Sabo, so Dadan had to take care of all three of them. When Luffy was held captive by Bluejam, she charged into Bluejam’s place along with Ace to save Luffy. Dadan’s love for the three kids was incredible, and she even beat up Garp for letting Ace die.
6
Miyako Ishida
A Silent Voice
A Silent Voice
- Release Date
-
September 17, 2016
- Director
-
Naoko Yamada
Miyako is the mother of Shoyo Ishida, who serves as the main character of A Silent Voice. Her son was not easy to handle as a kid, but Miyako never stopped trying. When Shoyo got in trouble for bullying Nishimiya, Miyako apologized to her mother.
She went as far as to use up her savings to buy Nishimiya new hearing aids. Despite Shoyo’s behavior, Miyako never tried to beat him, instead, she was always caring and tried to help her son.
5
Yor Forger
Spy x Family
Yor Forger is the wife of Loid Forger. She decided to get married to Loid in order to avoid being branded a spy. She has two different jobs. The first one is her regular day job, and the second is her job as an assassin. Yor has incredible physical abilities, which is to be expected from an assassin like her.
Despite having no experience as a mother, Yor takes excellent care of Anya. Yor tries her best to be there for her daughter and makes sure that no kind of harm comes to her. Yor also goes out of her way to learn how to cook to make good food for both Anya and Loid.
4
Sanae Furukawa
Clannad
-
Clannad
-
Yuichi Nakamura
Tomoya Okazaki
-
David Matranga
Tomoya Okazaki (English)
-
Luci Christian
Nagisa Furukawa
-
Mai Nakahara
Nagisa Furukawa (English)
-
-
Clannad: After Story
- Release Date
-
October 3, 2008
Sanae might not be a great baker, but she was an outstanding mother. When Nagisa was pregnant, Sanae looked after her. After Nagisa’s death, Tomoya was immensely depressed and at this time, Sanae took care of Ushio.
Even after spending several years with Ushio, Sanae knew that it was important for Ushio to return to her father, as Tomoya had been all alone after the death of his wife. She showed exemplary courage when almost everyone around was feeling sad.
3
Hana
Wolf Children
Wolf Children
- Release Date
-
July 12, 2012
- Runtime
-
117 Minutes
- Director
-
Mamoru Hosoda
Hana fell in love with a wolfman, and they had two kids together. However, luck was not on Hana’s side as her husband tragically passed away, leaving Hana with her two kids. This did not dampen Hana’s spirits as she got ready to take care of her children.
It was extremely difficult for her to take care of the kids, but she continued to struggle for their sake. She had to leave the city and raise them in the countryside because, unlike her, they were part wolves, which made it impossible to control them in a city.
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