The 10 Most Common Magical Girl Tropes in Anime (2024)

Magical Girl anime franchises like Sailor Moon, Pretty Cure and Puella Magi Madoka Magica are packed with recognizable tropes. The genre launched in 1962 with the manga Himitsu no Akko-chan, following up with the anime series Sally the Witch in 1966. Sailor Moon's popularity in the 1990s helped revolutionize the concept of Magical Girls, combining the heroic elements from shows like Super Sentai with traditionally feminine pursuits and interests, such as romance and fashion. This helped forge a strong link between being pretty while being strong, which resonated with the target audience of young women and set the blueprint for what it meant to be a Magical Girl.

While the Magical Girl genre has spread out to reach a wider and more diverse demographic, the fundamental tenets of what it means to be considered a Magical Girl series tend to stem from core tropes found across different franchises. From the inclusion of a love interest counter to the main character to the cute and fluffy mentors that guide the young girl through her new role and responsibilities, these tropes tend to prevail when it comes to Magical Girl series.

10 Every Magical Girl Series' Main Character Needs a Love Interest

Sailor Moon's Love Interest is Tuxedo Mask

The Love Interest trope has its own genre class (romance), thanks to how universally beloved, accepted and known it is. Typically, the Love Interest’s primary role revolves around being the protagonist's romantic partner in the series. This partner often compliments, contrasts or highlights the strengths, weaknesses or desires of the main character. With how versatile the Love Interest trope can be, it’s used as a driving force when it comes to character development, plot progression or thematic exploration within the narrative, especially around the female primary character.

Sailor Moon Crystal has the most identifiable Love Interest, with Mamoru Chiba serving as Usagi Tsukino’s love interest. Before the series began, Prince Endymion of Earth fell in love with Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, but tragic forces destroyed them, forcing Queen Serenity to expend the last of her power to ensure they reincarnated later on. Meeting once again as Mamoru and Usagi, the pair’s epic love story provides an emotional depth to Sailor Moon Crystal’, showcasing why Sailor Moon Crystal nabbed a spot as one of the best Magical Girl series of the 2020s.

Sailor Moon Crystal

Usagi Tsukino is chosen to be a guardian of justice and is sent on a quest to locate a Silver Crystal before the Dark Kingdom invades the Earth.

9 Magical Girls Forge Their Identities in Their Coming of Age Story

In Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Madoka and Homura Mature into Their Responsibilities

The Coming of Age Story trope tends to center on the path from adolescence to maturity, with the main character developing in terms of emotional, moral and psychological growth. As they come into contact with familial and societal expectations, the main characters culminate a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them. This sense of self-discovery and independence helps them transition from childhood naivety to adult responsibilities, forging their adult identities and helping them realize the kind of person they wish to become.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica dials the concept of the Coming of Age Story up to eleven, especially when it comes to core characters Madoka and Homura. As Madoka questions whether she wishes to become a magical girl, she weighs the responsibilities and emotional turmoil of battling witches in her decision, exceeding the bounds of childhood to consider the repercussions for herself, her friends and the world around her. In a similar vein, Homura — already a Magical Girl but from a different timeline — grapples with her sense of identity as Madoka’s protector, even when faced with overwhelming despair, and eventually resolves to continue fighting in honor of Madoka’s sacrifice.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

TV-14

Action

A creature named Kyubey offers Madoka and Sayaka a wish if they agree to become 'magical girls' and fight abstract beings called 'witches'. However, a magical girl named Homura is, for uncertain reasons, determined to stop this agreement.

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

Not available

*Availability in US

Release Date

January 7, 2011

Creator(s)

Akiyuki Shinbo , Gen Urobuchi , Ume Aoki , Shaft

Cast

Christine Marie Cabanos , Cristina Vee , Carrie Keranen , Sarah Anne Williams , Cassandra Lee Morris

Main Genre

Action

See Also

A Congruence between Ancient Indian Myths and Modern Discovery of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), Parthenogenesis and CloningWicked's Villain Twist Explained: Why That Character Works With The WizardFantasía Order By Rating Page 54 Novels Directory - Novel Cool

Seasons

1

Studio

Shaft

Writers

Gen Urobuchi

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll , Hulu

Franchise(s)

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Directors

Akiyuki Shinbo , Yukihiro Miyamoto

8 Magical Girls Commonly Befriend the Enemy

In Tokyo Mew Mew, the Hero and Villain Connect Over Environmentalism

The Befriend the Enemy trope occurs when the protagonist or the main group forms a friendship or alliance with an adversary. Their relationship tends to start out as antagonistic yet reluctant, but gradually shifts to the point where the characters develop mutual understanding or respect for each other. Often, this shift happens when the characters realize they share values, goals or vulnerabilities that transcend beyond the original conflict and allow them to view the other with empathy. As such, this trope tends to highlight the complexity of relationships while demonstrating that people — no matter how wicked they might appear — have the power to change.

Tokyo Mew Mew explores this trope through its villainous trio, Quiche, Pie and Tart. As aliens who previously left Earth, they return to reclaim it three million years later, only to discover humans are destroying the environment. Outraged, they begin unleashing Chimera Animas to wipe out humanity, with the Mew Mews created to stop them. As the series progresses, Quiche begins developing feelings for Mew Ichigo — the leader of the Mew Mews — culminating in him sacrificing himself to save her from being slain by Deep Blue. This sacrifice allows both sides to open up and discuss their desires to heal the environment, forging a friendship based on a mutual desire to fix the planet.

Tokyo Mew Mew New

TV-14

Animation

Comedy

Action

Adventure

Release Date

July 6, 2022

Cast

Yuuki Temma , Mirai Hinata , Ryouko Jyuni , Rian Toda , Momoka Ishii , Yuma Uchida , Yuichi Nakamura , Yusuke Shirai , Kaori Ishihara , Nobuhiko Okamoto , Daiki Yamashita , Yuuichirou Umehara , Aina Suzuki , Iori Saeki , Akira Ishida

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

1

Character(s)

Ichigo Momomiya / Mew Ichigo , Mint Aizawa / Mew Mint , Lettuce Midorikawa / Mew Lettuce , Bu-Ling Fong / Mew Pudding , Zakuro Fujiwara / Mew Zakuro , Masaya Aoyama , Ryo Shirogane , Keiichiro Akasaka , Masha , Quiche , Tart , Pie , Miwa Honjo , Moe Yanagida , Seiji Aizawa

7 Nearly Every Magical Girl Undergoes a Stunning Transformation Sequence

In Symphogear, Music Heavily Influences the Visuals

From the beginning, the idea of a transformation has been included in the Magical Girl genre, with Akko from Himitsu no Akko-chan using a compact to initiate her Transformation Sequence. While Akko’s transformation is much tamer compared to other Magical Girl series, it does convey the key components of the Transformation Sequence trope, namely the empowerment, donning of a new identity and symbolism of the shift. To achieve this transformation, Magical Girls tend to require an item or accessory to trigger it, such as a compact, locket or cell phone.

Symphogear provides excellent Transformation Sequences for its characters, especially through its incorporation of music into the shift. Aliens known as Noise are invading Earth, with only those wielding Symphogear capable of stopping them. The musical themes run rampant throughout the series, heavily influencing the lore, which is further seen in the Transformation Sequence. Humming or singing a melody activates the Symphogear, triggering the Transformation Sequence and then influencing the visuals, with elements such as sheet music, sound waves and more present in the background as the character — through a sequence that lasts close to a minute — dons their armor and weapons.

6 Fairytale Motifs Influence the Tone and Themes of a Magical Girl’s Story

Revolutionary Girl Utena Centers Around Princes and a Princess

The Fairytale Motif trope tends to incorporate elements of fairy tales into their stories, with the Magical Girl genre leaning heavily into that incorporation. Such motifs or elements could include archetypal characters (such as witches, princesses and talking animals), moral lessons (such as about kindness, bravery or the consequences of greed) and magical realism (such as blending together the ordinary and extraordinary). The universal adaptability of Fairytale Motifs makes them a popular choice when it comes to the Magical Girl genre, especially as both tend to appeal to a younger audience.

Even Revolutionary Girl Utena, a property that enjoys questioning the boundaries of the Magical Girl genre and an awesome classic anime perfect for fans of Sailor Moon, incorporates elements of fairy tales into its story. Utena’s past paints her as a lonely princess saved by a kindly prince, which in turn inspires her to become a prince herself. The concepts and identities of these key fairytale archetypes provide one of the strongest lessons in the series — which itself plays into the Fairytale Motifs trope — as Utena gradually learns that defining herself by such a label limits and entraps people into a certain way of thinking.

5 Magical Girls Tend to Look Pretty in Pink Thanks to the Pink Heroine Trope

Cardcaptor Sakura Dazzles with Pink Colors

Every Magical Girl character gets their own identifiable color, and more often than not, the main character of the Magical Girl series or squad tends to claim the color pink. Pink often connects to concepts of femininity, a driving force in many Magical Girl series. This pinkish hue bleeds into nearly every aesthetic of the main character, from their outfits, accessories or hair, and tends to visually symbolize concepts such as love, kindness and compassion — all traits that a Magical Girl is expected to embody.

Cardcaptor Sakura leans heavily into the Pink Heroine trope, with Sakura (whose name translates to cherry blossom, a pink flower) choosing pink as her favorite color. Sakura’s iconic costume, wand and (eventually) the Sakura Cards all take on a pink hue, emphasizing her propensity for love and softening her aesthetic with a color largely connected to femininity.

Cardcaptor Sakura

TV-Y7

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

Drama

Fantasy

Romance

Sakura stumbled upon the book of Clow Cards in a library. Accidentally setting the magical cards loose, it's now up to Sakura to catch them all with her best friend Tomoyo, and Kerberos, the guardian of the cards.

Where to Watch

Season

• stream
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• buy

Not available

Not available

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

Not available

Not available

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

Not available

Not available

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

Not available

Not available

*Availability in US

Release Date

April 7, 1998

Cast

Sakura Tange , Junko Iwao , Motoko Kumai , Aya Hisakawa , Emi Shinohara , Hideyuki Tanaka , Masaya Onosaka , Megumi Ogata , Tomokazu Seki , Yukana , Tomoko Kawakami , Nozomu Sasaki

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

4

Character(s)

Sakura Kinomoto , Tomoyo Daidouji , Syaoran Li , Kerberos , Naoko Yanagisawa , Fujitaka Kinomoto , Kerberos (big) , Yukito Tsukishiro , Touya Kinomoto , Meiling Li , Rika Sasaki , Eriol Hiiragizawa

4 Mentors Can be Cute and Fluffy Courtesy of the Mentor Mascot Trope

Yuuno from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Assumes the Form of a Ferret

The Mentor Mascot trope features a small, often cute and non-human creature that guides the main character and their friends through their journey, providing assistance and support when needed. They impart wisdom, train the character in their newfound power and typically also provide comic relief and exposition for the audience as well. More often than not, they tend to serve as a link between the ordinary world and the extraordinary one that the Magical Girl finds herself straddling, teaching their new charge how to navigate both to the best of their abilities.

Yuuno from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha takes on this role as mentor, morphing from a young boy into a ferret as he leads Nanoha Takamachi through her quest of collecting the lost Jewel Seeds. His shift from a boy to a ferret isn’t fully explained, but this allows Yuuno to join a long line of animal familiars and mentors, such as Luna from Sailor Moon or Kero from Cardcaptor Sakura. Yuuno teaches Nanoha how to tap into her latent magical ability, becoming a fierce friend to the main character along the way.

Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha

TV-PG

Anime

Action

Adventure

Release Date

October 1, 2004

Creator(s)

Masak Tsuzuki

Cast

Jennifer Cascio , Jonathan Meza , Cristina Valenzuela , Kaiji Tang , Xanthe Huynh , Julie Rei Goldstein , Marin M. Miller , Lauren Landa

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

2

Writers

Masaki Tsuzuki

Network

Teletama

Directors

Keizo Kusakawa

Character(s)

Yuuno Scrya (voice) , Nanoha Takamachi / Stern (voice) , Fate Testarossa (voice) , Lindy Harlaown , Chrono Haraoun , Arf , Precia Testarossa , Amy Limiette , Alisa Bannings , Suzuka Tsukimura , Bardiche , Kyōya Takamachi , Noel , Farin K. Ehrlichkeit , Shiro Takamachi , Shinobu Tsukimura , Miyuki Takamachi , Hayate Yagami , Signum , Vita , Shamal , Subaru Nakajima , Teana Lanster , Erio Mondial

YouTube Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRneikSn1FE

3 The Power of Friendship Saves the Day

Magic Knight Rayearth Focuses on the Friendship Between Hikaru, Umi and Fuu

The Power of Friendship trope typically appears in a wide range of genres, not just the Magical Girl genre, but it does play a significant part when it comes to the primary character and her friends. Relying on friends, and using the emotional bond built with companions and other trusted comrades, tends to grant strength to the protagonist, thus allowing them to overcome their opponents (who is typically a villain loner that mocks the ideas of friendship). The moral is that friends brings strength while being alone results in weakness, which serves as an especially poignant lesson for the young intended audience.

Magic Knight Rayearth — arguably one of the most underrated isekai perfect from start to finish — showcases this trope through its main magical knights: Hikaru, Umi and Fuu. After being transported to the magical world of Cephiro, the trio is tasked with awakening the Rune Gods and rescuing the captured Princess Emeraude. In one such example of their friendship, the dragon Rune God, Celes, encourages Umi to leave her friends behind and save herself from a monster attack. Only when Umi refuses does Celes admit that his suggestion was a trial, with Umi passing the test by prioritizing Hikaru and Fuu over their mission, thus earning his respect and partnering the two together.

Magic Knight Rayearth

TV-PG

Fantasy

Adventure

Mecha

Magical Girl

Shoujo

Lucy, Anias and Marina, three girls from different schools are transported to the world of Zephyr as well as their mission to become Magical Warriors to rescue the captured Princess Esmeralda.

Where to Watch

Season

• stream
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• buy

Not available

Not available

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

Not available

Not available

*Availability in US

Release Date

October 17, 1994

Cast

Yuri Shiratori , Megumi Ogata , Jûrôta Kosugi , Satomi Kôrogi , Yuka Imai , Miki Itō , Yukimasa Kishino , Chinami Nishimura , Jun'ichi Kanemaru , Atsuko Takahata , Aya Hisakawa , Kikuko Inoue , Kiyoyuki Yanada , Kôhei Miyauchi , Takkô Ishimori , Hekiru Shiina , Hiroko Kasahara , Konami Yoshida , Hideyuki Tanaka , Akio Otsuka , Tessyo Genda , Emi Shinohara , Minami Takayama , Nozomu Sasaki , Takumi Yamazaki , Yuko Nagashima , Yuri Amano , Ryôtarô Okiayu

Main Genre

Fantasy

Seasons

Characters By

Creator

Production Company

Character(s)

Primera , Mokona , Eagle Vision , Emeraude , Lantis , Zagato , Sang Yung , Mira , Nova , Lafarga , Lady Aska , Zazu Torque , Debonair , Tarta , Tatra , Geo Metro , Chang Ang , Hikaru Shidou , Fuu Hououji , Umi Ryuuzaki , Rayearth , Windam , Celes , Presea , Ascot , Clef , Ferio , Caldina , Alcyone , Inouva

2 In the Name of the Moon Sees the Magical Girl Calling Out a Signature Catchphrase

Sailor Moon Pioneered This Trope

With each new monster-of-the-week introduced in Magical Girl anime series (especially in the times before streaming), the character would cry out a catchphrase and strike a deliberate pose, typically after the Transformation Sequence. The phrase isn’t meant to trigger or activate any kind of attack or power, but rather, gives a dramatic and righteous flair to the fight about to come. And while not strictly relegated to Magical Girl series (All Might from My Hero Academia’s “I am here!” and the Team Rocket intro that Jesse and James use both fall under this trope category), Magical Girls do tend to cry out this catchphrase more than most.

Sailor Moon pioneered this In the Name of the Moon trope, thanks to her catchphrase, “In the name of the moon, I’ll punish you!,” easily making it one of the best Sailor Moon catchphrases in the series. After completing her Transformation Sequence, Sailor Moon strikes her iconic pose against a sparkling moon and flower background. This assures the villain that she intends to dish out justice while, at the same time, hyping the audience up for the battle about to happen. Since Sailor Moon created this trope, it’s appeared in other Magical Girl franchises, like Princess Tutu and Pretty Cure.

Sailor Moon

TV-PG

Action

Drama

Fantasy

Romance

A group of schoolgirls discover they are incarnations of super-powered alien princesses, and use their abilities to defend the earth.

Release Date

March 7, 1992

Creator(s)

Naoko Takeuchi

Cast

Kotono Mitsuishi , Aya Hisakawa , Michie Tomizawa , Emi Shinohara , Rica Fukami , Tôru Furuya , Keiko Han , Kae Araki , Yasuhiro Takato

Main Genre

Fantasy

Seasons

5

Creator

Main Characters

Production Company

Writers

Sukehiro Tomita

Number of Episodes

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu

Franchise(s)

Sailor Moon

Directors

Junichi Sato , Kunihiko Ikuhara

1 The Frills of Justice Trope Make Outfits Cute and Fierce

The Heroes of Pretty Cure Battle in Adorable Outfits

Every Magical Girl needs a cute costume to fight battle, especially one decked out with lacy frills, cute jewelry and frilly features. While each Magical Girl tends to have her own unique costume, some elements tend to carry over from franchise to franchise, marking them as an iconic Magical Girl costume. A distinctive color scheme (especially in a pastel or a pink color), ribbons, jewelry, a frilly skirt or dress and some transformation trinket tend to integrate itself into the costumes.

Pretty Cure incorporates this aspect beautifully, even though it tends to lean more toward physical altercations rather than strictly magical battles like Sailor Moon does. As Cure Black, Nagisa Misumi’s costume utilizes a primary black color, but then adds pink, heart-shaped items and accessories to the ensemble, accentuating the bows and frills. As Cure White, Honoka Yukishiro’s costume has a predominantly white base, yet uses light blue hearts, massive bows and plenty of lacy components to her almost wedding-style dress. While perhaps not the most comfortable outfits or ones that could negate the most damage like true armor would, these nonetheless require these outfits to battle the forces of evil, making the frilly outfits necessary components of their Magical Girl journey.

Pretty Cure

TV-PG

Action

Adventure

Two young girls, Nagisa and Honoka, find mysterious "fairies" that grant the girls the ability to transform into the legendary warriors known as Pretty Cure and combat the forces of darkness.

Release Date

February 1, 2004

Cast

Tomokazu Seki , Hiroki Takahashi , Issei Futamata , Akiko Yajima

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

2

Creator

Izumi Tôdô

Production Company

ABC Animation, Asahi Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Asatsu-DK

Number of Episodes

51