Listen, I’m not the biggest fan of the harem trope in anime. But, my God, just how big is Bell Cranel’s harem going to get? I mean, that sort of thing is kind of part-and-parcel with Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? a show famous for its many, many waifu characters. But honestly, it gets exhausting trying to categorize all the girls that end up falling in love with Bell, our protagonist. And it can be hard to follow who is still in the harem.
As far as we can tell, Bell Cranel’s harem is as big as a small battalion, with 16 confirmed ships so far. That is a lot of women to juggle for one Isekai protagonist, and it’s certainly the largest harem I’ve ever seen. And it is hard to keep track of all of them, between the light novel, the anime, and yes, the video games too. Like, yes, absolutely every girl that meets Bell falls in love with him. But at least it’s never like an ‘8 girls in one scene professing their love’ sort of situation. So, that’s kind of better?
And I hate it when harem anime spend all their time focusing on the romance aspect of the characters, rather than building the characters themselves. Imagine having this new female character introduced, but their only defining trait is their love for the main male lead. Like, that gets tiring and doesn’t make for a compelling relationship between the two. I know harems juggle through a lot of characters, so fully fleshing each one out is kind of a huge ask.
But, hey, at least they can try. And in Isekai anime specifically, harems just tend to fall flat. It doesn’t matter how big or small, it’s rare to find a harem anime that works well with the story. But how are we doing with Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? How big is Bell Cranel’s harem, and is it going to get any bigger? Let’s see who the top girls are!
Table of contents
Meet Bell Cranel’s Harem!
So, when I said 16 confirmed ships, I meant every character that has shown interest in Bell Cranel across all the media for Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, also known as DanMachi in some circles. Which is a lot, even by Isekai standards. But let’s break them down!
1. Hestia
First and foremost, you have the girl that took the anime world by storm with merely a ribbon, Hestia! Hestia happens to be Bell’s oldest confidant, as well as the first Goddess to truly take a chance on him. After all, it was only him in Hestia’s Familia for a long, long time. And Hestia adores him, going to extreme lengths to help him through his journey as an Adventurer. Whether it’s getting a specific weapon, or just trying to keep him by her side, she does it all with the utmost sincerity!
2. Aiz Wallenstein
The second is Aiz Wallenstein, Bell’s actual love interest who saved him from being trampled by a Minotaur. She also happens to be a first-class Adventurer, earning her the admiration of Bell and an executive position in the prestigious Loki Familia. Out of all the girls, her character is the only one that you can consider as having her feelings returned properly. But alas, it always ends up feeling like a Will-They-Won’t-They situation.
3. Tiona Hiyurte
An unexpected waifu that could rival the first two is Tiona Hiryute, who also happens to be in the Loki Familia like Ais. Tiona is also one of those characters that just ends up working really well with Bell, with their dynamic feeling natural and enjoyable. She’s fun, quirky, and truly enjoyable.
4. Liliruca Arde
Liliruca Arde might’ve hated adventurers at first blush, but of course, Bell helped change her mind. Saving her from robbers and then sharing his spoils with her, he slowly chipped away at the anger in her heart and as expected, she developed a crush on him.
5. Sanjouno Haruhime
A former member of the Ishtar Familia, Sanjouno Haruhime certainly had a very interesting start in the series, but Bell is nothing if not pragmatic and unjudgmental. The two’s relationship is frank, if not a little one-sided on Haruhime’s side. But it ended up pushing Haruhime to join the Hestia Familia, so it’s all good.
6. Ryuu Lion
Ryuu Lion might have taken Bell in as a sort of apprentice, but that’s because he happens to be one of the few people that could handle her ruthlessness. And of course, he would, she is an amazing fighter, cutthroat as an adventurer. But the one thing she hasn’t been able to do? Make Bell realize that she likes him!
7. Eina Tulle
Eina Tulle has been acting as Bell’s advisor for so long, enough that he trusts her with his life. Hell, he cares about her so much that he even claimed she’s someone he loves. Except, of course, it was meant in a platonic way. But someone tell Eina that, considering she has been nursing a crush on him.
8. Freya
What would be a harem without one mandatory Yandere character? Well, Freya fills that position in neatly. She’s the second Goddess that is in love with Bell, though her affection is substantially creepier than Hestia’s. Nope. Freya is obsessed with Bell.
9. Aisha Belka
Much like Haruhime, Aisha Belka is an unconventional character from the Ishtar Familia. But she owns her identity with pride, and that’s what makes her stand out. And hey, her gorgeous charisma and appeal even get Bell flustered easily!
10. Weine
Monster girls? In my Isekai? It’s more likely than you think! Weine is the first Xenos that Bell interacts with, but they have quickly grown close. And she’s one of the only girls here that has actually confessed her love to Bell.
11. Chloe Rollo
Although Chloe Rollo might not seem very special at first blush, she happens to be very into Bell. Which is weird, considering her age and all. But apparently, that’s just her thing. Oh, and she also happens to be a fearsome assassin that goes by the name ‘Rollo’. Pretty neat, I guess.
12. Cassandra Ilion
Cassandra Ilion might be able to prophesize huge events in her time, but even she couldn’t have seen Bell coming. But it helps that unlike many who disregarded her prophetic skills, Bell actually believes in her. And hey, Bell even asked her out to dessert once. That’s progress, right?
13. Marie
It’s the Little Mermaid trope, quite literally. Marie is a Xenos that Bell met at the 25th level of the Dungeon. She’s sweet, innocent, and extremely kind-hearted. When Bell helped defeat the Moss Huge that was terrorizing her, that’s when she fell in love. And when Bell was injured, she used her own blood to heal him back to health.
14. Syr Flova
What can I say? I love myself a duplicitous waifu. While Syr Flova might appear perfectly genial as a simple waitress at Hostess of Fertility, she hides a much more cunning side underneath. Turning things to her advantage is her main skill, using her quick wits to gain the upper hand. And hey, that landed her a date with Bell, so.
15. Ray
Xenos might be the ‘others’ in the world of DanMachi, but they have a hierarchy all the same. And Ray happens to be one of the 3 leaders of the Xenos, vowing to protect them from those wishing to hurt them. And due to Bell always being so protective of her kind, the Siren has fallen in love with him.
16. Arles
Arles is not your typical Bunny Girl waifu considering, well, she’s a Xenos that appears as a literal rabbit. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t perfectly adorable! Arles can’t really communicate normally but has shown great rationality and intelligence when the situation calls for it. And cuddles are her love language, which is something she gives Bell Cranel pretty often.
How Big Can We Expect Bell Cranel’s Harem To Get?
So, honestly, this is a question that’s eating at me a bit. Because it’s already so big, I can’t imagine Bell Cranel’s harem gaining any more members. But with how things have been going, it feels like a new female character joins Bell’s growing Harem every arc or so.
Hell, I didn’t even mention some characters that showed affection towards Bell, like Artemis in the DanMachi: Arrow of Orion movie. There are so many more girls in the supplemental content for DanMachi, that could be included here. That’s why I think it just might keep growing, even if it gets hard to keep count of all the people Bell has unknowingly wooed. But hey, I guess we’ll update this list whenever that happens.
So, for now, Bell Cranel’s harem is exactly 16 girls and one dead goddess. Which is truly something, all things considered.
Related:
