Ah, waifus. You love them, I love them, and some fans love them too much (to the point of delusion, honestly). But at this point, they are an integral part of the Otaku experience. You can’t escape an anime season without weebs online warring over who was the definitive waifu of said season. But there are some waifus out there, that have stood the test of time and come out on top regularly in ranked lists.

It’s just something a lot of us are super passionate about. Sometimes, a solid female character can make or break a franchise for a fan. And I’m one of those people! Like, if you gave me a waifu character that is well written, I’ll probably sing praises about whatever manga they emerged from. Even if the story isn’t my cup of tea.

But what makes for a good waifu, let alone the best? What even is a waifu? To me, a waifu is that character in a story that is just the perfect partner. They embody all the traits you appreciate and look for when searching for a spouse. And, personally, a waifu is gender-neutral. They can be ‘best boi’ or ‘greatest girl’, doesn’t matter. If they are a character that inspires you, makes you fall in love with them at first sight? Congratulations, they are a waifu!

But amongst all the amazing men and women across manga, who are the definitive faves of the internet? Everyone has their opinion about this but who is the waifus that deserve to be called the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time)? So, to clear out any confusion, we have compiled the definitive list of the best manga waifus of all time. Just for posterity’s sake, this going to be a femme-only list. With that out of the way, let’s go!

She is the main heroine of the main Sword Art Online series, being one of 10,000 players who got stuck in the game. She went on to become the co-leader of the Knights Of The Blood guild. She used to be extremely callous with her life but then she met Kirito.

I can see the appeal for Asuna. She is cute, devoted, and almost stands equal to Kirito in power.

But who wouldn’t fall in love (lust?) with her while watching Darling In The Franxx? She was treated terribly as a kid, being called a monster because of her Klaxosaur blood. But all she needed was a kind gesture, the kind that Hiro extended towards her. And she grew up to be a cold and calculating partner, but with very pure devotion towards Hiro.

Zero-Two was certainly an interesting individual in the show. I loved how she was initially portrayed as this ‘Black Widow’ stereotype and turned out to be so much more. We stan a feral waifu in this household!

But it’s true. The Rem we get to learn and love during Subaru’s nearly endless time loops is soft-spoken and polite. But she isn’t just some mannequin for Subaru to love. She is fleshed out as a character, with a hidden fun side that makes her so utterly endearing.

And personally, between her and her sister, Ram? There’s no competition. The influence Rem has over Subaru speaks volumes of her potential as the waifu of the show!

Yuno is a lot of things. Unhinged, a murderer, obsessed with Yukiteru Amano to the point of toxic, I mean we can go on. But sometimes, you need loyalty like that. Even if it hurts you. (Especially if it hurts you? I don’t know, people are weird on the internet.)

But jokes aside, I think Yuno is a really complex waifu. Beyond the whole ‘I would torture people for my love’ aspect, she was what made Mirai Nikki such an enjoyable show!

What can I say? Strong, witty waifus are my weakness and Yoruichi, one of the famed Gotei 13, is exactly that. She’s gorgeous, loves cats, and is extremely adaptable to situations. And she isn’t just a background character either. The woman holds weightage in Soul Society, being regraded with all the respect a person of her stature deserves.

But despite all her titles, she’s still playful and fun. And damn if that isn’t attractive.

She appears so cool, with her DGAF attitude, when she first steps into the spotlight. But it’s the fact that she’s so effortless with her power that makes her so admirable like she could take on the world if you challenged her to. I love how she isn’t your typical Shonen femme, where you’d see her being sidelined but nope. Erza knows her worth.

She is often ranked online as the ultimate waifu of anime, and I respect that. She deserves all the accolades and more.

But the thing is Chika is not just a ditzy bimbo. She’s not some doormat for people to project their fantasies on. Chika is just plain old fun. She’s perceptive, she’s conniving, she’s just a little off her rocker. And all of those attributes make her such a standout amongst some female characters that are just as worthy of being waifus.

Chika is one of those characters that make Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War such a stellar show. And she is a comedy icon.

Look, I have nothing against Orihime Inoue but Rukia was such a good character. Her dynamic with Ichigo was so much more interesting than Orihime’s. She is graceful, effortlessly so but her mischievous side would come out so well when interacting with friends. Her entire deal with ‘acting’ as a normal person in the Human world was weirdly endearing and I wish she got more props for that.

And, I mean, the girl is obsessed with rabbits! That’s so adorable. Why did my OTP Bleach ship not sail again?

Look, I know she’s relatively tame for waifus but I think that’s why I like her. She’s got such a ‘Knight-In-Shining-Armor’ vibe, which makes sense because her history as a Hero is that she was Artoria Pendragon, of King Arthur fame. And I know that people prefer the version of her that exists within Fate/Stay Night but I personally adore her Fate/Zero iteration more. She is strong-willed, courageous, and an amazing fighter.

Hey, I wouldn’t mind being locked up in a tower if she was the waifu rescuing me!

And it’s amazing how we got to witness her story in real-time. How she went from this troubled orphan into becoming one of the best soldiers of the Survey Corps. And even though she’s so skilled as a fighter, all she wanted was a peaceful life with Eren Yeager. One that she couldn’t get, but there is still a lot of hope in her story.

While she appears stoic, she is intensely protective of her friends, seeing them as the family she never had. And she has an intense moral compass. To call her a waifu seems almost trivial. She is genuinely a character one would look up to. An amazingly well-written one at that.

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So, who are your ultimate manga waifus? Do you agree with this ranking? Sound off below and let us know if we’re missing out on your picks. Until next time!