When it comes to anime and manga series, and Japanese culture in general, one of the most iconic symbols is the cat girl.
If you’ve watched any anime or read any manga, chances are you’ve come across at least one cat girl or cat girl archetype.
Anime Cat girls have been a staple in Japanese media for decades, and their popularity shows no signs of waning.
Whether they’re depicted as sassy and naughty or sweet and innocent, cat girls always make for memorable characters.
If you’re looking to add some feline charm to your anime collection, check out some of the best cat girl characters out there!
Cat girls, a common and popular type of character in both Japanese manga and anime, are adored by fans not only in Japan but globally.
Anime cat girls are becoming more popular because their mannerisms and personalities often make them adorable and lovable.
An anime cat girl is described as a human female with feline attributes such as cat ears, a cat’s tail, and a cat-like face. These cat girls are sometimes seen making literal cat noises and preferring to eat cat food.
Though these anime cat girls are in human form, their cat-like mouths, cat tail, and other feline traits make them stand out the most.
Most of the anime catgirls exhibit many cat-like behaviors and other feline characteristics.
In that sense, they are usually designed for fan service, and they certainly succeed.
But more and more, we’re seeing cute anime cat girls who go against that type in different ways, including those who are badass, powerful, scary, or even creepy.
They are often seen as very cute and appealing, with many Japanese anime-inspired goods being created based on these characters, becoming exclusive items that can only be found in Japan.
If you’re a fan of Japanese manga and anime, you’ll be able to relate to these cat girl characters in some way or another!
So today, we are making a list of the Best anime cat girls.
25 Best Anime Catgirls Loved By Fans
- 25. Ichigo Momomiya – Tokyo Mew Mew
- 24. Melwin – Cat Planet Cuties
- 23. Rin Shaomei – Shining Tears x Wind
- 22. Kuune – Cat Planet Cuties
- 21. Sasahara Natsuki – Hyper Police
- 20. Chaika – Cat Planet Cuties
- 19. Ibaraki Dōji – Onigiri
- 18. Neko – K (K-Project)
- 17. Shizuka Nekonome – Rosario + Vampire
- 16. Ao Nanami – Quartet of Cherry Blossoms in the Night
- 15. Himari Noihara – Protective Charm Himari
- 14. Rem Galleu – How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord
- 13. Alicia Rue – Sword Art Online
- 12. Catherine – Gintama
- 11. Eris – Cat Planet Cuties
- 10. Nozomi Kiriya – Stray Cats Overrun!
- 09. Cyan – Show By Rock!!
- 08. Chocola – Nekopara
- 07. Vanilla – Nekopara
- 06. Misaki/ Yoriko Sagisawa – Da Capo
- 05. Coconut – Nekopara
- 04. Karyl – Princess Connect! Re:Dive
- 03. Blair – Soul Eater
- 02. Koneko Toujou – High School DxD
- 01. Yoruichi Shihōin – Bleach (2004)
25. Ichigo Momomiya – Tokyo Mew Mew
- Number of episodes: 64
- Number of seasons: 2
- Status: Finished Airing
- Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi
- MAL Rating: 7.06
- Where to watch: HIDIVE
Ichigo Momoiya is the story’s protagonist and head of the Mew Mews in Tokyo Mew Mew. She transforms into a catgirl with cat ears, a tail, and a choker when she transforms.
In addition to these physical characteristics, she may transform into an actual cat. The anime explains that Ichigo Momoiya’s DNA was mixed with that of an Iriomote cat, transforming her into a genuine cat.
However, most of the time, her change gives her a cat’s tail and ears, so she remains in her human form.
Ichigo’s change animation is one of the most spectacular in the anime, as her feline features show only after a brilliant show of blinding glare and glitter.
24. Melwin – Cat Planet Cuties
- Number of episodes: 13
- Number of seasons: 1 + 1 OVA (1 Episode) + 1 Special (1 Episode)
- Status: Finished Airing
- Genres: Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi, Ecchi, Harem
- MAL Rating: 6.59
- Where to watch: Prime Video, Apple TV
Up next, we have one of the most popular and most loved characters by the fans, Melwin.
She serves as the First Officer of the Captain Starship.
Compared to the other cat girls, she has a smaller bust, leaner, and shorter blue hair.
23. Rin Shaomei – Shining Tears x Wind
- Number of episodes: 13
- Number of seasons: 1
- Status: Finished Airing
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai
- MAL Rating: 6.48
- Where to watch: Crunchyroll
The Shining series frequently features the character Rin Shaomei and Lin Lin.
She is portrayed as a more solemn and composed persona in her catgirl form.
The Beast race’s antique dealer in the game is Rin Shaomei. In the game, Rin Shaomei is a dealer in antiques for the Beast race.
Additionally, she goes by a different name than the Phantom Thief, “Black Tail.”
22. Kuune – Cat Planet Cuties
- Number of episodes: 13
- Number of seasons: 1 + 1 OVA (1 Episode) + 1 Special (1 Episode)
- Status: Finished Airing
- Genres: Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi, Ecchi, Harem
- MAL Rating: 6.59
- Where to watch: Prime Video, Apple TV
Kuune is the catian girls’ starship commander and the top diplomat for developing diplomatic ties with Earth’s rulers; she has a similar reaction to Eris regarding Okinawan food.
She has the largest bust size and the tallest stature among the catians.
Kuune is an icy-cold negotiator who rarely accepts unfavorable compromises.
21. Sasahara Natsuki – Hyper Police
- Number of episodes: 25
- Number of seasons: 1
- Status: Finished Airing
- Genres: Action, Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi
- MAL Rating: 7.03
- Where to watch: Yidio
Since she’s half human and half cat, her mother is a Nekomata, while her dad is your average human father.
Natsuki is very friendly and courteous to everyone, always working to defend the rights of the defenceless and preserve the law.
She will consume cat food, groom herself like a cat, play with ropes and other moving items, and when in human shape, she also sports cat ears. Her personality is highly feline.
20. Chaika – Cat Planet Cuties
- Number of episodes: 13
- Number of seasons: 1 + 1 OVA (1 Episode) + 1 Special (1 Episode)
- Status: Finished Airing
- Genres: Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi, Ecchi, Harem
- MAL Rating: 6.59
- Where to watch: Prime Video, Apple TV
Chaika serves as a member of the Catian Starship Crew.
Despite being designated as the ship’s research chief, she is entrusted with guarding the Catian Embassy while Eris and the company are away.
She is also the most open-minded of the Catians, as she is not ashamed of her sexuality or exhibitionism. She appears to be the group’s youngest member.
Chaika is not only an open-minded Catian but the only open-minded character in the Cat Planet Cuties series.
19. Ibaraki Dōji – Onigiri
- Number of episodes: 13
- Number of seasons: 1
- Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Supernatural
- Status: Finished Airing
- MAL Rating: 5.33
- Where to watch: HIDIVE
Ibaraki Douji is among the side characters in Onigiri. She is a cheerful, charming, and curious young woman.
Ibaraki enjoys doing stupid stuff with her friends.
She particularly enjoys consuming booze. In the video game, Ibaraki is a half-Oni who looks exactly like the player’s character.
She must operate a movable bar. She is frequently misidentified as a cat with the ability to transform.
This anime catgirl can create any beverage as long as the player provides the formula, including drinks that revive and drinks that improve stats.
18. Neko – K (K-Project)
- Number of episodes: 26
- Number of seasons: 2 + 2 Movies
- Genres: Action, Mystery, Supernatural, Super Power
- Status: Finished Airing
- MAL Rating: 7.44
- Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Netflix
Neko is a species that lives as Shiro’s cat and is 16 years old. She has a childlike personality. She possesses the ability to create illusions, enabling her to shape-shift.
Neko can become invisible, affect the surroundings, and alter people’s memories.
She possesses the power to interfere with other people’s senses, causing them to think that their surroundings have changed.
Neko cares strongly for Shiro and will take extreme measures to protect him. She is known as “Shiro no Neko” (Shiro’s Cat).
17. Shizuka Nekonome – Rosario + Vampire
- Number of episodes: 26
- Number of seasons: 2
- Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Ecchi, Harem, Vampire, School
- Status: Finished Airing
- MAL Rating: 6.76
- Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Funimation, Netflix
Shizuka Nekonome is a charming anime neko girl who is Tsukune and Moka’s homeroom teacher. She also serves as the counselor for the Newspaper Club.
Shizuka has a carefree attitude and is occasionally clueless about some things. Her favorite dish in the human world, as stated in the series, is raw fish.
She is gentle and feminine. She frequently loses her patience.
Shizuka feels awkward and shy when someone points out that her tail is showing.
16. Ao Nanami – Quartet of Cherry Blossoms in the Night
- Number of episodes: 31
- Number of seasons: 2 + 2 OVAs ( 6 Episodes)
- Genres: Action, Comedy, Supernatural,
- Status: Finished Airing
- MAL Rating: 6.80
- Where to watch: HIDIVE
This neko anime girl has short blue hair and blue eyes. Ao Nanami generally wears a black hat toque, which contributes to creating her cat’s ears.
She usually uses a black Alice band to disguise her ears when she doesn’t want to be recognized as a youkai.
Ao Nanami is most often seen in summer clothes. Her main attire consists of a black, sleeveless little dress paired with blue buttons and a white collar.
On the outside, she appears cold and harsh, but she is sweet and compassionate.
15. Himari Noihara – Protective Charm Himari
- Number of episodes: 12
- Number of seasons: 1
- Genres: Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural, Ecchi
- Status: Finished Airing
- MAL Rating: 6.85
- Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Funimation
This anime and manga story revolves around an orphaned boy and a samurai spirit cat girl. Himari Noihara is the main character of this anime.
Noihara has long, beautiful black hair with a little blue tint, which she ties in a ponytail.
Himari normally puts her hair in a top knot with a pink ribbon, which gives her the look of a cute and attractive anime cat girl.
She can readily fight and destroy black energy as a great swordsman. Himari Noihara generally dresses in traditional Japanese attire.
For her exceptional swordsmanship, she is known as the Crimson Blade of Noihara, and she identifies herself as “the sword that guards Yuto.”
Due to her exceptional swordsmanship, other Ayakashi have dubbed her the Crimson Blade of Noihara. Additionally, she describes herself as “the sword that protects Yuto.”
14. Rem Galleu – How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord
- Number of episodes: 22
- Number of seasons: 2
- Status: Finished Airing
- Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Ecchi, Harem, Isekai
- MAL Rating: 6.88
- Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Funimation
Rem Galleu is one of the main characters from the anime series How Not to Summon a Demon Lord.
Although she appears to be of the beast race at first glance, she is a Pantherian. Pantherians are a race of half-human and half-feline demons.
This young girl has beautiful black hair that goes as far as her hips. Not just her hair; even her tail and cat ears are black, which is considered rare in Panthers.
She has expressionless almond-shaped green eyes and tidy brows that make others feel her willpower. Rem Galleu is a swift runner with high offensive talent.
Rem is also one of the most beloved characters from “How Not to Summon a Demon Lord.”
13. Alicia Rue – Sword Art Online
- Number of episodes: 96
- Number of seasons: 3 + 2 Specials + 2 Movies
- Status: Finished Airing
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
- MAL Rating: 8.93
- Where to watch: Netflix, Crunchyroll, Funimation
In the Fairy Dance arc and later in the Sword Art Online series, the supporting character Alicia Rue makes an appearance.
Alicia stands out from the other cat girls on the list with her cat ears. The sides of her head are covered with cat ears.
Cat ears are typically found on top of other cat girls. To emphasize her feline features, she also wears a bell collar and carries weapons with claws.
Alicia has blonde hair that goes well with her tanned skin and petite figure.
12. Catherine – Gintama
- Number of episodes: 367
- Number of seasons: 7 + 3 Movies + 2 OVA Episodes + Two Web Episodes (Semi-Final)
- Status: Finished Airing
- Genres: Action, Sci-Fi, Comedy
- MAL Rating: 7.20
- Where to watch: Netflix, Crunchyroll
Gintama is undoubtedly one of the most popular anime and manga adaptations, and seeing its character on the list should not come as a surprise.
Catherine is not your usual cute anime cat girl, given that she is a Gintama character.
Though she has cat ears and some other feline traits, one thing is sure: she is not as cute as other cat girls on the list.
She is a beloved character in both manga and anime adaptions.
11. Eris – Cat Planet Cuties
- Number of episodes: 13
- Number of seasons: 1 + 1 OVA (1 Episode) + 1 Special (1 Episode)
- Status: Finished Airing
- Genres: Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi, Ecchi, Harem
- MAL Rating: 6.59
- Where to watch: Prime Video, Apple TV
Eris, a young scout for the Catian people, arrives from the Cat Planet Cuties universe. She makes friends with both cats and humans as she explores the planet.
A high school student named Kio is one of the individuals she meets. She starts to feel something for Kio and decides to make him her mate.
When fighting, she demonstrates her fighting prowess.
Since she is the main character, Eris is an optimistic anime cat girl with light skin.
10. Nozomi Kiriya – Stray Cats Overrun!
- Number of episodes: 19
- Number of seasons: 1 + 1 Special (6 Episodes)
- Status: Finished Airing
- Genres: Comedy, Romance, Harem
- MAL Rating: 6.66
- Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Otome Tsuzuki took in Nozomi and now resides at the Stray Cats cafe. She is a somewhat mysterious girl who only gives her name and a few other basic details about herself.
Though she frequently gives the impression of being unconcerned, she expresses worry about interfering with Takumi and Fumino’s relationship.
Nozomi has musical, academic, and athletic talent. She has purple hair and purple cat ears, but intriguingly, her eyes are red.
Nozomi is also one of the most loved characters from Mayoi Neko Overrun!
09. Cyan – Show By Rock!!
- Number of episodes: 70
- Number of seasons: 5 + 3 ONA (10 Episodes)
- Status: Finished Airing
- Genres: Comedy, Game
- MAL Rating: 7.03
- Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Funimation
This anime cat girl got sucked into the sound world. If we talk about her appearance, she has a black tail as well as black cat ears, and she is mostly seen in a gothic Lolita outfit.
She plays the Strawberry Heart, a legendary guitar with a talking ability, and she is an accomplished guitarist.
Cyan’s shiny turquoise eyes make her one of the cutest in the anime.
To protect the sound world, they cooperate to exterminate beings powered by dark energy, aka “dark monsters.”
08. Chocola – Nekopara
- Number of episodes: 14
- Number of seasons: 1 + ONA ( 1 Episode) + 1 OVA ( 1 Episode)
- Status: Finished Airing
- Genres: Comedy, Slice of Life
- MAL Rating: 6.74
- Where to watch: Funimation, Crunchyroll
This young anime catgirl is slightly different from others since she has a doglike personality.
She’s not great at dealing with difficult situations, but she’s constantly cheerful and upbeat. She tends to act without fully considering the consequences.
She is also seen wearing a sliver-colored bell collar after taking the bell exam. Additionally, Chocola also wears a pink bow around her neck.
Her cute cat ears make her one of the best anime cat girls.
07. Vanilla – Nekopara
- Number of episodes: 14
- Number of seasons: 1 + ONA ( 1 Episode) + 1 OVA ( 1 Episode)
- Status: Finished Airing
- Genres: Comedy, Slice of Life
- MAL Rating: 6.74
- Where to watch: Funimation, Crunchyroll
Twin sister Vanilla is a wise, sweet, shy, and reserved catgirl who loves spending time with Chocola.
She is Chocola’s twin sister and the Minaduki Cat Girls’ youngest member. Vanilla is easily misinterpreted since she rarely communicates her feelings.
In reality, she is intelligent and frequently comes up with some astounding discoveries.
Vanilla’s ears, tail, and hair are primarily white with a faint pink tint, unlike her twin Chocola’s. Her blue eyes are usually a bit squinted.
Due to all these reasons, Vanilla is one of the best anime catgirls on the list.
06. Misaki/ Yoriko Sagisawa – Da Capo
- Number of episodes: 94
- Number of seasons: 5 + 1 Special (1 Episode) + 1 OVA (2 Episodes)
- Status: Finished Airing
- Genres: Drama, Romance, Harem
- MAL Rating: 6.72
- Where to watch: Crunchyroll
One of the characters in the Da Capo anime series is Yoriko Sagisawa. Yoriko, bound to her house and hardly ever leaves her room, observes the outside world from her window. Her cat’s name is also Yoriko.
In the game, Misaki gains possession of her cat’s body, which changes into a cat-girl version of herself after having her desire granted by the giant sakura tree.
Compared to anime, this is very different.
The anime, though, takes a different approach. Yoriko changed into a maid resembling Misaki.
Yoriko now has brown cat ears. She now leaps out of her owner’s window to wander the outside human world surrounding her place.
Now that she has possessed Yoriko’s body, after a few incidents with children, she has grown in fear or anxiety about people.
05. Coconut – Nekopara
- Number of episodes: 14
- Number of seasons: 1 + ONA (1 Episode) + 1 OVA (1 Episode)
- Status: Finished Airing
- Genres: Comedy, Slice of Life
- MAL Rating: 6.74
- Where to watch: Funimation, Crunchyroll
Coconut is serene and gorgeous, and she is devoted to her master. Despite her physical strength, she appears to lack coordination.
She, however, does not allow this to deter her from assisting others. She prefers to be perceived as cute rather than challenging, but she eventually learns to accept her strength.
Coconut enables Azuki to communicate her emotions better. Just like Vanilla, Coconut can see past Azuki’s tsundere behavior.
This helps her feel more honest and open than she lets on at times.
04. Karyl – Princess Connect! Re:Dive
- Number of episodes: 31
- Number of seasons: 2 + ONA (3 Episodes)
- Status: Finished Airing
- Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Gourmet
- MAL Rating: 7.05
- Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Karyl (sometimes called Kyaru) is a tsundere who is easily irritated. Despite her stern exterior, she is a gentle soul on the inside.
Karyl, Yuuki, Kokkoro, and Pecorine create the guild Gourmet Edifice. She begins as a spy for Kaiser but eventually becomes attached to her targets.
She possesses the power of a princess knight and can command several beasts.
When she is in her cat form, she has cat ears as well as a tail. She also gains excellent climbing ability.
03. Blair – Soul Eater
- Number of episodes: 51
- Number of seasons: 1 + 1 Special (Soul Eater: Late Night Show) + 1 Spin Off (Soul Eater NOT!)
- Status: Finished Airing
- Genres: Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Supernatural
- MAL Rating: 7.84
- Where to watch: Funimation, Crunchyroll
Blair is a supernatural cat who can turn into a little purple cat with blazing yellow eyes in the anime and manga series Soul Eater.
Nothing appears to be able to remove her from her distinctive witch hat, which she even wears in a cat shape.
She appears to be a normal human girl when she is not in her cat form, yet she still has a purple tail and cat ears instead of human ears.
Her hat conceals her ears, but her tail is more difficult to conceal. Interestingly, she adores bathing, although cats dislike water.
Blair is famed as a cat witch in the anime series, but she was once mistaken for a regular human witch by Maka and Soul Eater themselves.
She is a skilled warrior, having combat abilities that enable her to hold her own in battle.
02. Koneko Toujou – High School DxD
- Number of episodes: 48
- Number of seasons: 4 + 3 Specials + 3 OVAs
- Status: Finished Airing
- Genres: Action, Fantasy, Romance, Ecchi, Comedy, Harem
- MAL Rating: 7.34
- Where to watch: Funimation, Netflix
How can we discuss cute anime cat girls without mentioning Koneko Toujou? Koneko is a rare breed of Nekomata featured in the manga and anime series High School DXD.
Additionally, she fastens a black cat-shaped hair clip to each side of her hair, with one of the clips bearing a guide for synthetically producing extra super devils.
During her Nekomata state, she grows white cat ears and similar tails. Koneko may appear harsh and cold at first, even though she is always available to her friends in times of need.
She acts more like a cat after conquering her anxiety over practicing Senjutsu. She is not only strong, but she finally outperforms her older sister, Kuroka.
This anime catgirl is one of the cutest in the manga and anime series.
01. Yoruichi Shihōin – Bleach (2004)
- Number of episodes: 366
- Number of seasons: 1 + 3 Specials + 1 OVA ( 1 Episode) + 4 Movies
- Status: Finished Airing
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
- MAL Rating: 7.89
- Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Funimation, Netflix
Although it is unknown why Yoruichi from Bleach has the ability to shift into a cat, it is clear that she enjoys it. She transforms into a medium-sized black cat.
Yoruichi had been in cat shape for so long that she had forgotten all about human customs, including the necessity of wearing clothes because she didn’t need them as a feline.
She has a normal male voice and golden eyes when she transforms into a cat. In her human form, she has dark purple hair and brown skin. She is a bright and intelligent anime cat girl.
Yoruichi enjoys milk, which matches her habit of shifting into a cat. She also enjoys transitioning in front of people to experience their surprised reactions, as her cat form makes her sound male.
Yoruichi is one of the best anime catgirls.
Other Anime Cat Girl Characters:
- Taruto – Magical Meow Meow Taruto
- Dejiko – Di Gi Charat
- Neferpitou – Hunter X Hunter