Series Is Perfect for Fans of Anime With Female Fighters

Spy x Family and other recent anime series are praised for their female representation, but one forgotten gem already set the standard decades ago.

In recent years, anime has finally showcased female characters worth rooting for. These women are resilient, smart and capable and play critical roles in their respective stories. Yor Forger from Spy x Family is an iconic example of this new trend. She's an even rarer example of a female warrior who is also a proud maternal figure, but fans will be delighted to discover that she isn't the first anime character to take on this important role.

While the early 2000s might have featured some of the worst female anime characters ever written, one anime series is a major exception. This forgotten gem from 2007, titled Seirei no Moribito (Guardian of the Spirit), is centered around the lives and unexpected bond between a cursed prince and a spear-wielding warrior. The latter is the more central character, and she also happens to be one of the most well-written female anime characters of all time. Though the series has been largely forgotten, Balsa is an extremely important example of female representation, paving the way for some of the greatest female characters in anime, Yor Forger included.

Moribito: A Story About the Bonds Between Strangers

In an empire struggling to survive a drought, the rulers turn to the desperate solution of sacrificing the king's young son, Prince Chagum, whom they believe to be possessed by a dangerous spirit. With the king's support, assassins are sent out to take Prince Chagum's life. Balsa Yonsa, an experienced fighter and mercenary, is given the task by Chagum's mother to protect him and flee the kingdom, and with an honor stronger than steel, Balsa accepts.

The story explores Balsa's past and how she builds up a friendship with Prince Chagum. With dark undertones, this story is full of deep emotion that's shown through the characters' interactions. Balsa is at the core of this story as she balances her incredible skill as a fighter with her hidden yet deep compassion for others. When Moribito was released, no other series handled female characters with a similar kind of care and consideration. Problematic tropes such as forced romance or fan service are nonexistent here, and at the forefront is more than a female lead; Balsa is treated like a person first and foremost. She and any of the other wonderfully-written female characters in this series could have been male, and this wouldn't have changed the story or their personalities at all. In this series, gender is of little if any importance. Of course, for the audience, female representation matters greatly, but this only works because of the series' excellent character development.

Balsa Laid the Groundwork for Strong Female Protagonists in Anime

Aside from the more obvious detail of showcasing a strong woman in an action series, there is a lot that Balsa brings to the table. Though Balsa is Prince Chagum's bodyguard, she is also a mentor and maternal figure to him. This isn't shown through brute force or overbearing comedy, but rather through a natural and well-paced showcasing of Balsa's full personality. Unlike typical anime leads, she doesn't need to throw her weight around or be aggressive in order to be taken seriously; in fact, she's rather silent at first, allowing her actions to speak for her. From these actions, it becomes clear that Balsa is as compassionate and supportive as she is resilient and tactical. Between fights with the assassins chasing after Prince Chagum, Balsa serves as a teacher to the prince, ensuring that he can survive on his own should she ever perish. This shows her maternal instinct toward the boy as well as her multilayered characte

This well-crafted and gradual deconstruction of Balsa's character isn't something that was often done in anime of the early 2000s, at least not with female characters. Even with popular figures like Tsunade from Naruto or Usagi from Sailor Moon, the stereotypes and problematic tropes that came in tow proved to be an eyesore. More recently, female characters have been given better treatment, especially in the action genre and shonen demographic, but these women have Balsa to thank for setting a new standard for female fighters. Looking at Balsa's character, there are many similarities to modern-day anime women like Nobara Kugisaki from Jujutsu Kaisen and Nana Shimura from My Hero Academia. Standing out as a rare caregiving female fighter, Balsa also shares significant similarities with Yor Forger.

Female Warriors Can Also Be Mothers

Viewers fell in love with Yor not only for her comedic relief -- thankfully, there are plenty of hilarious female characters in the series. Rather, what makes Yor so significant and special within Spy x Family and in anime at large is the role that she plays as a mother and a fighter. In and out of anime, there are some terrible mother tropes, with women who are neglectful to their children, do nothing aside from household chores or are simply killed off to lend motivation to the lead protagonist. This group of women is rarely developed and serves little importance in the plot, but that's where Yor significantly differs.

As an assassin -- who happens to love her work -- Yor would normally be written as callous and unapproachable, but half the fun of her character is that she has more than one side to her. She's still friendly and compassionate, but like most people, she also has a different side to her when she is at work and is very multilayered in her overall character. Despite not having any experience with childcare or being a housewife, Yor takes on the role of the Forger's matriarch, but not because this is her dream or because she's so in love with Loid. In a twist of events, she simply wants to hide her grim career under the guise of a housewife role. Her being Loid's wife is rarely a major plot point, and her role in the family is more centered around her relationship with Anya. In this way, Yor is not a housewife per se but rather a maternal figure to the lovable Anya, who she helps become the strongest she can be.

Like Yor, Balsa's role in Moribito is as a maternal figure with a warrior twist. Granted, the 2007 anime doesn't have the lighthearted humor that Spy x Family features, but it's a great series for anyone in search of female characters who can pack a punch, both literally and figuratively. It offers a different take on what real strength looks like for a warrior, regardless of gender. Moribito and Spy x Family both prove that strength and compassion can be synonymous with one another, and therefore it's the usual tired tropes of the female warrior that should be forgotten. Moribito, in contrast, is a spectacular show that uses careful pacing and character development to share a powerful story of survival and strength between two unlikely strangers who build a beautiful bond of trust.