So ya like witches, do ya?
I understand the appeal. They’re green. They fly around on broomsticks. They say charming old lady things like “my pretty.” They curse people. They worship the devil. They like to eat children. Honestly, they’re role model material. What’s not to love?
Wait we’re talking about anime witches? Oh nvm.
Okay so ANIME WITCHES are a completely different story. They’re young. They’re adorable. They’re usually some kind of “apprentice.” And some of them go on to marry hot wizards or start their own delivery businesses.
So to celebrate the witches of anime, here is the best witch anime of all time, ranked.
10. Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina
This is a story about a young witch who did everything right but still got screwed over by the education system. I’m sure hundreds of thousands of millennials can relate. She’s brainy, she’s studious, she’s practically a master at 14 years old. But when the time came to start a witch internship under the tutelage of a powerful sorcerous, she’s rejected. Luckily for Elaina, she meets the Stardust Witch, who is kinda like the hippie burnout 35 year old you befriended right out of college but way more responsible. Elaina is then swept up in a heartwarming magical quest! That unlike your post college experience, doesn’t involve any hallucinogens!
9. Izetta: The Last Witch
What happens when you mix Harry Potter with 1917? You get a WWW drama. World War Witch! Izetta is the last of a dying breed, a witch who is imprisoned in her native country. However, when war breaks out and her nation’s princess is kidnapped, Izetta breaks out of jail and rescues the little royal. Grateful for her service, the princess gives Izetta full authority to use her magic in order to repel the invaders. If you like magical girls who ride around heavy machine guns instead of broomsticks, this anime is for you.
8. Burn The Witch
From the makers of Bleach comes another anime series about magical high schoolers! The story takes place in “Reverse London” which is essential the magical version of “Regular London” and exists alongside it. However, the townsfolk are unaware of the fact that the magical creatures that live in Reverse London are what causes 90% of the disasters and misfortunes in London. Typical muggles. This series follows two witches named Noel and Ninny who fight against the monsters in order to save the city. One is in it for the money, the other for glory. No witches were burned in the making of this series.
7. Black Clover
This series proves that boys can be witches too! It follows Asta, an orphan boy who is dead set on becoming the next Wizard King. The problem is, he doesn’t have any magical powers. To make matters worse, his brother is a prodigy. Nerd. Asta is determined to succeed, and finds a magical spooky grimoire that houses a demon. He makes a pact with the lil’ devil in order to use its powers and aid him on his quest. Expect top notch fight scenes and a lot of shonen shenanigans.
6. Little Witch Academia
Are you into academia? Are you into shelling out oodles of cash for a slip of paper that basically tells you that you’re now an expert at making instant ramen because that’s the only useful thing you learned? Well this anime might be for you! Atsuko Kagari is a starry eyed lil’ witch who enrolls in Luna Nova Magical Academy in hopes of someday becoming as powerful of a witch as her idol Shiny Chariot. Yes, that is this person’s name. Harry Potter vibes all around with this one.
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5. The Ancient Magus Bride
This story is not technically about a witch but there is so much sorcery and magic that you’ll never know the difference! It follows an orphan girl named Chise who is something called a Sleih Beggey, which is a type of human that has a natural affinity towards fae and other magical creatures. With no one to take care of her, she auctions herself off in a wizard black market and is bought by a kindly mage with a spooky deer skull head. No red flags there! She learns about sorcery and the greater magical world. Warning, this series can get really dark but it’s totally worth it.
4. Mary And The Witch’s Flower
This adorable anime film is about a young girl named Mary, who discovers a mysterious flower growing in the woods of her small countryside town. Like any curious protagonist, she picks up of the flower and magical things start to happen. She later finds the broomstick of the witch who dropped the flower in the first place and flies up to a castle in the clouds where young people go to learn the witchy arts. This film features breathtaking animation, harrowing action sequences, and a pair of really adorable cats.
3. Puella Magi Madoka Magika
Any witch anime list that doesn’t feature this particular title should be considered a crime against humanity. This anime is a legendary story that has won multiple awards and millions of accolades across the globe. It follows a 14-year-old girl named Madoka Kaname and her friend Sayaka Miki, who strike a bargain with a magical cat in order to receive magical abilities. The then pair find out that “with great power comes great responsibility” the hard way. They are tasked to defeat evil witches that drive people to commit suicide. WHAT!? No, I wasn’t expecting it either. This anime looks cute on the outside, but any magic aficionado knows that looks can be deceiving.
2. Howl’s Moving Castle
The Studio Ghibli film that gave us the hottest animated man in history deserves a top slot on this list. Technically he’s not a witch, he’s a wizard, but screw gender roles right? The story follows a woman named Sophie who is cursed by the dastardly Witch of the Wastes to grow into an old woman before her time. Sophie then falls under the protection of a Local Magical Hottie named Howl. The film is visually breathtaking, and one of the finest animated stories of all time.
1. Kiki’s Delivery Service
Kiki is the reigning queen of witch anime girls, as she was one of the first on the scene. Kiki is a young girl living in a fictional Mediterranean town in the first half of the 21st century. She goes on a magical pilgrimage to a city far away in order to find work and ends up creating a sort of witch FedEx. She delivers letters with the help of her flying broomstick. The beauty of this film is the way it is able to ground its magical subject matter in realism, and detail the struggle of a young girl finding her place in the world. It’s the best anime witch film of all time, and will undoubtedly bring a tear to your Muggle eye.
(Featured Image: Studio Ghibli)
