Shojo Protagonist

Shojo Protagonist

Love and Friendship

Type:	An awkward and relatable heroine who wins through the power of love and friendship.
Species:	Trope
Status:	Very Used
Media of origin:	Countless, especially in shojo anime and manga.

A shojo protagonist is a protagonist that is typically found in shojo manga and anime.

Why This Trope is the Messenger of Love

Many shojo protagonists are forgiving, as they don't hold grudges against others.
Like their shonen counterparts, they are charismatic, as they make friends out of their enemies.
They inspire not only the characters around them, but also the audience, specifically young girls, to become more compassionate and independent.
They can relatable, as they struggle with maintaining their relationships and gaining confidence.
Regardless of the obstacles, many shojo protagonists try their best and refuse to give up.

Bad Qualities

While not as dense as shonen protagonists, many shojo protagonists are known for being clumsy and naive.
Some shojo protagonists have deeply rooted insecurities.
- This causes them to be somewhat obsessed with their love interests.
Similar to Shonen protagonist, these characters tend to suffer from plot armor at time.
Many Shojo refuse to kill the truly evil and/or dangerous villains, which many cases have led to half-baked redemptions nobody wanted, and they refuse to accept that mercy does not always work.

Qualifications

In order to be qualified as a shojo protagonist, a character must have at least 4 of the necessary traits.

Necessary Traits:

Heroic/honorable
Inspirational
Is an innocent idealist
Accepting of others/open-minded
Charismatic
Optimistic
Energetic
Is a big dreamer
Forgiving
Clumsy
Hard-working

Additional Traits:

Believes in the power of love/friendship
Has pigtails/unnatural hairstyle
Has magical powers
Has poor self-esteem
Possesses plot armor
Unnatual hair color
Has a crush on another character

Examples

Anime/Manga/Manhwa/Manhua

Tohru Honda (Fruits Basket)
Various characters (Pretty Cure series)
Amu Hinamori (Shugo Chara!)
Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon [Being the trope's codifier]
Yuki Cross/Kuran (Vampire Knight)
Sakura Kinomoto (Card Captor Sakura)
Shinobu Amano (Last Game)
Shirayuki (Snow White with the Red Hair)
Nana (Stella: Nana and the Magic English Words)
Chise Hatori (The Ancient Magus' Bride)
Tsubasa Sumisora (B-Project)
Marika (Bokura no Hentai)
Tsukushi (Boys over Flowers)
Hanano Sumire (Chihayafuru)
Miaka (Fushigi Yuugi)
Sana (Kodocha)
Miki (Marmalade Boy)
Lucia (Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch)
Kaede (Mirumo De Pon)
Rinko Yamato (My Love Story!!)
Ririka (Nurse Angel Ririka)
Doremi Harukaze (Ojamajo Doremi)
Yellow (Pokémon Adventures)
Yuki (School-Live!)
Emilico (Shadows House)
Amu Hinamori (Shugo Chara!)
Ran Kotobuki (Super Gals)
Ichigo (Tokyo Mew Mew)
Hakura (Uta no Prince-sama)
Coco (Witch Hat Atelier)
Kitty White (Hello Kitty series)
Mimmy White (Hello Kitty series)
Kiri Koshiba (Beauty Pop)
Yui Kusanagi (Kamigami No Asobi)
Nanami Momozono (Kamisama Kiss)
Misaki Ayuzawa (Kaichou Wa Maid-Sama!)
Yona (Yona Of The Dawn)
Sawako Kuronuma (Kimi ni Todoke)
Misaki Ayuzawa (Maid Sama!)
Catarina Claes (My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!)
Haruhi Fujioka (Ouran High School Host Club)
Futaba Yoshioka (Blue Spring Ride)
Shizuku Mizutani (My Little Monster)
Chi the Kitten (Chi's Sweet Home)
Madoka Kaname (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
Sheeta/Princess Lucita Toel Ul Laputa (Castle in the Sky)
Haru Yoshioka (The Cat Returns)
Satsuki & Mei Kusakabe (My Neighbor Totoro)
Princess Mononoke/San (Princess Mononoke)
Chihiro Ogino/Sen (Spirited Away)
Shizuki Tsukishima (Whisper of the Heart)
Jewelpets (Jewelpets)
Mew (Mewkledreamy)
Tetsunoshin (Wan Wan Celeb Soreyuke! Tetsunoshin)
Rumi Inuyama (Wan Wan Celeb Soreyuke! Tetsunoshin)
Hibiki "Pikari" Kohinata (Amanchu!)
Aria Company (Aria/Aqua)
- Akari Mizunashi
Cocotama Contractors (Cocotama series)
Princess Fine & Princess Rein (Twin Princess of Wonder Planet/Fushigiboshi no Futagohime)
Sally (Sally the Witch)
Candice "Candy" White Ardley (Candy Candy)
Princess Sapphire (Princess Knight)
Nami (One Piece)

Cartoons/Comics

Disney Princesses
- Cinderella
- Anna (Frozen)
- Esmeralda (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
- Ariel (The Little Mermaid)
- Belle (Beauty and the Beast)
- Fa Mulan (Mulan)
- Megera (Hercules)
- Jane Porter (Tarzan)
- Moana
- Rapunzel (Tangled)
- Anastasia
Kim Possible
Ladybug/Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Luz Noceda
Anne Boonchuy
Steven Universe
WOOHP agents (Totally Spies)
- Sam Simpson
- Clover Ewing
- Alex Vasquez
Bloom (Winx Club)
Penny Proud (The Proud Family/Louder and Prouder)
Pepper Ann Pearson (Pepper Ann)
Gwen Stacy/Spider-Gwen/Ghost Spider (Marvel Comics)
Mary Jane Watson (Marvel Comics)
Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman (Marvel Comics)
Elektra (Marvel Comics)
Orono Munroe/Storm (X-Men/Marvel Comics)
Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Marvel Comics)
Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Marvel Comics)
Doreen Green/Squirrel Girl (Marvel Comics)
Sabrina Spellman (Archie Comics/Sabrina the Teenage Witch)
W.I.T.C.H.
- Will
- Irma
- Taranee
- Cornelia
- Hay Lin
Princess Star Butterfly
Mavis Dracula (Hotel Transylvania: The Serie)
Lassie (Lassie)
Mane Six (My LIttle Pony: Friendship is Magic)
- Twilight Sparkle
- Spike
- Pinkie Pie
- Applejack
- Rainbow Dash
- Rarity
- Fluttershy
The Powerpuff Girls
Miss Bianca (The Rescuers/The Rescuers Down Under)
Mrs. Brisby (The Secret of NIMH)
Gerda (The Snow Queen films)
Eliza Thornberry
Yi (Abominable)
The Chipettes
- Brittany Miller
- Jeanette Miller
- Eleanor Miller
Eep Crood (The Croods)
Dora the Explorer
Masha (Masha and the Bear)
Susan Murphy (Monsters Vs. Aliens)
Lucky Prescott (Spirit Riding Free/Spirit Untamed)
Poppy (Trolls)
Gwen Tennyson (Ben 10 series)
Meilin "Mei" Lee (Turning Red)
Maddie the Inland Taipan (Back to the Outback)
Zoe the Thorny Devil (Back to the Outback)
Maggie Diggins/Combat Wombat (Combat Wombat)
Daisy Quokka (Daisy's Dream/Daisy Quokka: World's Scariest Animal)
Molly McGee (The Ghost and Molly McGee)
Katie Mitchell (The Mitchells vs. the Machines)
Fei Fei (Over the Moon)
Kerry and Petra Ringtail (The Wishmas Tree)
Aleu (Balto II: Wolf Quest)
Never Fairies (Disney Fairies)
- Tinker Bell
Enchantimals
Princess Elena (Elena of Avalor)
Lilo Pelekai (Lilo & Stitch)
Kiara (The Lion King II: Simba Pride/The Lion Guard)
Sofia the First
Cybersquad (Cyberchase)
- Jackie
- Matt
- Inez
- Digit
Crysta (Ferngully film series)
Juniper Lee (The LIfe and Times of Juniper Lee)
Jewel the Spix's Macaw (Rio series)
Alice (Alice's Wonderland Bakery)
Ms. Fiona Felicity Frizzle (The Magic School Bus Rides Again)
Professor Valerie Felicity Frizzle (The Magic School Bus/The Magic School Bus Rides Again)
Buffycats (44 Cats)
- Lampo
- Milady
- Pilou
- Meatball/Polpetta
Jenna the Malamute Dog (Balto film series)
Fantasy Patrol
- Helena
- Mary
- Snowy
- Valery
- Alice
Super Sema
Cybersix/Adrian Seidelman (Cybersix)
Holograms
- Jem/Jerrica Benton
- Kimber Bentor
- Aja Leith
- Shana Elmsford
- Carmen "Raya" Alonso
Monica Luisa Sousa (Monica's Gang)
Irmão do Jorel (Irmão do Jorel)
Gwen (Total Drama series)
Celestine the Mouse (Ernest & Celestine)
Leafie (Leafie, A Hen into the Wild)
Princess Odette (The Swan Princess film series)
Wolfwalkers
- Robyn Goodfellowe
- Mebh Óg MacTíre
Jean (Jingju Cats)
Belka & Strelka (Space Dogs film series)
Ainbo (Ainbo: Spirit of the Amazon)
Louise "Little Lulu" Moppet
The Heeler Family (Bluey)
- Bluey
- Bingo
- Chilli
- Bandit
Barbara MIllicent Roberts (Barbie franchise/Toy Story film series)
Spike Team
Ginger Foutley (As Told by Ginger)
Rainbow Brite (Rainbow Brite)
Eva "Molly" Wei (Ōban Star-Racers)
Mirabel Madrigal (Encanto)
Mewsette (Gay Purr-ee)
Royals and Rebels (Ever After High)
- Apple White
- Raven Queen
The Ghoulfriends (Monster High)
Maya Santos (Maya & Miguel)
Sagwa Miao (Sagwa the Chinese Siamese Cat)
Molly Shahnyaa Mabray (Molly of Denali)
Polly Pocket (Polly Pocket)
Yossi (Telemonster)

Literature

Aya Tachibana (Tantei Team KZ Jiken Note)
Bella Swan (Twilight)
Alice (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
Dorothy Gale (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz)
Harriet M. Welsch (Harriet the Spy)
Matilda Wormwood (Matilda)
Coraline Jones (Coraline)
Emily Elizabeth (Clifford the BIg Red Dog)
Anne Shirley (Anne of the Green Gables)
Sophie Hatter (Howl's Moving Castle)
Kiki (Kiki's Delivery Service)
Anna (When Marnie Was There)
Madeline (Madeline)
Violet Evergarden (Violet Evergarden)
Heidi (Heidi)
Martha Lorraine the Dog (Martha Speaks)
Maya (The Adventures of Maya the Bee')
Pippi Longstocking (Pippi Lockstocking)
Angelina Jeanette Mouseling (Angelina Ballerina)
Elena Gilbert (The Vampire Diaries)

Live-Action Television and Film

Alex Russo (Wizards of Waverly Place)
Raven Baxter (That's So Raven)
Mako Mermaids (H20: Just Add Water/Mako: Island of Secrets)
Ren Stevens (Even Stevens)
Annie (Annie)
Elizabeth "Lizzie" McGuire (LIzzie McGuire)
Clarissa Darling (Clarissa Explains It All)
Elizabeth Swann (Pirates of the Caribbean film series)
Ellen Ripley (Alien and Aliens)
Sarah Connor (The Terminator film series)
Sarah (Labyrinth)

Video Games

Princess Peach (Super Princess Peach)
Fiona Frightening (Fiona Frightening and the Wicked Wardrobe)
Miyuki (Super Knockoff VS)
Amaterasu (Okami)
Stella/Pink Bird (Angry Birds Stella)
Stella (Spiritfarer)
Samus Aran (Metroid)

Web Animation/Comics/Series/Original

Bee (Bee and Pussycat)
Ruby Rose (RWBY)
Muko (Furry Fight Chronicles)
Claire (Sister Claire)
Tsumiki (Senpai Club)
Amy Leopard (Tutotoons)

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