Pigtails are one of anime’s most enduring hairstyles, and not just on little kids. Two bundles of hair tied off on either side of the head, usually called “twintails” in anime, have become shorthand for a certain kind of spirited, scrappy energy.
From fierce tsunderes to gentle healers, here are some of the best anime characters with pigtails, spanning all kinds of shows and anime genres. These are the girls who wear the look best.
The Most Iconic Pigtailed Anime Characters
No strict ranking, just my favorites. I saved the most iconic pigtails of all for last.
12Maka Albarn (Soul Eater)
Starting with a fighter. Maka Albarn is the determined heroine of the action series Soul Eater, a young meister training at the Death Weapon Meister Academy. Her tidy pigtails are practically part of her uniform.
- A driven, bookish meister at the DWMA
- Sandy-blonde hair in neat pigtails
- Brave, stubborn, and fiercely loyal to her friends
11Tohsaka Rin (Fate/stay night)
Rin Tohsaka from Fate/stay night is a brilliant young mage and one of the Masters competing in the Holy Grail War. Her long black pigtails, tied off with red ribbons, are as polished as the rest of her.
- A talented mage and Master in the Fate series
- Long black hair in twin pigtails with red ribbons
- Cool and composed in public, fiercely competitive underneath
- A fan-favorite tsundere
10Zero Two (Darling in the Franxx)
Zero Two is the magnetic, mysterious pilot at the heart of the mecha anime Darling in the Franxx. She is best known for her long, flowing pink hair and the small red horns peeking through it.
- A part-human, part-klaxosaur elite mecha pilot
- Long pink hair, sometimes pulled back into tails
- Small red horns and a fierce, playful streak
- Fiercely devoted to her partner, Hiro
9Silica (Sword Art Online)
Silica is one of the friendlier faces in the deadly game of Sword Art Online, a young beast tamer who ties her light brown hair into pigtails with red ribbons. The look suits her cheerful, slightly babyish charm.
- A young beast tamer trapped inside Sword Art Online
- Light brown pigtails tied with red ribbons
- Petite, kind, and braver than she looks
- A loyal member of Kirito’s circle of friends
8Aoba Suzukaze (NEW GAME!)
Aoba Suzukaze is the wide-eyed lead of NEW GAME, a fresh high-school graduate landing her first job at a video game studio. Her sky-blue pigtails bounce along with her endless enthusiasm.
- A rookie character designer at a game company
- Bright sky-blue pigtails
- Eager, earnest, and easily starstruck
7Melty Melromarc (The Rising of the Shield Hero)
Melty starts The Rising of the Shield Hero as a minor figure before growing into a key player. Her chest-length blue hair sits in two curly pigtails tied with blue ribbons, which makes her look even younger than she is.
- The second princess and rightful heir to the throne of Melromarc
- Curly blue pigtails fastened with blue ribbons
- A skilled water mage, mature beyond her years
- Kind to commoners and demi-humans alike
6Popura Taneshima (Working!!)
Popura Taneshima is the tiny, energetic waitress of the comedy Working, forever bustling around the Wagnaria family restaurant. Her reddish pigtails only make her look younger.
- A pint-sized server at the Wagnaria restaurant
- Reddish-brown pigtails
- Cheerful and eager, but touchy about her height
5Kagura (Gintama)
Kagura brings the chaos in the comedy-action series Gintama as one third of the Yorozuya odd-jobs trio. Her orange-red hair sits in two buns with long trailing tails, a look as bold as her personality.
- The scrappy young member of the Yorozuya trio
- Orange-red hair in buns with trailing pigtails
- Superhuman strength and a bottomless appetite
- Loud, blunt, and fiercely loyal
4Noelle Silva (Black Clover)
Noelle Silva is the royal water mage of Black Clover, a teenage Magic Knight with long silver hair worn in pigtails and a stubborn bang down the middle. The cute style hides a serious amount of firepower.
- A royal-born Magic Knight in Black Clover
- Long silver hair in pigtails
- Powerful water magic she struggles to control at first
- Proud on the surface, soft-hearted underneath
3Rikka Takanashi (Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions)
Rikka Takanashi is the dreamy, dramatic lead of Love, Chunibyo and Other Delusions, a girl who fully commits to her “chunibyo” fantasy world. Her long dark hair, usually swept into a tail to one side, frames her famous eyepatch.
- A high schooler lost in her own grand fantasy role-play
- Long black hair worn in a side tail
- Wears an eyepatch over what she calls her “Wicked Eye”
2Haruhi Suzumiya (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)
Haruhi Suzumiya is the restless force of nature behind The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, founder of the school’s SOS Brigade. She is known for constantly switching up her hairstyle, pigtails included.
- The energetic, demanding leader of the SOS Brigade
- Brown hair she restyles often, from tails to a headband
- Bored by ordinary life, obsessed with the strange
- Chaotic, but weirdly magnetic
1Usagi Tsukino (Sailor Moon)
I saved the most famous pigtails in anime for last. Usagi Tsukino, better known as Sailor Moon, leads the Sailor Guardians, and her bun-and-tails hairstyle is iconic across the whole magical girl anime genre.
- A clumsy schoolgirl who becomes a legendary guardian
- Long blonde hair in twin tails flowing from round buns
- The face of magical-girl anime for over 30 years
- Goofy and tearful, but brave when it counts
A Few Pigtail Facts I Like
A handful of extras for the twintail fans:
- The word “pigtail” had nothing to do with hair at first. Back in the 1600s it meant a tightly twisted roll of chewing tobacco that looked like a curly pig’s tail.
- In Japan, side-by-side pigtails are called “twintails,” and the look is so beloved it has its own holiday. The Japan Twintail Association named February 2 official Twintail Day.
- One of the earliest twin-tailed anime heroines was Akko-chan from the 1960s magical-girl series Himitsu no Akko-chan, so the style has been an anime staple for over half a century.
That is my rundown of the best anime characters with pigtails, from a scythe-swinging meister to the queen of the magical girls. Who is your favorite pigtailed character? Let me know in the comments.
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Anime Boys Who Rock Pigtails
1. Nagisa Shiota – Assassination Classroom – Male, androgynous, twin pigtails – Sexuality: not confirmed – One of the most recognizable anime boys with pigtails, and the hairstyle fits his soft but deadly personality perfectly.
2. Hime Arikawa – Himegoto – Male, femboy, crossdresser, red-ribbon pigtails – Sexuality: not fully confirmed, straight-coded in parts – A cute pink-haired anime boy who wears pigtails and a schoolgirl uniform as part of the show’s comedy setup.
3. Mariya Shidou – Maria Holic – Male, crossdresser, long blonde pigtails – Sexuality: not confirmed – A sharp, pretty, and manipulative crossdressing boy who easily passes as a girl at an all-girls school.
4. Aoi Hyoudou – Maid Sama! – Male, femboy, crossdresser, idol-style pigtail look – Sexuality: not confirmed – Aoi loves cute fashion and presents as a famous online idol, making him one of the more memorable feminine anime boys.
5. Hideri Kanzaki – Blend S – Male, femboy, crossdresser, cute idol style – Sexuality: not confirmed – Hideri is not always shown with full pigtails, but he fits the femboy anime style perfectly with his ribbons, cute outfits, and idol personality.
6. Souji Mitsuka / Tail Red – Gonna Be the Twin-Tail!! – Male in normal form, gender-bender magical warrior in transformed form – Sexuality: straight-coded, not the main focus – His whole anime is built around the love of twintails, making him an obvious pick for this list.
7. Gasper Vladi – High School DxD – Male, femboy, crossdressing dhampir, soft vampire-boy look – Sexuality: not confirmed – A shy feminine boy with vampire traits, cute styling, and a very timid personality.
8. Astolfo – Fate/Apocrypha – Male, androgynous, femboy, long braid and ribboned hairstyle – Sexuality: often read as bisexual or pansexual, but anime romance is not the main focus – Not classic pigtails, but he is one of the most famous femboy-style anime characters.
9. Felix Argyle / Ferris – Re:Zero – Male, catboy, femboy, ribboned feminine styling – Sexuality: not confirmed – More pigtail-adjacent than true pigtails, but he fits well for fans looking for feminine anime boys.
10. Hitoshi Sugoroku – Nanbaka – Male, soft cute look, pigtail hairstyle – Sexuality: not confirmed – A minor but memorable pick because his pigtails stand out in a show already full of wild anime hairstyles.
11. Mikaze Ai – Uta no Prince-sama – Male idol, pretty-boy style, side ponytail or side pigtail look – Sexuality: not confirmed – His blue hair and soft idol design make him a good pigtail-adjacent pick.
12. Buggy – One Piece – Male villain, clown pirate, twin pigtail hairstyle – Sexuality: not confirmed – Not a femboy at all, but his ridiculous pigtail look is iconic and instantly recognizable.
13. Abdullah – One Piece – Male villain, low pigtails, rough fighter style – Sexuality: not confirmed – A funny contrast because he wears pigtails in a much rougher, more rugged way.
14. Mr. Tatsumi – Shiki – Male supernatural antagonist, pigtail-adjacent hair tufts – Sexuality: not confirmed – His hairstyle is not traditional pigtails, but the twin hair shape gives him a memorable demon-like look.
15. Tao Ren – Shaman King – Male, single pigtail or queue hairstyle – Sexuality: straight in later story material – A classic anime boy with a sharp single pigtail style and a serious, intense personality.
16. Kaguya Arikawa – Himegoto – Male, femboy, crossdresser, cute feminine styling – Sexuality: not confirmed – Hime’s younger brother also fits the crossdressing anime boy category and has a playful feminine presentation.
17. Hiro Toyotomi – Himegoto – Male, crossdresser, maid-style feminine look – Sexuality: gay or BL-coded through his relationship with Mitsunaga – More femboy than pigtail-focused, but still useful if you want LGBTQ+ anime boys with feminine styling.
18. Mitsunaga Oda – Himegoto – Male, crossdresser, feminine school look – Sexuality: gay or BL-coded through his relationship with Hiro – A good extra pick if you want more queer or BL-adjacent crossdressing anime boys.