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There are a lot of anime women who make certain shows more iconic. This article looks at powerful women like Makima.
Chainsaw Man delivered us Makima, a woman who, for the better and for the worse, fundamentally changed what it meant to be a woman of power in the world of anime. Makima gives the impression of someone calm and in control but harbors terrifying power. The head of the Public Safety Devil Hunters, she is much more dangerous than she appears.
If you felt yourself falling under Makima’s sway, you’re not alone. Many anime women share similar qualities. They wield authority, have god-like powers, and walk with the swagger of someone who understands how powerful they are. So we will take a closer look at ten anime women like Makima who are a powerhouse in their series due to their leadership positions and powers.
1. Esdeath (Akame ga Kill!)
Esdeath is the Empire’s strongest general and is really respected and feared. She is also a high-ranking character who is in a position to issue commands to others, similar to Makima. However, her real strength lies in her ice abilities and combat skills that go beyond human limits.
What makes Esdeath really similar to Makima is her absolute confidence. She is completely confident, knowing she’s the most dangerous person in any room. Makima contrasts with Esdeath, who openly enjoys warfare and inflicting agony. But these anime women are terrifying antagonists because they have absolutely zero regard for human life.
Her blinding strength isn’t an act or a trick. It is, as it is with Makima, just the raw essence of her being. The way Esdeath leads her special forces unit, the Jaegers, mirrors how Makima organizes her devil hunters. Both women are adept at finding subordinate staff who will be useful to them and then controlling them utterly, though with different techniques.
2. Kiryuin Satsuki (Kill la Kill)
As student council president of Honnoji Academy, Satsuki appears to be simply a high-achieving student in a position of authority. However, much like Makima, this surface-level position masks a much greater power structure at her disposal. With her iron grip on the school’s hierarchy and the fearsome Elite Four at her command, Satsuki creates a system where her word is absolute law.
Satsuki shares Makima’s composed, calculating nature. Both anime women play the long game, putting plans into motion that others can barely grasp until it’s too late. They handle loyalty through a mixture of fear and respect and charisma that could lead others to throw themselves at their feet and follow them into danger. Every time Satsuki speaks, there is an air of power and control that is familiar to Makima, though their ultimate goals are quite different.
Satsuki stays calm, speaks with authority, and shows confidence, just like Makima. Both women understand that true power comes not just from abilities but from perception and psychological dominance over others.
3. Balalaika (Black Lagoon)
Balalaika (Sofia Pavlovna Irinovskaya) is the head of Hotel Moscow and leads a faction of the Russian mafia. Her top position in the criminal underworld grants her significant authority, but it is her calculated mind and readiness to deploy brutal force that ultimately define her power.
Balalaika, like Makima, lives in a brutal world ruled by power. Both women have adapted to these harsh realities by becoming the most dangerous players in their respective games. Their calm exteriors make their capacity for violence all the more shocking when revealed. These anime women share an unflinching willingness to eliminate anyone who stands in their way.
Balalaika’s military background gives her a different flavor of authority compared to Makima’s more supernatural power base. Regardless, both command absolute loyalty from their subordinates and strike fear into their enemies through reputation alone.
4. Kaguya Otsusuki (Naruto)
As the mother of all chakra and the origin of the ninja world’s power system, Kaguya represents authority on a cosmic scale. While Makima operates within a governmental organization, Kaguya’s power places her above any human institution, making her almost godlike in her dominion.
Both Kaguya and Makima have parts to them that tag them as not human. This separates them from most of the other characters in the show. Their true nature remains mysterious for much of their respective stories, with revelations about their identities causing major shifts in their stories. She has the same absolute confidence in her power that Makima shows throughout Chainsaw Man.
The ancient, otherworldly nature of Kaguya’s power parallels Makima’s connection to primal forces within the Chainsaw Man universe. Both anime women are far more than they initially appear, with connections to the fundamental powers that shape their worlds.
5. Tsunade (Naruto)
As the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade is the highest political and military leader in the Hidden Leaf Village. Tsunade mirrors Makima’s position in Public Safety, giving her authority over powerful operatives and responsibility for public welfare.
While Tsunade lacks Makima’s manipulative nature, both women command respect through their positions and personal strength. Tsunade’s legendary status as one of the Sannin parallels Makima’s reputation among devil hunters. Tsunade, like Makima, stands far above normal soldiers in their respective worlds with their various abilities.
Tsunade’s healing abilities and super strength may seem different from Makima’s powers, but both anime women possess abilities that make them nearly unkillable in combat situations. Their durability and recovery capabilities allow them to take risks others couldn’t survive.
6. Unohana Retsu (Bleach)
Captain of the 4th Division and later revealed as the first Kenpachi, Unohana embodies duality in her character. Her authority as head of the medical division is respected, but her hidden past of being a fearsome warrior only adds to her power.
Unohana, like Makima, hides her more dangerous traits behind a calm appearance. The two women let others underestimate them, showing their cards only when they have to. This duality renders them unpredictable and much more dangerous than they appear to be at first.
Unohana’s bloody past being revealed mirrors Makima’s true self and powers being revealed bit by bit. Both characters become progressively sinister as their stories unfold and their full powers are revealed.
7. Big Mom (One Piece)
As one of the Four Emperors ruling the New World, Charlotte Linlin (Big Mom) holds immense political power. Her control over Totto Land and her massive pirate crew gives her authority comparable to Makima’s position in the devil hunter hierarchy.
While Big Mom’s personality differs dramatically from Makima’s reserved demeanor, both women maintain control through fear and overwhelming power. Their subordinates follow orders not just out of loyalty but from the knowledge that disobedience means destruction. The casual way Big Mom presents choices to her subjects through her devil fruit power mirrors how Makima treats those under her command as tools to be used and discarded.
Big Mom’s soul-based abilities also create an interesting parallel with Makima’s contract powers. Both women take something essential from others and use it to enhance their capabilities, treating people as resources rather than individuals.
8. Olivier Armstrong (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
Major General Armstrong holds power over the northern border of Amestris as commander of Fort Briggs. Her military position gives her power, but it’s her iron will and strategic mind that make her a truly formidable figure.
Olivier Armstrong possesses Makima’s cold pragmatism, ruthlessness, and willingness to make difficult choices for what she believes to be the greater good. These two women work alongside governmental systems, but not solely for them. Each has their agenda and their principles. Her belief that survival of the fittest is the way of the world is a philosophy that fits with Makima’s general belief about humans and devils.
Though some anime women rely on supernatural abilities, Olivier Armstrong relies on human qualities like intelligence, determination, and leadership to maintain her position. This makes her authority feel earned rather than granted, creating a different but equally compelling type of female power.
9. Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing (Hellsing)
Integra is the leader of the Hellsing Organization and commands not only human agents but also the most powerful vampire still in existence. Her role mirrors Makima’s control of devil hunters, with each woman commanding mystical entities to fight dangers to protect humankind.
Down to Integra’s cold composure at horrific things happening around them, Integra is very Makima-like in nature. There is an inner strength to both of these women when facing monsters that makes them great leaders. Integra also refuses to compromise her humanity despite working with monsters. This position contrasts with Makima’s more ambiguous nature.
The master-servant relationship between Integra and Alucard offers an interesting comparison to how Makima views those under her command. Both women maintain control over beings far more physically powerful than themselves through force of will and binding agreements.
10. Boa Hancock (One Piece)
As the Snake Princess and ruler of Amazon Lily, Hancock holds both political power as a nation’s leader and special status as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Her position gives her significant authority in the One Piece world. This is similar to Makima’s standing in the devil hunter organization.
While Hancock’s personality differs dramatically from Makima’s reserved nature, both women understand how to use perception to their advantage. Hancock uses her beauty to manipulate others, while Makima relies on her seemingly innocent appearance to mask her true intentions. Boa Hancock knows how her position and perceived value shield her from consequences, a privilege Makima similarly exploits.
Hancock’s Mero Mero powers, which allow her to turn people to stone, create an interesting parallel with Makima’s ability to control others. Both abilities represent different forms of domination, with victims equally helpless once caught in their grip.
Conclusion
All ten of these anime women are powerful like Makima. They hold power in one shape or another but use it in different ways. Anime shows us a fascinating number of powerful female characters that control, manipulate, and dominate their worlds, from military leaders to criminal bosses and from student council presidents to ancient goddesses.
Each has come to her position differently, holds it differently, and seeks different ends with her authority. They show that strength and femininity can exist together, creating unique characters.
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