History Main / MagicalGirlWarrior

* The concept behind the FukuFic sub-genre is turning [[Manga/RanmaOneHalf Ranma Saotome]] into one of these, usually a Sailor Senshi.

* ''Fanfic/ICantBeAMagicalGirlYouAMagicalGirlSay'': [[Manga/MyHeroAcademia Izuku]] becomes a dress-clad magical warrior instead of gaining All Might, although he retains his gender.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'': Regardless of how well they'll ultimately fit, the Magical Child archetype for the Vigilante class is [[WordOfGod explicitly]] ''meant'' to cover the MagicalGirl trope (the switch between the public and secret identities becomes a TransformationSequence that is much faster, but also flashier and louder, for instance), and being in a system like Pathfinder it'd be hard to avoid fights being a fairly large part of their repertoire. Regardless of how the archetype will turn out, it is, of course, possible to build towards this trope with the right other magic-using classes.

* In ''Animation/FlowerFairy'', starting in Season 2, Xia An'an and her friends form a team of magical girls who fight against the Dark Demon and his minions.

* The eponymous ''Webcomic/AgentsOfTheRealm'' fight less with magic and more with {{BFS}}s, [[DropTheHammer giant hammers]], glaive or bow and arrows. The [[OurMonstersAreDifferent bleeds]] are hard to beat otherwise.

The origins of this trope as a genre date to early manga, with Creator/OsamuTezuka's ''Manga/PrincessKnight'' generally regarded as the modern TropeCodifier of the genre's most basic defining trait: a cute and perky heroine defeating bad guys and engaging in magical adventures. Most series that followed it, however, focused on the magical part and avoided fighting, creating the more whimsical CuteWitch sister-genre.

In the [[TheSeventies early '70s]], however, Creator/GoNagai created the groundbreaking ''Anime/CuteyHoney'', and in doing so threw the SliceOfLife plot of your typical Magical Girl series out the window. A parody of different HenshinHero series [[note]]most noticeably ''Series/WarriorOfLoveRainbowman''[[/note]], this series [[TropeCodifier codified]] many of the tropes associated with the Magical Girl Warrior genre to come: giving the heroine the ability to [[TransformationSequence transform into]] a powerful alter ego activated with a [[ByThePowerOfGrayskull magical phrase]] and/or a TransformationTrinket, an armory of weapons and abilities to use in battle, an evil organization to fight against, and a [[InTheNameOfTheMoon heroic introduction]]. In a notable example of an UnbuiltTrope, however, the show is about a RobotGirl and all of her power relied on technology instead of magic.

The genre gained the remainder of its defining characteristics with Creator/NaokoTakeuchi's series ''Manga/CodenameSailorV'' and its MorePopularSpinOff[=/=]{{Sequel}} ''Manga/SailorMoon'', which took all these elements and blended them with classic MagicalGirl tropes and some {{Sentai}} characteristics like a team of different heroines with balanced abilities and personalities. The result was a series simultaneously aimed toward and empowering to girls with large amounts of character building and storyline that still gave focus to the battles and allowed for fanservice. A virtually-unheard-of combination at that time, the series quickly attracted a rabid fanbase with a ridiculously-wide demographic. While many early anime and manga of the genre which followed were accused of being (and often were, at the start) rip-offs of ''Sailor Moon'' [[FollowTheLeader trying to repeat its success by copying the formula]], eventually they evolved into unique works and a novel hybrid genre.

* Asha of ''Literature/TheLicaniusTrilogy'' plays this straight by the end, albeit of the sword-and-armour variety of warrior rather tham just plain spells.

* In ''Literature/PrincessHolyAura'', five magically super-powered teenage girls battle Lovecraftian monsters, and still have to go to high school.

* The Princess Race in ''TabletopGame/BleakWorld'' is all about this. They are an alien race of [[GratuitousPrincess Princesses]] who's [[DoomedHometown homeworld was destroyed]] by [[EldritchAbomination The Darkness]]. They now protect the Milky Way Galaxy with a giant force field made of hope and fight back BrainwashedAndCrazy dark princesses who are in service to the darkness.

* ''TabletopGame/PrincessTheHopeful'', a ''TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness'' fan supplement, adds magical girls to the mix. No [[MagicalGirl Princess]] is going to last too long without being able to survive a fight, but the [[{{Splat}} Calling]] of Champion has an extra dose, as their purpose is literally to fight evil. There is also extra emphasis of this style in the [[{{Splat}} Courts]] of Swords (as heroic larger-than-life figures), Storms (as an AxCrazy version), and Hearts (with an emphasis on noble traditions, which includes warrior traditions).

* ''Webcomic/MagicalBoy'': A more {{Coming of Age|Story}} take, as the main character is a trans boy from a family that transfers powers to genetic females only. While the experience starts out giving him major dysphoria, the powers learn to adapt to his identity as he comes into his own.

* ''Webcomic/MisfitsOfAvalon'' is a European take on the genre; the heroines' powers derive from Celtic mythology, their costumes are based off Catholic schoolgirls instead of Japanese ones, their MentorMascot is a large wolfhound rather than a cute little cat and there is much less focus on prettiness and feminity.

* ''Webcomic/SleeplessDomain'': a nameless city is defended by Magical Girls from the monsters that stalk it during the night. The girls earn fame, fortune and the admiration of their city, but this is war... and war has casualties.

* The eponymous ''Webcomic/AgentsOfTheRealm'' fight less with magic and more with {{BFS}}s, [[DropTheHammer giant hammers]], [[BladeOnAStick glaive]] or bow and arrows. The [[OurMonstersAreDifferent bleeds]] are hard to beat otherwise.

* ''Webcomic/SparklingGenerationValkyrieYuuki'' is an AffectionateParody of the genre with a Myth/NorseMythology theme. It also is a GenderBender series, like the ''LightNovel/{{Kampfer}}'' example above.

* [[Website/SCPFoundation SCP]] [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-2006-j 2006-j]], which is apparently a female EldritchAbomination from another dimension. Who is a magical girl. Yes. A magical tentacle monster.

The genre gained the remainder of its defining characteristics with Creator/NaokoTakeuchi's series ''Manga/CodenameSailorV'' and its MorePopularSpinOff[=/=]{{Sequel}} ''Manga/SailorMoon'', which took all these elements and blended them with classic MagicalGirl tropes and some {{Sentai}} characteristics like a team of different heroines with balanced abilities and personalities. The result was a series simultaneously aimed toward and empowering to girls with large amounts of character building and storyline that still gave focus to the battles and allowed for fanservice. A virtually-unheard-of combination at that time, the series quickly attracted a rabid fanbase with a ridiculously-wide demographic. While many early anime and manga of the genre which followed were accused of being (and often were, at the start) rip-offs of ''Sailor Moon'' [[FollowTheLeader trying to repeat its success by copying the formula]], eventually [[FromClonesToGenre they evolved into unique works]] and a novel hybrid genre.

* One could call every female character in ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' this, if you count [[{{Magitek}} using Dust powered weaponry]] as magic. The one who fits the archetype the best is Weiss Schnee, who has a frilly outfit, the ability to make glyphs that alter gravity and a rapier loaded with Dust capsules that she can use to enhance her attacks or as projectiles. Ironically she behaves more like a DarkMagicalGirl at first.

!!Examples:

[[folder:Video Games]]
* Pecan Apple of ''VideoGame/BanzaiPecan'', also doubling as a HenshinHero.
* Yunou of ''VideoGame/CrescentPaleMist'' is a magician who uses a deadly and forbidden form of magic known as Pale Mist to battle the dangerous monsters and her former comrades as she seeks to put an end to the source of the Pale Mist that's seeping throughout the country of Gasyukal.
* Leanna of ''VisualNovel/{{Crystalline}}'' is a "Mage-Knight", meaning she's skilled with both magic and her sword.
* ''[[VideoGame/ExtrapowerAttackOfDarkforce EXTRAPOWER Attack of Darkforce]]'' has Ruritia and the other Hikari Warriors, [[MagicalGirl Magical Girls]], high schoolers who, with the powers granted to them by the Rainbow Princess, transform to fight the Yami Clan. Three of them are inheritors of magical swords and all are comfortable melee combatants.
* Mystica from ''VisualNovel/FadingHearts''. Ryou meets her in the forest while he is fighting shadow monsters.
* In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'', [[spoiler: Odin's daughter]] Ophelia can be ''very'' easily considered as the ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' take on this trope. She's very cute-looking ([[StripperIffic and bouncy]]), [[CallingYourAttacks very flashy]] [[LargeHam in battle]], and ''very'' dedicated to her role as a BlackMagicianGirl and to protect her family and friends.
* ''VideoGame/GalaxyFrauleinYuna'' is a teen celebrity[=/=]Idol Singer who is tasked with saving the entire universe from the forces of Darkness as the Savior of Light.
* ''VisualNovel/HowToDateAMagicalGirl'' has magical girls whose role are to banish evil, but it's downplayed; as evil occurs more rarely, they spend the majority of their time contributing to society instead.
* This is the main premise of ''VideoGame/{{IMGCM}}'', a {{fanservice}}y game for PC and smartphone (there’s an official {{NSFW}} version for it). The game features twelve girls who are chosen to be magical girls by Kamisaman, a mysterious girl genius who appears to have invented Kamisaman System, and the player protagonist Tobio to fight human-devouring demons who have emerged on Earth [[spoiler:and TheMultiverse]]. Tobio interacts with the world through a RemoteBody named Omnis, a MentorMascot who guides and scouts the new magical girl members.
* UsefulNotes/JoanOfArc herself in ''VideoGame/JeanneDArc'', being a LadyOfWar who transforms into her armored form thanks to her magic armlet.
%%* Elodie can become one in ''VisualNovel/LongLiveTheQueen''.
* ''VisualNovel/MagicalWarriorDiamondHeart'', a visual novel featuring magical girls and magical boys.
* The Shinobi in ''VideoGame/SenranKagura'' take pride as ninja warriors, but with all the CostumePorn (Which is susceptible to ClothingDamage), [[CallingYourAttacks attack name screaming]] and [[HenshinHero the]] {{TransformationSequence}}s, they're really more MagicalGirl than warrior. (Although most of them are badasses in their own right.) This is most evident in ''Deep Crimson,'' the only game where the girls fight monsters instead of each other.
* Nearly ''everyone'' in ''Franchise/TouhouProject''. The only characters who ''don't'' have some sort of magical combat ability (e.g., [[UnreliableNarrator Akyu]] and [[TheOneGuy Rinnosuke]]) only appear in the ExpandedUniverse or one-off games (e.g., [[GadgeteerGenius Rika]] and [[MadScientist Rikako]]). Deliberately invoked by Marisa, who uses a FlyingBroomstick (even though she, [[IBelieveICanFly like everyone in Gensokyo]], can fly unaided) and always wears a comically-large witch hat because that's what {{Cute Witch}}es are supposed to do, which doesn't detract at all from her passion for [[StuffBlowingUp huge explosions]].
* Perhaps as a way to appeal to the anime crowd, the female Wizard in ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'' seems to be inspired by this, being an Asian-looking magic warrior with many anime-style attacks like swarms of missiles and giant laser beams, and many armor sets that give her ZettaiRyouiki.
* In ''VideoGame/LostRuins'' the nameless Heroine can eventually become one. Her default outfit is a serafuku, with the others being a {{Meido}} outfit and a SchoolSwimsuit, she can get a magical-girl styled wand as a weapon, and can get a combination of accessories that give her so much mana regen that she has pretty much unlimited magic.
* Deliberately invoked by Annie of the Stars in ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}''. [[TheAgeless Eternally young]], she lets the stories about herself serve as a beacon of heroism and inspiration for the world, and in-game, she has SuperCuteSuperpowers and even a TransformationSequence SuperMode. The years have made the actual woman behind the legends is a ''lot'' more [[KnightInSourArmor cynical]] than she lets on.
* When Yuko Asou wields the VideoGame/{{Valis}} Sword, she goes from OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent to a deadly warrior fighting for the fates of Earth, Dreamland and the spirit world to protect them from various otherworldly threats. ''Valis IV'' sees her relinquishing her duties to a young woman named Lena.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/CraigOfTheCreek'' has Sparkle Cadet. She certainly acts and dresses the part.
* GenderInverted in ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'': In ''Underfist'', Irwin gains [[DarkIsNotEvil dark]] [[HybridMonster mumpire]] powers, with his appearance and the overall execution of the concept being a lot like a [[MagicalGirl Magical Boy]] combined with your typical superhero. He uses these powers to save Halloween in the special. [[WhatCouldHaveBeen Had a]] SpinOff [[WhatCouldHaveBeen been made]], the trope would have probably been played a bit straighter.
* ''WesternAnimation/LoliRock'' is a combination of this and MagicIdolSinger.
* ''WesternAnimation/MagicalGirlFriendshipSquad'' is an adult parody of the genre.
* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' is either a MagicalGirl show that emphasizes the superhero aspects or a superhero show that follows a lot of MagicalGirlTropes (TransformationTrinket, TransformationSequence, MentorMascot, etc.) The title character also teams up with a magical boy, Chat Noir; the two are actually involved in a [[TwoPersonLoveTriangle Two-Person Love Square]], as they also know each other in their civilian identities.
** We're later introduced to other Miraculous holders, including girls like Volpina (who is actually the MonsterOfTheWeek, Lila, and doesn't actually have the Fox Miraculous), Rena Rouge ([[spoiler:Alya with the Fox Miraculous]]), Queen Bee ([[spoiler:Chloe with the Bee Miraculous]]), and Bunnix ([[spoiler:Alix with the Rabbit Miraculous]]). On the boys' side, there's Carapace ([[spoiler:Nino with the Turtle Miraculous]]), Pegasus ([[spoiler:Max with the Horse Miraculous]]), Viperion ([[spoiler:Luka with the Snake Miraculous]]), and King Monkey ([[spoiler:Lê Chiến Kim with the Monkey Miraculous]]).
** The superhero/magical girl style common to Miraculous wielders notably only seems to be localized to France, as the heroes from America are more traditional [[TheCape Capes]].
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' slips into Magical Filly Warrior Ponies territory when fighting [[VileVillainSaccharineShow the major villains]], but otherwise is strictly SliceOfLife [[RecycledInSpace with magical talking ponies]]. The Equestria Girls movies play the trope a bit straighter, while the girls transforming into magical heroes near the climax of each movie in order to deal with the movie's BigBad.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Mysticons}}'' is about a group of teenage girls who transform into legendary magic-powered warriors.
* ''WesternAnimation/PrincessGwenevereAndTheJewelRiders''
* ''WesternAnimation/SheRaPrincessOfPower'' is an early one. Its ContinuityReboot ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'' goes further by making She-Ra an OlderAlterEgo for Adora and making the SuperTeam aspect more apparent.
** Adora's brother [[WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983 Adam/He-Man]] is a mix between a magical boy and a Sci-fi barbarian version of a MagicKnight.
* ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil''
** The titular Star Butterfly, a GirlyBruiser princess from the magical kingdom of Mewni who is exiled to Earth until she gets a better handle on the powers granted by the magic wand she was gifted on her fourteenth birthday. Throughout the series, we also learn that some of her predecessors were also these, including her own mother, the current Queen Moon, and the disowned [[DarkActionGirl Queen Eclipsa]].
** We're also introduced to Mina Loveberry (who's a very obvious SailorSenshiSendUp), an [[DarkActionGirl evil]] version of this trope -- she wants to [[FantasticRacism commit mass genocide of the monster race]] because [[BlackAndWhiteInsanity she believes all monsters are evil]].
* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' has the Crystal Gems, a heroic rebel faction who belong to an [[TheAgeless unaging]] species of WizardsFromOuterSpace called Gems and often fight various Homeworld Gems and Gem Monsters to protect humanity. Steven's mother Rose Quartz was the leader of this team before she [[DeathByChildbirth "gave up her physical form"]] to bring him into existence. [[WordOfGod The series' creator has stated]] that, while they [[OneGenderRace all look like women by our aesthetics]], they actually have NoBiologicalSex, Steven being the exception because he's a HalfHumanHybrid. Steven himself qualifies as a Magical Boy, and even goes through gender-flipped versions of typical magical heroine plot points.
* ''WesternAnimation/TenkoAndTheGuardiansOfTheMagic'': Tenko and her friends (even though the rest of her teammates are guys).
* ''WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}'', which is based off of the [[ComicBook/{{WITCH}} comic]].
* ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'' is an ''academy'' of these.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
%%* ''Anime/BlackRockShooter''

* While ''Manga/CardCaptorSakura'' is of the CuteWitch variety of magical girls, she also uses the Clow Cards to fight others that are causing trouble, particularly in the movies.
* ''Manga/CorpsePrincess'' is a rather dark variant--the magical girls are undead corpses who must kill 108 other corpses in order to get into Heaven. [[spoiler:Or so they're told. Actually, they become [[AndIMustScream unkillable monsters and are bound in a coffin for eternity]]]]. Also, [[TheGunslinger they use guns]].
* ''Anime/CorrectorYui'' is a sci-fi themed magical girl show, with the heroine's powers only existing in cyberspace.
* Parodied and GenderFlipped in ''Anime/CuteHighEarthDefenseClubLove'' and [[Anime/CuteHighEarthDefenseClubHappyKiss its sequel]], which feature teams of Magical ''Boy'' Warriors who frequently lampshade the ridiculousness of all the magical girl-associated tropes.
* [[UrExample The earliest prototype]] was Creator/GoNagai's ''Anime/CuteyHoney'' franchise, which slowly mutated and grew to have an unexpected female fanbase whenever the {{Fanservice}} level fluctuated heavily. Interestingly, she's a sci-fi-based variant: instead of magic, she has a device planted in her body that rearranges the molecules around her, transforming her clothing into her hero outfit or [[MasterOfDisguise many other costumes as needed]]. This means that instead of a G-rated SexySilhouette being part of a TransformationSequence, she ''really is naked as her clothes are temporarily a cloud of atoms,'' hence the high {{Fanservice}} level. [[ByThePowerOfGreyskull Honey ''Flash'']], indeed.
* ''Anime/CyberTeamInAkihabara'' starts as a standard magical girl show before veering into darker territory.
%%* ''Anime/DayBreakIllusion'' is a darker take on the genre. The main girls' powers are {{tarot|Motifs}}-themed.
* ''Anime/DevilHunterYohko'' was the second big Magical Girl Warrior series, with its eponymous heroine just as adept at [[SheFu martial arts]] as she is with her sword and magic. She isn't afraid to [[SettleItWithoutWeapons get physical]] if that's what it takes to get the job done.
%%* ''Anime/DreamHunterRem'' is one of the earliest examples.
* ''Anime/FantasticDetectiveLabyrinth'' has the Shinano clan concert girls into these called Aya. As a ManchurianAgent, such a girl has extraordinary magical power and fighting abilities but having their personality temporarily rewritten them unable to recall anything they did.
%%* ''Manga/FateKaleidLinerPrismaIllya'', part of the Franchise/{{Nasuverse}}.
%%* ''Anime/TwinPrincessOfWonderPlanet'' starts off as a CuteWitch series before becoming this.
* Yohko in ''Anime/LedaTheFantasticAdventureOfYohko'' becomes one akin to the [[Manga/MagicKnightRayearth Magic Knights]].
* The heroine of ''Manga/CinderellaKnight'' is given the power to transform into the beautiful and heroic Cinderella Knight by her fairy godmother. With these powers, she seeks to protect the man she loves from the evil Spider Corps of the organization "MURDER".
* The heroine of ''Manga/SeizeiGanbareMahouShoujoKurumi'' is a young girl who is given the power to become the angel warrior Prima Angel to fight the evil Darkness Whales organization.
* Every single woman in ''LightNovel/HorizonInTheMiddleOfNowhere''; however, how much "mage" or "warrior" there is depends on the person and their abilities.
%%* ''Anime/HyperSpeedGranDoll'' is a very close follower of ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' with a sci-fi feel.
* ''Anime/JewelBEMHunterLime'' combines this trope with CuteWitch - she's a natural-born magical user and a clueless newcomer to the human world, but she's also tasked with saving the world from evil [[MonsterOfTheWeek Monsters Of The Week]] and has transforming powers.
%%* ''Anime/JubeiChan'', albeit less "magical" and more "ninja" than other examples.
%%* ''Anime/KaitouTenshiTwinAngel''
%%* ''Manga/KamichamaKarin''
* ''LightNovel/{{Kampfer}}'' adds a GenderBender twist -- main character Natsuru turns into a girl whenever he transforms and the Kampfer don't defend anything, they engage other magical girls in gladiatorial combat.
* ''Anime/KillLaKill'' is the team behind ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'''s take on the genre. It borrows a bit from ''Cutey Honey'', including the {{fanservice}}y outfit and having the death of the main character's father as a starting point for their mission. It's particularly heavy on the ''"Warrior"'' part, as there are very few blaster- or wand-type weapons (the most powerful weapons being melee-based, like the Scissor Blades), and [[BeautyIsNeverTarnished beauty is]] [[SubvertedTrope MOST DEFINITELY]] [[BeautyIsNeverTarnished tarnished]], as the main character (as well as several others) is realistically beaten bloody and bruised during some fights ([[AmusingInjuries sometimes unrealistically]]).
* ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' started as a standard Magical Girl Warrior anime but quickly [[GrowingTheBeard found its true calling]] as {{Seinen}} MilitaryScienceFiction, of all things. By the time of third season, ''[[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikerS StrikerS]]'', the entire cast are SpacePolice enlistees, making them magical girl ''soldiers'', or, more accurately, [[PersonOfMassDestruction living equivalents of tanks and jet fighters]]. Not that this prevents Nanoha from using her magical abilities to [[DefeatMeansFriendship befriend the living hell out of people]].
* In ''Manga/MachimahoIMessedUpAndMadeTheWrongPersonIntoAMagicalGirl!'', Kayo isn't so much a warrior as she is a ''berserker''. Combined with her crass delinquent attitude, the monsters she fights barely stand a chance.
* ''Manga/MagicKnightRayearth'' crosses this with [[HeroicFantasy Swords And Sorcery]] and the SuperRobotGenre.
* In ''Manga/MagicalChange'', Manaka Hiromi is given the magical power of the Red Garnet Princess to defeat the Devil King. As he is a boy, this involves making him a SuperGenderBender.
* ''VisualNovel/MagicalCanan'' uses this term to describe their magical girls (''mahou senshi'').
* ''Manga/MagicalGirlOre'' gender-flips it slightly -- the girls turn into magical ''[[SuperGenderBender boy]]'' warriors due to a couple of transformation complications.
* ''Manga/MagicalGirlSpecOpsAsuka'' emphasizes on the Warrior aspect. The magical girls are literal special forces operators and wear military-grade accessories such as utility belts and pouches, combat knives and such on top of the conventionally girly costumes.
* ''Anime/MagicalWitchPuniechan'' is a parody. The Magical Girl in question (who is a VillainProtagonist, taking after her [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen evil queen]] of a mother) is vulnerable to getting her magic suppressed, which sounds quite inconvenient until you realize she also happens to be a master of unarmed combat specializing in crippling submission wrestling techniques. Her magical incantation is "''Lyrical Tokarev, [[AxCrazy kill them all]]!''".
* ''Manga/MagilumiereCoLtd'' presents a unique take on the MagicalGirlWarrior-- the series takes place in a world where outbreaks of dangerous creatures known as Kaii have become a common phenomenon, and companies employ working women as "magical girls" to wield {{Magitek}} to take them out. Kaii incidents are referred to as "exterminations" but are essentially MagicalGirl battles. There's plenty of the usual MagicalGirl tropes and flashy fights, with the catch that position of "magical girl" is treated mostly like an average career, meaning that it has its own set of workplace politics and conflicts on top of all that.
* Parodied in ''Manga/MahouShoujoPrettyBell'' - the warrior in question is a 35-year-old male bodybuilder and weight trainer.
* ''Anime/MyHime'' brings a postmodern sensibility to the genre, removing traditional elements like over-the-top speeches, transformations, and elaborate outfits in favor of an {{Ensemble Cast}} utilizing mecha-like {{Bond Creatures}}.
** Despite taking place in a vague future timeline, ''Anime/MyOtome'' (a [[ContinuityReboot reboot]]-{{sequel}}-{{spinoff}}) remains more faithful to the genre's more traditional tropes with [[TransformationSequence stock footage transformations]], [[PoweredArmor battle outfits]] and {{Transformation Trinket}}s in the form of minerals and gemstones.
* ''Anime/MakerunaMakendo'' adds a UsefulNotes/{{kendo}} theme.
* Invoked in ''Anime/MaoChan'', where Earth is being invaded by aliens so [[RidiculouslyCuteCritter cute]] that fighting them is viewed as bullying, forcing the heads of Japan's defense forces to have their [[{{Moe}} cute]] granddaughters fight the aliens.
* In ''Anime/MatoiTheSacredSlayer'', the magical girls have exorcist powers and fight inter-dimensional demons called "Nights."
* ''Anime/MegamiParadise''.
* ''Manga/MeiCompany'' focuses on magical girls who retired and opened a cleaning service, while the current generation of magical girls battle the forces of evil in the background.
* ''Manga/MermaidMelodyPichiPichiPitch'' is a cross of this and MagicIdolSinger.
* Ray from ''Manga/MyCelestialFamily''. A GenderBender, as he's male in civilian form.
* Kosaki, Chitoge and Marika are given the power to transform into magical heroines in order to preserve world peace in the ''Manga/{{Nisekoi}}'' spin-off ''Magical Pâtissière Kosaki-chan''.
* In the NotSafeForWork anime ''Mahou Shoujo Erena'', protagonist Erena is given the power to become a magical girl and battle a race of evil tentacle monsters named Zoid.
* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'': The ShowWithinAShow ''Magical Girl Biblion'' is a parody of this, complete with in-universe RuleThirtyFour {{doujinshi}} that typically follows these character types. Since [[PlayfulHacker Chisame]] [[CosplayOtakuGirl cosplays]] the characters featured there, her Pactio Card turned her into one with a cyberspace theme.
* ''Manga/NurseAngelRirikaSOS'', a product of the 90s magical girl boom, features a heroine that mostly fights solo unlike the many sentai-style series of its day, and it gradually becomes DarkerAndEdgier as it goes on. It is often considered a forerunner to ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' and {{Magical Girl Genre Deconstruction}}s like ''Madoka Magica''.
* Parodied in ''Butt Attack Punisher Girl Gautaman'', where devout Catholic Mari is given a magical fundoshi (sumo wrestling loin cloth) by Buddha and transforms into a scantily-clad heroine in order to battle the evil Black Buddha cult.
* Parodied in ''Mahou Shounen Majorian'': two boys, one of whom bullies the other, are [[SuperGenderBender transformed into girls]] in order to battle alien invaders.
* ''Manga/{{Phantom Thief Jeanne}}'' is of the before-sentai variety with a sole [[HenshinHero henshin heroine]] and plays this trope quite straight. [[spoiler:Until it takes a dark turn with the {{The Reveal}} more than a decade before it became mainstream, that is.]]
* ''Manga/{{Pretear}}'' combines classical genre tropes ({{Transformation Sequence}}, {{Calling Your Attacks}}, etc.) with fairy tale homages, especially from ''Literature/SnowWhite'', ''Literature/{{Cinderella}}'' and ''Literature/SleepingBeauty''.
* The most popular show of this type in Japan is the entire ''Anime/PrettyCure'' franchise. [[DarkerAndEdgier Taken to extremes in]] ''Anime/HeartcatchPrettyCure'', where the battles looks like something straight out of ''Manga/SaintSeiya'' (character designer Yoshihiko Umakoshi went on to work on ''Anime/SaintSeiyaOmega'').
%%* Parodied in the {{seinen}} series ''Anime/PrettySammy'', a {{Spinoff}} of ''Anime/TenchiMuyo''
* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': A darker take. Teenage girls are recruited to combat {{Eldritch Abomination}}s known as "witches", and use anything from bombs to swords to ribbons to accomplish this. [[spoiler:Because of the nature of the [[DealWithTheDevil contract]] every magical girl makes and how [[TheCorruption magic generally works]], every magical girl is doomed to ultimately become a witch. If they don't die horribly first. It also deconstructs their general durability in combat; a normal human body simply cannot take that kind of punishment from combat, and one of the awful truths is that they're [[OurLichesAreDifferent Liches]] in all but name.]]
* ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena'' particularly embodies the "growing up as a struggle" metaphor, with the added bonus of Gnostic metaphor thrown in for good measure. This was emphasized way more in the anime than in the manga, however.
* [[TropeCodifier Pretty much cemented]] by the enormous popularity of ''Manga/SailorMoon'', which introduced the {{Sentai}} elements to the genre.
* ''Manga/SaintSeiya'' is a Magical Boy Warrior series in all but genre. Flashy transformations, {{Frilly Upgrade}}s, and stylish combat are the name of the game. Some of its anime incarnations even had staff members that would go on to do animation and character design work for ''Anime/PrettyCure'', while people who worked on ''Pretty Cure'' and other similar works would end up bringing their work ''back'' to ''Saint Seiya'', like the above-mentioned Yoshihiko Umakoshi.
* ''Anime/{{Sarazanmai}}'' is a very unconventional take for boys: the powers help the main trio come of age, their enemies reflect their own insecurities, and they're working with a MentorMascot that is the prince of a magic kingdom, but their alternate forms are cartoony kappa.
* ''Anime/ShamanicPrincess'': Tiara is what happens when you take a CuteWitch and make her a badass while bypassing the super hero element.
* Parodied within the {{shojo}} demographic with ''Manga/SuperPig'', which is about a girl who transforms into a super-powered... [[MessyPig pig]].
* ''Anime/SweetValerian'' features three girls who transform into superpowered monster-fighting... bunny rabbits.
* ''Anime/{{Symphogear}}'' goes further and crossbreeds ThePowerOfRock with {{Magitek}}. Net result? [[DiscoTech Powered armor that runs on singing]]. Instead of magic wands, primary cast is armed with rocket-powered fists, multitudes of swords, dual-wielded chainguns and more deadly implements as series goes on.
* ''Anime/TokyoMewMew'' mixed the idea with {{Catgirl}}s and a pro-environmental theme.
* ''Manga/TowaKamoShirenai'': Himiko and Kosumo, the latter via organ donation.
* ''Anime/UmiMonogatari'' takes this type of show and tweaks it; among other things, the revelation of what the BigBad ''really'' is allows for a conclusion that's more true-to-life than most shows of this genre.
* ''Anime/VividredOperation'': Technically, the heroines are empowered by technology, rather than magic, but they otherwise fit this trope point for point. It certainly helps that their technology is [[ClarkesThirdLaw advanced to the point that it may as well be magic anyway]].
* ''Manga/WeddingPeach'' and its anime follow the conventions of Sailor Moon.
* ''Anime/{{Witchblade}}'' is a dark and not quite classical example but fits the bill across the board with the eponymous Witchblade and the [[EvilKnockoff Cloneblades]]. [[HenshinHero Transforming female characters]]? Check. [[ChainmailBikini Battle costumes]]? Check. [[BloodKnight Superpowers]]? [[PowerataPrice Check]]. Evil organization spanning evil man-to-machine [[MonsteroftheWeek monsters of the week]]? Check. {{Transformation Trinket}}? [[spoiler: [[ArtifactofDeath Oh boy check]].]]
* ''Anime/YukiYunaIsAHero'' has four (later five) middle-school girls fighting [[MonsterOfTheWeek monsters]] bent on destroying the local WorldTree. [[spoiler:It later reveals itself to be [[ChildSoldiers much darker]] than originally suggested.]]
* ''Manga/{{Yurara}}'' has elements of this - the titular Yurara is able to transform into a tall darkhaired beauty and battle evil spirits with powerful magic in order to send them to the afterlife.
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