As one of the top three students at U.A., Nejire naturally packs a punch on the battlefield. She can use her “Wave Motion” quirk to convert her stamina into spiral shockwaves that can serve as attacks or allow her to fly, as seen when she easily takes down two gigantic villains in one strike. She has an absolutely adorable hero costume (which cosplayers have quickly taken a liking to) and a bubbly, if somewhat invasive, personality that gives her a unique flavor compared to other side characters. We need more Nejire in our lives!

Hibiki is tired of being a gluttonous layabout, so she joins a gym and finds her passion in weightlifting. She’s already got that tan-skinned blonde look going on, but her determination to better herself (and her tendency to turn into a JoJo character when arm-wrestling) raises her up to the top tier of the 2019 waifu ranks! It’s not every day that a cute anime girl inspires real people to make positive changes in their lives, but Hibiki’s positive encouragement has actually gotten anime fans to go to the gym!

Ristarte is a novice goddess (a la Aqua from KonoSuba) who tries her best to summon appropriate heroes to save worlds in peril, but when she picks the ridiculously cautious Seiya for the mission, she drops her formal demeanor and spends most of her time annoyed at him (or drooling over his muscles). Her increasingly distressed commentary on the situation is always a joy to watch, as are her important character moments later on in the story. Can Ristarte just be our best friend?

Fire Force isn’t short on high-quality waifus—the pious Iris and muscly Maki spring immediately to mind—but our favorite has to be the flashy and flamboyant captain of the 5th Division, Princess Hibana. She starts out as an unhinged yandere who uses her male subordinates as furniture and nearly kills Shinra with flower-themed pyrotechnics, but after he and Iris save her from herself, she simmers down into a sexy older tsundere who dotes on Shinra every chance she gets. With her impeccable style, unique powers, and intriguing backstory, Hibana captures our hearts every time we see her on-screen!

The Insect Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps may not have the brute strength to behead a demon, but she has so many other ways of making them suffer. Shinobu uses elegant sword techniques and a wide variety of poisons to bring enemies to their knees, and she always looks good doing it. Her flowing butterfly-like robe and mischievous smile add to her charm, and even when she isn’t fighting, her tendency to purposefully push other people’s buttons (especially Giyuu’s) makes her a joy to watch. She’ll always be our queen!