Magical Girl



""Magic Girls, no matter how frilly their dresses, high their screams, or incompetent their sidekicks, will be treated as the credible and dire threats they are, and I will direct as many, if not more resources to their destruction as I would for a more classical Hero.""

- Evil Empress Guide

Known as mahou shoujo (魔法少女, "magical girl") in Japanese, or simply majokko (魔女子, "witch girl"), Magical Girls are empowered by various means with fantastic powers that both assist and complicate their lives, but manage to persevere despite this.

Magical Girls have high crossover popularity in different demographics with some minor but appropriate design modifications, and make up a sizable portion of both Shojo and bishoujo fandom.

Sub Tropes:
 * Cute Witch, where magic is mundane to the character.
 * Magic Idol Singer, who (initially) uses her powers for her own benefit.
 * Magical Girl Warrior, mostly in a superheroine role fighting evil.

Magical Girl Warriors arguably have the widest demographic appeal, and in the West are often synonymous with the idea of a Magical Girl.

History of the Genre

It may come as a surprise to learn that the entire Magical Girl genre is descended, effectively, from the American live-action series Bewitched. While two series claim the role of first magical girl anime -- Mitsuteru Yokoyama's Mahotsukai Sally (Sally the Witch, 1966-1968) and Akatsuka Fujio's Himitsu no Akko-chan (broadcast 1969, but its manga predates Mahotsukai Sally) -- the creators of both credit Bewitched as a primary inspiration for their work. Yokoyama explicitly adapted its concept for a younger audience, while Akatsuka merely says he was "inspired" by it.

Another important early Magical Girl show was Majokko Meg-chan in 1974. This was the first show to be marketed to boys as well as girls, and featured a number of developments -- it was the first Magical Girl show to...


 * have a Tomboyish heroine -- all magical girls prior to this had been sweet feminine girls
 * feature a rival to the main character (Non, Meg's rival and the local Dark Magical Girl).
 * include a really evil character. Prior to this, there was a perception that young girls couldn't handle such things.
 * feature Fan Service (in the form of Panty Shots, slight nudity, and Megu being a borderline Fille Fatale), as well as Lovable Sex Maniac characters (Megu's stepbrother Rabi and Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain Chou)
 * touch on more serious social issues like Domestic Abuse, extramarital relationships, drug abuse.
 * have the heroine not only lose fights, but having to face serious consequences (deaths, injuries, humiliations, etc.)

Originally, all Magical Girl shows were produced by Toei Animation, so "Magical Girl" wasn't so much a genre as a Series Franchise. This lasted until Ashi Production's Magical Princess Minky Momo hit the airwaves in 1982 (also notable for being the first such show to feature talking animal sidekicks), followed by Studio Pierrot's Creamy Mami in 1983 (the first Magic Idol Singer show). A one-shot OVA produced in 1987 featured a Bat Family Crossover between Studio Pierrot's four 80s Magical Girl shows (Creamy Mami; Persia the Magic Fairy; Magical Star Magical Emi and Magical Idol Pastel Yumi) - this was the first instance of a magical girl team.

The Magical Girl Warrior subgenre, despite being the most well-known style of Magical Girl show in the west, didn't hit until Sailor Moon in 1992 (unless you count Cutey Honey, which wasn't aimed at girls but had a lot of influence on it, or Devil Hunter Yohko, which wasn't aimed at girls either). This was a essentially a combination of the earlier style shows with the Superhero genre, particularly the Super Sentai formula. Sailor Moon was a huge hit, and naturally other shows were made in the same style, and some were even more divergent from the old-style shows. Many fans felt that shows such as Magic Knight Rayearth were still Magical Girl shows, despite all the dissimilarities from the previous generation (others disagree, and feel that Rayearth is Shoujo RPG World Fantasy instead).

The wave of shows made in Sailor Moon's wake eventually subsided, but the genre is far from dead. Contemporary examples include Ojamajo Doremi, Pretty Cure (aimed at both young girls and adult males), and Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha (more of an action series with magical girls). In 2011 Puella Magi Madoka Magica was released, considered by many to be the genre's Neon Genesis Evangelion.

'''IMPORTANT NOTE: A girl who can use magic is not necessarily a Magical Girl in the sense of the trope or genre. A Magical Girlfriend, for example, usually does not fit into the same structure that defines a Magical Girl series.'''

Also see the Index of Magical Girl Tropes.

Anime and Manga

 * Sailor Moon, perhaps the most famous outside (and inside!) of Japan. Many misinformed people will call any other magical girl series a "ripoff" of Sailor Moon, which isn't true in the slightest.
 * Codename: Sailor V, the manga which led to the creation of Sailor Moon.
 * Cardcaptor Sakura, easily the second most famous behind Miss Tsukino worldwide (and the banner girl for this page).
 * Sally the Witch, the first in the genre and Trope Codifier for the Cute Witch subgenre.
 * Majokko Meg-chan, ground-breaking in regards to the genre
 * Other early examples of the genre include:
 * Himitsu no Akko-chan features a girl with a magic mirror.
 * Mahou no Mako-chan is a Magical Girl adaptation of The Little Mermaid.
 * Sarutobi Ecchan features a girl with ninja powers.
 * Marvelous Melmo uses magic pills to change her age.
 * Mahou Tsukai Chappy
 * Miracle Shojo Limit Chan features a cyborg heroine.
 * Esper Mami uses psychic powers.
 * Majokko Tickle
 * Hana no Ko Lunlun which is mostly a Cute Witch but sometimes takes a Magical Girl Warrior role, heavily depending on her surroundings.
 * Mahou Shojo Lalabel
 * Magical Princess Minky Momo
 * Magical Angel Creamy Mami, Persia the Magic Fairy, Magical Star Magical Emi, and Magical Idol Pastel Yumi, all of which were put out by Studio Pierrot in the 1980s. Also, the Studio Pierrot pilot film, Yumesekai No Hodgepodge.
 * Magic Knight Rayearth is CLAMP's first crack at the genre.
 * Wedding Peach has a wedding theme.
 * Tokyo Mew Mew has an environmentalist theme.
 * Ojamajo Doremi features a Five-Man Band of Cute Witches
 * Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch features mermaids who transform into Magic Idol Singers.
 * Shadow Lady, Kaitou Saint Tail and Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne combine this genre with the Kaitou.
 * Deconstructions, subversions, and parodies of the genre include:
 * Revolutionary Girl Utena is a famous subversion.
 * Princess Tutu took the Utena crowd back deeper into Magical Girl territory, though still very unique.
 * Ai to Yuuki no Pig Girl Tonde Buurin is a parody and an example at the same time, one of the few (perhaps the only) parodies actually aimed at the same demographic as straight examples. It's protagonist is a Magical Girl Warrior who transforms not into a glamorous Frills of Justice clad heroine, but instead into a superpowered pig in a cape.
 * Gently mocked in the Gakuen Kino novels, a High School AU of the Kino's Journey series; where ultimate pragmatist Kino is thrust into the genre.
 * Affectionately parodied in Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z.
 * The Pretty Sammy series (which itself is a gentle parody of Sailor Moon).
 * Puni Puni Poemi viciously satirizes magical girl shows (among many other things).
 * Brutal but comedic deconstruction: Dai Mahou Touge
 * From the same director, Bludgeoning Angel Dokurochan is another brutally comedic deconstruction.
 * Majokko Tsukune-chan is a surreal parody of the Cute Witch genre.
 * Panty and Stocking With Garterbelt is what happens when you get Studio Gainax (more specifically the director behind the 5th episode of FLCL) to direct a Magical Girl series.
 * Puella Magi Madoka Magica, another for the Deconstruction team, a very brutal one. It is often considered to be the Magical Girl Neon Genesis Evangelion (in terms of Genre Deconstruction and extreme darkness of tone).
 * Puella Magi Kazumi Magica is a Lighter and Softer spin-off
 * Puella Magi Oriko Magica is another spin-off, and is an interquel.
 * More modern, subversive takes on the trope include:
 * The Mai universe (Mai-HiME, Mai-Otome, Mai-Otome Zwei, Mai-HiME Destiny.)
 * The Pretty Cure multiverse (Futari wa Pretty Cure, Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star, Yes! Pretty Cure 5, Fresh Pretty Cure, Heartcatch Pretty Cure, Suite Precure and Smile Pretty Cure.).
 * Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha is an oddity in that rather than young girls, older teenagers and young men are the target audience, plus that it is much more character-driven compared to most other series.
 * The latest manga has actually dropped "Magical Girl" from the title, since Nanoha is now 25 and either still a Captain of an Interdimensional Air Force or higher. She's still Magical, but is a woman, not a girl.
 * At the same time, a Spin-Off manga starring Vivio was released that kept the "Magical Girl" part of the title. Yup, Nanoha's daughter has now officially inherited her mother's role as Magical Girl, complete with Older Alter Ego.
 * Akahori Gedou Hour Rabuge
 * Akazukin Chacha started out as a Cute Witch, but was turned into a Magical Girl Warrior for her anime adaptation.
 * Alice 19th
 * Alice Kara Mahou
 * Animal Detectives Kiruminzoo
 * Ark Angels
 * Asagiri no Miko
 * Ask Dr. Rin!
 * Black Rock Shooter is a gothic take on the genre, with the heroines dressing all in black and toting huge guns/swords/scythes.
 * Corrector Yui
 * Cos Prayers
 * Crayon Kingdom of Dreams
 * Cyber Team in Akihabara
 * D4 Princess
 * Demon Fighter Kocho
 * Devil Hunter Yohko
 * Dream Hunter Rem
 * Earth Maiden Arjuna
 * Fairy Navigator Runa
 * Floral Magician Mary Bell
 * Full Moon o Sagashite
 * Fushigi Mahou Fan Fan Pharmacy
 * Fushigiboshi no Futagohime
 * Gaba Kawa
 * Gakuen Alice
 * Galaxy Fraulein Yuna (by way of Magic From Technology?)
 * Getsumen to Heiki Mina combines this with Bunny Girls, aliens, a vegetable theme, and a possible Affectionate Parody.
 * G-On Riders
 * Happy Seven
 * Hime-chan no Ribon
 * Hime Chen! Otogi Chikku Idol Lilpri
 * Houkago no Pleiades
 * Hyper Doll
 * Hyper Rune
 * Hyper Speed Gran Doll
 * Idol Fighter Su Chi Pai
 * ION
 * Jewel BEM Hunter Lime
 * Jewelpet
 * Jubei-chan
 * Jungle de Ikou!
 * Kagihime Monogatari
 * Kaitou Tenshi Twin Angel
 * Kamichama Karin started out as a one-shot parody of the genre, but was popular enough to become a series in its own right.
 * Kannazuki no Miko combines this with Humongous Mecha and Schoolgirl Lesbians.
 * Koi Cupid
 * Leda the Fantastic Adventure of Yohko which is reminiscent of Magic Knight Rayearth except with only one Magical Girl instead of three.
 * Magic Users Club
 * Magical Angel Sweet Mint
 * Magical Canan
 * Magical Nyan Nyan Taruto
 * Magical Play
 * Magical Pokaan
 * Magical Stage Fancy Lala is another Magic Idol Singer show from Studio Pierrot.
 * Harbour Light Monogatari Fashion Lala, the OVA which lead to the creation of Fancy Lala.
 * Makeruna Makendo
 * Mao-chan
 * Megami Paradise
 * Meru Puri
 * Mink
 * Miracle Dieter Miyuki
 * Miracle Girls
 * Moetan is aimed at the Otaku demographic.
 * Moegaku is a similar series.
 * Moldiver
 * Nanako SOS (although technically, she's more like a Superhero, lacking a Mentor Mascot, Transformation Trinket, or most things usually associated with the trope.)
 * Nanatsuiro Drops
 * Nurse Angel Ririka SOS
 * Nurse Witch Komugi
 * Oku-sama wa Mahou Shoujo: Bewitched Agnes is about a 26 year old Magical Girl, amongst others.
 * Onegai My Melody
 * Otogi Juushi Akazukin
 * Petite Princess Yucie
 * Pixie Pop
 * Prétear gives the heroine an Unwanted Harem
 * Princess Comet (a.k.a. Cosmic Baton Girl Comet San)
 * Psycho Trader Chinami
 * Quiz Magic Academy
 * Rakugo Tennyo Oyui, a Jidai Geki take.
 * Saint October
 * Sakura Hime The Legend Of Princess Sakura
 * Sasami Magical Girls Club is one of the rare Cute Witch ones to actually see a formal United States localization.
 * Shamanic Princess
 * Shoujo Tenshi Milcute
 * Shugo Chara!
 * St Dragon Girl
 * Stray Little Devil
 * Sugar Sugar Rune
 * Super Doll Licca-chan
 * Sweet Valerian
 * Tantei Opera Milky Holmes combines this with the Detective genre.
 * Telepathy Girl Ran, if you consider Psychic Powers magical.
 * Time Stranger Kyoko
 * Tweeny Witches aka Magical Girl Squad Arusu
 * Ultimate Girls
 * Ultra Maniac
 * Umi Monogatari
 * Uta Kata
 * Yadamon
 * Zero no Tsukaima
 * Zodiac P.I.
 * Mei No Naisho is an unusual example - although it's considered a magical girl series, the manga is the story of a young boy who was raised as a girl by his witch mother, and possesses witch powers, a wand and a talking cat familiar. It also features a perverted girl, as opposed to the usual perverted boy.
 * Mahou Shounen Majorian adds a Gender Bender twist: two boys, one of whom bullies the other, are transformed into girls in order to battle alien invaders.
 * Brocken Blood is another Gender Bender magical "girl" show, but with the added element of Magic Idol Singer. It's also a parody of the Magical Girl genre.
 * Yet another Gender Bender example with Kämpfer - Natsuru turns into a girl whenever he transforms.
 * For the more mature audience, there is Lingerie Fighter Papillon Rose, (OtherWiki) which is part Magical Girl and part adult entertainment.
 * Similar to the above: Mahou Shoujo Ai, Angelium, Megachu, Family Restaurant Warrior Pudding, Marine A Go Go, Angel Blade, Venus 5, Beat Angel Escalayer, Jiburiru The Devil Angel, Magic Woman M, Magical Twilight, Enspelled, Sex Demon Queen, Mahou Shoujo Sae, Mahou Shoujo Isuka and Sexy Sailor Soldiers.
 * Fate Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya. The original Fate Stay Night sequel Fate Hollow Ataraxia had one side story where Rin has an interdimensional teacher who trains her by giving her a Magical Girl Rod that "followed rules from a different dimension." This Manga takes that notion and runs with it, but with Illya as the heroine.
 * The Nasuverse love to play around with this. Arcueid has like 3 different magical girl alter-egos, Caren has one, and both Hisui and Kohaku have one. All are jokes of course. Saber Lily could be considered to be one as well, but Saber's powers are already kinda magical girlish to be with.
 * Played for Laughs in Oto X Maho, Kanata is a guy who turns into a Magical Girl Warrior. To be fair, he was forced into it.
 * Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? is part Magical Girl, part about ten other things (Unwanted Harem being one of them).
 * T.P. Sakura: Time Paladin Sakura, is a Magical Girl themed spin off of the Da Capo anime.
 * Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto and its sequel Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora.
 * Kidou Shinsengumi Moeyo Ken - the magical girl genre meets the Shinsengumi.

Asian Animation

 * Petit Petit Muse is a Korean Magical Girl tv show.

Video Games

 * The Hentai video game Jewel Knights Crusaders.
 * Magical Battle Arena.
 * Magical Cannon Wars is about Akira (also a magical girl) trying to stop all of the other magical girls from fighting.

Web Original

 * Deconstructed hard in Sailor Nothing.
 * Played with in various Improfanfic series:
 * Magical Girl Hunters -- So many girls are empowered as magical girls that they're starting to run out of sensible themes and names, and many magical girl groups are starting to target lesser evils like corporate greed. The protagonists are the eponymous hunters, hired assassins who eliminate magical girls who have become pests. Some featured deconstructions include Sailor H, the Sailor Shoggoths, and the 64 (later 128) Crayola Knights.
 * Do Gooders -- Two members of the eponymous band are magical girls. Several other magical girls appear in the series, including Sailor Becky who wields the power of the Otaku (ripping off attacks from various anime) and Sailor Exposition who holds the power of being able to put people to sleep by extremely long explanations. There are even two different flavors of Dark Magical Girl.
 * Girls With Guns -- Follows the somewhat nonsensical adventures of Pretty Deadly and Sailor Becky from the above two series as they take on a Crap Saccharine World by virtue of superior armaments.
 * So far in Arcana Magi, Alysia Morales is a magical girl under unfortunate circumstances. Meanwhile in Arcana Magi Zero, Alysia Perez and Megumi Miyazaki are magical girls complete with Transformation Sequence, magical outfits, and random attack names.
 * The entire Arcana Magi Universe feature Magical Girls.
 * Magic Heart And The Magical Warriors
 * Five Six Eight Three by Mattimati 0 n
 * Magical Girl Rune,a Vaporware show.
 * Saga of Soul.
 * The Magical And Mysterious World Of Lady Star.
 * For the Spirit of Creation
 * Lambda
 * Hachimitsu no Kissu
 * Kawaii Battle Stars
 * Raya

Web Comics

 * Angel Moxie is both a parody and an homage of the genre. It is about Junior High student Alex (a fairly standard magical girl) and her two friends (each of whom have super powers but otherwise don't have many magical girl characteristics) as they fight off Lord Yzin and his servants. It can be found here.
 * The Adventures Of Sailor Ranko, a Fuku Fic webcomic. Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendo are sent away from their home by their parents in another attempt to get the pair to confess their feelings for each other and pressure them to marry. Ranma's female alter ego (known as Ranko) meets up with the Sailor Senshi and they discover she (Ranko) is the reincarnation of Sailor Sun, a long lost Sailor Senshi. Ranma now has a triple life, one, as male Ranma trying to avoid the troubles he left behind in Nerima, two, as female Ranko who was accidentally enrolled at the same high school by her well meaning and totally oblivious-to-the-truth mother, and three, her role as Sailor Sun working with the Sailor Senshi fighting for love and justice. A Dead Fic, unfortunately.
 * Evil Diva, a webcomic about a devil girl who can't help doing good deeds for others.
 * Cardcaptor Torika, a sequel to the Cardcaptor Sakura series featuring Sakura's daughter.
 * Mechagical Girl Lisa A.N.T. parodies the genre with a Fan Girl who becomes a (sorta) magical girl... and proceeds to apply large amounts of Wrong Genre Savvy.
 * To Prevent World Peace features a world where magical girls have been active since WWI. Cue Alternate History. The story follows a magical girl who believes she must become a Necessarily Evil in order to stop other girls from going too far.
 * Hi To Tsuki No Hoshi No Tama has Magical Girl with a hint of Mon.
 * Gorgeous Princess Creamy Beamy, a somewhat violent parody of the genre's conventions - the heroine is somewhat chubby, has an alien disguised as a star-nosed mole for a Mentor Mascot, and is often severely injured in battle (luckily, she is a Human Alien with the ability to regenerate her body parts).
 * Magical Boys!, another parody of the genre - the main character is a boy who is given magical girl powers (although he retains his gender) to battle against Dark Magical Girls who want to kill retired magical girls. As the story progresses, more magical boys are revealed.
 * Also parodied in Mahou Shounen Fight.

Western Animation

 * From Italy,Winx Club, Pop Pixie (a Spin-Off of the former) W.I.T.C.H., and Angel's Friends.
 * Sky Dancers, a French series.
 * Trollz, a Canadian series.

Anime and Manga

 * Cutey Honey is a forerunner of Magical Girl Warrior version, which blended Fan Service and fun battles in one tongue-in-cheek package. Fans are divided whether she counts as a true magical girl or a superhero.
 * New Cutey Honey is the sequel, set 100 years after the original.
 * Cutey Honey Flash is a straight magical girl variant.
 * Cutey Honey Tennyo Densetsu is set in 2005, and features a version of Cutey Honey who has time travelled from the 70s to battle Panther Claw in the new millenium.
 * Cutey Honey Seed is set in an Alternate Universe, where a Cutey Honey Otaku finds a beautiful alien girl who, like all members of her species, develops any power necessary to protect herself and others. After watching several episodes of Cutey Honey, she develops "super powers" just like the "real" Honey's, even going so far as to shout "Honey Flash!"
 * Yurara No Tsuki has elements of this, as the main character is able to transform and battle evil spirits with powerful magic.
 * The plot of one episode of They Are My Noble Masters is started when Ren discovers that Yume has written a story starring herself as a magical girl.
 * The main character in Otaku no Video is able to break into the anime industry with his magical girl series, Misty May.
 * Pokomi from Bobobobo Bobobo
 * In an episode of Best Student Council, one character is suspected of being a magical girl; both the Magical Girl Warrior and the Cute Witch (complete with Older Alter Ego) versions are brought up.
 * The same situation pops up in Love Hina, where Kaolla Su is compared to a Magical Girl because she eats a lot, talks to animals, and can change into an adult. Kentaro Sakata and one of Keitaro's highschool friends vainly struggle to convince the main characters that Kaolla was one.
 * The main character in Penguin Musume Heart is obsessed with Takenoko-chan, a magical catgirl who protects the "holy place" from the evil Bamboo King. There's apparently a sequel as well, Takenoko-chan R.
 * Angol Moa's true form in Keroro Gunsou seems to be a parody of the Magical Girl; she has the Stock Footage transformation and special-attack scenes, the costume, and a cute personality, but she's the Lord of Terror from the prophecies of Nostradamus who came to destroy the world with the "Lucifer Spear".
 * Dark Magician Girl in Yu-Gi-Oh!! is largely based on this idea, with several of her summoning scenes looking similar to magical girl transformation sequences. Despite the name, she is not a Dark Magical Girl.
 * Yugi himself uses a lot of tropes that usually indicate a magical girl -- a Transformation Trinket, at least one confirmed named attack (Mind Crush), and a Transformation Sequence -- that if it weren't for the Super-Powered Alter Ego, one could almost classify him as a "magical boy".
 * Behoimi in Pani Poni Dash!. She's not really a Magical Girl, but that doesn't stop her from playing the role. She even gets her own Image Song about her Magical Girl-ness.
 * She now has a spin-off manga, The Alternative Cure Magical Girl Behoimi Chan, where she is an actual magical girl.
 * Barajou no Kiss has Anise, who summons the magical members of her Unwanted Harem via magical cards.
 * In several episodes of Popotan, Mii decides to cosplay as Magical Girl Lilo and spread happiness to those who believe that she is a real magical girl.
 * Lampshaded: the DVD extras of Ah! My Goddess have a gag dub in which a student accuses Belldandy of being a Magical Girl. Belldandy insists that she is a Goddess, not a Magical Girl, and they then debate the crucial differences.
 * This was likely inspired by a situation in the manga when Sayoko witnessed Belldandy's powers and accused her of being a witch. Sayoko specifically referred to Magical Girl tropes, including the Idol Singer.
 * Parodied in Suzumiya Haruhi; the main characters create a movie in which the protagonist is a bunny girl-waitress from the future whose attacks include shooting laser beams, rifle bullets, and micro black holes (the last two novel-only) from her eyes.
 * Episode 7 of [Zoku] Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei focused on Art Shifts, with the title sequence and parts of the episode devoted to Kafuka, Chiri, and Meru as the magical girl team Model Warrior Lily Cure, and Nozomu Itoshiki as the Big Bad, The Teacher Of Despair. It even closes with an "On the Next..." continuing the plot. This is a drastic change from the usual format of the show.
 * To Love Ru combines this with an Expy. Kyoko Kirisaki from Black Cat is turned into Magical Flame Kyoko, a pyromaniac magical girl.
 * Also, two of Mikan's school friends presumably now believe she's a Magical Girl Warrior after they see her flying to chase down a criminal while wearing Peke.
 * Raichou from Kyouran Kazoku Nikki claims to be a magical girl.
 * The Show Within a Show Puru Puru Pururin of the anime version of Welcome to The NHK. Only a few snippets are shown, in which we see that Pururin is accompained by a number of animated household objects, including a vacuum cleaner upon which she flies, and that her trademark is to randomly append the word "Purin" to the end of sentences.
 * Parodied in episode 9 of Gag Manga Biyori.
 * Ninin ga Shinobuden has a parody in the final episode with "Magical Nin-Nin Shinobu".
 * In Kannagi, after viewing a magical girl on TV, Nagi immediately buys a toy wand and modifies it into an impurity-vanquishing spiritual weapon to compensate for her lack of power. Then she gets really into it and starts doing poses. It looks goofy on an ancient goddess, but Nagi's clearly enjoying herself.
 * Mahou Sensei Negima has the Show Within a Show, "Mahou Shoujo Biblion". The show's resident Cosplay Otaku Girl/Playful Hacker/Meta Guy cosplays as a character from the show. Said girl eventually gets a Magical Girl staff as her artifact. It gives her super hacking powers.
 * Asakara, on witnessing Negi's powers for the first time, theorizes that he is a magical girl (boy version).
 * Galaxy Angel has an episode where they are told NOT to use a Lost Technology wand, as it has been known to start wars.
 * From the same TV season, episode eight of H2O: Footprints in the Sand had an extended sequence revolving around Otoha as a magical girl. That was probably the least odd thing in that episode.
 * Ayumi Kinoshita, a bespectacled Ill Girl from Hell Teacher Nube, learns from her teacher how to project her astral body as a physical presence, just so she can attend school with her friends. In the process, she learns to transform it into any shape she wishes... including an indestructible Magical Girl when said friends are kidnapped.
 * The OVA of School Days features a parody on the Magical Girl genre, with several female cast members as magical girls.
 * Shuichi of Midori Days is a doll otaku, who always carries around a doll of the fictional magical girl Ultra-Marin.
 * The Show Within a Show "Ai no Senshi Sweetie Millie" from Fight Ippatsu! Juuden-chan!!
 * One of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann's Parallel Works, Kiyal's Magical Time, mixes this with Humongous Mecha.
 * One of the Omake of Black Lagoon makes Revy a Magical Girl, giving her a cheerful, Moe Moe facade and even More Dakka.
 * Takuto from Star Driver could be considered a magical boy, due to his Galactic Pretty Boy form.
 * Amuri in Star Ocean features elements of the Magical Girl Warrior subtrope.
 * Kaze no Stigma had a one-shot antagonist which is somewhere blurred between the lines of a Magical Girl played straight or deconstructed, but she doesn't have enough screen time for it to matter.
 * Parodied in the 21st episode of the second season of School Rumble, where Mai Otsuka becomes a magical girl.
 * Nanaka 6/17 has Magical Domiko, a Show Within a Show that 6-year-old Nanaka likes.
 * Kilala of Kilala Princess
 * Parodied in Bleach with Charlotte Cuuhlhourne who tries very, very hard to be one of these and fails spectacularly.
 * Key of Key the Metal Idol becomes more of a Magical Girl as the series progresses, though this used primarily to deconstruct the trope as Key's transformations into her more human form show just how harrowing the powers of a magical girl can be in unwitting (read Naive) hands.
 * In Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kira's second episode, Rika Furude and Satoko Houjou become magical girls in order to battle the evil magic-using generals of the secret magic society, Tokyo Magika (Takano, Teppei, Okonogi & Nomura) and their Ritual Tool Devils with the help of the Rika Cheering Brigade (Keiichi, Rena, Mion, Shion, & Irie) as well as Hanyuu.
 * Show Within a Show Majokko Mirakurun in Yuru-Yuri.

Comic Books

 * Comic book Superheroine Mary Marvel, who first appeared in 1942, possessed several similar characteristics to the Magical Girl Warrior sub-type: skimpy costume, magical Transformation Sequence into a super-powered form, a Destiny, and (if you stretch it to include Tawky Tawny) a Talking Animal friend.
 * The Enchantress created by DC Comics in 1966, comes very close to being a proto-Magical Girl Warrior. Young woman June Moone goes with her slightly older boyfried to an alledgedly haunted castle for a party. Turns out that there are actual spooks. June stumbles into a secret chamber, where a mysterious being tells her she is The Chosen One and gives her a transformation word. June says it and gets magical powers, an appearance makeover (blonde to dark red), a miniskirted costume, and a kickin' witch hat. The Enchantress then battles a Monster of the Week and evacuates the civilians before the castle collapses. June reappears with a weak excuse and her boyfriend expresses an interest in her alter ego. There were two more stories where Enchantress fought random menaces, but the writers didn't have a good story arc beyond that, so she went into obscurity for years, including a phase as a Dark Magical Girl.
 * Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld combines Magical Girl with Changeling Fantasy and High Fantasy.
 * Queen Bee
 * The Gen 13 miniseries Magical Drama Queen Roxy, which reinvents Freefall as a Magical Girl, is a parody of the genre. Turned out to be All Just a Dream.

Fan Fiction

 * In Kyon: Big Damn Hero, Nonoko believes she will become a Magical Girl after her school trip. It actually happens even earlier, with Kyon's Badass Longcoat and Morph Weapon substituting for a dress and Magic Wand, and Achakura for Mentor Mascot.
 * Every single Fuku Fic in existance.
 * For that matter, all the Pretty Cure Fanfics ever written (especially the ones composed entirely of Sailor Earths.), and all the Pretty Cure All Stars fics.
 * In A Hero, Dalek Sec implies that Kyubey and the Incubators have been manipulating humanity behind the scenes, and are responsible for the rise of the Magical Girl genre, in order to make it seem like a good idea to become a magical girl. If you know Puella Magi Madoka Magica, you'll know why this is very much the opposite of true.
 * Meg  in The Spellbook.
 * In Keepers of the Elements, Gwen, Bridgette, Izzy, Heather and Lindsay.

Live Action TV

 * Buffy the Vampire Slayer, oddly enough, can be seen as a Magical Girl Warrior show. The first season in particular looks quite a bit like a classic Magical Girl series viewed through a funhouse mirror. This is probably not a coincidence, since Joss Whedon is known to be a fan of Sailor Moon.
 * Even Super Sentai has an example. Carranger, the parody series, had the kid sister of the series' main villainess transforming into White Racer, a racing-themed magical girl, to occasionally help out the heroes. Also, she had a cat/car-based mecha. Carranger was an odd year.
 * Cutey Honey the Live is Exactly What It Says on the Tin - a live action version of Cutey Honey.
 * Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, a live action version of Sailor Moon.
 * The Secret World of Alex Mack
 * H₂O: Just Add Water
 * The toku series Seishoujo Senshi Saint Valkyrie, which appears to have been inspired by Sparkling Generation Valkyrie Yuuki.

Video Games
"Platinum: Magical Girl Pretty Luna... transform!"
 * The character MOMO from the Xenosaga series gains two different Magical Girl forms, each with their own extended (and fortunately skippable) Transformation Sequence.
 * Battle Moon Wars features several characters from various Type-Moon shows dressed as magical girls.
 * In Red Alert 3, the Empire of the Rising Sun's hero unit, Yuriko Omega, is a powerful psychic who can flip tanks with her mind. She wears a schoolgirl uniform, and seems to be no older than 18.
 * Fantastic Fraulein Mumor. Final Fantasy XI, being a Japanese MMORPG, was bound to have this eventually.
 * Midori from Devil Survivor seems to see herself as one of these, sadly she is in a Shin Megami Tensei game.
 * The trope is parodied in Killer7 with the boss Ayame Blackburn, with her over-the-top introduction speech and ludicrous soubriquet.
 * In the doujin fighting game Eternal Fighter Zero, Sayuri Kurata's fighting style is a reference to the Magical Girl genre, complete with a transforming Magic Wand.
 * A Show Within A Game within No More Heroes is Pure White Lover Bizarre Jelly, apparently also a Super Robot show. We never see the anime itself, but the main character seems to be obsessed with it (he is, after all, an Otaku).
 * The Sequel features what is apparently the intro of the show. It's now titled "Bizarre Jelly 5".
 * Shannon of God Hand is a villainous (though not exactly Dark Magical Girl) parody of this.
 * Nearly the entire cast of Rosenkreuzstilette.
 * Same deal with Panel De Pon.
 * Silent Hill 3, of all places, contains a parody of Magical Girls with one of Heather's alternate outfits, complete with a Sailor Moon style Transformation Sequence. (Her power? The ability to shoot Frickin' Laser Beams.)
 * In Mega Man ZX Advent, Aile seems to have styled herself as a Magical Girl Warrior, if her Transformation Sequence is any indication.
 * Arin from Pangya.
 * Blaz Blue Continuum Shift features Platinum the Trinity, who is absolutely a Magical Girl, complete with lampshading battle quotes.


 * Platinum's gag reel takes this into overkill territory, adding the other pettankoes for a campaign against Boing Queen Litchi. You will die laughing so fast Hazama would be jealous.
 * The Mage class from Beat Em Up MMO Dungeon Fighter Online.
 * Gracia Hosokawa from Samurai Warriors.
 * Joan of Arc herself in Jeanne D'Arc.
 * Magical Girl Kirara And Sarara Dioskroi Of Starlit Sky

Webcomics

 * Megatokyo contains several of these, though the only ones seen so far are Meimi (retired),, and possibly Miho. It's been shown by the Tokyo Police and their actions that an unlicensed Magical Girl is a serious threat.
 * Parodied in Sparkling Generation Valkyrie Yuuki, where the male main character is turned into a valkyrie by a Norse god hiding inside a Magical Girl anime, who had assumed that anyone watching it would already be female.
 * Tsunami Channel has Magical Mina, a magical girl who, like Nanoha, has strong influences from shounen manga.
 * Last Res0rt has the Galaxy Girl Scouts (basically, Sailor Moon meets Green Lantern Corps), as a major portion of Daisy's/Veled's Backstory.
 * Footloose At the school
 * In Nip and Tuck, one girl acted as one.

Web Original

 * In The Impossible Man Yuki Shimizu is a Magical Girl, sent by her mother who leads a mysterious village of Magical Girls and Magical Women, to work as Michael Garcia's bodyguard at his store.
 * In The Monster Girl Encyclopedia, magical girl appear to be a class of heroine, with Fallen Maidens book features a magical girl named Mimiru Miltie. As hinted by name of the book, she got corrupted and become a witch of Subbath cult.

Western Animation

 * Tenko and the Guardians of the Magic
 * P.J. Sparkles
 * Gwen from Ben 10
 * Rainbow Brite
 * The second season premiere of Megas XLR features a parody of the Sailor Moon model (complete with an Overly Long Gag of a Transformation Sequence and a blonde Odango haired leader). Interestingly enough, they fight by summoning Humongous Mecha that look just like them instead of anything that can be construed as "magic".
 * Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders
 * During the Superhero Episode of Jimmy Two-Shoes, Heloise becomes Trouble Bubble Girl, a parody of this.
 * Miss Tickle from Mission Magic.
 * Manny Rivera, the hero of El Tigre, is essentially a Magical Boy.
 * My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic, the most recent reboot of the franchise, starts with a two-part episode in which the six main characters become friends. They use a powerful ancient artifact to become magical girls, to permanently defeat Sealed Evil in a Can. However, despite gaining fashionable magical jewelry and the gratitude of the god-princess of the realm, the trope is almost completely absent from the rest of the show. Word of God from the show's creator (Lauren Faust, worked on her husband Craig McCracken's Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and The Powerpuff Girls) is that good action-adventure episodes are harder to produce on a deadline and budget, and Myth Arcs have to be watched in a specific order, thus the series is more Slice of Life.
 * Morgana from Darkwing Duck.
 * The Powerpuff Girls was created as a parody of the genre.

Other

 * The German audio drama series Bibi Blocksberg is about a 13 year old witch living in a small German town and going to school with other regular kids. The series started in 1980, long before anime shows or manga became popular in Germany.
 * The German book series Lilly The Witch is about a girl named Lilly who finds a magical book which turns her into a witch, as well as a Mentor Mascot in the form of a little green dragon named Hector, and who has many adventures all over the world. The books have been made into an animated series on CBBC, as well as an animated movie.
 * Milky Way and The Galaxy Girls.