You Won’t Find Anime’s Best Girl of 2026 on Crunchyroll

1 week ago 13

Custom Image by Ana Nieves

Casandra Ronning is a staff writer for Screen Rant's anime section. Since mid-2024, she has dedicated herself to expanding her knowledge and experience in the entertainment industry. She is most proud of conducting an exclusive interview with popular voice actor Stephanie Nadolny.

Anime is filled with characters that impress audiences, whether through their power, depth, relatability, or achievements. Yet, with countless anime titles available, only a select few stand out among the tens of thousands of characters that audiences are introduced to. These are the characters that stand out as unforgettable and leave behind an enduring mark on viewers.

One such character is none other than Marcille Donato from Delicious in Dungeon. Rather than standing out for dominating scenes or perfectly exemplifying a specific archetype, she stands out for her grounded personality and realistic flaws. Marcille’s complexity makes her stand out above thousands of other characters, and it's about time viewers give her the credit she deserves.

Marcille Stands Out as One of Anime’s Most Extraordinary Characters

Marcille is a half-elf mage in Delicious in Dungeon, a fantasy series on Netflix that centers on Laios and his party, Marcille, Chilchuck, and Senshi, as they travel through the dungeon to save their companion who had been eaten by a dragon. To survive in the dungeon, the party relies on consuming the monsters they come across, creating delicious meals.

Marcille stands out among the cast from the very start of the series. As an exceptionally talented mage, she can handle ancient spells, curses, and destructive attacks, with her companions often encouraging her to preserve her magic for when they’re in a rough spot, knowing that she has the ability to save them.

Yet beyond her magical capabilities, Marcille stands out for her authenticity, revealing sides of herself that are anxious, insecure, or even stubborn, while perfectly balancing her intelligence, empathy, courage, and drive to help her teammates and grow as a mage. As an immensely relatable character among the cast, Marcille effortlessly stands out for her depth and versatility.

Marcille Feels Real in a Genre That Rarely Lets Women Be

Marcille shines brightest due to her complexity and authenticity as a character. In the dungeon, when she’s confronted with the idea of eating monsters, she shows genuine hesitation and squeamishness, emotions rooted in realism and often not explored in fantasy series. While this particular instance is an early example, Marcille has plenty of moments of vulnerability that elevate her character.

Through her relatability, Marcille easily stands out among anime heroines as an inspiring and empowering character that deserves every bit of attention she gets.

With her emotional range, the series positions her as someone who struggles with real-world fears and insecurities yet is willing to move forward and confront them in her own way alongside her party members. Throughout the series, she demonstrates moments of uncertainty and confidence, making her a realistic, layered character that isn’t often explored in anime fantasy heroines.

Rather than serving as a character designed for fan service or as a romantic interest, Marcille is given true depth as a character that shatters standard expectations by entirely subverting typical tropes. Through her relatability, Marcille easily stands out among anime heroines as an inspiring and empowering character that deserves every bit of attention she gets.