Summary
Among the numerous character types in anime, one that tends to be recognized a lot isthe kind and caring mother. Whether they are blood-related to their family or not, these mothers are best known for their never-ending love and support for their families, something they are more than willing to express.
For the most part, themost iconic mothers in animeare biological mothers. However, as of late, there has been a notable appearance of stepmoms and adoptive mothers who are just as loving as their counterparts. With these parental figures around, it’s safe to say that their families are in good hands.
Along withanime stepmoms,adoptive momswill also be included, which generally refers to female characters who take on a parental role despite not marrying into the family.
Updated May 27, 2025, by Mark Sammut:2025’s Winter 2025 season is almost done, and the story does not feature any notable adoptive parents or stepmother. Consequently, two characters from older shows have been added: Aiho Yomikawa and Izumi Curtis.
Introduced as Touma’s teacher, Aiho is also part of Anti-Skill, meaning she serves as part of Academy City’s police force. ConsideringA Certain Magical Indexis filled with powerful espers, an authority figure needs to be present to guide the young students, and Aiho fulfills that function well. While she shows maternal instincts as a teacher, she effectively adopts Accelerator and The Last Order during season 2, allowing them to live with her. Firm but approachable, Aiho treats both of them with respect while encouraging them to be children, something that really helps Accelerator.
As likable as Aiho is, she does not do much throughoutA Certain Magical Index, only appearing sporadically. Even her role as a ward takes a backseat to the sibling dynamic that blossoms between The Last Order and Accelerator, although Aiho plays an important role in facilitating that relationship’s growth.
Originally named Fanny Hatter in theHowl’s Moving Castlenovel, Honey Hatter proves to be the same character in the corresponding Studio Ghibli film. Despite her posh appearance and motivations, namely dressing extravagantly to receive attention, Honey is a loving mother to her daughters Sophie and Lettie despite them not being her biological children.
Upon learning that Sophie has received a job, Honey is understandably worried about her, even more so when she sees Sophie’s aged appearance due tothe Witch of the Waste’s curse. Though she is eventually used as a pawn in one of Madame Suleman’s schemes against Howl, Honey nonetheless wastes no time in seeing Sophie one more time, even insisting that the two of them live as a family again.
In terms of personality, Richita can be described as a motherly figure. This is mainly due to her drive to protect any child in need. It was due to her love for her son Asta (and herfear of her unique magicrobbing his life force) that she left him in the care of a nearby village, a decision she did not make on a whim and one that left her with deep feelings of regret.
Though she had many regrets about Asto’s fate, Richita more than made up for it with her stepson Liebe, whom she was extremely loving towards. Despite Liebe’s status as a devil, Richita still treated him as her son and even sacrificed herself to drive Lucifero out of his body, an incident that is the main source of Liebe’s scathing grudge towards devils in the present.
OK,Asuna is one of those characterswho does not scream “adoptive mother,” especially since this aspect is a relatively small part of the overallSword Art Onlineuniverse. Yui’s introduction is also generally regarded as one of the more controversial moments in the series, with the AI girl herself not ranking among the most lovedSAOcharacters.
Still, Asuna is a pretty great adoptive mother, at least from the little snippets of family life shown throughout the anime. Kirito, Asuna, and Yui seem to be at their happiest when they are together, and they very much identify as a family unit.
Always with a seemingly bored expression on her face,Kobayashi is rather calm and collectedcompared to the other sociable characters inMiss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid.The only thing that can break her composure is alcohol, as she becomes rowdy and demanding whenever she gets drunk.
Despite her personality, however, Kobayashi is a kind and well-meaning individual, something that is best shown through her relationship with the young dragon Kanna Kamui. Throughout the series, Kobayashi works herself to the bone to spend time with Kanna and ensure her needs are being met.
Despite being Rikoho’s stepmother, Masane still possesses a casual and reckless demeanor. The latter trait is especially exacerbated upon utilizing the Witchblade in battle. When the Witchblade is active, Masane takes immense pleasure in destruction, to the point thather thirst for fightingseems nigh unquenchable.
Although her personality is far from that of a model mother, she nonetheless takes full responsibility for looking after her stepdaughter Rihoko, whom she genuinely adores. As proof of their strong bond, Masane immediately sets out to take Rihoko back after she is taken by the Child Welfare Division, and Masane can sense whenever Rihoko is in trouble whenever the Witchblade is active.
As the titular character ofMagical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, Nanoha isan innocent and playful girlwho gradually becomes more mature. Throughout the series, she endures multiple conflicts, ranging from her relationship with Fate Testarossa to fighting monsters and enemy magical girls alike. During one conflict, Nanoha meets Vivio, a mysterious girl with a Relic attached to her leg.
After Nanoha assumes care of Vivio, she begins to form a bond with her, showing her care by gifting Vivio her signature device, Sacred Heart, and supervising her magical training. While she is also very strict towards Vivio, in contrast to Fate’s more laid-back approach to raising her, Nanoha nonetheless wants the best for Vivio and loves her, a feeling that Vivio wholeheartedly reciprocates.
Much like her husband, the regional professor Kukui, Burnet is highly versed in studying Pokemon in the Alola region. Matching her intelligence is her upbeat and cheerful personality. She deeply cares about the Pokemon under her watch and is considered a ray of sunshine by everyone who knows her.
Concerning her relationship with Ash, Burnet cared for him like a son. She frequently gave him useful advice about Pokemon and even allowed him to live with her and Kukui. When Ash decided to leave the Alola region to explore the rest of the world, Burnet was in tears at the thought of him leaving but still vowed to support Ash even from afar.
As the leader of her own squad of bandits, appropriately called the Dadan Family, Curly Dadan has a close relationship with her subordinates and treats them with care. Unfortunately, the same could not initially be said for her relationship with young Ace and Luffy, both of whom were left in her care byLuffy’s grandfather, Garp.
But despite believing the boys to be thorns in her side, Curly Dadan still cared for Ace and Luffy to some degree, as shown when she came to their rescue when the two boys were accosted by the notorious pirate Bluejam. Several years later, when she learned of Ace’s death at Marineford, Curly Dadan was devastated to the point of asking why Garp let Ace die.
After marrying the esteemed architect Nobuyuki Masaki, Rea naturally becomes the stepmother of his children, Tenchi and Tennyo Masaki, from his previous marriage. However, while Rea easily adapted to her life with the Masakis, her stepson Tenchi was initially hesitant to accept Rea as his new mother.
Tenchi’s feelings toward Rea become even more complicated upon his shocking realization that his birth mother Kiyone had quite a mischievous streak, made especially clear by her dark jokes about her death. Fortunately, it is Rea who helps him accept that his mother was not perfect in life, and Tenchi in turn acknowledges Rea as a true motherly figure.
