There is no shortage of princesses in anime, but many of them serve the singular purpose of being royal and not doing too much else outside of that.
However, not all princesses are sedentary captives in their castle, there are a few anime series out there that bring them low from royal privilege and set them on the path of adventure.
If you want to see what sort of trouble princesses can get up to in anime, we have anime recommendations for that.
Best Anime About Princess on Adventures
Yona of the Dawn
Pushed out of her castle by the violent coup led by her cousin, Yona is a princess adrift.
Left with only her bodyguard, she decides to chase the legend of her kingdom that says that gathering four dragon warriors in her kingdom can help her retake her rightful throne.
It turns out that these mythical beings are not so hard to find as you would think, but the hard part is her coming to terms with learning that her father was perhaps not the best ruler.
Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle
This one is a comedy twist on princess adventures.
This series follows a young princess who was kidnapped by the demon king and held captive in his castle. With nothing really to do but sleep, she decides to catch up on those naps.
However, the accommodations are terrible. From there, you follow this princess on her in-castle quest to find the perfect conditions for a nap. It is a lot more wholesome than the set up could have been.
Scrapped Princess
While a princess by birth, Pacifica never really got the princess treatment due to a prophecy that foretells the destruction of the world on her 16th birthday.
As such, she was doomed to be sacrificed until a kind family rescued her. Unfortunately, the church of this world learns she is alive, and now she must flee again for her life with her adoptive brother and sister.
Of course, as they adventure, more secrets about the prophecy come pouring out.
Fena: Pirate Princess
Despite the title, Fena’s royal status remains in question for some time in the series. However, as the illegitimate daughter of a king, Pirate Princess is indeed apt.
Fena, like most royalty, was born to fulfill a specific role, but unlike usual role of princesses to be married off like brood mares, her role is to find a mythical place called Eden and make a choice when she reaches it.
With so many people after her for unclear reasons, it is a good thing that she takes up with a bunch of literal pirate ninjas.
Aldnoah.Zero
While Princess Asseylum of Mars isn’t exactly “the” main character in Aldnoah.Zero, she is certainly a main character.
After all, the war between Mars and Earth was kicked off because she appeared to have been assassinated on Earth.
However, she was not and takes up with a group of refugees and soldiers fleeing the destruction. It is her kindness that softens Terran opinion on invading Martians, but since the assassination attempt was by her own people, she is in constant peril.
The World is Still Beautiful
While only technically the daughter of a duke, I’m still counting Nike among the ranks of princesses.
In this series, the aforementioned Duke’s daughter is sent to an arranged marriage with the young conqueror and king of the neighboring Sun Kingdom. She possesses the ability to call the rain, and in the dry kingdom of the sun, his highness covets the ability.
However, what she finds is more of a boy king who was made ruthless by the circumstances in which he grew up in while inside the castle.
As you might be accustomed to with princesses, she has a softening effect on his hard exterior.
To Love Ru
Now for a princess from out among the stars.
To Love Ru tells the tale of a girl who crash lands into the home (and bath) of the main character. It turns out that she is not only an alien, but a princess of an alien empire on the run from a political marriage.
So, of course, she decides to marry him instead. From there, it is an endless parade of weirdos coming to retrieve the princess.
How a Realist Hero Rebuilt A Kingdom
While this may be an isekai series, even among isekai it is a special one.
It follows a student sent to another world where he is promptly given a failing kingdom by an abdicating king and betrothed to his daughter.
The anime is shrewd realm administration, but the princess is a strong soldier and a solid supporter of his reform rather than just another demure wife.
Guin Saga
This old school fantasy series has that old school approach to princesses.
In Guin Saga, a twin prince and princess flee the castle after their parents are murdered. They wander the woods until they are saved by an amnesiac warrior with the cursed head of a leopard.
The series becomes of a mix of trying to find out why Guin has a leopard head and helping keep these young royals alive.
As for the princess, she is the strong one of the twins, putting on a brave face, and also possesses prophetic abilities. Her abilities often earn the jealousy of her still heretofore powerless twin brother.
Mysteria Friends
This rather nice school series follows the budding friendship between two princesses.
Based in the same world as Rage of Bahamut, Mysteria Friends is about a school in that world that indiscriminately teaches magic to students of the three factions – demons, gods, and humans.
One student is Anne, a human princess, while her friend Grea is more complicated as she was a princess born from human and dragon.
Lapis Re:Lights
Like the aforementioned Mysteria Friends, we have another princess attending magic school in Lapis Re:Lights.
Tiara, a princess from a distant kingdom, traveled to a school to learn magic. There she is put into a group of girls on the verge of failing out the academy.
However, as you can guess, she has a few ideas as to how to turn things around.
The Price of Smiles
Princess anime tends to be pretty optimistic, and this is a series that kind of twists that.
This is the story of two girls on a distant planet. One is a soldier on the battlefield and another is the princess of an empire.
Each girl smiles for their own reasons, but day by day the war between their two nations weight heavier on their shoulders.
Chaika – The Coffin Princess
It is revealed fairly early that this strange girl with a coffin is actually the daughter of the mad emperor Gaz that was overthrown and killed.
She travels with the help of two sibling warriors that she picked up in order to collect pieces of her father infused with wildly powerful magic.
This princess, like many, is a gem, but her father, well, he wasn’t. It really provides and interesting inspection of what happens to the not-so-evil kin of evil rulers.
Cross Ange
Oh, you know the old tale. Many people are able to wield a power known as mana, and those who are not able to are shunned and face a growing call for their extermination.
Enter princes Angelise who also hates Norma. Unfortunately for her, on her 16th birthday it is revealed that this royal princess herself is a Norma.
Once adored, she is now faced with public outrage and shipped off to exile and military conscription. It is the harshest of wake up calls for her.
The Twelve Kingdoms
In perhaps the most epic of epic princess adventures, we have The Twelve Kingdoms.
This series features a school girl who is informed that she is a princess of a different land, then suddenly attacked. The man protecting her takes her and some other nearby students to this other world where she uncovers the depth of her destiny as a ruler.
This series is most notable for its world building. Each kingdom is diverse, and this series makes sure you explore them all on this princess adventure.
Do you have more anime recommendations about errant princesses running amok? Let fans know in the comments section below.
