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501st Joint Fighter Wing "Strike Witches"

The 501st JFW, also known as the Strike Witches, is a specialist unit composed entirely of witches originally stationed in Britannia and later in Romagna. Although their primary duty is defending the area where they are stationed from neuroi, they are the ones responsible for liberating Gallia from the neuroi. After the liberation of Gallia they were disbanded, however they were reformed in Romagna to help defend the area. During the liberation of Gallia they were one of the squadrons under the command of Trevor Maloney, after they were reformed to defend Romagna they were placed under the command of Adolfine Galland.

Tropes exhibited by these characters include:

• Amplifier Artifact: Their striker units function as magical amplifiers as well strengthening their spells.
• Child Soldiers: They range in age form twelve to twenty (meaning the older ones don't count for this trope). Given the generally optimistic tone of the show, the darker side of this trope is never explored.
• Five Rounds Rapid: The vast majority of their firepower accomplishes exactly nothing. Only when the core is exposed or when the neuroi deploys drones does their firepower actually do something.
  • This has little to do with the guns the girls are using and a lot to do with the structure of the neuroi themselves. Pretty much everyone can inflict significant damage on the shell of a neuroi, the problem is that said shells can completely regenerate from having whole wings cleaved off of them in just a few seconds, so nothing short of a direct hit on the core will put them down.
• Fire-Forged Friends
• Flying Brick: In addition to a nifty unique power, all witches have increased strength, endurance, and durability. Also they have access to basic magics like shields and flight meaning they are essentially all flying bricks.
• Fundamentally Female Cast: The overwhelmingly female demographics of the witches is hardly unique since magic is pretty much an all girl party. What justifies the presence of this trope is Minna enacting a rule that prevents any guys from getting anywhere near the limelight.
• Instant Runes: These are created whenever the girls raise a shield and whenever they take off.
• Little Miss Badass
• Mildly Military
• More Dakka: The standard issue gun is a heavy machine gun.
• Multinational Team: Since witches are so rare, talent is pulled from everywhere.
• Power Glows: Whenever the girls of the 501st call upon their magic they glow in addition to growing animal features.
• Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: For the same reason that witches are pulled from everywhere, they are also pulled from all walks of life.
  • Also before the neuroi invasion the military appears to be composed of mostly men so there was a scramble to recruit witches who are almost exclusively female from the civilian populations. This coupled with the seeming lack of formal training means that the Strike Witches are mildly military to put it lightly.
• Petting Zoo People: The girls grow animal features when they use magic.

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These are the maidens who make up the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, better known as the Strike Witches.

Yoshika Miyafuji

"Her latent ability is impressive indeed. Not only with regards to her magic, but she also has perseverance and determination. It's my mission and duty to guide her on her path to becoming a full-fledged Witch, for the sake of my, no, the world's benefactor, Dr. Miyafuji." —Mio

Voiced by: Misato Fukuen (Japanese), Cherami Leigh (English)

Sergeant Yoshika Miyafuji comes from a family of magical doctors on the island nation of Fuso. Her father was responsible for the creation of the Striker Unit, magically powered engines that amplify magic, to counter the Neuroi. However her father was killed in the war tainting Yoshika's perception of it. She was initially reluctant when Mio came to recruit her, but after helping to defend the Fuso fleet from a Neroi attack, she agreed to join the 501st Strike Witches. Yoshika's striker unit is based on the Mitsubishi Zero A6M3a and she carries around a Type 99 13mm machine gun. She's named after the WWII ace Kanayoshi Mutou.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

• Accidental Pervert: She has a habit of staring and grabbing onto the breasts of the well endowed members of the unit, though Lynette's the usual target. She even unconsciously does it in her sleep!
• Barrier Warrior: Her shield are noted to be far stronger than average and she seems to have a higher magical capacity than most.
• Berserk Button God help you if you harm someone she cares about and she's around. With or without her magic, she will destroy you! Especially if the person being harmed/threatened is Lynette.
• Beware the Nice Ones: She's very nearly a pacifist. The first time she really seems to want the Neuroi to die right the hell now is after it almost kills Lynne. She even goes on a short Roaring Rampage of Revenge to do it. After a Dungeon Bypass straight through its center of motion, firing her machine gun all the way.
• Bi the Way: In spite of her close Les Yay relationship with Lynne-chan, Yoshika is still overjoyed at receiving her very first love letter from a boy; namely an admirer in the Fuso navy. Something might have come of it if Minna didn't rain on her parade and ended the relationship before it even began by pulling rank.
• Combat Medic: She possesses strong healing magic yet still mixes it up in combat.
• Covert Pervert: She seems pretty innocent, but shows an inordinate interest in other girls' boobs. Specifically Lynette's.
• The Determinator: See Heroic Resolve.
• Does Not Know Her Own Strength: Yoshika is blissfully unaware of her growing magical prowess in season two.
• Healing Hands: She tends to channel her healing magic through her hands.
• Heroic Resolve: Mio has noted that Yoshika's magical abilities seem to increase under stress.
  • Taken Up to Eleven in the finale of the second season, when, after exhausting all her magical power, she musters up some more through sheer determination. The rest of the squadron follows suit.
• Heroic Sacrifice: At the end of the second season, she uses up all her magical power in order to save Mio and destroy the Neuroi core.
• Honor Before Reason: The last few episodes of the first season are almost a direct cause of her honorable nature trumping observational evidence. Then again...
• Idiots Cannot Catch Colds: According to episode 8 of the second season, she's never caught a cold in her life.
• The Messiah: On top of just being a really pleasant person who doesn't bear grudges, she's the only one willing to negotiate with the Neuroi.
• Naive Newcomer: The newest one into the squadron and due to Japan's relative isolation from the war she has very little idea of what has been going on.
• Nice Girl: Again, she treats everybody with compassion and doesn't hold grudges. Not even against Perrine who's constantly insulting her.
• Orphan's Plot Trinket: In the first season Yoshika's striker unit is a memento left by her dead father. She later uses it to blow up a gigantic Neuroi core and liberate Gallia. Likewise the Shinden Striker Unit in season 2, which is based on her father's research.
• Petting Zoo People: She takes on the features of a Shiba Inu when she uses magic.
• Roaring Rampage of Rescue/Roaring Rampage Of Revenge When a Neuroi is almost about to kill Lynette, Yoshika saves her, checks if she is ok to fly, and then promptly rams headfirst into the attacking Neuroi, shooting and screaming a battle cry until she destroys the core and kills it!
• Sailor Fuku: Her signature outfit is this over a School Swimsuit.
• Stone Wall: Her shields are very good but she seems to have a far lower kill rate than everybody else in the squadron.
• Team Chef: She's pressed into this role after joining because nobody else can cook although Lynette is often seen helping her.
  • Even after the other members start showing off their culinary skills, Yoshika and Lynette are often the default chefs of the unit.

Lynette Bishop ("Lynne")

"Other members of the unit? Lynne was the first friend I made after coming here to Britannia. She showed me around in the base and was very kind! That made me happy... And... that big bosom.... wah! Nothing! It's nothing!" —Yoshika

Voiced by Kaori Nazuka (Japanese), Kate Bristol (English)

Sergeant (later Master Sergeant) Lynette Bishop is a very personable, if a bit shaky, sniper from Britannia. Lynette is the middle child of eight siblings and was sometimes overlooked. Because of this, she's very domestic and painfully shy. She joined the Strike Witches shortly before Yoshika to help protect her homeland. Lynette is assigned to be Yoshika's roommate, where the two quickly become friends. Her striker unit is based on the Supermarine Spitfire Mk. IX and she lugs around a Boys Anti-Tank Rifle in battle. Her sister, Wilma Bishop, is named after the WWI Ace William Avery Bishop.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

• Apologizes a Lot: Apologizing seems to be her first knee-jerk reflex.
• Bi the Way: In spite of her close Les Yay relationship with Yoshika-chan, Lynne-chan was overjoyed for the latter when she received her very first love letter from a boy; full of encouragement and support and doing her best to help that potential friendship blossom into a full romance... until Mina stepped in and ruined everything.
• Cute Clumsy Girl: Less clumsy than most, but she has her moments.
• Depleted Phlebotinum Shells: Her power essentially turns normal bullets (and other objects) into these.
• Friendly Sniper: She's soft spoken, nice, and can hit a target most people need binoculars to see.
• Squishy Witch: Yeah
• Gag Boobs: Often treated like this by the fandom.
• Spot of Tea: Every time the squadron chips in to help prepare for a difficult mission, her suggestion is tea.
• Improbable Aiming Skills: Her inherent gift magic lets her guide and strengthen her shots. Also she has really good eyesight.
• It Is Pronounced "Tro-PAY": Her nickname is Lee-Nee rather than Lyn.
• Nice Girl: Probably why she and Yoshika gets along so well.
• No Scope: Despite shooting at objects across distances measured in kilometers, she does so without a scope. Although the ability to guide her shots after she's fired them probably helps.
• Petting Zoo People: She takes on the features of the Scottish Fold when she uses magic.
• Small Girl, Big Gun: She's on the short end of the squadron and her weapon of choice is an anti-tank rifle.
• Shrinking Violet: She's very shy and almost washes out before Yoshika arrives.
• Team Chef: Along with Yoshika.
• Where It All Began: According to Word Of God, Lynne's older sister Wilma Bishop was the very first character of the entire "Strike Witches" series/franchise ever created.

Mio Sakamoto

"Sakamoto-san? She's kind, but can be pretty strict sometimes. She told me about the work my father had done, and I'm very grateful for that. Although it surprised me when we met for the first time and she told me that “I would come to her sooner or later”!" —Yoshika

Voiced by: Saeko Chiba (Japanese, first season); Saori Seto (Japanese, second season), Kira Vincent-Davis (English)

Major Mio Sakamoto, the second in command of the Strike Witches, worked with Yoshika's father on the Striker Units and is therefore the oldest witch. As a veteran of the initial fights against the Neuroi, she is far tougher and more disciplined than most of the Strike Witches. Her primary job is to train new recruits and takes a no-nonsense "tough love" approach to her duties. As the second in command of the Strike Witches she supports Minna and maintains discipline when out of battle and locates the weak point of Neuroi with her magic eye in battle. Her striker is based on the Mutsubishi Zero A6M3a in season one and the Kawanishi N1K in season two: in battle she carries a Type 99 13mm machine gun and a katana. Her character is named after WWII aces Saburo Sakai. She is known for her distinctive, hearty laugh.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

• Badass
  • Badass in Distress: In the finale of the second season, she is absorbed into a Neuroi core. You don't get much more distressed than that.
• Boisterous Bruiser: Known for her rolling, jolly laugh of approval for innocence and/or righteous behavior.
• Bar Sinister: Oddly enough this appears on her eye-patch as well as her as well as her emblem.
• Can't Hold Her Liquor: Gets roaring drunk from having a jug of wine dropped on her.
• Cool Big Sis: Serves as this role to ease newcomers into their new military life.
• Cool Sword: Reppumaru, a katana she forges herself using magic and it can block lasers.
• Death Seeker: Though far from a fatalist, Mio still intends her death to be a glorious one in battle, befitting of a Fuso Warrior though tragically, she finally plays this trope straight in Episode 11 of Season 2, when her life as a warrior comes to an end.
• Drill Sergeant Nasty: According to supplemental material, new recruits in the Fusou Navy call her "Sakamoto the Demon" behind her back.
• Enemy Scan: When she looks at a Neuroi with her magic eye she can see its weak point.
• Eyepatch of Power: She wears a patch that hides her Neuroi core-detecting right eye.
• Fragile Speedster: In the second season her striker unit is upgraded making it far faster and more maneuverable. She doesn't have a shield so the only thing between her and extra crispy is her reflexes.
• Heroic BSOD: Not only does she have no shield anymore, but Reppumaru ate up almost all of her magic to the point that she can't even fire off Reppuzan anymore.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Subverted. She's prepared to pull one in the second season's finale, but Yoshika saves her.
• Honor Before Reason: On top of acting like a stereotypical samurai, she refuses to be sidelined since her ability is critical to the squadron's success. Even after she loses her shield she continues to fight, even though even a glancing hit from a Neuroi laser would be enough to critically injure her.
• Hot-Blooded: A bit more tempered than most, but is not one to back down from a fight.
• Lady of War: Again, modeled after a stereotypical samurai.
• Losing Is Worse Than Death - And Mio unhesitantly charged into the latter, having finally and literally exhausted her life as a warrior in Season 2 Episode 11.
• Magic Knight: She lacks some magical capacity but makes up for it with increased martial skill.
• Meaningful Name: Her sword means gale and is named after a Japanese plane model that never entered service.
• Number Two: She is second in command of the Strike Witches and supports Minna whenever she can. For example, when enacting discipline, she often plays "bad cop" to Minna's "good cop".
• Oblivious to Love: She shows absolutely no awareness of the fact that both Perrine and Minna have crushes on her. Minna at least tries to be subtle about it, but not noticing Perrine's feelings takes work.
• Older Than She Looks: She's twenty.
• The Other Darrin: Saeko Chiba in the first season got replaced by Saori Seto in the second season.
• Petting Zoo People: She takes on Doberman traits when she uses magic.
• Proud Warrior Race Lady: The picture of a classical Japanese Warrior, albeit Gender Flipped.
• Spell My Name with an "S": Is her rank squadron commander or major?
  • Or properly, she should be a Lieutenant Commander and Yoshika a Petty Officer of some sort.
  • Changing rank designations is not unusual when naval officers serve with non-naval units. In such cases they tend to use the equivalent land or air force ranks, or whatever is closest.
• Super Senses: Her power is Enhanced Visual Acuity which grants her telescopic vision along with the ability to identify a Neuroi's core.
• Supporting Leader
• Sword and Gun
• Tall, Dark and Bishoujo

Minna Dietlinde Wilcke

"Wing Commander Minna? Yes, she's a fantastic person! She's always smiling... and she feels like a very mature woman. I wish I could be more like her. She somewhat reminds me of a mother." —Yoshika

Voiced by: Rie Tanaka (Japanese), Anastasia Munoz (English)

Wing Commander, or Oberstleutnant, Minna Dietlinde Wilcke is the leader of the 501st joint fighter wing and the commander of the Karlsland Air Force. After the Neuroi appeared and her lover was killed, she gave up her dream of becoming a singer to join the Karlsland Air Force. Because of her traumatic past, the safety of her subordinates is her top priority. Despite her kind and gentle demeanor she will go to any lengths to protect her subordinates. She is even willing to issue orders specifically to prevent them from being hurt and she was the one behind the order forbidding male workers in the base from socializing with the witches. Her striker unit is based on the Messerschmitt BF109G2 and her weapon is the MG42 machine gun. Her character is named after the WWII ace Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

• A Mother To Her Girls: She cares deeply for her subordinates and they return the favor.
• Berserk Button: Engage in self destructive or suicidal behavior around her, I dare you.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Despite her demeanor, it's worth noting that her familiar is a wolf.
• Broken Bird: Became bitter with the death of her first love, and rather self-righteously tries to stop anyone else from falling in love as a result, with the justification of "not wanting her comrades to experience the same pain."
• Extreme Omnivore: While not a Big Eater, Minna can not only eat foods/drinks that the rest of the squadron can barely stomach, but actually likes them. Examples include tea that Lynette put too much sugar in, and Lamprey oil (She asked for seconds!).
• Glamorous Wartime Singer: Mina tried to be singer earlier in the war.
  • She's also a Lady in Red. At least for one episode.
• Mama Bear: She is willing to go to any lengths to prevent her subordinates from being harmed.
• Meaningful Name: Her archetype pilot is named Wolf, she gains wolf features.
• Mission Control: Minna's power gives her acute knowledge of her surroundings which allows her to determine unit positions in 3D, unit allegiance, and unit health. She uses this in battle to help her direct her forces. When she sits out of a battle, she is usually in front of a radar giving orders.
• Petting Zoo People: Takes on the features of a wolf when using magic.
• Team Mom: The novels mention that she and Mio have a Good Cop, Bad Cop approach to discipline, with Mio as the Bad Cop and Minna as the Good Cop.
• The Captain: Despite her demeanor, she's clearly the one running things although she doesn't hold the rank.
  • She does hold rank: Oberstleutnant is the equivalent to a Lieutenant Colonel and Wing Commander is a commission rank held by a Colonel in charge of a flying wing. Strike Witches gets it right.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: She's willing to do a lot to ensure her subordinate's safety, including pulling a gun on one of her best friends.
• Yandere: Her behavior toward the end of the first season-- specifically, pulling a gun on Mio to keep her from fighting when she's losing her power--can be considered this. She gets over it, though.
• X-Ray Vision: Minna's ability essentially lets her see everything in her proximity out to a respectable yet unspecified distance. In battle it makes her a mobile CIC: out of battle it allows her to keep tabs on her subordinates.

Perrine Henriette Clostermann

"Perrine? Yes, it feels like she's always mad at me. I wonder why...? I know I make a lot of mistakes all the time, but I still don't think she has to be that hard on me... Sakamoto-san told me being strict on someone is a way to show you have hopes for them, but I wonder..." —Yoshika

Voiced by: Miyuki Sawashiro (Japanese), Jad Saxton (English)

Flying Officer Perrine H. Clostermann is a rich Gallian noble that saw her home destroyed when the Neuroi invaded Gallia. She joined the Strike Witches in their liberation of Gallia to help free her homeland from the Neuroi. She admires Mio and quickly develops a dislike of Yoshika due to their closeness. Her dislike eventually turns to full blown jealousy as she challenges Yoshika to a duel. Eventually she does come to view Yoshika as a comrade, but still makes constant attempts to win Mio's attention and to make Yoshika look bad. Her striker unit is based on the Arsenal VG 39 and her weapon is the Bren Light Machine Gun Mk1. She is also seen carrying a rapier in some official art, which doesn't show up until midway through season 2. Her character is named after the WWII Ace Pierre Clostermann.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

• Alpha Bitch: Snobby, Rich, and Insufferable.
• Black Bra and Panties: She provides an excellent example of why this trope is averted in real life. White panties under black tights sans skirt just does not work.
• Butt Monkey: Her foot seems magnetically attracted to her mouth: One time she insults Miyafuji for bringing in foul tasting Lamprey oil as a health drink only to find out seconds later that Mio brought it. Also, almost everything she does tends to backfire horribly for her.
  • Used literally in episode 7 season 2, a neuroi bug crawls into her butt crack and when she pulls down her tights and panties Francesca shoots her in the rear with a high pressure firehose using a scope from a Mosin-Nagant no less.
• Clingy Jealous Girl: Holds Mio with the utmost of respect, and resents anyone getting too chummy with her (especially Yoshika who, like Mio, is a native of Japan the Fuso Empire).
• Cool Sword: Often seen with one in the promo art, and in season 2 it makes its appearance. A different rapier is used to destroy a golem.
• French Jerk: Actually a Gallian Jerk but hey tomato tomahto.
• Meganekko: Constantly wears glasses except in places where they would fog up.
• Hidden Heart of Gold: There's a heart of gold in there somewhere, you would need a crowbar and heavy digging equipment to find it though. Also season two reveals that she donates all her money to the Gallia reconstruction fund, and sold most of her family's heirlooms to raise money for the rebuilding effort.
  • And that kind and gentle big-sister hugging and playing with children in S2 Episode 6 can't be the same Rich Bitch that's mean to Yoshika can she? Oh you have got to be kidding!!
  • She's practically penniless. All that huge hazard pay she's getting. All donated to charity.
• Kuudere: In the Rich Bitch sort of way.
• Ojou: She definitely used to be high class and wealthy. She even does the laugh.
• Luminescent Blush: She has one whenever Mio is in any way involved, when she's outraged, and when she's embarrassed which is why there seems to be on permanently glued to her face. For example, see the picture.
• Petting Zoo People: Gains the features of a Chartreux when using her magic.
• Psycho Lesbian: Challenging a rookie to a duel with live ammunition over a crush is really really pushing it.
  • To be fair, she never intended to fire on Yoshika: the duel was basically to see who could tail the other the longest, and the live ammunition was an intimidation tactic. Still, not cool.
• Rich Bitch: Though it's less flaunting her wealth and more complaining about how unrefined her comrades (read: Yoshika) are.
• Shock and Awe: This is her power. It messes up her hair so she doesn't use it often.
• Yandere: Attached to Mio.

Francesca Lucchini

"Lucchini always eats the things I cook with a smile on her face. Things like that makes me happy! But it feels like she's always sleeping in some odd place... is that really okay?" —Yoshika

Voiced by: Chiwa Saito (Japanese), Trina Nishimura (English)

Pilot Officer Francesca Lucchini is a talented and cheerful witch from the Duchy of Romagna. Unlike most other members of the 501st her past isn't marred by tragedy, she joined the Strike Witches out of a sense of duty to ensure that no harm would ever come to her beloved Romagna. However for all her lofty ideals she's still twelve years old and often acts childish or self indulgent like a typical twelve year old. Her energetic personality masks the fact that she's quite lazy. She'll often spend time napping around the base only waking up to change where she naps. However in the air, she displays a passion and talent for flying that nobody in the 501st can match. Her striker unit is based on the FIAT G-55 Centauro and her weapon is the Breda-SAFAT Machine Gun 12.7 mm. She is named after the WWII ace Franco Lucchini.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

• Barrier Warrior: Takes this a step farther and literally fights people with her barriers. Her stacked barriers are almost unbreakable as well.
• Big Eater: Eats slightly more than the other witches and for her food is always a top priority.
• Butt Monkey: She tends to be the one whom bad things happen to. In one episode she spends most of it running away from everybody. In another she accidentally breaks Shirley's Striker unit and receives a lump on the head when Minna finds out.
• Catgirl: While there are others with the cat motif, she has the personality to match. Including her habit of sleeping in high places.
• Cute Little Fangs: See the image.
• Child Soldiers: She's twelve and has been serving for a while.
• Fastball Special: In the first season finale, Shirley throws her. Also her signature move seems tailor made for this.
• Fearless Fool: She doesn't seem to fear anything (not even Shirley's driving) except Minna and Mio.
• Genki Girl: She's full of energy, jumps around a lot, and speaks in a sing-songy voice.
• Girlish Pigtails
• Heavy Sleeper: Although she takes cat naps, not ever the roar of airplane engines can rouse her while she's asleep.
• Lovable Sex Maniac: She likes to touch....
• Petting Zoo People: She gains features of the black panther whenever she uses magic.
• Ramming Always Works: Her signature move is to stack several shields together and ram the target.
• Small Girl, Big Gun: She's the smallest witch and she wields a gun meant for airplanes. Although its not that much bigger than the other girls' guns, the size difference is more pronounced.
• Token Loli: She's also the youngest.

Charlotte E. Yeager ("Shirley")

"Shirley is a really kind person! She seems kind of slack, but I think she actually really looks after everyone. She's bighearted and broad-minded... What? I'm not talking about her breasts! But... well... they sure did feel nice..."

Voiced by Ami Koshimizu (Japanese), Jamie Marchi (English)

First Lieutenant (later Captain) Shirley Yeager is a mechanical enthusiast from the United States of Liberion. She is a thrill seeking speedster and her goal is to break the sound barrier. Before the war, she raced motorbikes and set a land speed record. When she joined the 501st she modified her Striker unit to help her with her goal of breaking sound barrier. In addition to her obsession with speed she's also obsessed with cleanliness: even going so far as to have her personal bath shipped when she was transferred into the 501st. Her Striker Unit is based on the P-51 Mustang and her weapons of choice is the Browning Automatic Rifle M1918. She is named after American WWII ace Charles "Chuck" Yeager.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

• Danger Deadpan: She is modeled after Chuck Yeager, after all. She even breaks the sound barrier in episode 5 of season 1.
• Drives Like Crazy: While not as destructive as most in the one scene she's shown driving, she drifts on mountainside dirt roads and leaps across chasms in a military supply truck. Francesca loves it, but Yoshika gets sick.
• Determinator Of all the characters in the series who are based on famous veterans and pilot aces, only Shirley's real world counter-part is (known to be) still alive to this day: As of 2017, age 94, Chuck Yeager, who in 2012 at age 89, once again took to the skies and broke the sound barrier on the 65th anniversary of the first time he (or anyone) broke it!
• Fearless Fool: Which is probably why she's paired with Lucchini so often.
• Fiery Redhead: She's strong, passionate, and outgoing, but she's only outspoken when dealing with certain people.
• Hot-Blooded: She doesn't back down from any challenge even going so far as to charge a neuroi in an unarmed plane.
• Parental Substitute: She's pretty much Luccini's mom.
• Super Speed: Her power lets her do anything faster. Her power plus the modifications she made to her striker unit allow her to break the sound barrier in flight.
  • Francesca made those modifications by accident when she tried to put it back together after breaking it.
• Petting Zoo People: She takes on the features of a bunny; most likely a nod to her speed.
  • Also maybe because U.S.A. G.I.(Usagi) means rabbit/bunny in Japanese. Could also be a Shout-Out to Cat Shit One.
    • As mentioned below, it could also be a reference to Bunny Yeager.
• Shout-Out: Other than the obvious one to Chuck Yeager, there's one to the photographer Bunny Yeager.
  • Also she says the P-51 Mustang, the fighter that her striker unit is based on, is her all purpose weapon platform of choice.
    • Don't forget Burt Munro, that bike she uses on the Bonneville Salt Flats is a direct reference.
• Wrench Wench: Before joining the witches she worked on motorcycles and airplanes, consequentially her striker unit is heavily modified. Even after joining the witches she spends her spare time in the machine shop and making further modifications to her striker unit.

Erica Hartmann

"I don't really understand Hartmann. Everyone says she's an excellent witch, and she is amazing even in small-scaled battles, but in her everyday life she is... how should I put it... umm... sloppy?" —Yoshika

Voiced by Sakura Nogawa (Japanese), Luci Christian (English)

Flying Officer Erica Hartmann is one of the "Double Aces" from Karlsland, having the second highest kill score in the world at just over 200. However her skill in the air and on duty is in sharp contrast with her disorganized and careless nature when off duty. She is a close acquaintance of Gertrude and Minna having served with them long before the creation of the 501st although, unlike Minna and Gertrude, she spends most of her time sleeping and eating, only getting up to investigate oddities and fight neuroi. Her striker unit is based on the Messerschmitt Bf109G-6 and her weapon is the MG42. She is named after WWII ace Erich Hartmann, the highest scoring ace in history.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

• Blow You Away: Her power lets her create a vortex of air when she does a barrel roll. She calls this ability and it's powerful enough to blow holes through neuroi.
• Bunny Ears Lawyer: Even more so than the rest of the 501st.
• Compatriot Yin Yang: pretty much the complete opposite of Gertrude, to the latter's endless annoyance.

Gertrude: And you call yourself a Karlsland soldier?!

• Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: On the ground she's a lazy disorganized failure of a soldier. In the air she's skilled, disciplined, and one of the best aces in the world. Both are the real her but most people see the disorganized failure before they see the second greatest witch in the Karlsland air force.
• Do a Barrel Roll: Her power is an offensive barrel roll she calls "Sturm".
• Dumb Blond: averted. The girl's smart enough to be one of the best fighters despite sleeping most of the time.
• Efficient Displacement: When she uses Sturm to ram neuroi she leaves behind a perfectly circular hole.
• Genki Girl: When she's awake, anyway.
• Historical In-Joke: Her sister is named Ursula. Erich Hartmann's wife was named Ursula.
  • Her striker unit has the black tulip pattern also present on Erich Hartmann's aircraft.
  • The hubbub over her stealing Lucchini's underwear is based on Erich Hartmann accidentally taking Hitler's hat.
  • Like Erica, Erich also had a problem with discipline.
  • Her hairstyle is based on Erich's nickname "Bubi" (Erica's hair is in the Bubischnitt hairstyle)
• Heavy Sleeper: She seriously spends most of the series asleep, only appearing to investigate major disturbances and participate in battles. She even sleeps through an alarm clock and having books thrown at her.
• Mildly Military: While the other girls are at least trying to act like soldiers, Erica doesn't. Interestingly enough her real life counterpart had disciplinary problems as well although nowhere near as bad as her.
• Nice Girl: A cheerful, upbeat and friendly breath of fresh air who doesn't hold grudges and can get along with anybody.
• Not a Morning Person: Friendlier than most though about staying asleep... though mention the possibility of having candy and she'll wake up instantaneously.
• Petting Zoo People: Takes on the features of a Dachshund when she uses magic. However unlike the other girls she doesn't grow animal ears, the tips of her hair turn black instead.
• Ramming Always Works: Like Luccini she uses her magic to invoke this. Unlike Luccini she uses a vortex of wind for protection instead of a stack of shields.
• Sleepyhead
• Sweet Tooth: She wants sweets, they buy her an alarm clock instead.
• Trash of the Titans: Especially in comparison to Gertrude's room, which is spotless and on the opposite side of their dorm.

Gertrude Barkhorn ("Trude")

"It feels like Barkhorn is always mad at me too. But well, compared to her, I'm still just an inexperienced little duckling, so I guess it's only natural." —Yoshika

Voiced by Mie Sonozaki (Japanese), Stephanie Sheh (English)

Flight Lieutenant Gertrude Barkhorn is also one of the "Double Aces" of Karlsland. She holds the highest kill score over 250. She is disciplined and efficient: a very stereotypical German military personality. However to her friends Minna and Erica, whom she has known for a long time, she's slightly more open and friendly although she often yells at Erica for lacking discipline. She cares deeply about her little sister Chris, who was injured before the first season in a Neuroi attack. Her striker unit is based on the Focke-Wulf Fw190D-9 and her weapons are two MG42 machine guns with dual drum magazines. She is named after WWII ace Gerhard Barkhorn, the second highest scoring ace in history.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

• Action Girl: Although every witch is technically one, her love of fighting coupled with her skill in the air means she takes the prize.
• Blood Knight: Not only is she one of the best witches, she deeply enjoys her job.
• Broken Bird: She is deeply affected by her sister's injury: At the beginning of the series, she acts cold to Yoshika because Yoshiska resembles her sister and reminds her of her inability to protect her sister.
• Death Seeker: She's this from the time her sister is hurt to the point where Yoshika and Minna make her realize how stupid she's acting.
• Dual-Wielding: When she decides to use her guns as clubs instead of guns.
• Guns Akimbo: Her normal battle loadout is two MG42 machine guns.
• Nigh Invulnerability: Half her power seems to be her ability to strengthen objects allowing her to use her machine guns as clubs and not be crushed by a giant steel girder.
• Petting Zoo People: She takes on the features of a German Wirehaired Pointer when she changes.
• Pistol-Whipping: When she mixes it up toe to fin with the neuroi she sometimes uses her guns as clubs.
• Proud Warrior Race Lady - and therefore constantly exasperated by Erica's laid back and informal attitude, seeing them as "a disgrace to the Karsland military."
• Replacement Goldfish: Since Yoshika resembles her sister, she often treats Yoshika coldly because she doesn't want to see Yoshika hurt.
• Spell My Name with an "S": Various sources render her name as "Gertrud".
• Super Strength: The other half of her power is strength exceeding the already boosted strength of most witches.
• Tsundere: Or at least the fandom loves portraying her as one.

Alexandra Vladimirovna Litvyak ("Sanya")

"Sanya is a really kind girl! She's a little shy and quiet, but she's good at singing, and I think it's really great how she always does her best for all of us during the nights!" —Yoshika

Voiced by Mai Kadowaki (Japanese), Jennifer Forrester (English)

Flying Officer Alaxandra Vladimirovna Litvyak, or Sanya as she prefers to be called, is a shy Orussian witch in the 501st that often handles night patrol duties alone. Described as "nocturnal" she doesn't have a lot of contact with the other members of the 501st, but is essential for the unit's safety. Because of her lack of contact with the rest of the squad, she is only close to Eila and Erica although her compassionate and submissive personality means she's kind and accepting of everybody in the 501st. Sanya's father was an accomplished musician and taught Sanya how to play the piano and sing. He even wrote a song for her entitled 'Sanya's Song'. When the neuroi invaded Orussia, Sanya was separated from her father but maintains hope that he's still alive in Orussia and someday they'll be reunited. To remind herself, she often hums the song her father composed for her. Unlike the other girls, most of whom wield machine guns, she uses a rocket launcher called the FliegerHummer which is based on the Fliegerfaust, a contemporary German anti-aircraft rocket launcher. In season one her striker unit is based on the MiG60 a fictional fighter combining features of the MiG-1, MiG-3, and Yak-1: in season 2 her striker unit is based on the Yak-9. She is named after WWII ace Lydia Litvyak, one of just two female aces in real life.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

• Distaff Counterpart: Averted, she is the only one not based on a male ace.
• Friendly Sniper: In essence. Her rocket launcher weapon means that she tends to attack from long range, which leads to:
  • Improbable Aiming Skills: Anyone familiar with the physics of flight or shooters will tell you how difficult it is to hit a moving target with a slow moving projectile from long range.
• Enemy-Detecting Radar: This is her unique ability.
• Heavy Sleeper: Justified, considering she's up all night patrolling.
• Les Yay: Yoshika and Lynette have nothing on Sanya and Eila.
• Loners Are Freaks: She's afraid that her isolation will make other people perceive her this way.
• Macross Missile Massacre: While she's limited to nine dumbfire rockets, she never seems to fire only one.
  • Until season 2 episode 11 where she just fired one rocket and it created a domino effect on the Neuroi. She even lampshades it herself.
• Mission Control: She can also use her power to broadcast information to witches including spacial information and orders. Also she can rebroadcast radio transmissions.
• Moe Couplet: With Eila.
• Mundane Utility: She uses her radar powers to listen to the radio at night.
• Nice Girl: Gives even Yoshika a run for her money in the niceness department.
• The Load: During day missions she sometimes relies on Eila to move her around because she's practically dead on her feet.
• The Quiet One: She rarely talks, although she's quick to scold Eila when she's being too malicious.
• Parental Abandonment: She was separated from her father when the neuroi invaded.
• Petting Zoo People: She gains the features of a black cat when she uses her magic.
• Small Girl, Big Gun: Her FliegerHummer is almost bigger than she is.
• White-Haired Pretty Girl
• Vapor Wear: Averted. She is indeed wearing something underneath those black tights, as can be seen when she undresses to go to bed.

Eila Ilmatar Juutilainen

"Eila is quite mysterious. But at least I've come to understand that she cares a lot about Sanya. Seems like she almost never has used her protective shield during battles since she can predict the enemy's attacks. According to herself, she does it without thinking, “by intuition”, but... Isn't it amazing?" —Yoshika

Voiced by Erika Nakai/Ayuru Ohashi (Japanese), Caitlin Glass (English)

Flying Officer Eila Ilmater Juutilainen is the top ace of the Suomus witch corps where she held the rank of captain (the rank indicated by the three roses on her collar). She is an expert at reading people, allowing her to predict her companions' actions and outwit her enemies. Her ability to read people combined with her ability to see the future means that in the air she is nearly untouchable. She is so used to her mastery of evasion that she relies exclusively on dodging and has difficulty raising a shield. Her striker unit is based on the Messerschmitt Bf109G-2 and her weapon of choice is the Suomi KP/31 Sub-Machine Gun. She is named after the Finnish WWII ace Eino Ilmari Juutilainen the highest scoring non-German ace in history.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

• Arrogant Kung Fu Guy: She's less extreme but relationships are definitely not her specialty. She just can't resist throwing insults into everything she says to anyone (except Sanya).
  • Finns are stereotypically perceived as aloof and casually rude people by their neighbours, and Eila seems to follow those tropes pretty closely.
• Clingy Jealous Girl: Very protective of Sanya.
• Dodge the Bullet: As a part of training she dodges live anti-tank rounds fired by a sniper.
• Fragile Speedster: The fact that she is rarely prepared to raise a shield means a stray neuroi beam would toast her. Fortunately she is really good at dodging.
• High Speed Laser Dodge: She uses her ability to see several seconds into the future to dodge lasers.
• Hoist By Her Own Petard: Her reliance on dodging backfires spectacularly in the second season.
• I Will Protect Her: To Sanya, and how!
• Improbable Aiming Skills: Since she knows where the enemies will be and where her shots will go she doesn't even have to look to hit with perfect accuracy.
• Lightning Bruiser: Her abilities let her dodge every attack coming her way and hit the enemy with uncanny accuracy.
• Loveable Sex Maniac: She's almost as bad as Luccini.

"Eila is very dear to me. We’re always together… because that’s just the way it is. I didn’t even notice it until people around me told me. But I don’t like her habit of touching other girl’s bodies like she does! That’s not good, Eila! You never do those kinds of things to me… Why? Just blushing won’t help me understand…" --Sanya

• • Can't Act Perverted Toward a Love Interest
• Deadpan Snarker: She gets a few moments of this in episode 6 of the first season.
• Les Yay: Case in point, here is what she has to say about Sanya.

Sanya? ... Sanya, huh? hmm... ah, sorry. Thinking of Sanya sort of... makes my heart ache. I wonder why? ... eh? Her breasts? Sanya's!? What the hell are you looking at!? I wouldn't talk about that, idiot!

• Moe Couplet: With Sanya.
• Mysterious Waif: Almost every character notes her odd behavior and mysterious air, even the ones that don't normally comment on character disposition. Also she has the least back story development of the entire cast, all we really know about her is that she's from Suomus and likes Sanya.
• Petting Zoo People: She takes on the features of a black fox when she uses magic.
• Psychic Powers: Her power is the ability to see several seconds into the future, although her accuracy with Tarot cards is not nearly as good.
• Smug Super: She's more than happy to rub the fact in that she doesn't need shields which are critical to every other witch.
• Tarot Motifs: She keeps a tarot deck in one of her belt pouches and she occasionally reads people fortunes.
• Tomboy: Aside from using the gender-neutral "watashi" to refer to herself, Ella uses exclusively masculine vocabularies and syntaxes in the Japanese version.
• Tsundere: She often tries to pass off her presence at several engagements as just chance, much like a tsundere would her acts of kindness. No one buys it, though.
• Waif Prophet: She's a mysterious little girl and her powers revolve around reading the future.
• White-Haired Pretty Girl
• Wing Man: In combat she takes this role more often than not.

Non-501st JFW Witches

Junko Takei

Voiced by Masumi Asano (Japanese)

Flight Lieutenant Junko Takei is originally from Fuso Imperial Navy and now is the commander of 504th JFW. She is an old friend of Sakamoto and fought alongside when they were stationed in Libau together. Takei, Sakamoto, and Yoshiko Nishizawa were called "Three crows of Libau" for their outstanding performance in Libau. Her special ability allows her to raise her comrades' morale. She also is the protagonist of Nintendo DS game and one of the main characters in Maidens of the Heavens. In anime, she appears as the commander of 504th JFW in episode 1, 3, and 12 of season 2.

Hanna-Justina Marseille

Voiced by Shizuka Itou (Japanese)

Flight Lieutenant Marseille, also known as "Star of Africa", is yet another super ace from Karlsland. Originally from Karlsland Afrika Corps, she now belongs to the "Afrika" Joint Fighter Wing, which was practically organized just for her. She has incredible combat skill which is said to be one of the best in Allied Forces, matching that of Erika. Though her score is only up to 200 kills, Neurois in Africa are much larger than the Europe, making this score worth three times as much. Marseille is originally from semi-official Doujinshi series "Afrika" which, as the name suggests, focuses on North African Campaign of the Strike Witches Universe. She also makes an appearance in season 2 episode 10 of the anime.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

• Adaptation Distillation: Comparing how she is in the anime with how she is in the Doujinshi, there's some notable differences. For starters, the anime makes her even MORE competitive, while the doujinshis have her as more of a wild-card. The anime has her seeming to obsess with competing with Erika, but the doujinshi never mentions their rivalry.
• Back-to-Back Badasses: She and Hartmann do this in the anime. They were actually doing it more because they were competing rather than actually trying to cover each other.
• Boobs Of Steel: She's quoted as saying "You can't out-boob me! Mine have an upward lift."
• Large Ham: We see some of it in the anime, but her appearances in the doujinshis REALLY plays it up.
• The Rival: She sees Erika as her only rival, while Erika couldn't care less.
• Shout Out: Some might consider how she jumped out of the plane during her introduction in the anime to be a reference of sorts to how the real Hans Marseille died.
• Smug Super: She's one of the top aces in the world, and kind of an ass about it.

Antagonists

The Neuroi

A mysterious alien force that arrived from space one day and started wrecking havoc. Their goals are unknown.

Tropes exhibited by these characters include:

• Alien Invaders
• A Nazi By Any Other Name Yes the series has characters who are based on WWII Germans, but the nation of Germany in their world is known as Karlsland and is still a monarchy. Meanwhile, the Neuroi take on representing the Nazis in the sense that THEY are the enemy to the rest of the world that's out to exterminate people.
• Attack Its Weak Point Every single Neuroi has a core. If the core is destroyed so is the main body and all drones created by the neuroi.
• Cute Monster Girl The Neuroi Girls near the end of season 1 and the beginning of Season 2 are really attractive to some people. Too bad the two that show up, get blasted unceremoniously with extreme prejudice.
• Master Race Their mission seems to be to wipe out the human race and conquer Earth. Why? Unknown. However, one thing is for sure: They aren't much interested in a peaceful co-existence, since there were at least 2 times when a Witch attempted to make contact with a Neuroi to possibly befriend and/or reason with them. Both times, said Neuroi was obliterated by another Neuroi. In fact, the 2nd time it happened, an entire Neuroi hive was wiped out by a larger hive that appeared over the Earth.
• Those Wacky Nazis For the most part, the Neuroi seem like mostly mindless alien monsters, which isn't true since they are treated mostly as a serious threat and have systematically conquered much of the world by the time of the story. However, this particular trope applies to season 2, episode 7. In said episode, a tiny lady-bug like Neuroi infiltrates the base and starts cutting the power to all the base's electric systems to power up its giant secondary body... While at the same time the tiny one is seen "attacking" each witch one by one by sneaking into their panties and crawling upon their butts. Why? We neeeeeeeeeeever know. But it sure is funny.

Other Characters

Ursula Hartmann

Voiced by Sakura Nogawa (Japanese)

Erica Hartmann's identical twin sister. A brillant engineer who designes and build strike units, including a powerful jet striker prototype used by Gertrud Barkhorn. She is introduced at the end of season 2 episode 4, where she offers the 501st a sack of potatoes as an apology for the super jet striker unit being unstable. Formerly a member of the 507JFW, AKA the Suomus Misfits Squadron.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

• Distaff Counterpart: Averted, as she is based on the wife of Erich Hartmann.
• Meganekko: One of her features that distinguishes her from her sister.
• Made of Explodium: Some of the things she builds tend to blow up, as shown in season 2 epilogue (may also explain why the jet striker prototype she built for Gertrud eventually self destructed).
• Numerical Theme Naming: Hilariously played with when some of the protagonists first meet her and call her "Erica #2" not knowing she is Erica's sister.

The Bears

A bear cub and its mom, they appear in the first episode of season 1 and 2. They're bears. Also they're the only reoccurring non-witch non-antagonist characters.

Tropes exhibited by these characters include:

• Everything's Worse with Bears: In season 1.
  • Beary Funny: In Season 2.

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