Japanese animation, or better known as anime, has taken the world by storm. It is popular for making use of exaggerated features, such as odd hairstyles and large eyes, on its various characters. The themes and styles vary from one show to the other but are all entertaining, nonetheless. What further sets it apart from Western animation is its extensive list of distinct genres, demographics, and character traits.
The Importance/Meaning of Tsundere, Kuudere, and Yandere Characters in Anime
When discussing the girls of animated shows from Japan, there are three common words that a person may come across with – tsundere, kuudere, and yandere. As implied by the syllables, “dere”, found at the end of each term, all of these share a relationship with one another.Basically, these words refer to different personalities, particularly regarding their romantic behavior, exhibited by female characters. With anime series constantly showing cliché actions, anime fans came up with various terms to describe each one. It did not take long for the expressions to spread and the anime industry eventually embraced the concepts.
Basically, these words refer to different personalities, particularly regarding their romantic behavior, exhibited by female characters. With anime series constantly showing cliché actions, anime fans came up with various terms to describe each one. It did not take long for the expressions to spread and the anime industry eventually embraced the concepts.
The “dere” portion of each word comes from the term deredere, which roughly translates to “having a crush on somebody” in English.
Tsundere
The term tsundere is derived from deredere and tsuntsun, which is an expression used to refer to grumpy or irritable people. As such, tsundere characters are best described to be a bit hesitant in showing kindness or affection towards their love interests or other people. They often carry a cold and tough façade to hide their true emotions.
Tsundere characters can be classified into two different kinds – Type A and Type B:
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Type A Tsundere
Type A tsundere characters showcase more of their tsun side than their dere side. These people often feature characteristics such as getting embarrassed when given a compliment, frequently using the word baka (which means idiot in English) when talking to their crushes, and making physical or verbal attacks on their points of interests.
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Type B Tsundere
Type B tsundere characters put more effort into maintaining their dere side than their tsun side in public. They are often considered to be friendly people who are quite generous when it comes to giving favors and offering help. However, they turn into almost completely different people towards their crushes, especially when something upsetting (often a perverted act) is done to them.
Common storylines that feature tsundere characters revolve around their love interests gradually breaking down their walls and encouraging them to let their sweet and kind sides out more often. One of the key phrases to watch out for when identifying these characters is “I’m not doing this because I like you or whatever.”
Kuudere
The Japanese term “kuu” is derived from the English word “cool”. It is often used to describe people who carry a sense of calmness and composure. Kuudere characters are typically the ones who take charge of situations and rarely show any emotions. They tend to talk in a monotone voice and act as though nothing in the world affects them. Many anime shows give these characters strict or business-like roles such as class presidents or executive assistants.
However, beyond their neutral exteriors lie their honest emotions which they keep bottled up through self-control. Admitting any feelings, especially romantic ones, is something that they treat as a weakness that they want nobody to find out about. As such, a lot of these characters do not know how to properly express themselves, while some do not even understand the purpose and meaning of their feelings.
Yandere
“Yan” is borrowed from the term “yanderu”, which literally translates to mean “I am sick” in English. Unlike the two other dere character types, yandere characters keep their yan side hidden instead of their dere side. More often than not, these characters are mentally sick and can get crazy when it comes to their love interests.
Typically, yandere characters exhibit a cheerful and incredibly social attitude which makes them quite easy to like. However, when they start to have feelings for another character, their love serves as a catalyst for them to turn irrational and violent.
Their fear of losing their love interests to another girl is often the basis of their yandere personality. They will go to great lengths to make sure that this does not happen and are even willing to kidnap or murder their loved ones.
Yandere characters can be classified into two types – Obsessive and Possessive:
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Obsessive Yandere
Obsessive yandere characters will do everything they can to keep their love interests to themselves. Anyone and everyone who stands in their way or who may cause a problem in their relationships are either heavily threatened or killed.
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Possessive Yandere
Possessive yandere characters are basically more insane than the obsessive ones as they are even willing to kill their actual love interests just so they will not end up with other people.
Many anime series put yandere characters on the receiving end of rejections to further escalate the storyline. There are also a few shows that keep the yandere side of their main characters hidden until the latter episodes to create unexpected plot twists.
The Importance/Meaning of Tsundere, Kuudere, and Yandere Characters in the Seme – Uke (Boy – Boy Relationship) Concept
A relationship between two boys or men is a popular concept in Japanese fictional stories and media. The genre is known as yaoi, or Boys’ Love (BL), and, generally, focuses on romantic and sexual aspects. Many of it are created by female artists and are often marketed for females, as well.
The genre makes use of a seme – uke concept which basically dictates one guy to be the dominant figure (seme) and the other to be the passive figure (uke). Seme characters tend to be aggressive and will clearly express their feelings to their love interests, while uke characters are often shy and feature more feminine personalities.
Tsundere, kuudere, and yandere concepts are often interlaced with the attitudes of uke characters to create more depth. Unlike seme characters, those considered to be the uke are often inexperienced when it comes to relationships. As such, they share a lot of similar traits with tsundere, kuudere, and yandere characters who do not know how to properly handle their feelings.
Other Types of Dere Characters in Anime
There are, of course, other dere archetypes other than tsundere, kuudere, and yandere. These dere characters serve as potential romantic partners of the show’s main character but are often used as supporting roles, especially for harem anime (anime series with love triangles or polygamous relationships).
Bodere
Bodere characters tend to be timid around their love interests but become violent like tsundere types when embarrassed or given a compliment.
Dandere
Dandere characters exhibit a shy and quiet façade but tend to be talkative towards their love interests. Common roles that feature the dandere personality include bookworms, librarians, and busy students.
Deredere
Deredere characters, as implied, are incredibly cheerful and caring. They do not shy away from showing their honest feelings for their crushes and often smother them with love and affection.
Himedere
Himedere characters believe that they should be treated like princesses, regardless of whether or not they have royal blood. These people often hide their insecurities by acting superior and stuck up.
Hinedere
Hinedere characters exhibit the cool attitude of kuudere types mixed with a prominent sense of arrogance. They tend to be sarcastic and cynical but are actually quite sweet once their walls have been broken down.
Kamidere
Kamidere characters, as implied by “kami” which means “god” in English, feature a god complex. They are often proud and arrogant because of their belief that they should be worshiped and glorified. A lot of them tend to force this belief on everybody they come across with.
Mayadere
Mayadere characters are often given antagonist roles that eventually have feelings for the main characters. However, their emotions are not enough to sway them from their ultimate goal. As such, anime shows make use of these characters to create complicated situations about principles and love.
Oujidere
Oujidere characters serve as the male counterpart of those with a himedere personality. They often feature sharp eyes and a distinct fashion style which contribute to their façade of being superior to others.
Sadodere
Sadodere characters are basically sadistic in nature. They find joy in emotionally and physically teasing their love interests which evidently creates a confusing but entertaining storyline.
Undere
Undere characters feature obscure personalities as they exhibit a little bit of each of the yandere, dandere, and deredere types. They are appropriately called undere because of their habit of constantly saying “yes”, or “un”, to the wishes of their loved ones as a means to stay close to them.
List of Popular Tsundere, Kuudere, and Yandere Characters
Tsundere, kuudere, and yandere characters continue to be the most popular archetypes used in anime series of varied genres. Although often associated with female roles, a few shows or manga also incorporate these personalities in male, hero or villain, characters.
Furthermore, there are also several instances wherein a certain character exhibits more than one personality throughout the series. Some of the most popular characters for each of the three most popular dere types include:
Tsundere Characters
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Aisaka Taiga – the female protagonist of the drama/romantic comedy, “Toradora!” (October 2008 – March 2009)
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Asuka Langley – one of the main female characters of the mecha/post-apocalyptic/psychological drama, “Neon Genesis Evangelion” (October 1995 – March 1996)
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Chitoge Kirisaki – the female protagonist of the romantic comedy, “Nisekoi: False Love” (January 2014 – May 2014)
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Hikaru Wakamiya – the female protagonist of the romantic comedy/drama, “Moe Kare!!” (July 2005 – September 2006)
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Kaname Chidori – the female protagonist of the action/comedy-drama/romance/mecha/military science fiction, “Full Metal Panic!” (January 2002 – June 2002)
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Kirino Kosaka – the younger otaku sister of Kyosuke Kosaka of the comedy, “My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute” (October 2010 – December 2010)
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Kyo Sohma – one of the main male characters of the fantasy/romance/comedy-drama/harem series, “Fruits Basket” (July 2001 – December 2001)
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Makise Kurisu – the female protagonist of the science fiction/thriller, “Steins;Gate” (October 2014 – November 2014)
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Misaki Ayuzawa – the female protagonist of the romance comedy, “Maid Sama!” (April 2010 – September 2010)
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Naru Narusegawa – the female protagonist of the harem/romantic comedy, “Love Hina” (April 2000 – September 2000)
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Tosaka Rin – one of the main female characters of the action/romance/urban fantasy series, “Fate/Stay Night” (January 2006 – June 2006)
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Vegeta – one of the main male characters of the adventure/comedy/martial arts series, “Dragon Ball” (December 1986 – March 1996)
Kuudere Characters
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Eucliwood Hellscythe – a mute necromancer of the fantasy/romantic comedy/magical girl series, “Is This A Zombie?” (January 2011 – March 2011)
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Hitagi Sanjougahara – the main female character of the mystery/supernatural/romance/vampire series, “Bakemonogatari” (July 2009 – June 2010)
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Homura Akemi – one of the main female characters of the dark fantasy/horror/magical girl series, “Magical Girl Madoka Magica” (January 2011 – April 2011)
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Kanade Tachibana – one of the main female characters of the action/comedy-drama/supernatural series, “Angel Beats!” (April 2010 – June 2010)
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Mashiro Shiina – the female protagonist of the drama/romantic comedy, “The Pet Girl of Sakurasou” (January 2010 – March 2014)
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Mei Misaki – the female protagonist of the horror/mystery, “Another” (January 2012 – March 2012)
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Mikasa Ackerman – one of the main characters of the dark fantasy/post-apocalyptic series, “Attack On Titan” (April 2013 – Present)
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Rei Ayanami – one of the main female characters of the mecha/post-apocalyptic/psychological drama, “Neon Genesis Evangelion” (October 1995 – March 1996)
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Saber – one of the main female characters of the action/romance/urban fantasy series, “Fate/Stay Night” (January 2006 – June 2006)
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Yin – the female protagonist of the action/sci-fi/mystery/supernatural series, “Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha” (April 2007 – September 2007)
Yandere Characters
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Gasai Yuno – the obsessive stalker of Yukiteru Amano of the action/romance/psychological thriller, “Future Diary” (October 2011 – April 2012)
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Griffith – the male antagonist of the action/adventure/drama/fantasy/horror/ romance/supernatural series, “Berserk” (October 1997 – March 1998)
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Hitagi Sanjougahara – the main female character of the mystery/supernatural/romance/vampire series, “Bakemonogatari” (July 2009 – June 2010)
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Kaede Fuyou – the childhood best friend of Rin Tsuchimi of the drama/fantasy/harem/romantic comedy, “Shuffle!” (July 2005 – January 2006)
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Kotonoha Katsura – one of the main female characters of the drama/harem series, “School Days” (July 2007 – September 2007)
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Lucy – the lead female character of the psychological horror/romance/science fantasy, “Elfen Lied” (July 2004 – October 2004)
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Mikasa Ackerman – one of the main characters of the dark fantasy/post-apocalyptic series, “Attack On Titan” (April 2013 – Present)
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Rena Ryugu – the female protagonist of the mystery/psychological horror/supernatural series, “Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni” (April 2006 – September 2006)
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Ringo Oginome – the stalker of Keiji Tabuki of the mystery/comedy/psychological drama, “Mawaru Penguindrum” (March 2013 – January 2017)
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Rolo Lamperouge – an assassin with a great sense of brotherly love for Lelouch Lamperouge of the action/sci-fi/mecha/supernatural drama, “Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2” (April 2008 – September 2008)