In anime, there are many, many tropes that have become very widely known throughout the community. These tropes have been given their own set of terminology and are thus much more accessible to a wide audience. One set of tropes that seems to be present in most anime produced nowadays is the “dere” trope.
The dere trope describes a particular type of character, depending on the prefix that is attached to it. There are many dere types, but the four most well-known of the group are Yandere, Kuudere, Tsundere, and Dandere. Even if you don’t know what the terms mean, if you have any background in the world of anime, you’ve definitely come across characters that fit these archetypes. One thing to note is that all the deres have something to do with how characters interact on a personal and sometimes romantic level. Now, let’s dive into these deres, shall we?
1. Yandere.
Perhaps the most terrifying of all the dere types is the Yandere type. Yandere characters are typically characters that have emotional or romantic attachment to a specific person. And they are very, VERY attached. Yandere characters are known to go out of their way to protect the one special person that means the most to them, and they’ll do just about anything to keep their beloved unharmed. Like murder. Lots and lots of murder.
One of the most famous Yandere characters is Gasai Yuno from the hit psychological thriller “Mirai Nikki” or “Future Diary” in English. Anyone who gets in the way of her potential romance with the protagonist are very prone to “accidents” that happen to them. I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.
2. Kuudere.
A character who would be considered a Kuudere would be known for being very emotionless and detached from what is going on around them. They are typically silent characters that are very hard to read. They very rarely show their love for a person. The most they might ever go is to slightly blush in the direction of someone they may or may not like. Who’s to say?
There are many examples of Kuudere, but the one that fits the mold the most, in my opinion, is Rei Ayanami from “Neon Genesis Evangelion.” While she is very stone-faced and seemingly emotionless, she does have an interior side that reflects her romantic feelings toward both the main character, Shinji Ikari, and… His dad. Yeah, it’s a really weird show.
3. Dandere.
Dandere characters are somewhat similar to the Kuudere’s in the fact that they can come off emotionally distant and very quiet. Where they differ is that rather than being distant towards someone, they are just very shy. So, this is basically the “shy girl/boy” trope. They are usually easily flustered when it comes to their crush and often blush when even thinking about them.
My favorite of this category is Hinata Hyuuga from “Naruto" / Na'ruto Shippuden.” For many, many years she had a crush on the main character, Naruto, and was never able to profess her love for him because she, as Danderes tend to be, got extremely flustered.
4. Tsundere.
Last, but certainly not least, is the Tsundere. This might be the most well-known dere type. These characters are God-damn everywhere! Tsundere characters are ones that have well-intentioned feelings toward someone but are usually very aggressive about it, in a way that makes them sound very hostile toward that someone. I once came across an analogy that described Tsunderes perfectly: Think of a muffin with hard crust. Sure, on the outside they might be a little rough around the edges, but on the inside, they’re quite sweet and nice.
There are many famous Tsundere characters. Some of them are Taiga from “Toradora,” Asuka from the aforementioned “Neon Genesis Evangelion,” Sakura from “Naruto,” and Tohsaka Rin from the “Fate" series.
I realize that many of these tropes seem very female-based, but there are definitely male anime characters that fit the mold. Nobody is safe from the dere. NOBODY.
