If you love anime, you most likely know what a “Yandere” is. If not, I’ll explain.
Japanese anime fans coined the term “Yandere” in the first place — since Yandere means jealous — and they use the word to describe female anime characters who are crazy in love with someone and willing to do anything to make them theirs forever.
There are some well-known anime yandere characters like Miki from Angel Beats! and Hinata from Naruto.
Yanderes will often set up intricate and elaborate traps and schemes to pull off their plots, regardless of how immoral or wrong they may be. And it’s truly fascinating to watch these characters pull the strings. So, I ranked the 5 five anime Yanderes that defined the term.
But first, a look at Yandere and a few sub-types.
What Does Yandere Mean in Anime?
Yandere is a Japanese word that refers to someone who is initially loving and gentle to someone they like but then becomes violent and cold-hearted towards anyone who may come between them and their beloved.
The word comes from the combination of “yan,” meaning “obsessive” or “crazy,” and “dere,” meaning “love.”
In anime, Yandere is often depicted as having a twisted personality and being mentally unstable. They are often portrayed as stalking their love interest(s), which can range from obsessive love to downright creepy stalkers.
Anime Yanderes have been known to do anything to keep their victims from leaving them, even if it means killing them.
What are the 4 Types of Yandere?
From female leads to comic relief, there are many Yandere characters in anime. But all of them fall into one of the following 4 categories.
Classic Yandere
The classic Yandere is a female character who falls in love with the protagonist and becomes obsessed with him. She will do anything to get him to fall in love with her, even if it means killing his current girlfriend or wife.
A classic Yandere has different ways of approaching the situation. Some Yandere are insane and kill their rivals in gruesome ways while others are a bit more sophisticated.
The classic Yandere usually has a crush on someone she knows but does not know how to approach them or get their attention. This makes her extremely jealous whenever she sees them talking to another girl or flirting with someone else.
Tsundere Yandere
Tsundere Yandere is the most common type of anime Yandere. This type of anime Yandere is unpredictable and can instantly switch from loving to murderous. Symptoms include:
- Apathy (leaving you hanging while they’re supposed to be doing something)
- Jealousy (constantly accusing you of cheating on them)
- Bluntness (calling you names)
- Violent outbursts (shoving or hitting you)
- Dependency (constantly needing reassurance from you)
Kuudere Yandere
Kuudere is a cold and distant character but has a warm and compassionate heart. They’re often very smart, logical, and rational. The Kuudere Yandere is the ultimate tsundere archetype.
The Kuudere Yandere falls under the same archetype as the Tsundere Yandere but has a much colder personality. Some can even be described as sociopaths because of how cold and calculated their actions are.
Kuudere Yandere come in many different shapes and sizes, too! They can be shy girls who don’t talk much or confident girls who have no problem telling you what they think.
Deredere Yandere
This is the most common type of Yandere in anime. She is usually the main heroine of the anime. Her personality is usually sweet, kind, and cute, but sometimes she can also be quite crazy.
Deredere anime Yandere has a huge crush on her senpai and will do anything to make him hers.
She’s usually quiet and shy around him but becomes more outgoing and confident once she’s around him. Deredere anime Yanderes are very caring people who deeply care about their loved ones, but they have a dark side if you hurt them or try to take their senpai away from them!
Who is the Scariest Yandere in Anime?
It is subjective to determine who the “scariest” Yandere character is in anime, as different people may have different opinions on what makes a character frightening.
Some people may find the characters on this list to be disturbing or unsettling, while others may not find them particularly frightening.
Ultimately, what makes a Yandere character scary is a matter of personal interpretation and can depend on various factors, such as the person’s own experiences and beliefs.
However, some of the well-known scariest characters are:
7. Yuno Gasai – Mirai Nikki
- Age: 14 Years Old
- Height: 5’3”
- Voice Actors: Tomasa Murata
Yuno Gasai is one of the most popular yandere characters in anime. At conventions, she’s even cosplayed as her fanbase.
Yuno Gasai is a sweet girl who loves Yukiteru Amano and looks up to him like an older brother. After discovering Yuki has a crush on Minene Uryu, she becomes a yandere. To ensure Minene doesn’t get between Yuki and Yuno, Yuno becomes obsessed with killing her.
It’s hard for me to think of a better yandere character than Yuno Gasai because she’s not evil – just misguided. Yuki is willing to kill anyone who gets in the way of them, but she does not want to hurt him. She wants him all to herself!
6. Nina Einstein – Code Geass
- Age: 17 Years Old
- Height: 5’5”
- Voice Actors: Kim Mai Guest
Nina Einstein is a character from the anime Code Geass. She is the female lead of the series and one of the most popular characters in the fandom.
After meeting Lelouch Lamperouge, who eventually becomes her boyfriend, she ends up on the wrong side. Nina is also known as one of the scariest yandere girls in anime history. This makes her more attractive to fans.
Her emotions are out of control, but she is intelligent and calculating. Her manipulative nature also makes her willing to do whatever it takes to achieve her goals. If you’ve seen Code Geass, you know this girl isn’t someone you want on your bad side!
5. Hisoka Morrow – Hunter X Hunter
- Age: 28 Years Old
- Height: 6’2”
- Voice Actors: Keith Silverstein
Male yandere in anime are rare, but they do exist.
Hisoka Morrow is one of the main characters of Hunter x Hunter. As a psychopath, he enjoys toying with his prey before killing them. His loyalty is to whoever pays him the most.
Hisoka’s goal is to kill all Phantom Troupe members and take away their spider tattoos. Hisoka’s past is mysterious. It has been implied that he was born into poverty and abused by his alcoholic father as a child.
Hisoka also wears makeup on his face, most notably eyeliner, giving him a feminine appearance. This makes him unusual and classy!
4. Anna Nishikinomiya – Shimoneta
- Age: 16 Years Old
- Height: 5’2”
- Voice Actors: Monica Riall
Anna Nishikinomiya is a high school student and the main female protagonist of Shimoneta, also known as “Tequila.” She is a member of the Anti-Societal Organization, which fights against the censorship enforced by the Ministry of Public Morals.
Anna is friendly, kind, and affectionate towards Tanukichi and other characters. However, she hides a secret side from everyone else: she’s a yandere. Anna becomes extremely jealous when another girl shows interest in Tanukichi, such as Akane Shinjou and Princess Kaya. She often attempts to kill them and others who get in her way.
Described as an “absolute monster” and a “Yandere goddess” due to her extreme personality traits, Anna is definitely one of the scariest anime yandere in history.
3. Shuka Karino – Darwin’s Game
- Age: 17 Years Old
- Height: 5’1”
- Voice Actors: Alexis Tipton
Shuka Karino is the main antagonist of Darwin’s Game. After watching Darwin play the game, she develops a crush on him. Afterward, she stalked him and killed everyone in her path.
Shuka is shown to have a very unstable personality. She acts like an innocent girl when she meets Darwin for the first time. But later reveals that she was pretending to be nice. She wanted him to like her so much that she’d kill anyone who got in between them.
She also has no problem killing innocent people as long as they are not connected to Darwin.
2. Kotonoha Katsura – School Days
- Age: 15-16 Years Old
- Height: 5’2”
- Voice Actors: Tae Okajima
Kotonoha Katsura is a student at the same high school as Makoto Itou. From a young age, she loved him. This made her very insecure when she discovered that he was dating Sekai Saionji.
Her attempts to win his heart include killing Sekai, who she believes is a rival for Makoto’s affection. Her Yandere traits are evident when she holds a knife to Sekai’s throat and threatens to kill her if she doesn’t leave Makoto alone.
Even so, she is one of the most psychotic anime yandere girls out there, despite her redeemable qualities (such as her desire to be re-married to Makoto).
1. Himiko Toga – My Hero Academia
- Age: 17 Years Old
- Height: 5’2”
- Voice Actors: Leah Clark
Himiko Toga is a student at U.A. High School who was admitted with a hero license before the start of Shigaraki’s plan. As a member of the League of Villains, she can generate and manipulate poison as part of her Quirk.
Toga is known for her psychotic and sociopathic behavior, often smiling while she murders people. While she is usually emotionless, she does have moments where she lets her true feelings through her mask.
She’s also very loyal to Shigaraki and will do anything to help him succeed in his plans.
What is the Best Anime with Yandere Girlfriend?
If you’re looking for an anime with yandere girlfriend, your search has ended. These are some of the best anime with yandere girlfriends.
7. Future Diary
- Studio: Asread
- Release Date: October 10, 2011
- Episodes: 26
- Seasons: 1
- Where To Watch: Crunchyroll
The main character in this anime is Yuki Kurusu, a shy, withdrawn teenager with no friends. He meets a strange girl called Yukiteru Amano on his way home from school one day. After that, things get weird.
She’s not like other anime yandere who want to be with their boyfriends all the time; instead, she wants to kill off any girl who might come between her and her beloved Yukiteru.
She’s not just limited to killing those who want him romantically either. It doesn’t matter if they try to steal him away or hurt him physically – Yuno will do whatever it takes to get rid of anyone who threatens her relationship with Yukiteru.
6. Akame ga Kill!
- Author: Takahiro
- Studio: Asread
- Release Date: July 7, 2014
- Episodes: 26
- Seasons: 1
- Where To Watch: Netflix
The main character, Tatsumi, gets involved with Night Raid, a group of assassins dedicated to overthrowing the corrupt government. One of the members of Night Raid is a girl named Esdeath, who has a yandere personality.
She falls for Tatsumi and even tries to kill him at one point when he rejects her advances.
In Akame ga Kill!, there’s a lot of blood and gore. This anime is not for the faint-hearted because it contains graphic violence. There are also some sexual themes in this series, though they’re not too explicit or graphic.
The art style used in Akame ga Kill! is unique, which makes it stand out among other anime series. The animation is also very well done, adding to its appeal.
5. Death Note
- Author: Tsugumi Ohba
- Studio: Madhouse
- Release Date: October 4, 2006
- Episodes: 37
- Seasons: 1
- Where To Watch: Netflix
Death Note is one of the best anime with Yandere’s girlfriend because of its story. The main character, Light Yagami, has a girlfriend named Misa Amane, a yandere. She becomes obsessed with him and tries to kill anyone in their way.
However, when she finds out that Light killed someone using her name, she becomes upset and tries to kill him.
Death Note is an action-packed thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. It also has plenty of romance if you’re looking for sweet and cute moments between Light and Misa Amane.
4. Danganronpa
- Author: Kazutaka Kodaka
- Studio: Lerche
- Release Date: July 4, 2013
- Episodes: 13
- Seasons: 1
- Where To Watch: Crunchyroll
Danganronpa is a dark, twisted story about 15 students trapped in a school. They are forced to kill each other until only one remains. The premise sounds like a Japanese version of Battle Royale, but the show is much more psychological than that.
It’s a thrilling ride of horror and suspense that takes you on a wild ride with these young kids as they try to escape the school alive. You’ll find plenty of great characters in this show, but none compare to my favorite character: Mukuro Ikusaba.
Her clique at Hope’s Peak Academy is the Ultimate Soldiers. Despite her intimidating presence, she is very protective of her younger sister (Kirumi Tojo).
3. Attack on Titan
- Author: Hajime Isayama
- Studio: Wit Studio
- Release Date: April 7, 2013
- Episodes: 87
- Seasons: 4
- Where To Watch: Crunchyroll
Attack on Titan is one of the best animes, but it has challenges.
It is well-known for having a large cast of characters, and it cannot be easy to track who’s who. Attack on Titan also has some serious pacing issues that make it difficult to enjoy the story as much as you should.
Fortunately, there’s an easy way to fix both problems: turn your attention to The Yandere Girlfriend of all, Mikasa Ackerman! This new anime series has all of the most important parts of Attack on Titan but with none of its flaws.
You won’t have to worry about confusing character names or uninteresting side stories when you watch Mikasa Ackerman. Instead, you’ll get all the action and drama that makes Attack on Titan so popular!
2. Tokyo Ghoul
- Author: Sui Ishida
- Studio: Pierrot
- Release Date: July 4, 2014
- Episodes: 24
- Seasons: 2
- Where To Watch: Netflix
Tokyo Ghoul is a dark series about a young man named Kaneki. Heis transformed into a half-ghoul after being attacked by one. The anime follows him as he tries to come to terms with his new abilities and identity, all while trying to understand what it means to be human.
The main story focuses on Keneki’s relationship with Rize. She is a beautiful ghoul anime yandere that has been hunting him for years. The relationship turns dangerous when she discovers he hides his true nature from her.
In her mind, she is protecting the world from him by killing him so he can’t harm anyone else again.
1. Shiki
- Author: Fuyumi Ono
- Studio: Daume
- Release Date: July 8, 2010
- Episodes: 24
- Seasons: 1
- Where To Watch: Funimation
Shiki is an anime series based on the manga of the same name by Fuyumi Ono. The series was produced by Studio Deen in 2010 and aired 25 episodes. The plot follows Mamiya Natsumi, who becomes a victim of a disease called Shiki (literal translation: “corpse demon”).
She must fight against humans and demons while trying to find a cure for her condition.
The main reason why Shiki is one of the best anime with yandere girlfriends is that it has an amazing plotline that will leave you wanting more! It’s filled with action-packed scenes that keep you on your toes throughout each episode!
And there you have it, folks. My take on the best anime yandere characters will motivate your interest in this dangerous yet lovable archetype.
Give these anime a shot if you’ve never heard of yandere characters. Chances are that you’ll fall in love with them as much as we have.
