History UsefulNotes / JapanesePronouns

* ''VideoGame/{{Cyberpunk 2077}}'': Saburo Arasaka refers to his [[BlackSheep least favorite son]] Yorinobu this way when the two of them exchange pleasantries. However, when the conversation turns to the latest and extremely serious way in which Yorinobu has defied him, Saburo switches to "kisama" without missing a beat.

* ''VideoGame/{{Cyberpunk 2077}}'': When Saburo Arasaka and his [[BlackSheep prodigal son]] Yorinobu exchange pleasantries, Saburo adresses his son as "anata". However, when the conversation turns to the priceless piece of experimental tech Yorinobu stole from his father, Saburo slips over into calling his son "kisama" without missing a beat.

** In ''Anime/ZoroarkMasterOfIllusions'', Zorua uses oira, which fits with his mischievous nature.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': Nyarth (Meowth) usually uses oira in his image songs, though he uses "Nyaa" in the [[Anime/PokemonTheSeries anime itself]] later on.

* ''[[VideoGame/PaperMarioTheOrigamiKing]]'' has two examples in the Japanese version:

* ''VideoGame/[[PaperMarioTheOrigamiKing]]'' has two examples in the Japanese version:

** The second example is King Olly. Notably, he is the only main antagonist and {{FinalBoss}} in the Paper Mario series to use this pronoun, foreshadowing [[spoiler: his age.]]

:''Bansei'': 晩生 Archaic, self-effacing, often used by the ''kōhai'' in SenpaiKohai context.

* The ill-tempered Bakugo from ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' uses this on almost everyone, especially the protagonist Izuku.

* Lum, the hot {{Oni}} AlienPrincess from ''Manga/UruseiYatsura'', refers to herself as "Uchi". Curiously, her father and little cousin speak in KansaiRegionalAccent.

See also: RoyalWe, PronounTrouble, HeyYou, ThirdPersonPerson, UsefulNotes/JapaneseHonorifics, {{Keigo}}.

* In ''Manga/KurokosBasketball'', Kuroko uses ''boku'' in line with his [[{{Keigo}} polite speech]]. [[spoiler: Akashi's alternate personality uses this too. During their Teiko days before his other side took over and after Rakuzan is defeated by Seirin he used ''ore''.]]

* [[BloodKnight Hibari]], Mukuro, and Byakuran from ''Manga/Reborn2004'' are quite polite (Mukuro even uses {{keigo}}!) but along the most dominant and abusive characters of the series. In the case of Mukuro and Byakuran, ''boku'' implies more of an [[FauxAffablyEvil false politeness]] than a genuine one, while in Hibari's case it reflects his strong attachment to rules (not that he's a nice guy, [[JerkWithAHeartOfJerk anyway]]).

:''Jibun'': 自分 "Oneself." 99% of the time this serves as a reflexive pronoun just like its English translation, but occasionally it can also be used as a general first person pronoun. Because it's quite detached and impersonal, military types may use it to indicate professionalism. Although more often heard from men, it's technically gender-neutral, so ''jibun'' can be useful [[TheAllConcealingI if writers want to disguise a character's gender]]. Confusingly, in [[KansaiRegionalAccent Kansai-ben]] ''jibun'' means "you" instead of "I" (when not being used for a reflexive).

** Hajime Hinata from ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'' uses ''ore'' and ''omae'', as his speech pattern is far more direct than that of the previous game's protagonist Makoto Naegi. However, [[spoiler:Hajime's BrokenAce alternate personality Izuru Kamukura]] uses ''boku'' and speaks with {{keigo}}.

:''Uchi'': 家 A word for "I" or "my own" used in [[KansaiRegionalAccent Kansai-ben]] (including Osaka-ben) and Kyushu dialect by women. Thus, one may hear a female [[TheIdiotFromOsaka idiot from Osaka]] refer to herself as ''uchi'', in addition to other characters from the Kansai region. The Kansai-ben equivalent to ''atashi''.

* Kuroshio and Ryuujou of ''VideoGame/KanColle'' use this, as both [[KansaiRegionalAccent speaks Kansai]]. Interestingly, only the former is a genuine speaker (as she was born/built in Osaka) while the latter is not (neither the ship or her voice actress is a native).

* Kohran from ''VideoGame/SakuraWars'' uses it (as well as speaking [[KansaiRegionalAccent Kansai-ben]]), but she's technically {{Chinese| Girl}}. To be fair, she grew up in the Kansai area.

* Kylier from ''VideoGame/YggdraUnion''. She has a very light [[KansaiRegionalAccent Kyoto-ben]] accent.

:''Washi'': 儂 In popular media it's reserved for elderly men only (except for some JidaiGeki dramas and suchlike), but in real life it used to be popular with men and women of all ages, especially in the mid-western regions of Japan. By now its usage has faded among the younger generations, due to the effects of the aforementioned popular media. It's still relatively common in the KansaiRegionalAccent, and is the dialect's equivalent to ''ore''.

* Azazel in ''Manga/YouAreBeingSummonedAzazel'' as part of his KansaiRegionalAccent.

* Uraha in ''VisualNovel/{{AIR}}'' (Kanna's servant and extreme ''{{keigo}}'' user).

*** Celestia Ludenberg uses "watakushi", befitting her {{Keigo}} ElegantGothicLolita style... [[spoiler:until she's pissed off and slips to ''watashi'']].

* Kisei in ''VideoGame/Onmyoji2016''. He is a perpetual {{Keigo}} speaker.

:''Watashi'': 私 A standard, polite word for "I", usable by both men and women in formal situations. It's also fine for women in informal situations. A man who uses it in an informal context may come across as business-like or aloof, sometimes effeminate. In fiction, a stoical, taciturn man may prefer ''watashi'' or even ''watakushi'', while a more layback, easy-going man would use ''ore''. Even though ''watashi'' is a mark of politeness, women who casually use it need not use polite language (more specifically, polite grammar); fictional men can use crude, masculine language, and also ''watashi''. In the case of children, ''watashi'' is often used by girls, but never by boys, who use ''boku''. In Japanese as a second language courses, ''watashi'' is almost always the first word for "I" learned. In the TohokuRegionalAccent, it may be pronounced ''watasu'' instead.

:''Anta'': あんた The contracted, informal variant of ''anata''. This can be used by girls who refers to themselves as "atashi", or by guys to refer to people whom, while they respect to a degree, they still don't want to use "anata" on; consequently, it implies a defiance of authority. It's also generally used instead of ''anata'' in the KansaiRegionalAccent.

* Tsukiumi in ''Manga/Sekirei''. She stands out by being the only major character who speaks this way.

* Gray, in the ''LightNovel/LordElMelloiIICaseFiles'', uses ''jibun'' as her first-person pronoun, even though she's just a sixteen-year-old girl. But she's quite [[TheStoic stoic]] and [[MysteriousPast mysterious]]...

* Yae Kokonoe of ''LightNovel/InAnotherWorldWithMySmartphone''. Justified as her homeland, Eashen, is pretty much the equivalent of Feudal Japan, and she's a samurai.

* Teika in ''LightNovel/KyouranKazokuNikki'', who is a lion of a royal line. Even his theme song is titled "Wagahai wa shugojuu de aru ka".

[[/folder]]

* Nami in ''Manga/OnePiece'', reflecting her boisterous personality. Interestingly, this is only in the anime, as she uses "watashi" in the manga.

* Oddly enough, Shadow the Hedgehog from ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog''. This actually caused a bit of internal drama at Sonic Team, since many of the people on the ''Sonic Adventure 2'' staff thought he should use "ore" instead. In this case, it's to contrast Sonic, reflecting how he's a more conflicted and less self-confident character.

* Stiyl Magnus of ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' is a subversion of the gruff, tough guy archetype usually using ''ore'' by using ''boku'' instead. However, since he's just 14 years old it's somewhat justified.

* Kiritsugu Emiya from ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', Shirou's easygoing adoptive father, is always seen in Shirou's flashbacks as using ''boku''. ''LightNovel/FateZero'' reveals that he used it even during his [[ColdSniper cold-hearted hitman]][=/=][[MageKiller Magus Killer]] days, which emphasizes how he hasn't grown out of his immature ideals despite being colder and more ruthless as an adult.

* Kiba and Gasper from ''LightNovel/HighSchoolDXD'' use this in contrast to Issei's more masculine "ore". Kiba is a {{Bishonen}} ChickMagnet while Gasper is a WholesomeCrossdresser.

* Sousuke Sagara in ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic''. As did the high school rugby team of his school once [[TheSpartanWay Sousuke was through with them]]; Kaname originally expresses confusion at the captain's switch from "boku" to "jibun", but in the English dub she's just stunned by his switch to stiff military speak ("'Ma'am'?")

* Kino from ''LightNovel/KinosJourney'' uses this in the first sets of episodes in a similar attempt at gender-obfuscation. Kino is also known to use "atashi" and "boku" alternately.

* Zansu uses "mii" and "yuu" constantly in ''LightNovel/BludgeoningAngelDokurochan''. It helps establish him as an annoying character... not that he needs the help.

* ''LightNovel/DateALive'': Shido uses this, which was a bit of an issue when he was DraggedIntoDrag to get close to [[DoesNotLikeMen Miku]] and kept forgetting to use "watashi", though he just keeps using it when she doesn't dwell on it. Conversely, Tohka normally uses "watashi" but switched to "ore" while trying to pass herself off as a boy to stick with Shido on a field trip.

* Mordred, the Saber of Red of ''LightNovel/FateApocrypha'' uses ''ore'' as part of her rejection of her own femininity.

* [[BigBad Gauron]] from ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'' uses this when referring to himself. It does certainly fit perfectly with his macho, condescending tough-guy attitude. And yes, he uses it rudely with strangers and people who aren't particularly close with him.
* Shiki from ''LightNovel/TheGardenOfSinners'' uses it too, [[spoiler:in imitation of SHIKI, her male persona, who died two years ago. She returns to using ''watashi'' after the events of the seventh chapter/movie, signifying her acceptance of her past and present]].

* Issei in ''LightNovel/HighSchoolDXD'', highlighting him as the most masculine among the three male protagonists.

* ''LightNovel/IsThisAZombie'':

* [[LargeHam Caster of Red]] from ''LightNovel/FateApocrypha''. Then again, he's ''Creator/WilliamShakespeare'', so this, in addition to show his penchant for grandiness, is basically how his Main/AntiquatedLinguistics translate in Japanese.

* Zero in ''LightNovel/GrimoireOfZero'', as one of her eccentricities from growing up in a magical research commune filled with old books.

* Nyanta in ''LightNovel/LogHorizon'', who considering that he plays a werecat character, is most probably using "wagahai" as an allusion to ''Wagahai wa Neko de Aru''.

* Enju Aihara in ''LightNovel/BlackBullet'', despite being a 10-year-old girl.

* Toru and Akari in ''LightNovel/CoffinPrincessChaika'' use it for their "iron blood transformation" incantation: "Ware wa hagane nari..."

* Used in the spell incantations in ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}''.

* Cardinal in ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline''. Despite looking like a young kid, she talks this way to emphasize that she is [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld over three centuries old.]]

* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' and ''Manga/ACertainScientificRailgun''

* Kurumi Tokisaki in ''LightNovel/DateALive'', referring to her {{Temporal Duplication}}s as "watakushi-tachi". [[spoiler:She was an {{Ojou}} before she became a Spirit.]]

* ''LightNovel/KyoKaraMaoh''

* ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}'''s NobleDemon Luck Gandor refers to himself as ''watashi'', in a "businesslike and aloof" male use of the word.

* The Snake of the Festival, one of the three Crimson Gods in ''LightNovel/ShakuganNoShana''. [[spoiler:By extension, his host Yuji will use it when he’s talking through him.]]

* Mikoto in ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' never addresses [[UnknownRival Touma]] with anything else, [[{{Tsundere}} even after she develops a crush on him]]. She also directs it at Kuroko whenever the latter's lesbian advances go too far (which happens [[ClingyJealousGirl quite often]]).

* [[{{Tsundere}} Kaname]] in ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'' tends to use ''anta'' on Sousuke and her friends when she's irritated.

* Tohka from ''LightNovel/DateALive'' regularly addresses Origami this way, mostly for their [[ClingyJealousGirl conflict]] over Shido, [[spoiler:though she stops after their relationship smoothes over in the new timeline.]] She also uses it toward her enemies. [[spoiler:Her SuperpoweredEvilSide uses this on everyone.]]

** Rider of ''LightNovel/FateZero'' uses ''kisama'' when speaking with his Master Waver, but in the older, speaking-to-subordinates form. This probably comes from his status as the King of Conquerors as well as the fairly casual undertones to his general kingly demeanor.

* Sousuke from ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'', though normally ''very'' formal, addresses [[BigBad Gauron]] as this, always. Even when he's not [[WhyWontYouDie yelling at him to go die]].

* [[TheBully Yozora]] of ''LightNovel/{{Haganai}}'' regularly addresses [[SitcomArchNemesis Sena]] this way, when she's not simply calling her "Meat". The protagonist Kodaka's little sister Kobato often uses this, but it's just part of her [[CosplayOtakuGirl cosplay]] of a vampire show she enjoys.

* Alastor in ''LightNovel/ShakuganNoShana'' will unfailingly use 'kisama' when addressing Yuji, despite the level of familiarity the torch has with both him and his champion. This is not so much a calculated insult as the fact that the Crimson King considers humans to be literally beneath his notice -- Yuji is the only human Alastor will use pronouns to (or mention at all) when addressing directly. Alternatively, he could just be extremely old-fashioned and is unaware that it's a rude form of address in modern Japan.

* The words of the Servant summoning ritual in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' and its prequel ''LightNovel/FateZero'' uses this along with ''waga''.

* Also used in the incantation for the Dragon Slave spell in ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}''.

* [[BigBad Gauron]] from ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'' uses this when addressing Sousuke. Needless to say, it's ''very'' rude and [[NoSenseOfPersonalSpace overly chummy]], considering that Sousuke absolutely hates his guts, and they're not close at ''all'' (at least, what Sousuke feels, Gauron on the other hand [[StalkerWithACrush seems to feel differently]]).
* ''LightNovel/TheGardenOfSinners'': Ryougi Shiki uses this, in keeping with her OreOnna status.

** In the prequel ''LightNovel/FateZero'', Caster addresses ''God'' this way while [[RageAgainstTheHeavens railing against his supposed cruelty]].
* ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'':

* ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight's'' Gilgamesh always uses ''kisama'' or ''omae'' when referring to everyone else, with only ''one'' exception: he uses this [[spoiler: on [[LightNovel/FateZero Alexander]] (the only opponent in the war he had a shred of respect for) shortly after defeating him, while telling him that they can have a fight again some other time.]] Also most probably a deliberate archaism.

* ''LightNovel/{{Katanagatari}}'': Togame the Strategian uses this pronoun to refer to Shichika.

* Routinely used by Touma from ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' when agitated or talking to someone he doesn't like. (Which makes it pretty much his standard pronoun.)

* You'll hear more ''temē'' in a single episode of ''LightNovel/{{Toradora}}'' than in the whole run of most other shows. In particular, Taiga and Ami are always yelling this one at each other.

* Luck Gandor in ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}'' uses this to refer to [[TheMafia the Gandor family]].

* Misty in ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'' uses ''atashi''.

* Alien Guts Vorst, one of BigBad Alien Chibu Exceller's [[CoDragons two leading subordinates]] tends to refer to himself with this pronoun most of the time he's on-screen.

:''Wagahai'': 我輩/我が輩 "my class, one of my standing". Every bit as arrogant and presumptuous as ''ore-sama'', with the added benefit of being quite archaic (it incorporates the possessive form of ''ware''). Note that 50% of the time you see this, it's an allusion to ''Wagahai wa Neko de aru'' (''Literature/IAmACat''), a well-known Japanese satirical novel.