Troperville
Editing Help
Tools
Toys
|
alt title(s): Punchy Love
Stupid Wiki, i-it's not like I'm editing you because I like you or anything.
Harumi: You uh... You like him?
Mikoto: W-What?
Harumi: You know, when a girl behaves all cold towards the guy she likes. It was popular a while back... Tsun... Tsun... Tsundara? No... Tsunjire?
Oh, Arnold, how I love you. And yet I hate you! And yet I love you. And yet I hate you! And yet I love you.
A character (usually female) who runs 'hot and cold', flipping between ◊ aggressive or confrontational (tsuntsun, meaning "aloof" or "cranky" in Japanese) and affectionate and sentimental (deredere, meaning "lovestruck"). The distinct moods usually aren't subtle, especially with the latter ranging from 'simple teasing' to 'lovestruck kindergartener who pushes you into the sandbox'. The reasons behind a Tsundere's behavior vary, but typically rise from the conflict between her feelings about the object of her affections and her reactions to having them. This can be as simple as embarrassment or frustration at being so attracted to that boy, particularly if he has certain personality quirks or behaviors that infuriate her. She may not even realize that she is attracted to him, and conversely reject his compliments of her.
There are two main types of Tsundere, depending on their default mood:
Type A (alias Type Tsun): These Tsundere are tsuntsun (cranky) as their default mood. It takes something special to trigger their deredere side. The intensity of the tsuntsun can range from a "I must glare and fight my way through life" (Louise of Zero No Tsukaima) to a grumpy pessimist (Kagami of Lucky Star, possibly Rin of Yes Precure 5). It's not about intensity, it's just about what part of the tsundere personality is the public face and which one the hidden. If the Tsundere is The Rival, she is more likely to be Type A. When she does help her rival out, expect her to say something along the lines of "Don't get me wrong, I'm not doing this for you." This is usually accompanied by ferocious blushing. While she usually cuts down on the beatings and insults and shows more signs of mushiness as the series progresses, she will not be fully converted to "dere" in contrast to the Defrosting Ice Queen (which, ironically, was the original definition of Tsundere).
Type B (alias Type Dere): These Tsundere have deredere as their default mood. They are sweet, kind and generous, but just happen to have a hidden violent side as well. In this case, her temper is almost always triggered by someone else, usually the male Love Interest. Either they're a Takahashi Couple, or the guy is an idiot or an Accidental Pervert, or she just has no idea how to handle feelings of love and attraction and thus is sweet to everyone except the man she's interested in. Unwanted suitors such as Dogged Nice Guys might also trigger the tsuntsun. Very often the male Love Interest will be very frustrated as everybody else keeps telling him how sweet the Tsundere is and wonders how they can possibly be describing the same girl. Might lead to an Informed Attribute if we never actually see the sweet side as default, since the Tsundere and her irritant are always together on screen. Type B Tsundere are often subject to Adaptation Decay, Character Exaggeration and Flanderization that turns them into a Type A.
Type B should not be confused with a Yandere. If a Type B Tsundere was really convinced that her Love Interest didn't want her, she would revert back to her deredere side and probably enter a I Want My Beloved To Be Happy phase. A Yandere would calmly tolerate a lot of the things that a Tsundere goes bonkers over, but if a Yandere decides that her Love Interest really doesn't want her, she's likely to snap and Murder The Hypotenuse.
A common way of showing a Tsundere has mellowed or has had her heart won over by the Love Interest is to have her shift from Type A to Type B.
The Tsundere is also often complex. If she always lashed out, or always lashed out at what we think of as the obvious or in-series triggers, she could not hold the reader/viewer's interest. The exception is always there. The love interest could 'man up' by 'taking charge' causing the Tsundere to become submissive, with Unfortunate Implications as always. In Elfen Lied, the one tiny slap Kouta ever landed on Yuka was followed by an expression of absolute love and disgust that she would endanger herself, enough so that she simply falls into his arms. The tsundere could view a certain situation as not falling within her anger zone. One example from Love Hina had Naru basically shrugging off Keitaro's porn collection as normal for guys.
Tsundere have three different tsuntsun tactics to choose from. Most of them apply a combination of the below, but some tend to favor one over the other:
- The Cold Shoulder: In employing this tactic, the tsundere resolves to not give the man in question the time of day. If she does talk to him, responses will be monosyllabic. Pointedly ignoring him in conversation and disdainful looks round out the total freeze she will lay on the dude. Example of a tsundere who favors this tactic: Genshiken's Chika Ogiue.
- The Violent Approach: Things get physical, and not in the good way. The tsundere, in a bad mood by this point, will punctuate verbal abuse with plenty of good old fashioned violence. Kicks, punches, slaps, and other painful forms of beatdown will follow. Heaven help you if she's got a Paper Fan or a Hyperspace Mallet. Example of a tsundere who favors this tactic: Ranma 1/2's Akane Tendo.
- The Smirk: Not as common a tactic, but effective in its own right, is for the tsundere to constantly belittle the love interest with sarcasm and putdowns. Favorite expressions include "Baka!", and "Urusai!" ("Shut up!"). Tsundere who know the guy's point of pride will not hesitate to insult him on that account, and when this tactic is employed nothing the guy can do will be good enough to impress her. If they are a Takahashi Couple, Volleying Insults often occur. This kind of tsundere might be vulnerable to a Shut Up Kiss. Example of a tsundere who favors this tactic: Neon Genesis Evangelion's Asuka Langley Soryuu, though she's got more than a trace of The Violent Approach to her.
- All Of The Above: The tsundere's reactions will heavily depend on the situation she and the guy are placed in. Example of a tsundere who favors this tactic: Kimagure Orange Road's Madoka Ayukawa.
Deredere tactics vary, a lot, she can give Valentine's Chocolate to her love interest saying "Because I felt pity for you", help him with his chores ( cooking for him is a favorite tactic (that they won't admit to)), or even beat him in a session of Training From Hell. If her motivations are inquired she will often engage in a Suspiciously Specific Denial with a Luminescent Blush and total evasion of eye contact (cue the squeeks of Moe Moe). Further inquires however, ensure a a trigger of the tsuntsun.
Most Tsunderes deny their behavior, although a few glory in it. Type B Tsundere in particular often aspire to become a Yamato Nadeshiko, perhaps following the example of an older sister. When she fails in these attempts (usually directed at her Love Interest) expect her to either release her tsuntsun half on a convenient target (often her Love Interest), or to show off her deredere by breaking down and crying, (often in the Love Interest's arms). The loss of her Love Interest is a common method for changing a Tsundere into a Yamato Nadeshiko. If her Tsundere personality re-emerges, it's probably a sign that she's learned to love again.
A Tsundere's attractiveness is two-fold: on one hand, she is an independent, strong-willed girl, determined to do everything well. On the other, she has major endearing traits such as awkwardness with relationships (particularly, romance) or tomboyish tendencies, which she perceives as "weakness". However, where another girl would start wangsting about these, a Tsundere just blushes and covers them up with aggressive attitude. Furthermore, she's much less likely to suffer from Chickification, since her less-than-doting personality facet is her major appeal. For Type A, it's assumed that she only acts mean to hide her good heart or deal with romantic attraction. For Type B, her hidden tsuntsun side shows that she's more than just the sweet girl.
If a series doesn't have a explicitly romantic bent, a Tsundere can still come in the form of The Rival who acknowledges that the lead is a Worthy Opponent but remembers just in time that she's supposed to dislike the competition. Even then, many fans will see a romantic attraction between her and her preferred target, especially if said target is The Ditz.
Whether Type A or Type B, Tsundere differ from a Jerk With A Heart Of Gold in that Tsundere moods tend to switch in reaction to the actions of select people. A Jerk With A Heart Of Gold is jerkish in general regardless of whether the other person is mean or nice, and shows his Heart of Gold at the appropriate times regardless of how the other person is treating them.
Compare with Well Excuse Me Princess. May overlap with Mood Swinger and evince Dont You Dare Pity Me and Fear Leads To Anger. Aloof Ally may show the same hot-and-cold behavior but for differing reasons. Kuudere is a similar but distinct trope where confrontation is created by being "cool and emotionally undemonstrative" rather than aggressive behavior. Contrast with Yandere and Yangire, which rather than being angry outside but sweet inside, is sweet outside and nucking futs inside. Can grow up to become a Mistress to a Servant Boy. Tsundere will often sport Twintails.
When paired with a Jerk With A Heart Of Gold, together they form a Takahashi Couple. Also see Jerk Sue for when a Mary Sue has elements of this.
If this character is from modern anime, is in her early-to-mid teens and is a Type A Tsundere, it's more than likely that she'll be voiced by Rie Kugimiya. However, if a similar character is actually in her mid to late teens, Satsuki Yukino is likely to take up the role, regardless of her Type (compare the Type A Kaname and the Type B Kagome).
For the male equivalent of this trope, please see Oranyan
Examples:
open/close all folders
Type A:
Anime & Manga
- Despite general assumption, Haruhi Suzumiya herself doesn't fit this trope well, but that's up to your interpretation. She's mostly just a sociopathic Genki Girl. A slight tsundere side towards Kyon gradually builds up over time, to the point where even Itsuki is calling out Kyon for his Selective Obliviousness. Although many argue she has merely moved from being a Jerkass to being a Jerk With A Heart Of Gold
- Kyon has some tsundere tendencies towards Haruhi. Tsundere tactics 1 and 3 come into play often, and on at least one occasion he has almost resorted to violence. Some view the pair as an inverted Takahashi Couple.
- In the 4 book, she is sorta one, with saying almost the same things that are in the quote above.
- Aoba in Cross Game
- Bleach's primary female protagonist Rukia Kuchiki is a prime example (though the attraction is hinted at rather than implied) of a Type A Tsundere. Strange in that this involves two people (Renji and Ichigo). And don't get us started on Kaien... or, if you like your Les Yay, on Orihime and their Not So Different bond.
- Lisa Yadomaru from the Vaizards is seemingly one of these, too. Specially towards her ex-leader, Shunsui, whom he rushes towards when he's laying injured on the ground... and then promptly kicks on the head for pretending to be almost dead.
- Soifon is cold and aloof to everybody except Yoruichi. In fact, Soifon's admiration of her tends to border on a lesbian crush.
- Tatsuki Arisawa is another prime example of a Type A Tsundere towards the protagonist, Ichigo. She acts more like a Type B towards Orihime
- In contrast of her mistress, Hinamori, Zanpakutou spirit Tobiume seems to be a bit of a Tsundere. Most of the time she's self-assured, tends to argue with her pal Haineko, and insults Hinamori over her obsession on Aizen. When she's alone, however, she is fiercely defendant over Haineko's insults over Hinamori, and proceeds her dere-dere mode: Describing Hinamori as if she's a Mary Sue.
- Ran Mouri from Detective Conan is a type B, although her tsun generally only comes out on rare occasions when Shinichi's being annoying. Kazuha Touyama is more of a type A thanks to her constant bickering with Heiji, and Aoko (from the Magic Kaitou overlapping series) is a pretty straight draw between the two of them, generally being a nice girl but also capable of chasing Kaito around the classroom with mops.
- Soryu Asuka Langley of Neon Genesis Evangelion is another particularly extreme and famous example, as most Evangelion characters are for their particular role. Asuka saves her deredere for Kaji, who she crushes on like there's no tomorrow. There's also the memorable scene where she flirted with Shinji to get a reaction out of him and kissed him once claiming it was out of sheer boredom.
- Asuka flirts at Shinji fairly frequently. Part of the tragedy of their relationship is that Shinji isn't a very open person (neither is Asuka but she tries harder), and can't believe in the possibility of Asuka being interested in him. So, she gets frustrated, and tsun is back in town. Shinji/Asuka is the mating dance of the hedgehogs.
- Exactly. If you're looking for the "deredere" part, you might also find it in the extended version of Asuka's mind rape in the director's cut of episode 22', in which as images depicting Shinji flash up on screen, she cries "you won't even hold me!"
- And let's not forget her reaction to Shinji and the Eva 01 saving her from falling into a volcano in episode 10. She says "You... you always have to steal the spotlight, don't you?", and smiles sweetly in relief. Then next episode "now we're even".
- Then there's the fantasy sequence in episode 26 (which hints at what the characters' personalities would be like if they weren't so royally screwed up), where Asuka acts like a classic type A tsundere.
- Arguably, you could lump the last couple minutes of End of Evangelion in here as well...
- Asuka does show her more gentle side in her relationship with the Class Rep, Hikari, even if Asuka doesn't think much of her taste in boyfriend.
- In the manga, she acts like a Type B when adults are around, at least at first. Toji in particular is annoyed that the adults can't see past Asuka's fake sweet persona.
- It's arguable whether the class rep Hikari is a Type B tsundere, or a full-fledged Yamato Nadeshiko and Toji's just that good at irritating people.
- That argument would have more weight if Hikari were generally nice to Shinji, Kensuke, Misato, or, well, anyone at all other than her teachers and her best friend Asuka.
- She's never mean to Misato, and especially in the Manga she's quite nice to Shinji when he isn't being led into misbehaving by the object of her affections.
- Akira Koizumi from Iketeru Futari is usually violently Tsundere towards her "boyfriend" Saji Keisuke. Since Saji is a completely over-the-top idiotic pervert this is initially understandable, but she softens up a lot as she comes to appreciate how much he loves her for who she really is, since she's actually quite a lonely girl. He's also aparently pretty good in bed.
- In Bakemonogatari, Hitagi Senjōgahara calls herself a Tsundere.
- Except that Senjogahara wouldn't know deredere if it slapped her upside the head making her more of an Ice Queen.
- Not to mention that instead of beating around the bush for a hundred episodes, she looks the main character straight in the eye and tells him she loves him IN EPISODE 5!
- That said confession doesn't defrost her in the slightest should prove that she was carved out of a block of pure tsuntsun.
- Lina Inverse from The Slayers displays some Tsundere-ish traits. Most of the time, though, she is pure tsun-tsun, but does indeed have dere-dere moments in NEXT and Revolution
- Deconstructed tragically in the case of Milina. She never gets around to telling Luke she loves him, even as she dies slowly from a poison. Not like that prevented a roaring rampage of revenge, or anything...
- Type Moon seems to have a thing for Type Tsun (pun intended):
- Tohno Akiha in Tsukihime is this, but being the Ojou, she shows her tsun-tsun side far more often outside her own route and dips into outright Yandere in Kohaku's, thanks to a partial possesion by an evil ghost and her own demon blood getting riled.
- Shiki himself towards Arcueid as a type two. Lampshaded when she notes that he isn't nearly as mean to anyone else as he is to her.
- Rin Tohsaka in Fate/stay night. She's heavily on the tsun side in "Fate"; it's in "Unlimited Blade Works", where she's the main love interest, that her dere side comes out (in the last scenario, "Heaven's Feel", she again plays Worthy Opponent-turns-The Lancer role). A perfect example (which made it into the anime) is the scene where she goes from trying to blast Shirou senseless to tending his Rider-inflicted wounds in the space of a few minutes.
- Shiki Ryougi from Kara No Kyoukai is a hardcore Type Tsun, bordering the Heroic Sociopath zone, but softens considerably in Mikiya Kokutou's presence.
- Konata in Lucky Star outright designates her friend Kagami as one, complete with the explanation that it's appropriate for girls with twin pigtails. This reference is probably due to the prevelance of tsundere with pigtails at a time when the term started to come into general usage.
- Kagami and Konata are a really good example of how a Tsundere doesn't have to be romantic, as their relationship has a sense of rivalry. Doesn't stop people from interpreting it all as Les Yay though.
- Konata's actual Les Yay comments don't help much with that. (Not to mention Kagami's dream in the OVA). Although since Lucky Star is targeted at otakus, the Les Yay is probably an intentional invocation of the trope.
- In Kagami's dream in the OVA, Konata transformed her (for two seconds) into Rin Tohsaka from Fate Stay Night.
- The Lucky Channel segment of Lucky Star even includes an extended rant over the term tsundere and how it has evolved over time, from a transitional personality process to someone who switches back and forth constantly.
- Also, the main "joke" behind Lucky Channel is that the host constantly flips between saccharine sweet Moe Moe to jaded, cynical pro; although that's not so much to do with her personality being bipolar, and more to do with her being an "actor" who jumps from her "stage" personality to her "true" personality when provoked (and she's easily provoked).
- Revy of Black Lagoon is a borderline psychotic version of this. When she's being angry and confrontational she's bad enough, but when she lapses into Whitman Fever during the Nazi arc, she's even worse. She has tried to shoot Rock on two different occasions during the first season, with her "dere-dere" side surfacing during the "Fujiyama Gangsta Paradise" arc from the second season (though there was that time she saved Rock at the end of the first season, something she swore she would never do).
- Other dere-dere moments include: inviting Rock to join the Lagoon Company at the end of Episode Two, the infamous "Cigarette Kiss" in Episode Seven, threatening to kill Gretel if she ever fucks with Rock again (hey, we did mention that Revy was psychotic), and trying to stop Rock from watching Yukio's suicide.
- Kyou Fujibayashi in Clannad. All around displayed as a spunky girl who goes into scary mode if you ever insult her, or maybe her twin sister Ryou, is known as violent, is not afraid to throw a dictionary to the head of anyone who pisses her off or endanger her pet boar (and also throw in a swift Dynamic Entry for good measure). But then, Episode 17 rolls in... she gets locked with the protagonist in a gym locker room and instantly goes deredere to the max.
- Speaking of the protagonist Tomoya, it's also arguable that's he's a tsundere as well, particularly regarding his relationship with Nagisa.
- Mika Seido in Geneshaft who throughout the series yells pretty much everyone at one time or another especially her captian Hiroto Amagiwa whom she hold personally responsible for the death of her friend punching him in the first episode only to be one who is always by his bed when he's greatly injured, although claiming it's a The Only One Allowed To Defeat You
- Kirai in Girls Bravo, who is also his childhood friend. Particularly weird as she may be partly the reason Yukinari is afraid of girls.
- Triela from Gunslinger Girl definitely has some Tsundere-ish traits... starting with the twin-tail hairstyle.
- Sawatari Makoto from Kanon is one of the rare female examples who eventually becomes a Defrosting Ice Queen. In the last few episodes where she appears, she doesn't say one mean word. Knowing you're going to die will do that to you.
- Naru Narusegawa in Love Hina is SUCH a violent Type A that she is famous for her "Naru punch".
- Vita in Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, and Teana (towards Subaru) in the third season. Also, Alisa from the first season.
- Yoshino in Maria Sama Ga Miteru, especially whenever Rei teases her about being clingy.
- As mentioned above, voice actress Rie Kugimiya is becoming famous for these, originally with Shana in Shakugan No Shana (shown above), along with her more violent Expy Louise in Zero No Tsukaima. She also plays Nagi in Hayate The Combat Butler, who has the excuse that Hayate is her servant (it's okay if she's gushy about having a cute boy doting on her... but only in private).
- Now we have Taiga Aisaka from Toradora, who almost seems to have been tailor made for Rie Kugimiya (even though she's not). Taiga is a classic Tsun type, exhibiting The Violent Approach with Ryuuji, slowly tapering off of violence as they become friends, switching to The Cold Shoulder when she resists their coming together, and ending with The Smirk. Yes, complete with a Shut Up Kiss.
- Add Yuuhi of Akane-Iro ni Somaru Saka.
- And Alisa from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, mentioned above.
- And Mika from Kanamemo.
- Takako from Otome Wa Boku Ni Koishiteru, to the point that in the Bakers Dozen OVA, she plays the part of "Tsunderella".
- Mayo Mitama from Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei is described as a Tsundere by another character, but parodies the type by having a barely evident "dere" side, and a "tsun" side so outright psychopathic that no amount of "dere" could counterbalance it.
- In episode 5 of the second season, the apologetic Ai Kaga briefly "becomes a tsundere character" for all the wrong reasons... Which prompts Itoshiki to wonder if a tsundere without the dere side is possible nowadays. Manga Fan Girl Harumi Fujiyoshi is quick to reply that it is, since the dere side can be "filled in by imagination". So true, indeed.
- Mion Sonozaki from Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni is a closet tsundere over Keiichi. Closet because, whenever her "dere" side appears, she's usually impersonating her twin. Satoko also presents some tsundere-like characteristics.
- This troper finds this less appropriate as far as Mion. She makes no effort to hide that she's fond of Keiichi in any way. She just hides the fact that she likes him more than a friend. Her confrontational personality usually only comes out in the 'club activities', more from wanting to win than to hide her feelings for K1.
- Though Mion's tsundere-ness is in debate, one of the TIPS from the VN pegs another Sonozaki as having the attitude of one: Oryou. Mion speculates this due to Oni-baba's decision to sell off land in an attempt to get new people to come to Hinamizawa and help erase the extreme prejudice against the Houjous, rather than work against it directly.
- Jessica Ushiromiya, from Umineko no Naku Koro Ni is a tsundere as well - though more 'dere' than 'tsun'. However, she does have her tsuntsun moments...
- Natsuki Kuga from Mai Hime fits the description, displaying an abrasive exterior, but hiding a sensitive side that loves puppies and collecting lingerie.
- Minor character Akira Okuzaki is also a textbook example, keeping up a rough facade but slowly opening up to her roommate, Mai's brother Takumi.
- Kagero the Ninja-Girl of Ninja Scroll is a rare example of this trait played for tragedy, as she could not learn to express love and tenderness until it was too late.
- An early example would be Kasha Imhof (towards Cosmo Yuki) from Space Runaway Ideon, though she is definitely more on the tsun-tsun side throughout the series. The closest she comes to dere-dere is during the Kitty Kitten arc, but she finally acknowledges her feelings for Cosmo half-way through the Be Invoked movie... only to die shortly afterwards. And then, everyone else dies..
- Kallen Stadtfeld/Karen Kouzuki from Code Geass. Tough and badass Action Girl at one moment, sweet and vulnerable at the other. At first she thinks Lelouch is an arrogant Jerkass, but adores his alter ego Zero as a brave freedom fighter. After learning his identity, it takes her a while to get adjusted to the concept, but eventually she ends up falling for the man behind the mask.
- Temari from Naruto. She's very aggressive (borders on Ax Crazy in her initial appearance) and is definitely troublesome, but she also possesses a softer, more gentle side, and even forms a sort-of relationship with her Chunin exam opponent, Shikamaru. And when they say she has a Paper Fan Of Doom, they aren't kidding. Also, Shikamaru's mother Yoshino is quite tsundere-ish, which just goes to show that Nara men have a thing for troublesome women.
- Tsunade as well. Arguably, she had mellowed with age - then un-mellowed after becoming Hokage with the pressures of high office. Not to mention the pressures of dealling with Naruto every day.
- Sakura used to be a HUGE Type A Tsundere over Sasuke AND Naruto (deredere towards the first, tsuntsun towards the latter) when younger. Though she has mellowed out a bit thanks to Character Development, she still keeps quite the flashy temper. Take in consideration that Tsunade is her mentor figure, too, so...
- Ino, like Sakura, was a big one until she mellowed out after the time skip.
- Karin, too. Tsuntsun toward just about everyone except Sasuke. Then again, what do you expect?
- Aoba from CrossGame is a tough and somewhat tomboyish Tsundere, though more on the "tsun" side. Most of the plot focuses on her Defrosting Ice Queen process over more than six years.
- Nagisa in the manga Yume de Aetara is Tsundere all the way, her tsun-tsun side suffered by her suitors (specially Masao Fuguno), with her dere-dere exposed with her first love (in the manga) or when Fuguno is genuinely honest with her.
- ChiChi, Goku's Victorious Childhood Friend from Dragon Ball.
- Also, Launch. This was due to a physical split personality disorder, where sneezing would cause her to shift personalities. Dere-dere side is sweet and has blue hair, tsuntsun side is a trigger-happy blonde (unless she's near to Tien, where she acts more deredere)
- Also Videl at the end of Dragonball Z (She mellows out a little after getting the crap beat out of her), and, to a lesser extent, Android #18 after she marries Krillin.
- Yoko Littner from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann fits this trope in the early episodes with her behavior towards Kamina—initially yelling at and chastising him, then softening towards him and kissing him. After his death, she largely outgrows this trope and becomes a full-fledged Cool Big Sis.
- Kyouyama Anna from Shaman King serves as a good example of Tsundere, though more of the tsuntsun than the deredere. In the flashback chapters when we witness Yoh and Anna's first meeting, young Anna is very cold to Yoh, saying he's lame and that she cannot believe he's her future husband. It is later revealed that Anna is being followed by an oni of her own creation, who attacks anyone who tries to get close to her, which is part -but not all- the reason why she pushes Yoh away. When Yoh promises to become the Shaman King for her, Anna begins to warms up to him. However, she never lets herself go very much into deredere, maintaining that tsuntsun with Yoh by forcing him through incredibly difficult training and often refusing to help him out of near-death situations. However, her affections for him are seen now and again, and it's easy to see in those moments how much Yoh means to her. Like when she briefly broke down crying when Yoh was possessed by Tokagerou to save Ryu, her reaction to Yoh's Evil Twin Hao trying an I Have You Now My Pretty on her, or her serious Heroic BSOD when Yoh almost dies at the hands of Hao.
- Cleao Everlasting from Sorcerer Stabber Orphen, starting out extremely tsun-tsun and childish but showing quite the strength and gentleness when she reaches her peaks of dere-dere, specially towards the end of the first series and the second half of the Revenge series, when she takes the Licorice under her wing.
- In the Revenge series, Eris also fits in the Tsundere archetype, going all googly-eyed for her best friend Majik and yet acting very snarky and tsuntsun towards her Bunny Ears Lawyer instructor Hartia, specially when they go in their... very "special" exploits as super heroes (sorta).
- Trinity Blood's Astharoshe "Asta" Asran. Her relationship with Abel Nightroad, though not romantic (at least, not in canon), has strong elements of this. At first she violently threatens him (and does so again each time they meet), but comes to see him as one of her closest comrades. And that word is extremely meaningful to Asta.
- Satomi Ozawa from Naru Taru is a quite dark version of this; apart from being one of the main villains, her relationship with her (ex-)boyfriend Bungo Takano is more screwed up than usual. In the manga, she only softens up to him again after a rather severe case of Break The Haughty.
- Ryoumou Shimei from Ikki Tousen starts as an Heroic Sociopath with Yandere traits, but slowly mellows out as she befriends main character Sonsaku Hakufu and gets into a Slap Slap Kiss dynamics (only darker) with the local Handsome Lech, Sunpo Saji.
- Soma/Marie from Gundam 00 could count as a Tsundere, thanks to a literal split personality. Marie likes Allelujah, Soma... doesn't.
- From Hana Yori Dango. Tsukushi... Just Tsukushi.
- May Wong from Kaleido Star mixes this with Spoiled Brat and some traits of The Ace, making her dangerously close to a Tsundere Sue. Mid-way through the second season, though, she's brutally Brought Down To Normal, gradually learning to embrace her deredere side.
- Maam and to a lesser extent Leona from Dragon Quest: Dai's Great Adventure.
- Casca of Berserk is a type A tsundere. At the beginning of the series, she wants nothing to do with Guts, won't even give him the time of day, and doesn't understand what the hell Griffith, who she has something of a thing for, sees in him. She's not too shy about the hostility either, even punching Guts at one point. The deredere comes later on in the saga as the two of them learn more about each other's pasts and they get a bit closer, eventually becoming lovers about the time that Griffith gets himself captured and put to the torture. And then the Eclipse goes down.
- One extremely tragic Type A Tsundere is Lady Of War Oscar from Rose Of Versailles.
- Yui Kotegawa of To Love Ru spends much of her time scolding the other cast members for their (mostly unintentional) indecent behavior, but as the series goes on she finds herself in love with Rito.
- From Watashitachi no Tamura-kun: Hiroka Souma
- In Hidamari Sketch, Natsume, Sae's Unknown Rival, keeps going up to Sae as if trying to pick a fight, then runs off flustered for some reason. Her actions are enough to put identify her as a Schoolgirl Lesbian. Sae's failure to mention her sisterly feelings feelings for Chika and (probably romantic) affection for Hiro also often make her fit this trope.
- Tachibana from Otomen identifies (male) Tonomine as a tsundere/oresama (portmanteau: tsunsama) type (and Tachibana knows his stuff, being himself a mangaka).
- Shiho Nagaoka from To Heart qualifies as a Type A Tsundere, especially when she develops feelings for Hiroyuki in the last two episodes of the anime.
- As well as Yuma Tonami from To Heart 2, who finally admits to herself she likes the male lead in the second episode of the 2 part OVA To Heart 2: Another Days.
- Ruri Himeyuri could also be classified as a Tsundere, given the way she treats Takaaki and how overprotective she is of Sango.
- The most straight-up Tsundere in School Days is the local Unlucky Childhood Friend, the bossy and no-nosense Libby and sportswoman Otome Katou. Her deredere side is more evident in the games, though.
- Atan Hadas from the manhwa Threads Of Time qualifies as both a Type A and a Type B Tsundere. She's pure tsuntsun towards Big Bad Sali Tayi, and (almost) pure deredere towards protagonist Moon-Bin. The only time she showed tsuntsun towards Moon-Bin was when he mentioned another woman (who was his first crush).
- Due to Adaptation Decay, Rinslet from Black Cat became a Type A Tsundere. She is always negative about whatever Sven or Jenos says, frequently screaming things like "That won't work!" or "You idiot!" Unlike in the manga where she was dere about Train, in the anime, she has a few (very very rare) instances where she is slightly dere towards Sven.
- One Piece: Most of the crew members fit the platonic version of this trope. They can quickly go from being intensely loyal and dedicated to one another to the point of absolute supreme sweetness to contemptuous and violent (or both at the same time.)
- Asu No Yoichi has both types. Older sister Ibuki is a very kind, sweet girl who pounds anyone into oblivion when they cross her, specifically Yoichi whenever he shows signs of being an Accidental Pervert. Younger sister Ayame tries to play it cool all the time, but can't always hide her attraction to the samurai.
- The song "Not so Fast, Sexy Girl" featured as an SD video clip on the Devil Hunter Yohko music video collection, starts of as a slow-paced ballad describing a sexy girl. A guy makes a move on her, she just shrugs her shoulders and smiles... and then, the music suddenly switches to rock as she decides to kick him in the crotch. Yes, even the tune is tsundere.
- Mikoto Misaka from To Aru Majutsu No Index can be classified as a Type A tsundere when it comes to Touma. She follows him around with the excuse of challenging him to a fight.
- Kaname Chidori in Full Metal Panic!. Her dominant 'tsun' side is mostly because Sousuke is more commonly detonating parts of the school building and traumatizing her fellow students than doing anything worth going 'dere' over.
- In the novels, Nami is a Type A with everyone else, but very much a Type B, pure dere-dere when with Sousuke. Originally shown to be going towards being a Type A with him by being exceedingly rude and hot-tempered, he manages to get her to fall for him and become completely dere-dere by being extremely polite and respectful to her (something no one else had really done).
- Kaname's backstory suggests this is due to her American upbringing which made her too outspoken and aggressive to fit into Japanese culture. Apparently American women are considered Tsundere by default.
- Arguably, Melissa Mao is Lesbi Tsun towards Captain Testarossa.
- Sousuke from Full Metal Panic isn't exactly exempt from Tsundereness, as he sometimes actually shows rare moments where he acts like one, unbelievable as it is. One particular instance that stands out is during the party on the Tuatha De Dannan, where Kurz tries to tease and get Sousuke to admit he's attracted to Kaname. It goes something like this:
Kurz: She's pretty, cute, and has a nice sense of style. Any man would fall for her in an instant.
Sousuke: (quickly and coldly, not looking Kurz in the eye): I wouldn't know. I'm not interested.
Kurz: Then why are you sighing and staring at her?
Sousuke: I'm merely annoyed that they're partying and relaxing on the job.
- Kafuko from Space Pirate Mito is Type A who usually uses The Smirk on Aoi, the protagonist, to try and hide her crush on him. She also tries to discourage another girl that she notices getting close to Aoi by listing off all his faults, but only ends up revealing her crush and encouraging the girl instead.
- Utau Hoshina of Shugo Chara. Towards Amu Hinamori of all people.
- In Black Jack there is Watou, a female Kendo Team Captain and the older sister of Pinoko's Dogged Nice Guy Sharaku.
- Sayaka Yumi from the Mazinger Z series, Kouji's hot-tempered and often downright slap-happy partner and girlfriend, is one of the first Tsundere girls given a major role in almost any anime/manga. Her Type varies: she's a Type A in the anime, but a Type B in the manga.
- Apart of Sayaka, several main female characters created by Go Nagai have strong Tsundere traits. The newest one is Tsubaki Tamashirou from Koutetsushin Jeeg, who acts rather similar to Sayaka in regards to her best friend and possible love interest, Kenji Kusanagi.
- Kasumi/Misty from Pokemon is one. She can be violent and furious, complete with wielding a frying-pan-of-doom (especially in the beginning or when you mention the word "bike" around her) or motherly, caring and romantic (especially after obtaining Togepi). Early seasons seem to hint that this is because of the lead-character of the show, Satoshi/Ash, yet later seasons make it less obvious and let her become more deredere than tsuntsun.
- Musashi/Jessie is a more extreme version of the Tsundere.
- The first line of Diamond and Pearl's third opening is "Fight, make up, and fight some more. I have so many things I'd like to say to you, but more than anything, thank you for being here." The song is a duet between Dawn/Hikari and Satoshi/Ash.
- Yuriko Star from Irresponsible Captain Tylor.
- Moka of Rosario + Vampire is an interesting take on the concept; Inner Moka is very tsuntsun, but when she wears her rosario she becomes the deredere Outer Moka. One of protagonist Tsukune's major hurdles is that if he wants to date Moka he has to convince her cold and proud inner personality that he's good enough for her.
- Chiharu Mihara from Card Captor Sakura, who flips between slapping her crush Yamazaki around for his outrageous lies or acting very sweet and awkward when they're in private. Only to slap him again when he completely misses the point of her advances.
- Alice from Pandora Hearts.
- Aki Izayoi from Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds combines this with Defrosting Ice Queen, starting off (quite justifiably) tsuntsun toward just about everyone, but eventually seemingly warming up to Yuusei.
- Mai Kujaku/Valentine from the original Yu Gi Oh had a similar transformation, only far more believable, going from a Type A to a Type B.
- In the Sailor Moon manga, Rei Hino/Sailormars is a Tall Dark And Bishoujo Defrosting Ice Queen. In the anime, however, she's more outspoken and Hot Blooded, fitting as a Type A Tsundere quite well. She starts out very tsuntsun, switching a bit more to deredere as time passes; she specially acts like this towards Mamoru (first season only; she backs off as soon as he and Usagi are revealed to be each other's true loves), Yuuichirou, and specially towards Usagi.
- Roger Smith from The Big O is a good example of a male tsundere.
- Ishida Yamato from Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02 is a male example. This is confirmed by his seiyuu, Kazama Yuuto, and Gabumon's seiyuu, Yamaguchi Mayumi, in an interview included with the Japanese DVD boxset of the series.
YK: He’s the type that can’t express friendship very well. It’s hard for him to just come out and say things like thank you.
MY: He’s tsundere.
YK: Yeah, that’s the word we use now to describe people like him. (laughs)
- Gareki from Karneval is a Type A male version, especially when Yogi teases him.
- In fact, both Yogi and Tsukumo are awestruck at his surprising
deredereness innocence regarding snow (which he had never seen) at one point in the manga.
- Faye Valentine from Cowboy Bebop starts the series as a Jerk Sue angry con artist who continually cheats and insults the people around her. But for most of the series she is a Type A Tsundere as her tough veneer is punctuated by moments of childlike openness.
- Wolfram in Kyou Kara Maou complains about Yuuri about as much as he's grouchily possessive of him, and despite being quasi-'dominant', looks more girly than him. In one OVA episode, another character actually uses the word tsundere to describe him.
- He mellows down in season three... unless, of course, Yuuri has done something wrong.
- Even then, Wolfram never seemed terribly jealous of Saralegui, and even accepted him, even though Yuuri seemed to get way too close to him by Wolfram's standards.
- Lelouch Lamperouge from Code Geass. Normally he's a snarky Magnificent Bastard who calls concepts such as "justice" and "honor" jokes and talks down to most people. Despite this, he goes out of his way to protect and look after those close to him, even his best friend-turned-rival and his Kuudere Mysterious Waif partner.
- Tsuyukusa from Amatsuki is pretty much the epitome of an Tsundere; he becomes easily flustered when either Heihachi or Toki is involved, and has used pretty much every stock tsundere expression in the book at least once. The series also has several other examples of tsundere in its cast, the most notable being Kuchiha and Tsuruume.
- Axis Powers Hetalia has several characters that fit this character type:
- England is the embodiment of this trope. He's heavy on The Smirk, especially when around America. When he's in deredere mode, though, he sometimes shows such vulnerability that he qualifies as The Woobie.
- America is a bit of an unusual case in that his 'default' personality doesn't neatly fit into the tsuntsun or deredere classifications - he borders on Jerk With A Heart Of Gold at times, but seems honestly unaware of how his actions done out of pure eagerness or goodwill can be off-putting or irritating to others; i.e. he isn't a deliberate jerk. England, however, seems to be the one person he deliberately acts jerkish towards, even appearing to have fun shooting down his deredere advances...but at the same time, his most contemplative and subdued moments are directly linked to England and their history together. Of course, he never shows this side to England, although England falling ill does provoke him into showing awkward but genuine concern for him.
- Switzerland is a combination of this and He Was Never My Heterosexual Life Partner to Austria. The Gunslinger is especially fond of The Violent Approach (duh).
- Himaruya actually calls Germany a Tsundere in the notes. It's hard to tell his exact type given his usually staid demeanour.
- Germany seems to be a Type A fond of a mix between Cold Shoulder and Smirk (less about merely throwing insults around or having mood swings, more about being grumpy and a Drill Sergeant Nasty to Italy). He's usually a 'take no guff' guy around everybody, but you can just tell he's making exceptions for Italy. To hammer on the point, the Valentines strip has Germany going pretty much into full-blown deredere mode.
- South Italy is a fierce mix of all Tsun Type A varieties, partially out of insecurity that Spain only wants him for his inheritance, and partially because he's not a good cook/housekeeper like his younger brother. And yep, Romano's Tsundere side is specially strong when around Spain.
- Korea, of course, claims to have invented tsundere (all types, presumably). Not one himself, more like an Annoying Younger Sibling with traits of Dogged Nice Guy towards China and Japan.
- It's speculated that the Holy Roman Empire was a tsundere (or maybe kuudere) for Chibitalia. This might be confirmed if Germany is really a grown-up, amnesiac HRE.
- In fanon, Norway is often portrayed as a really violent tsundere towards Denmark.
- Tachibana from Otomen identifies (male) Tonomine as a tsundere/oresama (portmanteau: tsunsama) type (and Tachibana knows his stuff, being himself a mangaka).
- Dojo from Toshokan Sensou (Library War) is a textbook example of a Type A Tsundere, utilizing mostly tactics 2 and 3. He's gruff and businesslike towards everyone, but he takes it to an extreme when he's around Kasahara. At the beginning of the series she complains that he works her hardest during training. He protects her because he secretly does care, but then he brushes it off as just part of his job and often shouts at her. Their flirting begins as awkward shouting matches and snide comments, but towards the end of the series Dojo makes some sweet gestures that he then ruins like trying to comfort Kasahara by patting her on the head, and then getting angry because he can't reach and demanding to know why she is wearing high heels. Total mood killer.
- Kyo Sohma from Fruits Basket acts this way with Tohru. He starts out being grumpy with her, but then will try to be nice, while being embarrassed about it. Or else he'll do something nice but deliver it in a grumpy manner; a good example of this is when he serves her leek soup (his most loathed food) when she's sick.
- In xxxHolic, Kimihiro Watanuki is most often this towards Shizuka Doumeki (with occasional instances where he shows his dere-dere side). Especially noticeable in this instance. Towards beautiful women, however, he's pure deredere.
- Dr. Black Jack apparently was a Tsundere when in medical school, according to his ex-girlfriend Megumi.
- Li Syaoran from Card Captor Sakura. Grumpy and tsuntsun towards lots of people, but simply adorable and VERY deredere if you're Yukito or Sakura.
- Syaoran's Identical Son's tsundere-ness is even more evident than his father's in Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, where he is eventually joined in this by yet another male Tsundere: the ninja Kurogane, who starts out pure tsuntsun but eventually reveals a deredere side first when he meets a lookalike of his princess (Tomoyo-hime) in Piffle World (and Fai teases him about this — but then again, Fai teases him about everything), and then when he unflinchingly offers to give up his own blood to save Fai — almost a direct parallel with Syaoran offering to pay Yuuko's price before she even names it in order to save Sakura. A crowning moment for the Kuro/Fai ship, which had until that point looked like unrequited love on Fai's part, and a great display of "Kuro-rin"'s "deredere" side.
- Arguably, Domon Kasshu from G Gundam develops some Tsundere traits as a part of his Character Development in the second part of the series. Some of his scenes with his partner Rain Mikamura mark the point very nicely.
- If you like your Ho Yay and are a Romeo X Juliet fan, you're likely to see the axe fighter Curio as an Tsundere towards his partner Francisco. Hence why the Fan Nickname "Fye and Kurogane" is so popular within fandom.
- Souichi from The Tyrant Falls In Love is antisocial and ill-tempered to pretty much everyone, but doles out most of his punches, kicks, and verbal abuse to Morinaga. Except for when he accidentally lets slip signs that he cares for Morinaga more than he'd like to admit, upon which he's reduced to furious blushing and stammered-out denials. It certainly doesn't help that Souichi's supposed to be a homophobe, which severely hinders him from accepting the idea of him being in love with another man, much less being affectionate towards one.
- Yuichi Kazuki of Only the Ring Finger Knows is kind, polite, and friendly to everyone he meets... except to Wataru Fujii, the guy he likes, because he doesn't know how to deal with his feelings for another male. His uncharacteristically cold and snarky (The Cold Shoulder tactic) behavior towards Wataru provokes the latter into employing his own type of Tsundere tactic (The Violent Approach) upon him out of frustration. Yuichi grows out of this somewhat in the sequel novels following their Relationship Upgrade, but still has occasional bouts of Tsundere-ness.
- Ichigo from Bleach is this to Rukia and Ishida, but is nicer to Orihime and Chad. Er, obviously he's the Tsundere without the romantic implications. Maybe. I guess.
- Hibiki Tokai from Vandread, having grown up in a world where men and women were raised separately and conditioned to view each other as mortal enemies, is completely clueless as to how to act around girls. Even once he starts to open up to Dita, he fiercely denies becoming close to the opposite gender. Definitely the "doesn't believe that men should show weakness" variety.
- Ishida Yamato from Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02. This is confirmed by his seiyuu, Kazama Yuuto, and Gabumon's seiyuu, Yamaguchi Mayumi, in an interview included with the Japanese DVD boxset of the series.
YK: He’s the type that can’t express friendship very well. It’s hard for him to just come out and say things like thank you.
MY: He’s tsundere.
YK: Yeah, that’s the word we use now to describe people like him. (laughs)
- Naru Taru has a possible male Tsundere in Norio Koga, the resident gay character. He's usually a very grouchy guy who likes to tell Takeo Tsurumaru that he hates him (though to be fair, Takeo can be quite an ass) but secretly has romantic feelings for the guy that go as far as wanting to have his baby. His deredere side doesn't show much, and when it does, it's fairly downplayed.
- In the Seigaku team, one of the regulars can be seen as a Type A Tsundere: Kaoru Kaidoh. He is very antisocial and skittish, yet also is incredibly naïve when it comes to relationships (and blushes often about that) and adores animals. If you want to add romance of the Ho Yay kind, his relationships with either of his doubles partners (Momoshiro and Inui, more tsun-tsun towards the first and slightly more dere-dere towards the latter) can (arguably) count. If you want het, remember him being VERY dere-dere towards the girls of the dating sim games.
- In the platonic sense, Yuuta Fuji can be seen as a male Type A too, specially towards his older brother Shuusuke.
- After being more or less defrosted, Tieria Erde from Gundam 00 can be arguably counted as a Type A Tsundere. The PS2 game even features some dialogues where he looks borderline embarrassed to ask his friend Lockon to join him for lunch after a battle, and a scene where he cries when he thinks Lockon has been shot down.
- Hidden heart of gold Takuto Kira from Full Moon O Sagashite is probably the best example of the male type A, having all the traits of your average tsundere characters, showing all the tsuntsun traits 1 through 3, yet shows a very deredere side mostly through physical actions of kindness. He is prone to blushing and changing the subject whenever given a compliment or a "thank-you", especially from Mitsuki, the girl of his affections. His tsun-tsun side gradually fades to the more dere-dere side, especially towards the end of both the manga and the anime.
- Zero from Save Me Lollipop is a Tsundere with most of the characters except his partner Ichii. His tactics changes based on whether he is dealing with Nina (The Smirk), one of the rival teams(The Violent Approach), or the hordes of Squeeing girls at their school (The Cold Shoulder).
- In a Boys Love example, Randy "Ryo" Mc Laine from FAKE can be seen as Tsundere towards his partner and love interest Dee Latener. Doesn't help that Dee is not only an ex-Casanova, but quite the Handsome Lech who is often chased around by male Clingy Jealous Girl JJ.
- Cloud Cuckoolander Umino Masachika from Satou Kashi No Dangan Wa Uchinukenai fits this at times. When asked why she told her new "good friend" to go to hell in the middle of class, she responded that it was "an expression of love!"
- Ninin Ga Shinobuden has Miyabi.
- Shinichi Chiaki in Nodame Cantabile is a male Type A towards Nodame, showing his mild deredere side quite infrequently, and only when they are alone.
- Minatsu is now confirmed as having a
dere not tsun side, so now we can list her.
Comic Books
Film
- Marion Ravenwood, love interest of Adventurer Archaeologist extraordinaire Indiana Jones.
- Probably the straightest-played Western example this troper has ever seen: Helvetica Black from the Robert Rodriguez kids' film Shorts. Let's see: female bully whose main target is her love interest? Check. "I'm not helping you because I like you or anything"? Check. Freakin' twintails? Check, check, check.
- Princess Leia.
- Margaret Tate in The Proposal. Known as the "Witch" around her publishing house for being a crazy, defensive, angry bitch, but later on switches to total deredere in regards to her male secretary.
- Tracy Lord in The Philadelphia Story.
- Kat (oh so very much Type A) in Ten Things I Hate About You.
- The Spirit of Christmas Present as played in Scrooged by Carol Kane.
- Reiji (nicknamed "Rage") from Gravitation is an amazing example. In the same page she goes from shooting Shuichi with a bazooka to declaring her love for him.
Literature
- Holly Jones from the Robert A Heinlein short story "The Menace from Earth". Generally bossy demeanor, repressed attraction to love interest which is constantly denied, with her softening at the end.
- Ce'Nedra from David Eddings' Belgariad is apparently generally regarded by Japanese readers as one of the clearest Western examples of the trope.
- Aravis Tharkeena from CS Lewis's The Horse and His Boy. Her Tsundere-ness is lampshaded at the end of the book, when it's mentioned that she and Shasta/Prince Cor got married because they were so used to their Slap Slap Kiss that they wanted to be comfier while fighting and then making out.
- In Sandy Mitchell's Warhammer40000 novel Scourge the Heretic, Keira's normally not personable manner is considerably worse toward Mordecai Horst, being blind to it herself. It doesn't help that she was raised in a Sex Is Evil cult. But when she accuses Danuld of wanting to sin with her, and he says it's obvious that he has no chance because of Mordecai, she reacts badly but later returns to question him about what he meant, and then, with obvious difficulty, attempts to temper her behavior toward Horst. (And she resolves to consult another woman in the Inquisitor's retinue about whether sex really is so evil.)
- Adora Belle Dearheart from Terry Pratchett's Going Postal, though she's more dere-dere towards the golems with which she works at the golem trust.
- As illustrated by the page quote, pregnant o'rants in the Dragon Keeper Chronicles are like this.
- Clarrise from Percy Jackson And The Olympians takes the "fight through life" portion of this to heart, (since she's the daughter of Ares) and we only see her kind side after she saves Chris Rodriguez from the Labyrinth and attempts to nurse him back to sanity.
- Mara Jade. She's a Type A Mama Bear; baiting her is hideously risky at best, and suicidal at worst.
Live Action TV
- Miss Piggy from The Muppets. In Muppet Babies, she's basically Asuka Soryuu in pink and lace.
- Mindy of Drake And Josh in her second appearance only. The animosity she had towards Josh in her first appearance had more of a Magnificent Bastard vibe then Tsundere, but her second appearance they realized they were evoking Slap Slap Kiss. After that she was a rather loving girlfriend.
- Murphy Brown. Murphy is, of course, usually incredibly cranky and prone to violence, but exhibits some tsundere tendencies with all three of her main love interests:
- With Jake Lowenstein, she insists that she "becomes a different person" when she's with him, and they fight almost constantly.
- Both she and FYI's sworn enemy Jerry Gold quickly made it apparent that they loathed one another. Eventually (and to their initial horror), they realized that they did indeed have feelings for each other. (Jerry could also be considered one of the rare examples of a male tsundere.)
- When she first meets Peter Hunt, she actually goes so far as to punch him in the face seconds before show time. They bicker, call each other names and play pranks on each other until a later episode in which Corky suggests that Murphy has some interest in him. She's absolutely appalled at the thought, but a few episodes and one more fight later, they're both making out in her office.
- Major Margaret Houlihan of M*A*S*H. Definitely favored the violent side, especially towards Hawkeye, but showed a softer side with Frank, Donald, and ocassionally Col. Potter and Winchester.
- Jessica Devlin of Shark liked to combine the cold shoulder with the smirk, especially in her dealings with longtime rival Sebastian Stark.
- Soo from Sooty and Co and Sooty Heights.
- Jackie Burchardt of That70s Show is a classic Type A Tsundere during the early seasons, when she was dating Kelso. She's naturally bossy and likes to feel in control of the relationship, whereas Kelso likes "doing it", making him easily exploitable, and him being Too Dumb To Live doesn't help much. She mellows out once she starts dating Hyde after Kelso flees to California to avoid getting married to her.
- Arguably, Dr. Cuddy of House fits this. A bit justified given all the crap she has to go through.
- Not exactly. Cuddy's actually pretty good at dealing with House without losing her head, which makes her more of a Kuudere. Now, if you had suggested Wilson... (Although that would be more of a Type B.)
- House himself probably qualifies. After all, he claims to only act towards his own interests, but occasionally will do something genuinely nice for someone else—usually Wilson. No wonder they're the Fan Preferred Couple.
- Maggie from Sliders. Leans tsun in season 3 (to contrast with Wade), dere in season 4 (to replace Wade), and reaches equilibrium in season 5.
- Both Mia (type B) and Marizza (type A) from Rebelde Way.
- Both Maddy Magellan and Carla Borrego from Jonathan Creek.
- Alex Drake of Ashes To Ashes.
- Robin of How I Met Your Mother, to Ted.
- How Did We Miss This One: Donna Noble of Doctor Who. Over-the-top tsuntsun in her first appearance and is her default mood, but she can be dere.
- Sam Puckett of iCarly. Very much Type A, especially towards Freddie. Only Carly can usually bring out her "dere" side.
- Sonny is a Type B, though usually only with Chad and Tawni. Make of that what you will.
Theatre
- Kate from Shakespeare's play The Taming Of The Shrew may count if you're one of those people who insist on believing that Shakespeare did everything first, although she was more of the Defrosting Ice Queen.
- Some more modern interpretations of the play never have her lose her edge. However, Lilli Venessi, who plays Kate in the play-within-a-play in Kiss Me Kate definitely exhibits tsundere traits. Same goes to Catalina (played by Claudia Di Girolamo)from "La Fiera", a Chilean Telenovela also based in the play, though she's older than the standard.
- And Kat in 10 Things I Hate About You, which is also based on the play.
- Shakespeare has some more straightforward examples of a Tsundere than Katherine — Hermia, for example, who gets very fiery when roused, and Katherine Percy and Hotspur of Henry IV, Part 1, who are a Tsundere married couple. He constantly insults and belittles her while she threatens him with violence. And they are adorable.
- Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing defrosts to a certain extent, but her relationship with Benedick races up and down the temperature scale throughout.
- Penelope Pennywise from Urinetown is a rare Western example of a Type A Tsundere. Her 'dere trigger' is anything to do with Hope, since she is her daughter, and/or being reminded of her past with Cladwell. She has even been known to get violent at times, and is particularly good with a plunger...
- In Mary, Mary, Mary alternates between being a cynical Deadpan Snarker and acting helplessly romantic, particularly around her ex-husband Bob.
Video Games
- Rutee from Tales Of Destiny. (Wow, she and Leon must've been real Tsundere siblings), who continuallys bicker with Stahn, but still ends up as his wife in the sequel. And in the said sequel, there's Nanaly Fletch, who constantly delivers Loni a backbone crusher if he pisses her off, especially about her tomboy nature, but in another second, she gets... a bit gushy on him. She even cried on his shoulder once.
- This is par for the course in the Tales Series, really. You've got both Tear and Natalia in Tales of the Abyss, Farah in Tales of Eternia, Sheena in Tales of Symphonia, Chloe in Tales of Legendia, Iria in Tales of Innocence...
- Tales Of Phantasia is a subversion of this trend only in that the tsundere did not get paired up with the lead. There was an awkward love triangle for a while, but it was mercifully dropped the moment said tsundere Arche met Chester. It also came before there was a trend to be established; the first tsundere lead was Rutee Katrea.
- Oh, and Rita Mordio. Although it's another slight subversion in that, well, her deredere side? Comes out with Estelle.
- Tales Of Hearts presents another subversion to the "Hero x Tsundere" pattern. While it initially looks like love interest Kohak is going to be a tsundere, she's pretty mild, and Token Loli Beryl Benito soon turns out to be a much more advanced case, nursing a crush on Shing for about 70% of the game. And on the distaff side, Hisui can be found struggling this way over his burgeoning 'ship with Richea.
- There's also a mild, subverted case in Tales Of Rebirth, but not about The Hero, though. Annie Barrs really hates Eugene Gallardo, but she always does help him. When asked why, she usually replies like "I-it's not that I have forgiven him..." Unlike other Tsunderes, though, Annie is not very violent with the other members, and after she forgives Eugene, she stops being a Tsundere, and their relationship were strictly non-romantic.
- The lead designer of The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess has openly admitted in an interview that Midna was designed with the Tsundere concept in mind.
- Midna even falls victim to the classic Tsundere line; "Don't think for a second that I care about you, I'm helping you because I have to" or something to that effect.
- Tetra from Zelda: The Wind Waker would arguably qualify too. She even gives a Tsundere-line, pretty simmilar to the one Midna gave, early in the game.
- As would Ruto from Ocarina of Time.
- Tatl from Majoras Mask probably started the trend of Link having a Tsundere-girl for a friend and helper. She too gives the "I don't care about you, but I have to help you" line, just like Tetra and Midna.
- Angel Starr from Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney goes from angelic to demonic and back again frequently in the course of the case she appears in.
- Franziska von Karma in the Ace Attorney series, a young woman with an absolutely vile temper, a tendency to Whip It Good at the slightest provocation, and a fixation on perfection, but a terrific soft spot for the painfully codependent Adrian Andrews, who she eventually helps train into being able to stand on her own two feet. She finally cracks at the end of Justice For All and bursts into tears at a display of affection from Miles Edgeworth, her unrelated and older 'little brother'. By Trials and Tribulations she's acting hostile more out of habit than anything else, and shows a soft side around children, being genuinely heartbroken when little Pearl Fey yells at her. Phoenix even thinks to himself that her outright hostility is what makes her "cute."
- He also notes that it may be a reaction to the severe fever from which he's suffering. However, since this troper found the "cute" remark funny enough to make him chortle, he thinks it was more than the fever talking.
- Lili from Psychonauts. She spends roughly the first half of the game belittling Raz in various ways, but is much sweeter to him in the second half—she's still feisty, though. To be fair, though, she is ten. Cooties might have something to do with it.
- Staff Chick Serra from Fire Emblem 7 is very much a Type A Tsundere in her supports with Erk and Matthew, though more pronunciated since she also exhibits Rich Bitch traits despite not being one ( She's actually a Stepford Smiler orphan who created the Rich Bitch persona to cope with her Parental Abandonment issues ) and acting more dere-dere towards Oswin, whose approval she seems to crave for (And dude, does she have an Heroic BSOD when she thinks he hates her).
- Farina, the tomboyish and money-grubbing Pegasus Knight, also counts as a Type A Tsundere since she's got the Slap Slap Kiss with two males, Hector and Dart the Pirate.
- Dragon Rider Vaida can be seen as an older, more scarred Tsundere in her supports with her ex-Lancer Heath and her confident Harken.
- The Ninth game set this up as well in the Cat Girl Lethe and her various interactions with people (especially Ike, the leading male of this story). A lot more with the violent aspects than the nice aspects (to show how feral and feline she is). However, the Tenth game shattered all thoughts of her ending up with anyone.
- Must be genetic. Look at this list for the overly generic support conversations in the tenth game and tell me that Lethe's twin sister Lyre isn't the same way. (specifically, the level A conversations.) She's deredere towards Captain Ranulf, tsuntsun towards pretty much everyone else.
- And in the Fourth one, there's one Type A Tsundere: Tiltyu the thunder mage. Sure, she acts really cheerful, pushy, spunky, rebellious, and even speaks TOO casually for a Princess, especially when her predestined is the rather timid Azel, she looks just about ready to be REALLY pushy on him. But in truth, beneath that, she shows great insecurity and loneliness, when you do actually get her to a love-improving conversation with Azel, you get to see that despite her outlook, she is really scared that nobody will trust her by being 'an enemy's daughter'. Then you see how scared she is when facing her father (justified, though, her father has a Holy Weapon that can possibly kill her in one hit). And then there's all those misfortunes she suffered right after.
- The more straight out Tsundere in the fourth game would be Princess Ayra of Isaac. Sure, she can be one hell of a scary Action Girl, killing men with ease using the Ryuuseiken and being a sort of Auntie Bear to little Shanan. But then, she can get a bit gushy when she's paired with Holyn... or have a Slap Slap Kiss romance with Lex. If you really want gushy, though, try pairing her with Arden...
- For bonus points, Ayra's name can be romanized as Ira. Which can is latin for one of the 7 deadly sins... guess which one.
- Let's not forget Princess L'Arachel from Fire Emblem 8, shall we? Qutie tsuntsun towards either Innes, Rennac or Ephraim, more deredere when with Eirika.
- Sue Sakamoto from Cave Story is a Distressed Damsel Type A Tsundere. She'll bluster and threaten right up until she's captured (and after!), then yell at you for saving her. She warms up to you as time goes by, though, probably since you end up saving her no less than three times.
- Anti Villain Millenia in Grandia II starts off as an aggressive Veronica, overly sexual in her advances towards Ryudo (and plain bitchy towards everyone else). It is later revealed, however, that she only hides her insecurity this way, since she is an Anthropomorphic Personification of the evil god Valmar's wings and as such, has very little experience with strong feelings towards anybody. In the end of the game, she starts showing her dere side more often, gets a job at an orphanage, and keeps waiting for Ryudo, who, she is sure, will some day return to her.
- Elena from II is also a Tsundere, if not an even more classic case. She constantly yells and gets angry at Ryudo (normally for his sarcastic comments), but has those few moments where she blushes and feels dere dere towards him. She's also much more reluctant than Millenia to admitting her feelings for him.
- Cute Monster Girl Annah from Planescape Torment is classic type A, primarily demonstrated in verbal jibes and threats, though not so much physical toward the Nameless One (who in the beginning of the game only has levels in Bad Ass, and it shows,) but she's less shy about slapping Morte around. Her dere side doesn't even reveal itself when the man she'd known as her father is found dead, but eventually emerges in some steamy flirtations with Nameless, which become completely realized by the end of the game.
- Cloche Leythe Pastalia, in Ar Tonelico 2, is actively described as this by one of her rival's attacks, ending in a rant about being honest.
- Tsugumi of Ever17 is straddling the line between this and kuudere and it's towards everyone except Coco. And Sara, but she ignores her anyway. Obviously, she mellows by the end. Type A, uses violence, (punches Takeshi at least once) cold shoulder (default. She doesn't answer meaningless questions in her own words) and also the smirk! Actually, she comes off as a bit of a jerkass a lot of the time so they gave her a morality pet before letting her officially act dere towards Takeshi.
- Jessica D'Alkrik from the first Lunar game (and it's remake) is most definitely this.
- Melissa from the visual novel Songs Of Araiah
Webcomics
- Fio from Circumstances of the Revenant Braves is a soft example of Type A.
- Faye in Questionable Content.
- She's also a bit of a subversion, as she's aware she has "issues" and is currently seeking professional help for them. (Even if she agreed to seek that help in order to avoid the other elephant in the room (Marten's feelings towards her))
- Dora is arguably a Type B herself.
- Particularly as shown here, when finding out that Marten had a girl flirt with him.
- Hell, Type A is essentially the selling point of Coffee of Doom the coffee shop Dora owns, as its customers seem to enjoy being served by the tsuntsun Faye.
- Who would have thought Hanners could be so Genre Savvy? [1]
- Kate in Misfile alternates between this and Kuudere. She's not in love with the protagonist and treats him/her as a little sister. But Ash is still one of the three people in the comic who can draw out anything resembling deredere from Kate. We could assume she's softened up for Harry a little, since she acts as his secretary without complaint. For the most part she her face is blank now that her sister isn't haunting her, but the temper Kate had? All natural.
- Audrey started out as this in Something Positive, but she's gotten to the point where she uses words before her fists. She still has a sharp tongue though.
- Annys in Magichero.
- Dree from Dante Residential.
- Gwynn from Sluggy Freelance. In almost all her relationships, not just the romantic one(s), although her friendships with other women can be a bit less like this.
- Kada Jansen, too. Well, except for the part about friendships with other women, because the only other females in the "Oceans Unmoving" saga are either flashback-only characters or enemies.
Western Animation
Music
- The Gomez song "Girlshapedlovedrug" (lyrics) seems to be a love song to a tsundere.
- "She's Always A Woman" by Billy Joel.
- These lyrics come to mind: 'Cause you're my lady/I'm your fool/it makes me crazy when you act so cruel. From the song Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham!
- Although its music video seems more geared towards Yandere girls, the lyrics of P!nk's Please Don't Leave Me are from the perspective of a Type-A Tsundere.
Real Life
- There are some things that man was never meant to know.
- Recently, Tsundere Cafes have been opening in the Otakuland of Akihabara. Similar to Meido Cafes, the waitresses there are young attractive women, each acting tsundere-ish towards their patrons: very rude and impatient at the beginning ("Here, sit." "Am I supposed to wait for you, or what?" "Have you decided on your order yet?!") but getting increasingly more apologetic and dere when they are about to leave ("I'm sorry I said all those things to you... you will come again, won't you?.."). Witness reports say that this change is irresistible. The waitresses apparently enjoy their jobs immensely, too, but, heck, getting paid for being rude to customers? A dream job.
- This is sort of the gimmick of the American restaurant Ed Debevicks where both male and female waitstaff are deliberately rude to customers.
- Dick's Last Resort in San Diego does the same thing, among other things hanging the ties of patrons on the walls is part of the schtick and it's a highly recommended spot to go to not just for the food.
- The restaurant Durgan Park (motto: "Established before you were born") in Boston is well known for their "sharp tongued" waitstaff, but they're more the "cranky aunty" types than regular Tsundere. It's well known in Boston just for the experience.
Folklore
- The Lady Linnet (or Lynette, or whatever variation you fancy) of the Arthurian myths would be a straight example; initially hostile to Knight In Shining Armour Sir Gareth and frequently insulting him, but eventually a softer side comes out as well. Tennyson's interpretation is particularly well done.
- Also worth mentioning is Queen Guinevere herself in regards to Lancelot in Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte Darthur. She can be very tender and affectionate toward him, but she's been known to banish him from the kingdom (and then yell at his relatives in his absence) when she's angry with him (usually for some real or imagined infidelity on Lancelot's part).
- It's not just Malory. In The Knight of the Cart, Lancelot hesitated before getting in a cart to get new of Guinevere, because it is considered disgraceful. Many other characters regard him as disgraced by doing it and abuse him for it. Guinevere freezes on him, until he finally learns that it was the momentary hesitation; he should have moved instantly.
- Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess, is just not someone to be trifled with in general but she's very protective and loving to her sisters and her lovers - at least, until her "favorite" sister Hi'iaka fell in love with one of her lovers. Hi'iaka, being a goddess, got better; the lover, being human, did not. Additionally, this goddess of volcanoes and fire has a love-hate relationship with Kamapua'a, a demi-god of rain and vegetation.
Other
- Dept Heaven Apocrypha has Meria (though she's tsungire rather than tsundere and she's like this to everyone around her instead of just love interests), who prefers to insult people and be insufferable but is also capable of loving devotion to her friends.
Type B:
Anime & Manga
Comic Books
- Susie Derkins is generally a very sweet and mild-mannered girl, but is still perfectly willing to retaliate violently at whatever Calvin (see type A) is up to. (Not that that's not a wise way to deal with Calvin.)
Literature
- Princess Eilonwy from Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain says "Taran, I'm not speaking to you" about five times a novel, and as the last line of at least the first three. Taran himself is a male version.
- In the Night World book, Daughters of Darkness, Mary-Lynnette is dere dere, but when Ash is around her automatic reaction at first is to kick him in the shins. Doesn't help that he's sexist and speciesist.
- Hermione Granger from Harry Potter. She's a good friend who is sensible and restrained a lot of the time, but DO NOT tick her off. She will show no mercy. Just ask Rita Skeeter, Draco Malfoy or even her love interest, Ron Weasley.
- Arguably, Luke Skywalker becomes a Type B Tsundere in the Star Wars novels.
- Mel from Crown Duel is a type B to such an extent that Shevraeth has to resort to wooing her through anonimous letters.
Video Games
- Lyndis from Fire Emblem 7 can be seen as a Type B Tsundere through her Slap Slap Kiss (tsuntsun) interactions with Hector of Ostia and her awkward, gentler reactions (deredere) towards either Eliwood of Pherae, her vassal Kent or the Straight Arrow Rath. If you like your Les Yay, there's her adorable and dere-dere dynamic with the Shrinking Violet Florina...
- Chihiro Fujimi in Persona 3 is a very mild Type B tsundere. Normally the Shrinking Violet, her social link reveals that she can snap and get very confrontational when protecting things she cares about (the subject in question beig the main character).
Webcomics
Western Animation
- Miss Jean Grey, so much. She normally acts like a sweet and cheerful Cool Big Sis towards the younger kids, but goes cranky when Scott was around. And there's her hidden jealousy at Rogue or Taryn...
- Wanda from Fairly Oddparents, who tends to do all the Tsundere methods. A fan wrote this in a review of Fan Fiction about Cosmo and Wanda's failing relationship:
Wanda is not an instigator. The only time she takes to lashing out at Cosmo is after he has done something to insult or offend her. That is self defense - It is NOT nagging. Wanda reminds me much of C-4 explosive. Quite stable unless you put a fire under it. Fact of the matter is (9 times out of 10), Cosmo is the match lighting her fuse.
- Emily in the new Thomas The Tank Engine seasons. She's normally quite sweet until something sets her off. Usually when the trucks start giving her crap, Thomas acts like a Bratty Half Pint, James acts like a Jerk Ass, Gordon like an Upper Class Twit, or if she just gets ideas above her station.
- Wilma Flintstone from The Flintstones is a good example of a type B. She's all sweetness and light until her husband Fred goes from Jerk With A Heart Of Gold to Jerk Ass. The Flintstones are probably a good example of what happens when a Takahashi Couple eventually gets their act together and finally Spit It Out.
- Action Girl Angela from Gargoyles is also a type B tsundere. She's normally friendly and easy going, if somewhat naive. It's just that when she does gets mad, she lets them know. Things that set her off include threatening her with violence, threatening one of her friends with violence or calling her "Angie".
- Then there's Annabelle, the angelic whippet from All Dogs Go to Heaven. "Touch that watch and you can never go back...I SAID TOUCH THAT WATCH AND YOU CAN NEVER GO BACK!"
- Courtney from Total Drama Island. Generally polite if bossy, but if you get her mad, she gets bitchy and violent, especially around Duncan, as she shows her Tsun by refusing to admit she likes him.
- Kuki aka Numbuh 3 from Kids Next Door is EXTREMELY cute and sweet... but she's very, very obstinate and prone to mood swings, especially when arguing with Wally aka Numbuh 4.
Other
Anime & Manga
- As implied by the title, the Tsuyokiss - Cool x Sweet anime and game take this to the natural extreme, giving the whole cast this personality type.
- Rika in Hanbun No Tsuki Ga Noboru Sora.
- Suiseiseki in Rozen Maiden appears to be like this in her introduction, but after that mostly only plays at it to be mischievous. Shinku and later Suigintou both approach the original definition of Tsundere.
- Not Really, Suiseiseki IS a tsundere, which is explained by her flips between a caring and helpful personality and her colder side. Often ignored when she actually helps out, that is what flips her at most times. Of course, with the fact that she does tend to be mischievous at times, it is somewhat understandable how they treat her like that, even though she meant well.
- This was originally Ranpha Franboise's personality in Galaxy Angel. This was modified into a general overbearing romantic and golddigging streak in the television series, probably because tsundere need a boy to emote at.
- Asuna Kagurazaka in Mahou Sensei Negima, although this trait has diminished in recent examples. After the first half of the series concluded, this role is taken up by Anya. In addition, Akamatsu himself describes Chisame as a borderline tsundere.
- And back in the tales of Ala Rubra, we have Princess Arika. Apparently, tsundere...ism runs in the family.
- I think Natsumi may be starting to head in this direction regarding Kotaro. Just a little.
- Anya is a Clingy Jealous Girl who's a Type A towards Negi.
- Evangeline occasionally lapses into this, most notably when dealing with Nagi and Albireo.
- Mika Seido in Geneshaft who throughout the series yells pretty much everyone at one time or another especially her captian Hiroto Amagiwa whom she hold personally responsible for the death of her friend punching him in the first episode only to be one who is always by his bed when he's greatly injured, although claiming it's a The Only One Allowed To Defeat You
- Sakurako from the manga Ai Kora.
- In Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, the "returnee" student Kaere Kimura falls into this category, while conflating it with bipolar. She has reconciled her Japanese heritage with her time spent in an ambiguous foreign country by splitting her personality into a stereotype for each — the perfect Japanese Yamato Nadeshiko and the loud foreigner who threatens to sue over every problem. The "dere" side is in love with the teacher, while the "tsun" side threatens him most often.
- Mayo Mitama is described as a Tsundere by another character, but parodies the type by having a barely evident "dere" side, and a "tsun" side so outright psychopathic that no amount of "dere" could counterbalance it.
- In episode 5 of the second season, the apologetic Ai Kaga briefly "becomes a tsundere character" for all the wrong reasons... Which prompts Itoshiki to wonder if a tsundere without the dere side is possible nowadays. Manga Fan Girl Harumi Fujiyoshi is quick to reply that it is, since the dere side can be "filled in by imagination". So true, indeed.
Sheryl Nome in Macross Frontier. She starts out as a self-important pop-star/idol but warms up to Saotome Alto, but still not too warm. Alto is the tsundere! He blows hot and cold to both love interests (Sheryl and Ranka).
- Ayano in Kaze No Stigma.
- And later Catherine (who has the same seiyu as Takako from Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru, above)
- Meg in Burst Angel/Bakuretsu Tenshi. A Faux Action Girl, too.
- Princess Cagalli Yura Attha in Gundam SEED has definite Tsundere moments, mostly when around the male leads, although she seems to have grown out of it (in a way) by Gundam SEED Destiny.
- Ryoko Subaru from Martian Successor Nadesico, whose similarities to a more mature and professional Asuka Langley Soryuu are not entirely coincidental. Arguably, Akito acts this way toward Yurika, as a rare male example.
- In one episode of the second series of Genshiken, the guys are taking a break together while at a major anime/manga convention and, in the course of discussing erotic games, start figuring out the plot path to Tsundere and fellow club member Chika Ogiue as if she was a character in such a game, even calling her a "Tsundere" explicitly. Said Tsundere is actually listening in all this time, and getting more and more frustrated with her conflicting desires to both confront them and to avoid being noticed, because she swore up and down that she had no intention of going to the con.
- Altezza from Fushigiboshi no Futago Hime.
- Hanazono Karin from Kamichama Karin.
- Meryl in Trigun.
- Risa Koizumi from Lovely Complex exhibits this behavior, but that is mostly due to the indecisive and hard-to-read behavior of her love interest.
- Nanami and Miz Mishtal in El Hazard The Magnificent World.
- Urumi Kanzaki in the GTO manga had a number of these moments... though a bit of a Yandere streak as well.
- Anko Uehara takes it to the extreme; Her treatment of Noboru Yoshikawa drove him to attempt suicide, twice.
- Mayu from Princess Kaguya.
- Miyabi Johou (the local Stalker With A Crush with creepy glasses) in High School Debut.
- Otae and, to a certain extent, Kagura from Gintama are both examples of this. (Poor Gintoki and Shinpachi.)
- In a rare male example, Ritsuka from Loveless is something of a Tsundere, though he certainly leans more toward the tsuntsun than the deredere. There's also female examples in Nagisa, who is conspicuously tsundere for Ritsu-sensei, and maybe Kouya as well.
- Both Ami Kurimoto and Karin Aoi from DNA^2.
- Rosette from Chrno Crusade is a super-genki Tsundere-cum-ActionGirl. Feeeeel the pain!
- Riku from DN Angel. Through the magic of Sibling Yin Yang, her twin sister Risa is deredere-er than her.
- It's also implied that the main lead's mother, Emiko, was somewhat like this when she was younger: whenever a boy tried to confess his love for her, she would respond that she would go out with him on one condition: "When we're married, we have to have a boy!" When the boys got understandably flustered, she'd angrily insist on the condition.
- Lizette/Lisette, the Red Riding Hood in Ludwig Kakumei, combines this with Yandere-ish traits, but gets better at the end of the manga.
- Hanon of Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch takes the standoffish approach toward Dogged Nice Guy Nagisa.
- Karin and Soyogi from Umi no Misaki... though, if you'd been brought up to sleep with some dude you don't know, you might develop a cranky side too.
- Kyohei from The Wallflower is a male example of a Tsundere. Despite being a very creepy Yandere and Dark Action Girl, Sunako also shows traits of the trope.
- Runo from Bakugan is constantly fighting with Dan, to the point that their lovers' quarrels often get in the way of the Battle Brawlers' battles. Of course, neither one of them wants to admit that that's what these fights are.
- Hime Utsumiya from Brain Powerd is a huge Tsundere to male lead Yuu. The two of them flip-flop quite often around each other, and at first never seem to really get along, leading to Yuu's frustration over not understanding why she takes offense at things like the stolen kiss during their reunion. Later on, however, the two built mutual respect that eventually solidifies in love.
- Higgins Saz from the same series can be considered a Tsundere as well. She usually seems aloof and antisocial, and will pointedly ignore people who haven't earned her respect, while seeming still quite distant to others who did. However, she cares about people a lot, and drops her cold facade when around her beloved or her best friends, especially Kanan.
- If you will indulge This Troper and his knowledge for a moment, the Hentai manga Boys Empire gives us Hitomi Mizuhara. Her initial interaction with an ill Makoto is pure tsuntsun, even when she sleeps with him (her most common reaction to his "excitement" amounts to "God, you're hopeless"). After a Say My Name moment in the fourth volume (which according to her is the first time she orgasms with him), her deredere side begins to come to the fore, although she never loses her barbs ("NO INCEST THIS EARLY IN THE MORNING!").
- Guchuko from Potemayo is completely this for Kyou. Her method of showing appreciation is to leave freshly slaughtered livestock on her desk or front porch.
- Hayate from Pretear. He's a total Tsun to Himeno throughout the early part of the series at least in the anime due to (Takako falling in love with him years before and inadvertently turning her evil when he rejected her.") Of course he mellows towards the end of the series.
- Tsukiumi from Sekirei. At the start, she refuses to accept Minato as her Ashikabi, or master, going so far as to try to kill him once they meet. After Minato protects her and calls her his Sekirei, Tsukiumi immediately switches over to deredere, accepting Minato and deciding that she is now his wife. Of course, when she finds out that Minato has three other Sekirei, who she sees as rivals in love, she flips back to tsuntsun. She's usually more tsun then dere as both the manga and anime go on, usually only going dere when she's alone with Minato.
- In addition to the aforementioned Nagi, Hayate The Combat Butler has Hinagiku and Sakuya, both of whom show classic Tsundere traits—like Nagi, more "tsun" than "dere".
- Ayase from Midori Days fits Type A with the main character, Seiji. On that note, Seiji fits type A with Midori herself as well.
- Axis Powers Hetalia has quite a few examples. England and South Italy are very obviously Type A's, and Word Of God is that Germany is, too. Switzerland also shows definite signs of (past and vigourously denied) Type A toward Austria, and fans have speculated that America is being subtly tsundere toward England. Then there's the aforementioned Type B Seychelles. As it's a manga about countries, and coutries go to war, there are few other Type B's.
Comic Books
- This was Gwen Stacy's original personality in the Spider Man comics, flipping between concerned and lovestruck over Peter to hating his guts for a minor transgression like him not responding to Harry Osborn's jokes. After her death, however, she was Flanderized in the minds of most readers and writers into a Purity Sue.
- Emma Frost sort of has this personality, toward her Love Interest Scott. To everyone else, she's (mostly) a Rich Bitch, though.
- Many incarnations of Lois Lane over the years could be called tsundere. Superman almost always gets the dere side and everyone else gets mostly tsun, but there's overlap; once she's known Clark for a while, she tends to be about half-and-half with him. Teri Hatcher's Lois on Lois And Clark was definitely tsundere.
- Lucy van Pelt. As mentioned in a Peanuts Gallery TV special, she can start off very sweet, and then she boils over. And she's especially "dere" to her would-be boyfriend Schroeder, much to his displeasure.
- 99% of Calvin's interactions with the neighbourhood girl Susie Derkins are about him annoying her (and occasionally her violent retaliations, see Type B). Word Of God says it's his way of dealing with his crush on her. The remaining 1% consists of the school baseball arc, during which they were just fine.
- A non-romantic example, Power Girl in Justice League Europe definitely had elements of this. She was generally very irritable, if not outright hostile, toward most of the League, but she was great friends with Captain Atom. Justified in that much of her hostility was provoked by people constantly ogling her, which Cap did not do.
Film
- Another one to Pixar (probably): Brook the newt in the upcoming film Newt - They're the last pair of an endangered newt species, she's wild and street smart while her "mate" has been raised in a lab his whole life. Naturally, when the two meet they hate each other. I's essentially a CGI Woody Allen sex comedy for kids. Hey, it worked for Antz...
- Collette from Ratatouille is one of these in a big way. All you need to do is watch the scene where she's giving Linguini (and Remy) advice on how to be a chef, where she goes from threatening to kill him if he doesn't clean up his work space, to cheerfully thanking him for listening to her.
- EVE from WALL-E is a non-human example. She helpfully illustrates why you do not give one of these ladies a plasma cannon.
- The repair scene at the end (particularly where she blows out the ceiling to get him sunlight) is a perfect example of the "Ohmygodhe'sintroubleGETTHEFUCKOUTOFMYWAY" protectiveness Tsundere can exhibit when their love interest is threatened.
- Most Tsundere girls at least WAIT for their love interest to say or do something stupid to break out the giant mallet from hammerspace. EVE uses it at their first meeting to say 'hello'.
- Happy Gilmore.
- The Landlady from Kung Fu Hustle. Well, more like a cranky old woman very early on, getting pissed off at the residents complaining about the lack of amenities and screaming really loud for them to all shut up (and it's later a Plot Point), not to mention slapping the crap out of her husband whenever he hits on a bucktoothed resident lady of the complex. But, she's shown to be protective and not a jerk later on in the movie.
- Though she may have had reason for suspecting him, since he has apparently spied on women in the showers, which is mentioned early on, and the character of Rabbit-Tooth Jane, as the buck-toothed girl was known (for obvious reasons) was a Lady of the Night.
- C3PO. Think about it.
Literature
- Pretty much every female protagonist in The Wheel Of Time.
- Susana Cabeza de Vaca from Mount Dragon. Replace baka with pendejo and hijo de puta, make her dark-skinned and smart, and you have a Mexican tsundere!
- Elinor Wylie's poem "Nancy," referenced on the quotes page, seems to be addressed to a Type A. You know what that means.
- Ogden Nash's Always Marry an April Girl Might as well be called Ode to a Tsundere.
Live Action TV
- An old textbook example of tsuntsun can be found in, surprisingly, the original Star Trek series. Dr. Mc Coy himself has been seen to be tsundere towards a few of his fellow officers, but mainly Mr. Spock. This troper specifically remembers, on more than one occasion, Mc Coy timidly admitting his respect/love? for Mr. Spock when he is assumed out of earshot.
- In Battlestar Galactica (the remake), Ellen Tigh is a textbook example; in her case, her rampant alcoholism probably has a lot to do with it. Also see Starbuck with Lee Adama, and every single female Cylon on the show with the exception of Athena.
- Barely averted by Farscape in the character of Aeryn Sun. She might seem to be a Tsundere at first, but is disqualified for running hot and cold at the same time, as opposed to running hot and cold alternately, resulting in a sort of permanent The Spock exterior with passions that never quite surface; a definite lack of Slap Slap Kiss due to her Megaton Punch actually hurting Crichton; and her coming by her behavior honestly as a borderline Super Soldier trained The Spartan Way suddenly cut adrift from her in no way Mildly Military lifestyle and ending up on the wrong end of a Stern Chase. ...ta-daa.
- Dorothy Patrillo Zbornak, from The Golden Girls.
- Grace from Jack&Bobby was like this with her T.A.
- As does Susan from Coupling to some extent. If she uses the word "apparently", run.
- This Monty Python sketch is a tsundere butcher with a boater hat.
- Evelyn Kwong of Neds Declassified School Survival Guide. Cookie didn't realize what he unleashed when he said that the challenge of beating him was what motivated her.
- Lynda Day from Press Gang embodies this trope par excellence. 'Lynda's favourite colour is obedience, folks. It's true! Hard? They had to use an industrial laser to pierce her ears!' ''Her ears aren't pierced.' 'I didn't say it worked!'.
- B'Elanna Torres from Star Trek Voyager is a unique example — her tsun and dere halves are different species. Since she's not especially proud of her Klingon side, she tries to live more as a human; she's a good officer and a caring friend, and even has some "girly" habits like reading romance novels. But when B'Elanna gets mad, she gets MAD. Tom Paris has the bruises to prove it.
- Dr. James Wilson from House seems to be a Type B (pretty pleasant, until House pisses him off). Gregory House himself is speculated to be a Type A.
Music
- The Rolling Stones song "Under My Thumb", where the narrator celebrates finally gaining leverage and making it with a Tsundere.
- The Garth Brooks song "She's Every Woman", referenced on the quotes page.
- "Just The Girl" by the Click Five.
- Or maybe the guy just can't take a hint that the girl's not interested.
- If it's about the same girl "Angel To You [Devil to Me]" is about, then she's definitely a Type B tsundere. So very, very much.
- Freedom Call's "Queen of My World" makes some reference to this trope with the "Queen" in the lyrics.
- Another male example appears to be the subject of Katy Perry's "Hot N Cold".
- "Every Other Time" by LFO.
- "Keeps Getting Better" by Christina Aguilera reads like the image song of a Type A Tsundere.
- "Bitch" by Meredith Brooks reads like the image of a Type B.
- Pink has done this not once but twice. The first time was with "Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)", in which she can't decide whether she wants the guy around or not—Can't Live With Him, Can't Live Without Him. Not exactly sure what type of Tsundere this is, but it's something. Then in her newest single, "Please Don't Leave Me", she plays a definite type A. I'm pretty sure that this is the only love song to ever refer to the beloved as "my perfect little punching bag".
- The music video for "Please Don't Leave Me", on the other hand, depicts a Yandere trying to make her ex stay in her home through various violent means.
- "Puppy Love" by Japanese pop group Perfume mentions "tsunderation" (see the translated lyrics).
Tabletop Games
Video Games
- Monkey Pink from the Ape Escape series changes her attack patterns depending on whether she's cheery or enraged.
- Viconia DeVir in Baldur's Gate: Shadows of Amn, if the player creates a male protagonist and engages in her romance subplot. Probably at least partly because she comes from an entire race that Does Not Like Men, and partly because she's just plain evil.
- Etna from Disgaea, though it's only particularly apparent in the "Etna's Diary" subplot.
- She does have intriguing notions on how to treat Prinnies though. (Not to mention all the weapons she broke trying to wake up Laharl.)
- Laharl himself is the real tsundere. Etna is quite a bit more open than he is, freely admitting she was concerned about Flonne. She just happens to be horribly abusive as well.
- Iori Minase from The Idolm@ster.
- Tron Bonne in Mega Man Legends.
- Meryl Silverburgh from the Metal Gear Solid series, especially in the fourth installment. Her interactions with Johnny [Akiba] in the Outer Haven Shootout are perfect examples, especially when she decides to don the seme pants.
- Meryl was one way back in Policenauts, which was full to the brim with fanservice (and even used the Tokimeki Memorial Dating Sim engine). For most of the game, she's pretty aloof and very, very butch, but after her best friend (a Tokusatsu Otaku Technical Pacifist) is murdered, she softens up and even cries, agreeing to use the expensive, girly designer handbag Dave brought her, gets Dave's favourite flowers imported despite hating flowers herself - but remains very manly when she isn't thinking about him. When you remember that her character was originally intended as a Distaff Counterpart-slash-Expy of Metal Gear's Solid Snake, logical conclusions start getting weird.
- Well if you think about it, Solid Snake is pretty much a Type A himself.
- Also, Mei Ling in her cameo in Metal Gear Solid 2, and the bonus External Gazer short story.
- Pick any princess from Princess Waltz. Except for Shizuka and maybe Lillian. But especially Angela and Chris.
- Male example: Azai Nagamasa in Sengoku Basara. He just HAD to keep up his Justice Freak in front of his introverted wife Oichi, so he tells her to shut up often when she starts moping around. But when nobody's around, he turns away and presents a flower for her.
- Seolla Schweizer in of Super Robot Wars is a textbook Type B: friendly, professional, and kind of sweet to her peers and comrades, except she's constantly infuriated by her combat partner/love interest Arado Balanga, due to him playing the Idiot Hero/Crouching Moron Hidden Badass (depending on continuity). Katina Tarask, on the other hand, seems like a Type A, but has NO occasion to be deredere...period. Lampshaded by the fandom for giving her the Fan Nickname "Angry Desu".
- Rio Mei Long and her attitude towards Ryoto Hikawa gave this editor Neon Genesis Evangelion flashbacks, but it's really more the fact that Rio's Hot Blooded and Ryoto...isn't. At least, not until she's had some time to work on him.
- Prier from La Pucelle Tactics behaves this way towards just about all the men she encounters, but especially towards her brother Culotte and, to a lesser degree, Croix.
- Angie from Trauma Center is an aloof/warm type.
- Lady Sylvanas from the Warcraft series can be seen as a tsundere. While she is the leader of the undead Forsaken and outwardly seems like a cold, uncaring person, she shows a hidden soft side during some moments in the fluff (especially towards the blood elves), and the resolution of one quest in World Of Warcraft shows Sylvanas mourning the loss of her sister and her "past" life when she sings The Lament of the Highborne. Before that song, if you give her the necklace, she shows surprise about the memories of her sister... then realizes that she's doing fluff in front of the undeads, so she quickly displays her cold attitude back and shoos you away... then sings that song. She really runs from hot, cold, and then hot again!
- Meilin from Terranigma probably counts. A Mood Swinger in the extreme, she can not decide what she thinks about Ark. The first time they meet, she hates him for spoiling her illusion of her dead parents. Then, she kind-of-stalks him around the woods and follows him while trying to make him notice her romantically, before eventually having a Face Heel Turn, albeit one quickly reversed. Did we mention that she's quite a bit younger than Ark◊?
- Solid Snake in the first Metal Gear Solid game combines this with Defrosting Ice King.
- Leon Magnus in Tales of Destiny. Although in the original game, he was a complete jerk who never accepted his former companions as friends, the Remake rectified his personality. Although initially mistrusting and openly stating that he dislikes Stahn Aileron, he eventually caves into his persistent attempts to befriend him and agrees to fight alongside him as a companion. Of course, he then makes a Heroic Sacrifice moments after agreeing to accompany the hero once more, and he STILL states that he dislikes him, and that he never accepted that he was a friend. Doesn't help that he looks... rather girly despite his masculine voice and fights like a Lady Of War.
- Laharl from Disgaea is a near-textbook case.
- Kei Nanjou/Nate Trinity from Persona has one moment of Tsundere. He's mostly a ruthlessly pragmatic, efficient boy, always offering to pick up with the Sadistic Choice, and belittles Mark very often. At one point of the game, however, his ruthlessness becomes pivotal in getting the Ideal Mary to regain herself, gets thanked in result, then he suddenly goes shy/dere-dere mode to the point Mark points out that he should be glad that this is the first time somebody thanked him, which results Nate to snap back to tsun-tsun.
- Hector in Fire Emblem: The Blazing Sword shows his soft side more easily around his three bridal choices and Eliwood.
Webcomics
- Despite what she says in this strip, Eri-chan in Okashina Okashi is closer to Yandere than Tsundere.
- Parodied somewhat with Chiaki in Sparkling Generation Valkyrie Yuuki where the character in question is left in utter bewilderment by her own jumps between happy and exceedingly depressed explaiming that she has "No idea how she should feel!" Truthfully, she's more of a genki girl, but...
- Erika Hayasaka of Megatokyo.
- The Joy, in The Cobra Days. However, in a six-person Quirky Miniboss Squad with three HeroicSociopaths, her deredere moments make her one of the Cobra Unit's less potentially explosive personalities.
- Laika in Tsunami Channel's "Experimental Comic Kotone".
- To a lesser degree, Lisa, too.
- Jean Poule in The Inexplicable Adventures Of Bob is a Type B.
- Parley from Gunnerkrigg Court won't stop pestering her medium class colleague Smitty with arm locks and noogies and anything that requires her to put her arms around him.
- Parodied in this strip of Tomoyo42's Room. (Comic NSFW.)
- Monique from Sinfest pretty much gives equal time for her "tsun" and "dere" aspects, especially with Slick. Fuchsia, on the other hand, is either this or a Yandere.
- In this comic of "Questionable Content", Faye's friends bought her a Tsundere T-shirt.
Web Original
Western Animation
- Hexadecimal from ReBoot has great affection for Bob. This is probably the most extreme case in all fiction, considering we're talking about a character with transfinite power reserves who is flat out insane.
- Tasha in The Backyardigans might be one of those. Most of the time, she's bossy and wants everything her way, but during the "Giant Problem" episode she becomes a playful Genki Girl Giant.
- A press release for future episodes of The Simpsons lists Sarah Silverman as a girl who starts dating Bart, who, described in the press release, "alternately loves and hates Bart for no reason." It's unknown if she's a type A or a type B, but the press release DEFINITELY hints at the fact that she's a tsundere.
- Probably the only noteworthy thing about the most recent Fantastic Four animated series was that Sue went from being an extreme dere (a dere-mat, actually) to almost a Type A — although with those three guys, it's understandable. This was probably spun off from her updated profile in the comics — she's much more aggressive with her powers, to the point where she's now regarded as the most powerful member of the team.
- Zuko from Avatar The Last Airbender, at least for most of the series. He's a lot more tender and relaxed with Mai than he is with most other people until he completes his Heel Face Turn.
Other
- In Dept Heaven Apocrypha, Nessiah started out rather violently type-A towards Milanor as the initial attraction started. As the story progressed he became more of a type-B, at least until his Trauma Conga Line got so draining that he didn't have the spunk left to tsuntsun at anyone. And then his Sanity Slippage and jealousy issues sent him on a hard swerve into Yandere territory...
- He seems to be getting some of those type-B characteristics back as he recovers, though.
Real Life
- John Lennon from The Beatles. He could get incredibly angry, punch a man in the nose, then a few minutes later he would apologise profusely and offer a hug.
- From The Other Wiki: Toy manufacturer Tomy Co. has come up with the world's first "tsundere" portable television set, which gives audio guidance with a harsh voice that gradually becomes kinder as the user gets used to the set.
- Catullus, the Ancient Roman Love Elegist, appears to have been one of these. This is especially apparent when you go straight from 1.5, "Give me a thousand kisses, my Lesbia, and then another thousand, and then a hundred' to Catullus 1.16, "YOU FAGGOT, I WILL RAPE YOU IN THE FACE." Unless he was only pretending to be a Tsundere for some obscure poetical reason. No-one is quite sure.
- Beethoven wrote once to his friend Johann Hummel, "You are a false dog, and may the hangman do away with all false dogs," and the very next day wrote, "Come to me this afternoon.... Kisses from your Beethoven, also called dumpling."
- Every cat in existance is either this or a Kuudere.
- Risking Arse Eels: Anyone who's hung out on his Whitechapel board long enough knows Warren Ellis is a type A. Cranky? Irritable? Oh, yes. And more than willing to call bull on anyone. But when someone he cares about shows up, watch the old bastard let out a manly Squee. And god help you if you mess with someone he's taken even a slight liking to.
- Tsundere cookies!
|
|
◊ aggressive or confrontational
