The word "yandere", a term that blossomed in
moe fandom, refers to a character who is
crazy about someone else.
Literally. Despite the anime-inspired name, this type of character
is much, much older than that, as one of the
earliest examples is the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar (Inanna).
The character almost always appears
perfectly cute and harmless on the surface... but underneath they may be
obsessive, controlling, and sometimes just plain insane. Woe to anyone who happens to be the object of their often genuine affection. Even more pity should be saved for anyone who
gets in the way - the psycho-obsessive is amazingly unwilling to
put up with any rivals (but the rivals had it coming). There could be a long mental instability; the girl's always been
just a little bit off. Could be the
product of
Break the Cutie. Often eventually goes off the deep end and becomes an
Ax Crazy Girl with Psycho Weapon, and that's just fun!
It comes in two flavors:
- Possessive: This type of Yandere is so in love with his/her crush that she's willing to kill her beloved to prevent other love interests from taking him away from him/her.
- Obsessive: This type of Yandere is willing to kill off her competition so he/she can be closer to his/her loved one.
Such characters are
mostly female, but male examples aren't nonexistent.
Compare with the
Violently Protective Girlfriend who can become
Axe Crazy when the love interest is in danger but is otherwise MUCH more stable mentally. See also
Living Emotional Crutch for a reason why she goes from affectionate to murderous.
More details are available on the
Analysis page, such as its history and its appeal.
Part of the
dere family along with
Tsundere (unapproachable outside, sweet inside), or sub groups;
Kuudere (cold outside, sweet inside), and
Dandere (asocial outside, sweet inside). But those are all sweet inside, while the Yandere is sweet outside, crazy inside. Also compare
Cute and Psycho, who is also sweet and crazy, but whose craziness
isn't tied to love.
See also
Clingy Jealous Girl, her
Spear Counterpart Crazy Jealous Guy,
Love Makes You Evil,
Love Makes You Crazy,
Stalker with a Crush,
Domestic Abuser,
Violently Protective Girlfriend and
If I Can't Have You. Compare
Stepford Smiler and
Psycho Supporter. Contrast with
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing, in which a character is consciously using the illusion of purity and niceness to cover up a sadistic true nature (Though a BISC
can become a
Yandere if we add mental instability to the mix). At the extreme,
A Love to Dismember can occur. Don't confuse with
Yandere Kanojo, a manga which surprisingly doesn't involve actual yandere.
It should be noted that while many below listed examples are drama and horror ones, this trope is not exclusively
Played for Drama. It might just as well be
Played for Laughs through
Comedic Sociopathy as it is for drama or horror.
Almost all the examples listed below are
spoilers, so read at your own risk.
Examples
Wait, you're leaving? No, don't leave! I thought I was the perfect read! I saved my best editing for you! You have to stay...!
I'll make you stay...
