So, you've decided to write a Yandere, huh? You want to add the archetype as an option your Harem anime or Romance Game? Maybe an entire story around them? Well, I won't let you since you're mine and mine alone. I'm not even gonna let you go anywhere near Write a Love Story if you're thinking about putting that hussy in any genre. And especially don't go through it for genre specific tropes even if you want to know which ones to avoid like the plague.
Don't even read the rest of the article or I'll kill you:
Due to the very definition of the trope, there are some tropes that are a given regardless of gender or genre.
Necessary Tropes
- Ax-Crazy: Even if they don't succeed, they're at least desperate to see someone dead whether if it's a rival love interest or their crush if all goes wrong.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Similar to a Type-B Tsundere, most Yanderes put up a facade of being a sweet and loving person only to reveal their true colors to their object of choice. Making them a Type-C Stepford Smiler is optional as well.
- Cute and Psycho: The trope has its root in Moe after all, so even if the character in question is a male, they have to have some kind of cuteness aspect to them.
- Freudian Excuse: If the character meant to be sympathetic.
- Stalker with a Crush: They believe that Stalking is Love and that they need to keep all tabs on their significant other. And if that doesn't work, there's always Plan B.
Choices...Choices
- What are the "disposing methods" of your yandere? Try to avoid the "slashing to bits" cliché, unless it, of course, makes sense within the context of your story. Other methods do exist. Making your Yandere use law or any authority figure to plan a "punishment" for the one who tried to "steal" the object of their affection. Depending on your setting, it could be something very nasty. Maybe they can publicly unleash their rival's dirty secrets. Maybe they can use poison over brute force (which is a more likely option if your Yandere is not physically tough). Heck, they might disfigure their own partner so that they become less attractive to others.
- Who is your Yandere? Are they a grown man in position of authority, or a cute schoolgirl? Are they simply a celibate with a normal job, or do they have a creepy social position? Are they well seen by society or are they marginalized? If they are integrated into society, they will have plenty of means to use reputation, money, authority as a weapon. However, as a marginal, they might get away with a lot nastier things, such as incest, prostitution, the black market and so on.
- Who is their crush in position to them? Is the object of their obsession a random stranger, a protégé, a next-door neighbor, their blood relative, their commander, their spouse? Deciding what will determine a lot.
Pitfalls
- Depraved Homosexual / Depraved Bisexual / Psycho Lesbian: This can come across as homophobic even if you didn't intend such - it's worth keeping in mind that for a long time, being gay was equated with being mentally unhinged, and this was pretty much the only representation that was allowed as per the Hays Code. If you must use this, make sure you give your Yandere an explanation for their actions that has nothing to do with their sexuality, and/or contrast them with sympathetic, well-adjusted LGBTQ+ characters.
- Derailing Love Interests: Don't suddenly turn a pre-established love interest into one of these just so the hero can hook up with someone else. Audiences will catch on and decry it as a cheap tactic, especially if they liked the love interest beforehand.
- Love Redeems: It can be tempting to have the object of a Yandere's affections bring out the best in them with their sheer devotion, but this is not how it works - it takes more than The Power of Love to resolve deep-seated issues in someone like this. If you want to have them become a healthier and more stable love interest, they'll need professional help, not a Love Martyr.
Potential Subversions
- Instead of making your Yandere the love interest, why not make them the protagonist? This would have plenty of psychological horror potential, especially if they're an Unreliable Narrator.
Writer's Lounge
Settings and Props
- The cliché Yandere story is a school romance, but there are a lot more settings to consider. An XVIII century royal court, the slums of a large city, a town torn apart by a witch-hunt, an XVI century torture chamber or house, a high fantasy setting in which anything can happen, a middle-class neighborhood in a rich country, camping site on a wild lake, the streets of a Medieval Paris or a communal apartment. If you manage to fit Sci-Fi, go for it. The possibilities are endless.
