Do you know the meaning of yandere? Read on as we explore the popular term to uncover its definition, its origins, and more.
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Kevin
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March 3, 2022
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Common Questions
Do you know the meaning of yandere? Read on as we explore the popular term to uncover its definition, its origins, and more.
If you’re an anime aficionado, you’ve likely discovered a number of new Japanese words and more than your fair share of tropes.
You may have heard of tsundere, which refers to a fictional character who has an ice-cold exterior but gradually shows a warmer side over time. We’ve also covered kuudere, a fictional character who is always cool, calm, and collected.
Another Japanese word commonly found in anime is yandere — but what exactly does it mean? We’ll tell you!
Read on as we explore the term yandere to uncover its definition, origin, and more!
To truly understand the term yandere, it’s helpful to review multiple definitions from a number of reputable sources:
After reviewing these definitions, we can conclude that the term yandere is a Japanese archetype commonly found in anime used to describe a character whose love, admiration, and devotion are so strong that it is expressed as an excessive obsession.
In other words, a yandere is a character who is head-over-heels in love with someone, to their detriment.
Often used for comedic and dramatic character displays, these love-hungry characters tend to enter a deep depression when away from their love interest.
Yukako Yamagishi (山岸 由花子 Yamagishi Yukako) may have been a side character in the manga Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. Still, she is widely known around the anime community as the first yandere character.
ヤンデレ (yandere) is a portmanteau of 病んでる (yandere, meaning “to be sick,”) and デレデレ (deredere or dere-dere, meaning “infatuated” or “lovestruck”). Yandere is related to the word koiyamai (恋病) or “lovesick.”
Now that you understand what yandere means and where the term comes from, let’s further your understanding by exploring examples of yandere characters. Below you will find a list of some of the top yandere characters found in anime:
More often than not, yandere is associated with the jealous, violent type of yandere, but did you know that there are other types of yandere? Yup, it’s true — here are a few of the most common listed below:
A yandere, such as Yuno Gasai, can fit in many of these types at a time. All types of yandere can be female or male and have any sexual identity.
So, what does yandere mean, you ask?
Arguably the most iconic yet infamous character archetype in Japanese fiction, novels, manga, anime, and video games, the term yandere blossomed in Moe fandom and refers to a character who is crazy about someone else — literally.
Yandere is the opposite of tsundere in that it describes someone cute and harmless on the surface, but underneath they may be controlling, obsessive, and sometimes just plain insane.
Typically used as an outlet for their emotions, these characters are often associated with mental illnesses, extreme violence, obsession, insanity, and brutality.
We hope this guide has provided you with all the information you need to understand the meaning of yandere fully. If you’d like to discover more interesting words, feel free to check out our website. Whether you’re looking to enhance your vocabulary or simply widen your knowledge, you can always count on us to help.