kuudere

A kuudere is an anime character type who seems cool, calm and emotionless on the outside but has a hidden soft side, especially for the person they love.

What kuudere means

Wiktionary defines a kuudere as a calm, aloof, reserved fictional character (usually a girl) with a hidden soft side, especially for a love interest. The appeal is the slow reveal: a character who answers everything in a flat voice, then quietly does something kind that shows how much they care.

It belongs to the “dere” family of character types. Kuudere is cool and blank; tsundere is prickly and defensive; yandere is sweet but dangerously obsessive; dandere is shy and quiet.

Examples

• “She barely shows emotion, then blushes when he thanks her. Classic kuudere.”
• “I always end up liking the kuudere in every show.”
• “He’s a kuudere: cold to everyone except his little sister.”

Where it came from

It’s a Japanese blend of kūru (cool, from English “cool”) and deredere, a word for acting lovestruck or affectionate. Wiktionary illustrates the entry with Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion, a character fans often link to these quiet, distant types.

Related terms

• Tsundere: harsh outside, soft inside.
• Dandere: shy and silent.
• Yandere: sweet, then obsessive.
• Waifu: a favorite female character.

See more terms like this in our anime slang guide.