yandere

A yandere is a fictional character who seems sweet and loving at first but becomes obsessively, often violently, possessive of the person they love. It’s a dark anime and video game trope, not a relationship goal.

What yandere means

The word combines the Japanese yanderu, “to be sick,” with dere-dere, meaning lovey-dovey. A yandere character’s devotion slowly turns frightening: stalking, jealousy, threats, and in extreme stories, harming anyone they see as a rival. The contrast between the cute surface and the menace underneath is what makes the trope memorable.

Examples

• “The new girl in that visual novel is a full yandere. Run.”
• “He went from adorable to yandere in one episode.”
• “Yandere characters are scary, not romantic.”
• “Jokingly: my dog is yandere for whoever has snacks.”

A note of caution

Dictionary.com points out that the trope often links violence with mental illness and misrepresents real conditions. In real life, the behaviours a yandere shows, such as controlling, stalking and threatening, are warning signs of abuse. Online jokes about “wanting a yandere partner” can blur that line.

Yandere vs. tsundere

A tsundere hides kindness behind rudeness and is basically harmless. A yandere hides danger behind sweetness.

Where yandere comes from

According to Dictionary.com, the character type has roots in the 1980s, grew out of the tsundere archetype and became popular in the early 2000s. The indie game Yandere Simulator, in development since 2014, helped spread the term among Western players.

Related terms

• Tsundere: cold outside, soft inside.
• Waifu: a beloved fictional character.
• Red flag: a warning sign in a relationship.
• Love bombing: overwhelming affection used to control someone.

Explore more in our anime slang dictionary.