Plenty of anime characters fall under one trope or another: the chosen one, the mentor figure, the lone wolf, and so many more. Many of these common tropes help audiences connect with characters who are similar to past ones they’ve enjoyed, and can signal potential character arcs and growth that the character will undergo throughout the story. Love them or hate them, tropes become popular in anime for a reason — as much as subverted tropes are praised, everyone has at least one guilty pleasure trope that keeps them clicking on the next episode.
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One such trope that pops up in anime over and over is that of the tsundere. A tsundere can be initially classified as cold, aloof, and emotionally volatile or distant, but throughout the story, they will reveal, or learn, a kinder side to their personality. Often, this change is brought around through romance, with one specific person triggering the behavior change. Tsundere’s are beloved as characters because of the great pay-off when written well — seeing a character change and learn to open up is rewarding for long-time fans. So, with that in mind, let’s check out a list of 10 tsundere characters we rooted for every time they were on screen.
1) Asuka Langley Soryu (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
A tsundere list without Asuka Langley Sohryu is not much of a list at all. Asuka is a character developed in Neon Genesis Evangelion, a mecha anime series that debuted back in 1995. The series centers around robot pilots fighting back god-like monsters (Angels) to protect humanity. It was praised for its deconstruction of the classic mecha genre, as well as its later influence on anime produced after its original run.
Asuka exists in this realm of bloody battles for survival, having taken over the position of Eva-02’s pilot. This happens sometime after an accident with the same mecha robot leaves her mother’s mind broken beyond repair. The trauma of her mother’s failing health drives Asuka to focus only on self-progression as a pilot, viewing her worth as directly linked to her performance in the ranks. This straightforward mindset chafes upon meeting Shinji Ikari, the series protagonist and fellow Evangelion pilot. Asaka’s teasing and general disdain for Shinji slowly morph into appreciation and respect as they fight Angels together, despite her struggling to admit her feelings.
2) Rin Tohsaka (Fate/Stay Night)
Another classic tsundere character is Rin Tohsaka from the Fate/Stay Night universe. Rin is included in the original Fate/Stay Night series, the film Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works, and the Fate/Stay Night: Heaven’s Feel trilogy films. The main plot of the anime centers around a fight for the infamous Holy Grail, an item that will grant any one wish to whoever claims it. Mages summon Servants (figures from history and legend) to fight on their behalf against other factions in their quest to win.
Rin has all the common traits of a tsundere: she’s stoic, removed from her classmates, and often has trouble expressing emotion due to pressure from her father to become the family’s successor. This single-minded focus prompts Rin to take part in the fifth Holy Grail War, summoning Archer as her Servant in the fight. Despite her competitive, perfectionist nature, Rin becomes secretly attracted to classmate Shirou Emiya, a fellow Master in the Grail War. This attraction is explored differently in the alternate routes the Fate series takes, but it cannot be denied that Rin’s personality opens slowly because of her attachment to Shirou and her admiration for him.
3) Kyo Sohma (Ouran High School Host Club)
Most people tend to picture female characters when they hear tsundere, but there are quite a few iconic male characters that deserve the title, also known as an “oranyan”. One such classic example of a male tsundere is Kyo Sohma from popular shojo anime Fruits Basket, airing in both 2001 and 2019 as a reboot. Fruits Basket is considered a slice-of-life romance story with supernatural elements. It follows Tohru Honda, who begins living with the Sohma family after the death of her mother. She quickly realizes certain family members can transform into animals based on the Chinese Zodiac when embraced by members of the opposite sex.
Kyo starts the series as the black sheep of the Sohma family. He is adopted into the family, and is cursed by his Zodiac form being that of the Cat — an irregular figure in the astrological cycle. Kyo is known for being hotheaded, with a stilted way of conveying his feelings at the start of the show. But slowly, he begins to fall in love with Tohru and allows himself to heal from the trauma of his past and other hardships he’s endured.
4) Kurisu Makise (Steins; Gate)
A well-loved addition to this list has to be Kurisu Makise from Steins;Gate, an anime released in 2011. Steins;Gate is a science fiction show that deals with things like time travel, the downsides of scientific advancements, and cause-and-effect actions. In the show, a group of college students invent a method of time travel that allows them to send messages to the past. These messages create a butterfly effect that changes the future in varying catastrophic ways the group must find a way to reverse.
Kurisu is a certified genius in the show, something that drove a deep wedge between her and her father at a young age. Disproving her father’s scientific theories led to him despising his daughter, and the breakup of the family later on. Kurisu is shown to be serious, logical, and dedicated to her field of study; however, she tends to be prickly as a defense mechanism, likely because of facing so much jealousy from those around her since she was a child. These distant outer layers peel back throughout the anime to reveal her softer, curious nature, particularly once Kurisu begins to internally acknowledge her feelings for scientist Rintaro Okabe.
5) Taiga Asaka (Toradora!)
Dubbed one of the most lovable tsundere out there, Taiga Aisaka had to be included in the list. She appears in the anime Toradora!, released in 2009. The show is a slice-of-life romance with comedic aspects, and heavily features young love as an overarching theme. Toradora! is about two high school students who make a pact to assist each other in winning over their crushes.
Taiga is one of the main characters, agreeing to help Ryuji Takasu in his quest to confess to her best friend, Minori. Her short stature and hot temper make her a source of amusement and exasperation for her classmates. But despite Taiga’s aggressive nature, it softens throughout the anime as we watch her get closer to Ryuji in their quest to find love. Taiga is revealed to be a lonely girl from a wealthier family, feeling abandoned by her father after his second marriage. It’s with Ryuji that she learns to trust and open up to the possibility of love and accept his kindness.
6) Kaguya Shinomiya (Kaguya-sama: Love Is War)
Kaguya Shinomiya is the title character from her anime, Kaguya-sama: Love Is War. The anime debuted in 2019 and is dubbed a romantic comedy. The plot of the show centers around Kaguya and her love interest, Miyuki Shirogane. Both students harbor feelings for the other but are unwilling to openly admit it; instead, Kaguya and Miyuki come up with increasingly inane plots to force each other to confess first.
At the start of the anime, Kaguya is a prime tsundere with an aloof nature, cold personality, and untouchable aura. Her distant mood is even reflected in her eyes, flat and lifeless, just like the perfectly curated image she presents to her peers. The audience learns about Kaguya’s obsession with not disappointing her family and the pressure that weighs on her, leading her to try and distance herself from others around her. It’s with Miyuki that she begins to become livelier, even donning her signature red ribbon as an attempt to look more approachable to others and shun her old persona.
7) Kyou Fujibayashi (Clannad)
Clannad is a well-known romantic drama anime that debuted in 2009, with a total of two seasons. Exploring themes of self-growth, love, family, and the importance of friendship, Clannad remains a popular shojo anime choice among fans. The plot revolves around Tomoya Okazaki, a cynical student with a troubled home life, who meets Nagisa Furukawa. He’s quickly drawn into Nagisa’s plot to revive the school’s drama club, prompting Tomoya to meet a variety of characters along the way with various hardships and lessons to learn.
One of these characters is Kyou Fujibayashi, a confident girl with an overprotective streak for her twin sister, Ryou. Kyou is considered cool by many of her female peers due to the collected way she carries herself and her bold nature. Throughout Clannad, Kyou attempts to set Tomoya up with her twin sister while resisting her slowly changing feelings for him. Her jealousy around Tomoya is a shield for her to process her feelings and come to terms with potentially choosing her own happiness over her sisters. While Kyou’s arc in the anime is different from the novels, both capture the charm of Kyou gradually warming to Tomoya against her will.
8) Stella Vermillion (Chivalry of a Failed Knight)
If you’re a fan of battle show anime, then you might be familiar with Stella Vermillion. Stella features in Chivalry of a Failed Knight, a 2015 anime with a single season. The anime centers around the idea of the Seven Star Sword Art Festival, a tournament where Mage-Knights compete to win. Emphasis is placed on the idea of hard work over innate talent, as both main characters work to surpass their natural abilities in different ways.
One of the main characters is Stella, a high-grade mage (Blazer) from the Vermillion Empire. She’s regarded as a natural prodigy with high levels of innate magic, though she struggles to control her abilities. Stella wishes to be viewed as more than a prodigy, training hard so her powers will manifest strongly. During her stay at Hagun Academy, where Blazers go to train, she meets Ikki Kurogane, a low-level mage. Stella is initially harsh towards Ikki but grows to respect his drive to better himself despite of his limitations, and eventually this leads to her falling in love with Ikki and revealing more of her true friendly personality.
9) Shana (Shakugan no Shana)
Shakugan no Shana is an anime film that came out in 2007 as an adaptation of a light novel series by the same name. It’s regarded as a blend of genres: romance, fantasy, supernatural, and drama. The film’s story centers on Yuji Sakai, a regular high school boy who learns of a parallel world overlapping with his own, where demon-like beings consume human life. Yuji is saved from an attack by a mysterious girl who informs him about the ever-growing threat that will wipe out human life if not stopped.
The girl who saves Yuji is merely called Shana. She is revealed to be a Flame Haze— a human who made a pact with a Crimson Lord to gain supernatural abilities. She must fight back Denizens, the beings who drain human life, and restore order in the world. Shana takes this responsibility with the utmost seriousness, shown as icy and uncaring in regards to anything outside of fighting Denizens. Shana is resistant to caring for Yuji, despite saving his life, viewing him as a particularly annoying object; this is a viewpoint that the film changes over time, with Shana coming to admire, respect, and love Yuji and slowly opening her heart to humanity as well.
10) Mikoto Misaka (A Certain Scientific Railgun)
A Certain Scientific Railgun is a spin-off anime that has three seasons, with a fourth set to release in 2025. The anime is considered a mixture of science fiction and action, taking place in a school setting. It’s widely recognized for its iconic fight scenes and unique world-building that surpasses its predecessors in the universe. A Certain Scientific Railgun takes place in Academy City, a futuristic society where espers exist and have unique abilities.
Misaka Mikoto is the main character in A Certain Scientific Railgun, and a high-grade esper, dubbed “Railgun” because of the electromagnetic powers she possesses. Misaka spends much of the anime exploring different mysteries around Academy City, unearthing secrets and solving problems as she goes. Misaka’s willingness to fight to protect others can make her come across as brash and unyielding, with a short temper in her interactions that makes her a shoo-in for the tsundere title. More importantly, Misaka is shown to be intensely loyal beneath her tough exterior, and will do almost anything for her friends.
Honorable Mention: Momo Adachi (Peach Girl)
Momo Adachi is a fun tsundere option from the anime Peach Girl, first released in 2005. The drama anime follows Momo, a misunderstood girl, whose appearance leads to vicious rumors being spread about her at school. These negative comments lead to Momo changing the way she presents herself to others, self-sabotaging her confession, thinking she isn’t good enough and must improve her self-image. Over the anime, Momo learns to accept herself as she is and become comfortable in her skin, leading Momo to become more genuine with the others around her.
Despite Peach Girl’s surprisingly long reach, getting multiple adaptations, both animated and live-action, and several subsequent manga, it isn’t as frequently discussed as other popular shojo. Momo Adachi exhibits a short temper to conceal a vulnerable, insecure personality whose good qualities outweigh her negative traits. It’s quite reasonable to consider her to show classic tsundere traits as an anime protagonist, and we know for a fact that Peach Girl fans have voiced their wishes for this to be more widely recognized.
Enjoy this list of tsundere characters? Let us know who your favorites are and what other tsundere you’d add to the list.
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Courtesy of Marvel
