15 Best Yandere Characters in Anime, Ranked

“If I can’t have them, no one can” is the motto for Yandere type archetype characters. The Yandere is a Dere type that combines Yanderu, meaning mentally ill, and Dere, meaning lovey-dovey. Together you get someone willing to do anything to end up with the one they love. Anything.

Yandere anime characters are obsessed with their love interest. On the outside, they play it off that they are kind and sweet characters to everyone, but on the inside are willing to go as far as murder if someone gets in their way. This list looks at the greatest Yandere characters in anime.

Updated June 17th, 2020 by Ericka Blye: While pink-haired school girls are typically the face of the trope, there have been series that broaden the scale of what a Yandere looks like. While the majority of Yandere characters in anime are still girls, there have been a number of male ones as well. Yandere characters have also been included in much more light-hearted series where their dark obsession for the one they love gets put in a more comical spin and a less, well, lethal one.

15 Rolo Lamperogue – Code Geass: Lelouch Of The Rebellion

For many Yandere characters, romantic love drives their obsessive behavior. But that isn’t the case for all Yandere characters, as Rolo Lamperouge from Code Geass is driven by brotherly love. While he masquerades as Lelouch’s innocent and kind-hearted little brother, in actuality he’s a heartless cold-blooded killer.

While sent to spy on Lelouch for a year, he grows very attached to him and even grows jealous of Lelouch’s real sister, Nunnally. This jealousy is part of the reason he ends up killing one of Lelouch’s friends, Shirley, after she expresses her desire to help reunite Lelouch with his sister.

14 Kotonoha Katsura – School Days

While the anime has controversial opinions on whether School Days is worth the watch or not, Kotonoha Katsura is a Yandere that takes her love to the extreme. She rivals Sekai Saionji for Makoto Itou’s love.

The two go back and forth having encounters with Makoto where he can’t decide on which girl means more to him. Each time Makoto spends time with Kotonoha or Sekai, the other steps it up. However, it’s Kotonoha who takes things to the extreme.

13 Misa Amane – Death Note

Misa Amane fits the standard definition of Yandere. In Death Note, she is willing to do anything for her love Kira. When Light first started killing criminals as Kira, he ended up killing the criminals that killed Misa’s parents. To thank him, Misa is willing to be Light’s tool so that he can create a new world.

Misa had performed the Shinigami trade with Rem, cutting her lifespan to receive Shinigami eyes. She does it again, cutting her life in half to assist Light in killing L. In Death Note 13: How to Read, it states that Misa committed suicide a year after learning of Light’s death.

12 Akane Hiyama – Love Tyrant

The Yandere in Love Tyrant is Akane Hiyama, whose love interest is Seiji Aino. Seiji has been cursed by Guri’s Kiss Note. When two names are written in the Kiss Note, they will become a couple. Seiji needs to find a girlfriend otherwise he will die so he sets out for Akane.

Akane heard that Guri and Seiji kissed when Guri misspelled Seiji’s name in her Kiss Note. Akane enters her Yandere mode trying to kill both but stops when Guri pairs her with Seiji in her Kiss Note. Seiji is then paired with other girls in the Kiss Note, but Akane will not have any of it.

11 Shuu Tsukiyama – Tokyo Ghoul

Another male yandere is Shuu Tsukiyama from Tokyo Ghoul. Shuu Tsukiyama gives off the impression that he’s an intelligent and charming young man who wants to befriend Kaneki. However, he uses this impression to trick his “prey” and lure them to the Ghoul Restaurant to be eaten.

He becomes obsessed with Kaneki’s smell and the desire to eat him, especially after he discovers him to be a one-eyed ghoul. He even resorts to kidnapping another person to lure Kaneki.

10 Anna Nishikinomiya – Shimoneta: A Boring World Where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn’t Exist

Anna Nishikinomiya is the student council president and enforces the law that impurity of any kind has been banned and civilization must remain chaste. Even though she enforces these laws she cannot oppress herself. Anna wants to enforce the law but also wants Tanukichi Okuma’s attention.

When other girls try to approach Tanukichi, her Yandere tendencies take over. Tanukichi joins SOX a terrorist organization enacting sexual obscenity onto Japan and created by Ayame Kanjou to get closer to Anna.

9 Megumi Shimizu – Shiki

The first pink haired Yandere on the list is Megumi Shimizu. Megumi hates living in the village and has a major crush on Natsuno Yuuki. She’s even seen staring into his window outside his house hiding in the bushes. When Natsuno appears on-screen heartbeats can be heard symbolizing the love that Megumi has for him.

Megumi shows Yandere characteristics when she gets excited that Natsuno looked in her direction and kills anyone too involved with Natsuno.

8 Lucy – Elfen Lied

Lucy is a yandere in Elfen Lied. Lucy is a Diclonius girl symbolized by the horns on her head. Due to being shot in the back of the head, Lucy enters a state where she is known as Nyu. As Nyu, Lucy is passive and innocent, but as Lucy, she is a death machine able to kill anyone with ease.

Lucy is a Yandere for Kouta. Lucy and Kouta weren’t friends as children but grew closer as they got older. Lucy ends up killing Kouta’s family out of jealousy for Kouta not inviting her to a festival.

7 Shion Sonozaki – Higurashi: When They Cry

Shion is one of the twins in the Higurashi: When They Cry series. Due to her identical appearance with Mion, the two pretend to be the other at family meetings. Shion swaps with Mion on the day Mion is meant to become the family lead. Shion only has one goal, and that’s to her crush Satoshi Houjoi.

Shion would attack and torture Satoshi’s sister Satoko because she thought she was responsible for Satoshi’s stress. When Satoshi goes missing, Shion reachers her Yandere breaking point. No one is safe from Shion as she kills and torturers anyone she thinks could be involved, including members of her family.

6 Yuno Gasai – Future Diary

Yuno Gasai is probably one of the most popular Yandere of all time, often referred to as the “Yandere Queen.” Yuno only cares about Yuki and Yuki only. In the death game of Future Diary, contestants have a special diary with a goal they must complete. Yuki’s goal is to end the game without killing anyone, which Yuno helps achieve.

She reveals that her diary is a Yuki diary and her only goal is to end up with him. The infamous Yandere face can be seen from Yuno at the end of the first episode. Yuno swears that she will protect Yuki no matter what.

5 Mizuki Himeji – Baka To Test

Mizuki Himeji from Baka to Test is usually very sweet and trusting, but when it comes to her crush, Akihisa Yoshii, flirting with other girls, she shows a much darker and dangerous side.

Because the series is a comedy, Himeji’s Yandere nature is played for laughs and isn’t taken too seriously. Also, the only person who seems to be in danger when this side of Himeji comes out is Akihisa.

4 Kaede Fuyou – Shuffle

In the Shuffle! anime, Kaede Fuyou is a kind and sweet girl, that suffers trauma from her mother dying. Her childhood friend is Rin Tsuchimi. Kaede wants to hang out with Rin but is pushed aside when Rin chooses to spend time with Asa Shigure.

Asa and Kaede are friends but Kaede’s limits were pushed when Asa and Rin go on a date. Kaede attacks Asa slamming her into a wall causing a heart attack and hospitalizing her.

3 Griffith – Berserk

Griffith was considered a hero in the kingdom of Midland and was literally called the “Falcon of Light.” His skill as a swordsman and his charisma had him set up to get everything he wanted until Guts left his mercenary group.

Griffith’s obsession with Guts and his “dream” sent him into such a downward spiral that he committed several heinous acts including sacrificing his own mercenary team to become a demon.

2 Yukako Yamagishi – JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable

Yukako Yamagishi is a Stand user who can freely manipulate her hair. Though she first appears to be sweet and demure, she quickly shows the darker side to her nature to her crush and obsession Koichi Hirose. Many speculate that the Yandere trope of Yanderes typically being high school girls came to be because of Yukako Yamagishi.

Hirohiko Araki, the creator of JoJo, mentions that her personality was designed to counter the “moe” character archetype that many female characters had. And it’s for these reasons that many consider Yukako Yamagishi to be the first “official” Yandere character.

1 Satou – Happy Sugar Life

The greatest Yandere in anime is Satou Matsuzaka. Satou tops the list because she achieves the relationship she wants in Happy Sugar Life. Satou lives with Shio Koube, a young child not allowed to see the outdoors. Satou just wants to live her happy sugar life with Shio and nothing will stop her.

Satou is in love with Shio and will do anything for her including blackmail, murder, and arson. When Shio finds her way to the outside, no one is safe from Satou.

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