Everything You Need to Know About Dandere Anime Characters

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Plus, learn how danderes compare to other dere characters
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In anime, a dandere is an anime archetype that depicts a shy character who gradually becomes more confident throughout the story. They are usually shy around everyone but their love interest, which can make it seem tough to discern when comparing it to other deres. That’s why we’re here! In this article, we explain what a dandere is , how it differs from other types of deres , give character examples , and more!

Dandere Meaning in Anime

A dandere is a character archetype in anime who’s shy, quiet, and expressionless on the surface, but longs for love and friendship under the surface. As they grow closer to their love interest, danderes break out of their shell and eventually become more confident and secure, like Hinata Hyuga from Naruto .

Section 1 of 8:

What is a dandere?

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  1. While the dandere character archetype is expressionless, shy, and quiet around others, they’re confident and loving around their love interest. When they’re first introduced, dandere characters usually don’t talk to anyone. But, throughout the story, they get closer to their love interest and get the opportunity to open up and build confidence. While they’re often viewed as emotionless and antisocial, danderes really want to make friends! [1]
    • Think of characters like Sawako Kuronuma from Kimi Ni Todoke and Kosaki Onodera from Nisekoi . [2]
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Section 2 of 8:

Characteristics of a Dandere Character

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  1. 1
    Shy and reserved Plenty of deres are shy, including the dandere. Dandere characters typically come off as reserved, emotionless, and antisocial due to their shy nature, but they secretly pine for love and friendship. So, if you’re watching anime or reading manga and come across a shy, quiet character who desires love and friends, chances are they’re dandere. [3]
  2. 2
    Open only to their love interest While danderes are shy around everyone else, they tend to open up and show their true colors around their love interest. Think of Hinata Hyuga from Naruto , who’s shy and quiet around her team but gradually opens herself up to Naruto Uzumaki, her love interest. If you’re watching a show and come across a character who’s open to only their love interest, like Hinata, they’re likely dandere. [4]
  3. 3
    Distant on the surface Dandere characters are often perceived as distant, cold, and uninterested in others on the outside, but as the story progresses, it’s usually revealed that they’re just super shy (and that they actually want to meet people), but don’t know how to open up. So, if you hit a point in your story where the distant character turns out to be shy and socially awkward, you’ve got a dandere on your hands. [5]
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Section 3 of 8:

Dandere Examples

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  1. 1
    In anime & manga, characters like Hinata Hyuga and Umi Sonoda are popular danderes. Dandere is an extremely popular character type in anime & manga, with characters like Hinata Hyuga from Naruto and Umi Sonoda from Long Live! School Idol Project being textbook examples of the type due to their start as shy, reserved characters. Other dandere characters include: [6]
    • Nagisa Furukawa from Clannad
    • Akira Oono from Hi Score Girl
    • Mio Akiyama from K-On!
    • Tsumiki Kurashita from Princess Jellyfish
    • Ami Mizuno from Sailor Moon
    • Ken Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul
    • Nana Ebina from Himouto! Umaru-chan
    • Sawako “Sadako” Kuronuma from From Me to You
    • Tsukasa Hiiragi from Lucky Star
    • Hotaru Ichijou from Non Non Biyori
    • Ito Hikiotani from Punch Line
    • Nodoka Miyazaki from Mahou Sensei Negima!
    • Koji Koda from My Hero Academia
    • Izumi Sakurai from Nichijou
  2. 2
    There aren’t many dandere characters in TV and film, but they do exist! Since the dandere character type is most popular in anime, it doesn’t appear too much in non-anime-related media, like live-action TV shows and films. But, there are characters like Lisa Zemo from Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide , who starts as an awkward girl crushing on the character Cookie. Throughout the story, Lisa opens up with Cookie’s help, becoming more confident by the end of the show. Other live-action dandere characters include: [7]
    • Eleven from Stranger Things
    • Wataru Kurenai from Kamen Rider Kiva
    • Chiron from Moonlight
    • Carrie White from Carrie
    • Will Byers from Stranger Things
    • Willow Rosenberg from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
    • Allison Reynolds from The Breakfast Club
  3. 3
    In novels, characters like Neville Longbottom are danderes. Since many novels are stories that are completely unrelated to anime and manga, the dandere character type doesn’t make as many appearances. But, characters like Neville Longbottom from Harry Potter and Eiden Kirous from Strawberry Moon represent the character type due to their shy, clumsy nature that progresses into confidence as the story goes on. Other dandere characters in novels include:
    • Moonwatcher from Wings of Fire
    • Ginny Weasley from Harry Potter
    • Archer Hale from Archer’s Voice
  4. 4
    In video games, there are plenty of dandere characters, like Senri and Meoshi. Dandere characters are extremely common in video games, as there are countless romantic video games on the market. There’s even a genre called Otome that’s dedicated to romantic video games. Some of the dandere characters featured in those games include Senri from Norn9 , Meoshi from Sweet Fuse, and Kyo Aizawa from Butler Until Midnight . Other video game danderes include: [8]
    • Angela Orosco from Silent Hill 2
    • Terra Branford from Final Fantasy IV
    • Julia from Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu
    • Deirdre from Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu
    • Ilyana from Fire Emblem: Souen no Kiseki
    • Axel from OZMAFIA!!
    • Nageki Fujishiro from Hatoful Boyfriend
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Section 4 of 8:

Dandere Personality Stages

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  1. At the start of the story, danderes usually go out of their way to not talk to anyone, preferring to be by themselves. They tend to come off as emotionless and expressionless, as they struggle with expressing themselves and how they feel. In this stage, they may appear cold to others (even though they’re just shy). [9]
  2. 2
    As they get closer to their love interest, they gradually come out of their shell. When danderes are introduced to their love interest, they tend to open up and break out of their shell, but only around them. While they struggle with social anxiety and opening up to others, their love interest typically helps them overcome these struggles the deeper the two fall in love. [10]
    • In this stage, they become more talkative and gradually gain confidence.
  3. 3
    After being around their love interest for a while, they become confident and secure. As the connection between the dandere and their love interest deepens, the dandere gains the confidence and courage to express themselves, their feelings, and their love for the love interest. As they gain confidence, they often make a lot more friends in the process, helping with their security. [11]
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Section 5 of 8:

Where does dandere come from?

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  1. Dandere is a dere subtype that’s thought to have originated online. Unlike other dere types , like tsundere and yandere , dandere is not an official Japanese term. It is a combination of two Japanese words that came about online in the early 2000s. Online anime fans in the West took the words danmari , which means to be silent and uncommunicative, and dere dere , which means to be lovey-dovey, and brought them together to describe the shy and uncommunicative character type that’s so common in anime. [12]
    • The term became so popular in online spaces that it was eventually used in 2018 in the Japanese light novel Succubus Note!
Section 6 of 8:

How Dandere Differs From Other Deres

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  1. 1
    Kuudere Kuudere characters are cool, calm, and collected on the surface, while dandere characters are shy and introverted on the surface. While both characters have emotional layers underneath, kuuderes are often looked at for answers and guidance, while danderes are viewed as emotionless, cold, and distant. [13]
  2. 2
    Yandere While danderes are nervous around everyone but their love interest, yanderes are nervous when other people are around their love interest, and they go to extreme and toxic lengths to keep people away from their love interest. While danderes typically grow over the story, yanderes devolve into dangerous obsessiveness over their love interest. [14]
  3. 3
    Hajidere While hajidere and dandere characters are both shy and reserved, dandere characters typically have a character arc that results in them becoming more confident and building a more stable group of friends with the help of their love interest. On the other hand, hajidere characters tend to remain shy throughout the story. [15]
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Section 7 of 8:

History of the Dandere

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  1. The dandere archetype (although only being named in the early 2000s) has been around since the 70s, with Asuka Mizunokouji from the 1978 anime Urusei Yatsura being considered the oldest dandere in anime and manga. As anime and manga continued to grow as a genre, more and more dandere characters began to appear, like Kaori from the 1989 anime film Akira.
    • Arguably the most popular dandere, Hinata Hyuga, was introduced in 2002’s Naruto manga, further popularizing the dandere character trope.
    • In Uruseu Yatsura, Mizunokouji was an isolated woman, which resulted in her being timid and afraid of males.
Section 8 of 8:

Other Dere Types

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  1. 1
    Tsundere According to manga experts Arklight Blues and Sea Cucumber, tsundere is an anime character type where characters act dismissive, annoyed, or aggressive while having a soft interior. Think of characters like Risa Koizumi from Love Com and Izumo Kamiki from Blue Exorcist . According to Blues and Cucumber, the tsundere character type is one of the most popular dere types in anime.
  2. 2
    Kuudere Kuudere is an anime character type that is calm and cool on the outside yet emotional on the inside. They tend to fear showing weakness by relying on someone or admitting their feelings for someone. Even when they help those they care about, they remain stoic as they do so (at least on the outside). Think of characters like Rukia Kuchiki from Bleach and Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion . [16]
    • Kuu comes from the Japanese pronunciation of “cool.”
  3. 3
    Yandere According to Blues and Cucumber, the yandere character type is when characters have a toxic, possessive, jealous interior with a soft exterior. It’s one of the most popular character types in anime. While they’re loving and kind on the surface, yandere characters’ love often makes them go crazy, as they’re willing to go to extreme lengths to keep other characters away from their love interest if they perceive them as a threat. [17]
    • Think of characters like Yuno Gasai from Future Diary and Satou Matsuzaka from Happy Sugar Life .
  4. 4
    Hajidere A hajidere is an anime character type that is extremely shy, especially around their crush. They often follow their love interest around, even though they have trouble expressing their feelings. Shyness and silence are some of their only personality traits. Some hajidere characters include Kosaki Onodera from Nisekoi and Maon Sakurada from Tamayura . [18]
  5. The yangire anime character type is the opposite of the yandere. Unlike the yandere, they don’t need a love interest to motivate their violent, dangerous side. They are often looked at as evil geniuses who manipulate others through their calm, collected personality, which can switch at the drop of a hat. [19]
    • Some yangire characters include Kurumi Tokisaki from Date A Live and Misaki Sakimiya from Dead Mount Death Play .
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      References

      1. ↑ https://youtu.be/2iME2DrbxPU?si=4Nu3Htr01e19ANx7&t=156
      2. ↑ https://www.ranker.com/list/best-dandere-anime-characters/anna-lindwasser
      3. ↑ https://blerdyotome.com/2019/06/20/a-beginners-guide-to-otome-games-part-3-common-character-archetypes/
      4. ↑ https://blerdyotome.com/2019/06/20/a-beginners-guide-to-otome-games-part-3-common-character-archetypes/
      5. ↑ https://blerdyotome.com/2019/06/20/a-beginners-guide-to-otome-games-part-3-common-character-archetypes/
      6. ↑ https://myanimelist.net/featured/1080/Top_15_Dandere_Characters_in_Anime__What_is_a_Dandere_
      7. ↑ https://youtu.be/9M0xGD4gffU?si=xRGehXLFzAYvAelu&t=8
      8. ↑ https://blerdyotome.com/2019/06/20/a-beginners-guide-to-otome-games-part-3-common-character-archetypes/
      9. ↑ https://youtube.com/shorts/p1IDpKj5h6w?si=jFLZCcDFGkQi_jHD
      1. ↑ https://youtube.com/shorts/p1IDpKj5h6w?si=jFLZCcDFGkQi_jHD
      2. ↑ https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/dere
      3. ↑ https://haruhimemo.hatenablog.jp/entry/2018/06/28/180937
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/H8MIvq84Ic0?si=vSUxHeKN2LZjXKER&t=65
      5. ↑ https://youtu.be/hvQWJBY7I8o?si=lCI09pli_lorvDUt&t=58
      6. ↑ https://youtu.be/B7gAdVqeQpw?si=dgwIKkg8NlguuClg&t=1138
      7. ↑ https://kotaku.com/how-to-identify-popular-japanese-character-types-1169085239
      8. ↑ https://kotaku.com/how-to-identify-popular-japanese-character-types-1169085239
      9. ↑ https://youtu.be/B7gAdVqeQpw?si=dgwIKkg8NlguuClg&t=1138
      10. ↑ https://youtu.be/-DyCJlIocCs?si=jaw3ZI5Hrm6pJeAl&t=7

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