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"Gandere" (JP) is a term for a tsundere character who hides their feelings of love towards their love interest by shooting guns at them when they get embarrassed, but overtime grows to become loving and deredere as they learn to be honest with their feelings. They go into "fight-or-flight" mode when flustered and will impulsively shoot at their love interest when they feel embarrassed about their romantic feelings because they don't know how to react despite not really wanting to hurt their love interest. However, even though they have a tendency to shoot at their love interest it doesn't mean they don't love them. In fact, it's the complete opposite and they're madly in love with them. They are simply someone who cannot control their feelings so they shoot at their love interest out of impulse without meaning to. Once they feel more comfortable being honest they will feel less flustered and will gain control over their aggressive impulses. They will openly show their love and affection and will start to show a much more cute and doting side towards their love interest.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Gandere (ガンデレ) is a combination of "gan" (ガン), meaning "gun", and "tsundere" (ツンデレ), meaning "a character who can't be honest with their feelings of love towards their love interest so they act distant, standoffish, and stuck-up to conceal them".[2][3]
Origin
The term was created on Japanese social media in 2011 as a tsundere variation that becomes embarrassed and snaps at their love interest with a gun based on the character Misato Tachibana from the 2006 gag comedy manga series Nichijou (JP). Misato was an extreme tsundere (or more specifically a tsungire) who would violently shoot guns at her love interest Koujirou Sasahara in an attempt to hide her crush on him in an over-the-top comedic way.[4]
The first known use of "gandere" in media was in the 2011 doujin manga series Gandere Nukashi Oru (JP) based on Misato.[5][1]
Localization
This type is sometimes unofficially and incorrectly romanized as "gundere" in the Western community instead of "gandere", however, this actually refers to a completely unrelated dere type which gandere should not be confused for. Gundere is a term for a tsundere character who turns into a drill sergeant because they can't be honest with their feelings.
"Gandere" comes from a katakanization of the English word "gun", which is spelled in Japanese as "gan" (ガン), while "gundere" comes from the native Japanese word "gun" (軍, pronounced like "goon"), meaning "army". However, gandere is sometimes also romanized as "gundere" in the Western community to more closely match the English spelling of "gun" leading to confusion.
Other Meanings
There is also another "gandere" (ガンデレ) type that has shown up on Japanese social media as an unofficial dere, however, it is significantly less popular. This other "gandere" is a combination of "Gandamu" (ガンダム), meaning "Gundam", and "deredere" (デレデレ), a mimetic word for "being lovestruck (overly affectionate, lovey-dovey, not hiding one's romantic feelings)", and is used to describe a character who is in love with Gundams. This other "gandere" type was created due to the character Graham Aker from the Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (JP) anime series because of his obsession with giant robot mecha suits known as Gundams. In particular, his self-admittance that he was deeply in-love with a Gundam suit named Gundam Exia.[2][3]
Other than sharing the same spelling, these two dere types are completely unrelated.
History
In Japan, the archetype of gandere is mainly associated with two characters: the origin character Misato Tachibana from Nichijou and Anna Kozuki from Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL.[6][2]
Personality
Gandere have a personality similar to regular tsundere characters, except they use guns instead of their words. They will also have regular tsundere reactions without using their guns as well.
Gan Period
Misato Tachibana after getting embarrassed from Nichijou
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Gandere are characters who lash out at their love interest by shooting guns at them when they get embarrassed to hide their shyness and feelings of love. They go into "fight-or-flight mode" when flustered despite not really wanting to hurt their love interest.[2][3]
When they get embarrassed or think their love interest might start realizing they're in love with them, they will pull out a gun and start shooting at them. They will also often shout things like "dummy!" at them while blushing to hide their feelings, however, this is always done in an extremely over-the-top comedic way so the love interest is fine by the next scene.
Gandere will almost always carry some type of gun with them so they can pull it out any time they become embarrassed around their love interest. The type of gun that is used will differ depending on the character. Some might use only one type of gun while others may use a wide variety of different guns, as is the case with Misato Tachibana who comedically pulled out guns ranging from a handgun, a rifle, and a minigun, to an oversized rocket launcher and a cannon from seemingly nowhere. Others may simply use harmless ones such as airsoft guns like Umiko from NEW GAME!.
Dere Period
Despite their seemingly aggressive and hateful behavior, they actually do really and truly love their love interest. They only become violent because of a knee-jerk reaction to hide their emotions. After some time as they get more used to being affectionate with their love interest, they will feel less flustered and will gain control over their aggressive impulses.
Differences From Other Archetypes
Gandere is similar to bokodere and biridere, but with more extreme reactions and using guns instead of their fists or electricity.
Similar Archetypes
- Biridere: A term for a tsundere character who hides their feelings of love towards their love interest by violently shocking them with electricity, but overtime grows to become loving and affectionate as they learn to be honest with their feelings.
- Bokodere: A term for a character who despite being in love and having deredere feelings for their love interest, reflexively punches them with their fists when they become embarrassed by their love interest's affection in order to hide their shyness.
- Gundere: A term for a tsundere commanding officer character who is unable to express their feelings of affection to their love interest subordinate so they turn into a drill sergeant and berate them for not being good enough.
- Kamidere (Bite): A term for a character who can't be honest with their romantic feelings so they bite their love interest to hide their embarrassment, but eventually learn to show a more honest and affectionate deredere side.
- Tsundere: A term for a character who can't be honest with their feelings of love towards their love interest so they act distant, standoffish, and stuck-up to conceal them. Gandere is a variation of this type.
- Tsungire: A term for a character who is quick to get angry and pushes others away when they try to be affectionate with them. Gandere could be considered a gun-themed variation of this type.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Aria H. Kanzaki from Hidan no Aria  Umiko from NEW GAME!  Misato Tachibana from Nichijou  Isuzu Sento from Amagi Brilliant Park  Sargatanas from Beelzebub-jou no Okinimesu mama.  Anna Kozuki from YU-GI-OH! ZEXAL |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Gandere Nukashi Oru. Suruga-ya (2011/08/12). Archived on 2025/09/25.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 What is Gandere?. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2011/05/22). Archived on 2025/09/25. “A kind of tsundere. A person who has the temperament or disposition to discharge firearms to conceal their embarrassment toward the person they love.”
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 What is Gandere. Nico Nico Pedia (2011/06/28). Archived on 2025/09/25. “A gandere is a person who has the temperament or disposition to unintentionally fire a firearm or otherwise attack a love interest because of their emotional attachment to the person they love. However, the firearms used are not limited to guns. Misato Tachibana is this type. She sometimes attacks to hide her embarrassment.”
- ↑ Gandere. Aniwota Wiki (2011/09/14). Archived on 2025/09/25. “A derivative of tsundere. The combination of a tsundere attitude toward the opposite sex and the firing of a gun results in Gandere. The type of gun used is not limited to machine guns, it can be bazookas, cannons, missiles, hand grenades, etc. This term originated from Misato Tachibana in "Nichijou".”
- ↑ Comic Market 80 New Issue. Panic Carnival (2011/07/19). Archived on 2025/09/25. “It's a gandere story with Misato Tachibana as the main character. When Misato Tachibana was about to go at Sasahara as usual, the two of them encountered an unexpected incident...”
- ↑ List of Gandere characters. NeoApo (2024/11/22). Archived on 2025/09/25. “Anna Kozuki, Misato Tachibana”