Thugdere

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This article lists an archetype or several archetypes below that aren't official and were mostly created by other users just for fun. None of the following examples can be considered official until mentioned in a manga/anime or another reliable source.

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This page contains mature content not suitable for all ages or information, language or images that can be sensitive to some people! Precaution is advised.

Content Warnings: Mentions of violence and domestic abuse.

I won't forgive anyone stupid enough to get kidnapped.
—Revy, from BLACK LAGOON

"Thugdere" is a term for a character who often mistreats their love interest by harming them physically and emotionally to hide their true feelings of affection. They do this because they think their sweet side makes them look weak, but they are also quite affectionate and loving at times. After spending enough time with their love interest they will begin to be more honest with their feelings and show a more caring and loving side all the time.

Etymology

Meaning of the Term

Thugdere was created by combining the English word "thug", meaning "a bad person who behaves violently", and "deredere" (デレデレ), a mimetic word for "being lovestruck".

Origin

Thugdere was created on the internet in the Western anime community as a meme on dere types. Use of this term can be traced as far back as March 2013, with the earliest known use being from a user on DeviantArt who drew an image of a thug as a cute dere girl.^[1] However, it was not until October 2013 that it became a popular meme on Tumblr, with a post about thugdere amassing over 100,000 likes.^[2] Following this in 2014, it became established as a term on UrbanDictionary for people who mistreat their love interest in a thuggish way, but are also affectionate with them.^[3]

Alternate Name

Although thugdere is the correct name, the name "kitikudere" has also gained popularity online recently as an attempt to "Japanese-ify" the name. However, kitikudere comes from a misspelling of the Japanese word "kichiku" (鬼畜), which means "demonic" or "inhumane", and describes "someone who fiendishly commits extreme and disturbing acts". This name gives a far more dark and violent connotation than the English word "thug" and would perhaps better describe the similarly named kichidere.

A more accurate translation of the word "thug" would be the Japanese word "boukan" (暴漢), which means "a violent person or troublemaker". So if this type were to be an official Japanese type a possible name for it that preserves its intended meaning and the correct dere type naming format would be "boudere".

Characteristics

Thugdere are typically female characters, but can sometimes apply to male characters.

Personality

Thugdere are characters who often mistreat their love interest but are also quite affectionate and loving toward them.

Thug Period

Thugdere will harm their love interest to hide their feelings of being lovestruck because they think their sweet and caring side makes them look weak or foolish. To accomplish this, they will harm their love interest physically and emotionally. This often is the form of physical abuse or mean and hateful cursing or insults. They may even target their love interest's insecurities to make 'them' feel uncomfortable instead. They don't do this because they enjoy the pain they cause, but rather to hide their true feelings. In the same way, they will never do so much harm that it will greatly affect their love interest and they may feel bad if this happens accidentally.

They are very dishonest with themselves and are insecure when it comes to making themselves vulnerable. They may even begin to hate this side of themselves and wish they could just be honest with their love interest.

Deredere Period

However, despite their violent side, they can also be quite affectionate in certain situations. In between mistreating their love interest, they will be quite sweet and loving towards them, but may still revert to their violent ways if the affection starts to go too far and they become uncomfortable. Over time, they will begin to realize that violence is not the solution and will start to work on bettering themselves. This is usually thanks to their love interest who helps them manage to see their true self, making them less and less aggressive. This can reach the point of them trying not to use violence so often or only jokingly insulting their love interest.

After spending enough time with their love interest and getting used to being affectionate with them they will begin to be more honest with their feelings. They will become too in love to want to harm them again and show a more sweet and caring side all the time.

Differences From Other Archetypes

The archetype is most similar to ijimekko, characters who bully those who are weaker than them, but the biggest difference is the addition of a cute and affectionate deredere side towards the person they mistreat. While a thugdere physically abuses their love interest in a similar manner to an ijimekko, they will also be sweet and affectionate with them as well and behave in cute ways or fawn over their love interest when showing their deredere side. However, that is not the case with ijimekko who only torment others. Not only that, but a thugdere does not 'actually' want to harm their love interest since they are still in love with them, even if they're too ashamed to admit it, but an ijimekko does not care about the state of the person they are bullying because they have no such attachement. Of course, it is completely possible that an ijimekko may change over time or bully someone they like specificially to hide their feelings, becoming a thugdere in the process, but this is not required. Additionally, not all thugdere are bullies and they may just act thuggish when their love interest annoys, embarrasses, or makes them feel uncomfortable about being affectionate with them without actively bullying them.

Thugdere is fairly similar to onidere in that both mistreat their love interest to hide their feelings, but the main difference is that onidere only do this in public to maintain an image whereas a thugdere is simply dishonest with their feelings. Rather than being violent in public and sweet in private like an onidere, they will be violent whenever they are getting uncomfortable showing their feelings. Thugdere also typically only act this way towards their love interest because they have feelings towards them, whereas an onidere will act violent towards anyone.

Thugdere is similar to tsundere since they both act aggressively towards their love interest, however, thugdere are significantly meaner and are far more rude than tsundere are. Thugdere will genuinely abuse their love interest both verbally and physically to keep their feelings hidden, often to the point of making them cry. They will also often use lots of profanity in their insults. In comparison, tsundere are typically at most just rude to their love interest and often just ignore them altogether.

Unlike S dere, they will not playfully tease their love interest to see their reaction, but rather hatefully make fun of them to feel stronger in front of other people and to hide their sweet side.

Similar Japanese Archetypes

Gundere: A term for a 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.
Ijimekko: A term for a character who bullies someone weaker than them by physically, verbally, or psychologically abusing them.
Onidere: A term for a character who treats their love interest badly around other people to maintain a reputation of being feared.
Otoko Masari: A term for a female character who is very masculine and strong-willed. It is very common for these types of characters to be thugdere.
Sukeban: A term for a female character who is a gang member.
Tsundere: A term for a character who acts rude and hostile around their love interest to hide their true feelings.
Tsungire: A term for a character who is filled with rage and aggressive annoyance instead.
Yandere (Yankii): A term for a yankii delinquent who becomes deredere.
Yankii: A term for a character who is a delinquent.

List of Characters

See Thugdere/Japanese Characters to see characters from Japanese media.
See Thugdere/Non-Japanese Characters to see characters from non-Japanese media.

Gallery

References

↑ Thugdere. DeviantArt (2013/03/15).
↑ Thugdere?!. Tumblr (2013/10/23).
↑ Thugdere. Urban Dictionary (2014/02/03). “Thugdere is when someone (typically a female character, though it can in some cases be applied to a male) often mistreats their lover, often physically or emotionally harming them, but can also be quite affectionate toward them. The "thugness" is often a way they hide their sweet, caring, and loving side, which they may often think makes them look weak or foolish.”

v • eDere Types
Japanese	Standard	Bakadere ♥ Biridere ♥ Bokodere ♥ Butsudere ♥ Dandere ♥ Darudere ♥ Deredere ♥ Dorodere ♥ Erodere ♥ Gandere ♥ Goudere ♥ Gundere ♥ Hajidere ♥ Himedere ♥ Hinedere ♥ Kamidere ♥ Kichidere ♥ Kiridere ♥ Kuudere ♥ M Dere ♥ Nyandere ♥ Onidere ♥ Rindere ♥ Roshidere ♥ S Dere ♥ Shindere ♥ Shundere ♥ Tsundere ♥ Tsuyodere ♥ Undere ♥ Usodere ♥ Utsudere ♥ Uzadere ♥ Wandere ♥ Yandere (Yanderu) ♥ Yandere (Yankii) ♥ Yoidere ♥ Zondere ♥
Japanese	Variations	Deretsun ♥ Tsun-Aho ♥ Tsun-Ama ♥ Tsunbaka ♥ Tsundora ♥ Tsunneko ♥ Tsun-Pure ♥ Tsunpuri ♥ Tsunshun ♥ Tsuntere ♥
Western	Standard	Bocchandere ♥ Byoukidere ♥ Kanedere ♥ Kekkondere ♥ Nemuidere ♥ Oujidere ♥ Oujodere ♥ Smugdere ♥ Teasedere ♥ Thugdere ♥
Western	Variations	Ahodere (Western) ♥ Kamidere (Western) ♥ Kidere ♥ Mayadere (Western) ♥ Megadere (Western) ♥
Other	Dere Types ♥ Unofficial Dere Types ♥

[1] Thugdere. DeviantArt (2013/03/15).

[2] Thugdere?!. Tumblr (2013/10/23).

[3] Thugdere. Urban Dictionary (2014/02/03). “Thugdere is when someone (typically a female character, though it can in some cases be applied to a male) often mistreats their lover, often physically or emotionally harming them, but can also be quite affectionate toward them. The "thugness" is often a way they hide their sweet, caring, and loving side, which they may often think makes them look weak or foolish.”

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