- For the unrelated homonym meaning of "yandere" for characters whose love is so strong and pathological that it causes them to become mentally ill see: Yandere (Sick).
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"Yandere" (JP) is a term for a yankii character who falls in love and becomes deredere. Like all yankii, at first they are trashy, gaudy, loudmouth delinquents who regularly get into fights and seem like they'd have no interest in having a cute romantic relationship. However, after meeting their love interest and falling in love their entire personality changes and they start to take more of an interest in being cute and affectionate with another person. They may be embarrassed by their newfound relationship and try to keep it a secret at first for the sake of their reputation. When they are in public they may even bad-mouth their love interest to try to hide their feelings, but when they are alone together they will be very cute and lovey-dovey in a very surprising way. Eventually they will learn to take pride in their relationship and make it public, and even give up being a delinquent altogether as a result of their love changing them.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Yandere (ヤンデレ) is a combination of "yankii" (ヤンキー), meaning "delinquent", and "deredere" (デレデレ), a mimetic word for "being lovestruck (overly affectionate, lovey-dovey, not hiding one's romantic feelings)".[3]
Origin
Reina Ryuuzaki from Yandere Kanojo
The term originates from the 2008-2015 romance comedy manga series Yandere Kanojo (JP) released through Square Enix.[1]
The series follows a student named Manabu Tanaka. He is a run of the mill geeky student who has excellent grades and wears glasses. One day he runs into the leader of the school's female delinquents Reina Ryuuzaki carrying a bloody bat under a cherry blossom tree and the two of them fall in love at first sight. Reina becomes extremely flustered by her new feelings and threatens Tanaka for looking at her, however, she is unable to get him out of her head and goes around trying to gather information on who he is from the other students. When a group of students tell her that he's just a dull nobody she beats them up. Reina receives a letter to meet after school and after seeing that the letter was from Tanaka she becomes saddened by the fact that he hates her and wants to fight, since she can't imagine being called out for any other reason. However, much to her surprise Tanaka confesses to her. Reina rejects him because she thinks that they are too different and that being with her will just lead to him getting hurt, and then she runs off crying from a broken heart. After seeing her reaction Tanaka refuses to give up and suggests that the two of them date in secret, to which Reina happily agrees. While at school Reina continues her image of being the delinquent leader, when they are alone she becomes very cute and intimate. She even asks Tanaka for his phone number so the two can continue talking even when others are around. Even though Reina is a delinquent who doesn't say what she thinks, is quick to yell, violent, and rude, she is deeply in love with Tanaka and makes herself more cute and affectionate when the two are alone together.[1]
While at the start Reina is embarrassed by her relationship, by the end of the series she proudly yells out Tanaka's name and tells everyone that he is her boyfriend. She no longer hides her affection for him and they become known as the strongest couple at school. While she acts affectionate with Tanaka, she still has no problem cursing at people who interrupt their intimacy or beating up guys who try to flirt with her when she's already taken.[1]
Alternate Spelling
Because the spelling "yandere" (ヤンデレ) is also shared with the other more popular "yandere" (ヤンデレ) type due to the naming convention of dere types, the yankii version will often be written alongside disambiguation in parenthesis in order to different between the two types, such as "yandere (yankii dere)" (ヤンデレ(ヤンキーデレ))". It will also sometimes simply be written fully out as "yankii dereru" (ヤンキーデレる) without abbreviating the type to "yandere".[4][5]
Localization
The term is officially romanized as "yandere" in the Yandere Kanojo manga series.[2]
Other Meanings
- Main article: Yandere (Sick)
A page from Yandere Kanojo explaining the two types of yandere.
Although the term "yandere" in this series refers to a yankii delinquent who falls in love and becomes deredere, there are actually two entirely different dere types that share the name "yandere". The term "yandere" is most widely recognized to have the meaning of "yanderu" (sick) + "deredere".[3]
Although this meaning is not well-known in the Western community, it is widely recognized in Japan that yandere has two meanings, with many people even only knowing about the yankii meaning due to the popularity and 8 year run of the Yandere Kanojo manga.[6] While the yandere meaning of "sick dere" was created as far back as 2005 online, the "yankii dere" meaning was actually used first in an official manga series premiering in 2008. The reason for the double use of the name was likely because the meaning of "sick dere" was still a very niche internet forum term at the time.
History
Official Media
The term was used for the 2013 boy's love romance manga Yandere! ~Yankii Danshi no Nichijou~ (JP) to describe the characters Riku and Keigo.[7]
It is also a fairly popular type in web manga.[4] The 2021 romance web manga Bazutta Bun Dake Kawaikute Etchide Juujun ni Tsukusu Yandere ni Naru Yankii Gyaru (JP) by Sasaki Saki followed the romance of a yankii gyaru who became more dere the more popular the series became on Twitter. While at the start she was a foul-mouthed delinquent girl who was 0% dere, by the end she was going on cute dates and dressing up in girly outfits for her new boyfriend and was 100% dere.[8]
The 2023 romance web manga Saikyou Yankii wo Tasuketara, Ore no Koto wo Daidaisuki ni Natte Shimatta (JP) followed a boy who saved the most feared yankii girl causing her to fall in love with him. However, the male protagonist is so donkan (oblivious) that he doesn't immediately realize the scary-looking yankii girl is now head-over-heels in love with him, even when her affection is obvious to everyone else. Her intense deredere (lovestruck) nature clashes with his obliviousness, and he slowly notices how cute she has become leading to the two becoming lovers.[9]
The 2024 romance web manga Shinkon-Yankii Dereru (JP) by Zurikishi followed the newlywed life of a former yankii delinquent. When she first met her love interest she was a foul-mouthed delinquent who was insistent that she was never going to get married, but by the end she was a deredere wife.[5]
Characteristics
General
Yandere characters are middle school or high school aged characters who engage in juvenile delinquency, with most usually starting at the age of 14.
Fashion Style
Yandere characters are identifiable by their trashy clothes and dyed hair, which is heavily inspired by American rock n' roll culture. They will also often modify their body to look more "cool" and "rebellious", such as shaving their hair, bleaching their hair, or getting piercings and tattoos. It's also common for them to add gang or anarchic insignia to their school uniforms or modify them by making the pant legs/skirts baggier.
Yankii Language
Yandere characters speak in a very course way. They also have their own slang and style of speaking that is unique to them. They often speak in a very intimidating and threatening way.
Gangs
Yandere characters will often join up and form gangs with other delinquents led by what is known as a banchou, or boss, who is characterized by their commanding presence over other delinquents.
Personality
Yandere characters are juvenile delinquents (yankii) who fall in love and become lovey-dovey (deredere).
Yankii Period
Kyoko Honda and Arisa Uotani with Tohru Honda from Fruits Basket
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Yandere characters will act tough, use swear words, and are notorious for being loud, rude, and refusing to take part in the strict manners of Japanese society.
Yandere characters will often partake in many illegal activities, such as shoplifting, theft, vandalism, and violence in general, all before leaving high school. They will often be seen carrying around wooden swords or baseball bats and will threaten other people if they get too close to them. Because of this they, unsurprisingly, have an unbelievably bad reputation and will be avoided by most other people.
Yandere characters give off the impression that they have no interest in dating or romance, which can make it a huge surprise to their love interest when they confess that they've fallen in love with them.
Almost Dere Period
Kyoko Honda with Katsuya Honda from Fruits Basket
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Yandere characters often have a hard time expressing their true feelings and because of this they are quick to yell when they get frustrated. They may even become flustered by their own feelings of love and threaten their love interest for looking at them and making them blush.
It's because of this reputation that they may try to keep their relationship a secret from others. If someone comes near them while they are being intimate with their love interest they may act like they were just picking on them to hide the fact they were just being lovey-dovey with them.
While they act cuter around their love interest, they will have no problem beating up other guys if they try flirting with them while they're in a relationship.
Dere Period
Kyoko Honda from Fruits Basket
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Despite their trashy and gaudy behavior, yandere characters also have a surprising soft side that is cute and doting. They want to hold hands with their love interest and spend all day texting them cute messages. They want to go on dates and be all lovey-dovey and intimate with their love interest.
While at first they may be embarrassed by their relationship and try to hide, by the end they will proudly yell out that they're in love for everyone to hear.
Differences From Other Archetypes
Yandere is a dere type version of yankii for delinquents who fall in love and become deredere. It is also important to make a distinction there is an inherent different between being a "yankii" and a "delinquent". While all yankii are delinquents, not all delinquents are yankii. This is "yankii" refers to a very specific fashion/subculture defined by American influenced aesthetics. The Japanese word for any delinquent regardless of appearance is "furyou" (不良). So for example let's take a notable delinquent character like Taiga Aisaka from ToraDora!. She is an aggressive girl who's hot-headed nature has caused her to get into many fights, earning her the nickname "Palmtop Tiger". So she is undeniably a "furyou" (delinquent), however, she is not a "yankii" because she doesn't dress in a "yankii fashion". Therefore delinquent characters who lack the "yankii" aesthetic would not fall under yandere despite having a similar behavior.
Yandere is most similar to onidere since both archetypes originate from a sukeban delinquent leader who hides their relationship from the rest of their gang. They were also both initially published in 2008, with the Yandere Kanojo manga drawing comparisons to the OniDere manga from it's publishers. Both types also generally hide their relationship from others to maintain their reputation as a yankii. The biggest difference between the two, however, is that onidere is far more extreme. While both are capable street fighters, an onidere character has supernatural strength comparable to that of a Japanese ogre, capable of throwing people over buildings, smashing through concrete walls with their heads, or carving hearts into concrete with their fingernails, while a yandere character is just a normal human. An onidere character will also be more cruel towards people who lay a finger on their character love interest and will be far more feared than a yandere character. They will also both act cutesy and lovey-dovey when they are alone with their love interest.
It is also similar to tsuyodere since both types are rough and unfeminine at first, but eventually become cute and loving. The biggest difference is that while both types get into fights, yandere characters actively seek them out and will rebel about school rules, while tsuyodere characters will generally only fight when provoked and aren't delinquents.
It is also somewhat similar to the Western dere type of thugdere in that both are violent and aggressive people who become dere. The main difference is that a yandere character is just a middle/high school delinquent who doesn't commit any major crimes, while there's no age limit for a thugdere character who may be a lot more violent. A thugdere character will also intentionally hurt their love interest physically and emotionally to hide their feelings.
Similar Archetypes
- Kuzudere: A term for a character who usually acts like scum, but becomes cute, selfless, and deredere after falling in love with their love interest.
- Onidere: A term for a character who puts on an act and pretends to hate and be cruel to their love interest around other people to maintain a reputation of being feared, but will be extremely cute, affectionate, and deredere to them when others are not looking.
- Sukeban: A term for a female yankii character who is part of a female-only juvenile delinquent girl gang in middle school or high school.
- Thugdere: A term for a character who often mistreats their love interest by harming them physically and emotionally to hide their true feelings of affection.
- Tsuyodere: A term for a female otoko masari character who is normally very strong-willed, tough, and masculine, but becomes cute, delicate, and girly when they are deredere for their love interest.
- Yankii: A term for a character who is a juvenile delinquent and participates in rebellious or illegal actions in middle school or high school.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Kyoko Honda from Fruits Basket  Kyoko Honda with Katsuya Honda from Fruits Basket  Kyoko Honda and Arisa Uotani from Fruits Basket  Arisa Uotani with Tohru Honda from Fruits Basket  Launch from Dragon Ball  Ranna Himawari from Rokudou no Onna-tachi |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Yandere Kanojo. Square Enix (2008/06/21). Archived on 2025/07/02. “When the famous delinquent girl, Reina Ryuzaki, and the serious and normal male student, Tanaka Gaku, met, it was love at first sight, just like in a manga. Reina, a girl who only knows about chains and nail bats, is in a panic over her first love! The highly popular gag comic that originated from Gangan Powered's gag project is finally here! It is being serialized simultaneously with Gangan Joker!
Reina Ryuzaki: The sukeban leader of the ladies. She's undefeated in fights, but this is her first time in love.” - ↑ 2.0 2.1 Yandere Kanojyo (15). Square Enix (2014/12/22). Archived on 2025/07/02. “A time of trial for a Yankee girl in love! Yankee girl Reina Ryuzaki and serious boy Nakata Tanaka. A dark cloud hangs over their love that began with a sudden love at first sight...”
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Yandere Kanojo: The era is now Yankii Dere. Square Enix (2025/07/02). Archived on 2025/07/02. “Yandere refers to a "yanderu heroine", but in this manga it refers to a "Yankii Dere."”
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Ijimekko ni Fukushuu Shiyou to Akuma o Shoukan Shitara, Jiko de Shinda Hazu no Yankii no Ane ga Dete Kimashita. Alphapolis (2021/11/26). Archived on 2025/07/02. “Yandere (Yankii Dere)”
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Shinkon-Yankii Dereru. Zurikishi (2024/05/30). Archived on 2025/07/02. “Newlywed Yankii is Lovestruck”
- ↑ I Researched ○○dere. Ameblo (2013/01/21). Archived on 2025/11/10. “Yandere: In a narrower sense, it refers to someone who has feelings (dere) for someone (usually the protagonist), but whose excessive feelings directly or indirectly eat away at their mind leading to a progressive state of mental illness (yan), or a stalker-like state. → Is it an extreme romantic expression? Yandere in the yankee sense is a different matter. In some cases, "yankee", which refers to a delinquent girl or sukeban, is used to mean "to be deredere", or a yankee who is deredere, in other words, "yandere."”
- ↑ Yandere! ~Yankii Danshi no Nichijou~. Frontier Works (2013/06/07). Archived on 2025/07/02. “"Yandere! ~The Daily Life of Yankee Boys~" Riku and Keigo are bad friends with a bad rapport and always do whatever they want together, whether it be fighting, playing pranks or doing sexy things. As long as it's fun and feels good, that's fine! That's what Riku thought, but with his future career looming before him, he becomes anxious that the day may come when he will have to leave Keigo, and for some reason, things become awkward between them...!? A straightforward love story between two yankees!”
- ↑ Bazutta Bun Dake Kawaikute Etchide Juujun ni Tsukusu Yandere ni Naru Yankii Gyaru. Sasakisaki9646 (2021/09/13). Archived on 2025/07/02. “By the way, it's a play on words between yandere meaning yankii dere.”
- ↑ When I Saved the Scariest Yankii, She Fell Madly in Love with Me. I Was Confused at First, but Gradually Noticed Her Cuteness... Before I Knew It, I Also Fell Madly in Love with Her, and We Became Lovers.. Manga Angel Nekooka (2023/06/04). Archived on 2025/11/10. “It's a romantic comedy about a donkan (oblivious) protagonist and a yandere girl. Yandere is short for yankiidere.”