Yandere is the combination of two Japanese words: yanderu, which means “sick” or “mentally ill,” and deredere, which means “lovestruck.” These types of anime characters portray themselves as lovely and sweet in front of their potential lovers. However, they harbor unhealthy obsessions and can turn violent and erratic when their loved one is taken away.
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Yandere are often seen in anime as chaotic characters. They usually have dead eyes, are covered in blood, and have an unhinged laugh. They are overwhelmingly jealous and want their lover to be with them, and them alone. It’s not a strange occurrence for a yandere to murder their love interest’s entire family with the intent to have them all to themselves. But within this archetype, which female characters showed the yandere nature best?
The focus is solely on anime. Some characters might have gone full-blown yandere in the manga or light novel, but they will not be included if the anime has not reached that point in the story yet.
Updated on July 26, 2025, by Mark Sammut: Female yandere anime characters are both popular but not extremely common. For instance, Summer 2025 does not have any major examples of the archetype; At least that does not seem to be the case at this point. Watari-kun’s ****** Is about to Collapse’s Satsuki might seem like a candidate at first, but she is not violent. The Shy Hero and the Assassin Princesses’ three girls are technically trying to kill the male lead while slowly developing feelings for him, although they don’t particularly come across as yandere.
So, I’ve added two older yandere girls, and they are both quite different examples of the archetype. Click below to jump to these newcomers.
30
Nadeko Sengoku
Started Off Sweet, But Became A Yandere The Moment She Became A God
Monogatari‘s Nadeko was a pretty sweet, if very shy, girl throughout the series. But all that changed when she realized her feelings for Koyomi would never be reciprocated. After this realization, Nadeko swallows a talisman and becomes a snake-haired goddess. She lashes out at Shinobu first after the latter tries to eat her. Unfortunately for Koyomi, he’s not safe from her wrath. Even after trying to apologize, Nadeko is beyond listening to him.
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Nadeko might not be the traditional yandere out there, but she’s made an impression on fans. While all the girls in Monogatari are rather peculiar, no one expected Nadeko to snap like this.
29
Kurumi Tokisaki
Known As The “Worst Spirit” For Multiple Reasons
There’s been a long debate on whether or not Kurumi is a yandere, but it can’t be denied that certainly checks more than a few boxes for one. She’s obsessed with Shido not because she loves him, but because she wants to eat him and gain his power. When not trying to eat Shido, she’s very flirtatious and loves teasing him for her own amusement.
After Shido almost dies defending her, Kurumi is a little more friendly but still wants to eat him and tells him upfront that she has her reasons for helping him. As the series goes on, Kurumi falls in love with Shido. It might not be as obsessive as other yandere girls, but Kurumi is willing to sacrifice herself for Shido just to keep him safe.
28
Kaede Fuyou
Don’t Mistake Her Sweet Nature For Weakness
If there’s one thing Kaede proves, a yandere doesn’t necessarily have to resort to extreme violence to be scary. Watching her go from smiling and laughing to suddenly looking soulless and hostile is a sight to behold. This doesn’t mean she won’t resort to violence, but she’s not as extreme as some other yandere ladies.
After finding out that Rin was on a date with Asa, Kaede snapped and attacked Asa, causing her to have a heart attack. She did realize her mistake afterward, but Kaede’s love for Rin is still very strong. She might not be the most violent yandere, but Kaede is a big reason why this archetype became more mainstream.
27
Naoka Ueno
Realish Yandere Girls Are Not Fun Or Cute
A Silent Voice
- Release Date
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September 17, 2016
- Runtime
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130 Minutes
- Director
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Taichi Ishidate, Naoko Yamada
OK, I’ve got something a bit different here. We all love an over-the-top yandere anime girl, and some people might even joke that they want to meet somebody like that. However, nobody wants to have A Silent Voice‘s Ueno in their lives, and she is arguably one of the most realistic depictions of a yandere. She is not darkly charming or chaotically fun; no, she is just awful. While she might not reflect the typical outlandish examples of the archetype, Ueno fits the mold perfectly.
Ever since she was a child, she has been unhealthily obsessed with Shoya, to the point that she is not only willing to mimic his bad behavior but also lashes out when she realizes that interest is not going to be returned. To make matters worse, she specifically targets and even physically assaults Shoko, a blind girl who deserves better than to have people like Ueno and Kawai in her life. Yes, Ueno recognizes that she acted poorly, but she shows little interest in changing.
26
Belarus
Will Do Whatever It Takes To Stay Close To Her Brother
Belarus has a crazy infatuation with her older brother, Russia, and wants to marry him. He doesn’t feel that way about her and tries to avoid her as much as he can, but this doesn’t deter her. Even after all of the other countries abandon Russia, she stays with him and declares she’ll never leave, even though he finds this a little creepy.
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It also doesn’t help that Belarus carries a knife and isn’t afraid to use it for the most minor inconvenience. She might not be the scariest yandere out there, but Belarus is still one lady most won’t mess with.
25
Kurenai Rin
A Girl Who Hates And Wants To Kill The Boy She’s Obsessing Over
While most yandere girls out there are in love with the target of their obsession, Kurenai Rin is on the opposite end. In fact, she hates Hoshimiya Eiji, the boy she’s supposed to assassinate. She’s violent and isn’t afraid to harm anyone that gets in the way of her goals, even if they’re innocent. Kurenai has stabbed him and other people to make her point.
She’s only obsessed with him because she wants to be the one to kill him. Kurenai might not be the traditional yandere female, but she checks almost all the boxes of one.
24
Cybelle
Willing To Hurt The One She’s Obsessed With To Make A Point
For the short time she’s around, Cybelle makes her appearance count. Her obsession with Tuesday is a scary thing to watch. At first, she seems to be just a big fan of Tuesday, but it’s obvious there’s a lot more to it. She ignores anyone who isn’t Tuesday and declares she loves her, but this “love” is more obsessive and possessive. Cybelle even tries to start a new group with Tuesday, leaving Carole completely out of the picture. Before going onstage for her performance, Cybelle asked for a hug from Tuesday and bit her on her neck, leaving a mark.
When she lost against Angela, Cybelle got angry with Tuesday when she refused to join her and left a box with something that would injure Tuesday’s hands. When caught, Cybelle declared Tuesday deserved it for breaking her heart. Just seeing this all play out was disturbing to watch because of how Cybelle made everything she did sound justified.
23
Anna Nishikinomiya
Can’t Tell The Difference Between Love And Lust
She might seem sweet and innocent at first, but Anna is far from that. Living in a world where all “immoral” activities and adult/dirty jokes are forbidden has clearly affected Anna and her growth as she becomes obsessed with Tanukichi Okuma after they accidentally kiss. This moment unlocks her yandere side, and she’s willing to do anything to get closer to him.
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While not as violent as most yandere females, Anna shows her scary side when threatening other females to stay away from Tanukichi. She claims that she loves him, but Anna might not be able to distinguish the difference between love and lust.
22
Shion Sonozaki
In An Anime Filled With Intimidating Girls, Shion is Among The Most Terrifying
In the visual novel, Shion is not a yandere, so that version would not qualify for this type of discussion. However, the anime presents her as a more conventional example of the archetype, although she is still just a borderline example of one.
Higurashi‘s Shion is probably one of the most iconic “scary” girls in anime history, and that perspective mostly stems from a handful of episodes rather than her entire presence in the franchise. Due to being isolated and fairly mistreated by her own family, Shion latches onto Satoshi when he shows her kindness, falling in love with him in the process. As such, she does not react well to people who make his life harder, and she completely becomes consumed with revenge when Satoshi disappears.
Now, it should be said that Shion is influenced by the Hinamizawa Syndrome, so her yanderest moments cannot be blamed entirely on her. Still, she exhibits personality traits that suggest she tends to mix love and violence, even if she might have never become an actual threat on her own.
21
Yukako Yamagishi
The Girl Who (Arguably) Started The Yandere Archetype
Yukako is a beautiful and popular girl who could have any man she wants, but she has eyes only for Koichi Hirose. Unfortunately, this love is a scary one as she is very obsessive about him, and most guys feel sorry for him. Though she comes across as sweet and demure, Yukako is quick to violence and anger should anyone (even Koichi) go against her. She even kidnaps and tries to brainwash Koichi to make him fall in love with her.
Yukako is often considered the first yandere girl in manga, and it’s easy to see how she set the standard for this archetype. Yuno Gasai from Future Diary might be the poster child for yandere females in anime, but Yukako can be considered the main reason why they even exist.
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