Summary
The tsundere is a classic character archetypethat has been prevalent throughout the long, rich history of the anime medium. These character are typically introduced with brash, aggressive temperaments.
However, as the series and the respective character’s arc progress, new layers are revealed. For the tsundere, the unpleasant exterior is not ultimately their true self, with a more pleasant, respectful aspect of their personality gradually coming to the surface. Among the many female tsundere to have graced the anime medium, a select few have proven to hold great influence over series that have followed. The following five characters have proven to be seminal female tsundere characters in the years since they first hit screens.
6Misaki Ayuzawa In Maid Sama!
A strict and judgmental figure with a secret romantic side.
The ominously nicknamed “Demon President” has an initially harsh temperament. Once a gentle, kind-hearted youngster, Ayuzawa’s outlook on life is forever changed by her father ditching her and the rest of her family.
By the time viewers meet her in the series, Ayuzawa’s once sweet-natured exterior has given way to a bitter, angrier vibe.Working hard at school and home, Misaki’s rise to President at school sees her adopt an unwaveringly strict approach to dealing with misbehaving students. Despite her tough persona, viewers are introduced to a softer side of Ayuzawathrough her romantic anglewith Takumi Usui. Despite often getting angry with Usui over his questionable antics, Ayuzawa’s interest in him leads to viewers seeing a more hopeful, romantic side of the character gradually bubble to the surface.
5Louise de La Vallière in The Familiar of Zero
An accident-prone magic practitioner with an aggressive approach to her main love interest.
The unfortunately nicknamed “Louise the Zero”is notorious for frequently botching spells. From an early age, she exhibited a fiery, argumentative side, frequently butting heads with Eléonore, her eldest sister.
As she grows up,Louise finds new enemiesto lock horns with, including Germanian fire magic ace Kirche von Zerbst. Louise’s hot temper is ignited when von Zerbst makes clear that losing to a Vallière is simply out of the question for her. The tsundere tendencies of “Louise the Zero” come into full view when she accidentally summons Saito Hiraga into her world. Initially treating him abysmally on account of her social rank, her feelings towards him gradually change and warm up over the course of the show.
4Taiga Aisaka In Toradora!
There’s more than meets the eye with this notoriously aggressive high-schooler.
Taiga Aisaka serves as the tougher, more aggressive protagonist of the two lead characters in this rom-com series. Aisaka and Ryuji Takasu are mismatched high-schoolers who meet through Takasu’s infatuation with one of Aisaka’s friends.
Initially, as is so common with tsundere characters, Aisaka takes a fiery dislike towards Aisaka. Despite the initially frosty reception between them, the pair wind up teaming up to help each other with their respective school crushes. Along the way, viewers discover a different side of the character underneath her bluff and bluster. Surprisingly sensitive and with a history of familial strife in her past, Aisakais a layered, engaging character for viewers to get to know.
An intriguing character initially weighed down by her family’s legacy.
When viewers first meet this spirit warrior, she is presented as actively avoiding speaking to any of her fellow high schoolers. Despite the social weariness, Tohsaka also exhibits a keen interest in garnering the respect of those around her.
With a rich family history in the world of magecraft, Tohsaka has a lot to live up to, which comes to form a key aspect of her overall character arc. Amusingly, underneath her constant quest for perfectionism and victory, Rohsaka exhibits considerably more grounded traits, humanizing her to viewers. With newbie mage Shirou Emiya, who is alos the lead protagonist, Tohsaka shares an intriguing, often romantic dynamic that further helps to flesh out her emotional range beyond her rapid-fire, no-nonsense exterior.
1Asuka Langley Soryu In Neon Genesis Evangelion
A classic character with a challenging arc.
The iconicNeon Genesis Evangelionprovided viewers with a multitude of well-humanized, complex characters.Asuka Langley Soryu arguably walked the widest emotional rangeof the bunch.
When viewers first meet her, Soryu is seemingly a rather arrogant, even aggressive character. However, in keeping with the expectations of tsundere characters, this outwards conceitedness hides a more sensitive, thoughtful side to her personality. A fan favorite from the beloved series, Soryu’s harsh character arc is full of tragedy, trauma, and defeat. Her conclusion in the original series is among its saddest, with a grim defeat opposite a powerful Angelleaving her in a tragically shattered emotional state.
