The most violent Yandere characters in animation

Key foods

• Yander's characters go to great lengths—including violence—to ensure that their love interest is theirs alone.
• Their love knows no bounds, as shown by their obsessive and possessive nature towards their lover.
• Some of Yadre's characters have tragic pasts that fuel their obsessive behavior that leads to violent and dangerous consequences.

The “yandere” is probably one of the most iconic character archetypes in anime and manga. Yander characters obsess about their love interests to an unhealthy degree. They may be sweet and lovable on the surface, but behind their beautiful exterior lies a dangerously obsessive and sometimes violent streak.

For the Yadara, loyalty knows no bounds, and they will do anything—even outright murder—to make sure no one stands in the way of them and their “love.” In the darkest cases, if their feelings are not reciprocated or they face rejection, they may even resort to killing their lover.

10 Kaede Fuyou (Shuffle!)

Can't ignore Rin's thought and becomes violent as a result

Kaid Foyo's obsession with his childhood friend and protagonist Rin stems from a complicated past. He initially blamed Rin for his mother's death and suffered intense guilt after learning the truth. Since then, he has devoted himself to caring for her to make up for his past mistreatment.

She fears that Rin will ignore or abandon her, which causes her to show violent streaks when approached by other girls, especially Asa. Interestingly, Yandri Kaid's character is not present in the original graphic novel.

9 Misa Amane (Death Note)

Has no qualms about killing people on Light Yagami's behalf using the death note

As a famous pop star, Misa Amane's adorable public image shows just how messed up she is. She falls in love with the carnage hero Light Yagami even before she meets him because he killed her parents' killer. He is completely willing to do anything to win Light's affection, even threatening to kill any girl he sees with him.

While he almost never directly engages in violence, he does use his Death Note to kill criminals on Light's behalf. Unfortunately for him, Light shows little interest in his feelings and uses him for his own gain.

8 Kotonoha Katsura (School Days)

A shy and capricious girl who is desperate for the protagonist to fall in love with her

school days and its “love triangle” are infamous in the anime community. While Sekai Saionji is also a yadare, it's Kotonoha Katsura who seems more violent. She begins the story as a shy and insecure student who falls in love with the protagonist, Makoto, and ends up falling down a slippery slope to become dangerously possessive.

Kotonoha exemplifies the classic yandere archetype, the sweet and loving girl who ends up turning violent due to her romantic obsession. This culminates in the anime's infamous ending, which sees her killing her romantic rival Sekai and leaving Makoto's severed head to sleep on a boat.

7 Esdeath (Akame Ga Kill!)

A sadistic torturer who wants complete control over the protagonist

Esdeath is one of the scariest examples of yandere who immediately falls in love with Tatsumi and decides she must be his at all costs. However, unlike the other Yadre characters, Esdeath is more stoic and keeps her emotions in check, even when torturing people.

He doesn't accept that Tatsumi doesn't reciprocate his feelings and continues to pursue him, even after realizing that he is a member of Night Raid. He becomes more desperate as the series goes on and even has Tatsumi executed rather than let her be with someone else.

6 Karasu (Yo Hakusho)

Dangerously obsessed with Kurama, to the point of wanting to kill him

Karasu's attraction to Kurama is almost inseparable from his desire to kill him, because he wants complete control over his own destiny. His obsession is more about romantic love than the desire to dominate and ultimately destroy Kurama, which he disturbingly views as an intimate act.

What makes him especially scary is how quietly and softly he speaks when he expresses his “love” and intentions for Kurama. Karasu is also a complete sadist and enjoys playing mind games with his victims, including and especially Kurama.

5 Himiko Toga (My Hero Academia)

Willingness to actually consume and become the people it “likes”

Himiko Toga's quirk involves eating people's blood to transform into them, so it's no wonder she's quite the mess. His view of love in particular is rather violent, and he believes that hurting and drawing blood from someone is a form of intimacy.

He develops a crush on Izuku Midoriya and Ochako Uraraka, causing him to obsessively follow them in order to become them. Due to his tragic childhood, he has a rather skewed view of love and affection and sees nothing wrong with his obsession with drawing the blood of his targets.

4 Sato Matsuzaka (Happy Sugar Life)

He kidnaps the person he supposedly loves and will do anything to keep them attached

Satou Matsuzaka is a particularly twisted example of Yadare, given that his possession is directed at an eight-year-old girl named Shio Kobe. Sato kidnaps a young girl named “Love” and he is willing to do anything, even murder, to keep her dependent and isolated.

Sato has a strong desire for love and affection, which he believes only Shiva can provide. Her vision of a “happy sugar life” with Shiva makes her prone to extreme measures when that dream is threatened.

3 Shion Sonozaki (Higurashi When They Cry)

Family abuse caused him to develop an unhealthy attachment to Satoshi and commit several murders in his name.

Given her years of neglect and mistreatment by her family, Shion Sonozaki's transformation into Yadare is particularly tragic. She falls head over heels for Satoshi because he was the first person to show her kindness. So, when Satoshi disappears, he takes it upon himself to avenge him.

He tortures and kills everyone he believes to be involved in Satoshi's apparent death, including his own children and family members. Most tragically, he regrets his actions too late, having already taken several innocent lives.

2 Yuno Gasai (Memories of the Future)

His obsessive love for Yukiteru drives him to extreme and violent acts

Yuno Gasai is probably the most famous yandere in all of anime and manga, just because of his intense and ruthless obsession. Yuno vows to protect her love interest Yukitro Amano during the survival game Deus Ex Machina, which in her view means killing anyone who tries to get close to her.

Yuno's obsession with Yukiteru is rampant, even stating that she doesn't care about anyone but him. She also checks all of the usual trope boxes – a girl who is sweet, girly and affectionate on the outside, but becomes dangerously possessive and obsessive when a love interest is involved.

1 Lucy/Kid (False Elf)

Violent tendencies arise from a combination of tragic trauma and obsessive romance

Due to her multiple personalities, Lucy is quite a complex example of Yadre. His violent tendencies don't just stem from an obsessive romance, but from a combination of a traumatic childhood and his nature as a Diclonius. Her main character as a child, Kaede, represents the yandere archetype the most.

As Kid, Lucy falls in love with a young Kouta because he is the first person to treat her with kindness. Upon discovering that Kouta has attended a festival with his cousin Yuka, he becomes jealous and brutally kills Kouta's sister and father using his vectors. The only thing that stopped him from killing Yuka was Kouta's cries to stop him.