Deres, Deres Everywhere!

I’ve written about dere types before. I even made a whole post about what I consider to be the baffling archetype of tsunderes as well as the super-rare tsunshun. I even have a Quick and Easy Guide to Becoming Any (or all) “dere” Type. But lately, I see people talking about all sorts of dere types, half of them I never even heard of before.

I figured was time to refresh my dere knowledge and I’m taking all of you with me!

I can’t explain why I have always liked learning about the different dere types. I think a little part of me just likes categorizing stuff. That’s probably why I went into the natural sciences. Half of that is just putting everything into little boxes. And lucky for me, fandoms, in general, like to assign occasionally arbitrary labels to everything so it works out.

After looking into it a bit, it seems there are actually quite a lot of dere types that have popped up recently. From just general archetypes to very precise character cases, it seems that the fandom is set on slowly categorizing just about every possible personality into a dere.

Because of that, I can’t possibly go into detail on every dere type I read about. The post would become unmanageably long and I doubt any of you would enjoy that much. So instead I’m going to pick a somewhat random sample of the types I liked the most. If you guys enjoy this post, maybe I can do some follow-ups in the future to fill in the blanks!

Here we go.

I started thinking about this subject in the first place because a reader mentioned Shunderes and how much they liked them. These guys are essentially the bummer characters. They are characters that are deeply depressed and almost constantly sad for no particular reason. Kind of like Eeyore. But I guess they also have a crush on someone. Their counterparts are the Utsuderes who are also deeply depressed characters but they have a known narrative reason for being sad.

There are tons of examples of the sad boy/girl with the tragic past (or sometimes present). It’s probably one of the more common archetypes out there. Those who know me won’t be too surprised to find out that it’s definitely not my favourite character type. I find that they are very difficult to write. But I think that when a series manages to pull them off right, they can be very touching or insightful characters.

Dorodere is actually one that came up a lot. It seems to have gained quite a bit of popularity. The basic description is that this is a character that acts very sweet, happy and kind, but is in fact filled with anger, frustration and general negative feelings. Unlike the classic tsundere, for instance, they never let that “bad side” show but rather work behind the scenes and in secret. In practice, I’m not6 entirely sure how different these characters are from a basic yandere. From what I’ve read, the main distinction is that Doroderes first, never let anyone find out their true feelings, whereas most people eventually see that Yanderes are not what they seem. And second, Doroderes are in complete control. Their actions are calculated and they can bide their time.

I’m sure I’ve seen characters like this although I can’t really think of one. The internet suggests Danganrompa’s Nagito but to me, he’s clearly cuckoo-for-cocoa-puffs. Maybe Minori from Toradora. She’s not hiding any particularly aggressive or predatory tendencies but she is covering up a complete mental breakdown, depression and spite beneath a cheerful, excessively positive demeanour.

One type I actually really liked on paper is the Mayadere. I think this one stood out to me because rather than being linked to a personality type, it actually describes a narrative trope. The Mayadere is an antagonist, often a powerful and dangerous one, who does a face turn (i.e. turns good) after falling in love with one of the protagonists. I can think of a few and I actually really like this convention. It’s often cheesy but who doesn’t love cheese? It’s delicious!

Another type I came across is the Darudere. When it comes right down to it, these characters are very loving and loyal to their chosen one(s) but it’s buried under this unbelievably lazy personality. They are just so lackadaisical that it can seem like they don’t care, but they do! This does sound incredibly dull, except a lot of the examples I found are characters I really like. Kuro from Servamp seems to be the archetype and I can clearly see it. There is also Gintoki as a frequent example and Murasakibura from Kuroko no Basuke. Both are awesome guys. It seems I have a thing for lazy characters. And you know, when I think about it, it does sound like me…

Eroderes are characters with a lot of potential but unfortunately, I think I’ve only seen the archetype used for pure fanservice without any development. The idea behind this type is that the characters hide their embarrassment or feelings behind sexually aggressive or pervy behaviour. They come on very strong but when their feelings are exposed or they get actually called out on their advances, they turn all shy and reserved. In principle that’s very cute. And there’s an interesting potential to explore gender roles and societal norms regarding sexual behaviour and what’s considered promiscuity. It’s just that I have never seen the dere type used this way. I’ve only seen it in secondary characters, often in shows that didn’t seem to care about them.

Yottadere is simply defined as a character that is noteworthy for their constant drinking of alcohol. And I feel a little singled out. The thing is, I’m not clear on where the dere part comes in. These characters don’t seem to be defined in any way by their relationships with others. Maybe they just love alcohol? By itself, it’s not exactly a very interesting archetype but they do fit in around here!

Megaderes are kind of fun. They are essentially stans! Basically, they fanboy/girl over their love interest. They don’t really seek to monopolize them, they are hyper supportive don’t get jealous of other people who share their love. They are just eternal cheerleaders. Now doesn’t that sound fantastic! A good example is Tomoyo from Cardcaptor Sakura. Her feelings for Sakura often seem to dip into the romantic but she shows no sign of possessiveness. She simply thinks Sakura is awesome and wants her to be her best self. I want a Megadere!

Another archetype that is better defined by their circumstances than personality is the Kekkondere. These guys simply want to get married. Like right now! Nice, clear-cut description. And they have their eye on a specific spouse. The one that immediately came to mind for me is Marie from Soul Eater.

There are tons of variations of Tsundere that all sound pretty much the same. Characters that either hide their feelings behind some type of aggression, animosity or abrasiveness or feel compelled to be mean in some way to their crush. It seems the Tsuderes (for the record a character type I tend to dislike) are so popular that they’ve been further defined in minute detail. Some are the type that physically assaults their crush but doesn’t insult them. Some want to bully their crush all the time while others just lash out when they get embarrassed, which happens a lot.

The one I found the most fun because it’s sounds the most ridiculous is the Onideres. These might be the variation of Tsudere I actually don’t dislike. Essentially they have a devil complex. In that, they actually think they are some type of demon lords and treat all others accordingly! But they get all sweet and cuddly with their special someone. It’s a ridiculous archetype that’s usually used as a joke and is often way less abusive than the other Tsun types. There’s actually a manga called Onidere.

Finally, in the slightly what the heck category, we have the Nemuidere. These guys sleep all the time. That’s it. Once again, I’m not entirely sure how that fits with the whole dere aspect but I think that they’re in love with sleep. I respect that! Also sleeping anime characters are often cute so it’s a win!

There you go. This is my first foray into the extended world of dere types. Did you like it? Would you like to see more? Are there any specific dere types you are curious about or just really like?