They’re either super sweet or super cold, here are the top 20 tsundere girls in anime history that influenced all other tsunderes.
Tsundere girls is probably one of the most prominent and used tropes in the anime industry, creating characters so iconic in their personality and interactions that you can’t help fall in love with everything about them (yes, even their hot-headed side)
1. Asuka Langley Soryhu (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
Who else could fit this spot other than the most famous tsundere of all time. Captain Asuka Langley Soryhu, filled with immense pride and respect as a NERV operative and self-proclaimed “greatest EVA pilot,” she has trouble expressing her newfound emotions after meeting Shinji and sadly, never gets to outright say it. In End of Evangelion, she finally starts to accept her feelings towards Shinji as she strokes his face gently as she gets choked. With the perfect mix of “tsun” and “dere,” Asuka is the greatest tsundere of all time and the most unforgettable one that no one will ever forget.
2. Hitagi Senjougahara (Monogatari)
Now, I know a good amount of people might be at my throats for putting Hitagi above people like Taiga or Makise or even Rin but let me get this straight with you. Hitagi’s emotions are some of the purest and devoted out of most anime waifus along with her on-and-off extremely cold attitude towards Araragi. People might call her a kuudere but I believe Hitagi is a tsundere to the T. Thought she might exhibit more “dere” aspects later on in the series, she is still someone who gets incredibly shy and has a menacing “tsun” personality that is iconic in this amazing light novel series.
3. Rin Tohsaka (Fate Series)
Rin definitely personifies what it means to be a tsundere in every aspect. She has the classic pigtails, the “bratty and immature” speech mannerisms, the blushing, maybe not the violence, but the attitude is definitely there. Even near the end of the anime, she never straight out said “I love you” to Shirou Emiya but her actions developed a closer relationship that can easily be taken as a symbol of her feelings for him. Rin was always be the second thing that comes into my mind when I think of tsundere and the first will be revealed in a bit.
4. Makise Kurisu (Steins Gate)
This wouldn’t be a tsundere list without the main heroine for arguable the greatest sci-fi anime to ever come out. Kurisu was never overly confident or egotistical about her intellect nor wrongly hit Okabe for “being shy” ; she had a hard time dealing with the feelings developing for the man she once thought repulsive and juggling the organization trying to capture them and the potential world ending, her sacrifice and her feelings became so beautifully shown that she deserves this spot no doubt.
5. Taiga Aisaki (Toradora)
Now reaching the top 5 comes the most loved and popular loli tsundere. Like a lot of famous characters, Taiga has controversy because of her excessive use of violence but growing up in such an emotionally-depriving environment will cause anyone to keep up guards. Opening up more and more to Ryuji allowed for such a great anime to unfold and while Taiga may be extreme in her “tsun” moments, she is equally extreme in her “dere” moments.
6. Kaguya Shinomiya (Kaguya-Sama: Love is War)
This should come as no surprise as the entire premise of Kaguya-sama: Love is War is centered around two tsunderes battling it out to see who confesses first to preserve their pride. For a show about tsunderes, Kaguya Shinomiya has to take one of the top spots with her kind, independent, and sophisticated demeanor, not to mention her amazing senpai-kouhai relationship with Ishigami. One of the more mellow tsunderes but stays 100% true to the definition, Kaguya is a no-brainer for this list.
7. Misaki Ayuzawa (Maid-sama!)
She plays the classic “Satsuki Kiryuin” president type until she gets found out regarding her maid job. After that, we see a much more developed and cuter side of her that adds to a character that is initially portrayed as a headstrong, tough, man-hater. Kaichou wa Maid-sama continues to be one of the cornerstones of romcom animes and for a good reason.
8. Holo (Spice and Wolf)
She suffered a lot due to being abandoned and combatting loneliness her life, consequently causing her haughty and self-sufficient attitude to be born. However, the fragility of her character comes from her immense kindness and shyness as Lawrence is one of the rare humans to pay her any heed. Easily one of the best girls in anime of all time, let alone tsundere.
9. Kyou Fujibayashi (Clannad)
One of the most iconic tsunderes and another girl that set the archetype. Kyou is responsible, violent, and temperamental but nice to the people close to her. Being part of such a famous romcom that is Clannad and being the perfect impersonation, at that time, of acting disdainful to your crush to hide your feelings was perfectly portrayed and subsequently revealed later on.
10. Kagami Hiiragi (Lucky Star)
Cute, bossy, gets extremely shy; a tsundere in a show like Lucky Star only serves to make the show even better than it already is. Kagami and her younger twin sister Tsukasa already have the best face-to-face conversations but mixing Kagami into this hilarious show as an egotistical class president Miss Perfect gives a nice diversity that puts her all the up to the middle of the list
11. Madoka Ayukawa (Kimagure Orange Road)
Delinquent and misunderstood loner while being a perfect all-round student, Madoka is famous for being one of the stepping stones for the tsundere archetype. Although she masked her love for Kyousuke as protection for her friend Hikaru, the chemistry of her being on screen gave us all our first love for tsunderes
12. Haruhi Suzumiya (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)
Now, there’s a lot of controversy here because of Haruhi’s bossy, insensitive, and sometimes, bullying personality. However, she learns to care more for her brigade members and her interactions with Kyon as the one person she looks to for advice, she shows a cute tsundere side that can make up for all off her infamous Mikuru bullying
13. Emi Yusa (The Devil is a Part-Timer)
Arguably some of the most profound character development for a tsundere in a show. Emi Yusa went from hating Maou to accepting his reformed lifestyle and seeing a gray area for “evil” and “good.” She’s not too hot-headed yet is headstrong, independent, caring, and kind to others. Might not be the best tsundere but she has a lot to offer to the table.
14. Chisa Kotegawa (Grand Blue)
The main heroine (or even side-heroine??) of one of the funniest anime to ever come out. She is not your classic tsundere but what puts her above the rest is her interactions with exclusively her half-cousin Iori, the protagonist. Her violence and disgust towards Iori is 99% justified, which is definitely not the case for many tsunderes, makes the bond and jokes between them that much funnier. Not to mention her sweet sides are some of the cutest things ever.
15. Mikoto Misaka (A Certain Scientific Railgun/ A Certain Magical Index)
The titular “Railgun” of A Certain Scientific Railgun who is as zappy and hot-headed as her attacks. She starts off as a cocky, self-righteous middle-schooler focused on making things go her way of justice but slowly starts opening herself more to the fact that she’s vulnerable. Touma Kamijou plays a very heavy role in this as well as we see more “dere” sides of Mikoto that complement this franchise well
16. Eri Sawachika (School Rumble)
Spoiled, snobby, beautiful, but harbors an inferiority complex, loneliness, and a need for love. Eri Sawachika is one of the first complex tsunderes to shine the TV screen. The relationship with her illegitimate father and ostracism from family is a heavy influence on her behavior and breaking through that wall became an enjoyable and fruitful adventure throughout the show
17. Kaname Chidori (Full Metal Panic!)
Although she was one of the founding tsunderes that influenced anime, she get this low of a ranking within this list due to her behavior and her “tsun” personalities that get out of hand often and annoy watchers. Of course, it’s different for everybody but many Full Metal Panic! watchers had a problem with it gradually through the show
18. Chitoge Kirisaki (Nisekoi)
Short, rich, pretty, hot-headed, and violent, Chitoge has all the elements of a classic tsundere but she gets No. 18 due to the delivery and rationality of her character with her tsundere traits gradually decreasing after just the first season which covered only a fraction of the entire Nisekoi manga.
19. Himeko Inaba (Kokoro Connect)
One of the most mature tsundere girls that is a tsundere but most people will not recognize her as that at first glance. After watching through Kokoro Connect, only then does a majority of the audience piece together than Inaba is a tsundere that is just extremely mature.
20. Kallen Stadtfeld(Code Geass)
Kallen Stadtfield was Lelouch’s most trusted operative throughout the show. She is independent and hot-headed, refusing to give into emotions and trying to give off a frail demeanor as a perfect cover-up in school. A great tsundere but started losing her “tsun” aspect once she became increasingly clingy to Lelouch which gives her this lowest rank