Today we’re talking about danderes, the shyest of the shy characters that tend to say very little. Probably out of fear of driving people away. It’s a spectrum ranging from “I wish I talked more” to “why does everyone think I’m mute”. But we love them all nevertheless.
25. Tatsuhiro Satou
Anime: Welcome to the N.H.K Satou is a different kind of dandere than most of the people on this list. Firstly he’s an extreme hikikomori, being fully content with not leaving his apartment for years. Except the occasional stroll to the park. But when face to face he isn’t the stutter + blush combo type of shy. No, he’s the blatantly lie to save face and go with the flow even if you drown type of shy. Since male characters in general usually get the NEET treatment, and not the moe one, I think Satou fits in this list perfectly.
24. Yuu Kusakabe
Anime: Wolf Girl and Black Prince Bad boys are overrated. It’s all about the dandere boys now! And Kusakabe would probably be their leader. The man is so shy that even maintaining eye contact can be a challenge, as he’ll resort to fiddling with his hair and turning his head. Not to mention that if he thinks he’s inconveniencing someone, he becomes a whole different can of shy and apologetic worms. But he’s so kind and grateful at heart. And why do people keep picking on my dandere boys, leave Kusakabe alone! And Erika open your eyes!
23. Kouta Shinohara
Anime: First Love Monster A dead giveaway for dandere boys is having bangs that go over their eyes, or a big scarf. Guess who has both. Kouta seemingly has no off switch when it comes to his shyness, in the sense that he is even shy around other men, not just his crush. Speaking of crushes, there’s a bigger chance of getting a good Berserk movie that there is that Kouta will ever admit he likes Kaho. If he keeps this up he might just actually become the virgin wizard of legends.
22. Jacuzzi Splot
Anime: Baccano! I find Jacuzzi to be odd for two main reasons. Firstly, because his name sounds like a hot water homicide case. And secondly, because he’s somewhat of a contradicting character. At the beginning Jacuzzi is a total crybaby, weeping over every incident and seemingly being scared of everything. But then things get serious and now he’s a badass. This is why I consider him to be a dandere; although he is timid when first meeting someone, it’s this emotional incoherence that make him fitted for this list in my eyes. He cries to prepare for the sorrow to come, even when it’s unavoidable.
21. Ritsu Kawai
Anime: Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou (The Kawai Complex Guide to Manors and Hostel Behavior) She literally has the word “kawai” in her name. What more do you want from me? It’s also good to see short-haired girls getting some much deserved recognition! Her off-the-chart cuteness aside, I just love how well she works with Kazunari Usa. They are both so shy, clumsy, and oddly erotic that their every conversation is an “aww” fest. Also a staple among the dandere community, as I am sure you have noticed by now, is her love for books! To such a degree that she’s barely even aware of what’s going on around her while reading.
20. Koji Koda
Anime: Boku no Hero Academia (My Hero Academia) For a man whose power relies on communication, Koda is surprisingly silent. In fact, he opts out of conversations with his peers so much that some just assumed he was mute. But no, our rocky looking boy just seems to have an easier time talking to animals than to humans. Except bugs, he seems mortified when he has to speak to bugs and only does it to help out his friends. Koda is just an overall softy. He has a pet bunny, hates violence, has one of few non-attack quirks in class 1A, and overall he’s just a swell guy.
19. Grey
Anime: Black Clover Grey is such a shy character that she even hid from the audience at the beginning of the anime! This is because she has the ability to shapeshift, which she uses to her advantage by taking on a completely different form. For dozens of episodes the nervous blue haired girl was actually a giant mute man who seemed to really like pipes. Once her secret was out, we saw her natural form more often. But it’s a stretch to say that she’s pleased. She is constantly self-conscious about her appearance, and tends to rely on her powers if she has to communicate with her friends.
18. Katai Tayama
Anime: Bungo Stray Dogs Katai isn’t just a dandere. He is a full blown hikikomori, meaning that he is perfectly content with shutting himself inside for months on end. It’s not like he doesn’t like people, he is still friends with Kunikida. But he obviously prefers the comfort of his futon over everything. Even his gift requires him to be completely comfortable, which again usually means his futon. And when Katai actually ventures out into the real world he’s kind of a nervous wreck, especially around woman. He won’t even look in the general direction of a woman, even if he’s having an argument with her. Do you want to guess what he also carries with him when going outside? Hint, it starts with “fu” and ends with “ton”.
17. Shigeo Kageyama (Mob)
Anime: Mob Psycho 100 For a guy who’s one of, if not the strongest espers in the world, you would really think he would be a bit more confident. However, Mob doesn’t view his powers as something that makes him any better than your average Joe. He even beats himself up quite a bit for incidents resulting from his powers. All of this results in quite the shy, non-confrontational protagonist. At the beginning of the series he never speaks back to his master Reigen, even when he obviously wants to, and nearly has a heart attack while speaking in public.
16. Bols
Anime: Akame ga Kill The reason for Bols’ insecurity is a pretty tragic tale. Having killed hundreds of people and burned villages to the ground, Bols believes that karma is going to come after him and views himself as a terrible person. He rejects any sympathy that comes his way and rarely ever parts ways with his mask. Basically he he believes that his face should not be seen, especially while eating. He rarely speaks out and usually lets his actions speak for him, protecting his team and cooking them food. Nevertheless, Bols has a loving wife and daughter who are his driving force in living with his guilt.
15. Shiro
Anime: No Game, No Life Okay just hear me out. Coupled with Sora, Shiro is not a dandere. She’s more of a kuudere in fact. However, we have seen what happens when she and Sora are separated. Both completely break down, unable to communicate with the outside world, usually hidden in a corner and frantically repeating one sentence to themselves. And for a dandere it’s not uncommon for them to be able to talk to people they’re close to, or love. So these two elements, plus the fact that even when Sora is present Shiro rarely talks long and usually speaks in the third person, leads me to the conclusion that she can be considered a dandere. Thank you for listening to my TedTalk.
14. Mikazuki Yozora
Anime: Haganai (Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai) Yozora is also somewhat of an unconventional dandere in my opinion. This is because she’s kind of a mix of tsundere, kuudere and dandere all in one. Let’s just hope she never gets her hands on a lethal weapon and adds another dere to her title. I say she’s a dandere because in the grand scheme of things, she is extremely shy. Her only friend prior to the club was Tomo-chan, who was a real airhead, and air-body. She also can’t stand being around a lot of people, as shown when she has to use public transport or go to the pool. Lastly, she’s very indirect about her feelings. Creating an entire club rather than reminding Kodaka of their friendship. Although she puts on a tough bravado, I believe she’s a dandere at heart.
13. Nadeko Sengoku
Anime: Bakemonogatari At first glance Nadeko is the typical “notice me senpai” trope character. Whenever Araragi is present she loses her composure and gets flustered. She thinks about him constantly, remembering how they spent time together when they were younger. She’s very naïve and tries her best not to be a nuisance to anyone, especially not Araragi. After some spoilers happen, she does however change her tone completely. Being closer to a yandere than anything. After that point she becomes a bit more up-front and proves that side-characters can have character progression too. I’m looking at you Naruto.
12. Mahiru Inami
Anime: Working! You know how danderes are usually adorable? They look at the ground, blush, and fiddle with their hands? Well with Inami you will probably be looking at the ground, bleeding, and fiddling with the first-aid kit. She is horrified of men. Her father instilled that fear into her at a young age. So if you get too close she might just freak out and punch you with the power of a thousand suns. She’s also very innocent in nature, so any romantic gesture will probably make her lose her cool, and make you lose some teeth. I’m not scared of her, you are!
11. Yunyun
Anime: KonoSuba Yunyun is just a goofball. In her never ending quest to find friends, Yunyun’s shy personality has done her a great disservice. As even after rescuing someone, she would run away out of awkwardness, making everyone believe that she doesn’t want to associate with them. But when looking at her relationship with Megumin we can see that’s far from the case. She’s also a Crimson Demon making her awkwardness even more odd. Because every Crimson Demon is the best in the world in something. Yunyun just happens to be the shyest I guess.
10. Nana Ebina
Anime: Himouto! Umaru-chan If blushing were a person, it would be Nana. She’s such a sweetheart! Falling for Umaru’s brother simply because he looked her in the eyes instead of evaluating the plot. That shows what a softy Nana is. Whenever he speaks to her, she starts steaming like a pot full of vegetables. And if he actually makes physical contact, her glorious Akita dialect might come through. She isn’t breaking any new ground in the dandere landscape. But come on, just look at how kind and adorable she is!
9. Kosaki Onodera
Anime: Nisekoi Onodera is pure waifu material. She will take care of you when you get hurt, make you some delicious chocolate for Valentines, and completely neglect her own feelings if it means preserving your relationship. And the only thing better than one dandere is two danderes trying to flirt. That’s where Raku Ichijo comes in. Every scene where these two are together is gold, in my opinion. And if you’re all caught up with the manga you can guess what I want to write here. If not, use your imagination and remember that Onodera is the only correct option.
8. Kotomi Ichinose
Anime: Clannad It’s a whole new level of shyness when you need an introduction wing-man. I think it’s safe to say Kotomi is really bad at introducing herself and making new friends, which is why she usually relies on Tomoya to get the ball rolling. Kotomi is constantly plagued by two fears: the fear of bullies, and the fear of losing someone who she cares about. Which made her the shy and easily frightened girl that we see. But she’s also a really smart cookie, or more like genius cookie, constantly reading and excelling in every subject.
7. Tadokoro Megumi
Anime: Food Wars! Shokugeki no Souma Megumi could definitely cook up a mean Krabby Patty as she pours so much love into each of her dishes. Hospitality is a way of life for Megumi. So she always tries to cook the best meals for her guests to make them happy. The only problem is that she’s a nervous wreck half the time. Whenever any kind of spotlight is put on her, she panics and makes stupid mistakes. Ultimately causing her classmates doubt her actual skill. She usually starts drawing the symbol for “person” (人) on her hand and then figuratively eats it in order to stay calm. However, this method can’t really get the dandere out of her…
6. Shiori Shiomiya
Anime: The World God Only Knows Shiori is the type of girl that basically lives inside her own head. She has severe problems with expressing herself, as she usually dwells on every little detail and gets too flustered to speak properly. The only good thing this predicament has brought her is the fact that she discovered the library because of it. She’s absolutely in love with books, having read everything in the library and knowing their placement by heart. A wonderful thing her predicament has brought us, the viewers, is her trying to be stern and call someone an idiot. Ah, my heart!
5. Mio Akiyama
Anime: K-On! Is Mio the biggest dandere in anime? No, not really. Is she the cutest? Yes, most positively. Mio’s dandere badge is completely made out of fear. Because oh boy, are there a lot of things that can scare her. Attention is a big one, especially if it’s directed at her alone and from strangers. The mere thought of walking up to people on the street, or playing front-center during a concert, is just nightmare fuel. That’s also why she picked the bass guitar. It’s less eye-catching than an electric guitar for sure. But aside from attention, we also have ghosts, gore, and barnacles on her no-no list. Which is awesome news, as she looks adorable when she’s scared.
4. Legoshi
Anime: Beastars Like a few entries on this list, Legoshi’s shyness and awkwardness stem from a guilty conscious. In his case, it’s not even about something that he did. But rather who he was born as. Legoshi rejects his carnivore heritage and does his best to never stand out, intimidate, or God forbid even think about hurting someone. At the beginning of the series we can see that he always walks slouched over, avoids talking to people, and lets others push him around. All in the effort of not seeming deadly. He becomes more confident and assertive as the series continues, but never fully got over his roots and the guilt that came with them.
3. Tomoko Kuroki
Anime: WataMote Tomoko might be the shyest on this list. Like man, something as small as her teacher greeting her can make her have a mini heart attack. The entire series is basically Tomoko’s adventure at making friends, and more importantly getting a boyfriend. And it isn’t one of those stories where two episodes in Tomoko suddenly has the confidence of a beauty influencer; she struggles a lot. Her attitude is also somewhat rotten as she constantly judges people, blames others for her shortcomings, and lies when it’s convenient. But it’s to be expected, as she has really been dealt a bad hand in life. She’s not the best person out of them all for my list, but definitely one of the shyest. Also, I am not sure if this show gave me depression or cured it. Trivial story…right.
2. Sekiya Naru
Anime: Hanayamata I love Naru because I can relate to Naru. I’m sure most of us can. She’s an average girl in every sense of the word who always had aimless ambition. She loved Fairy Tails and strived to be the best guild… Whoops wrong show. She loved fairy tales and strived to be something above the normal. She’s very clumsy, in an adorable/comedic way of course. And blushes very easily. She also idolizes her friends because she thinks they’re striving high, unaware of what comes with it. By the end she also learns how to shine in her own right and lives happily ever after, I guess.
1. Hinata Hyuga
Anime: Naruto Hinata is the textbook example of Dandere. How many episodes have we all rooted for her while she squirmed at the very sight of Naruto? Hundreds! This is especially true while she’s still young, as she watches Naruto from a distance… her shyness but also her family’s pride always keeping her away from Mister Believe it. But danderes aren’t always going to be danderes, as we can see in “Little Naruto, only he has more talent and less personality-the anime” Hinata got her man! She also wasn’t afraid to stick up for him when all the chips were down and the paths of pain socially distanced the village.
