Six of the best tsunderes in gaming

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The humble tsundere is one of the most popular character archetypes out there. It’s sort of confusing, really, because it’s pretty obvious people behaving like this would be an absolute nightmare to deal with in reality — and yet somehow in the world of fantasy, they just become all the more appealing.

Abrasive, aggressive and even violent at times in an attempt to cover up their true feelings, the tsundere is a fixture in Japanese popular media and works inspired by Japanese popular media. So let’s pick out six of our favourite tsunderes from video games — and as always, if you have your own top picks, feel free to share them!

Noire

Best tsunderes: Noire

One can’t talk about tsunderes in gaming without bringing up Noire from the Neptunia series. Created as a personification of Sony’s stubbornness with the PlayStation brand — something which has only become more and more relevant as time has gone on — Noire is someone who demands and expects perfection, even in situations where that’s simply not possible.

She’s far from a one-note character, however. Although she puts up a rather spiky front, those who are close to her know that she’s not actually like that at all. She’s passionate about her hobbies — even if she’s a little embarrassed about them — and she values her friendships more than she’d ever care to admit.

As the Neptunia series has grown and expanded over the years, so too has Noire’s characterisation; the Noire we see in today’s Neptunia games is a strong yet unsure young woman who appreciates the approval and validation of others while simultaneously attempting to set a good example for those who look up to her. And when she gets the opportunity to take the lead, she’s more than up to the challenge.

Kurisu Makise

Tsunderes in gaming: Makise Kurisu from Steins;Gate

Another all-time classic of the tsundere trope — and arguably one of the characters who truly helped to codify it — Kurisu Makise from Steins;Gate is an immensely appealing character for a variety of reasons. Chief among these is her developing relationship with protagonist Okabe, who absolutely doesn’t take any of her shit at any point — though one could argue that this may well be more through obliviousness than actually being particularly strong-willed.

Kurisu’s abrasive attitude stems from a combination of her own personal troubles and a certain impatience with those who can’t quite keep up with her highly intelligent brain. At the same time, she’s stubborn and quite set in her ways, which means that she and Okabe — who is also intelligent, but tends to explore things from a markedly different angle to her — often clash with one another.

Kurisu learning to deal with the people around her and get to the bottom of the many mysteries of Steins;Gate is a real highlight of the game — and it’s no surprise that she’s consistently one of the most popular tsunderes out there.

Shinobu Kamizono

Tsunderes in gaming: Shinobu Kamizono

With the Gal*Gun series having the trappings of dating sims along with the rail shooting action, it’s no surprise that we run into some common character tropes along the way — with Shinobu from Gal*Gun Double Peace embodying the tsundere archetype to a tee.

Fulfilling the role of “heroine who is obviously in love with the protagonist but would never, ever admit it except under very specific circumstances”, Shinobu is a constant delight to be around because she’s such a hard worker. She wants to live up to the lofty expectations of her family, but is troubled by her own weaknesses. Over the course of her narrative in Gal*Gun Double Peace, she comes to accept herself and understand that she doesn’t need to be perfect at all times.

And don’t forget that she’s making a triumphant return soon in the glorious looking action platformer Grim Guardians: Demon Purge (which you’ll notice has the same “GGDP” initials as Gal*Gun Double Peace) — we can’t wait.

Lucia Borthayre

Tsunderes in gaming: Lucia Borthayre from Atelier Lydie & Suelle

When it comes to Atelier tsunderes, most people will likely plump for Cordelia von Feuerbach from the Arland series. And while she’s a very solid choice, Lucia Borthayre from Atelier Lydue & Suelle is a top-tier tsundere also, also incorporating a fine line in ohohohoho-ing ojou-sama as a happy bonus.

Lucia is a capable alchemist who initially attempts to position herself as an antagonistic rival to the titular heroines. But before long, she admits to herself that she actually just wants to spend time with them as their “big sister” — even if she’d never actually say that out loud. This leads to plenty of delightful scenes where Lydie and Suelle know exactly what she’s up to, but Lucia becomes increasingly indignant at the whole situation.

Also the girl taunts a dragon by herself with nothing more than her formidable ojou laugh. She’s a tough cookie at heart, despite her intense, intense insecurity.

Asano Hayase

Best tsunderes in gaming: Asano Hayase from Our World is Ended

Hailing from the unusual but extremely memorable sci-fi visual novel Our World is Ended, Asano Hayase is a great character whose layers are gradually unpicked a bit at a time over the course of the story as a whole. Initially appearing to be a straightforward aggressive tsundere, as we get to know her more and more we learn about her body image issues, her peculiar proclivities towards little boys, and the elements of her family history that have made her this way.

Far from being a one-note character, Asano becomes one of the most likable, sympathetic characters in Our World is Ended, even if the rest of the cast can’t resist getting a dig in at her expense on a regular basis. She comes to appreciate the teasing over time, though; she recognises that it’s not intended in a malicious way, but rather that it comes with the territory of “found family”. You can say truly mean things in jest to those who are close to you, precisely because you love them.

Kathryn Lapucelle

Tsunderes in gaming: Kathryn Lapucelle from Evenicle

One of the last heroines you encounter in Alicesoft’s excellent Evenicle, Kathryn Lapucelle is a character with an absolute ton of hidden depth. Initially locking herself away from the world despite supposedly being one of the most capable knights of all time, she gradually comes out of her shell thank to the support of protagonist Aster and his many wives.

Kathryn putting up an aggressive tsundere front towards everyone around her is entirely understandable — her past means that she’s filled with self-doubt and a sense of guilt, and pushes people away as much out of a fear of causing them trouble as out of a desire to be left alone.

It’s extremely touching to see how readily she is accepted by Aster and the other heroines, even if it takes time for her to truly integrate herself back into society. And, with their help, she’s able to finally start moving forward with her life rather than being stuck in the past.

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Pete Davison
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