We all know about the anime archetype Tsundere, but what about its sister archetype? The archetype that is sprinkled with a whole lot of freezing cold ice. Yes, we're talking about Kuuderes, one of the most popular varieties of the 'dere' brand.
Kuuderes are described as characters that are always calm and collected, not usually showing emotion. They can be blunt and their faces are usually stone-cold but on the inside, they are warm and very caring. Today we'll be taking a look at some of the best Kuuderes in anime and you better believe that some of these picks on this list will surprise you.
10 ANNIE LEONHARDT
What you expected Mikasa to be the Attack on Titan representative on this list? She definitely isn't a bad choice but Annie has proved herself to be the superior Kuudere of the series.
In the beginning of Attack on Titan Annie portrayed herself as a very cold-hearted woman. When introduced to the other cadets she made it known that she wasn't there to make friends and showed off that she wasn't to be messed with via her combat skills. Quite sometime after her introduction, we find that Annie is one of the most emotional characters in the series as seen in her reaction to teaching Eren combat techniques and losing him later.
9 SUCY MANBAVARAN
Sucy from the amazing anime film and television series you may have never seen called Little Witch Academia is a Kuudere that doesn't get the attention she deserves. She is one of the main characters of the series and carries herself in a very calm manner, mostly reacting to things in a dull and emotionless way.
Sucy is very indifferent to most situations but she loves dangerous and disgusting magic experiments and pranks. The only thing she likes more than these past-times however, are her best friends Lotte and Akko. The ladder being the only person she shares a true emotional connection with.
8 SATSUKI KIRYUIN
The president of Honnoji Academy's Student Council ontop of ruling the lands around it. Satsuki is the cold older sister of Ryuko Matoi whom she secretly trained until the time came for them to work together to take down their evil mother together.
Satsuki is a girl with her eyes focused on the mission letting nothing get in the way of her goals. Due to this personality trait at times Satsuki can seem emotionally attached from her sister and her subordinates. However, this is far from the truth as Satsuki considers the Elite Four not only her closest allies but her best friends and by the end of the series creates a serious relationship with her younger sibling.
7 JOTARO KUJO
Does this count as surprise number one? You may not have noticed while watching JoJo's Bizarre Adventure but Jotaro is the epitome of Kuudere. Think about it for a second. Stone-cold expressionless face, very dry and cynical humor, and somewhat cold to those around him.
Jotaro is the textbook definition of a Kuudere character. His warm side can be seen when he embraces the friendship of his group of Stardust Crusaders and can be seen even more during the events that take place in the following series parts when he is seen reminiscing with a smile while looking at his old team's group photo.
6 SHOTO TORODOKI
Quite literally one of the coldest Kuudere characters on this list. Torodoki starts of in My Hero Academia as a character with his heart set firmly on becoming the best. This mission in his eyes required that he put emotional connections aside and stay focused on his goal.
Once the Hero Killer shows up that focus comes to an end as Torodoki shares a near-death experience with Tenya and Deku. This sparks a side of Torodoki never seen before as he opens up more to his new friends and the rest of his classmates, attempting to crack jokes and more.
5 BOA HANCOCK
The most beautiful woman in the world and one of the coldest as well. Boa Hancock from the series One Piece originally comes off as a very arrogant and cruel woman. Her beauty is only matched by her ruthless actions which she uses the former to justify. She cares not for anyone else's' emotions.
That is the case until she meets Luffy whom she quickly falls in love with. Luffy awakens a side of Boa that is unseen before. Around him, she is aloof, shy, and very emotional. The stone woman was cracked wide open by the rubber man.
4 REI AYANAMI
No top 10 Kuudere list would be complete while lacking the original queen of Kuuderes. While she wasn't the first, Rei was actually the first anime female to popularize this kind of dere and had viewers going crazy for it.
Her detachment from the world around her and lack of emotions was something many anime viewers hadn't seen before. This isn't the only side of Rei as we see when she and Shinji interact throughout the series. Around him, her hard exterior becomes as soft as a pillow and that made viewers fall in love big time.
3 PICCOLO
Yes, big green himself is, in fact, a Kuudere and one of the biggest ones on our list. Piccolo was introduced as a villain in the Dragon Ball series and since then has turned a new leaf.
This heel turn was seen when Piccolo was left with the task of training the recently deceased Goku's son to prepare for the incoming threat of the bloodthirsty Saiyans. During this training Piccolo's cold exterior was melted by the innocence of young Gohan and he became somewhat of a second father to him. This relationship has continued even up til now in Dragon Ball Super.
2 YUKI NAGATO
Yuki Nagato of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is one of the most reserved Kuuderes you will meet and a hard egg to crack. Most of her time throughout the series is sitting in the background reading while the rest of the main cast is partaking in the usual shenanigans.
Ms.Nagato's true feelings towards the world take center stage in the film The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya where she alters reality into something she'd prefer. A place where her feelings for series character Kyon may be accepted.
1 AKEMI HOMURA
While she may not be as iconic as a few of the past entries, Homura is the most Kuudere character you can imagine with the craziest story out of them all. A story where she starts full of warmth and hope then becomes her current Kuudere self.
After witnessing the deaths of her best friend Madoka so many times, Homura decides enough is enough and does away with her old personality, basically becoming a magical girl version of The Punisher. Her tale ends with her emotions getting so confused that when she finally gains the power to save her friends she recreates the world as ideal to her and becomes its version of the devil. This leaves her locked in constant war with the one she loves most and rid herself of her emotions to protect, Madoka.