Across the anime world, tsunderes are a very common character type for love interests and protagonists. They tend to be very surly and harsh to everyone around them except for their love interest. They can also be the reverse, where they're kind and decent by default, but the one person who riles their temper the most ends up as their love interest.

For the latter kind of tsundere, it's generally because they're confused by their feelings and don't understand that it's love, or they're afraid of being vulnerable. Often, neither dynamic makes for a very healthy love interest. Even the most toxic tsundere love interests are wildly entertaining, though. They tend to have an acerbic sense of humor that audiences love, and fans love it when tsunderes finally soften their hearts.

10 Vegeta Was Once a Cold-Hearted Killer in Dragon Ball Z

Being a Husband Keeps Vegeta in Line

Vegeta may not be a ruthless, bloodthirsty killer anymore in Dragon Ball Z, but arrogance still seeps from his very pores. He's combative to a fault, and he prefers yelling to speaking. He can even be quite terse to his wife, Bulma, but Bulma pays him no mind.

Bulma knows that Vegeta is all bluster and no bite. That is, unless someone threatens her, then all bets are off. Vegeta is a very lovable tsundere because he's so predictable and comical. Fans also love how much he loves his wife. It's understandable, as Bulma's a fantastic character; she and Vegeta make a great team.

9 Zero Is a Tortured Tsundere Vampire Hunter in Vampire Knight

Zero's Rarely Seen Without an Angsty Glare

Vampire Knight is loved because of its infamous, tropey romance between the naive Yuki, the genteel Kaname, and the tsundere Zero. Kaname is a Pureblood vampire and the prince of their school, whereas Zero's a conflicted vampire hunter. Zero takes out a lot of that internal conflict on Yuki, even as he falls in love with her.

Yuki's torn between being with Kaname, and being with Zero. Kaname seems like the person that she should end up with, but Zero's tragic face and conflicted morals compels Yuki. There's nothing about Vampire Knight's story or characters that is healthy; they're all notoriously toxic. Kaname is in love with his kinswoman, Yuki can't make up her mind for the life of her, and Zero's a walking ball of moroseness. Nevertheless, fans can't help but love the tropey mess that is Vampire Knight.

8 Misty Has Something to Prove in Pokémon

Misty can be quite rude and judgmental in Pokémon, but she has a very good heart. She's an ethical Pokémon trainer, and she doesn't suffer fools easily, which makes her very likable to fans. Many Pokémon fans also grew up watching the series and Misty is an integral and nostalgic part of Ash's story.

Misty can be a bit mean about bug Pokémon because she's frightened of bugs, but to her credit, she does try to work through that fear. At her core, she's a compassionate person; she's just very young, energetic, and brash. Many fans also speculate that Misty has strong romantic feelings for Ash, which could explain why she can be so flippant and frustrated with him.

7 Dracula Is So Toxic, He Would Destroy the World in Castlevania

Dracula Is a Complete Misanthrope

Dracula takes the tsundere character type to its zenith-point in Castlevania. He's the villain of all villains, as he wants to literally see the world burn when he loses the love of his life. When he first meets the human doctor, Lisa, he's intrigued by how candid and brave she is. Lisa barges into his castle, knowing full well how dangerous he is, and demands access to his vast scientific collection.

Dracula loves Lisa so much that she briefly convinces him to give humans a second chance. That possible redemption arc is quashed swiftly when the Church murders Lisa. Without the one woman he loves, Dracula is a menace to the entire world. There is no justifying Dracula's violence, but nevertheless, he's a tragic and sympathic villain that audiences find compelling and well-written.

6 Jotaro Kujoh's Noble but Quite Rude in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

Jotaro Is Rude to Ladies

Jotaro Kujoh is notoriously stoic in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. He rolls his eyes a lot when people show a lot of feeling, and has a habit of huffing and muttering to himself. He even goes so far as to insult his mother with crude names, even as he risks himself to save her when she's in danger.

It's not hard to guess why Jotaro has a failed marriage under his belt. Not much is known about his ex-wife, but judging by his remote personality and relationships with everyone else, it's easy to read between the lines and assume that Jotaro wasn't a very devoted or demonstrative husband. Nevertheless, as a hero, he's a very likable character. He's a good friend in deed if not in word, and he always tries to do the right thing, even if he has an absolutely terrible bedside manner.

5 Asuka Hides Her Feelings by Being Aggressive in Neon Genesis Evangelion

Asuka Is Secretly Soft-Hearted

Asuka is a mix of both types of tsundere in Neon Genesis Evangelion. She's cantankerous toward others because she has high defenses, and she's afraid of letting people in. Asuka can also be quite cutesy with someone she has a crush on.

When it comes to someone that Asuka has very strong romantic feelings for, like Shinji, any semblance of gloves come off and she can be quite harsh. Asuka can get taxing, because she will make so many bad decisions simply because of her complicated and angsty feelings toward Shinji. Nevertheless, Neon Genesis Evangelion is a mecha classic and a huge part of why people love it is how angsty the characters can be.

4 Sailor Mars Can Be Quite Judgmental in Sailor Moon

Sailor Mars Has Very High Standards

Sailor Mars, Rei Hino, is one of the more serious Sailor Guardians in Sailor Moon, and that personality trait is across the board of all Sailor Moon versions. In the original Sailor Moon anime, she's a bit more uptight, though. In the manga and in Sailor Moon Crystal, Rei has no interest in boys or dating whatsoever, whereas she is interested in having a boyfriend in the original anime.

Rei is very specific about the type of guy she wants to date and the kinds of people she wants to be around. She can be quite snobbish about Usagi, bickering with her in a very tsundere-adjacent way. And when Yuichiro comes to work at the shrine with her and her grandfather, she's quite prickly with him because of his laid-back nature. She warms up to him when she realizes what a hardworking person he is.

3 Tomoe Is All Bluster in Kamisama Kiss

Tomoe Doesn't Like Nanami At All, in the Beginning

The fox yokai, Tomoe, never turns down an opportunity to have a good tantrum in Kamisama Kiss. He's a very capable familiar and an adept warrior, but he doesn't take to change very well. He is very emotionally sensitive when it comes to rejection, and when Mikage leaves the shrine and bequeaths it to someone else, Tomoe takes it very personally.

Tomoe associates the new Land God of the shrine, Nanami, with his pain for a while, and he's quite abrasive to her. Eventually, he warms up to Nanami, but he still insists that he's only loyal and protective to her because of her Land God status. It's obvious that Tomoe's protective nature goes far beyond shrine loyalty, though, and he actually cares quite deeply for Nanami. When it comes to her, he's all bluster and no bite.

2 Misaki Keeps Boys at Arm's Length in Maid Sama!

Misaki Always Assumes the Worst of Usui

Misaki is not one to give a guy the benefit of the doubt in Maid Sama! Her defensiveness is quite understandable, as feeling like trust should be earned is a very valid social take. She also has terrible experiences with the annoying and domineering boys at her school, which only recently switched to being co-ed.

Misaki is used to being very protective of her time and her schoolwork. When a classmate, Usui, figures out a secret she's trying to keep, it takes Misaki a very long time to realize that Usui genuinely wants to be her friend. To be fair, Usui's dogged determination can be quite toxic, too. Part of the romantic comedy anime's charm is how toxic the central couple can be.

1 InuYasha Doesn't Know When to Let Things Go

InuYasha's Temper Gets Quite Old

InuYasha is about as cranky as they come, but his temper works because it juxtaposes how he's so heroic and altruistic despite his rudeness. Inuyasha always does the right thing, he's just going to complain about it first. His personality can get a little tiring when it comes to his love interest, Kagome, though, because she doesn't deserve his ire.

Inuyasha gets to be too much, particularly when he insists on comparing Kagome to his former love interest, Kikyo. Kagome is Kikyo's reincarnation, and it's understandable that Inuyasha would feel torn and even traumatized by that, but taking it out on Kagome is not the answer. Inuyasha also gets particularly toxic about Kagome when his romantic rival, Koga, flirts with Kagome or sticks up for her. Many fans think that while Inuyasha is an entertaining protagonist, Koga may be the better option for Kagome.