The yandere girl archetype is a well-known and frightening trope in anime.
For those unfamiliar, yandere girls appear to be gentle and quiet, but their love for someone causes them to become extremely crazy or violent.
One of the most well-known examples is Yuno Gasai from Future Diary, who will stop at nothing, even killing, to protect her beloved Yukiteru.
Now that we’ve established what a yandere girl is, let’s move on to discussing the best anime with romance anime with a yandere girl.
This list is made based on our personal opinion and experience.
Table of Contents
16. Happy Sugar Life – Sato Matsuzaka
Happy Sugar Life is a 12-episode anime released in 2018 that tackles controversial themes.
The main character, Matsuzaka Sato, is known for her promiscuous lifestyle. However, everything changes when she meets Shio, a young girl, and falls in love with her.
Sato will do anything to protect Shio, even if it means resorting to violence like a true yandere.
This anime raises many eyebrows due to its questionable themes and storyline.
While it has some interesting mystery and psychological elements and even touches upon horror, we can’t call it a good anime.
Due to its controversial themes, it may not be appropriate for all audiences.
15. Big Order – Rin Kurenai
Big Order is a 2016 anime series with a total of 10 episodes, so it’s a quick and easy watch that can be completed in one sitting.
Eiji, the main character, has the special power to make his desires come true through his Order ability. He is an isolated and introverted young man who dreams of experiencing the end of the world.
One day, he is approached by Rin, a dangerous girl who wields a sword and has an interest in him. And her introduction makes it clear that she is the yandere of the story.
Despite the intriguing premise, the overall anime is lacking in terms of plot structure, character development, and technical execution.
Although it may be worth watching with low expectations or to binge it, it’s not a standout production.
14. Shuffle! – Kaede Fuyou
Shuffle! is a 2005 anime based on a visual novel of the same name. It’s a classic harem and ecchi anime that consists of 24 episodes and features sentimental themes.
The story takes place in a world where humans, angels, and demons coexist peacefully.
Rin, the protagonist, has lost his family in an accident and now lives with his childhood friend Kaede, who has feelings for him.
Things take an unexpected turn when the daughters of the elven world leader express their desire to marry Rin and move closer to his and Kaede’s residence.
This leads to a war to win Rin, and Kaede will soon show her unexpected yandere side as he tries to protect his crush.
Although the anime has interesting supernatural elements, it’s mostly a typical harem/ecchi anime. If you enjoy the genre, then it’s worth a watch, but don’t expect anything innovative.
13. Aria the Scarlet Ammo – Aria Kanzaki
Aria the Scarlet Ammo combines action, school setting, romcom, and harem elements in one exciting anime.
The protagonist, Kinji Toyama, is a student at Butei High School, a unique school that trains students to become anti-crime agents.
Despite his exceptional skills, Kinji doesn’t want to become a Butei and prefers to lead a normal life. However, when he’s caught in an assassination attempt and meets the beautiful Aria, the school’s strongest Butei apprentice, everything changes.
Aria sees Kinji’s incredible abilities and asks him to become her partner, but as other girls take an interest in him, the girl starts to show her yandere side.
Although not a masterpiece, Aria the Scarlet Ammo is certainly enjoyable for fans of anime that mix action scenes and harem romance elements.
12. School Days – Kotonoha Katsura
School Days is a 2007 anime of 12 episodes that blends elements of drama, romance, and psychology.
Makoto, the protagonist, falls for Kotonoha, a stunning girl he sees daily on his train ride to school. Meanwhile, Sekai, Kotonoha’s friend, meddles in their relationship to aid Makoto, all while concealing her own love for him.
This sets off a love triangle that quickly spirals out of control as Kotonoha reveals her frightening yandere tendencies.
School Days is a divisive anime that has mixed reviews. While it tries to be innovative by taking a different approach to the typical harem story, some aspects of the plot are questionable and not entirely appropriate.
It can be considered a good anime or not based on individual opinion, but it’s not something we feel comfortable calling a good anime.
11. Love Tyrant – Akane Hiyama
Love Tyrant is a fun and silly anime that’s surprisingly entertaining.
The main plot revolves around a magical notebook, called the Kiss Note, which is guarded by angels and is used to make people fall in love.
The protagonist, Aino Senji, finds himself in a sticky situation when his name is accidentally written in the notebook and he has to kiss a girl within 24 hours or risk dying.
He decides to kiss Akane, the girl he likes, but she turns out to be a psychopathic yandere who becomes dangerously obsessed with him.
This anime is obviously a hilarious parody of Death Note, with elements of romance and comedy.
Despite its simplicity, Love Tyrant is definitely worth watching if you’re in the mood for a lighthearted and entertaining show.
10. Shiki – Megumi Shimizu
Shiki is a horror anime that was released in 2010 and has a total of 22 episodes.
The anime’s plot revolves around Dr. Toshio, who is investigating a mysterious epidemic that has struck a small village.
But things become increasingly strange as the number of deaths rises. Is it really an epidemic or the deaths are connected to some supernatural entities?
The anime has a good mix of mystery, horror, and romance elements, with Megumi Shimizu and Natsumo Yuuki being the stars of the romance subplot.
Megumi, who is hopelessly in love with Natsumo, transforms even into a yandere after a certain event we can’t spoil you.
With its creepy scenes and good mystery atmosphere, Shiki is an enjoyable series that will keep you hooked till the end and one of the best anime without or with weak plot armor.
9. Date a Live – Tohka Yatogami
Date a Live is a harem anime released in 2013 in 12 episodes that combine elements of action and supernatural to harem and romance.
The main character Shido Itsuka encounters Tohka, a powerful spirit who has escaped from captivity and can destroy the world, and the only way to stop her is to fulfill her demands. Her first demand? Take her on a date.
But as the story goes on, Tohka will develop a dangerous yandere obsession with Shido, making his mission more complicated as she will become quite obsessed with him.
The anime combines the classic harem plot with action and supernatural elements, and while it may not be a masterpiece, it’s worth watching for fans of the genre.
8. Shimoneta – Anna Nishikinomiya
Shimoneta is a unique anime that focuses on obscenity as its main theme. His peculiarity is that this anime doesn’t use ecchi as an added component, but entirely bases his story on it.
It takes place in an alternate future where all forms of obscene language, gestures, or imagery have been banned and are considered crimes.
The story follows a group of students who are part of a rebellion against this system and aim to find a way to bring back obscenity to the world and defeat the government. This leads to the creation of the SOX group.
Shimoneta is an entertaining anime that doesn’t require a lot of mental effort to follow, but that’s exactly why it’s so enjoyable.
It features funny and at times bizarre scenes that will keep you entertained, with a comedic style that leans towards being vulgar.
Anna Nishikinomiya, the strict student council president, is one of the recurring characters and the yandere of the anime.
After falling in love with the protagonist, she becomes excessively obsessed with him in a strange manner that we let you discover, we don’t want to spoil the surprise.
7. GATE: Thus the JSDF Fought There – Rory Mercury
Gate is a 2015 anime with 12 episodes that has a unique and innovative take on the popular Isekai genre.
The protagonist, Youji Itami, is an off-duty Japanese Self-Defense Forces officer who is about to attend a convention in Tokyo. Suddenly, a mysterious portal appears and medieval warriors and supernatural creatures start to emerge, causing chaos in the city.
Youji is tasked with leading a recon team beyond the gate into the Special Region to learn more about the situation and try to find a peaceful solution, in order to avoid a war between the two sides of the gate.
One of the team members is Rory Mercury, a lively and energetic girl who becomes a fearsome yandere when it comes to protecting what she loves.
Gate is a reverse Isekai that takes place in a believable and unique setting, rather than the typical fantasy world. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for something fresh and different in the Isekai genre and a good harem romance.
6. Monogatari Series – Hitagi Senjogahara
The Monogatari series is a unique blend of different genres, creating a story that is unlike any other that you should watch if you haven’t already.
The story follows Koyomi Araragi, a kind-hearted high school student whose life takes an unexpected turn when he meets the vampire Kiss-shot Acerola-orion Heart-under-blade.
The main character will save her by giving away some of his blood, and this will make the boy a vampire too.
After becoming almost human again as a result of these events, he begins to find himself in the midst of various affairs involving spirits, gods, and ghosts while living his private life.
Don’t be fooled by the plot, this anime is far from one of the classic stories of monsters and ghosts that must be defeated to preserve peace on earth.
Monogatari is a more unique than rare anime, almost impossible to categorize, perfectly combining so many genres and elements, including a great psychological romance, comedy, and some excellent characters.
Naming Hitagi in a list like this is almost like cheating, as she is deliberately written to incorporate different anime girl stereotypes, almost like a parody of them. And that’s exactly what makes her one of the most dominant female leads in romance anime.
You can see her embody the kuudere stereotype to then become a tsundere and even a yandere in the next episode.
5. Elfen Lied – Lucy
Elfen Lied is a mature anime that explores the themes of violence, romance, and science fiction.
The story starts in a lab where Diclonius, a race of beings with special abilities, are subjected to brutal experiments to make them lethal weapons.
One of them, Lucy, manages to escape but is gravely injured in her head causing her memory to vanish, only to be found by Kota, a young boy with ties to her past.
Throughout the series, Lucy’s love for Kota causes her to spiral into fits of violent rage, making her a prime example of a yandere character.
The anime is known for its unapologetic depictions of violence, gore, and even sexual themes, making it a polarizing work in the anime community.
4. When They Cry – Shion Sonozaki
When They Cry is a psychological thriller anime based on the sound novel of the same name by 07th Expansion. This is also one of the best anime without the power of friendship if you’re looking for them.
The story takes place in the small town of Hinamizawa and focuses on the main character Keichi Maebara and his friends, who find themselves caught in a macabre curse linked to the worship of the local god Oyashiro.
As they begin to uncover the mysteries surrounding the town, the situation becomes increasingly tense, with characters committing horrific acts.
And one of these characters is Shion Sonozaki, who becomes a terrifying yandere driven by love to seek revenge on those who hurt her beloved.
She transforms into a ruthless killing machine, leaving a trail of horrible deaths in her wake.
3. Future Diary – Yuno Gasai
Future Diary is a must-watch dark romance anime for fans of survival games.
The story follows Yukiteru Amano, an antisocial and depressed boy who records daily events on his cell phone as if talking to an imaginary friend named Deus Ex Machina, the lord of time.
However, one day, Deus suddenly becomes sentient and starts predicting future events. This leads to a deadly survival game where participants must kill each other and destroy their opponents’ future diaries to become the new god of time and space.
At the heart of the story is Yuno Gasai, the most iconic yandere of all time, who becomes infatuated with Yukiteru.
Yuno’s obsession leads her to commit unspeakable acts and leave a trail of deaths in her wake, all in the name of love. But she’s the reason that this series is a good violent anime with romance.
2. Death Note – Misa Amane
Death Note is a must-watch for fans of psychological confrontations and detective genres.
Light Yagami is a highly intelligent young student who is disgusted with the world around him.
One day, he discovers a mysterious notebook, the Death Note, that allows him to kill anyone by writing their name in it.
Light decides to use the notebook to eliminate criminals in an attempt to cleanse the world of evil making his own justice, and becoming one of the best evil MC in anime.
However, he soon faces L, the greatest private investigator, who tries to stop him.
Another key character is Misa Amane, a popular idol who becomes obsessed with Light to the point of exhibiting violent traits. She’s indeed one of the most known yandere girls ever.
Death Note is a classic anime that has gained a cult following, even among non-anime fans. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should definitely check it out.
1. Mawaru Penguindrum – Ringo Oginome
Mawaru Penguindrum is a 2011 anime that marks a significant return for its creator, Ikuhara, after a decade of absence.
The anime follows the story of two brothers, Shoma and Kanba Takakura, who lose their younger sister, Himari, to illness.
However, she suddenly comes back to life with the help of a penguin-shaped hat, which is being controlled by the Princess of Crystals.
The Princess requests the brothers’ help in finding the Penguindrum in exchange for their sister’s revival, setting off an adventure filled with psychological and fantasy elements.
The story explores themes of loss and finding, with a strong focus on human psychology, particularly in the character of Ringo Oginome, a secondary character with yandere tendencies.
Her disturbing behavior and psychopathic tendencies will leave viewers feeling uneasy every time she is on screen.
Overall, Mawaru Penguindrum is a highly underrated anime that has the potential to become a cult classic with the right recognition. If you are a fan of psychological stories with elements of fantasy, this anime is a must-watch.
