Berserk Button/Anime and Manga

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


When a nice, normal character suddenly goes into a rage, you've hit his Berserk Button. Some of them are long enough to have their own pages.

Subpages

Other Examples

  • Inuyasha:
    • After what Naraku did to him and Kikyou, Inuyasha's really rather upset about that.
    • When Miroku's perverted past comes back to haunt the group, Sango becomes incredibly scary. Mostly Played for Laughs, however. However, when it culminates in a Youkai trying to steal Sango for his own, it's one of the only times we ever see Miroku completely lose it. That's not Played for Laughs.
      • To put it on perspective... Miroku was willing to pull an I Want My Beloved to Be Happy when, in Filler, Sango got a marriage proposal from a Princely Young Man because he believed Sango needed to regain something similar to a normal life. When the aforementioned Youkai tried to claim Sango forcefully as his puppet wife, Miroku went straight for the kill.
    • Sesshoumaru's only displayed a Berserk Button twice in the manga: when Inuyasha pitied his injuries on the battlefield and when Mouryoumaru insulted Kagura's death.
  • Karakuri Circus has a guy named Narumi. Nice, big martial artist guy; a little rough around the edges, but would never harm someone undeserving. If you threaten a child in his presence, you are deserving.
  • In the harem comedy manga Ai Kora, Maeda tends to go ballistic on those who ridicule or harm the girls in his harem, especially if they threaten their "perfect features" (like a delinquent who nearly knocked out one of Sakurako's flawless blue eyes, or a salesman who preyed on Yukari's self-consciousness about her "bullet-train bustline" with dodgy "breast reduction" bras).
  • In the manga Cafe Kichijouji, Jun, a younger effeminate boy, snaps into a violent manner if anyone makes the unfortunate mistake of saying that he looks like a girl.
  • Call Allen Walker from D.Gray-man "Moyashi" and watch him boil and explode. Or mention his Trickster Mentor, particularly if the sentence also contains the word "debt"...
  • Desert Punk has, in its first chapter, a lesser Big Bad who weathers a hurricane of insults in a letter without even flinching, but goes completely off his nut -to the point of Hulking out- when the resident Anti-Hero suggests that his mother has a fat bellybutton.
  • Kei and Yuri have only one official code name: The Lovely Angels. Calling them the Dirty Pair to their faces—or suggesting that two college-age girls can't be all that dangerous—will earn you a punch in the face.
    • Plus, what they will do if you actually are the individual that they have been hired to bring in.
    • Or if you're simply unfortunate enough to be in the immediate area once they're finished their mission.
      • In some cases, "the immediate area" may be the ENTIRE PLANET -- or on one occasion, several star systems.
  • In Digimon Tamers, if you value your life, do NOT refer to Beelzemon as Impmon. He'll make you wish you'd never been born.
  • Don't ever mention spiders to Hunter X Hunter's Kurapika. Don't show him a spider. Don't expose him to anything involving spiders at all, ever.
  • In Hayate the Combat Butler, Nagi goes apeshit when Hayate discovers her self-made manga and calls it a "picture diary." She boots him out of the study, but he mistakes it for her kicking him out of the mansion.
    • She does it again when she suspects Tama tore up her beloved manga. She locks him away.
    • Also, causing Maria to remind people that she's only 17.
    • Probably the biggest Berserk Button in the story though, is Hinagiku and any character making note of her chest size. Grabbing it (however unintentionally) automatically triggers it, though just referring to it has to be done at least twice. She's taken out an army of volleyball robots, and the one controlling them, just because he made the comment twice, with implied use of only volleyballs as well.
    • Telling a bad joke to Sakuya would count, too.
  • Josuke of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure will go from polite doormat to rampaging berserker if anyone dares insult his hair. This includes his allies. In one particularly humorous scene, his opponent (who is currently bedridden from severe racing injuries) plays off of Josuke's moral nature to keep himself from getting attacked... only to end up insulting his pompadour. Josuke gets around beating up the helpless by using his powers to heal the fellow, and then beats the man to a bloody pulp and throws him out a window. He gets better, though.
  • Wolfgang Grimmer from the series Monster has an alternate personality that functions as one of these. It activates whenever he is in extremely stressful situations and invariably results in a body count. Ironically, when he commits his most extreme act of violence, he remarks that he didn't need to invoke his alternate personality and that he really was just that angry.
  • The title character in Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water easily loses her temper over any trivial issue whatsoever, to the point where it nearly harms her growing relationships with Jean, Marie, Grandis, and Nemo. It takes a long time for Nadia to learn to control her temper.
  • Perhaps a tribute to Evangelion, Renton in Eureka Seven goes brutally psycho over his opponents at the end of episode 20. Unlike Evangelion, however, it's his deadly combination of his love for Eureka, his hatred towards Holland and frustration with his immaturity that makes him berserk instead of the Nirvash. The result: Blood, a dismembered arm, and a horrific scream, much like Shinji's in The End of Evangelion.
    • Whenever Eureka comes to harm, Renton will go berserk at the one who's responsible as evident in the movie version.
  • Corporal Randel Oland from Pumpkin Scissors displays this. Normally lighthearted and puppy-friendly, when he finds himself in mortal danger, he reverts to the role he served in his previous military as a one-man killing machine specifically designed to take out tanks all by himself. This coincides somewhat with the idea of an Unstoppable Rage, but his behavior in this "form" doesn't look angry so much as it looks completely cold, determined, and calculated. Nonetheless, the end result is the same and most would be wise not to incur his pavlovianly conditioned wrath.
  • Samurai Deeper Kyo has mellow bishie Yukimura, who will tolerate familial treachery, attempted assassination, kidnapping, and many other horrible things without his trademark smile even flickering. Even if you try to kill him, he won't lose it. But hurt or disrespect one of his beloved ninja followers, and he will slice off your ass and hand it to you on a platter. While still smiling.
    • Threaten Yuya, and Kyoshiro will punch Kyo out of the way and fight on his own.
      • Later, threaten Yuya, and Kyo will turn into a DEMON GOD and shove a sword up your ass.
  • Lina Inverse from Slayers has a keyboard full of these. Most frequently lays the smackdown on anyone who's impolite enough to point out she's rather flat-chested, especially her younger incarnation. Take this line from after a Slayers Next exchange, for example, where Martina says her chance to win against her are smaller than her curves:

Lina: That bitch!... She has the nerve to defy me and even brought up my weakest point!

  • Interrupting her meals, calling her by one of her many Embarrassing Nicknames (such as her official title of "The Pink Sorceress"), or generally offending her in any way results in fireworks. Her buttons have different values, anyone who's into linear algebra, feel free to analyze: a disparaging mention of her figure alone usually means a painful demonstration of her overall physical shape, any other single offense entails the explanation of how wrong it was and the temporary deafness, the figure and 2 nicknames may lead to Dragon Slave, a metaphorical reference to her including "flat" 3 times -- amplified Dragon Slave.
  • It's funny to watch the first episode when Gourry pushes them all in a couple of sentences and she doesn't do a thing. By the time she finally puts her hands on him, he's been asking to get hit. It's a wonder that couple of sentences didn't set off her Hair-Trigger Temper.
  • Also, harming children around her. Even if the kid annoyed her less than twenty seconds ago, killing a child WILL anger her enough to murder the guilty party. Normally, her temper is vented through some violence and she relaxes, but this one goes all the way to "drop a Ragna Blade on your head without chanting so fast that you won't be able to react".
  • Ikaros in Heaven's Lost Property will blow anyone who touches her watermelons into pieces with a weapon shown to destroy entire cities in a single shot...
    • Also, don't mention Nymph being short or flat
  • Ikuto of Nagasarete Airantou, if told anything is "absolutely impossible," will get it done with twice the speed and four times the effort.
  • In Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z-hen, Kouji snaps when Boss and his goons insult his grandfather Juzo one too many times. He promptly beats the ever-loving crap out of Boss, and would have seriously hurt him if Kouji's soon-to-be girlfriend Sayaka hadn't interrupted to tell Kouji that his grandfather was in real danger.
    • In the original Mazinger Z, Kouji also reacted badly if you insulted his grandfather, hurt Sayaka or harm innocent people... and Sayaka reacted furiously if you insulted her skills or made Stay in the Kitchen statements directed to her (needless to say, Kouji pressed her Berserk Button constantly). Tetsuya from Great Mazinger -Kouji's adoptive brother- also got MADLY enraged if you slighted his skills... But Duke Fleed from UFO Robo Grendizer topped all of them. Nothing got his blood boiling like mentioning the Fleedian genocyde and the deaths of his family. And when a Vegan commander or soldier taunted him with it... let's tell it did not end up well for him.
    • And in the Shin Mazinger Zero manga, you do NOT try and harm Sayaka. Otherwise, Kouji... will not be nice to you.
  • Kazuya Ryuuzaki from Daimos is a nice, kind guy... but when you piss him off, he goes downright nuts. And he is a karate champion... Threatening his beloved Erika? Bad idea. Killing children in front of him? VERY bad idea. Getting people executed for no reason other than you are a racist nutjob? Ashtoundingly BAD idea. Miwa found out about that the hard -and very painful- way.
  • Hyoma Aoi from Combattler V lost his parents when he was barely a toddler. Kill one child (even if it is an animal cub) or leave him/her/it parentless, and he will go nuts before beating the crap out of you.
  • Souichi Tatsumi from Challengers and The Tyrant Falls in Love may be antisocial, but he's pretty normal otherwise... until a reference to homosexuality is made, upon which he burns with a desire to bash all homosexuals' skulls in, especially the one courting his little brother. He even has a Hair-Trigger Temper with Morinaga after the latter drives home the point that he's a homosexual with a crush on him, interpreting every offer from Morinaga as an attempt to get into his pants (sometimes it's actually true, sometimes it isn't). And NO, he himself ISN'T a homo; he's just sleeping with one!
  • Oniwakamaru, from the second episode of Samurai Champloo, kills anyone who calls him a monster (usually based on his physical appearance).
  • Angel Sanctuary: If you value your life, do NOT call Michael short.
  • Chrono Crusade has a more serious example (that's particularly noticeable in the manga version): Chrono is known (depending on the translation and whether it's the manga or the anime) as "the Slayer of 100/1000/100 million." How'd he get that name? Well, in the manga, he tried to rescue some of his fellow Sinners and found them killed by enemy demons. He picked up the body of a small child, staring in horror, then snapped, killing the number of demons he was said to have killed in one short, bloody, rage-filled battle. This happens at least a few other times, particularly in the manga: if he's threatened or someone he cares about (PARTICULARLY Rosette) is hurt, his demonic nature takes over and things get very violent, VERY quickly.
  • In Slam Dunk, Shohoku ace Rukawa shall NOT be interrupted when he's sleeping. Expect physical damage if you do.

Rukawa (to Norio Honda): My name is Rukawa Kaede, I'm a first grader, and I will NOT forgive the idiots who wake me up when I'm sleeping. *beats the crap out of Honda*

    • Also earlier in the series, if you ever say 'Basket' or something that sounds like that in the vicinity of Sakuragi, expect yourself to pass out after he headbutts you. When he gets into the basket team, he switches it to being mocked or told that he's not good enough. As well as harming his friends and teammates.
    • Their captain and leader, Takenori Akagi. Insult basketball in front of this Genius Bruiser and you'll see exactly how much of a Serious Business the sport is for the guy.
      • His sister Haruko has some of her own. Please, never EVER disappoint her. Or be rude towards her friends.
    • Please remain from hitting women in front of Miyagi Ryota, especially Ayako.
  • Hellsing: So much as badmouth Integra, and Alucard will not hesitate to blow your brains out.
    • Zorin found Seras' Berserk Button the hard way. Not only did she kill Pip, whom Seras loved, but she mocked him shortly afterward as Seras cradled him in her arms, referring to him as an "insect". Bad. Move.
  • Don't mess with Rin from SHUFFLE!! in range of Nerine's hearing. She does not approve. As she says, fortunately, you don't have to be hospitalized... because she'll try to kill you.
  • TK is generally a Cheerful Child in Digimon Adventure 02. But because of seeing Angemon die in the first season, he can get very angry when people don't realize that Evil Is Not a Toy.
    • Also from Adventure, though more present in 01: Matt does not approve of you taunting Gabumon, even if you're only joking. And laying a hand on his little brother...
  • In episode 2 of the Pretty Sammy OAV, Tenchi mentions to Bif Standard that his software is slow. At that comment, Bif goes into a lengthy rant, feeling that he had insulted his software, and Tenchi, Sasami, and Misao quietly escape while he is still ranting.
  • One of the baddies taunted Cure Black about how easily he separated her from her partner and went on to explain how doomed they were (etc etc). Black then proceeded to blow up the subway car they were riding with her Battle Aura. "ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT HONOKA!?"
    • Another baddie forfeited his life when he nearly killed her brother.
      • I dare you to try to harm Setsuna Higashi in any way. In fact, I double dare you to try to brainwash her. If you do so, prepare to face the wrath of Love Momozono. That's right, I'm talking to you, Nayuta Kita.
      • Other Cures are this way, too. Nozomi and Rin when dreams and her siblings are threatened respectively. Tsubomi finally got her game face on when the first monster she faced smashed a bed of flowers she landed near.
  • Daigo Ikari of Eyeshield 21 has a Berserk Button that goes off whenever someone insults one of his teammates, regardless of whether the insulting party was joking or not, or if he could get injured in the process (for example, he at one point dives off the stands to attack Onihei after he had called Otawara an idiot). The result is often that his own teammates have to restrain him with chains because he'll break free if they use rope!
    • In this situation Ikari was frankly just being too sensitive; Otawara is an idiot. In any case, the fact that he goes completely nuts whenever he hears someone badmouth his school or its football team is the reason he's two years behind in school; He was sent to a juvenile detention center after one of his "incidents."
    • NEVER insult anyone who stands up to Gaou around him. He will kill you.
    • Monta has a berserk button of being called a monkey.
    • Do not insult Sena in front of Chuubou unless you want to get knocked down.
    • Sena is usually a pretty scrawny kid that you can pick on a lot. He's used to it. Agon learned the hard way that, when you keep calling his hard working team a bunch of trash, he'll come at you on the field with murderous intent.
    • Hurting Kid is the best way to enrage the normally emotionless Tetsuma. For that matter, calling Tetsuma an idiot is enough to make Kid drop his lazy uninterested fascade really fast.
    • Messing with Panther's sweatband which was given to him by his beloved grandmother made the normally Nice Guy attempt to throw a punch at his racist couch.
  • Despite his cold demeanor, Mikagami Tokiya from Flame of Recca HAS one Berserk Button: Call him a girl, a she-man, or whatever Gender Bender insult to him and the best thing you can hope for is a death cold stare from him (which is thankfully what he usually does so far...)
  • Kamishiro Yuu from Holyland loses it after one of his friends is beat up by a gang and goes on a gang-hunting rampage. Given that the manga is fairly realistic in its treatment of street fights, this is quite the feat of endurance and strength.
  • Vash the Stampede from Trigun gets extremely upset if a single person gets killed, even a bad guy. In episode 12 of the anime, Monev the Gale decided to blow up a city block whilst chasing Vash, and instead killed dozens of townspeople. He was promptly confronted by a VERY angry Vash, complete with Glowing Eyes of Doom. It went downhill for him from there; indeed, Vash almost crossed his moral line but experienced a morality check and managed to stop himself.
  • Rozen Maiden doesn't have much of this, but Suigintou is more messed up than she usually shows. While sadistic and brutal, she rarely drops her cool and composed manner, antagonizing Shinku with an alluring, self-confident voice occasionally interspersed with a soft evil laugh. This goes away when Shinku calls her "junk", whereupon Suigintou completely loses her cool and starts screaming "I AM NOT JUNK!!!!" Her power does significantly increase, but that's not doing her good most of the time.
  • Most of the characters on Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha are generally well-mannered. However... don't touch Vita's hat. Just don't. You'll live longer.
    • The third season adds more cases: Don't hurt Vita's friends either; abducting Subaru's older sister or Nanoha's adopted daughter, and destroying Caro's home or threatening to do so is a bad idea as well, as all of those have led to an Unstoppable Rage.
    • Yuuno gets quite upset whenever someone like Chrono calls him a familiar, or makes a "joke" about his ferret form.
  • Do NOT refer to Faust VII's wife and partner spirit Eliza as a "puppet" or a "doll." He's usually calm and arrogant to an inhuman point, and takes all the insults thrown at him with stride... but the moment you insult her, he will go into an Unstoppable Rage and KILL YOU.
    • Also, don't torture Manta, unless you want Yoh to come at you and cut you down to size.
  • Code Geass
    • Lelouch Lamperouge's Berserk Button is people threatening or harming his little sister or his friends. Not a problem in and of itself, but he has... trouble with restraint once the button's been pressed. What got Lelouch to really flip his lid was when his "brother" shot Shirley and, despite Lelouch's strongest efforts, he could not save her. It didn't help his sanity that she gave him a most romantic "good bye" speech.
    • Rolo also goes nuts when somebody mentions Nunally.
    • Mentioning Orange in front of Jeremiah Gottwald is asking for either a major thrashdown or a drastic shortening of your life span. Seriously, don't do it. Until he joins Lelouch during R2 episode 14, after discovering the reason why Lelouch became Zero.
  • "You've hurt my brother. That, I WILL NOT FORGIVE!"
  • Don't call Nora a dog.
    • In addition, don't speak dismissively of humanity or threaten the lives of those Kazuma believes to be under his protection if you are at all attached to your vital organs.
  • It isn't wise to refer to Tadase as 'prince'.
  • Do NOT say anything bad about one Neil Dylandy within the earshot range of his partner Tieria Erde.
    • Or don't mention Celestial Being in front of one Louise Halevy
    • Setsuna F. Seiei has an Ali Al-Saachez shaped Berserk Button.
      • Touching his Gundam with intent to damage it is a sure way to antagonize Setsuna, as demonstrated in his first "fight" against Sergei. Additionally, a sound drama has Hallelujah's bravado screwing up a battle and damaging the Exia; Setsuna does NOT sound pleased during debriefing.
    • Latest news, Desil just pressed one. He must feel lucky that Flit doesn't finish him off.
      • Even after the time-skip to the Second Generation, never, not ever, make even the most subtle reference to Yurin's death in front of Flit.
  • Don't ever call Yoite cute or emo; it will be the last thing you ever do.
    • Cause any harm to Gau and Raikou will mutilate you until you're unrecognizable.
  • Mitsukuni "Honey" Haninozuka from Ouran High School Host Club. Whatever you do, DO NOT attempt to harm his bunny. Or Haruhi or Mori, for that matter. Seriously, don't. He's a deadly martial artist capable of handing entire squads of private military contractors their asses, and he will not hesitate to show it.
    • Tamaki also gets pretty ticked when someone (usually the twins) makes a move on Haruhi. Except for Kasanoda, where he went into a Heroic BSOD!
      • Tamaki doesn't hesitate to threaten to beat a couple of thugs to a pulp because he thought they hurt Haruhi. Lucky for them there was a camera crew right there, and violence would not be good publicity for the Host Club.
    • Don't hurt someone Haruhi cares a lot about. In the manga after the story enters darker territory, the Host Club bursts into the Suou's company building. Haruhi demands to see the company chairman, Tamaki's grandmother, because of some recent events like her making Tamaki quit the Host Club. As the Plucky Girl that she is, she doesn't let up either, shouting and making a scene in the front lobby until Yuzuru shows up.
    • Kyouya cares very much about his friends, especially Tamaki. He blackmails the Newspaper Club who were planning to try to destroy the Host Club with fake stories, beating them at their own game. Later in the manga he rips Tamaki's father, Yuzuru a new one for more or less using Tamaki to steal the company from his mother, and get Tamaki's mother, Anne, to Japan, without thinking of Tamaki's own feelings. Also, he will expose you and have you arrested if you sell fake products for money and he finds out about it.
    • If anything, Haruhi acts as the trigger for the host club. Don't hurt her or the rest of the club will come after you and make you suffer A Fate Worse Than Death.
  • Villain example from Black Cat: Do NOT mention Minatsuki Saya in front of Creed. Especially if you mention her in a positive light.
    • Oh, and don't refer to Train as "that guy" in front of him, either. You will address his wife partner with respect.
  • Fruits Basket: Hatsuharu Sohma's violent split personality, Black Haru, goes berserk when his girlfriend, Isuzu/Rin, breaks up with him. He later sets off to brutally beat up (or possibly kill) Akito when he finds out what she has done to Rin.
    • Messing with Tohru around Kyo, Yuki, Hanajima, or Uotani is a really, really bad idea. Especially considering that Kyo and Yuki are both extremely skilled martial artists, Hanajima once accidentally almost killed someone with her powers, and Uotani is an ex-delinquent.
  • From Hidamari Sketch, we have Hiro's weight and figure. And then we also have Miyako pressing it so often...
  • In DOGS Bullets and Carnage, both Badou Nails and Haine Rammsteiner have Berserk Buttons: for Badou, who is usually clumsy, goofy, and terminally unlucky, he'll become a terrifying killing machine if he runs out of cigarettes or has them taken away, his rage instantly subsiding the moment you give him a cigarette, leading to Haine at least once intentionally taking his cigarettes away from him to encourage him to fight. For Haine, who is terrified of women, being touched by one will cause him to attack everything around him indiscriminately (with the exception of Nill). And don't shoot his gun, unless you don't like your face.
  • Suwabara doesn't wear a bandanna because he's bald. Really!
  • Do not call Onizuka trash. Ever. Be prepared to have you back slammed to the floor by a fantastic martial artist if you do.
  • ... Did you just refer to Kaidoh Kaoru as "viper"? Fsssshuuuuuut the HELL up!
    • Try: Did you just hurt anyone Fuji Syusuke cares about? Yes? You should hope your next tennis match isn't against him...
  • Don't mess with Negi's students in Mahou Sensei Negima. More importantly, do not tell him you just put him through hell and wasted months of his time and made him take up black magic for a fight he had no chance of winning. Possibly an invoked trope considering Rakan just got done revealing himself to not be a moron and here he is acting like one again. Also, he wants Negi to fight his best.
    • Nodoka Miyazaki in particular seems to be a berserk button for Negi. When Fate attacked her Negi became even more of a Papa Wolf than he normally is.
    • Also, never tell Negi that you're the one responsible for the stuff that happened to him in the past... like, well, torching his hometown and petrifying everyone. Wilhelm and Kurt Godel discovered this the hard way.
      • Considering the diary reading Negi's mind after finding out what happen turned black with thoughts like "Do Not Forgive" and "Kill Them" its a good thing for Chisame's epic Bright Slap to snap him out of it or things would of gotten bloody.
    • In a less serious example, anyone who wastes Eishun's food, he slices.
    • Then there's Setsuna: Do not mess with Konoka or she will tear right through you.
      • Ala Alba could probably defeat Fate in a matter of seconds if they just told Setsuna that Fate kidnapped Konoka. Critical Existence Failure in 5, 4, 3, 2...
  • Galaxy Angel: Colonel Volcott O. Huey is a usually even-tempered and complacent commander. But tell him his mustache doesn't suit him, and he'll revert to his combat days as the "White Wolf" and proceed to destroy everything in his path to defend his mustache's honor.
  • In Wolf's Rain, don't hurt or try to abduct Cheza.
  • Do not call Tamahome "Obake-chan." It won't be wise to hurt or threaten Miaka or his family either. Too late for the latter, though.
    • Also, looking at Suboshi's brother the wrong way is utterly wrong. Suboshi killed Tamahome's family when he thought the Suzaku Seishi had murdered Amiboshi, after all.
    • The words "Nuriko" and either "gay" or "pervert" are not to be used in the same sentence.
  • Black Lagoon: Although she's generally maladjusted anyway, do not question Revy's cynicism. You'll probably end up with an extra orifice somewhere, even if you are on her side. She also doesn't like Eda asking if she's already had sex with Rock, anybody harming Rock, or other women making advances towards Rock. Isn't she just the sweetest Trigger Happy Tsundere?
    • Also, anyone who waltzes in and starts shooting when Revy and Eda are at the Church of Violence had better damn well be prepared to go to war, as the scumbags chasing the title character of the Greenback Jane arc found out the hard way. Eda in particular does not look kindly on anyone putting a bullet in the church.
    • Balalaika is often called "Fry Face" behind her back. Almost no one calls her that to her face, and with good reason. Her real Berserk Button, on the other hand, as evidenced in the Vampire Twins arc, is anything happening to her men. She will come down like the wrath of God on anyone who messes with her men, even if she has to call in the Vysotniki to do so.
    • Hansel and Gretel do not enjoy being yelled at or struck, though in their case it's less of a Berserk Button and more of a "We want to kill you" button, as Verrochio and his men found out the hard way.
    • And the female employees of the Lovelace family of Venezuela will not react well to anybody attacking or kidnapping a Lovelace. Since either of the two maids could give the Terminator a very bad time...it's just better not to even think about trying it.
    • Revy's button about Rock got hit again when Jane mentioned possibly seducing Rock if Revy didn't want her banging Benny's brains out all the time. The result is Revy getting really creepy as she relates her sexual experiences in prison and threatens to make Jane her bitch.
    • It takes a lot to get Rock good and pissed, but wantonly abusing people he considers innocent (such as Yukio) will bring out his worst language and drive him to violence.
    • Do not mess with Yukio, for Ginji the Manslayer will make you hurt EVEN MORE than Rock ever will. Chaka didn't pay attention? He lost his gun. And his hands. And then got forcibly drowned.
  • Sailor Moon: Sailors Moon, Mercury, and Mars tear Jedite a new one when he makes sexist remarks in the 13th episode. He escapes, if only to be put to Eternal Sleep by his superior for his latest failure to kill them.
  • Cowboy Bebop: As shown in "Jupiter Jazz (Part I)," it's a terrible idea to call Spike by the name of his rival Vicious. He ends up going berserk and beating up an entire gang—whose leader survives, only to toss himself into the back of a garbage truck.

Spike: You think I'm Vicious? YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT VICIOUS IS!

  • Busou Renkin: Papillon utterly despises being called by his real name by anyone other than Kazuki. He was also not too pleased to find that Kazuki had apparently given up his humanity to become a Victor-like being after having fought Papillon, to prevent him from giving up his humanity to become a homunculus.
  • Suzumiya Haruhi. Do not hurt Mikuru while Kyon is present. This man did not shy away from attempting to punch Haruhi for it.
    • Kyon gets a little scary if any of his friends are threatened.
    • Turned Up to Eleven in the fan work Kyon: Big Damn Hero, when Kyon hung someone outside a window as retribution. To be fair, they had just tried to shove Tsuruya out of it. Haruhi had a similar reaction later on, when Kyon was shot.
    • Don't look up Mikuru's skirt, or Haruhi will be very pissed off with you, never mind that it may have been an accident.
  • It is highly recommended you don't tell Buttercup/Kaoru from Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z she looks cute in a skirt. Her reaction is not pretty.
    • Also Bubbles/Miyako hates to see mistreatment to animals of any kind, as the Rowdyruff Boys find out. Except Mojo, obviously, and a bunch of these monkeys who admittedly didn't deserve Bubbles/Miayko's sympathy with the way they were acting. Though she did feel some sympathy for him when she found out why he is the way he is. But Mojo immediatley does something evil to get rid of that sympathy.
    • All 3 of the girls, especially Momoko/Blossom, will get super-mega-pissed when you steal their food, make them leave lunch, or just prevent them from eating in any way. And to a lesser extent, make them miss sleep and they will get angry.
  • Anna and Uni Puma from Dominion Tank Police. Not like they're not psychotic enough to begin with, but if anyone makes reference to their humiliating origins as "love dolls," the body count is going to go into triple digits.
  • One has to start wondering why all of Kenichi's opponents in Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple say they're going to kill/hurt Miu when that has consistently been shown to be the one thing that will make him stop sucking and actually kick some ass.
    • Calling him a chicken has a similar effect, although it isn't quite as strong.
    • Don't even think about harming his sister Honoka. Property will be damaged.
    • Akira Hongo, the "God Fist" karate specialist of the antagonist Yami group, has a strong sense of honor, and has respect for others despite being technically a bad guy. But do not insult the memory of his late disciple Sho Kanou or else he will go Tranquil Fury and stab his hand through your skull. Silcardo Junazard just barely avoided being Impaled with Extreme Prejudice this way, although his signature mask got destroyed as a result.
  • Hime Makita from Sora no Manimani gets very tense about her hair, and did not hesitate to knee a fellow student when her old nickname of "Drif" (as in "The Drifters," a Japanese rock 'n' roll comedy band with fluffy hair) was brought up.
  • Don't feel up Seras Victoria, or sexually harrass her in ANY way. She will mess you up. To be fair she WAS (almost) a rape victim (and had to watch her mother get raped by the scum who had just murdered her).
    • Hurting or killing Pip Bernadette around her is also a very bad idea. Just ask Zorin Blitz.
    • Go ahead, insult/threaten/hurt Integra when Alucard is around. We dare you.
      • Also, it's a bad idea to commit suicide in front of him, kill for no good reason, or turn yourself into a monster in an attempt to defeat him. All of these will piss him off... a lot.
  • Full Metal Panic!? Fumoffu example: Oh God, never, ever kill the janitor's pet carp Catherine and feed it to him.
    • Kaname Chidori is hardly the calmest of characters, but the one thing that really sets her off is the possibility that her precious grade levels are in danger. Such as the discovery that Sousuke left her notes back in his apartment on the day of a test. Cue Sousuke being physically hurled onto the road in order to (barely) stop a taxi in time, so they can drive back and get them.
    • Fuck with Kaname and Sousuke will kick your ass with his rage-powered Humongous Mecha.
  • Yu-Gi-Oh!!:
    • Don't threaten Seto Kaiba's little brother. Just don't. It is not a good way to blackmail him, only a way to guarantee him making you pay. Also, while there are a lot of things he finds annoying about Pegasus, the Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon - a goofy cartoon version of Kaiba's ace card - really makes him angry. Doesn't help that Pegasus designed it with the intent to piss Kaiba off.
    • Do NOT mess with Yugi or any of his friends unless you want an ancient Egyptian spirit challenging you to a deadly game with even deadlier consequences once you lose.
    • Good job, you either threatened, knocked out, or desouled Yugi Moto! You have just sentenced yourself to one of two fates:
      • Is the Puzzle anywhere near Yugi? Pharaoh's coming out to play.[1] You're fucked, end of story.
      • Wait, the Puzzle is far from Yugi? Wait until Joey finds out. The longer he knows and the longer you're still conscious, the closer the probability of him tearing you a new asshole becomes one.
      • Speaking of Jou, do not call him bonkotsu ("mediocre" duelist), dog, monkey, or other insult of inferiority. Do not deny him entry to your tournament to spite him. And do not threaten or harm him and/or his friends, or else he may just go on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge. He does not take disrespect well.
    • Also, do NOT tell Kaiba that Yugi lost a duel to someone. If you are on a phone, the volume of his voice will break the receiver. As he puts it

Kaiba: No one deserves that title but me!

    • In 5D's, it's apparent that to press Yusei's button, all you have to do is threaten to destroy Neo Domino City. Placido found this out the hard way and was left in pieces by the time Yusei was done with him.
    • Also in 5D's, do NOT call Jack 'former King' or anything similar. Also, don't steal his Ramen. Or borrow any of his things without asking.
  • Rurouni Kenshin: Himura Kenshin is a generally calm, friendly, kind-hearted, patient and forgiving man... unless you decide to do something dishonorable and stupid, like needlessly harming (or worse, killing) innocent, weak and/or defenseless people. Especially when the people being hurt or threatened are women and children. He won't hesitate to beat the crap out of you. Hurting his any of his friends is also something that's sure to piss him off. And while he won't kill anyone, you'd probably wish he had by the time he's through kicking your ass if you so much as think about hurting his girlfriend Kaoru...and all this is AFTER he manages to overcome that nasty little Split Personality problem of his, because if you had decided to push him over the edge back then, he really would've tried to kill you.
  • Keroro Gunsou has Giroro. Don't mess with Natsumi if you want to live. It doesn't even matter if he's anywhere nearby sometimes.
  • Higurashi no Naku Koro ni operates by lining up everyone's berserk buttons on a keyboard and then leaning on it. And then they knock it off the table and do a tap-dance on it. Like Keiichi's Big Brother Instinct towards Satoko and Shion's Yandere tendencies.
  • In Darker than Black, you do not want to give Hei any reason to think you're connected to his sister. Really, you don't. It's a bad idea.
    • Later on, it's "touch Yin and die."
  • In Tona Gura, calling Hatsune "motherly" means a Tickling Hell for whatever poor soul did so.
  • Macross Frontier's Alto Saotome is prone to eye-twitching or shouting every time someone brings up his more feminine characteristics. This only encourages his friends—especially Michael (who popularized his "Princess Alto" nickname not only across the school, but also in fandom).
  • Kurama is usually The Stoic, but if you threaten his human mother or force him to take an innocent life, he'll drop the pleasantries and kill you. Painfully.
    • Also, do not imitate his dead partner, Kuronue.
    • Kurama's not the only character from Yu Yu Hakusho to have a berserk button. Never threaten or harm Keiko in Yusuke's presence. It is also a really bad idea to keep beating on one of his teammates after the fight is over, unless you want to end up like Bakken or Rando.
    • Don't kill a member of the team. The other's will kill you even if the character is not really dead, or if he gets better
    • Hiei isn't particularly nice to begin with but hurting his sister Yukina makes his usual disposition seem about as threatening as a sleeping bunny rabbit.
  • Don't mess with Ryu's sweets.
  • Make fun of Kamille Bidan's Embarrassing First Name, and he will raise his fists. And he's both a karate expert and a skilled Mobile Suit pilot.
  • Many of the characters in Ranma ½have at least one Berserk Button... all of them being either the Arrogant Kung Fu Guy or his Distaff Counterpart doesn't help matters.
    • Ranma Saotome hates it when his masculinity is questioned (or calling him ugly in his female form), and only partially due to his Gender Bender curse. Particularly in the anime, calling him a coward also triggers this. He doesn't think much of people attacking innocent bystanders, either.
    • Akane Tendo goes nuts if you point out she's got a comparatively plain figure compared to Shampoo, Ukyo Kuonji or even her fiance. Or that she's utterly hopeless at any traditional feminine activity, such as cooking, cleaning (tends to break the tools/what she's cleaning), laundry (rips, stains or shrinks clothes), tea ceremony, etc. It doesn't help that her fiance is exceptionally good at most of these.
    • Don't insult Akane Tendo anywhere in Ryoga Hibiki's hearing. He will make you suffer for it.
      • Speaking of Akane, don't hurt her. If you try, Ranma will be violently unhappy with you. Attempting to kill her will only make things worse.
    • Make any mention of the fact that Taro's first name is Pantyhose, and he'll immediately try to beat your head in. Usually after taking a dip in cold water first, and thus assuming his alternate form; a giant mishmash of yeti, ox, crane, eel and, later, octopus.
    • Never, EVER take or harm one of Happosai's "treasures" (i.e. bras, panties (both of them usually stolen), voyeuristic pictures, etc.). Sometimes he'll just get his revenge through pranks like tacks in your shoes or ordering mass amounts of delivery food in your name, but other times? He will KICK. YOUR. ASS.
  • Wolfen Crest: Don't you dare compare a gang of common Chaotic Evil delinquents to the noble and much-maligned wolf in front of Inugami, he'll give you a Death Glare and an talking-to the likes you've never seen!
    • Also, don't talk to Akira Inugami for more than five minutes. A certain gang leader gets rather... testy, when Inugami confides in someone other than him. Also, don't insinuate that Inugami's a Nice Guy around that certain gang leader either.
  • Even if a bit scary, Kitano of Angel Densetsu is The Messiah. He will not fight back (not that you can actually hurt him)... unless he thinks a girl or someone in his True Companions are in danger. Luckily he will not hurt you much, just be prepared to be knocked out for an hour or two. And hope you're landing on a soft surface after he blows you three meters away. And forget lifting anything heavier than a tissue the day after. Make it a couple of days maybe.
  • Blood: The Last Vampire: Mentioning Jesus, God, or any similar term in front of Saya is a bad idea. Luckily, she can't kill humans. Doesn't mean she can't hurt them, tho...
  • Fairy Tail: The Phantom Lord guild pressed it....a lot by attacking three of their members and bolting them to a tree with their guild insignia on one of their stomachs. This prompts a full on, rage fueled, assault on Fairy Tail's side.
    • Do not hurt Mirajane's little siblings.
      • Or vice-versa with Elfman.
    • Nor come between Erza and strawberry cake.
      • And threatening or insulting Jellal may be a bad idea as well. Just ask Midnight.
    • In the latest Filler arc, they manage to defeat the Big Bad and her artificial dragon by smashing Natsu's Berserk Button several times in a row in order to overload the dragon thing (which was using him as a power source).
    • Do NOT threaten Gray in Juvia's presence.
  • Mistake Zeon Bell for his jolly twin brother and he's gonna kick your ass.
  • Yuuki's Berserk Button initially appears to be knives, but is actually anything that might threaten "Yuki-san".
  • Fai from Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle is a pretty laid back guy, but get him to stab the girl he calls his daughter, and he's going to blow shit up. Also, he absolutely refused to kill his father figure Ashura-ou at first, but when Ashura stabbed Kurogane... Well, he got really mad, and resolved to kill him.
    • Also, though Kurogane is usually pretty grumpy, he gets especially crazy if you threaten any member of the quartet (except perhaps Mokona), or his lady-of-liege Tomoyo-hime.
  • Yakumo is quiet and calm...until you start talking smack about her dear sister Tenma. Then it's ON!
  • Never EVER try to directly kill Motoko Kusanagi. EVER. You MIGHT just live to regret it...
  • Ai Yori Aoshi: Kagurazaki Miyabi might be a reserved and polite Office Lady. Mess with Aoi-sama, however, and prepare for an impromptu flying lesson.
    • Tina and Mayu have a shared Button in anyone trying for Kaoru's affection.
  • Greece from Axis Powers Hetalia is a calm, easygoing Heavy Sleeper until you put him in the same room with Turkey. And if you want to see the fireworks really go off, just position Turkey anywhere remotely close to one of his cats or Japan.
    • It also doesn't take much to tick off Russia. If you thought Stalin had it rough...
      • His sister Belarus is already a Strange Girl. Attract Russia's attention to yourself? Uh, better RUN AWAY.
    • Don't comment on how attractive Austria is if Hungary's around. Especially if you're France. Actually, for that matter, don't even comment on it if Austria's around, particularly if you're France.
    • Do not mess with Liechtenstein. Switzerland will not be pleased. By the same token, don't talk smack about Switzerland's pajamas. Liechtenstein spent fifty two days making those things, dammit!
  • Sakura Kinomoto in Cardcaptor Sakura is usually nice enough to her brother Touya, but the second he calls her 'Monster' she grinds his foot into the floorboards.
    • Oh, that's nothing. Hurt her friends? Imitate her Missing Mom to mess with her? Make her lose a gift from her crush? You're dead.
  • One of the two main characters of Freezing, Satellizer El Bridgette, is unique in that she has two different berserk buttons...
    • The first one is defeat. If you ever try to force her to admit defeat, whether she's slashed or even her throat slit, she'll never do it. Instead, she will fight on doubling and tripling her speed and power, even if she is unconscious.
    • The second one is sexual intimacy in any way, specially rape. Any kind of even slightly intimate contact will cause her to immediately lash out with incredible force, with the exception of the other main character Kazuya Aoi, who she can sense on instinct is pure of heart. However, if you try to torture her by either attempting to rape her or have someone else come close to raping her, PREPARE TO DIE. She will become a being of pure killing intent, and unless you are extremely lucky, she will end you. In fact, her killing intent was so absurdly strong that the local 'head fighter', who was far more powerful then Satellizer, was simply turned into a frightened kitten after looking at her, hiding behind her own subordinate.
  • Guts of Berserk has several of these:
    • In general:
      • Don't touch him. Only Casca can do that, and she almost got strangled to death the first time they were intimate together.
      • If you try to hurt Casca in any way, shape or form, your fate is sealed.
      • Don't hurt his other friends, either. He doesn't have very many, and is quite... protective of the ones he has.
    • Pre-Eclipse:
      • Messing with either Griffith or Casca (see above) pre-Eclipse was an excellent way to piss him off.
    • Post-Eclipse:
  • Van Fanel was missing? He used to be the trope image. He's constantly told he's not aggressive enough in a fight. Hurt his friends, though, especially Hitomi, and... Even Hitomi gets freaked out by this eventually.
  • Want to push Death The Kid's Berserk Button? Just show him anything that's too asymmetrical. Case in point, in his first appearance, he goes completely bonkers just because a mummy in an otherwise perfectly symmetrical pyramid wasn't symmetrical himself.
  • The Breaker: Don't ever say the vice-principal has a "shitty car" or damage his car.
  • Try calling Akita Hikaru a girl, I dare you!
  • Shizuo Heiwajima hasn't been mentioned yet? Do NOT test his patience. Just... don't. He punched a guy so hard that the poor guy's clothes flew off as he was launched about 20 feet into the air. It gets even worse if you're being nosy about his adored brother Kasuka. Mentioning Izaya is another great way to ask for an early death. Vending machines will fly.
    • Also works in a triangle for the Power Trio of Kida, Mikado, and Anri...mess with any of them and one or both of the other two will come running to kick your ass. And then take into account that these are two gang leaders and the human host of a demonic sword respectively.
  • Do not touch Takuto in an even vaguely lascivious manner when Suzuho is around, or she'll whip out her Super-Powered Evil Side and try to beat the crap out of you (especially if your name is Tanarotte, who, to be fair, can give the punishment right back).
  • If you want to live in Mirai Nikki, there are two rules that must be obeyed. Do not harm Yukki. Do not get too close to Yukki. For if you do, Yuno, the most terrifying Yandere in existance will come and get you. And considering this girl is a killing machine with a higher body count than anyone else in the series, you are screwed.
  • Nausicaä when her father is killed. The poor girl, usually the sweetest Messiah, went BATSHIT at that.
  • If there's two things Heero Yuy and Milliardo Peacecraft share, it's the ability to use the ZERO system, and the sheer amount of destruction they can cause because you just had to threaten Relena Peacecraft, Heero's best friend/love interest and Milliardo's little sister respectively. Even an underground, for-all-purposes impenetrable fortress won't stop Heero from kicking your ass.
    • The usually ladylike, quiet and gentle Relena has more than one button of her own. Try harming someone in front of her? She'll shout "Go Through Me!". Insult, mock, harm or kill her adoptive father? She'll tell you off or try to shoot you. Keep repeating that war is the best thing since sliced bread? She'll slap you and verbally wipe the floor with you.
  • Crayon Shin-chan. Don't ever make fun of Mitzi/Misae's chest, or her butt, or her age! That doesn't stop Shin-chan, though.
  • Faust the XIII from Shaman King. Don't insult his wife. EVER.
    • You has one of his own: putting ANY of his friends in danger.
  • Battle Royale protagonist Shuya Nanahara's best friend, Yoshitoki, is extremely protective of the orphanage's overseer, a pretty young woman whom Yoshi has a secret crush on. When he finds out that the Big Bad raped her, he completely loses it and charges at him. It does not end well for him.
  • The anime version of Dinosaur King has a Running Gag where Zoe insults Ursula by calling her an "old lady", which leads to Ursula's Berserk Button being pressed. In fact, she can even hear her calling her an "old lady" from any number of miles away, no matter how far off she is from her.

Zoe: Hey, old lady!
Ursula: Arrrggghhh! I'm not an old lady! Got that?!

  • Rose Marinade of Fighting Foodons doesn't take too well to Chase calling her a "has-been."

Rose Marinade: Hey, wait a minute! Did I just hear you call me a has-been?!

  • In the Kirby episode "Hour of the Wolfwrath", the frontman says that Wolfwrath (Chilidog in Japanese) doesn't take too well to training.

King Dedede: That Wolfwrath monster of yours better not wreck my castle! This ain't no doghouse!
Frontman: I'm afraid Wolfwrath doesn't take too well to training, Triple D. He's kind of a hot dog, and if you try to break him, you'll get burned. (laughs)
King Dedede: Huh?! It'll attack me?!
(The frontman laughs even more)

  • In the Touhou Doujin anime Musou Kakyou: A Summer Day's Dream, Reimu flips out and flies into a rage in a "This Cannot Be!" kind of fashion when she sees that her donation box (which she needs for an upcoming festival at her shrine) has gone missing. Also, later, Patchouli's Berserk Button gets pressed when she gets hit in the face by a book thrown by Aya (after which she gets knocked down and says her Catch Phrase in "Mukyu!"), and she screams "You... YOU PEOPLE!" Several scenes later? She's busting out ROYAL FLARE.
  • In Oto x Maho, Kanata is a guy who transforms into a magical girl to fight. He also has many Berserk Buttons.
    • Whatever you do, DO NOT CALL HIM A GIRL. If it is your first time making the mistake, and you're on his side, then he'll explain it to you. Other than that, he will launch a massive magical attack at you.
    • If there's one thing he hates more than being called a girl, it's being stalked. He will often get a killing aura whenever he sees someone he knows in a place that they CLEARLY followed him to. If it's someone who knows he's a magical girl and there's no one around, he will blow them up with magic.
    • He also hates pictures and models of himself, and will confiscate them. If you do not hand them over, he'll hurt you. To be fair, he'll hurt you either way.
  • Xerxes Break from Pandora Hearts, who is normally Obfuscating Stupidity, gets very serious VERY quickly if one of the few people close to him is in danger. Namely, Sharon and Reim/Liam.
  • The titular character of Hajime no Ippo is usually a nice, friendly kid outside of the ring. But in recent chapters, making fun of his fire-forged friend opponents seems to be one of these for him.
    • Also, harm or touch Mashiba's little sister and things will end badly. No ifs, ands or buts.
  • In Puella Magi Madoka Magica, don't waste Kyouko's food, or she will be pissed.
    • If you mess with Madoka in any way or form, Homura will drop her cool to stop you. She's devoted to that girl for a goddamn reason.
    • The two misogynists who got attacked and very likely killed by Sayaka simply because one of them dropped the dreaded C-bomb. And this was before she became Oktavia. Even as a witch, she absolutely hates misogyny and considers the C-bomb to be the lowest of the low.
  • Nagasumi Michishio is generally pretty unassuming, but the moment you threaten his wife Sun you're in for a world of hurt. Remember the last episode, where pointing a gun at her empowered Nagasumi to catch a freaking bullet with his teeth? And then punch a guy so hard that he transforms spontaneously?
  • Accelerator from A Certain Magical Index after the Level 6 Shift project is abandoned becomes a grumpy Jerk with a Heart of Gold. If you try to harm or use any innocent people - ESPECIALLY Last Order -, he will show you what it means to be a true Anti-Hero... which usually involves the painful and bloody deaths of the offender(s) while Accelerator is looking on with a sadistic smirk.
    • One played for laughs: don't steal MISAKA 10032's nightvision goggles. She's got an assault rifle in her schoolbag and unless the thief is not Last Order, she WILL shoot to kill.
    • And the original Misaka Mikoto has a few as well. On the comedic side, we have Kuroko trying to peek at her panties and Touma continuously defeating her in fair fights. On the dramatic side, we have anyone hurting her clones, who she considers sisters. The first time this happened, she unleashed a whirlwind of iron sand, and when that didn't work obliterated forty research facilities in three days.
  • Kaoru from Virgin Love has a few. Chiefly, don't ever imply Kaoru's sex life is affecting his work, and don't ever flirt with Daigo.
  • Sonic X: Way to go, Eggman. You destroyed Amy's lucky bracelet that she made for Sonic from the seashells she collected in Episode 9, made her react with the phrase of "I don't believe it!" and made her cry. Then she flew into a rage and screamed "Now you're gonna PAY!!!" before proceeding to pound both you AND your current Robot Of The Week into submission. That's where you realize that you're screwed. Yup. Not a good idea. Don't ever mess with Amy or you're done for.
    • Also, Cream has a chao named Cheese. Cheese is Cream's friend, but sometimes, when Cheese is mentioned to be Cream's pet, Cream goes mad.
    • Also, don't pull a prank on Ella. Bokkun learned it the hard way.
  • In My-HiME, harming or insulting Natsuki around Shizuru is a bad idea, and will send her into Tranquil Fury.
    • And please, don't harm Mai's friends or little brother. Mai won't like it either.
    • Haruka tends to get set off by people breaking rules, and, in the manga, by her plans to replace the Orphan Resistance Unit with the Ori-Hime unit running into problems, and people making fun of her large forehead. In the anime, insulting Yukino is another of her Berserk Buttons.
    • Yukino is typically soft-spoken and good natured, but can become quite angry if people act dismissively toward Haruka.
  • In Mai-Otome, Shiho becomes enraged if someone calls her "Maki-maki." Arika finally gets angry with Tomoe when she makes fun of and expresses relief toward Erstin's death.
  • Simon from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann has two Berserk Buttons: Kamina and Nia. Mess with either of them and he'll go after you to the ends of the universe.
    • Kamina's button? Depriving him of fanservice. At least in the uncut English dub.

Kamina: YOU WANT TO KNOW IF I HAVE A PROBLEM?! YOU TOOK THE ABSOLUTE HIGH OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT, THE VERY ESSENCE OF A MALE SOUL AND STUCK IT INTO THE DIRT, SMACKED IT AROUND AND SMASHED IT! I'LL FOLLOW YOU BASTARDS THROUGH THE FIERY PITS OF HELL AND KILL YOU A MILLION TIMES OVER!!!

    • If you want to genuinely piss Kotetsu Kaburagi off, disregarding human life - any human life - is the way to do it. He gets understandably angry when Maverick holds his daughter Kaede hostage. Maverick's last ditch attempt to escape is to put a gun to Kaede's head. The presumed-dead Kotetsu comes out of the shadows and punches Maverick in the face.
  • In Bakuman。, Takagi becomes enraged if someone suggests that Mashiro is weighing him down or he should find someone else, even in times when Mashiro believes he's the weak link.
    • Miura takes it personally when Mashiro or Takagi indicate that they don't trust him or they trust someone else's opinion more.
  • Ultra Maniac. If you ever harm Nina's pet cat, you'd better hope her friends restrain her, or you'll wind up deader than he.
  • Warrior Cats: Don't mess with BloodClan members. Scourge will rip your throat out.
  • Oniisama e...: |Kaoru Orihara is usually the Only Sane Woman of her school's idol group, but never, ever mistreat Nanako and her friends and Rei or neglect your own health when she is around. Aya and later Fukiko (for the former) and Mariko (for the latter) learned about this the hard way.
    • Speaking of Mariko, don't abuse Nanako, abandon her or make fun of her parents' divorce, if you wish not to get your arm slashed with a box cutter.
    • Fukiko looks calm and graceful, but she's got some big buttons of her own. You should neither make any allusions (even if accidental) towards her onesided love for Takehiko, nor speak openly against the Sorority. Expect some huge retribution if you do.
    • In the anime, if "Borgia" Ogiwara wants some answers to her questions, you better give them to her.
  • If you value your life even a little, NEVER fuck with professor Amatsuka, or Gavrill and Fran will come after you. Even if you manage to avoid getting slaughtered by the former, the latter still has her own methods of punishment.
  • In Skip Beat!, never mention the name 'Fuwa Sho' around Kyoko, or vengeful spirits will haunt you.
  • Rosario + Vampire has the protagonist, Tsukune, go bat-shit-crazy whenever he witnesses his friends in danger.
    • The same applies to all the protagonists. Hurt their friends, and you won't be waking up feeling pretty in the morning.
    • Inner Moka doesn't like to be touched. As Tsukune found out the hard way very early on in the second serialization, Double Standard does not apply here even if he is her boyfriend.
  • Trying to hurt Ran in Detective Conan will cause Conan to do everything in his power to bring the culprit down, even if an Action Girl like Ran can handle things perfectly fine on her own. The alternate happens if harm comes to Conan, her father Kogoro, or even to her Hot Mom Eri and her best friend Sonoko: if one of them is in danger, Ran won't hesitate to karate kick anyone in the chest.
    • Kogoro is a Private Defective Butt Monkey, but there are two ways to make him make him show some competence. The first one is to threaten people like Conan, Eri, or Ran—and SPECIALLY his little girl Ran. The other is someone double-crossing, tricking, or downright betraying him; finding out that one of his True Companions from college was not only a murderer, but that they had killed another member of his roup of friends had Kogoro completely fuming like few times it has happened in the whole manga.
  • In the Ace Attorney manga, Raymond Spume becomes enraged when Sparkle Land publicity assistant Julie bites her nails, believing it to be a bad habit and unprofessional to do it in public. This ultimately proves to be his undoing.
    • Thomas Spitzer gets angry when someone questions his expertise on spiders.
  • Girls in Daily Lives of High School Boys often have this:
    • The suggestion that girls should date a boy for Yanagin.
    • For Yoshitake's older sister, the fact that she doesn't have a boyfriend—despite she's just 18.
    • Ringo-chan's height.
  • Shamanic Princess: Never ever give Lena the impression that you're either abandoning or betraying your loved ones. Or she'll thrust for your blood like no on else would.
  • Calling Sora from Family Compo a girl is his Berserk Button.
  • Call Imoko from Sora O Kakeru Shoujo a 'Boiled Potato' and she'll go mental.
  • The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi,[2] in one of the episodes, had a scene of Achakura wondering if she had have her own stool or chair, then, after Nagato puts down a baby rocker beside Achakura or puts Achakura in the baby rocker [3] respectively, Achakura thinks, "Yeaaah, something like that." and "Yeaaah, something like this." respectively, before taking out her anger at Nagato by yelling " THAT'S NOT A STOOL! THAT'S A BABY ROCKER!" and " I AM NOT A BABY!", repectively.
    • Achakura is also dead serious about Nagato not going to sleep, and every single time Achakura notices Nagato's laptop, Achakura attacks Nagato and yells, "Go to sleep!" In the Halloween episode, Nagato opens up her laptop, and Achakura proceeds to destroy the laptop and yell, "GO TO SLEEP!"[4]
    • Also, don't close the lid on Achakura while she is attached to a spring.[5]
  • No. 6: Whatever you do, don't insult the Dogkeeper's mom. Or suggest that Nezumi become a prostitute. You will suffer endlessly.
    • Never harm Nezumi. Or you'll get a bullet to the brain from Shion.
    • Nezumi doesn't like it if someone messes with Shion's either.
  • In Love Hina, Motoko's older sister Tsuruko is a graceful Yamato Nadeshiko and Onee-Sama. But please, PLEASE, don't tell her a lie. Not even Motoko can get away with being creative with the truth in front of her. In fact, Motoko being the liar made the deal even worse.

Back to Berserk Button
  1. He can do this entirely at will, like his first encounter with Teya, his duel with Pegasus, and instances in the Duelist Kingdom arc.
  2. Another example of the one way far above.
  3. Due to Achakura being in her chibi form.
  4. As Achakura yells at Nagato, Nagato is shivering in fear.
  5. Nagato learned it the hard way after doing so, and Achakura got mad at Nagato.