Tsundere/Live-Action TV

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Usually tsuntsun ("Type A")

  • Miss Piggy from The Muppets. In Muppet Babies, she's basically Asuka Langley Soryuu in pink and lace.
  • Mindy of Drake and Josh in her second appearance only. The animosity she had towards Josh in her first appearance had more of a Magnificent Bastard vibe then Tsundere, but her second appearance they realized they were evoking Slap Slap Kiss. After that she was a rather loving girlfriend.
  • Murphy Brown. Murphy is, of course, usually incredibly cranky and prone to violence, but exhibits some tsundere tendencies with all three of her main love interests:
    • With Jake Lowenstein, she insists that she "becomes a different person" when she's with him, and they fight almost constantly.
    • Both she and FYI's sworn enemy Jerry Gold quickly made it apparent that they loathed one another. Eventually (and to their initial horror), they realized that they did indeed have feelings for each other. (Jerry could also be considered one of the rare examples of a male tsundere.)
    • When she first meets Peter Hunt, she actually goes so far as to punch him in the face seconds before show time. They bicker, call each other names and play pranks on each other until a later episode in which Corky suggests that Murphy has some interest in him. She's absolutely appalled at the thought, but a few episodes and one more fight later, they're both making out in her office.
  • Major Margaret Houlihan of M*A*S*H. Definitely favored the violent side, especially towards Hawkeye, but showed a softer side with Frank, Donald, and occasionally Col. Potter, Winchester, and even Hawkeye again.
  • Jessica Devlin of Shark liked to combine the cold shoulder with the smirk, especially in her dealings with longtime rival Sebastian Stark.
  • Lois of Malcolm in the Middle qualifies. She may constantly scream at and berate her sons, but it's also apparent that she loves them all deeply and only wants what's best for them. She is more Type B with her husband, Hal: in general if they're alone together she's a melty pile of deredere, but he can set her off just as well as the boys can: he just doesn't do it as frequently.
  • Soo from Sooty and Co and Sooty Heights.
  • Jackie Burkhart of That '70s Show is a classic Type A Tsundere during the early seasons, when she was dating Kelso. She's naturally bossy and likes to feel in control of the relationship, whereas Kelso likes "doing it", making him easily exploitable, and him being Too Dumb to Live doesn't help much. She mellows out once she starts dating Hyde after Kelso flees to California to avoid getting married to her.
  • Maggie from Sliders. Leans tsun in season 3 (to contrast with Wade), dere in season 4 (to replace Wade), and reaches equilibrium in season 5.
  • Both Mia (type B) and Marizza (type A) from Rebelde Way.
  • Both Maddy Magellan and Carla Borrego from Jonathan Creek.
  • Alex Drake of Ashes to Ashes.
  • Robin of How I Met Your Mother, to Ted.
  • "OI! WATCH IT, SPACEMAN!" Donna Noble of Doctor Who is an over-the-top tsun type in her first appearance and is her default mood (though toned down to levels that allowed for more well-rounded characterization when she became a regular) but she can be dere. Also a Fiery Redhead.
  • Sam Puckett of iCarly. Very much Type A, especially towards Freddie. Only Carly can usually bring out her "dere" side. Although recently Freddie has been able to bring out her dere side also. She didn't accept this very readily.
  • Blair Waldorf to Chuck Bass.
    • In season 4, she's a textbook case with Dan.
  • Sherlock from Sherlock can be this at times, almost always a sarcastic, rude jerk.... Except to John and Ms. Hudson.
  • Maggie O'Connell from Northern Exposure is a Type A.
  • Quinn on Glee usually gives the cold shoulder to Puck; however, there have been several times when she has opened up to him. She also has a short temper with her boyfriend Finn but given that he's The Ditz, he kind of needs someone to boss him around. Most obviously would be the relationship Quinn has with Rachel.
    • Sue Sylvester is in tsun mode nearly all the time, except during her brief relationship with Rod in "Mash-Up" and with her disabled sister in "Wheels."
    • Lauren, who's also often in tsun mode, but When She Smiles there are hints that she really likes Puck. Her song I Know What Boys Like pretty much spells it out.
  • Kelly from Misfits, who is violently aggressive and very easily provoked - she's forced to do community service for attacking a girl who insulted her, so that should tell you something - but uses her temper to hide her deep insecurities, and is a genuinely kind and sensitive person underneath it all. Oddly enough, both sides of her personality are emphasised by her strange flirtation with Nathan - she does try to be nice to him and helps him out when he's in trouble, but he can be such a snarky little brat that she typically ends up punching, kicking, slapping or otherwise mauling him at least three times per episode. Ironically, he later confesses that he likes her attitude problem and the fact that she's the only person who slaps him when he's being a jerk.
  • Aeryn Sun from Farscape is a Type A.
  • Taylor Earhardt from Power Rangers Wild Force counts, specifically in the crossover with Power Rangers Time Force.
  • Major Kira Nerys of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, a fierce, fiery former resistance leader and Number Two in the station's chain of command - who just happens to melt into a cuddly pile of smiles and tenderness when she and Odo are alone post-"His Way." And frequently before, with her various earlier love interests, although not quite to the degree seen in Season 7.
    • Odo himself is a bit of a tsundere. His first appearance had him berate Commander Sisko for carrying a phaser on the promenade immediately after he used said phaser to subdue a violent criminal. His law enforcement ranges from zealous to fascist. He's openly contemptuous of Starfleet. Pair him with Kira or Lwaxana Troy, and he becomes a pussycat.
    • It was revealed in the Deep Space Nine episode "Destiny" that Tsundere behaviour is part of the Cardassian mating ritual.
  • B'Elanna Torres from Star Trek: Voyager.
  • Benny from The George Lopez Show is a tsundere mom. She's usually rude and belligerent towards George, but there's been more than one episode dedicated to the fact that she really does love her son.
  • Miley from Hannah Montana is a Type A to Jake Ryan when they first meet. Eventually, they enter a relationship, but then break up. When they later meet as friends, she acts like a Type B.
  • Wakana from Kamen Rider Double starts out this way. While she may appear to be a Bitch in Sheep's Clothing, she seems to genuinely like being Wakana Healing Princess on the radio and Philip brings out her softer side. Then she has a Heel Face Turn and her switch gets stuck on Tsun until the very end of the show.
  • Tasha Mack from The Game. A large part of her tsuntsun personality comes from her younger days as a single mother surviving on her own, so being fierce was her defense. Although this works when she is going up against people she doesn't intend to have a relationship with, it sort of backfires when she wants to pursue a relationship.

Tasha: Oh my god! You're breaking up with me?! I will kill you! Please don't leave me, cause I will kill you!

  • Barbara Havers of The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, who spends the vast majority of her time in tsun mode - particularly in the early series. As time and Character Development go on, however, Lynley begins to bring out more and more of her dere side, until by the later series she is a pretty equal mix of the two and her tsun side has mellowed quite a bit. Her early defensive harshness is due to a number of factors, not the least of which is due to her being a Broken Bird with a Friendless Background and a Dark and Troubled Past.
  • Holly J Sinclair's default mode is Tsuntsun, she acts catty and tough and in charge... unless she's alone with someone, and her Deredere side shines through to actually level with someone. It has taken seasons of character development to get over this... somewhat, she still defaults with snark and sarcasm and calls herself on it.
    • Bianca similarly has a rough Bad Girl Tsun side, casually insulting to anyone and everyone. However after the ending of Season 10 she's let her Dere side show up when she's with Drew, Adam, and Imogen. The rest of the cast still has to deal with her Tsun side exclusively though.
  • Kate Beckett from Castle is a tsundere towards Richard Castle.
  • Jo from Good Luck Charlie practically defines a Type A tsundere.


Usually deredere ("Type B")

  • iCarly: The eponymous Carly Shay is a Type B—sweet and level headed, but nicknamed The Sassmaster (by a teacher) for a reason. She was especially angry with Freddie and Sam when she found out they kissed and didn't tell her. Never tell her to calm down, constantly interrupt her, or imply that you and she are a honeymoon couple.
  • Sonny is a Type B. Firstly with her love interest Chad. And with her BFF the Alpha Bitch/The Rival Tawni. Make of that what you will.
  • In The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Maddie can be seen a caring person, unless London is around.
  • Britta on Community, especially her actions towards Jeff.
  • Clare Edwards of Degrassi is a sweet gentle kind girl with little hints of snark to her name when someone does something a bit dumb... unless she finds a boy she likes. As her initial reaction to all three boys she's dated was to become instantly annoyed at everything they did or said for at least an episode or three. With K.C. this lasted most of Season 8. She also shifts to her Tsuntsun nature when betrayed or alone, so it's not strictly a romantic play. It's her defense against getting hurt.
  • Inara Serra of Firefly is a registered Companion with extensive training in social interactions, keeping her cool, and saying just the right things to make people happy. Her job suits her: she is polite and genuinely kind to everyone, unless otherwise warranted, to the point where she can get along with people from all walks of life but feels like she doesn't really fit in anywhere. Then she rents a shuttle from Captain Malcolm Reynolds. Cue back and forth between admiration and Volleying Insults.
  • Ted from How I Met Your Mother is a bit of this: his various virtues, especially his Up to Eleven level of dedication and compassion towards his friends, are very impressive, but he's also prone to impulsiveness and irrationality, combined with very strong emotions, which often results in him doing jerkish things before his brain kicks in and he realizes how he's acting, which he inevitably repents bitterly.
  • Dr. James Wilson from House is a caring, polite, friendly to all living things Deredere oncologist... except where his best friend Dr. Greg House is involved, and suddenly he can Tsun it up like the best of them.


Unsorted

  • Barely averted by Farscape in the character of Aeryn Sun. She might seem to be a Tsundere at first, but is disqualified for running hot and cold at the same time, as opposed to running hot and cold alternately, resulting in a sort of permanent The Spock exterior with passions that never quite surface; a definite lack of Slap Slap Kiss due to her Megaton Punch actually hurting Crichton; and her coming by her behavior honestly as a borderline Super Soldier trained The Spartan Way suddenly cut adrift from her in no way Mildly Military lifestyle and ending up on the wrong end of a Stern Chase. ...ta-daa.
  • Dorothy Patrillo Zbornak, from The Golden Girls.
  • Grace from Jack&Bobby was like this with her T.A.
  • As does Susan from Coupling to some extent. If she uses the word "apparently", run.
  • This Monty Python sketch is a tsundere butcher with a boater hat.
  • Evelyn Kwong of Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. Cookie didn't realize what he unleashed when he said that the challenge of beating him was what motivated her.
  • Lynda Day from Press Gang embodies this trope par excellence. 'Lynda's favourite colour is obedience, folks. It's true! Hard? They had to use an industrial laser to pierce her ears!' Her ears aren't pierced.' 'I didn't say it worked!'.
  • B'Elanna Torres from Star Trek: Voyager is a unique example -- her tsun and dere halves are different species. Since she's not especially proud of her Klingon side, she tries to live more as a human; she's a good officer and a caring friend, and even has some "girly" habits like reading romance novels. But when B'Elanna gets mad, she gets MAD. Tom Paris has the bruises to prove it.
  • Lana from Frasier definitely deserves mention here. For a while, she is sweet and friendly, but tick her off and her volume goes straight to 11.
  • Being Human (UK)'s Nina Pickering is pretty sarcastic with everyone, but has her sweet moments with George.
  • Rachel Berry of Glee is a perfect example of a tsundere who is neither Type A nor Type B - or, rather, she goes back and forth between the two.
  • Maybe not a strong example, but Calleigh Duquesne seems to act tsundere towards Eric Delko sometimes in CSI: Miami.
  • Fiona from Burn Notice. When Michael tells her in one episode to disable the Criminal of the Week's car, she attaches a blasting cap to the gasoline tank. Sure, it disables it, but it nearly kills their mark. She truly cares for Michael though, and she loves hitting people, as seen in the very same episode, where she uses not one, but 3 Armor-Piercing Slap on Sam in order to make a getaway.
    • Her relationship with Mike did slowly head down the dere road during season three, but the conflict regarding Jesse is bringing the tsun back again. Maddie also sums up their relationship perfectly while firmly sinking the Jesse/Fi ship.

Maddie: They love each other. And they hate each other. But it's always each other.

  • This troper nominates Lois Lane of Smallville. She starts out on the Tsuntsun side and slowly shifts toward Deredere. Other characters on the show seem to have Tsundere tendencies also, including most of the female characters (even Martha Kent, toward Lionel Luthor), but also Lex Lutbehor, who seems to alternate between a man-crush on Clark and spitting venom at him.

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