Tsundere is a Japanese term, it's used to describe the character archetype where a character is usually very cold and dismissive towards the protagonist or other characters, but slowly starts to warm up to them. These characters usually show occasional glimmers of friendliness from time to time before reverting to their shells after important story or character events occur. Usually, by the third act of any form of media Tsunderes become nicer and easy going.
Tsundere is one of the most common archetypes to find these days, it is especially prevalent in RPGS and JRPGS when it comes to videogames. The most obvious example of this archetype is Vegeta from the Dragon Ball franchise. But Sega also features its fair share of Tsunderes across its gallery. Here are some of the more notable ones.
6 Kaoru Sayama – Yakuza Kiwami 2
The Yakuza series has taken the world by storm, the hit Japanese crime game following Kazama Kiryu is colorful, exciting and features a host of diverse characters. This game series is Sega’s modern day hit for sure. Kaoru Sayama is an important character in a couple of Yakuza games, but she really leaves her mark in Kiwami 2. She is an extremely stubborn and driven character with a certain conviction for hunting Yakuza.
Sayama gets close to Kiryu to learn more about the Tojo clan’s involvement with the Jingweon Massacre. She is initially very hostile towards Kiryu, and many fans of the series consider her to be a not-so-great character because of it. However, as the game progresses Sayama starts slowly shedding her hostility and by the end of the game develops romantic feelings for him too. The pair even went on a date in Sotenburi.
5 Jasmine – Disney’s Aladdin
Disney’s Aladdin movie was a phenomenon back in the 1990s so it made sense that they’d have a videogame on every major platform. The most popular of these was the Aladdin game on the Sega Genesis. This was side-scrolling platform game where players followed Aladdin and his friends through storylines based on the movie.
Aladdin had a scimitar for close ranged combat, and of course, apples for long range bouts. The game features Jasmine, in a similar light as the movies. Initially she’s cold and dismissive of Aladdin, but she slowly starts to fall for him after a number of set-pieces and musicals. Jasmine is probably one of the first characters of the Tsundere archetype to make it into Disney, and she’s present in the Sega game as well.
4 Amy Rose – The Sonic Series
Sonic is Sega. The blue hedgehog is synonymous with the videogame company and has grown to be a household name with tons of games, merchandise sets, tv shows and even movies. Aside from the amazing gameplay, what really carries the Sonic series is the characters. There’s a wide array of hedgehogs, echidnas and squirrels players can relate to. One of these characters is Amy Rose, who many players find to be a handful.
Amy is a staple of Sonic games at this point. She has gone through tons of character development and growth over the years. While she’s largely been a loud bubbly character who never hides her massive crush on Sonic, she has on occasion been developed as more of a Tsundere instead.
3 Blaze The Cat – The Sonic Series
Blaze has featured in a host of Sonic games such as Sonic Rush and comic books. The cat acts as the guardian of the chaos emeralds. In her first appearance, Blaze is hostile and aggressive towards Sonic, and even went to say haunt Sonic’s dreams. Slowly but surely, she realizes they are on the same side and begins to warm up to Sonic and his allies.
Blaze has a very disciplined and strict personality at times. She considers herself a rival to Sonic and at first was very confused by the whole idea of having friends. Over the course of her appearances in games and comics however, this slowly changes. Albeit she hasn’t featured in a Sonic game in a while now.
2 Edy Nelson - Valkyria Chronicles 3
This military themed tactical RPG has been widely popular in each of its iterations, this is largely due to the grounded story, the strategic battles where players have to weigh every risk, and the deep pool of characters. Each character has his or her own backstory, personality and strengths and weaknesses. One of the most popular characters in the entire series is Edy Nelson, a shock trooper for Squad 7.
Edy was a massive hit amongst the fans because of her solid combat usage and her infectious personality, she fits the Tsundere archetype perfectly, always blowing hot and cold, but ultimately coming around - somewhat. Edy was so popular that the game's developers even released a DLC mission focused around her!
1 Knuckles The Echidna – The Sonic Series
Knuckles is one of the most popular characters in the Sonic franchise. He has his own fan following and marked his place in pop culture years ago. He’s also the quintessential Tsundere character, a carbon copy of the entire archetype. Knuckles is one of the strongest characters in the series, he’s known to be headstrong, independent and a bit of a tough guy.
Knuckles, has on multiple occasions been tricked by Dr. Robotnik into believing Sonic and Tails are out to steal the Master Emerald which he is supposed to protect. This leads to his openly aggressive attitude and disdain towards them. Knuckles is slightly gullible and usually very serious, which makes him and Sonic clash heads a lot. As the franchise has progressed however, and Knuckles’ character has been developed, he has slowly started to warm up to Sonic considering him as more of a friendly rival. They usually make a good team, but the façade of rivalry still continues.