Types of Yanderes
The different archetypes of yanderes in media
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Mentions of Murder, Suicide/Self-Harm and Domestic Violence
•Mugai-gata: The Harmless Type
"As long as they're happy, I'm happy"
The most harmless type of yandere, the one where they've fallen in love in an unhealthy, obsessive way, but they don't do anything insane about it. They'll try hard to become your partner, but won't harm anybody in the way. If you get a partner, they won't attack you two, they'll be happy you found happiness, and maybe still have hope that you choose them in the end.
•Kanchigai-gata: The Wrong-Idea Type
"They gave me an eraser...they must like me!"
They get the wrong idea when you do something in order to match their expectations. If you say you don't love them, they'll think you're lying because you don't want to hurt them or something. If you do something out of kindness to them, they'll think it's out of love. And so on.
•Shuuchaku-gata: The Obsessive Type
"I sent you 50 messages, why didn't you answer? Where were you? What were you doing?"
Tries to learn everything about you. Personal info, hobbies, routine, etc. Sends regular messages to check on you, asks why you haven't answered if you didn't, wants to know what you're doing always. All the time. And, if possible, walks around with you all the time too.
The obsession type doesn't necessarily want to monopolize you. They'll let you hang around with friends, etc. but wants to know everything you do. They probably want to go with you, too. If they can't go somewhere with you, they might stalk you.
If they learn a person is too close to you, they might attack.
•Sutookaa-gata: The Stalker Type
Follows you around, often without you knowing. May be in broad daylight or at night, when you're walking alone on the streets. Maybe even online. A person of this type is also often of the obsessive type.
•Dokusen-gata: The Monopoly Type
"Why were you talking to them? I thought I told you not to talk to them."
They want to monopolize you. Will ask who you talk to and hang with, in extreme cases won't let you be with anyone else, not even your friends.
This type of behavior is unfortunately common in real life. It displays insecurities and lack of trust in the relationship which might develop into much worse yandere behavior.
•Ison-gata: The Dependent Type
"Where are you going? Are you leaving me? Please don't leave me, I need you! I can't live without you!"
Can't live without you. Begs you to not leave them or throw them away. Says they will die if you go away. May lose will to do anything if you aren't watching. If you do leave, they might go full crazy and end up doing something crazy like going on a murderous rampage or something.
•Touei-gata: The Projection Type
"You're just like them."
After their former love turned out to be a completely different person than they loved, or got a partner, or died, or something like that, and they can no longer stay with them, they searched for someone who was just like what their love was, and they found you.
This type of of yandere is very innocent at first, but if they're given power to dominate their new beloved, they might end up trying to make them more and more like what their old interest was. For example, wearing the same things, doing the same things, etc.
Sometimes, they might project her ideal lover not on someone else but on same person. That is, they might say "you are not them, they do this," to you even though you actually are them and you don't do "this."
•Shoushitsu-gata: The Disappearance Type
"They'll never love me, so what's the point in living?"
They love you, maybe you know that, maybe you don't, but unknown this gives them a crushing depression. They think you'll never love them and they have no chance, but they can't stop their unhealthy feelings of love. They think you're too good for them, or that they're too worthless for you. This makes them slowly fade away, disappear from your life. Until they snap and kill themself
This is an atypical yandere since it has so little effect on other characters' lives.
•Shuumatsu-gata: The Final Type
"I don't need a world where they don't exist."
After learning that you died or you left them, they lose purpose in life. The world for them was you, and you're now gone. What this results in varies. Most of the time, they become broken emotionally, as expected. They might also kill themself, or sometimes, they might destroy the world that let you die/"took you away from them", or just go on revenge killing spree.
•Boruyoku-gata: The Violent Type
"I'm hurting you? That's too bad, I told you not to do that!"
When jealous, feeling ignored, etc. uses violence against you. They'll beat you and say it's your fault. This can be either discharging pent-up rage through violence and you just happen to be their favorite punching bag, or deliberately punishing you for doing something they didn't like.
Both cases, unfortunately, are also common in real life.
•Haijo-gata: The Removal Type
"You don't need other people. You have me."
They will remove from your life everyone they think you don't need. Which means everyone else. This can include things like excluding your contacts and messages to even murdering everybody who approaches.
This type of yandere has two sub-types:
First, the one that removes people secretly. They see you hanging with someone, the next day that person has mysteriously disappeared. You are probably as clueless as a sheet blank paper about this incident, and the next several incidents like it.
Second, the one that removes people openly. This also ranges from removing messages to killing people. They might be expecting you agree with them, "yeah, you're right, I don't need other people," or they might just want to show you what they're capable of.
•Shinjuu-gata: The Double Suicide Type
"Let's be together forever!"
Why be always together in life if you can be forever together for all eternity? This type of yandere will propose what no sane person would: let's die!
Sadly, suicide pacts are a thing. Double suicide, lovers' suicide, too, is a thing. One of the most famous pieces of literature, Romeo & Juliet, sort of ended up in a double suicide.
One thing different in an yandere double suicide is that, often, you don't really want to die. It's more like they want you both dead and they'll kill you then themself. Although there are also actual consensual attempted double suicides involving yandere.
•Jiko-gisei-gata: The Self-Sacrifice Type
"I would die for you."
They'd make any sacrifice for you, as long as it means getting you to love them. They don't even mind dying for you or fighting bloody battles, sustaining multiple injuries, etc. as long as it means staying with you.
Unlike the self-harm type, the self-sacrifice type isn't seeking attention with their suicidal behavior. Instead, they want to make themself useful and support the one they love.
This is easier to visualize in anime where fighting monsters, etc. is normal. However, this kind of sickness also exists in real life. Some people do sacrifice themselves for a beloved one in an extremely unhealthy and unrewarding way, just because they "love" them.
•Suuhai-gata: The Worship Type
"I would do anything you ask of me, I am devoted to you."
They worship you and will do anything for you. Sometimes even without you asking. And more: they don't even mind if you love them or not, or what will happen to them. Killing, dying, committing crimes, losing respect of others, they'll do anything if it means providing support to your infinite greatness.
This is one of the least-harmful type of yandere since they would never do anything to harm you and will never be in your way. Nonetheless, it's also one of the most depressing types; it makes you feel sorry for the yandere, who thinks of themself less like a person and more like a tool who might get thrown away if they're not useful enough.
The difference between the "worship" type and the "self-sacrifice" type is that the "worship" type is also like the "disappearance" type. The "self-sacrifice" type wants to be useful so they can be loved, the "worship" type doesn't mind if they are not loved back, in fact, they probably thinks they are not worth being loved by the delusive greatness they consider you.
They wouldn't, for example, attack your partner or other people out of jealousy, but they might attack a person approaching you because they think the person is stepping out of your boundaries and being presumptuous by daring talk to your greatness without proper respect.
•Choukyou-gata: The Training Type
"Say you love me... come on, say it. Say you love me. SAY YOU LOVE ME! Good! Here's your reward."
The word choukyou was once only about training animals or breaking animals. In modern times, it's also used in BDSM contexts, dominate training submissive. It has nothing to do with training for sports.
They'll break you into loving them.Sometimes using torture, a punishment/reward system, brainwashing, etc. This probably involves you getting kidnapped and forced into it, although there might be more subtle ways to accomplish this.
•Koritsu yuudou-gata: The Loneliness-Inductive Type
"Shh it's alright. You didn't need them anyways. I'm here, you can always count on me."
They will make, induce, or force you to feel or be alone. By spreading malicious rumors about you that make others alienate you, by murdering your friends and family, etc. Then they'll jump in and present themself as the only one you can count on when you're most fragile mentally and in need of company.
Inducing things that don't make you feel lonely but give some sort of mental damage, trauma, also count as this type. Conversely, if your friends and family get killed on their own and you're alone but they had nothing to do with it, it's not the same thing since they didn't induce it, although an yandere might abuse your condition to get closer to you.
This type is similar to the "dependence" type, except it's not the yandere that's to become dependent on you, it's you that's to become dependent on the yandere.
•Kyouki-gata: The Bizarre-Seeking Type
"I love you, so... can you give me your fingernails? I want them so I can always have a part of you with me!"
Undeniably in my opinion the weirdest type of yandere. They will murder you, and not by accident, not by jealousy, not by revenge. They will murder you because they love you. And then they'll keep your rotting corpse in their bed, or home, or preserved in some way because there's no way they'd throw you away.
In a sense sane people are better off not even trying to understand, the bizarre-seeking type of yandere is purely insane, mad way beyond explanation.Undeniably the worst type of yandere, she will murder you, and not by accident, not by jealousy, not by revenge. She will murder you because she loves you. And then she'll keep your rotting corpse on bed or preserved inside a glass because there's no way she'd throw you away.
In a sense sane people are better off not even trying to understand, the bizarre-seeking type of yandere is purely insane, mad way beyond explanation.
The word kyouki, used in the type's name, is normally associated with disturbing imagery involving gore, blood and worse stuff. It's also related to "grotesque" art, guro グロ, which's dubbed "pornography involving gore" despite the fact nobody in their sane mind can figure out how the fuck can someone even get off to this
Likewise, nobody in their sane mind can relate to the grotesque love of bizarre-seeking yandere. Ranging from murder, mutilation, and maybe something ever worse us mere mortals can't even begin to imagine, their bizarre displays of love can only be summed up by: what the actual fuck?
•Mousou-gata: The Delusional Type
Similar to the "wrong idea" type above, but far worse.
When their insane love is unrequited (for obvious reasons), and you start literally running away from the crazy bitch, they'll think it's because you're embarrassed, and not because you don't want them. Their love distorts the reality they perceive. They see a bunch of delusions instead.
The delusion type may also be in denial something unpleasant happened. They'll just forget it happened. Their memories may also be replaced with delusions: they'll remember you being extremely nice to them when you were indifferent, you saying you liked them before you even met, or other people rubbing themselves on you like cheap sluts when all they did was saying "good morning"
•Jishou-gata: The Self-Harm Type
"If you leave me, I'll hurt myself!"
They harm themself, cutting wrists, etc. in order to get your attention. This often happens when they're ignored. The "dependence" type might evolve into this if they are abandoned.
There are two sub-types to this.
First, the one where they harm themself in secret and have you notice their injuries, then they say "it's nothing to worry about" hoping you worry about it more. This is usually something light like a knee bruise or small scratch, etc.
Second, the one where they harm themself in your face as a way to say "I'll kill myself if you leave me," forcing you to stay by their side out of guilt.
And that's all for now! If you find yourself or a loved one in a relationship with a person that seems to act similar to any of these behaviors, please, please, please leave them/help your loved one to leave them. This is all supposed to be about fictional archetypes, however sometimes someone who is severely mentally ill or simply a bad person can exhibit these behaviors and it is UNSAFE!!! If you find yourself relating to any of the yandere types themselves, please seek mental help.
And if you're reading this because you like horror/psychological thrillers then I hoped you enjoyed and feel more informed about the yandere archetype! I had a lot of fun compiling this list.
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Archetype Exploration: Perfect Soldiers
(Hey, please look at this blog's pinned post before reading this post; it gives a lot of context for the lens I'm looking at these characters through, k thx. also, shoutout to @finalgirl-nihilbliss for guessing the archetype)
CW: Abuse, Projection, Surface-Level Media Analysis
If your comfort character exhibits any of the following symptoms:
constant brooding
face frozen in a perpetual scowl
possession of a "dark past" they don't like to talk about
frequent blank stares into the middle distance
constantly trains for something uncertain
You may have just found yourself in the presence of a Perfect Soldier.
Perfect soldiers are characters who were groomed, often from birth, for the sole purpose of inflicting harm on their fellow man. These characters are efficient, tactically-minded, and above all else, violent. Perfect soldiers will often excel at combat and strategy, but struggle with emotional sensitivity.
Note that just because these characters are violent and closed off now doesn't mean that this is their natural temperament. Often, perfect soldiers have some kind of natural compassion that was stomped out through years of abuse training. This can come in the form of a sole loved one who tragically died, but more often than not, it simply manifests as a soft side sanded away.
If the Perfect Soldier doesn't start that way, who is to blame for their transformation? In sci-fi and fantasy, this transformation is usually caused by a morally corrupt institution built to churn out perfect soldiers (the Jedi Academy, the Galalunan Military Academy, the Space Marine Legions, etc.). Other times, perfect soldiers are groomed raised by a cruel and abusive father figure (Endeavor, Bro Strider, Belos, etc.). Some settings even blend the two by having an institution with a twisted general (think Shadow Weaver from She-Ra).
Typically, if a perfect soldier has a character arc, it's usually one of healing and letting go of their anger. This almost always contains at least two of these three steps in the order of your choosing:
The perfect soldier leaves the institution of their torment, either by circumstance or by excommunication. Once on the outside, they'll typically find that their raw might is irrelevant to their survival, and they'll instead need to rely on their lacking social skills. This exit from the comfort zone will prompt the soldier to learn a lot of people skills, typically leading to a "softening up" of sorts. Note that this doesn't have to be a literal escape from a physical place. Rather, it could just be a character being outside their guardian's zone of influence.
The perfect soldier discovers some imperfection with their guardian/institution. Perhaps there's some kind of inconsistency in its moral values. Other times, the soldier finds a secret the guardian/institution has been covering up. Whatever it is, this will prompt the soldier to question their leaders' infallibility.
The perfect soldier meets a person who shows concern for them in spite of the soldier's outward hostility. This outside party will likely witness or hear about the perfect soldier's tumultuous upbringing and take pity on them. This will likely prompt an attempt to reach out to the soldier, something which may or may not be rejected. Whatever the case, this act compassion will likely stick with the soldier, and prompt them to think about their own worth.
An arc like this usually resolves with a direct confrontation with the abusive mentor(s) who turned them into a weapon of war. If the soldier is a member of the supporting cast, this may come in the form of some heroic self-sacrifice, usually to protect the aforementioned outside party. Alternatively, if the soldier is a protagonist, their confrontation will likely be much more active, and may even be a proper fight. The soldier tends to win this fight either with the power of friendship or compassion but this isn't a strict requirement. If the writers really want to get spicy with it, they might even spare their tormentor, really leaning into the idea of abandoning violence (note that this runs the risk of coming off as a "forgive your abusers" narrative).
Alternatively, the lack of a grand confrontation can be a form of narrative resolution in and of itself. Living well is the best revenge, after all, and showing that our former perfect soldier has moved on to a happier, more peaceful life can be a far stronger statement of growth than a glitzy fight to the death.
(This is the part where I tie this whole thing back into the gimmick of the account. If you just wanted a Trope Talk style summary of the archetype, you've seen all there is to see. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to do your daily clicks.)
Why do you keep submitting this?
So, out of all the characters that I've seen submitted, this is easily the most prolific character archetype. At the time of writing, somewhere between 40-50 characters that have been posted roughly fit this archetype, and that's not including any of the characters I haven't posted yet.
Why do submitters connect this particular trope with trans women so damn much?
Firstly, it's important to consider that in most western fiction, the soldier is an inherently masculine archetype. From the classical epics of the Odyssey and the Iliad, to the superheroes and action stars of modern-day blockbusters, there's a very real conflation between a character's manhood and a character's capacity to do violence. A lot of mainstream military propaganda does the same, suggesting that men who enlist are more "authentically masculine" than those who don't. This archetype serves as a critique of that idea; it shows us that this masculine ideal can be, and often is, a soul-crushing experience. In a sense, the idea of transitioning serves as an escape from this image.
Furthermore, it's important to consider what this character arc is actually about: a miserable character discovering that a better life is possible, and making steps to achieve personal peace. Often, these characters are fiercely loyal to the institutions that take advantage of them. These characters are often fine with it because they can't conceive of a better world. Once that's presented to them, that's when they start to leave. Frankly, given that a lot of people still don't end up knowing about trans folks until they're adults, I'm surprised more trans people don't connect to characters like this.
Finally, this arc gets back to the core question at the center of this blog: could transition have saved her? The archetype, in its construction necessitates a level of misery, ergo it implies that the character needs saving. It's no wonder these characters tend to garner a lot of Hurt/Comfort fanfic (Anakin Skywalker alone has more Hurt/Comfort fic than some of my favorite fandoms period). There's an inherent desire for these characters have better lives, and maybe some estrogen could do it.
This is my best guess, anyway. If you have thoughts, feel free to share them.
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"The INFP Archetypes"
What makes INFPs different from each other? Well there are many factors. Obviously not all INFPs are the same, and other parts of typology like enneagram, ivs, and socionics do affect this. Some INFPs are also more in tune with their weaker functions (Si and Te) than others. Like the other types, INFPs also have different "archetypes" that are often seen as "general representations" of them. Obviously because mbti is so nuanced and complex, don't fret if you don't identify with any of these! They're very simplified, so not relating doesn’t mean you're not an INFP!
So now let's get into some of the most notable archetypes
1. The Dreamer
The most notable INFP archetype, one could call it "the INFP poster child." The dreamer is a pure, innocent, curious, sensitive, and idealistic INFP. The dreamer looks at the world with wide, starry-eyes, and wears their heart on their sleeve. Usually the dreamer is also very romantic poetic, and/or artistic, and they have a wild imagination. The dreamer sees the good in everyone and might often merge with/be present in tropes like the manic pixie dream girl, or the soft boy. They have a tendency to be portrayed as mysterious or misunderstood.
Examples of the dreamer: Belle (Beauty & the Beast), Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Amelie, Juliet (Romeo & Juliet), Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables), and Celine (Before Trilogy)
2. The Mediator
The mediator shares the same traits as the dreamer (pure, sensitive, kind-hearted, etc.) but plays a different role in the story. Typically the dreamers are protagonists, while mediators usually have secondary roles. The mediator often acts as a voice of reason, to keep the protagonist in touch with their humanity or to just listen whenever someone needs to let it all out. The mediator is typically very quirky and non-conformist. The mediator is empathetic and usually soften-spoken, but they're not afraid to stand up for others or what they believe in.
Examples of the mediator: Silvermist (Tinkerbell), Mantis (MCU), Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter), Ami Mizuno/Sailor Mercury (Sailor Moon), and Lucy Pevensie (Narnia)
3. The Seeker
The seeker, once again, shares the same traits as the other two but has an emphasis on curiosity and imagination. The seeker is not afraid to ponder life's deeper, more complex questions.
As said by @dragonflymage, the seeker often asks themselves questions like
Why do I exist?
Who am I really inside?
How do I fit?
Where do I belong?
They also go on to add this explanation: "A seeker, continuously looking for answers that we never may find, but that we must keep searching for anyway. "
(If you wanna read more from her post I've reblogged it on my page) While they search for these answers, the seeker oftentimes will go on a "hero's journey" in hopes of finding the answer along their quest
Examples of the seeker: Merlin (BBC), Newt Scamander (Fantastic Beasts/HP), Luke Skywalker (Star Wars), Edward Scissorhands, and Frodo (LOTR)
4. The Emotional Villain
As you can see this one is a complete 180 compared to the other three lol. This pattern doesn't exactly have a name, so I just made one up.
Pretty much all INFP villains I've seen are driven by their emotions. Afterall, Fi is our dominant function. The emotional villain is driven by personal reasons and experiences, they're not just evil for the sake of being evil. Typically the emotional villain is very moody, disturbed, and/or unstable. They are usually the direct opposite of their other INFP counterparts: they are selfish, ruthless, and blood-hungry.
Examples of the emotional villain: Wanda Maximoff (MCU), Joker (2019 ver), and Kylo Ren (Star Wars).
5. The Angsty Teen
Another really common portrayal of INFPs in media is the angsty teen. This archetype is pretty self explanatory, an angsty hormonal teenager. The angsty teen often struggles with social anxiety, and/other another mental illness. They also might have trust issues, be really moody, or hurting from unrequited love or some other trauma. The angsty teen often copes through artistic means, like poetry or painting.
I feel the feelings on this archetype are very divided. While a lot of people don't like having that image as a representation of their type, some argue that it's a realistic portrayal of the darker side of being an INFP. I personally feel like the angsty teen represents my inner conflicts, while the dreamer, mediator, and seeker represent my outward behavior most of the time. What are your thoughts?
Examples of the angsty teen: Shinji Ikari (Evangelion), Will Byers (Stranger Things), Cassie Ainsworth (Skins), Kou Mabuchi (Blue Spring Ride), Violet Parr (The Incredibles), Nico di Angelo (Percy Jackson), Charlie Kelmeckis (The Perks of Being a Wallflower), Elio Perlman (Call Me By Your Name), Todd Anderson (Dead Poets Society), Fischl (Genshin Impact), Lydia Deetz (Beetlejuice) and Cry Baby (K-12)
There's plenty more archetypes but I thought I'd just focus on these 5. Also remember that these archetypes don't represent all INFPs as a whole, they’re just like "INFPs in a nutshell."
What are your thoughts? Which archetypes do you relate to? Which one's your favorite? Which one's your least favorite?
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