As the rarest -dere archetype, darudere are notoriously lazy and indifferent in both anime and mainstream media. While these characters are meant to be boring and overshadowed, many darudere have become beloved fan-favorites for their comedic and relatable behavior.

Here's a rundown of the elusive darudere's role in eastern and western media and the archetype's best examples across cultures.

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The Darudere's Role In Anime and Mainstream Media

Darudere are rare in anime because it's easy for viewers to overlook an archetype known to be boring and unmotivated. However, audiences have found these sluggish characters to be rather endearing and lovable, whether they offer comedic relief or an infectiously calm attitude. Anime darudere tend to be relatable to fans who understand the desire for sleep and relaxation while avoiding others. Despite being lazy and low-key, many darudere find themselves starring in their respected series or becoming unexpected fan-favorites.

While darudere is a Japanese term frequently associated with anime, darudere characters are heavily prevalent and well-liked in Western mainstream media as well, often giving audiences a humorous and relatable appeal by playing up the desire to do nothing. Nickelodeon is known for starring several lazy protagonists, like Timmy Turner from The Fairly Odd Parents and Danny from Danny Phantom. While Squidward is an ideal embodiment of the archetype, Patrick Star is another fellow darudere stealing the limelight in SpongeBob SquarePants. Adult cartoons also have their fair share of slow and dull darudere, including Fry from Futurama, Homer Simpson from The Simpsons, and both Chris and Peter Griffin from Family Guy. Darudere can even be found in mainstream video games, as shown in Animal Crossing's popular and comically lazy villagers.

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Darudere: The Unexpected Yet Ideal Mentor

Given their lazy reputation, it's hard to imagine a darudere as a teacher or mentor. However, two of anime's most beloved and notable mentors, Shota Aizawa (Eraser Head) from My Hero Academia and Kakashi Hatake from Naruto, belong to this rare and tired archetype. Aizawa's exhaustion is always evident on his face, with dark bags under his eyes and an empty expression typical of a darudere. His messy hair and stubble facial hair give him an unkempt appearance that shows he doesn't have the time or energy to care about his looks. Despite his indolent attitude and monotone voice, Aizawa is a highly respected and powerful Hero who can erase anyone's Quirks, and he cares deeply about his students while willingly protecting them with his life.

Meanwhile, Naruto's Kakashi shares the same relaxed, unbothered personality as Aizawa. Despite suffering a tragic childhood and years of trauma, Kakashi found solace in his new assignment to lead Team 7 after an initial reluctance to teach young shinobi. While leading Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura, Kakashi's students frequently call him out for being late to their assignments while giving outrageous excuses for why he's tardy. Despite his overly calm demeanor in the village, Kakashi is an unusual darudere who can go from zero to one hundred very quickly. As a highly skilled and celebrated shinobi, Kakashi is appointed Hokage -- even though he didn't particularly want the position due to all the responsibility and paperwork that comes with it.

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The Best Anime for Darudere Lovers

Houtarou Oreki from Hyouka bored with hand on chin.

While darudere may be the rarest -dere archetype in anime, there are still plenty of series for fans to enjoy. Some of the most popular shōnen series to date have notable darudere characters, while Naruto has both Kakashi and Shikamaru to prove that even powerful shinobi can be tired and easygoing. Sports anime commonly provide darudere characters who are the most laid back on their teams, like Atsushi Murasakibara in Kuroko's Basketball or Kenma Kozume and Akira Kunimi from Haikyuu!!

Surprisingly, many darudere are the main protagonist of their anime series, making them unforgettable despite their unassuming personalities. Kiyotaka Ayanokōji is the protagonist of Classroom of the Elite who downplays his intelligence to mislead his classmates and use them for his own goals. Meanwhile, many fans overlook Hikari Sakishima from Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea as a darudere because he's passionate about what he loves -- yet he loathes hard work, making him more "dere" than "daru."

Despite being apathetic and never wanting to waste his energy, Houtarou Oreki from Hyouka also experiences incredible popularity among anime fans. While there are many darudere to choose from, Umaru Doma -- typically found napping in bed or playing video games in Himouto! Umaru-chan -- is often regarded as the ultimate darudere for her extraordinary laziness.

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