Anime characters can be categorized or labeled in all sorts of ways to describe their personality or their roles in a story, with "shonen protagonist" being just the start. There are also the -dere personality types, from tsundere to kuudere and yandere, and many of these -dere characters are fighters of some kind or another.

RELATED: 10 Strongest Anime Kuudere, Ranked

Tsunderes are among the most popular anime character types, hotheaded and proud characters who can't easily admit their romantic feelings for someone else, even to themselves. They're the type to say, "Sh-shut up! It's not like I like you or anything!" Some of them are found in nonviolent anime series with no fight scenes, but other tsunderes are powerful fighters of some sort, from martial artists to competitive chefs or mech pilots.

10 Kyo Sohma Practices Martial Arts (Fruits Basket)

Kyo in the new movie, Fruits Basket -Prelude-

Kyo Sohma ended up as Tohru Honda's soulmate, but he didn't try to woo her right away. In fact, he didn't seem to think much of Tohru at first, and he was preoccupied with his grudge against Yuki and his clashes with Akito and his verbally abusive father. Over time, though, he started showing his true feelings for Tohru.

Kyo practices martial arts with his teacher, Kazuma, who is like a substitute father to him, meaning the two of them are close. Kyo usually fails to beat Yuki in their fights, but Kyo's skills are undeniable, and he could pummel any street punk who crossed him.

9 Edward Elric Is A Gifted Alchemist (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

Ed Elric from FMA scowling

Edward Elric learned the ways of alchemy from his teacher, Izumi Curtis, as did his brother, Alphonse. The brothers are also skilled martial artists as well as scientists. Edward combined all this to form a unique fighting style as a state alchemist.

Edward may be hot-tempered, and he may have trouble expressing how he truly feels about Winry Rockbell, but he is absolutely determined to save humanity and protect innocence and justice, no matter the cost. He expresses his affection with alchemy.

8 Mine Grew Closer To Tatsumi (Akame Ga Kill!)

akame ga kill mine Snipe With Pumpkin

The petite but tough Mine is a member of the Night Raid mercenary gang, and she wields a powerful sniper rifle called Pumpkin that can shift between several different firing modes in battle. This makes her rather flexible, and the greater the danger, the greater Mine's power.

RELATED: 10 Strongest Anime Yandere, Ranked

Mine might not be Night Raid's strongest member, but she is still a powerful contender, and Tatsumi can always rely on her to save his life when things go south. She is also known for her hot temper and standoffish ways, but her affection for Tatsumi became increasingly evident all the same.

7 Gray Fullbuster Didn't Warm Up To Juvia At First (Fairy Tail)

Fairy Tail_ Gray Fullbuster

Gray Fullbuster is an ice wizard and a beloved member of the Fairy Tail wizard guild, a friendly rival to both Natsu Dragneel and Lyon Vastia. Gray has a well-balanced personality for the most part, but when the water wizard Juvia threw herself at him, Gray's tsundere side emerged.

Gray found Juvia annoying and often pushed her away, and he quickly lost his temper more than once. Still, he accepted her as a fellow Fairy Tail wizard. Eventually, he was ready to lay down his life for her and vice versa, even if he wouldn't readily admit it with words.

6 Lady Tsunade Is Tough But Kind (Naruto)

tsunade looking smug naruto

The slug princess Tsunade could also be described as a yottadere, a character who loves their alcohol, but she has some tsundere traits as well, including her prickly and standoffish exterior and her deep, hidden love for all the people in her life. Tsunade has always been a handful, and things got worse when her brother and lover died.

RELATED: 10 Strongest Anime Dandere, Ranked

Tsunade may trade verbal barbs with Jiraiya and act sternly as Hokage at times, but her compassion for others is genuine, and she will express her love of the Leaf Village and her faith in Naruto Uzumaki with her fists more than her words. She sometimes compliments Naruto behind his back, too.

5 InuYasha Is A Half-Demon (InuYasha)

inuyasha fighter

InuYasha is the titular hero of the popular isekai series InuYasha, the half-blood son of a great demon and the half-brother of the mighty Sesshomaru. InuYasha can use a variety of techniques bare-handed, including claw swipes, and his oversized demon fang sword Tetsusaiga can use the Wind Scar, Backlash Wave, and more.

InuYasha is also quite the tsundere, an emotionally dense follow who has a tough time expressing his true affection for Kikyo and, later, Kagome Higurashi. He and Kagome really get on each other's nerves since they both have a tsundere streak, but still, they are allies to the end.

4 Guts The Mercenary Wields A Giant Sword & Berserker Armor (Berserk)

Guts Walks Through The Fire In Berserk

Guts is a veteran mercenary with seemingly infinite stamina and courage, and he has slain many powerful apostles in his time. If he's got a sword in his hands, preferably a large one, he can cut down enemy soldiers with frightening ease, becoming a deliverer of bladed death on any battlefield.

RELATED: 10 Strongest Shojo Love Interests, Ranked

Guts is even stronger with his Dragon Slayer sword and prosthetic left arm, which includes a miniature cannon and a rapid-fire crossbow. Then, Guts can take it to the next level with the Berserker Armor, which makes him a demon in combat. He's also a total tsundere when Casca is concerned, but his love is genuine.

3 Asuka Langley Soryu Pilots A Giant Robot (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

Asuka Mentions Lilin In Evangelion

In person, Asuka is a rather weak tsundere, being an ordinary adolescent, but she is also a youthful mecha pilot, just like Shinji and Rei, and in that regard, she is vastly powerful. Asuka can pilot EVA Unit-02, a towering war machine that could flatten entire city blocks. More often, though, it's used to fight alien Angels.

In her robot, Asuka is one of anime's strongest tsunderes, whether or not she cooperates with her teammates to save the day. She is also known for her prickly personality with Shinji Ikari, and in all fairness, Shinji isn't always that easy to like. He's trying, though.

2 Vegeta Is A Saiyan Prince (Dragon Ball Z)

Vegeta Looks Down On His Enemy In Dragon Ball Z

Prince Vegeta is the archetypical shonen rival, a competitive Saiyan who is determined to surpass Son Goku one of these days. He and Goku are sometimes at odds, but they are also fine allies against the likes of Frieza and other foes.

Vegeta is also a noted tsundere, a hotheaded and self-absorbed fellow who is slow to admit his affection for others. He did end up with Bulma, though, and at times, he was actually a better lover than Goku was for Chi-Chi. He also had a son, the time-traveling Trunks, with Bulma.

1 Haruhi Suzumiya Is Godly (The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya)

haruhi suzumiya in a cool pose

At first glance, Haruhi Suzumiya is an ordinary high school student who's eager for adventure, but she is far more than that. This legendary anime character is a powerful tsundere who has godly powers, being able to create, destroy, and reshape universes and realities at will.

This makes Haruhi one of anime's strongest characters of all, not just among tsunderes, so it's important that people not upset her too much. She is also a bit impulsive and erratic, too, and she can be rather prickly and standoffish at times.

Next: 10 Strongest Teachers in Anime