Yandere

Everyone goes a bit loopy when they fall in love-- it's simple brain chemistry. Then there's this character, termed a 'yandere' by manga and anime fandom*, who takes 'crazy about you' to a whole new level. Done right, these characters can be genuinely scary antagonists or plot complications. Done unintentionally, this comes off as creepy at best and condoning abusive behaviour at worst.

This is a character whose core identity revolves around being in love with the object of their affections. Without this person, they have no other defining interests, personality, or will to live or influence the plot. It's very easy to turn this character into an incredibly creepy and persistent antagonist.

The main trap writers fall into when writing these characters is to portray their disturbed behaviour as cute or romantic. In real life, most people would be all kinds of freaked out if someone bullied them into dates by dangling off tall buildings or watched them sleep through the window or tried to control their social life by breaking their car. In Fictionland, authors often seem to give such behaviour a pass because they know the stalker is a good person who's just gone a little love-crazy. There's no reason fictional characters should put up with interpersonal nonsense that real people wouldn't in the same situation. So if you're trying to think of a romantic gesture, think about how you'd respond if a suitor pulled that on you-- if you'd call the cops, tone it down.


*A portmanteau of the Japanese words for 'troublemaking' and 'lovesick'