I guess if you are searching for Romance Manhwa with Yandere male leads you already know what a yandere is. In my book a yandere is more man a mere “obsessive” male lead, because that would include about 70 percent of the male leads out there – at least in the Romance genre with female x male pairings. In this list you will find straight up psychos that need therapy asap. Red flags, Red flags everywhere.
This list has an order: From 1: 100 % yandere and a straight up killer to 10 Some parts of me are yandere.
The king of all Yandere male leads: Trapped
Summary: At church, Chae-a Han and Yunsu Park seem like flawless angels, but in reality, Chae-a is an ex-convict with a penchant for cursing, and Yunsu, surprisingly, is a vampire. The plot thickens when Yunsu coerces Chae-a using a murder she’s innocent of, forcing her to seek an escape route. This leads to a turning point where Chae-a gains the upper hand over Yunsu’s life, initiating a perilous game of pursuit between them. As they engage in this dangerous dance, they unexpectedly find themselves increasingly ensnared in each other’s schemes.
Yandere-Level: 1000; He is extremely crazy but they are a match made in heaven because the female lead is tough
Check it out if you:
- like the enemies-to-lovers trope
- don’t mind a very slow burn romance
- love reading a story with tension between the protagonists. It’s off the charts in Trapped.
A lying and manipulative ML: Betrayal of Dignity
Summary: To prevent her family’s downfall, Chloe Verdier needs to secure a husband for her sister, Alice. She encounters the attractive yet arrogant Duke Thisse, who offers a solution. However, when Alice elopes with a suitor, Chloe is forced to take a significant risk by approaching the Duke for help. If you are searching for a wholesome story please don’t pick this up and run as far as you can. If you are willing to give this story a chance you are in for a treat. The pacing and storytelling are great and the art is absolutely gorgeous. It’s available on Manta.
Yandere-Level: 900; Duke Thisse is the raddest flag ever. He stops at nothing to get what he wants – not even if it means manipulating the fl and making her suffer. But don’t worry guys, he gets his fair share of suffering (could have been longer in my opinion)
Check it out if you:
- love a story with a lot of angst where the FL is suffering a lot.
- want to read a historical Romance Manwha with a really strong and unique FL. She has a limp and is sophisticated and headstrong.
- don’t mind when their first really intimate and love-dovey scenes are based on lies basically.
The Diamond in the rough: 340 Days
Summary: Lin is a Shut, fated to devote her entire love to a single individual, while Dosung is a Destroy, constantly concealing his predisposition for violent flare-ups. In their world, genetic and psychological characteristics define individuals. When Dosung harshly rejects Lin, a series of gruesome killings put their lives at risk. In this community riddled with secrets, Lin faces the challenge of changing Dosung’s heart.
Yandere-Level: 900; The ml is a first-class Yandere. He is crazy, obsessive and manipulative. His toxicness seems to get worse along the way.
Check it out if you:
- like when the fl loves the ml unconditionally.
- don’t prioritize art. If you do, you probably won’t like this story.
- don’t mind some pretty toxic episodes with heavy topics. But you are searching for yandere mls so who am I kidding.
Co-dependency in Dreaming Freedom
Summary: In high school, Jeongmin faces isolation as a loner, constantly bullied by Juhyeon, the Queen Bee. They used to be friends back in elementary school, but Juhyeon insisted that Jeongmin befriend only her, leading to the end of their friendship. Juhyeon leverages this past “betrayal” to encourage their classmates to mock and further alienate Jeongmin. Jeongmin’s sole refuge is in the world of lucid dreaming. During one of these dream sessions, a mysterious man appears, proposing to assist her in exacting revenge on Juhyeon.
Yandere-Level: 800; This guy is the perfect yandere because he is actually nice to the female lead and tries not be too possessive. But the killing instinct is there.
Check it out if you:
- are prepared for a very rough start with lots of bullying
- love a unique story – they meet each other in fls dreams
- like it if both have mental issues that are written pretty well
Yandere Male Lead that goes crazy: I Hold The Tyrant’s Heart
Summary: Reborn into a noble family with elven heritage, Eucenielle is torn between her past life and the new world. Her situation gets more complicated when Tes, the once tearful crown prince, falls deeply in love with her. As adults, Eucenielle is unsettled by Tes’ starkly changed demeanor and appearance, unnoticed by others. Despite suspicions of Tes using questionable means for her affection, she finds herself drawn to him.
Yandere-Level: 800, he is fierce to everyone who isn’t the ml and changed his appearance only for her.
Check it out if you:
- like when the main couple are childhood friends
- love when the ml cries a lot around the fl
- like it when the fl has a supportive family for a change
The Villain’s Savior with a male yandere that is very intense
Summary: Marked for a life of tragedy and doomed to meet his end as a villain, Aseph Randell’s fate seems sealed until Elzay Tiathe enters his life, offering a glimmer of hope with the words, “I can save you.” Plagued by intense visions of Aseph, Elzay faces the challenge of altering his grim destiny. The question remains: can Elzay unravel the complex fate that binds Aseph, or are they destined to fall together? This story is an adaptation of a popular novel.
Yandere-Level: 700, this guy is crazy – at one point he tried to stab himself – but he gets a lot of character development, so he gets only a 700.
Check it out if you:
- don’t mind when the fl cries all the time – and I mean all the time
- like reading an Otome Iskekai with an actual villain as the ml
- love it when the ml has a very sad backstory
How to Survive as a Maid in a Horror Game
Summary: “Pflatzgraff Manor’s Killer,” the latest horror creation by A-coms, boasts impressive graphics but has gained notoriety among its gaming community for its high difficulty level. Players step into the shoes of Adrian, a charming individual who embodies the devil reborn. The game’s central mission is to execute numerous killings, a task compelled by the infamous Lilith’s Curse. Following an exhaustive gaming marathon, you unexpectedly find yourself in the role of Hilda, a maid serving Adrian, transitioning from player to character in the game’s universe.
Yandere-Level: 700; This guy literally is the devil, although he looks harmless. But in his defense: He is cursed and has to kill all those people in order to safe his own life and he gets sweeter and sweeter.
Check it out if you:
- don’t mind murder and blood – obviously
- love that the narrative is actually pretty funny despite the theme
- like to escape the Otome-Isekai loop – but don’t want to stray too far.
Not quite yandere but many psycho love interests: Villains Are Destined to Die
Summary: After playing an otome game the female lead got warped into the game itself and has to live as the villainess Penelope Eckhart. The problem is: the game is on hard mode. So she is afraid to die from every little mistake she makes. Her only indication of how she is doing is the affection bar on top of the male love interests.
Yandere-Level: 100 or even less, our male lead is possessive but not brutal, which can’t be said of the other male love interests, that’s why Villains Are Destined to Die is on this list.
Check it out:
- love to read a Manhwa with really gorgeous art
- like it when you don’t really know who the male lead is in the beginning
- love some unexpected plot twists in a story
