Though not as common as the many other -dere tropes in anime, the nemuidere character type remains popular throughout whatever series it may appear. The male characters who fall under the nemuidere character type can often be found sleeping for some reason or another, regardless of the situation or the time of day.
Just like with the other -dere types, nemuidere anime characters have various and unique personality traits, but they are all defined by their habit of sleeping for long periods of time. Even while asleep though, these nemuidere boys still manage to be charming in the eyes of anime fans everywhere.
8/8 Shota Aizawa (My Hero Academia)
Shota Aizawa, better known by his Hero name Eraser Head, should be one of the first names to spring to mind when it comes to characters who love to sleep. Even in his first appearance, Aizawa arrives at class with a greatly tired expression and a large yellow sleeping bag.
Despite his seemingly perpetual sleepiness, however, Aizawa takes his duties as a teacher and Hero seriously. He does not hesitate to push his students to their limits and proves to be a punishing combatant in his own right. Befitting his name, Aizawa possesses the Quirk Erasure, which gives him the ability to nullify his opponent’s Quirk.
7/8 Nobita Nobi (Doraemon)
The main character of Doraemon, Nobita is extremely infamous for his laziness. From taking long naps after school to his frequent nocturnal behavior, Nobita’s continuous slacking has earned the ire of those around him, giving rise to his nickname “The Lazy King.”
Although he tends to avoid his responsibilities whenever he can, Nobita still possesses both a good heart and endless creativity, the latter of which is shown through the numerous gadgets he requests of Doraemon. His relationship with Doraemon is one of the most noteworthy friendships in the history of anime.
6/8 Aokiji (One Piece)
During his time as a Marine Admiral, Aokiji proved to be an extremely casual man, preferring to relax and sleep whenever he could. Though he kept a disinterested air about him at all times, he could prove to be gravely serious when the situation called for it.
In battle, Aokiji was more merciful than the other two admirals, but not to a significant degree. He had no qualms about using his fearsome Hie Hie no Mi abilities to freeze his opponents to death. However, Aokiji still adhered to his own sense of morals regarding his friends and innocent people, a trait he would retain after he defected from the Marines.
5/8 Shu Sakamaki (Diabolik Lovers)
The eldest of the six Sakamaki brothers, Shu is easily the laziest of the six, always sleeping in inconvenient locations and rarely exerting himself in any way, something his younger brothers scorn him for. As a testament to his laziness, he was even shown to have fallen asleep in the bathtub fully clothed, much to the shock of Yui Komori.
Although his laziness seems to know no bounds, Shu is still quite knowledgeable. He is the first of the Sakamaki brothers to learn of Yui’s arrival and told his other brothers not to kill her. Additionally, Shu still possesses a sadistic streak not unlike his brothers, frequently teasing Yui and reminding her of her status as his prey.
4/8 Kirito (Sword Art Online)
Unlike most of the other great nemuidere male anime characters, much of the time Kirito spends sleeping is attributed to him playing VRMMOs through various headsets, which forces him to sleep by shutting down his bodily functions. It is the usage of this technology that led to his participation in the death game within the world of the Sword Art Online video game.
When not playing VRMMOs, Kirito, whose real name is Kazuto Kirigaya, is a closeted individual who lacks communication skills. While he is lacking in communication, though, Kirito more than makes up for this with his good heart.
3/8 Midnight (Fairy Tail)
When first introduced, Midnight, one of the members of the Dark Guild Oracion Seis, appeared to be quite the oddity among his guild. While the other members took a more proactive stance during the battle against the Allied Forces, Midnight could normally be found sleeping on his magic carpet.
It is only upon his fellow guild member Racer’s defeat that Midnight finally awakens and demonstrates his disturbing Reflector magic. Upon his defeat, Midnight reveals his prayer to sleep peacefully, which stemmed from his past as a child slave forced to build the Tower of Heaven.
2/8 Iggy (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)
Though he was tasked with reinforcing the Joestar group during the journey to fight DIO, Iggy initially wanted nothing to do with the group. Instead, Iggy would rip out his allies’ hair or sleep, reacting violently if anyone, namely Polnareff, tried to wake him up.
Despite his sleeping and reluctance to help, Iggy still proved to be a valuable ally. His Stand, The Fool, played a critical role in the defeat of N’Doul, one of DIO’s minions. It is only after his fierce battle with Pet Shop that Iggy finally decides to truly aid the Joestar group in defeating DIO.
1/8 Shikamaru Nara (Naruto)
Shikamaru is undoubtedly one of the most intelligent characters in the Naruto series, having come up with plenty of successful strategies during his many fights. While his genius is cherished among his friends, Shikamaru himself would much rather take a nap or watch the clouds instead of working hard, much to the chagrin of those around him.
Though he presents himself as a slacker, Shikamaru gradually starts to take more proactive roles later in the series, developing his Shadow Possession techniques in the process. This development became especially prominent in the wake of Asuma’s murder at the hands of Hidan, an event that completely devastated Shikamaru.