Taiga Aisaka

Taiga Aisaka is the main heroine of Yuyuko Takemiya's romance light novel Toradora!. She is a high school student with the epithet of "Palmtop Tiger", referring to her small stature (fitting at the palm of one's hand) and violent behaviour. Taiga is neighbours with protagonist Ryuuji and wants him to help her confess to his friend Kitamura, so she can also help Ryuuji confess to her friend Minori. However, throughout the course of the story, they ended up falling in love with each other instead.

Taiga hails from a distinguished archetype of tsunderes, labeled by pop culture wiki TVTropes as "Shana Clones". In fact, she is a member of what fans call the "Four Tsundere Wonders" with Shana, Louise, and Nagi due to possessing similar traits such as long hair, thigh-high stockings, delicious flat chest, powerful status, and being voiced by Rie Kugimiya. Taiga also assaults the MC and labels him an animal like the other three girls, calling Ryuuji a "mongrel" and attacking him in many scenes with punches, kicks, and a wooden sword. Taiga's deredere nature fully emerges in the latter half of the story when it's revealed that she has a soft spot for Christmas. Appropriately enough, the climax happens during the holiday season, where her feelings for Ryuuji are realized and shown to the main cast.

Out of the four famous Rie-tsunderes, Taiga is the most successful girl in saimoe tournaments. She was the undisputed "best waifu" in 2009 when she won both 2channel's Japanese saimoe tournament and Anizone's Korea Best Moe at the same year, a feat previously achieved by Suiseiseki in 2006. Taiga was the closest girl to have achieved the old "Triple Crown" of saimoe (2channel, Anizone, and International Saimoe League); with only ISML missing, she tried to pursue the tiara in her first few appearances, but the furthest she could reach was the semi-finals in 2012. Taiga also has the most staying power by a long shot; while Shana eventually won the ISML tiara in 2016, the palmtop tiger remains one of the most famous examples of tsunderes due to Toradora! becoming a hit among Western audiences, which is the main reason behind her strong presence in r/anime's Best Girl Contest.

Icons

History
TBD

Main Tournament
Overall record (as of 2020)

Match History Click [Expand] to see Taiga's match history from 2010-2013, and 2014 postseason

Necklace record


 * Wins: 2  - 2010 topaz, 2011 emerald
 * Appearances: 17 (includes 2012-2015 division playoffs; 2009-2010 necklaces do NOT count)
 * 2011: Topaz (7th) - Amethyst (6th) - Sapphire (7th) - Emerald (Winner)
 * 2012: Aquamarine (2nd), Amethyst (2nd), Ruby (3rd) - Diamond (Stella 2nd)
 * 2013: Aquamarine (6th) - Ruby (6th) - Topaz (4th) - Diamond (Stella 5th)
 * 2014: Emerald (6th) - Diamond (Stella 3rd)
 * 2015: Diamond (Stella 15th)
 * 2017: Emerald (8th) - Diamond (6th)

Best Girl
Best Girl 1 - seed 5


 * (508) Musubi @ Sekirei -- 2950 - 438
 * (253) Origami Tobiichi @ Date A Live -  3774 - 972
 * (133) Kouko Kaga @ Golden Time -- 4382 - 1626
 * (69) Rikka Takanashi @ Chuunibyou -- 4739 - 2448
 * (28) C.C. @ Code Geass -- 4979 - 3444
 * (12) Shinobu Oshino @ Monogatari -- 5376 - 5553 

Best Girl 2 - seed 23


 * (490) Roka Shibasaki @ D-Frag! -- 6172 - 1480
 * (234) Kuroko Shirai @ A Certain Magical Index -- 5476 - 2716
 * (106) Lisbeth @ Sword Art Online -- 6012 - 2638
 * (42) Homura Akemi @ Madoka Magica -- 4626 - 4195
 * (10) Komachi Hikigaya @ Oregairu -- 4285 - 5083
 * (26) Kosaki Onodera @ Nisekoi -- 5818 - 5352
 * (2) Yui Yuigahama @ Oregairu -- 4813 - 7526

Best Girl 3 - seed 30


 * (483) Mayu Arita @ Death Parade -- 4091 - 2786
 * (227) Chlammy Zell @ No Game No Life -- 5069 - 1822
 * (158) Saki Kawasaki @ Oregairu -- 4314 - 1982
 * (35) Irisviel von Einzbern @ Fate/Zero -- 4688 - 3431
 * (3) Rin Tohsaka @ Fate/stay night -- 3901 - 5328

Best Girl 4 - seed 7


 * (506) Rin Kaga @ Usagi Drop -- 7423 - 1765
 * (250) Koneko Toujou @ High School DxD -- 6981 - 2588
 * (122) Asuka Tanaka @ Sound! Euphonium -- 6473 - 4156
 * (58) Crusch Karsten @ Re:Zero -- 8006 - 5026
 * (26) Haruhi Suzumiya @ Haruhi Suzumiya -- 7385 - 7284
 * (10) Yui Yuigahama @ Oregairu -- 7044 - 9939

Best Girl 5 - seed 22


 * (491) Reina Izumi @ Phantom World -- 6275 - 1650
 * (235) Papika  @ Flip Flappers -- 6603 - 2039
 * (107) Felt @ Re:Zero -- 7202 - 2757
 * (43) Suruga Kanbaru @ Monogatari -- 7017 - 6563
 * (11) Mayuri Shiina @ Steins;Gate -- 6029 - 6097

Best Girl 6 - seed 69


 * (444) Kyouko Kouda @ 3-gatsu no Lion -- 3176 - 1125
 * (188) Asuka Tanaka @ Sound! Euphonium -- 3258 - 1853
 * (60) Satsuki Kiryuin @ Kill la Kill -- 4381 - 3147
 * (5) Ochako Uraraka @ My Hero Academia -- 5155 - 4705
 * (28) Karen Araragi @ Monogatari -- 7468 - 7642

Best Girl 7 - seed 41


 * (472) Haru Okumura @ Persona 5 -- 2507 - 777
 * (216) Suguha Kirigaya @ Sword Art Online -- 2540 - 802
 * (88) Hestia @ Danmachi -- 2763 - 1710
 * (24) Shouko Nishimiya @ A Silent Voice -- 2518 - 3319

Best Girl 8 - seed 54


 * (459) Isabella @ The Promised Neverland -- 3967 - 1195
 * (203) Fubuki Shirakami @ Hololive / Holo no Graffiti -- 2153 - 956
 * (75) Itsuki Nakano @ 5-toubun no Hanayome -- 2278 - 1810
 * (11) Violet Evergarden @ Violet Evergarden -- 1601 - 3026

Best Character
Best Character 1 - seed 74


 * (439) Whitebeard @ One Piece -- 2011 - 877
 * (330) Haruko Haruhara @ FLCL -- 2209 - 1390
 * (55) Suruga Kanbaru @ Monogatari -- 2009 - 1879
 * (10) Rin Tohsaka @ Fate/stay night -- 1916 - 2829

Best Character 2 - seed 64


 * (449) Suguha Kirigaya @ Sword Art Online -- 1715 - 371
 * (320) Saki Watanabe @ Shinsekai Yori -- 1151 - 683
 * (65) Kyouko Sakura @ Madoka Magica -- 1323 - 896
 * (1) Rintarou Okabe @ Steins;Gate -- 608 - 1654

Best Character 3 - seed 59


 * (454) Fuyumi Irisu @ Hyouka -- 1406 - 426
 * (198) Mashiro Shiina @ Sakurasou -- 1592 - 806
 * (187) Izaya Orihara @ Durarara!! -- 1408 - 981
 * (6) Shinobu Oshino @ Monogatari -- 859 - 1613

Best Character 4 - seed 56


 * (457) Tomomi Masaoka @ Psycho-Pass -- 1461 - 507
 * (201) Android 18 @ Dragon Ball -- 1476 - 542
 * (73) Ryuuji Takasu @ Toradora! -- 1428 - 999
 * (9) Shouko Nishimiya @ A Silent Voice -- 1036 - 1458

Best Character 5 - seed 47


 * (466) Komari Koshigaya @ Non Non Biyori -- 548 - 186
 * (210) Fumino Furuhashi @ Bokuben -- 590 - 338
 * (82) Ryuk @ Death Note -- 793 - 519
 * (18) Mikasa Ackerman @ Attack on Titan -- 605 - 822

Anime Saimoe Tournament
Saimoe 2009


 * Top 384+ (4-way): (You) > Lynette Bishop > Louise Halevy > Ruby Toujou  (726 - 521 - 68 - 36)
 * Top 96 (3-way): (You) > Ami Kawashima > Mikuru Asahina (786 - 627 - 297)
 * Maria @ Hayate the Combat Butler -- 850 - 725
 * Azusa Nakano @ K-On! -- 825 - 711
 * Isumi Saginomiya @ Hayate the Combat Butler -- 812 - 736
 * Nodoka Haramura @ Saki -- 1077 - 998
 * Yui Hirasawa @ K-On! -- 1332 - 1278

Saimoe 2012


 * Top 288+ (3-way): (You) > Yassan > Erika Kurumi (295 - 139 - 104)
 * Top 96 (3-way): Yuu Matsumi > (You) > Yui Hirasawa (425 - 255 - 114)

Korea Best Moe Tournament
KBM 2009


 * (3-way): (You) > Kyuubei Yagyuu > Yutaka Kobayakawa (1375 - 728 - 398)
 * Konata Izumi @ Lucky Star - 1392 - 1181
 * Ami Kawashima @ Toradora! - 1230 - 949
 * Hinagiku Katsura @ Hayate the Combat Butler - 1379 - 1349
 * Azusa Nakano @ K-On! - 1394 -1251
 * Kagami Hiiragi @ Lucky Star - 1809 -1806

KBM 2012


 * (3-way): (You) > Rise Kujikawa > Nagi Sanzenin (135 - 69 - 48)
 * Izumi Segawa @ Hayate the Combat Butler - 137 - 87
 * Illyasviel von Einzbern @ Fate/stay night -- 107 - 96
 * Hitagi Senjougahara @ Monogatari - 66 - 126

Contest Wins
Total Wins : 14


 * 1) Saimoe 2009
 * 2) KBM 2009
 * 3) Baidu Harem Moe 2010 Image
 * 4) (sina.com) S.C.(lit. 雪酷: Sheku = So Cool) Moe 2011 - Bilibili link, Sina link
 * 5) DMZJ Kimono Moe 2011
 * 6) 3rd Weibo Saimoe 2012 (ft. Co-Winner Yui Hirasawa) - Weibo link
 * 7) 1st Weibo Pingtai(= platform) Moe 2013
 * 8) 1st Renren(=人人, for everyone) Saimoe 2013 (China)
 * 9) AnimeGirls Saimoe 2014 - Blogspot
 * 10) ACGN Miss Anime 2015 - ISML forum link
 * 11) 4 CHAN Chapionnat Moe National 2018 - ISML forum link
 * 12) FACEBOOK LoliMouto 2019 - FB link
 * 13) FACEBOOK Anime UwU Torneo de waifus(SHOJO) 2019 - Image
 * 14) Best Tsundere Girl 2021 - Image

Runner-up list
Runner-up finishes: 5


 * 1) 1st/2nd Weibo Saimoe
 * 2) (Japan) Biglobe Tsundere Character Contest 2012 - Internet Archive link, Image
 * 3) Anime Random 2.0 Torneo de waifus 2020 - FB link
 * 4) FB Henshiki Torneo de waifus 2021 - FB link

Navigation
Notes

Beware of spoilers and pop-ups.
 * Toradora Wikia
 * MyAnimeList
 * Baike Baidu (Chinese)
 * Moegirl (Chinese)
 * NamuWiki (Korean)