Danganronpa

The story takes place in an elite educational institution called Hope's Peak Academy (Japanese: 希望ヶ峰学園, Kibo:gamine gakuen). It accepts talented high school students who are specialists in some field. Along with the talented students, there is one very ordinary, unremarkable student who gets into this academy by winning a lottery held by the academy once a year. This student is Makoto Naegi (Japanese: 苗木 誠 Naegi Makoto), who is quite optimistic, but believes that he is no different from others. Makoto is given the title of "ultimate lucky guy" (超高校級の「幸運」 chō-kōkō-kyū no 「kōun」) due to winning a lottery. Naegi cannot believe his victory and that he will now be studying with talented specialists at an elite academy. However, when Makoto enters the academy gates, he suddenly loses consciousness and wakes up in the academy building. Once in the hall, he meets fourteen talented students who are in the same situation as himself. Soon, the students are met by the self-proclaimed principal, Monokuma, who looks like a small teddy bear controlled by remote control. Monokuma announces that all students are imprisoned in this academy for the rest of their lives, and there is only one way to escape alive: by committing the perfect crime. If the killer's identity is not revealed in a class trial (学級裁判, gakyu saiban), where students gather after each murder to find the culprit, then the killer will be able to "graduate" from the academy alive, while everyone else will be brutally executed. During the "killing game", several students die or are killed by others. All of the killers are revealed in the class trial thanks to other students. Throughout the investigation, Makoto is assisted by a mysterious girl, Kyoko Kirigiri, who has no memory of her past, but has endurance, keen observation, and excellent deductive skills.

Using his own abilities, as well as Kyoko's help, Makoto manages to make a breakthrough during the trial and find the culprit. However, through his research, he realizes that no matter what the students do, Monokuma has no intention of letting them leave the academy. After many murders and deaths, the remaining students decide to band together to break out of the academy and find out the truth about Monokuma. At the last school meeting, after a long discussion of the facts, it turns out that one of the students is running this school. The suspect is Junko Enoshima, who was thought to have been killed for breaking the rules, but in fact it was not she who died, but her sister, Mukuro Ikusaba, who was posing as Enoshima on Junko's whim, and she killed her. Junko herself appears before the students when she is exposed and shows photographs, claiming that the students have been studying at this academy for over two years and have known each other for a long time. However, Togami says that they have been at this academy for no more than a couple of weeks, not two years.

It turns out that all of the students had their memories erased, so they have no memory of the two years they spent at the academy. It all happened when unspecified apocalyptic events caused by a mysterious group calling themselves "Ultimate Despair" (超高校級の「绝望」 chō-kōkō-kyū no 「zetsubō」) led society to collapse and destruction, causing violent anarchy to break out across the world. The principal and the students agreed to stay at the academy to wait out the war and the crisis. Junko disagreed, so she killed the principal, Kyoko's father, and took control of the entire academy, erasing the memories of all of the students to begin her "game." Enoshima's goal was to spread despair throughout the world, so she broadcasted the events inside the academy, including executions and murders, on television using Monokuma. After being exposed, Junko's plans were completely thwarted, so she loses control of herself and decides to commit suicide by executing the culprit, herself, which combines all the executions that were shown so far. Makoto, Kyoko, and the other surviving students emerge from the barricaded academy, unaware of what is really happening to the world. In the final scene at the very end, Monokuma mysteriously turns on, vowing to continue his search as well as spread despair throughout the world.

Monokuma (Japanese: モノクマ) is a teddy bear who calls himself the principal of the academy. Monokuma is controlled by a remote control, so he has "copies of himself". He is the organizer of the "killing game" and the representative of those who hold the students hostage and force them to participate in the academy's activities. He harshly punishes students for not following or breaking the rules. He is afraid that the students of the academy will reveal some secret, so he adds new rules whenever he wants.

Makoto Naegi (苗木 誠 Naegi Makoto) is an ordinary high school student who got into the academy through a lottery, thus earning the title of "ultimate lucky guy" (超高校級の「幸運」 chō-kōkō-kyū no 「kōun」). Makoto has no special abilities or talents, but he has good detective skills and helps solve crimes in the school trial, staying focused even under the pressure of the theories and guesses of other students who can easily give in to panic or their emotions. He holds the fictional title given to him by Kyoko at the end of the story, "Absolute Hope" (超高校級の「希望」, chō-kōkō-kyū no 「kibō」). He is one of the surviving students who escapes the academy at the end of the story. He returns in the next game as a member of the Future Foundation.

Kyoko Kirigiri (霧切 響子 Kirigiri Kyōko) is a mysterious girl whose talent was not known from the beginning, due to the fact that she does not like to talk about herself, but this is not the only reason, because Kyoko suffered from amnesia and lost her memories. Kirigiri's memories were erased by Monokuma because she could ruin his plans with her talent. She seemed unsociable and cold to everyone, which caused repeated suspicion and mistrust. She knows how to argue her point of view, has good deductive skills. She never completely trusted other students, but soon begins to trust Makoto and helps him out, helping to remove false suspicions from him. It is later revealed that she is the daughter of the academy's director, Jin Kirigiri, who created the academy with good intentions. Her true talent is "ultimate detective" (超高校級の「探偵」 chō-kōkō-kyū no 「tantei」). She is one of the surviving students who escapes the academy at the end of the story. She returns in the next game as a member of the Future Foundation.

Byakuya Togami (十神 白夜 Togami Byakuya) is the heir to a wealthy and successful family, a wealthy heir. It is rumored that he has already held several senior positions in the company and has managed to accumulate a significant amount of money for his own. He only attended exclusive schools before joining the academy. He holds the title of "Absolute Heir" (超高校級の「御曹司」, chō-kōkō-kyū no 「onozōshi」). From the beginning, he was cold towards others, seeing them as competition and afraid of losing to them. He appeared to be an arrogant and self-confident person, believing himself to be above others. He also initially refused to cooperate and participate in the group's investigations and escape attempts. Over time, he became more friendly towards the group, especially after Sakura's suicide. He is good at investigating and often actively participates in them, but sometimes accuses others for no reason. He is one of the surviving students who escapes the academy at the end of the story. He returns in the next game as a member of the Future Foundation. In Zettai Zetsubō Shōjo: Danganronpa Another Episode, it is revealed that he is the commander of the 14th branch of the Future Foundation.

Toko Fukawa (腐川 冬子 Fukawa Tōko) / Genocide Shou (ジェノサイダー翔 Zenosaida Shō) is a gloomy and strange girl who suffers from personality disorders. Most often, she chooses Byakuya as the object of her surveillance, always supporting him and standing up for him. She has the talent of "ultimate bookworm" (超高校級の「文学少女」 chō-kōkō-kyū no 「bungaku shojo」). One of Toko's novels, Before the Sea's Scent Fades Away, was a huge success, as a result of which it even managed to make fishermen popular among teenage girls for several months. Despite her young age, she has already won several awards and is constantly on the top list of book sales. Another personality can take control of Toko when she sneezes or wakes up from fainting at the sight of blood (she suffers from hemophobia and faints at the sight of blood). Genocider Sho is a brutal killer and maniac who likes to dismember handsome guys or men with her scissors, which she constantly holds in her hands. She also has the title of "ultimate serial killer" (Japanese: 超高校級の「殺人者」 cho:-ko:ko:-kyū: no 「satsujinki」). Each of the personalities has a different set of memories and does not have access to the memories of the other, also Toko cannot control her second personality. He is one of the surviving students who escape from the academy at the end of the story. In the future, a member of the Future Foundation group. Toko is featured in a trailer for the upcoming spin-off game Zettai Zetsubō Shōjo: Danganronpa Another Episode.[4]

Aoi Asahina (朝日奈 葵 Asahina Aoi) is a young athlete who has been active in five different sports clubs. Due to her abilities, Aoi was chosen to represent the Olympics. Her talent is the "ultimate swimmer" (超高校級の「スイマー」 chō-kōkō-kyū no 「suima」). She is always energetic and friendly, but has trouble remembering names. In the game, she shows her insecurity, believing that she is not feminine enough due to the fact that she is an athlete. She is also a secret admirer of Jason Statham. She loves to eat donuts. A weak-willed girl, friendly and naive, easily gets hysterical. Was on good terms with Sakura throughout the story, but after her suicide, tried to take all the blame on herself, misleading the other students. Blamed herself and others for Sakura's death. One of the few students who takes the death of her friends to heart. Is one of the surviving students who escapes from the academy at the end of the story. In the future, a member of the Future Foundation group. Voice Actor: Chiwa Saito

Yasuhiro Hagakure (Japanese: 葉隠 康比呂 Hagakure Yasuhiro) was one of the more laid-back students. A rising star in the field of fortune telling, but in reality, his predictions were only about 30% accurate. Title: "Absolute Shaman" (Japanese: 超高校級の「占い師」, chō-kōkō-kyū no 「uranaishi」). He claimed to have purchased his crystal ball (which is actually made of regular glass) for 100 million yen and that it had previously been used by Napoleon, Genghis Khan, and George Washington. He was the "oldest" student, due to his past failures. He was afraid of Sakura, calling her an "ogre". He is very afraid when the slightest suspicion falls on him, and immediately panics. He is very naive and trusting towards others, likes to say absurd things, and is also a fan of video games. He is one of the surviving students who escapes from the academy at the end of the story (although in the game demo and anime preview he is shown as the first victim). In the future, he is a member of the Future Foundation group.

Sayaka Maizono (舞園 さやか, Maizono Sayaka) is a pop singer who is the leader of five nationally and popular idol groups in Japan. Sayaka used to go to the same school as Naegi, although they did not interact at the time. She likes to joke about being a psychic, although in reality she is simply someone with good intuition. She has the talent of "ultimate idol" (超高校級の「アイドル」, chō-kōkō-kyū no 「aidoru」). A cheerful and talkative girl, she tries not to appear "cold" and unattainable to others. She hides her true feelings due to the pressure of popularity. She became the first victim of the "killing game" because her plan to "graduate" from the academy failed.

Leon Kuwata (桑田 怜恩, Kuwata Reon) is a cheeky, hot-blooded teenager who is good at baseball and can throw with great accuracy. His talent is called "ultimate baseball player" (超高校級の「野球選手」 chō-kōkō-kyū no 「yakū senshū」). Despite his success, Leon has long wanted to quit baseball and become a musician. The rules of baseball prevented Leon from feeling free, which does not suit his style. In the game, he mentioned that in order to win his girlfriend's heart, he had to go to a hair salon. He also invited Naegi to play baseball with him after they graduated from the academy. He was the first student to be executed by Monokuma according to the rules of the game, due to him killing Sayaka while supposedly defending his own life.

Chihiro Fujisaki (不二咲 千尋 Fujisaki Chihiro) is a shy student who is a skilled programmer, he is the "Ultimate Programmer" (超高校級の「プログラマー」, Chō-kōkō-kyū no 「Purogurama」). Despite his predominantly feminine appearance and clothing, Chihiro is actually a guy who suffers from a personal weakness, believing that if you are a girl, you can be weak and it will be acceptable. When Monokuma threatens the students, Chihiro gains his resolve and wants to go to the gym to train to become stronger and overcome his weakness. After sharing his secret with Mondo in hopes of getting support, Chihiro is killed by Mondo when he smashes his head with a dumbbell in a fit of rage. Before dying, he leaves behind a laptop containing an AI program he created to help others with their investigation.

Alter Ego (Japanese: アルターエゴ, Aruta Ego) is an artificial intelligence created by Chihiro Fujisaki based on his appearance. A friendly and outgoing model with a personality similar to Chihiro. When contacted by another person, Alter Ego can change its personality to match the person. After its execution, it remains alive and helps Naegi avoid death during the execution. In the future, a member of the Future Foundation. Alter Ego was created by Chiaki Nanami and Usami for the Future Foundation in the next game.

Mondo Owada (大和田 紋土, Ōwada Mondo) is the second leader of the Crazy Diamonds, a violent and largest motorcycle gang in Japan. He is an "ultimate bōsōzoku" (超高校級の「暴走族」, chō-kōkō-kyū no 「bōsōzoku」). He acts like a delinquent, uses foul language, and is rude to others. He does not hesitate to resort to violence when his patience runs out. He has a huge complex, which is why he killed Chihiro in a fit of rage, because Chihiro is weak, but claims that he will become strong and strives for it. This complex stems from the fact that he was always looked at as the younger brother of Daiya Owada, the previous leader of the Crazy Diamonds, when Mondo wanted to become stronger. He claimed to get nervous when around a girl he likes, raising his voice, which subsequently scares everyone. In the game, he claimed to be unsure of his future, and believed that his only choice was to get a job right after high school and become a carpenter by choice, so he could invent things instead of smashing them. He was executed by Monokuma.

Kiyotaka Ishimaru (石丸 清多夏 Ishimaru Kiyotaka) is a model student at his school, known for his participation in the Public Moral Committee. Kiyotaka is a "total pedant" (超高校級の「風紀委員」 chō-kōkō-kyū no 「fuki i:n」). He is never late for meetings at the academy and other events. He always behaves decently, regardless of the situation. In any case, he puts order and truth above all else. Kiyotaka is unable to maintain a normal conversation with another person. Ishimaru is expressive and intense in his manner of speech. He has never played video games or watched television in his life, devoting all his free time to studying. First of all, he couldn't stand the one who ran around the school. After the death of Owada, his only friend, Kiyotaka enters a strange state and receives the name Ishida, which is formed from the fusion of two names: (石) Ishimaru and Owada (田). He was killed by Hifumi Yamada on the orders of Celestia Ludenberg.

Hifumi Yamada (山田 一二三 Yamada Hifumi) is a famous doujinshi author. Perceived by others as a creepy and twisted person. In reality, he is the "ultimate doujinshi author" (超高校級の「同人作家」 chō-kōkō-kyū no 「dōjinsakka」). He was able to sell ten thousand copies of his works at his school's cultural festival. Claims to only be interested in the 2D world. He has a particular dislike for people who do not understand the true meaning of doujinshi, even claiming that they ruin everything. Yamada's dream was to save other people by making doujinshi that would inspire them to create their own. In a conversation with Alter Ego, he admits that Celestia is the first girl he ever talked to, and she wasn't disgusted by him. He thinks that Genocide Sho is a tsundere. He killed Ishimaru Kiyotaka on Celestia's orders, thinking that he stole Alter Ego. He was killed by Celestia.

Celestia Ludenberg (Japanese: セレスティア・ルーデンベルク, Seresut'ia Rūdenberuku) is a high school student who follows the gothic lolita style. She is known as the "queen of lies" due to her personality and talent. A renowned and skilled card player, she can manipulate others and remain emotionless in the most tense situations. Her talent is the "ultimate gambler" (Japanese: 超高校級の「ギャンブラー」 chō-kōkō-kyū no 「gyambura」). She lives by the rule that if you want to survive, you must adapt. She is often reserved and calm, but has outbursts of irritation and anger. She is shown to be quite intelligent and calculating. After it was announced that whoever could commit the perfect crime would receive a huge sum of money as a monetary reward, Celestia decided to do so, as her cherished dream was to live in her own luxurious castle while waiting for a handsome young man dressed as a vampire. Her real name, Taeko Yasuhiro (安広 多恵子 Yasuhiro Taeko), was revealed only immediately before her execution. She was executed by Monokuma.

Sakura Ogami (大神 さくら, Ōgami Sakura) is a martial arts and wrestling expert. She became the champion of an international competition held in America. Her title is "Ultimate Martial Artist" (超高校級の「格闘家」 chō-kōkō-kyū no 「kakutōka」). At the time of the series, her record of 400 victories has not yet been surpassed. Contrary to all assumptions, Sakura is a level-headed, quiet and calm girl. She always stood up for Aoi and believed in her. Sakura did not want to be considered a traitor, she understood that suspicions would not go away, so she decided to commit suicide so that no one could manipulate her while trying to protect other students.

Sakura Ogami (大神 さくら, Ōgami Sakura) is a martial arts and wrestling expert. She became the champion of an international competition held in America. Her title is "Ultimate Martial Artist" (超高校級の「格闘家」 chō-kōkō-kyū no 「kakutōka」). At the time of the series, her record of 400 victories has not yet been surpassed. Contrary to all assumptions, Sakura is a level-headed, quiet and calm girl. She always stood up for Aoi and believed in her. Sakura did not want to be considered a traitor, she understood that suspicions would not go away, so she decided to commit suicide so that no one could manipulate her while trying to protect other students.

Junko Enoshima (江ノ島 盾子 Enoshima Junko) is a young fashionista and a fan of extravagant tastes. Her talent is "absolute gyaru" (超高校級の「ギャル」, chō-ko:ko:-kyū no 「gyaru」) Her face has been on the covers of many popular magazines. Junko wanted to become a model ever since she was a child, eager to try new things and feelings. Personality, character, and mannerisms are unstable and unsteady. Junko is able to switch between her moods, including the Monokuma personality, four manners of speech, attractive woman complex, severe depression, sophistication, and superiority. Junko was obsessed with despair, mistaking it for one of the most beautiful emotions in the world. She holds the fictitious title of "Ultimate Despair" (Japanese: 超高校級の「绝望」 chō-kōkō-kyū no 「zetsubo」). The mastermind of the killing game, she was the one who erased the memories of all the students and held them hostage. She killed her older sister, Mukuro, whom she considered talentless. When the students discovered Junko's identity, she decided to have herself executed.

Mukuro Ikusaba (戦刃 むくろ Ikusaba Mukuro) is the mysterious 16th student of the academy, whose identity was only revealed after the sixth murder, and the twin sister of Junko Enoshima. She has the talent of "Ultimate Mercenary Soldier" (超高校級の「軍人」, chō-kōkō-kū no 「gujin」). She has gone through many battles as a mercenary soldier for the Fenrir group without receiving a single wound. Even as a child, she was interested in combat weapons and strategy. Despite her title, Mukuro emotionlessly accepts Junko's orders, if only she would become kinder to her. She craves the praise of her own sister and wants her to accept it, for which she is willing to do anything. Because of this, Mukuro takes Enoshima's insults to heart. She is defenseless and kind, despite being on the side of the killer. She admits that she lacks the ability to negotiate with others and plan tactics, despite being a professional soldier. She has the fictitious title of "Ultimate Despair" (超高校級の「绝望」, chō-kōkō-kyū no 「zetsubō」). She plays a major role in the story of Danganronpa IF, which tells the possible outcome of events if Makoto remembered everything earlier and saved her life, after which she would help everyone avoid the bad ending.

Hope's Peak Academy Rules Students may only live at the school; leaving campus is not permitted. "Night time" starts at 10 p.m. and lasts until 7 a.m. Some areas of the school are closed at night. Sleeping is only allowed in the dormitory; sleeping elsewhere is considered as sleeping in class and is punished. Violence against Principal Monokuma is strictly prohibited, as is tampering with security cameras. Anyone who kills a classmate becomes "blackened" and, if not found, is discharged from school. After the murder, a class trial begins, at which all students must be present. If the “blackened” one is found, then only he bears the “punishment”. If the “blackened” one is not found, then everyone except the “blackened” one is “punished”. Giving your electronic diaries to other students is strictly prohibited. One person can kill a maximum of two people. New rules may emerge as needed. These rules may change as the game progresses, and students will be punished for breaking them.

Monokuma uses executions to eliminate students who break the rules, as well as after a class trial, where the students vote on who the "blackened" killer is, and the decision is made by a majority vote. If the majority votes correctly, only the blackened is executed. If the majority votes incorrectly, all students except the blackened are executed. Blackened who are executed after a trial receive a personal execution. However, there are times when the mastermind breaks this rule. In Danganronpa 1, the mastermind staged a fake trial to execute Kyoko Kirigiri for trying to find the truth and solve the mystery of the survival game. Since their plan to frame Kyoko for murder failed when the students suspected Makoto Naegi of the murder, they tried to execute him instead. Similarly, in Danganronpa 2, when Chiaki Nanami is about to be executed, Monokuma decides to execute Monomi as well because she annoys him.

The executions are very cruel and each time they are new.