Hajime Hinata

Hajime Hinata (日向 創) is the main protagonist of Super Dangan Ronpa 2: Goodbye Despair.
Introduced with the title Super High School Level ??? (超高校級の「???」, localized Ultimate ???) as he had originally entered Hope's Peak Academy as a reserve course student, and could not remember this fact. In the final Chapter is it revealed that Hajime Hinata participated in the Izuru Kamukura Project - a brain alteration/augmentation program named after the school's founder designed to "create a genius out of the ordinary" - in which his original memories and personality were erased. During this time, he was known as Izuru Kamukura or more formally by the project Izuru01 and was given the title of Super High School Level Hope (超高校級の「希望」, localized Ultimate Hope).
Being the same person both Hajime and Izuru are voiced by Minami Takayama in the Japanese version of the anime and the game, and by Johnny Yong Bosch in the English versions of said media. The latter also voiced Yukio Okumura in Blue Exorcist, Ichigo Kurosaki in Bleach, Artemis in the ViZ dub of Sailor Moon, Kiba in Wolf's Rain, Lelouch vi Britannia in Code Geass, Giyu Tomioka in Demon Slayer, Nathan "Nate" Adams in Yo-kai Watch, and Guren Nash/Bravenwolf in Tenkai Knights.
==Appearance==
He has short, spiky brown hair and green eyes. He wears a simple white shirt with a green tie with a strange symbol at the bottom, and blue jeans with red-and-white sneakers.
Hajime's eyes have a straight line running across his pupil. While his eye colors are normally green, his eyes turned red and shaped like a target radar when he lived as Izuru Kamukura.
In Side: Hope, Hajime's eyes have become heterochromatic. His left eye is red while his right eye is green.
==Personality==
Hajime is characterized by being intelligent and blunt, but also soft-spoken and reserved. His contrast with Makoto Naegi is reflected by him using 俺 (ore) over 僕 boku), 俺 being a more assertive, less polite word for "I" in Japanese) and ending his exclamations with ぞ (zo) over よ (yo) which is again a more impolite and masculine way of speech, versus the more boyish and polite speech of the previous game's protagonist. It is implied that Hajime's speech is more a form of coming across as more authoritative and confident than he truly is, as Hajime is prone to momentarily freezing when his deductions are questioned and is deeply insecure about his missing memories and lack of talent when compared to his classmates on Jabberwock Island. Hajime was also shown to not deal with stress very well, bottling up his feelings until they exploded into a mental breakdown of despair in the final chapter.
It is implied that Hajime came from a less than well-off upbringing, as most of his time was taken up by studying and finding work to support himself and his family, leaving him with very little time to form meaningful connections and find passions to pursue, possibly the reason for his admiration towards Hope's Peak Academy. He lacked much of the knowledge of the school's intricacies and traditions, and only saw an idealized version of it, perhaps as a symbol of his hopes and dreams to succeed on his own merits despite having admitting to not liking school very much. Hajime also seemed to have depressive qualities and lacked motivation, possibly and ironically because of his high work ethic, although he did succeed in what he pursued, but only by what was needed and usually becoming so overwhelmed that he needed a rest afterwards. This lack of motivation and inconsistency in his desires likely fuelled his belief that he needed a talent to succeed, despite being an intelligence and capable young man, when in reality he needed to apply himself more consistently and increase his will power more than anything else.
Furthermore Hajime, though well-meaning, does not always think things through when it comes to consequences of potential inaction on his part, such as when he failed to apply himself consistently without positive motivation during his tenure at Hope's Peak Academy and again when he recommended that everyone starve to death over working together to try and escape the Fun House during the fourth trial.
For all his faults, however, Hajime is truly a kind and compassionate individual who values the lives of others greatly and is genuinely tolerant of others' quirks and faults, which combined with his honestly allowed him to make friends with even the more socially awkward of the Ultimates such as Gundham Tanaka and Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu. This is further reflected in their school events of NDRV3 where Hajime is capable of making good friends with multiple members of the DR2 cast, despite many of their faults and social hangups, much to the surprise of Aoi Asahina. 
Though not his talent, Hajime has proven to be a very intelligent individual and a surprisingly acute detective; he not only kept up with the trials, but in many cases was able to solve the cases himself and lead the others down his line of thought, whereas Chiaki Nanami often struggled to bring others round to her way of thinking, likewise with Nagito Komaeda, who worked behind their backs and more often than not tried to subvert their efforts via sabotage and deceit. Hajime is notably attentive to details and perceptive to the personalities and traits of others and also has a good memory. His ability to notice inconsistencies and pick up on minimal details that lead the cases away from incorrect conclusions was vital to survival, such as Hajime was able to deduce Nagito's meddling in the first trial, and the time when Hiyoko was being set up with very little information and having only his own observational skills to go off of. More impressively Hajime was able to use his own memory of events to convict Teruteru Hanamura as the killer in Chapter 1, using only the latter's personality and an inconsistency in his alibi to reveal the Cook's deceit.
After his personality was restored and merged with that of Izuru Kamukura after the events of the Killing School Trip, Hajime finally acknowledged his shortcomings and was able to change for the better, choosing to live on as Hajime Hinata and set out to use his abilities to restore his friends from their comatose state and later on repent for their actions as members of the Remnants of Despair.
==Relationships==
: Alternate Persona:
===Izuru Kamukura===
After choosing to participate in the Izuru Kamukura project, Hajime was unaware that the procedure would transform him into another person. During the project, Hajime's memories and personality were forcefully erased, in the process of making him into a person whose specialty is talent itself. Once the project was completed, Hajime's personality was already taken over by Izuru's.
Due to the Izuru's enigmatic nature and inconsistencies in media involving him it is difficult to determine much of him or how he relates to Hajime as a person; supposedly everything that made Hajime himself as an individual was overwritten in the experiments performed during the Hope Cultivation Project, but in Danganronpa 3 it is implied that some parts of Hajime survived and were still present within Izuru on some level - such as in Episode 10 of Despair Arc as Izuru sheds tears over Chiaki's death at the hands of Junko Enoshima - whereas Danganronpa 0 implies that all traces of Hajime have been erased and Izuru is a merciless killer who killed thirteen individuals out of sheer boredom.
Danganronpa 2 states that Hajime's data was very limited and that it was a miracle in and of itself that Junko believed impossible until it happened, though this could account to Hajime missing important pieces of information and memories that he should otherwise know.
While neither personality would state much of an opinion on the other before their merging after the Killing School Trip, it is implied that Izuru was at the very least aware of his previous identity as Hajime Hinata, possibly even presenting himself as such when taken in by the Future Foundation for questioning and later rehabilitation. Despite this, Future Foundation members who came to save Hajime and the others seemingly did not know that Hajime was Izuru himself, even after having already met and possibly talked with him beforehand.
After discovering what he had become, Hajime had a mental breakdown; he denied his existence as Izuru completely even after being shown a vision of a memory that occurred in Chapter 0, which included a snippet of a conversation between Izuru and Nagito. Understandably so, as since entering the Neo World Program he had no memory of his time before, as, like everyone else, his memories had been reset back to his first day at Hope's Peak Academy (which led to his NWP avatar being built from the memories that had been repressed into Izuru's psyche due to the host body belonging to Hajime at the time).
In the climax of the visual novel, Hajime confronts Izuru within his subconscious and with the motivation of Chiaki Nanami's ghost is able to finally overcome the paragon of talent himself and muster up the courage and confidence to defeat Junko Enoshima's Alter Ego once and for all. After emerging from the Neo World Program, the two personalities had merged, and now collectively identify as Hajime Hinata but also answer to Izuru Kamukura, now possessing all of Izuru's many skills and talents and having Hajime's restored morals and humanity. 
: Class 77-B:
===Chiaki Nanami===
=====Real-Life Version=====
Chiaki was Hajime's closest friend and vice-versa. Chiaki gravitated towards Hajime due to being a natural loner who at first didn't feel like she fitted in with her more talented peers, while Hajime was attracted towards her for being what he admired and dreamed of. Chiaki was arguably one of the most important and influential people in Hajime's life, specifically feeding his desire to continue being her friend, and for their relationship to be a healthy one, contrasting the self-destructive and toxic one that Sato and Natsumi had with Mahiru and Fuyuhiko. Seeing the paths that they had gone down that led to their deaths as a result of their connections being toxic, and Juzo Sakakura's advocation for such relationships was what ultimately drove Hajime to participate in the Izuru Kamukura Project, as well as to be worthy of her friendship. It was stated by Kodaka that it was the real-life Chiaki who Hajime heard in his subconscious during his confrontation with Izuru.
The two first met at a water fountain near the school, in a scene Kodaka described as being pleased with how beautiful it turned out to be, when Chiaki bumped into Hajime while playing a game. Since then, the two continued to meet with each other and play games after school at the same place. It is implied that the two of them had romantic feelings for each other, as they often blush when coming in contact with each other.
Chiaki once comforted Hajime after he felt upset about not having a talent. She told him that there's more to life than talent and that making memories with people is more important. Her words comforted him, though his obsession with having a talent didn't lessen.
Before the Izuru Kamukura project, Hajime finds Chiaki by the water fountain, and she invites him to play a game with her. Hajime refuses and says he has to be somewhere. Before leaving, Hajime tells Chiaki that she's more than just the Ultimate Gamer, and tells her to make many memories at Hope's Peak. While walking away from Chiaki, Hajime thinks to himself how one of the reasons he decided to participate in the project was because of his desire to show Chiaki he had a talent. He thought of her while he was undergoing the transformation into Izuru Kamukura, and decides to become a version of himself that he can be proud of around Chiaki.
Upon his transformation, Hajime forgot all the time he had spent with Chiaki. As a result, Izuru could not recognize her, although he confronted her after her execution. After Chiaki dies, Izuru is seen shedding tears. He notices, and is surprised, as it is rare emotion for him. Despite not knowing who she was, he shed tears, suggesting that a part of Hajime remains in Izuru.
After awakening from the Neo World Program, Hajime, when trying to persuade Ryota Mitarai that hope and despair are both essential, he remembers Chiaki, showing great sadness over her death. While recalling memories of her, Hajime claims that he would never forget her, nor would he want to, and forever thought of her as precious to him. He appears to keep her hairpin with him as a memento, just like he did as Izuru.
In Ultimate Talent Development Plan, Chiaki has a similar relationship with Hajime like she did in Danganronpa 3, with her playing different video games with him and even giving him the same advice about talent not being the goal. Hajime considered her a very reliable class rep, though Chiaki believed that Hajime can be very reliable and close with the aforementioned class as well (seemingly foreshadowing the fact that Hajime much later takes the leader role among the class). In their third year, she extended him an invitation to her class's Christmas party, and he accepts. With their graduation drawing closer, Hajime asks her if she's free on New Year's, and explains that his friends are planning a party because it will also be Hajime's birthday. Chiaki appears a bit surprised that she can come too, but she then eagerly agrees and offers to extend the invitation to the rest of her class.
=====AI Version=====
Hajime is shown to be close to the AI version of Chiaki over the course of the story. Hajime and Chiaki are frequently shown to be together in cutscenes and events. Their relationship progresses to a point where they can understand each other's expressions and wishes, even without the other speaking. However, it took him some time to warm up to her, as in Chapter 2, he thought of her behaviour as "annoying."
Chiaki prevented Hajime from going to the Final Dead Room when he was stressed out because everyone suspected him to be the traitor, and she also assisted him during trials and investigations. It was briefly indicated before the all-girls beach party in Chapter 2 that he was attracted to Chiaki in her swimsuit. It is especially prevalent in Chapter 4 that the two are considerably close throughout most of the chapter.
During the fifth trial, Hajime was the most devastated among the group of remaining students when he found out that Chiaki was the "traitor" and was executed. It was also Chiaki who begged for Hajime to both claim and prove she was this alleged traitor, trusting his ability to see past the words and lies Monokuma created and into the hope she sees in him.
In Chapter 6, Chiaki was the one who guided Hajime to see the reality that whether or not he had a talent was irrelevant. It was due to her support and encouragement that he was finally able to overcome despair. Before she was shut down along with the program, he thanked her for her help and promised never to forget her.
Throughout her Free Time Events, it is somewhat implied that Hajime and Chiaki's relationship extends beyond the regular friendship Hajime and the others hold to a deep, everlasting friendship. The talks the two have progressed from mere small talk to friendlier and playful yet also serious and consoling (usually from Chiaki to Hajime). There are also romantic connotations, such as both blushing when she trips and he catches her and her complimenting him on being well-built.
When Chiaki mysteriously reappears to Hajime, it is shown that when he refuted everyone's statements in the final Endless Debate, everyone saw a vision of the closest person to them, further showing Chiaki is the closest person to Hajime. Hajime insists on her person-ness, even after discovering her nature as an AI. When Hajime finally gets to tell her "Thank you," which is, in turn, responded in kind, it is implied that both their words carry a deeper meaning.
When the battle of hope and despair ends, and Hajime and the 77th Class board a ship back to Jabberwock Island, Hajime seemingly sees an illusion of her talking to him, smiling as it tells him to move towards the future. However, it's heavily implied that Hajime isn't fully aware of her presence, as he doesn't directly speak with her nor look at her, seemingly speaking to himself with the hope she taught him and then walking past her as she watches over him with a smile before fading.
===Nagito Komaeda===
Nagito was the first student Hajime encountered on the island. He was the only one to stay with an unconscious Hajime and escorted him to introduce himself to the other students. He also helped Hajime during most investigations. Though sometimes annoyed by Nagito, Hajime felt more relaxed around the other boy and believed that he's a kind person, though maybe not the most reliable.
After learning about Nagito's twisted way of thinking, Hajime felt betrayed and scorned. He felt that Nagito was very dangerous, only wanted to make others suffer and could trick him again if they talked too much. He felt that he didn't understand his way of thinking at all. However, during his free-time events, Hajime kept attempting to understand Nagito's mindset and continued to talk with him. There are also several moments in the main game where Hajime comes very close to understanding Nagito's thinking, but then abandons the thought as he feels he's just over-thinking. In the end, it was Hajime's understanding of Nagito that ultimately thwarted his plan in Chapter 5.
According to Nagito, Hajime was the first person in his life to take an actual interest in him. This is further proven by how he questions himself why he worries about someone like Nagito during the despair disease of Chapter 3. One of Nagito's main reasons for being interested in Hajime is that he claims they're similar, though Hajime denies this. This is also mentioned in the Super Danganronpa 2 Art Book, as in Hajime's relationship chart, Nagito states how he and Hajime are alike and have similarities. However, after learning that Hajime is a reserve course student, Nagito turned hostile towards him, seemingly projecting some of the traits he hates about himself into Hajime. Even though he acted harsh and bitter towards him, in the dialogue directly preceding the Chapter 4 trial he states that he still cares about Hajime, though he doesn't understand why. If Hajime tries to spend time with Nagito during Chapter 5, when Nagito is unbeknownst to him planning his own murder, Nagito suddenly doesn't appear hostile at all at the moment and with a smile he tells Hajime that he's happy he's asking someone like him, but he is busy at the moment. Somewhat wistfully, he tells Hajime not to worry about him and have fun spending time with the others. After his death, he mentions in his recording that he shouldn't have been so hard on Hajime.
After learning about Nagito's backstory and illnesses in his free-time events, Hajime feels bad for him and is willing to forgive him. However, Nagito then says that it was all just lies, which shocks Hajime a bit. More confused than angry, Hajime leaves deep in thought and believes that at least some of Nagito's words were true. He expresses curiosity to see what Nagito would do if he one day achieved the hope he claims to be pining after, saying that he felt a 'strange connection' to him, though his confusion and uncertainty of him remain; however this leads to his wishing to understand Nagito in order to protect everyone else on the island from the malice he senses from Nagito.
In Island Mode, Hajime spends time with Nagito, who is now much more harmless. However, Nagito's strange way of thinking still confuses and creeps Hajime out at the times. In the ending, Nagito hesitantly asks for Hajime's friendship and Hajime accepts it without much consideration, though he noticed that the wording seemed to start as a love confession and expected more. Nagito reveals that his way of thinking has changed for the better after his time with Hajime. Thanks to that, Hajime feels that they can eventually reach an understanding.
As shown in Danganronpa 2.5, Hajime wished to wake up Nagito from his coma and was worried of him. After Nagito woke up, the two rejoined in friendly terms. At first, he assumed Hajime was Izuru, but then corrected himself by saying he must be Hajime. Hajime helped him up in the way that resembles their first meeting inside the program. Nagito says he believed in Hajime to wake him up and later he takes Hajime's hand as the class moves aboard, planning to go towards hope.
Later in Danganronpa 3 - Hope Arc, Hajime and Nagito can be seen smiling and eating together on the boat. Even though Hajime earlier explained that he is now both Hajime and Izuru, Nagito continues to call him Hajime. Because of all they have been through, Hajime finally comes to an understanding with Nagito.
In an Otomedia poster, which was released after the anime, Nagito is seen giving Hajime a small bag of fortune cookies as a gift while they are on the ship, presumably after the anime's story. Hajime appears flattered as he takes the gift, smiling in a slightly abashed manner. In the magazine's interview, Nagito is asked what autumn food reminds him of Hajime. He answers a "chestnut in its burr", comparing it to Hajime's hair, but after being told it's too normal of an answer, he goes on to explain that to properly eat one you have to go through a lot of work. He states that "Not being straightforward… it’s like Hinata-kun, right?". In turn, Hajime answers that Nagito reminds him of "the rice of a new crop" (referring to rice freshly harvested during the fall season) because of Nagito's hair's color. He also mentions that due to Nagito's "poor grip on reality", it's difficult to appoint him to a food with distinct taste.
Nagito has also more or less jokingly compared Hajime to a tsundere character more than once due to his occasionally annoyed mood in his company. In Danganronpa 2, during his Free Time Events, he suggests Hajime's unknown talent could be "tsuntsun hair", referring to both his aloof personality and spiky hair. This was translated as "Ultimate Spiky Hair" in the localization, and while it's not incorrect, it loses the additional joke regarding Hajime's personality. Nagito laughs and clearly finds his joke very funny, but Hajime annoyingly answers that it isn't even a talent. Nagito later called him "tsuntsun hair" again in the Danganronpa 3 related magazine interview.
In the non-canonical Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony's bonus mode Ultimate Talent Development Plan, Nagito seemingly dislikes Hajime at first and acted harsh and occasionally condescending towards him due to him being a reserve course student. He assumed that Hajime spent time with the main course students only to suck up to them and feel better about himself, which obviously irritated Hajime. However, Nagito claimed he doesn't actually dislike Hajime, and appeared reluctantly interested in spending time with him. The two had a slight argument after Hajime came to play basketball with the Super High School Levels, which left Nagito silent in thought and he then decided to cheer for all the players though he felt conflicted about it (in the official English localization, this was incorrectly translated as him cheering for almost everyone). Nagito's attitude slowly changes when he realizes that Hajime genuinely wants to spend time with him, though he cannot comprehend why anyone would want that. In three years, they become friends and Nagito tells Hajime about his luck and how it has affected his life. During their last Christmas in school, Nagito and Hajime talk alone while the other students are celebrating. Hajime reminds the other boy that the class will definitely keep in touch and see each other again, though Nagito thinks nobody would invite him. Hajime tells him that Chiaki would and he just has to accept her invitation. Nagito asks why Hajime cares about him and still hasn't lost interest in someone like him. Hajime explains that he still doesn't understand Nagito and he refuses to leave it like that. He formally asks Nagito to be his friend and the two shake hands, though Nagito seems to want to hold his hand longer. Nagito wonders if it's going to change anything, but Hajime tells him that maybe like this they could really change something and understand each other some day.
It is implied that Nagito's feelings about Hajime are romantic in nature, as he has been shown to be attracted to characters of the same gender as well as taking into consideration his behaviour towards Hajime, although this has never been confirmed.
===Kazuichi Soda===
Hajime is a close friend of Kazuichi's. Kazuichi latches onto Hajime, calling him his "soul friend". Hajime is sometimes annoyed by the other boy.
Throughout their friendship, a brief break up ensues when he blames Hajime for "leading them" into Monokuma's trap and ends up turning to Nagito instead. They later make up however.
===Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu===
At first Hajime was intimidated by Fuyuhiko due to the youth being a yakuza with a foul temper and penchant for death-threats, especially directed at his babyface which Hajime had taken note of and almost blurted out. Nevertheless Hajime still stood up for Fuyuhiko when he was accused of killing Byakuya (he was the only one to do so in fact) and proved his innocence with an alibi; though relieved, Fuyuhiko was ungrateful (or perhaps unable or to unused to the emotion to express it) and was angry that he had not said anything earlier.
Though Fuyuhiko tried to keep his distance, Hajime still tried to make peace and convince Fuyuhiko to cooperate with the others in chapter 2. Fuyuhiko seems to have felt unusually easy around Hajime letting it slip that he had a little sister and revealing slightly personal information without meaning to. Throughout chapter 2 Fuyuhiko was targeted by Monokuma with information revealing that he had lost his sister in the collective memory gap.
The two seem to be on good terms with each other after the events of Chapter 2, when Fuyuhiko is intent on changing himself. They are also willing to stay and focus on their friends that catch the Despair Disease in chapter 3. Though initially Fuyuhiko did not attempt to form a friendship with Hajime, their relationship changes for the better in the end.
Fuyuhiko considered Hajime as the "Ultimate Counsellor" due to his nature that give the students confidence to endure everything that they have. In his last Free Time Events, the two of them did a sakazuki, a Japanese ritual of exchanging cups to symbolize sworn brothers and pledge loyalty.
===Mikan Tsumiki===
Mikan seems to have formed a liking for Hajime as he is the first person (on the Island) to have gone up to her and spoke to her, not wishing to bully her but only to have a casual conversation. Though nervous and stuttering at first, she gradually lightens up, even asking him to come back and talk to her again.
Hajime is also the first person she admits to that she is glad that there is nobody to stomp on her and abuse her on the island. Mikan also chases Hajime around with a syringe a few times, wanting to give him an injection, and was found sleeping on him several times in Chapter 3. In the third trial, she uses him to give herself an alibi in the morning when they first discover the corpse.
In Chapter 3, when Hajime accuses Mikan of killing Ibuki and Hiyoko, she becomes furious, and obviously denies this. This act upsets Hajime, who doesn't want to believe she's the culprit as much the others, who are in shock at his accusation. Despite this, Hajime reluctantly shows evidence that points to her being the murderer. He tells Mikan to give it up, so he can still believe in her in the end. But Mikan's personality had already changed to to contracting a Remembering variant of the Despair Disease, causing her to remember her nature as Ultimate Despair, and she was executed, leaving nothing but her malice for Hajime and the others.
In her free-time events, when Mikan explains her reasons for becoming a nurse, Hajime is disturbed and is afraid to show any signs of weakness or sickness around her. However, he also feels bad for her and believes that she is not to be blamed for the way she is now.
During the events of Island Mode, Mikan is very happy to be Hajime's friend and has a clear romantic interest in him. In her ending, she is even ready to go as far as to cripple him in some way so that they would be together forever. However, Hajime proposes to her instead, causing her to declare that she would become his own private nurse and take care of him forever.
===Peko Pekoyama===
During her Free Times Events, Hajime helps Peko to learn how to smile again.
Despite not sharing a close relationship with her in the main story, he interestingly has a romantic interest in her in the Free Time Events, much more straightforward than with any other character. Coincidentally, Peko is also the only character who is outright confirmed to definitely not have feelings for him, only liking him as a friend. Hajime thought he might be in love with Peko and assumed she liked him back, but in reality she is in love with Fuyuhiko and wishes for Hajime's advice. Though he's hurt to not have his feelings responded, Hajime wants to support Peko as a friend.
===Ibuki Mioda===
Ibuki and Hajime seem to be good friends, and they bond during club activities that Ibuki comes up with during her Free Time Events. Also during her Free Time Events, Ibuki has been trying to help Hajime remember his talent. She insists that it should've been obvious what she was trying to do, but Hajime claims that he didn't even realize it, and was touched that she was trying to help him.
Ibuki often pokes fun at Hajime, saying that he has developed a crush on her or that he is sometimes looking for an excuse to be alone with her. Ibuki also gave Hajime some advice that even when people are constantly changing, either physically or otherwise, that they are always going to be their true selves and she made Hajime promise her that he will never give up on trying to find out his true self. In Hajime's official relationship chart, Ibuki states she wants him to be the drummer in her band, and insists that the two are in a band, even teaching him lessons. However, according to Hajime, she only taught him how to use a loudspeaker.
===Akane Owari===
Hajime and Akane do not interact much in the main story, though they have a fairly decent relationship and he does worry about her when she is stricken with the Despair Disease. They eventually become close during her Free Time Events; Hajime is rather horrified to hear of the poverty and implied sexual abuse Akane went through growing up, especially her nonchalance towards it. Though Akane has difficulty remembering his name, she worries about him not eating enough, in a similar way to how she worried about her younger siblings. He's annoyed by her forgetfulness and mentions thinking that she's a bit crazy, but he does envy her cheery attitude. During her final Free Time Events, she recalls his name correctly and accepts his advice about accepting and overcoming weakness rather than denying it.
===Nekomaru Nidai===
Nekomaru's Island Mode relationship differs from that of his real-life relationship with Hajime. During Nekomaru's Island Mode ending, he believes there is something inside Hajime, but he is unsure what it is. The correct answer is "hope", but if Hajime suggests "love", Nekomaru become surprised and then begins to consider that his feelings for Hajime are romantic. If Hajime chooses a bad option during an event Nekomaru will say: "Hmmm… That date wasn’t exciting at all… A detailed plan produces maximum results in both dating and training. You won’t make me fall for you if you act like this! Bye now!” showing that his feelings for Hajime appear to be on a romantic level.
===Ultimate Imposter===
Ultimate Imposter never held any close relationships with anyone on the Island in their short time there. However, upon getting their Free-Time Events, they become rather close to Hajime. They engage in various discussions, one being about fast food, with him, and later tells him a strange story about a person who was absolutely nothing and so, lived on as another person to be something which later turned out to be about themselves.
When Hajime tells them that he considers them a friend, they soften greatly, even changing the way they address Hajime (normally, in the Japanese version, Byakuya addresses everyone as omae which is a rude and somewhat egotistical method of saying 'you'; however, after this event, he briefly addresses Hajime with kimi, which is a friendlier, same-level method of saying 'you' before going back to omae at Hajime's request) in the original Japanese. Ultimate Imposter also says that one day, they will reveal their true story to Hajime, though they were murdered before they could.
During Island Mode, Ultimate Imposter explains their true identity to Hajime. After becoming friends with Hajime, they are convinced that they really do exist, and they decide that they don't want to lie anymore and wish to live as their true self. In Hajime's official relationship chart, the Ultimate Imposter considers Hajime a worthy partner.
===Teruteru Hanamura===
Like nearly everyone else, Hajime is annoyed by Teruteru's perversion but enjoys his cooking.
===Gundham Tanaka===
Gundham Tanaka is a socially awkward young man who has difficulties in opening up to others, and is to proud to admit it covering his insecurities with a Chunibyou persona. At one point, Gundham is implied to have tried to follow Hajime and the rest of the students, though when discovered, he denied it and went away. To this end Aoi Asahina is surprised that he considers Hajime Hinata a friend in NDRV3.
Though any relationship that they might've had as peers at Hope's Peak has never been covered in materials and in fact it seems unlikely that Gundham would've even interacted with a Reserve Course Student at all, the two are surprisingly compatible as indaviduals, due to both of them being a bit shy around others, and Hajime's ability to be both blunt and empathetic. This is exemplified through their Free-Time Events, where they hit it off surprisingly well, and in his final Free-Time Event Gundham makes Hajime ' sign' a contract via handshake and declares that with the contract, Hajime will not be permitted to die without exclusive permission from Gundham Tanaka himself. Hajime thinks to himself that he would like to return that promise back to Gundham, though he figured that Gundham might get angry instead. Comically, their handshake ends in a mutual hand-squeezing to the death.
It is noteworthy that this event takes place in the Strawberry house where Gundham commits the murder due to the motive being starvation. Gundham himself criticizes Hajime's non-action and open preference to die a slow painful death of starvation, as he believes that life should be lived and enjoyed to its fullest. It is ambiguous on whether or not Gundham sacrificed himself for his friends (of whom he only considered Hajime and Sonia to be) or wished to save himself. Regardless Gundham's death was an important step for Hajime to grow and recognize one of his greatest faults - his in action and passivity during crucial moments.
===Hiyoko Saionji===
Hajime was curious of how she can be a high school student based on her height and appearance. Later during the game in Chapter 1, Hajime usually make remarks on Hiyoko in his inner thoughts and said that she has an Ultimate Bad Attitude. Hajime misjudged Hiyoko the first time he introduced himself to her in the Killing School Trip. He thought that Hiyoko would be perfect to stand right next to flowers if she didn't have such a rotten personality. He later warms up to Hiyoko and forms a sibling-like bond with her almost like the one she has with Mahiru. When Hiyoko tells him that most people fall asleep while watching her shows, Hajime told her he would stay awake for her during the show.
===Mahiru Koizumi===
While it was never showed in the main storyline, but in her Free Time Events, it's implied that Mahiru has romantic feelings towards Hajime. When Mahiru took a candid photograph of him, Mahiru didn't want to delete it even though Hajime told her to delete it. After revealing that she likes the candid of him, Mahiru blushed and ran away, saying that she needs to go somewhere.
In her last Free Time Events, Mahiru asked Hajime to take a picture of her so she can see how Hajime saw her. She said that she liked Hajime's shot as much as her mother pictures she did. Mahiru also added that she would give him her old camera.
In her Island Mode's ending, Mahiru thanked Hajime as she was able to find herself. It was the reason why she will hand him her old camera in appreciation and due to liking Hajime. Notably, choosing one of the 'wrong' answers during her ending has Mahiru admit that she wouldn't mind dating Hajime.
===Sonia Nevermind===
Sonia shown to be friendly with Hajime and took a liking of him during the course of Killing School Trip. During their first encounter, Hajime is in awe of Sonia due to the fact that she is a real princess, and almost ends up bowing to her in greeting. In her Free time Events, she believed he was a hero from prophecy that would bring happiness to her land and wanted him to rule the Kingdom of Novoselic together after they escaped from the island.
: Hope's Peak Staff:
===Chisa Yukizome===
Hajime first met Chisa when she came to get Chiaki to attend class. When Chisa came to him to ask him about the Reserve course, he told her about how he admired Hope's Peak Academy and why he enrolled himself in the Reserve Course. When he wondered why Chisa is concerned about a lowly Reserve Course student like himself, she told him not to call himself lowly and that everything begins with believing in yourself.
Upon finding her dead body, Hajime finally calls her "Miss Chisa". He also tells her that she would be proud of him because he finally understood what she and Chiaki had told him when he first met them.
: Reverse Course Students:
===Natsumi Kuzuryu===
Hajime and Natsumi were classmates in the Reserve Course. When she first spoke to Hajime, she comments that he has no friends, and tells him she doesn't have any either. She says she's the sister of the Ultimate Yakuza, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, and calls herself the "Ultimate Little Sister". Hajime points out that she doesn't have a talent, but Natsumi refuses to acknowledge that and says she'll do anything to get into the Main Course. Later, when Hajime meets her on the top of the Reserve Course Building, she tells him if she doesn't keep up with her brother, she'll get left behind. Hajime says he understands how it must feel lonely to get left behind. However, he also tells her there are other things just as important as talent, such as staying with her brother and making memories with him.
===Sato===
Hajime was never shown interacting with Sato, only observing, but is implied to have been off put by Sato's excessive devotion to Mahiru Koizumi. This combined with Juzo Sakakura's proclomation that those without talent should focus on serving and aiding the elites of society filled Hajime with disgust and was the final straw in him agreeing to be undergo the Kamukura Izuru Project.
: Class 78th:
===Makoto Naegi===
Makoto put Izuru and the other Remnants of Despair into the Neo World Program. After waking up from the program, Izuru, now merged with his previous identity, Hajime, brought his classmates to help Makoto to prevent Ryota from using his brainwashing video. Hajime is very thankful to Makoto, because of his hope his classmates return to their original personalities before being brainwashed by Junko.
==Quotes==
===Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School===
===Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair===
==Trivia==
*Hajime likes Kusamochi and dislikes Sakuramochi.
*Even though his looks and personality might resemble Makoto Naegi, Hajime has a more blunt personality then Makoto, saying "それは違うぞ(sore wa chigau zo lit. That's wrong)" doing Nonstop Debates, while Makoto says "それは違うよ(sore wa chigau yo lit. That's wrong)", which is more polite then saying ぞ. He also had a difficult time relexing in the prologue of Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair.
*Hajime's alternate identity is foreshadowed during one of Gundham Tanaka's free time events, where Tanaka asks Hajime to reveal his "true name". This could also imply that Gundham was more familiar with Hajime than others, as occasionally moments or feelings of strong familiarity with those who were close to each other were shown in the Neo World Program (i.e. Hiyoko immediately latching onto a complete stranger in Mahiru because of how mcuh she treasured their school memories according to Kodaka)
*His first name, Hajime, means "beginning", while his birthday is on January 1, the start of a new year "beginning".
*His name can also translate to "face to a new day", or "wound" referencing how he came to terms with the wrong he did as Izuru Kamakura and looked to the future.
**If one counts Izuru Kamukura as a different person, than Hajime was the only survivor of the Killing School Trip to not be a member of the Remnants of Despair (even in DR3, Izuru is only given the status as an assosiated over a full on member)
**By this line of logic Hajime is the only character to have gone to Hope's Peak and not be an official member of either the Future Foundation or the Remnants of Despair.
** On the other end of the spectrum is one counts Hajime as the same person as Izuru than he is the first person in Danganronpa to participate and survive in two killing games, and is the only character who was not a paritipate of the Killing School Life to be a survivor of two.
*His Bloodtype is A. According to Blood Type Personality Theory (A popular belief in Japan) those with Blood type A are clever, passionate, sensitive, cooperative, loyal, patient, and love peace. However they may also be overly sensitive about certain things, a description that does for the most part describe Hajime.
*His temporary transition into his "Awakening" form is similar to that of Kiyotaka Ishimaru's transformation into "Kiyondo". Both of them acquired the transformation by keeping someone in their memories. (In Hajime's case, he kept Chiaki and Izuru Kamukura in mind as he finishes off Junko's AI in the end.)
*Junko Enoshima (AI) stated that the reason that Hajime was chosen for the Izuru Kamukura Project was do to his strong admiration to Hope's Peak Academy and because he had no talent at all, however during Danganronpa 2, and numerous side materials Hajime demonstrates multiple skills and abilities, such as his detective work, theraputic skills, photography that is praised by Mahiru Koizumi herself, and high analytical skills to name a few. It is possible that Hajime was always quite talented and that he was chosen because of his many skills and that Junko was simply lying to psychologically manipulate Hajime into despair, or that because of the operation onto his brain Hajime retained some of Izuru's abilities when his ego was reconstructed in the Neo World Program. 
**Alternatively Junko was telling the truth as she believed it to be, and the researchers believed Hajime to be unskilled and thus "perfect" to be a guinea pig for the project, but in reality Hajime had such skills or talents all along, and was either unaware or quiet about them.
==External Links==
*
*
*
==Navigation==
Category:Male
Category:Honorable
Category:Video Game Heroes
Category:Danganronpa Heroes
Category:Teenagers
Category:Friend of a Villain
Category:Successful
Category:Divine Gate Heroes
Category:Anime Heroes
Category:Tragic
Category:In Love
Category:Protectors of Innocence
Category:Genius
Category:Determinators
Category:Alter-Ego
Category:Archenemy
Category:TV Show Heroes
Category:Big Good
Category:Voice of Reason
Category:The Hero
Category:Selfless
Category:Truth-Seekers
Category:Loyal
Category:Falsely Accused
Category:Disciplinarians
Category:Dissociative
Category:Redeemed Villains
Category:Jerks
Category:Arrogant
Category:Control Freaks
Category:Narrators
Category:Mascots
Category:Nihilistic
Category:Deal Makers
Category:Pawn of the Villain
Category:Insecure
Category:Misguided
Category:Amnesiac
Category:Heroes from the Past
Category:Karma Houdini
Category:Vengeful
Category:Liars
Category:Good Vs. Good
Category:Scapegoat
Category:Apprentice of Villain
Category:Wise
Category:Neutral Good
Category:Soul Searchers
Category:Bond Protectors
Category:Nemesis
Category:Possessed/Brainwashed
Category:Betrayed
Category:Non-Action
Category:Master Orator
Category:Protectors
Category:Mutated
Category:Type Dependent on Version
Category:Youtube Heroes
Category:Status Dependent on Version
Category:Status Dependent upon Player Choice
Category:Fragmental
Category:Pessimists
Category:Multi-Beings
Category:Bio-Engineered
Category:Theatrical Heroes
Category:Failure-Intolerant
Category:Benefactors
Category:Movie Heroes
Category:Envious
Category:Antagonists
Category:Symbolic
Category:Fictional Fictional