Explained: DR Rankings

**Spoilers ahead.**
## Danganropa Trigger Happy Havoc

### 15. Hifumi Yamada

Every time he opens his mouth I want to punch him. Nothing he says really contributes to the trial and drifts off-topic to anime or one of his fanfictions. Oh, and one of the few times he's asked NOT to do something, he does it anyways and talks with Alter-Ego after a consensus that no one should tamper with the system. I know he's lonely or whatever, but can't he follow one simple instruction? Following that, he DOES follow Celes's commands when setting up the murder. Yet, he should've realized that accomplices are NOT the blackened so he couldn't have graduated with the Ultimate Gambler. He deserved his death for following in her footsteps and thinking he could stay alive as a witness (potentially exposing her guilt). I wish he died sooner because his very presence disgusts me.

### 14. Leon Kuwata

There's not much to like. I suppose I can sympathize that he didn't want to die and killed Sayaka as self-defense since he was her target, but there's nothing to cover up what he did. His character never really got developed and he's just the Ultimate Baseball Player. I realize he's the first murderer of the series, but he has no backstory, kills off one of my favorites in the cast and has a horrible execution (seriously, who dies from too many baseballs? Maybe it could give him a concussion, but instant death?)

There was also the brief mention of his dream to be a musician, though it seemed very random and never went anywhere. That MIGHT explain why people ship him and Sayaka, so she could teach him how to be a musician, but does not make me like him more. It was meant to add depth to his character, but I feel like the writing should've stuck to his Ultimate talent given his quick execution. It was sloppy.

He sets a very low bar for later killers as he sloppily disposed of evidence and did not make much effort to cover his tracks. I know that it's from the first case in the first game so he is only meant to be an introductory killer to the franchise. If there’s one good thing I liked about him though, he’s fulfills the role of, “anyone can be a killer in this game”.

### 13. Kiyotaka Ishimaru

He just bored me. Yes he was friends with Mondo and was devastated after his death, but he never really appealed to me. He randomly got angry (and had some weird "power up" design) but I never saw anything to trigger it? His Ultimate power is also pretty generic (and who cares if you're the moral compass). Besides his friendship with Mondo he's easily one of the most forgettable characters of the first game.

### 12. Yashuhiro Hagasuke

What did he even do? What kind of talent is Ultimate Fortune Teller? He spent two years of his savings on a fucking crystal ball that gets shattered in the first trial. Is he so dense that he can't keep track of his most valuable belonging? Other than his inability to do anything correctly and general uselessness, he makes it all the way to the end and graduates. That's right, he gets REWARDED for his laziness and survives over worthier candidates. He serves as a good comic relief, but there isn't much depth to his character.

### 11. Mondo Owada

The Ultimate Biker is someone I never really got into. In the gameplay, he was such a screenhog and felt like he talked every other line, so I honestly wasn't that upset when he was an early out. Although he has a troubling backstory, I had a hard time respecting him after the murder. He killed someone who relied on him and looked up to him, and he just smashed their head with a dumbbell and hung them up at the gym. Like Teruteru, while I liked his backstory, I have a hard time supporting a character who killed one of their allies then had it covered up by a family backstory.

### 10. Chihiro Fujisaki

I've started to like other characters more, but they had great backstory while alive. I'm still not sure which pronouns to use but I related to their desire to hide their identity. It can be scary to expose yourself to others, especially when your secret is released without consent. As the submissive in their interactions with Mondo, I knew that their death would be towards the beginning, but I didn't expect it to be so gruesome. Chihiro just wanted to become stronger and overcome insecurities, only to be killed by the hands of someone they trusted.

I'm neutral about their return as Alter-Ego, since it seemed a little too simple to have a computer that would solve the cases, but it made sense as the Ultimate Programmer. Alter-Ego made their departure more satisfying since Chihiro was still there in spirit and could keep feeding information from the grave.

### 9. Sayaka Miazono

I initially wasn't fond of her after watching the anime; after bonding with Makoto she dies and lacks the bubbly/pop sensation attitude that she presents in the gameplay. While I know she intended to be the first murderer, her failure makes me sympathize since she was not ready to die. She mapped out a plan to frame her only outside acquaintance but was viciously attacked in the process. I admire her proactivity and determination to win, even if she had to accuse her friend from home to graduate. Then again, being psychic/having good intuition seems to be false since she never saw Leon attacking her. (Guess we'll have to rely on our favorite fortune teller who's only right 30% of the time). I suspected that she would be an early out, since she became close to Makoto quickly, but hoped that she could make it through. (It seems foolish now to believe in hope in Danganronpa...maybe Junko is getting the better of me). She could be a bit bland at times, but her sweetness made up for it. She's an enigma since a sweet pop sensation just wants to go home to her fans but isn't afraid to play dirty.

### 8. Junko Enoshima

I'm honestly not sure what to make of her given her multiple personalities. She came across as a ditz leading up to her "death", but it seemed off that someone could be wiped off the map without a proper trial (though it wasn't needed in this case since they saw Monokuma "kill" her).

Let's start off with the good. Unlike villains I've seen in the past, I like how she constantly changes her persona since she is easily bored by being the same person. I feel like this is necessary since she only pops up at the end of both games for two hours, so the extra characters compensate.

I also love her twisted view on despair. She balances out the game since she comes in when the game most needs hope. While it's most evident with her Makoto battles, she is the one who administers despair to those within Hope's Peak. She's the reason why they doubt each other, have motives to kill, the driving factor behind their ill-will. Her hidden presence is crucial to the franchise. Without her, there would only be hope. What fun would that be?

While I feel like she's an interesting character, she doesn't have enough appearances to justify a higher placement (where she takes up the last two hours of both games, and dies early as the "Ultimate Fashionista"). Her appearance in the first game was pretty shocking (and again, I knew she would play a larger role, I just didn't expect her to be the mastermind) but not as much in DR2 since it felt like a rehash of the previous game. Plus, there was no build-up the second time around to make us suspect her as the mastermind. I would've been more likely to believe it was the Future Foundation where either Chiaki or Monomi were the final boss (just a theory).

Lastly, she comes off as incredibly shallow. You'd think a character with multiple personalities would show depth, and she does, but not to the extent I expected. Her explanation for being the Ultimate Despair is that she's born that way and that the world was always yearning for despair. I'm not looking for a deep backstory, but it would've been nice to show conflict between her and Mukuro or reasoning WHY she found comfort in despair. The endings just felt forced, particularly with DR2, but I wish she had more motivation than just "despair" (same goes for Nagito, except for hope).

### 7. Aoi Asahina

I really like Asahina. While she may be a bit clueless, she's adorable and has one of the best friendships in DR1. Aside from her gimmicks of swimming and donuts, she gets some development with Sakura, particularly following her death. Speaking from the anime side (since I have not seen the gameplay), she goes into isolation when she realizes that her friend is dead and refuses to speak to anyone because they forced her away. Maybe I just love her because of our adoration for Sakura, but she's such a sweetheart and I'm glad she made it to the end of the game.

### 6. Byakuya Togami

Ah yes, the Ultimate Asshole. He's our asshole, but he's still a prick with a superiority complex. He believes from the start that he is going to survive. Now, I ~~lowkey~~ hoped Monokuma would make an example out of him like he did with Junko, but he does not openly disobey people. He is not afraid to voice his opinion, whether in consent or dissent, but he understands the rules of the Academy and complies by the standards to graduate.

Out of all the DR1 survivors, he's one of three (Kyoko and Makoto being the others) who actually fought their way to the end. Given his background as an elite and constant journeys to the library, he was very efficient in the trials and could bring a level of common sense where it was lacking. He also befriends most of the cast, or at least learns to tolerate them, which is great development by the end of the game.

Lastly, TELL EM NAEGI!!!

### 5. Celestia Ludenburg

Ultimate Gambler, royalty and loyal to her milk tea. She's a self-proclaimed queen, knows it, and expects people to bow before her commands (to a much harsher extent than Sonia). I absolutely LOVE her VA and she has some killer one-liners about the need to take risks, which garners respect from some of her classmates in the first two chapters.

I knew fairly early on that she was going to be a killer, maybe it was just her demeanor, but I knew she would make it decently far in the game. That being said, she's the most obvious killer. Unlike Leon and Teruteru, who only showed their guilt during the trial, she loses her calm exterior on multiple occasions and has no alibi. I understand that she is a gambler and has been her entire life, so she's used to taking risks and succeeding. Though impressive she'd never lost a bet, she couldn't win when her life was at **stake**.

### 4. Sakura Ogami

I love everything about her. I know that everyone has ulterior motives, but she's one of the most humbled and decent characters of the franchise. While she does not do much throughout the game, which is why I sadly can't place her higher, she always has the best intentions and looks out for her comrades, specifically Hina. One scene she decides to stay with Hina in her room when she is too freaked out about the killing game so she can calm her down. She's also super motivated. If you couldn't tell from her muscles, she’s always training and drinking protein, hoping to one day earn the title of the “strongest fighter on earth", earning her the title of Ultimate Martial Artist (queen).

Of course, her defining moment is in Chapter 4. When she’s revealed to be a traitor by Monokuma, the expected reaction by everyone (except Hina) is not trust her, labeling her as a bigger social outcast. That’s why she ultimately decided to commit suicide via poisoning because despite what they think of her, she still treated them all as friends at the very end and wanted to stop them fighting. Her actions really do reach out to the rest of the survivors (she’s actually the last student to die in the first game not counting the mastermind), and it was pretty heartbreaking to see her go and to see Hina lose her best friend.

### 3. Toko Fukawa

She comes off as a bit of a Mikan like character, with more stuttering, and doesn't become interesting until she shows undying love for Byakuya Togami. I love how flustered she gets, calling him master and becoming thankful when he recognizes her presence. It was honestly so funny and I lived for the moments when she made him super uncomfortable and dismissed her.

If not for Genocider Jill, she would not be this high. I love how she casually mentions the fact that she's a serial killer, pulling out her scissors when convicted of murder. There's even a moment in Chihiro's trial where she WISHED she had killed them, even after a rant about her serial killer morals. Especially in the final trial, she's just amazing. When Junko arrives as the mastermind, she casually says hello to her like they're old friends. Only Genocider Jill can be so badass that she's casually friends with Junko Enoshima. It's pretty unrealistic that she never kills anyone because the other multiple personality characters like Peko/Sparkling Justice and Celes/Celestia Ludenburg are killers. I wouldn't WANT her to die, but it is an inconsistency.

### 2. Makoto Naegi

I've loved him since he first came on screen (~~AND DESERVES ALL THE LOVE THAT THE WORLD CAN GIVE HIM~~). He's so dorky and relatable, especially because his ultimate power was just a placeholder after winning the lottery (and thankfully doesn't have an association with a certain "lucky" student). Despite his placeholder, I wouldn't exactly call him lucky. He gets framed as a murderer the first trial (mostly from Fukawa with NO evidence), watches his friends die after dying to save them and gets an "execution" when accused of a murder he did not commit. From that first trial, we learn how naive he is, trusting that the girl he knew from home would act the same in both settings, wanted to accuse him of murder if she survived against Leon. He's a protagonist with flaws and obstacles from the start.

By the final trial, I gained sooooo much respect for him. He EARNS HIS FREAKING ULTIMATE TITLE BATTLING JUNKO ENOSHIMA. Because he is naive and believes they aren't murderers at heart, he doesn't give up on people and only wants to spread hope. Although he idolized some characters in the beginning, he treats his classmates like allies, friends, humans, instead of looking for the hidden motives and talents that can lead someone towards despair. He doesn't doubt characters and tries to remember them after their deaths to honor their memories rather than obscure it with the despair of their crimes.

In DR2, he's still holding onto that hope by joining the Future Foundation (freaking king). He knows that he has to battle Junko again, and has pretty great repertoire between hope and despair, to save the program for Ultimate Despairs. While people like Junko would rather let them fail, Makoto would never give up hope on those who need it and returned to the DR universe to foster that belief in each of the DR2 survivors.

TELL EM NAEGI!!!!

### 1. Kyoko Kirigiri

The franchise wouldn't be what it is without Kyoko Kirigiri. Without her laser point focus, the DR1 cast would not exist. They might help find little details about the trial, but, alongside her partner Makoto, the trials would not be pieced together enough to discover the true murderers. She finds the school map, uses Alter-Ego to extract data, and scours every inch of the school to solve a case.

One of the most interesting things about her is that she seems unremarkable when you first meet her. She does not have an ultimate power, was not listed on the forum, stays relatively silent, masks her hands with mysterious gloves and disappears for long intervals of time. Yet, unlike the other characters, she remains level-headed (unlike Fukawa), focused (unlike Hina and Hiro) and humbled (unlike Byakuya).

Then, we get to her (~~VERY CANON~~) interactions with Makoto. Following Sayaka's death, she tries and cheers Makoto up by saying Sayaka left that message as a last way to apologize for trying to pin the crime on him. That’s when Makoto begins to trust her and their bond begins. While there’s still some implied romance between the two, this relationship is mostly great because it works on the trust between the two. Throughout the whole game, she gives Makoto information and vice versa. It felt clear their bond was growing stronger and neither one would try and kill each other. It’s shown when Makoto has to play the bait and distract Monokuma while Kyoko’s investigating the school’s “forbidden” areas. Kyoko is the one that straight up protects and saves Makoto when Junko invades his room too (even though it was part of her plan).

If not for her, I probably wouldn't like DR as much as I do. She was my first favorite out of the franchise so she'll always hold a special place in my rankings. Goes to show that you don't need an over-the-top personality to succeed in the game. She's interesting, likable, has amazing character development, intelligent, independent, introverted, secretive, sometimes hostile, but still manages to come through for her fellow classmates. She serves her role well (too well at times) and will forever be the queen of DR.

## Danganropa 2: Goodbye Despair

### 16. Nagito Komeada

Ok, so I actually like him as a character. He’s incredibly well-written and stirs up drama (which is part of what makes DR2 what it is, though I could do without some of the later chapters…) He plays a great antagonist, and the writers do a great job making me hate him, so I like him in that respect. Some of my comments may come off as nit-picking but it’s a combination of ALL the factors I’m about to state that lead me to hate him.

First of all, he’s a complete screenhog. With characters I adore, like Sonia, Chiaki, Kyoko, etc., I would *never mind* that. Yet, he takes up such a large component of the game that my hatred just becomes constant and I found myself nagging about him every few minutes (since his face popped up again and again). I felt like he kept abusing screentime and taking time away from characters who got less development (yeah, yeah, he was the main antagonist. He still didn’t deserve to get as much screentime as he did). He slowly began to overshadow the other remnants of despair and I got tired of seeing his face. OH! There’s also the moment when we get to *play* as our “favorite” lucky student. I didn’t realize the switch happened at first, but I was honestly so disgusted that he was taking up more time in one of my favorite chapters. The scene proves to be important to the plotline, since he discovers the mysteries of HPA, but it dragged on and on.

I also have a big problem with his “ultimate” ability. Most of the time, his “ultimate luck” comes off as godplaying and he can just say “I did it for hope” and everyone just nods their heads and moves along. I didn’t really mind it in the beginning. In Chapter 1 he is the one who picks the “unlucky” straw. It was a part of his plan, but it did not feel like godplaying yet. By Chapter 4, I became enraged by how far his luck could take him. In the Final Dead Room, he played a game of Russian Roulette. I don’t care *how* lucky you think you are, you should NOT be alive when you have a 5/6 chance of dying. Yasuhiro’s talent is similar in this regard, but he can only foresee the future 30% of the time. Where is Nagito’s catch? Does his luck really keep him alive until he decides to kill himself? Then, come Chapter 5, we discover that he used luck, hoping that the killer would pick the correct canister. This fucking works. I don’t know WHY or HOW, except that “luck” and “hope” were on his goddamn side. AGAIN. I’ll admit that it was a very clever trial, but I hate how everything worked in his favor time and time again. There should’ve been a slip-up.

He’s super contradictory too. For all his hope rants he indirectly causes THREE characters to die. (The only one he intended was his own, which I am not including in this number). In Chapter 1, he’s the one who leaves the note for Twogami. That’s right, *he’s* the reason why everyone is on edge. Twogami sacrificed himself for Nagito because he knew that a murder would take place and wanted the other Ultimates to survive over himself. He also provides the motive for Teruteru. Had he decided not to plan a murder in the first place, and I wish he did so I didn’t have to put up with him for four more chapters, the party would’ve never happened. Teruteru admitted in the trial that he wanted to get rid of Nagito because of the threat he posed, but ended up killing Twogami instead. Lastly, we have Chiaki, our adorable gamer girl who died by his hands. As the traitor she was likely to be discovered no matter what, but she still could’ve survived had he not set up the trap in Chapter 5.

OH! And here’s the best part about his contradictions for hope. When Chiaki and Monomi are executed, he admits that he wanted the traitor to live over everyone else. That’s right, he wanted Chiaki to survive over Hajime, Sonia, Soda, Akane and Fuyuhiko. He wanted five unnecessary deaths so that the one “Ultimate Hope”, since she’s a member of the Future Foundation, could survive. Yet we find out that she’s only an AI. She’s a program, not a girl. He willingly planned an “unsolvable” murder in the name of goddamn hope so that one program could live over five human beings. I honestly don’t care that he wanted to eliminate despair. It’s sick how many people he wanted to die and could’ve been the direct murderer of six people (including himself).

Even prior to this, he admitted that he wanted to kill everyone on the island. In order to find the traitor, for his own selfish motives, he planted bombs around the island in a place where no one could reach them. If none of them decided to talk, they would all die. Was that in the name of hope?

Back to one of my favorite chapters with him, Chapter 4. When he discovers that Hajime is actually a Reserve Course Student, he never shuts up about it. Every sentence is an attack on Hajime about being “average”, “useless”, “normal”, etc. so he can demean him and use his lower status to his advantage. He’s a bigger prick than Togami. Togami would probably make a snappy remark or two, but he wouldn’t drone on for an entire chapter to mock someone. He wouldn’t see it as valuable and already saw himself as superior. But Nagito calls himself trash and useless throughout the game. What gives him the fucking right to turn it around and blame Hajime for everything? It’s called bullying.

Aside from that, he also bothered me in the trials. When someone was executed, he had already moved past it and got annoyed when the other Ultimates mourned for their dead classmates. He’d just say “oh, that was truly an act of despair”, maybe throw in a good word about hope, and walk away from the trial. How can he be so nonchalant about death? You just witnessed a classmate die and you’re going to trivialize them as “despairs”? As I recall, you indirectly caused the death of Teruteru, Twogami, Chiaki, and wanted the survivors to die too. Deaths should not be taken lightly.

Honestly, even if he plays his role well I have a hard time agreeing with his motives. Don’t act like Junko and say everything is for “hope”, or despair in her case, just so you can get away with your godplaying luck. I tried to ignore him, but that’s incredibly difficult when he keeps popping on the screen and reminding me why I hate him. I understand he’s ill and understand that he thinks hope comes from despair. That still doesn’t justify his actions. When you’re as manipulative, repulsive and a prick to the “good” characters, referring to my list below, it’s easy to see why he was isolated from the Ultimates.

### 15. Teruteru Hanamura

There's not much to say about his character other than the fact that he's an exaggerated Soda. Rather than focus on one girl, Hanamura decides to (unsuccessfully) flirt with all of them and pretends like he isn't a pervert every time he opens his mouth. I'm glad he was one of the first to go, but I was honestly annoyed that he was the first killer, mostly because I didn't want to assume that the obvious choice was the murderer. But since it was the first trial, the fucking caterer ended up being the murderer and lied his ass off during the trial.

One thing I don't understand about him was his sudden dialogue change. There really wasn't a need to change his voice ESPECIALLY because of how annoying it became (that Avril Lavigne line <3). I get that the writers probably wanted to emphasize his guilt, since revealing a new face during a trial can make you the culprit, but it seemed forced. After that, I really sympathized with his backstory. While I do not like his character, I teared up when I knew he couldn't return to his diner and only joined Hopes Peak to make a better life for himself. He just wanted to go home and make sure his mom was okay, who was working sick at the family diner by herself and deny the idea that something has happened to her…only for him to be executed before he can find out what did happen.

### 14. Nekomaru Nidai

At first, I thought he was incredibly immature with all his bathroom humor, which never really fades. He does get development later in the game, which I appreciate, as he bonds with Akane in Chapter 2. He’s very inspiring and optimistic, always looking out for his fellow athletes, keeping them fit and in shape, particularly with his training sessions with Akane.

He even “sacrificed” his own life for her, getting in way of the blast that was going to kill her. When he “comes back” as Mechamaru, he was such an obvious victim (and how else would you get away with skipping a trial?). Plus his added features were just...weird. He could cry lemonade (or sth like that) and had a clock to represent the time of his death. I really liked him for his sacrifice and wanted him to survive that...just not as Mechamaru.

### 13. Kazuichi Soda

At first, his character peaked around 7th since the game mostly showed his fun-loving side and tendency to crack jokes. As the game progressed, we see the Ultimate Mechanic develop an unhealthy adoration for Princess Sonia Nevermind. While I can sympathize, most of his plot centers around her, trying to appease her, make her notice him that he comes off as desperate, clingy and toxic as he continues to pursue her after being rejected on multiple occasions. There was even one point in Chapter 2 where the girls host a swimming party and he arrives an hour early just to scope the scene. He forces poor Hajime to wait with him in the diner, waiting to gawk at her in a two-piece (even though she arrives in a wetsuit) and the other female cast.

My main concern about Soda is the fact that he gets so far without doing much at all. Yes he fixed the elevator in the funhouse and occasionally brings up a good point during the class trials, but, in my opinion, he is the biggest floater of the surviving cast. Unlike the other survivors, Soda did not watch a loved one or close friend die. In fact, the only cast member he appears close to is Sonia Nevermind who rejects him on a daily basis. Not that I want Sonia to be executed, but, had that occurred, I would've garnered more respect for him as we would see a new side, despair, instead of his misogynistic self. The writers created a two-dimensional character who fails to break free of objectifying women and serves as a (sometimes obnoxious) comic relief.

### 12. Mikan Tsumiki

She's another base breaker. I wanted to like her more than I actually do but found it difficult. From the beginning, I sympathized with her constant apologies, as I have a tendency to do as well, but it became an annoyance. Like Toko, she stuttered or screamed when something frightened her rather than take a rational approach. Now I know that it's just a part of her character, but I wish she didn't play the victim card as often as she did. I warmed up to her a liiittle bit when Hiyoko's teasing exacerbated, but that warmth went away once she killed her violently.

She also got into some uncomfortable...poses. So much so that it seemed like she had more fan service than Akane. While I know "that" moment revealed that Teruteru was the murderer, since he didn't remember her pose, it made her come off as shallow. The game used her for her looks and body rather than develop her from chapter to chapter.

She doesn't exactly receive development UNTIL she loses it. And I freaking love her for that. No longer the victim, Mikan becomes psychotic and begs forgiveness so she can be with her "beloved". I love her long rants about how sick she is of being bullied and misunderstood and hurt by those around her. She's fed up, so she killed Ibuki and Hiyoko, her bully. I understand her reasoning behind that, but then there's the fucking motive. Chapter 6 makes up for it a little bit by implying her "beloved" is Junko, though I'm still waiting on more backstory, since she wanted to feel despair. Yet, with Chapter 3 alone, it's the weakest motive of the game. We go from Teruteru's family to Peko's protection of her master to a despair disease? Similar to Junko, I wish I knew the reasoning WHY the despair came, other than the fact that it randomly manifested. Then again, I'm biased and don't like her so I was bound to dislike her motive for killing off Ibuki (</3) and Hiyoko.

My dislike is not because she killed off Ibuki, though I was upset, it's for the reasons I listed above. She plays the victim card too often for my tastes, implying that others should take her side and advocate for her, rather than suck it up to build inner strength. Again, I know that's part of her character, and Chapter 3 makes up for it, but she still refuses to be portrayed in the negative which bothered me. With the poses, besides the fact that they made me uncomfortable, I loathed the way she was objectified. They diminished her character to a point where I saw her as a fan service character before I remembered that she was a nurse. Again, I wish I liked her more than I do, I'm just torn on whether I should place her higher because of Chapter 3 or keep her where she is for her overall character.

### 11. Akane Owari

Despite making it far in the game, I still don't feel like I know her character. Following Nekomaru's injury (and later death), I felt awful for her since they were training to help themselves progress in the game. Yet, this escalates into reckless behavior where Monokuma nearly kills her and Nidai takes the fall. THEN THE FUCKING CRYING HAPPENS. I'd rather be stuck in a room with Nagito ranting about hope than listen to her cry. Yes she's upset, but I didn't think it was possible to be a more annoying crier than Mikan.

Aside from that, she's mostly comic relief and gorges herself on food, particularly in the beginning of the game. She is also a fan service character, as most of her poses are very revealing (particularly "charged up" one where she unbuttons her shirt). She was never very helpful in the trials, particularly Nekomaru's where she was hung up on the pillar, and is fairly reckless with her ultimate ability. All in all, I wish she'd gotten more development after Nekomaru died but she deserved her place as a semi-floater (since she received some plot) in the surviving cast.

### 10. Byakuya Togami

Ah, the Ultimate Imposter. While he did not stick around long, and I suspected he would be the first to die. But honestly, did he think he could gather everyone together without a murder happening? Was he so delusional that he thought he could prevent murders in Danganronpa? I felt sorry for him after briefly hearing his backstory (WHICH ISN'T EVEN YOURS YOU IMPOSTER), and loved the scene where he gorges himself on food.

The main reason why he's up here is that he was prepared to act. Rather than sit by helplessly and watch his companions die, he sought to protect everyone and wanted to have a friendly gathering before the murders started. The strip check was a bit much, particularly from the girls, but it came from a place of safety. It was clear that the note freaked him out (thanks Nagito), knowing he would be targeted, yet still tried to make the most of his situation.

### 9. Mahiru Koizumi

She is one of the purest souls from the franchise. Despite her short stay, she becomes close friends with Hiyoko and is seen holding her hand and teaching her to tie kimonos, building a sisterly bond between them. She served as a mediator for everyone and started the tradition of meeting at the restaurant each morning. The best part? She's a photojournalist which is something I've dreamed of. She took key pictures for the first trial, a standard for character placements within the cabin, which was crucial evidence to solve the case. I would put her higher had I seen more development, but she's just a ball of warmth and joy that it's hard not to like her.

### 8. Hiyoko Saionji

I loved Hiyoko when I first started watching. As the game progressed, I slowly got annoyed by her constant bullying (even though it was toward Mikan <3) and felt like it was unwarranted most of the time. On the other hand, I liked how Mahiru softened her character. When they were together, they were holding hands, showering together, taking photos or learning to tie kimonos. It was particularly troubling to see her after Mahiru's death because it was obvious how upset she was to lose her closest friend. Following that trial, I sympathized even more since she trapped herself in her room and refused to come out of hiding. We saw her as a helpless child who could no longer do something as simple as tying a kimono, unable to cope with the loss. While there is no "good" time to die, I wished she had survived longer and been able to preserve Mahiru's legacy. She deserved to be one of the survivors and I wish she hadn't at the wrong place at the wrong time (and what an ironic death too...killed by her victim).

### 7. Gundham Tanaka

He's always been a bit of a dark horse and I love him for it. From Chapter 1 he stands out from the other Ultimates. He claims to be blessed with evil powers from the underworld and has an obsession with the occult. This is not small obsession; he's incredibly theatrical and exaggerates each of his lines with such vibrato that I'm constantly chuckling. In Chapter 1, he refused to talk to Hajime until he called his earring by its full name..the Hell Hound Earring. Little moments like that make me love his character.

Despite his eccentricity and theatrics, he's actually quite lonely. He seems to be lost in his own worlds, often disappearing by himself for some peace of mind. He's quite introverted, but, as a fellow introvert, I know that he takes his time to share his opinions making them *that* much more valuable to trials. He waits his turn to speak, knowing that it's one of the few times he will interact with the Ultimates.

Oh! And of course there are the Four Dark Devas of Destruction. Despite all the mystery and darkness of his character, the Devas humble his character and he must protect them. I just love the scenes where he looks down at them cupped in his palm. He gets the cutest smile on his face. As the Ultimate Breeder, he favors the company of these creatures over his fellow Ultimates, with the exception of Sonia in Chapter 4. With the exception of Fuyuhiko, he is the only other Ultimate who comes to the island with someone he knew previously.

As for his execution, we may not completely know Gundham's motives for killing Nidai. I'd like to believe it was a sacrifice to keep everyone alive, specifically Sonia. Rather than let all his classmates starve out, like Monokuma intends, he nobly crafts a plan to kill the Ultimate Team Manager to prevent it. If anything, this ideology makes his death easier to swallow, though I'm still shaken about the execution.

### 6. Ibuki Mioda

In a game full of despair, Ibuki is a ray of hope. For the most part, she seems pretty unaffected by the killing game and continues to do her own thing, practicing her music and coming up with killer one-liners: welcome to the world of girl love! It's slippery when wet! For a few years now, it has been Ibuki's dream to make a statue of her boobs made out of cookies. I'mpanickingsomuchidontevenhavetimetospacemywords. This type of dialogue is what makes her unique.

Aside her light-hearted nature, she doesn't really contribute in trials. If she does, it's, again, through one of her one-liners to lighten the mood: Eek! Peko killed poor Byakuya!? Was this island not big enough for two glasses-wearers? After watching the aftermaths of murders and investigations, Danganronpa severely lacks optimism. Ibuki provides...for three chapters. Following the deaths of Mahiru and Peko, the Ultimates, particularly Hiyoko and Fuyuhiko, are extremely distraught over their companions. Hiyoko refuses to leave her room, until Sonia persuades her out, and Fuyuhiko defends his honor by cutting open his stomach and spending Chapter 3 recovering. Once he returns, she throws a gathering for everyone where she performs I SQUEEZED THE BABY OUT BUT I HAVE NO IDEA WHO THE FATHER IS! (a modern classic).

Following her performance, the music literally seems to stop. Other characters may try to compensate, but no one can replace Ibuki. The atmosphere of the game just felt depressing and gloomy, no longer feeling like a tropical getaway (although that ended when Monokuma arrived.) I really miss her presence and I know the other Ultimates could've used positivity in the face of despair.

### 5. Peko Pekoyama

Before I knew her character I already liked her. She's "peko peko" and I wish someone called her out at one point in the game. Initially, she fades into the background. Even leading up to the trial in Chapter 2, I'll admit I didn't pay much attention to her character, that is until she's revealed as the culprit. This was hinted at in the library when Sonia fangirled over Sparkling Justice. I never expected this character to emerge from Peko, a fairly stoic and emotionless girl. Countering her normal act, she's loud and taking up space, the opposite of the concealed and introverted side Pekoyama usually shows.

She doesn’t seem to actually buy the whole “I’m a tool” thing herself, but it’s more that she’s fighting against her insecurity and whatnot the same way Fuyuhiko does. I love the foreshadowing they do in the first chapter and the first trial. In nearly every scene, Peko is the one to inform Fuyuhiko about things. In the first trial, Fuyuhiko, who has continually said that he doesn’t give a shit about the trial or the others, and is even willing to kill them, first jumps in the trial to defend Peko when the suspicion has fallen on her. Peko sees herself as an inferior, mostly fueled out of her own insecurity, but she uses her relationship with Fuyuhiko to prop him up on a pedestal even if he doesn’t see her as an inferior.

I honestly wish she didn't kill Mahiru. After watching most of DR3 I understand her motives more, but I can't agree with the way she went about it. Supposedly Mahiru was killed to avenge Fuyuhiko's younger sister. She wants to protect Fuyuhiko, both out of genuine love for him and because her seeing herself as Fuyuhiko’s protector is where she draws her self-worth from. I recognize that they were brainwashed and are in the middle of a killing game, but it didn't feel like a satisfying ending of the plot.

### 4. Hajime Hinata

ALLOW ME TO CUT THROUGH THOSE WORDS (~~can I marry his VA please~~)

I did not like him in the beginning of them game and had him as low as 15. I thought he was incredibly bland and offered very little in the trials, forcing Chiaki to come up with most of the information. I loved when Hajime was getting trashed by other characters in the first two chapters because it reflected my opinion on him (though I've always hated Nagito more than I've hated him).

He later became incredibly relatable, and felt like he was more rational than Makoto. While there are times when Chiaki comes up with the information for Hajime, granted she's an AI, I felt like Hajime presented very real responses, similar to the ones I'd exhibit if I were in game. In Chapter 5, he came from a place of extreme fear: that the trial was unsolvable. While Makoto would be panicked as well, he wouldn't jump immediately into a logic dive or hangman's gambit to solve the missing pieces. He'd remain stagnant as he was consumed by his emotions (at least I saw Makoto as more emotional than Hajime.)

He's not completely relatable, as we learn in Chapter 6, since he has an alternate persona. I don't *exactly* understand this, but I do know that he was both the protagonist and antagonist since he let Junko into the game. He absolutely loses it. He refuses to believe that he is anyone but himself, and who can blame him, sinking into turmoil as he battles about who he truly is. Obviously he *is* both characters, but I loved watching his internal battle while Junko watched.

### 2. Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu

I love baby gangster to pieces.

Gosh, what's not to love about him? He starts off as an incredibly brash, callous and isolated boy who swears at everything that moves. He doesn't seem to care about the killing game or the future of his fellow Ultimates so he stays by himself, most notably during the diner scene, but also comes across as a try-hard from his excessive anger.

I liked his aggression, but I didn't start to *love* him until Chapter 2. From Twilight Syndrome Murder Case, we learn that he had a younger sister who was killed. According to the game, Mahiru covered for her and Fuyuhiko demanded answers. Come trial, he purposely deflects accusations away from Peko to try and make himself suspicious. He wants to save his tool, his childhood love, his best friend from execution, knowing that she only killed Mahiru to protect him and let him graduate. While you'd expect him to become angry once she's in the hot seat, he instead begs her to stay. It's the first time we see him cry, full of desperation and heartbreak and despair that he will never see Peko again.

In the aftermath of the trial, he recognizes that he's the indirect culprit of Mahiru and Peko since he wanted to extract revenge without thinking of the consequences. He ends up apologizing to everyone for the way he treated them, begging for their forgiveness. But, just in case that wasn't enough, he freaking stabs himself and opens up all his wounds with pink blood dripping everywhere. He's quickly escorted to the hospital, and thankfully survives, but he did it for his honor. (~~He also returns with an eye patch which is pretty cool~~)

I think the sweetest moment was in Chapter 6. When faced with the choice to graduate or stay in the game forever, he admitted that he was willing to sacrifice his freedom to spend time with Peko again. He wants to relive his days on Jabberwock Island so he can stay with the girl he's known since he was a child. He could never give up on her.

Overall, I think his development is really fantastic. He transforms from an angry and arrogant child to someone who would sacrifice his *life* and freedom just to be with someone he loves. He slowly warms up to the others, like Hajime, understanding that they just want to help each other graduate. While I still like him for his rudeness and brashness, I'm glad that he found a sense of gratitude and selflessness on the island.

### 1. Sonia Nevermind

*For a more detailed description, check here.*

## Rankings

**54. Haiji Towa**53. Nagito Komaeda52. Monaca Towa51. Jataro Kemuri50. Kyosuke Munakata49. Ryota Mitarai48. Hifumi Yamada47. Kazuo Tengan46. Miaya Gekkogahara45. Daisaku Bandai44. Masaru Daimon43. Leon Kuwata42. Kiyotaka Ishimaru41. Nekomaru Nidai40. Kazuichi Souda39. Mikan Tsumiki38. Taichi Fujisaki37. Yuta Asahina36. Great Gozu35. Mondo Owada34. Akane Owari33. Byakuya Twogami32. Yasuhiro Hagakure31. Chihiro Fujisaki30. Sayaka Maizono29. Koichi Kizakura28. Teruteru Hanamura27. Mahiru Koizumi26. Mukuro Ikusaba25. Hiroko Hagakure24. Ruruka Ando23. Sonosuke Izayoi22. Junko Enoshima21. Sakura Ogami20. Hiyoko Saionji19. Komaru Naegi18. Ibuki Mioda17. Celestia Ludenberg16. Aoi Asahina15. Peko Pekoyama14. Byakuya Togami13. Seiko Kimura12. Gundham Tanaka11. Chisa Yukizome**10. Juzo Sakakura**9. Hajime Hinata8. Nagisa Shingetsu**7. Kotoko Utsagi**6. Chiaki Nanami5. Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu4. Toko Fukawa3. Makoto Naegi**2. Kyoko Kirigiri****1. Sonia Nevermind**