Kyoko Kirigiri

**Kyoko Kirigiri** (霧切 響子 *Kirigiri Kyōko*) is one of the characters featured in *Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc* and a participant in the Killing School Life and the Final Killing Game.

Kyoko was an amnesiac and was titled as **Ultimate ???** (超高校級の「???」, *chō kōkō kyū no “???”* lit. Super High School Level ???) at first. Later, it was revealed that her true identity is the **Ultimate Detective** (超高校級の「探偵」 *chō kōkō kyū no “tantei”* lit. Super High School Detective). She is also the daughter of the late Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy, Jin Kirigiri.

In Chapter 5, the mastermind attempts to have her executed for the murder of Mukuro Ikusaba, a crime she didn't commit, due to her interference in the mastermind's plans. However, Makoto Naegi sees through this but is almost executed himself, which was stopped due to the interference of Alter Ego. If the player chooses to call out her lie, Kyoko will be executed in the bad ending.

Kyoko survives the final trial and escapes Hope's Peak Academy with the other survivors.

Kyoko also appears in *Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair* as a member of the Future Foundation, along with Makoto and Byakuya Togami.

She is also seen in *Danganronpa/Zero*. A light novel series based on Kyoko's past with Yui Samidare has been published, titled *Danganronpa Kirigiri*. Kyoko also returns in the spin-off manga of *Danganronpa 3*, *Danganronpa Gaiden: Killer Killer*. A sound novel titled *Kirigiri Sou* tells the story of Kyoko in her bizarre adventure of investigating a deserted western-style mansion.[3]

Kyoko returned in *Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School* and is the leader of the 14th Division.

Kyoko was poisoned after her NG code was unintentionally triggered by Makoto. However, it was revealed that Kyoko had taken some of Seiko Kimura's medicine, allowing her to resist the poison by falling into a comatose state and later being revived by Mikan Tsumiki, being one of the five survivors of the Final Killing Game.

At the end of *Danganronpa 3*, Kyoko and the Future Foundation rebuild the Hope's Peak Academy, with her assisting Makoto, the new headmaster of the academy.

## Appearance

Kyoko is around 19 years old in the first game, though she believed herself to be 17 because of the memory loss. In *Danganronpa Kirigiri* she was 13 years old. By the end of *Danganronpa 3*, she is a few years older and in her early twenties, around 21 at least.[4]

She is a relatively tall young woman, with purple eyes and a pale complexion. She wears her lavender hair down and with a braid on the side, tied with a black ribbon. Her outfit consists of a dark purple collared jacket over a white blouse and brown tie, along with a black short skirt and heeled knee-high boots. She always wears her custom-made black gloves to conceal the burn marks on her hands that she had received back when she was an amateur detective.

In *Danganronpa 3*, she wears her hair back in a pony-tail with two strands of hair loose that go down the front of her body. She wears a greenish jacket, and wears her gloves still. Her shirt is a white blouse. She has a brown belt, holding up a dull purple short skirt. Around her left leg she wears a brown satchel. Her shoes are boots that are only a bit above her ankle, but they are also heeled, like her old ones.

In *Side: Hope*, Kyoko returns to her original hairstyle, and dons a dark red suit along with a skirt of the same color.

## Personality

Kyoko is a stoic and mysterious girl who tends to hide her feelings. She has a calm demeanor and tends to be completely unfazed by most of the events that occur, even at the sight of a dead body. Kyoko is also one of very few students that see things objectively and doesn't jump to conclusions in the trial, making her a valuable ally to Makoto.

During the beginning of the game, Kyoko often keeps her distance from the other students while investigating. Prior to the investigation to find the way out with no casualties, Kyoko doesn't seem to cooperate with the other students and does most of the investigating by herself. She plays major roles in solving mysteries of the culprits in Class Trials.

Kyoko is very sensitive regarding the subject about the Hope's Peak Academy Headmaster (who later is revealed to be her own father), going as far as to even lose her cool when Alter Ego mentioned the possibility of him being the mastermind. She also doesn't like it when people keep secrets from her, as Makoto finds out.

Behind Kyoko's stone cold personality, she seems to easily get emotionally upset, which is masked by her strong will. Even under calm situations, she sometimes lets her emotions get the best of her as shown when Alter Ego mentions her father, the former headmaster, and when Makoto refuses to tell her about Sakura Ogami's odd rivalry with Monokuma (assumed that Makoto suspected Sakura's betrayal).

As seen in *Danganronpa 3*, Kyoko has become a lot more considerate of her friends and her demeanor is friendlier in their company.[5] She is seen smiling at them and sharing physical contact, like hugging and holding hands, and she trusts her friends very much. When she's with anyone but them, though, she's still very expressionless and reserved. She is also a bit sharp and annoyed in Koichi Kizakura's company. Being his boss, she is very protective of Makoto, but also admires him greatly.

## Talent

### Ultimate Detective

Since she was a child, Kyoko has been trained as a detective by her grandfather, Fuhito. She was registered as an official detective at age 13 and her DSC number is 919. Befitting the Ultimate Detective, Kyoko is very good at analyzing clues. Kyoko can be seen as able to find the good in people's motives: for example, after the first trial (Sayaka Maizono's death), she goes to Makoto's room to tell him that she thinks that in the end, Sayaka actually wanted to make sure he didn't get the blame for her death, which is why she wrote "11037" on the wall. Another example is in the second school trial, where she points out that the broken ID card is actually Chihiro Fujisaki's. Kyoko says that Mondo Owada broke it to protect Chihiro's secret.

## Free Time

### Presents

Obtained from the MonoMono Machine.

* Luwak Coffee (#03)
* Blueberry Perfume (#21)
* Rose In Vitro (#46)
* Cherry Blossom Bouquet (#47)
* Bojobo Dolls (#80)

### Choices

During free time conversations, the player will occasionally be given a choice on how to respond to something that is said. These are the 'right' choices.

* Swimming
* Gloves

### Skills

These will aid you, usually during Class Trials.

* Observing Eye - Press the △ button to highlight objects that can be inspected or interacted with. The player starts with it in English and PSP The Best Version in Japan.
* Neural Liberation - The Focus Gauge decreases more slowly during concentration and Fever time. Effective during the Nonstop Debate, the Hangman's Gambit, and the Bullet Time Battle. Costs 5 SP.

## Quotes

*Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc* (English)

* “... My name is... Kyoko Kirigiri.”
* “No, I \*don't\* have to tell you. So I'm not going to.”
* “It was just his pants. Not like his socks or something...”
* “For the time being, let's go over what we know once more.”
* “You won't find anything just by staring at it.”
* “I... have come in contact with dead bodies for quite some time now...”
* “When you see something strange, don't you think It's a good idea to check it in detail?”
* “A hint is one thing, but simply sharing the answer it leads to is dangerous.”
* “I don’t want to push too many preconceptions into your head before the school trial begins. You should come up with satisfying answers by yourself...”
* “I do trust you, to a certain extent. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t even tell you this much.”
* “Nothing will change if we stay here. Let's go.”
* “Your conclusion is not wrong, in all likelihood.”
* “I didn't know my father, therefore I do not know of his arrival.”
* “If you spend all your time trying to avoid danger, you'll never move forward. We know the danger. But if that risk means solving the mystery, we have no choice. Am I wrong?”
* “Could any of you really kill me? I don't think I'll die that easily.”
* “I suppose a change of pace is necessary sometimes... Fine then, why don't we take a little break?”
* “You could certainly make the argument that forming friendships may help prevent killings.”
* “Well, I \*am\* human. I \*do\* have emotions. I simply keep it to myself. I don't show it in my face or in my voice.”
* “If you get too involved with someone, you're apt to lose any sense of good judgement. I learned that lesson myself all too well. Personal experience is a ruthless teacher.”
* “Simply put, there was a time when I grew attached to someone, and I made a bad decision. I was forced to learn a very powerful lesson, and these gloves are a daily reminder of that. So on these gloves, I swore to never make the same mistake again.”
* “Fear is proof that your imagination is functioning. Frankly, I feel bad for anyone who can't feel fear. Without imagination, you can never deduce which action to take next.”
* “I'm scared too, of course... I simply hide my emotions. There's no advantage to be gained from letting others see how you feel. What I mean is, I'm not as foolishly open as you are.” (*to Makoto Naegi*)
* “Also, the "fear" experience is a little different from yours, I imagine. You're afraid of what you might lose, right? But I'm afraid of what I've already lost.”
* “... Anyway, don't get too depressed over all this. The reason I'm not willing to talk about it isn't because I don't trust you. In fact, I \*do\* have faith in you. Which is why I decided to tell you what I have. I want you to understand \*why\* I can't tell you. I can't show you myself, just like I can't show you what's beneath these gloves. I can't imagine a point where I would show them over again. Only someone I could call family would be worthy. Would you like to sign up?”(*to Makoto*)
* “Such a foolishly open person as you could never lie. Everyone would know right away.” (*to Makoto*)
* “Well, you should consider trying. Your naive honesty makes you an easy target.” (*to Makoto*)
* “I don't believe this...! To use word "cute" to deceive someone...! That's just too cruel!” (*to Makoto*)
* “You would never just came out and call someone cute like that. Completely out of character. You thought I wouldn't pick up on such an obvious play?” (*to Makoto*)
* “Watch yourself, Makoto. You're honest to a fault.” (*to Makoto*)
* “Didn't I tell you? If you make light of other people's emotions, it will surely come back to bite you.” (*to Byakuya Togami*)
* “... That's just gross.” (*in reply to Yasuhiro Hagakure*)
* “I know I always tell you to be careful and protect yourself, but... to be honest, I hope you don't change. I prefer you this way. This is... you.” (*to Makoto*)
* "If you spend all of your time trying to avoid danger, you'll never move forward." (*to Makoto*)

*Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair* (English)

**Chapter 6:**

* "It can't be helped... In order to stop you that suicidal move was our only choice."
* Don't worry... Once you get out, we willd o our best to support you."
* "...This isn't a game, you know."
* "We didn't know what would happen to the subject if we cut the power while the program was still running... There's no way we'd jeopardize your safety by taking such a gamble."
* "...We do not feel despair. Even if this was all a trap, we will never regret coming here..."
* "Looks like you shouldn't have talked so much. Out of the mouth comes evil, so they say."
* "That's what she does...so she can lure you all toward despair."
* "If Junko escapes to the real world... There will be countless victims again."
* "Everyone...get ahold of yourselves!"
* "If we don't rid the world of despair... The Tragedy will start once again."
* "Even so...the only thing we can do now is leave it to them. This game world is going to end soon... There is nothing more we can do."

**Epilogue:**

* "Whether they know it or not... The fact that they're already clinging to that feeling shows that they're no longer who they were in the past."
* "Then let's go back as well. We're not even close to finished yet...there's still a lot we must do. Besides the Future Foundation, the biggest, most awful, most tragic event in human history is not finished... ...We must end this once and for all, for the sake of the future."

*Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School/Future Arc* (English)

* “At first glance, he probably looks that way, but when he needs to he can be stronger than anyone. He always thinks of his friends and never gives up. Even if it means ignoring his own needs. That's what makes me worry about him, but... that's why I believe in him. Yes...Back then, it was only because he was there that I could...” (*about Makoto)*
* “Hope is infectious. If your power isn't enough, we're here for you.” (*to Makoto*)
* “No matter what happens, don't give up on hope. I shall always be by your side.” (*to Makoto*)

*TMNT X Pokemon*

* "There's more to Investigation Mode then it seems. You also have to talk to people to get clues on the whereabouts. When you go to a person, a yellow circle will appear and you can press A to talk to them. Remember to listen really carefully as some will lie. You have to get the truth out of them."
* Makoto's right. We can't panic. We must have a plan. Any ideas? Anyone?"

## TMNT X Pokemon

Kyoko will help the player in Investigation Mode as he/she goes around and investigate some cases. She has a calm demeanor and doesn't panic about the Krang or the Triceratons. Even in dangerous situations she still has a calm demeanor

## Trivia

* The name "Kyōko" (響子) is composed of 響 - "echo" or "ringing" and 子 - meaning "child". Her name fits her composed, quiet speech and how, during the trials, she more than once guides Makoto to conclusions she has already reached herself and lets him be the one to voice them.
* "Kirigiri" in kanji (霧切) means "fog cutter", referring to her detective background.
* In the beta version of *Danganronpa*, Kyoko was named Gyaru Kirigiri and was the first victim.
* The very first trailer for *Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls*(the original release), which begins teasingly by saying that the upcoming installment of the *Danganronpa* series is a sports game, shows Kyoko playing basketball. The reason Kyoko was assigned *this* particular sport is probably because her Japanese voice actress, Yōko Hikasa, is known for her role in the basketball-themed series Ro-Kyu-Bu! as Saki Nagatsuka. Hikasa is also part of a five-girl pop group of the same name along with four of her fellow voice actress who also portray part of the series' main cast.

* Kyoko is included in the collaboration of *Danganronpa 3* and *Guns Girl Z*.
* Kyoko shares her title, the Ultimate Detective, with Shuichi Saihara.
* She is one of the few characters to have participated in two killing games and survived. The others are Makoto, Aoi, and Hajime/Izuru.
* Kyoko's English voice actress, Erika Harlacher, also voices Kaede Akamatsu in *Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony*.[10]