Makoto Naegi

**Makoto Naegi** (苗木 誠), is a student in Hope's Peak Academy's Class 78th, and a participant of the Killing School Life featured in *Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc*. His title is the **Ultimate Lucky Student** (超高校級の「幸運」lit. *Super High School Level Good Luck*).

Years later, he is a participant of the Final Killing Game featured in *Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School* with the Future Foundation Directors.

## History

### Early Life

Makoto lived a normal life with his parents and little sister, Komaru. They also had a dog during his childhood. Although sometimes he didn't get along with his sister, he had a close relationship with Komaru. The two watched TV and shared thoughts on manga together.

In a typical day with Makoto and his family, his mother would always watch the same talk show at lunchtime, and his dad wouldn't shave his beard on Saturday when he didn't have work.

In middle school, Makoto went to Blackroot Junior High with Sayaka Maizono, however he was in class 2 while Sayaka was in class 4. He found a lost crane and rescued it; this act of kindness caught her attention, and that was how she remembers him even years later. It's implied that Makoto had a crush on her, but they never talked due to them being in different social standards. Later, he went to Dusk High School.

Makoto had normal school, normal friends, and a normal family. He was pretty much the textbook example of a normal high school student.

Makoto was selected to attend Hope's Peak Academy's Class 78th through winning a random lottery and he visited a forum and looked up information about his future classmates.

### Danganronpa 3: The End of Kibōgamine Gakuen; Future Arc

After returning from Jabberwock Island, Makoto was charged with the crime of treason for protecting the Remnants of Despair. Everyone who gathered for Makoto's trial was trapped and thrust into the “Final Killing Game” by Monokuma. Everyone is fitted with a strange bracelet that releases a sleeping potion at a fixed time. While asleep, the traitor in their midst kills a Future Foundation member. To survive, they'll have to ferret out the traitor and stop the killing.

## Trivia

* Naegi means "seedlings" in Japanese, and Makoto means "faithfulness."
	+ This could reference how he spreads hope to everyone, similar to how Junko tried to plant “seeds of despair.”
* It was revealed that Makoto's full name is used as an anagram of Nagito's name. Nagito Komaeda is an anagram of "Naegi Makoto da" which means "I'm Makoto Naegi" in Japanese. According to Kodaka and Yoshinori Terasawa, the anagram was made as a hook to *Danganronpa 1* fans due to the lack of promotion materials pre-release of the original version of *Danganronpa 2* in 2012. Kodaka wanted the fans to speculate that somehow Makoto and Nagito are connected in a way, and even cast the Japanese voice actress of Makoto, Megumi Ogata, to elaborate that idea even further.
* In *DISTRUST*, he is not shown to have a name. Instead, 主人公 (Protagonist) is used as a placeholder.
* The "gas mask symbol" on the back of his hood is a reference to "Zero" from the game, "*999*". Another existing reference to "999" was mentioned by Makoto in the end of the fourth Class Trial.
* Makoto is the one of the few characters to survive more than one killing game. The others are Aoi, Kyoko and Hajime/Izuru.
* Byakuya and Makoto are the only characters to appear in every canon game and anime of the Hope's Peak Series.
	+ In the first game, after being given the title "Ultimate Hope" near the end of the game, his e-Handbook profile lists his title as "Ultimate Despair." This is not a translation error, as it was the same way in the Japanese text.
	+ In the non-canon *Danganronpa V3* bonus mode, Ultimate Talent Development Plan, Celestia challenged him and Nagito to mahjong to test their luck. She then suggested they add the headmaster, Jin Kirigiri, to even things out. This is likely a reference to an official art from *Danganronpa 1.2 Reload* where the same event happened.
	+ Makoto appears as a guest character in *Chain Chronicle: Brave New Continent*. His Max ATK is 7220 while his Max HP is 7380. His weapon is despair bat, and its ability is doubled attack power. His deathblow is "Refuted", which causes small damage to all enemies within reach.
	+ Makoto is also included in the collaboration of *Danganronpa 3 x Hōkai Gakuen*.Makoto appears in *Mystery Chronicle: One Way Heroics* as the Ultimate Student class, being one of three designs available for it alongside Komaru and Monokuma
		- * The profile for the Ultimate Students states, *you are the Ult. student. You may be the best, but you're just a student...You're not very good at close range combat. Master the various Truth Bullet (TB) skills and survive in this harsh world.*
		- Makoto and Nagito share voice actors in both the Japanese and English dub. This is because Nagito's character is based on Makoto, and he acts as his darker parallel.
		- Makoto is the only character to retain his original voice actor from the game for the English dub of *Danganronpa* anime adaptation.
		- Makoto and his sister Komaru (voiced by Megumi Ogata and Aya Uchida) perform *Danganronpa Another Episode's* ending theme *Progressive -Zan Shin-* together.
		- Makoto is one of the two characters to have a Rebuttal Showdown sprite and quote, but to never actually cause a rebuttal showdown, the other being Kokichi Oma.