Gundham Tanaka

Pomeranian

Grizner - Pet Bear

Lots of other unnamed pets

## **Appearance**

Gundham wears a knee-length black jacket is always left open, and, according to his reference sheet, is part of his school uniform. The left sleeve is rolled up to the elbow and fastened to the jacket with silver pins. Gundham is also known for his long purple scarf, which wraps around his neck and covers his chin. Vertical (presumably occult) symbols are emblazoned on the back of his jacket and the ends of his scarf. Underneath his jacket, Gundham wears a white button-up layered over a slightly darker shirt with a grey-purple cross design on the chest. His black pants are tucked into black boots riddled with straps.

Gundham's skin tone is noticeably pale and grey, suggesting that he doesn't get outside much. He wears an undercut, and the top section of his hair is slicked back into a single curl. His hair looks more wild and jagged when he's enraged. His hair color is black with light grey streaks through it. This may be the result of either dyeing his hair or a melanin deficiency known as poliosis, giving him several 'Mallen streaks.'

Gundham has no eyebrows, which is confirmed in the limited edition's art book. He has grey eyes but he wears a red contact lens in his right eye. The grey scar that runs through his left eye onto his right cheek appears to be a tattoo. His left arm, which he calls the "cursed arm," is bandaged up to the elbow, presumably from injuries he received while taking care of his animals. Gundham's Hell Hound Earring (*Devil Dog Earring* in the Japanese release) hangs from his right ear, and he wears silver rings on the index and middle fingers of his right hand.

He is always seen with his hamsters, the Four Dark Devas of Destruction: San-D (orange and white), Jum-P (grey and white), Maga-Z (tan fur with peach underbelly, chipped ear), and Cham-P (fat, orange). The Devas often camp out inside the scarf that Gundham always wraps around his neck, but they frequently appear during conversations or at his command.

## **Personality**

Gundham has an eccentric and somewhat dark personality, his delusions of self-grandeur likely stemming from an inferiority complex and *chuunibyou syndrome*. He claims that he was gifted with evil powers of the underworld, the result of "an angel and a devil" joining together. Gundham refers to other people as "pathetic human beings" and states that even the gods fear his abilities. He often rambles about his status as "The Supreme Overlord of Ice" and his interest in the dark arts, alchemy, and astral levels. Preferring to be alone, he prioritizes himself and taking care of the Devas over connecting with his classmates. For instance, in 1-2, he failed to help investigate the murder of his classmate after he lost the Hell Hound Earring and obsessed over recovering it. As a result, he initially comes off as self-centered and aloof.

Despite making a poor first impression, Gundham offers comic relief in what he says to *Danganronpa* players and other characters. His outlandish responses and dramatic voice acting are reminiscent of a cartoon super villain. He sometimes goes as far as to compliment other characters if they say a "nice line," which teases at breaking the fourth wall. Gundham is notably contradictory—during his introduction, he tells Hajime Hinata to step forward and introduce himself, for Gundham will destroy Hajime once he does. It is heavily implied that though Gundham appears prideful and shuns spending time with mere mortals, he may actually feel lonely. He tends to cover up how he feels alienated from others; for instance, he claimed that he was "searching for solitude" before slowly wandering off.

Gundham's harsh facade conceals a softer, more sensitive side. Sonia's compliments cause him to blush and hide the bottom half of his face in his scarf; he even stammers a little. However, it's hinted that Gundham has serious problems with socializing and physical contact. He has been strict about not wanting to touch nor be touched by others since childhood, going as far as to avoid sports and playing with other children. In his typical manner, Gundham claims that his flesh is "poisoned" to disguise his fear of intimacy. He tells Hajime that he can only be touched by very specific persons with astral levels that match his own. Throughout the game, he improves a little with handling both social and physical contact.

Though he may be awkward around other people, Gundham deeply cares about animals (despite how he refers to them as his evil minions to stay in line with his overlord persona). He claims that anything that can talk "will eventually betray you," suggesting that he has been hurt by others in the past and prefers to trust animals for their loyalty and sincere nature. Gundham demands that animals are treated with respect. He uses his talents to educate people who don't know how to properly take care of animals - during his Free Time Events, Gundham tells Hajime that he maintains an informational website about breeding. He also says that he pities livestock for being raised for the sole purpose of human consumption. This may mean that Gundham is a vegetarian or vegan; on the other hand, his words may imply that he is only against eating animals defiled by human involvement. He takes great offense to people interfering with animals' natural instincts and autonomy. In Island Mode, Gundham reveals that he even hates anthropomorphic cartoons of animals, likely because their human-like behavior insults the dignity of the animals they are based on.

Gundham has great respect for the nature and its laws. He understands that nature is indiscriminate in its harsh cruelty, and he does not fear death. At the same time, he strongly dislikes mankind's malicious ways. Notably, Gundham hates the idea of giving up without a fight, for he believes that all creatures are born to fight tooth and nail to survive. According to him, giving up your life willingly is blasphemous toward nature (and by extension, oneself).

Interestingly, there are moments in which Gundham shows he has a deeper understanding of certain situations and isn't lost in his own world. For example, Gundham is the only one who openly acknowledges Nagito's grey morality (despite strongly disliking him). Gundham also states that murder is murder regardless of motive.

## **Backstory**

As a child, Gundham lived with his mother; his father was likely absent. Though he and his mother seemed to have a good relationship, his mother was terrible at cooking. This later became the basis for Gundham's belief that his body is brimming with poison. He explains that he couldn't refuse to eat her food because that would make her cry, which prompts Hajime to think that Gundham is actually a "really nice guy."

Gundham never liked crowds and large groups, and he suggests he dislikes being touched by other people. In elementary school, he regularly skipped Sports Days and never held hands with other children. During his FTE, he says that the nurse was "a member of my tribe," so he camped out in the infirmary to avoid social interaction.

He has many other animals at home, cared for by individuals he chose to assist with breeding duties. Gundham also claims to run a website about the dark arts containing dangerous esoteric knowledge disguised by breeding information.