Hajime Hinata

**Hajime Hinata**(日向 創 *Hinata Hajime*) is the main protagonist of *Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair*and a central protagonist in the Hope's Peak Academy Saga. He is also a participant in the Killing School Trip.

Hajime originally had no talent, entering Hope's Peak Academy as a reserve coursestudent, but he eventually received the title of **Ultimate Hope** (超高校級の「希望」*chō kōkō kyū no “kibō”* lit. Super High School Level Hope) after participating 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 were erased. During this time, he was known as Izuru Kamukura.

At the end of *Danganronpa 2*, Hajime and the other survivors managed to escape to the real world and decided to remain on Jabberwock Island.

Hajime returns in *Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School*with the other Remnants of Despair as a Reserve Course student and a candidate for the Izuru Kamukura Project. He also returns in Future Arc, with his and Izuru's personalities mixed, though he considers himself Hajime Hinata.

In the OVA *Super Danganronpa 2.5: Nagito Komaeda and the Destroyer of the World*, Hajime appeared as the red-eyed "World Destroyer" who would destroy Nagito Komaeda's imaginary world. It was revealed that the World Destroyer is an Alter Ego programmed to resurrect Nagito and the rest of the Remnants of Despair from their comatose state in the Neo World Program.

He appears as a guest character in the demo gameplay of *Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony*.

At the end of *Danganronpa 3*, Hajime succeeds in curing the Remnants of Despair from the brainwash effect and together they all decide to atone for their sins, as he believes that this ending that Chiaki Nanami hoped for.

## Appearance

Hajime is a young man in his early twenties, around 22 at youngest. His virtual avatar in the Neo World Program appeared as his 17 year old self.[2]

He has short, spiky brown hair with an ahoge that moves according to his emotions. He wears a simple white shirt with the emblem of his previous high school embroidered on the hem. He wears a green tie which also bears the same emblem. He has black jeans and red-and-white sneakers. During his time in Hope's Peak Academy, he wore a black reserve course student uniform, which is the same clothes he wears as Izuru Kamukura.

Hajime's eyes have a straight line running across his pupil, resembling a prohibition symbol. Although his eye color is originally green, his eyes turned red with symbols resembling target radars when he lived as Izuru, and his left eye stays red after the two personalities merge. The design of both his eyes have also adapted Izuru's target radar design.

Inside the simulation, during the ending of the second game, Hajime also gained "Awakened" form, with his hair turning white and his eyes becoming just like those of Izuru. In addition, he was completely enveloped in a lightning-like aura. In *Super Danganronpa 2.5*, when he is supposedly once again inside the simulation, his eyes have turned red again, but he is otherwise his usual self and wears his black Hope's Peak Academy uniform.

In the official art book, as well as in Chiaki Nanami and Nekomaru Nidai's Free Time Events, it's implied that Hajime has some muscle, as he has done some exercise. However, he's mentioned as the type who looks thinner when dressed.

Though never seen in the games, the official art book shows that he has dark blue trunks with white cherry blossom pattern, which are even described as fashionable. Apparently, he does not show them even to his closest friends and his underwear is normally "a mystery", humorously referencing the bonus modes and free-time events.

## Personality

Hajime is seemingly cynical due to how he behaves, but it would be better to describe him as a realist. He is quite skeptical and tends to worry more than the other students, but his worries are often very understandable. He is logical and smart, often annoyed by the idea of not being able to understand someone or something at all. He tends to be quite serious, but he does joke around occasionally and often goes along with his classmates' eccentric hobbies anyway, and sometimes smiles awkwardly and sheepishly while his friends engage in some of their usual weird behavior. He is sometimes annoyed by some of his classmates, and can be snarky towards them in his thoughts as well as blunt while speaking to them at times, though he's more frank than sarcastic or mean-spirited. Though sometimes a bit submissive (especially with bossy girls), he is not afraid to speak his mind. He can sometimes be short-tempered and snap at others, especially when he's tired or under pressure. He was also quite paranoid during the start of the game and didn't have much interest in friendship, but he later really wanted to believe in his classmates and felt bad about doubting them during the Class Trials, but understood it's necessary. He sometimes regretted exposing the murderers, as shown after singling out the murderer in chapter 3.

Hajime's more aggressive personality is well demonstrated in a scene in *Danganronpa 3*, in which he attempts to punch Juzo Sakakura after he spoke in a very condescending and dehumanizing manner, and slapped Chisa Yukizome's hand away in anger when she tried to help him, which is notably different from the way the other protagonists would have behaved. In the Japanese version, his more blunt personality is also shown in his way of speakingーduring Nonstop Debates, he uses the phrase **それは違うぞ** (*sore wa chigau zo*; lit. "That's wrong"), while Makoto Naegi says **それは違うよ** (*sore wa chigau **yo***; lit. "That's wrong"). Using よ *yo* in the end of a sentence is much more polite than using ぞ *zo*, which is perceived as impolite and more masculine. Another example of this is how he uses the more masculine and boastful word 俺 (*ore*) to refer himself while Makoto uses the more polite word 僕 (*boku*). Notably, he has also referred to Junko Enoshima as an "insane bitch", which is something Makoto wouldn't do even in the case of his worst enemies.

Despite his faults, Hajime is generally pleasant and easily exhibits kindness and thoughtfulness to others around him; he genuinely cares about everyone. Although he may have trouble understanding or relating to his classmates, he is tolerant of everyone's eccentric personalities and quirks and is always willing to listen and give advice. The official artbook reinforces this by stating that he spends his time talking with everyone and gets along great with both the girls and the guys. In Free Time Events, he makes even the most antisocial characters feel more relaxed and they often reveal things about themselves they wouldn't tell anyone else. Due to this particular trait, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu thinks that Hajime's talent might be Ultimate Counselor and Nagito calls him Ultimate Serenity.

It's also heavily implied that Hajime is romantically inexperienced, appearing somewhat shy and even naive about the topic. He once mentioned that he hadn't really thought about it and has never asked a girl on a date. However, during Free Time Events and especially during Island Mode, several characters appear to have romantic interest in Hajime and he sometimes responds by flirting, dating or even forming actual (non-canon) relationships with them. He is sometimes shown to be a bit gullible when other characters show interest in him, with he himself admitting that he is "kind of dense" during Hiyoko Saionji's Shot Through The Heart event. Ironically, he incorrectly assumes Peko Pekoyama has romantic feelings for him during her Free Time Events, while actually she is one of the few characters who is confirmed to not have any feelings towards him.

Though he tries to hide it, Hajime is very insecure about his lack of talent and it bothers him deeply. This caused him to admire Hope's Peak Academy more than anything, as he believed that attending the school would fix his problem. He wished to be part of something bigger than himself, to become more confident and someone he can be proud of. He felt bitter about being just a reserve course student. Chiaki was the one who guided Hajime to see the reality that whether or not he had a talent was irrelevant. It was largely due to her support and encouragement that he was finally able to overcome despair and gain true confidence.

After Hajime awakens from the Neo World Program, he preserves his memories and identifies as Hajime Hinata, accepting that the future includes countless possibilities which can sometimes end in failure. As of Hope, it is revealed that Hajime and Izuru's personalities are mixed. Though he identifies as Hajime and acts mostly like him, having the capability to feel, he still becomes bored easily at times and sometimes his demeanor resembles more Izuru than Hajime. He is also capable of using Izuru's talents, which makes him the strongest person in the world, if he has reason to be. However, Kazutaka Kodaka has stated that he still has humanity and emotions, which could make him surprisingly weak. "If you've got Kazuichi talking smack about you, you're not all that great", Kazutaka said laughing, referring to Kazuichi's "This guy's from the Reserve Course" comment in *Hope Arc*.[3]

## Talents

### Ultimate Hope

After fusing with Izuru's identity and becoming a new person carrying Hajime's name, he gained Izuru's ability to use all the known Ultimate talents that has been researched at Hope's Peak Academy. He has been seen using only a few.

#### Ultimate Analyst

Hajime supposedly has the talent of an Ultimate Analyst. However, unlike other people seen with this talent, Hajime is much more capable of feeling emotions and lacks constant boredom. However, he still feels bored at the times, most likely because of his heightened analyzing skills.

#### Ultimate Soldier

Hajime has heightened physical strength, reflexes, and speed, to the point of being superhuman. He is capable of defeating several armed and skilled people in a few minutes. He is also seen easily bending metal and ripping a human-sized hole in sturdy wall.

Similar to Izuru, Hajime seems to be capable of being more cold-blooded when needed, as he badly wounded and likely killed people who were threatening his friends.

#### Unnamed Talent

Hajime utilized an incredible talent which could bring back the comatose students alive from the Neo World Program. It could be talent related to Therapist, Neurologist, or Programming as these talents were held by the creators of the Neo World Program. Though, considering the fact he was imbued with every talent known to Hope's Peak Academy, it could easily be a combination of the three.

## Abilities

### Counseling skills

Though he does not naturally possess an Ultimate talent, other characters have noted that Hajime may have potential for many things, the most notable trait being his ability to make other people feel more relaxed and talk about their issues. Because of this, Fuyuhiko says he could be Ultimate Counselor while Nagito calls him Ultimate Serenity. However, though he's glad to help, Hajime feels that such a talent would be stressful. Hajime also displays this trait as he manages to calm down Ryota Mitarai during the ending of Danganronpa 3.

## Quotes

*Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair* (English)

**Prologue:**

* "It was a day that felt...truly significant. And when that long-awaited day finally came, I felt proud in away I can't really put into words. I felt like...I had just become a part of something greater than myself. Does that make sense? Actually, that's exactly what it was like...I was truly in a dream."
* "I'm not so special that I \*have\* to introduce myself, and formalities are always a little embarrassing... Well, this \*is\* what's expected... I guess that's how I should think about it. My name is Hajime Hinata. There's only one reason I came to Hope's Peak Academy... Because I admired Hope's Peak Academy. To me, attending Hope's Peak Academy is like being a celebrity or a superhero. In fact, instead of calling it admiration, it's more like...it's always been a dream of mine. That's why, to feel like a member of society, to become someone I can be proud of, I always wanted to..."
* "At any rate, if this is a nightmare, I have no idea if it's even started yet... Sheesh, what kind of nightmare is that...?"
* "But...if we weren't in situation like this, I'd probably be enjoying some lazy sunbathing myself. "If" being the key word."
* "His build and that overwhelming aura of refinement just pushes people away... Is this what it means to be the Ultimate Affluent Progeny...?"
* "The strange thing about genuine surprise is that when it happens, your voice won't let you express it. The sudden appearance of a monster might be normal in anime and video games... And that's precisely why...I couldn't grasp the reality of this situation... I couldn't even feel fear. All I could do was stand aghast."
* "Once you're suspicious of something, you'll start to be suspicious of everything... Even of yourself. That's why it felt so hopeless."
* "That day became a day unlike any other... A day which held a more significant meaning. It was a special day... A very meaningful day full of despair. That was the beginning. The killing school trip had begun, and this tropical island was the stage."

**Chapter 1:**

* "There was no way I could believe that this was now my reality. Even so...this was undeniably real. There was no way I could believe that this was now my reality. No matter how much I didn't want to believe it, the moment I experienced and felt it for myself... It became undeniably real. This...is a reality that could not be more different from my usual daily life. School, studying, exams, job hunting, going for walks, going to school, riding the train, lectures... That kind of daily life...is no longer mine. And it led straight on to the first night. A night so beautiful it enchanted me... And yet, my heart was horribly upset. That kind of beauty was definitely...far different than my usual daily life."
* "I didn't want to see anyone anymore. I just wanted to be alone forever... I have nobody I can trust... Because, even if I wanted to trust them...I don't know anything about them yet. The only person I can trust is myself... No, even I don't believe that."
* "I wasn't tired or anything, but...I just wanted to sleep, if only for a short while. I wanted to put an end to it all. And if, by chance, I managed to wake up the next day... It would be awesome if I was back to my normal life."
* "Wherever I go...there are surveillance cameras all over the place. Whoever's controlling Monokuma must be monitoring us with these cameras, too... It pisses me off to think I'm being watched by a lunatic... But there's nothing I can do about it."
* "I don't get it. In this tense situation, we all need to be a lot more cautious... And yet, I'm relieved everyone is in such high spirits. It's strange, but...I feel like I can rely on them. This...must be what it means to have the confidence of an Ultimate... Then...what am I? Am I...confident enough to call myself one of them?"
* "I don't really get it, but...I guess this guy isn't just some overconfident, narcissistic jerk after all. Despite our situation, he's mysteriously calm. He might just be a reliable person after all..."
* "Friends, huh? Until now, I never really thought about friendship. That sort of thing seemed embarrassing. I never would have thought about it in this situation... No, actually, it's more like... \*because\* of this situation..."
* "Believe in your friends, huh... It'd be difficult to believe in them right away, but it'd be nice if it could happen a little at a time... Huh. If I'm starting to think like that, doesn't that show I'm making good progress?"
* "Now then, there's no reason to hole up in my room and stare blankly into space. Since there's time...it'd be a great idea if I went ahead and talked to everyone."
* "When I first came to this island, watching everyone have fun was so frustrating... But now, it feels reassuring. We're actually "friends" who fight together... Friends who've developed a sense of unity..."
* "This hopeless reality... That's the real enemy we need to fight... If I'm going to survive this... ...then I have to fight it."
* "Finding out who the killer is... That's our only hope for survival... Something like this...is hope...? Even so...I still gotta do it."
* "That's right...I need to do it... If we're gonna survive this, we need to do it. ...I have to prepare myself for the worst."
* "It's not just for yourself! We have to do it to protect all of us! Stop blaming yourself... Nothing good will come of it..."
* "Byakuya Togami, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny... He was the kind of guy who said a lot of hurtful things... ...but he tried his best to lead everyone. The only thing I can do right now... ...for Byakuya's sake... ...is to uncover the truth behind his death!"
* "Well, if there's no reason, then there's no meaning..."
* "It's not like we're doing this because we want to!"
* "Just because it's cruel doesn't mean you can just keep crying like that. Crying won't solve anything... We have to do this no matter what, dammit!"
* "You're right... There's nowhere for us to run... We need to do it..."
* "It looks like everyone knows...even if we try to resist, it won't change a thing..."
* "The person who did it...is one of us? I can't believe it... There's no way I can believe it... But...if it's really true... We need to find out, by any means possible... Because...that's our only option. There is no way for us to survive unless we sacrifice the killer... And so... ...this life-threatening trial billowing with hope and despair... ...has begun."
* "No... Thinking about "if" is a waste of time. We have to do this...no matter what!"
* "The darkness in his eyes shone brightly, as if layers upon layers of darkness were folding into each other... ...As if hope and despair had been crudely mixed together."
* "The truth is beyond our sight... No, that can't be it. There should be some way to find out what happened in the dark!"
* "I just thought I knew him. But this whole time, I didn't know anything about this guy. I didn't know...his true character. It's as simple as that. But...now's not the time for me to dwell on that. We need to find Byakuya's killer...by any means possible. Because if we don't... We... We will die here...!"
* "Dammit! There's no way I'm going to lose against someone like him!"
* "That's right...if we don't do that, we can't end this no matter how much time passes. So...we need to do it!"
* "He...believed it more than anybody else here. That's why...he kept denying it... Because he believed it, he needed to deny it..."
* "Let's definitely work together and leave this island!"
* ""Do our best..." We kept using that phrase over and over again. Even though we knew they were just...cheap, meaningless, empty words... Regardless...we still said it. And we continued to say it over and over again without stopping."
* "This sky is connected to anywhere, even to my daily life. That's why...I might be able to go home. That's right...I'm definitely going to go home."

**Chapter 2:**

* "The air's....suddenly not so tense anymore... Well, I guess it's better than being down forever... If I was all by myself...I probably wouldn't have been able to put my feelings aside and move on like this... I guess...I have these guys to thank..."
* "I'll find out about the Hanamura Diner... And when I do, I'll make sure I let you know...!"
* "I don't know what you're thinking, but...we're all in this situation together. You're not the only one stuck on this island... We all have to work together."
* "Training that resembles an actual fight might be fun, but just be careful not to get hurt, both of you."
* "Running away as soon as things get inconvenient... That's even more suspicious." (About Monomi)
* "We need to do our best to make sure there aren't any more incidents...!"
* "So he wanted someone to back him up so he could step forward... I sort of understand how he feels..."
* "Is doing nothing at all correct...? Or is trying to stop it from happening while being aware of the danger correct...? In this messed up world... There's no way I can know what's right..."
* "Well, you know...values vary from person to person."
* "Unlike his smile, his words carried a certain heaviness... As if a black poison was falling from his mouth every time he spoke, filling his surroundings with darkness... An illusion, but one I couldn't help feeling at that moment."
* "Running away from your problems isn't a solution. I'm just putting it off..."
* "It's not like I believe what Nagito said. It's just not a good idea to leave it alone..."
* "If...this was all a dream... When did I...when did I begin dreaming? If this is reality... Why is Mahiru on the floor covered in blood? I...couldn't understand anything that was in front of me... And I couldn't believe in anything."
* "Mahiru Koizumi, the Ultimate Photographer... She had an unyielding force of personality, but she was actually very good at taking care of people... And...she was always straightforward. Toward us and toward herself, she was always facing forward... ...She was that kind of person. Why her...? Why Mahiru...why... Wh-Why did this happen to her!?"
* "Everyone feels the same. But we can't do anything else except do it... A-And... There's no way we can just ignore...the reason Mahiru was killed."
* "That's right...we have to do it. It's the only way. I don't want to do this...but that's more the reason... for us to finish this... ...I'm the only one who can do this!"
* "...No, now's not the time to feel regret. I need to focus on doing as much as I can right now. And then...I'm going to find out the truth behind Mahiru's death. That's the only way...the rest of us can survive."
* "That...it's not just Chiaki... There's no way anyone would forgive something like this."
* "The more I talk to him, the creepier he gets... The more I listen to him, the more I don't understand him... If he didn't exist, this situation would be a lot easier to deal with..."
* "At the trial field where Monokuma is waiting... I have to make my case there..."
* "That's right...I can only... Moving forward is the only option!"
* "But we can't just stand around all day."
* "Throughout that drop, I was fluctuating between feeling hope and despair. As if my heart was a rotten fruit, swelling in the sun before it finally goes "squish"."
* "It's starting...the class trial is starting... Mahiru Koizumi, the Ultimate Photographer... She had an unyielding force of personality, but she was actually very good at taking care of people... Most importantly...she was always straightforward. The person that killed her... ...is among us? I don't want to believe it. I don't want to believe it. I don't want to believe it but... Regardless, we need to find the answer. It doesn't matter if you believe it or not. Because...it's the only way. Aside from finding out who the killer is, there is no other way... ...for us to survive... And so... ...this life-threatening trial billowing with hope and despair... ...has begun."
* "I...don't really want to say it myself but...I need to move the conversation forward..."
* "An unconventional weapon...that also appeared in the game... If we're told we can't advance as long as we don't make that clear... ...Then I have to do it. I'll do it."
* "Let's stop... Believing every little thing Nagito says is a waste of time."
* "The bitter truth... That may be true but... ...Even so, we can't just stand around here all day. Even if what lies ahead is a cruel ending, the only thing we can do is move forward. because...unless we reveal who among us is Mahiru's true killer... There's...no way we'll survive."
* "If I just focus and think about it, I'm sure I'll be able to find the answer. All right, I'm going to do it!"
* "I don't want anyone else...to be sacrifice."
* "...And so, the class trial ended. But we still can't see the real ending that we really want yet... When that finally arrives... What will have happened to us by then...? No matter where I look... No matter what possibilities I look for... I can't see our future, not even a speck. As if we were in a boat, floating unreliably in a vast, dark sea... We were just left there. Alone. Only one word could explain our situation. Despair. ...We couldn't find a more suitable word than that."

**Chapter 3:**

* "My body feels terribly burdened... But...that worry ends here. There's no way I can just lay here and do nothing. ...That's right, just do it."
* "Yeah, I couldn't really stay put and do nothing."
* "Gaming as usual... No, I have a slight feeling she's deliberately concentrating on her game. Like she's trying to keep her sadness from showing by being completely focused in gaming... ...Or is it just me?"
* "However...we didn't realize just how short-lived this peace would be. Even though we were finally bonding, a situation was brewing, like a huge fracture running between us all... And that...would be the trigger for a truly horrible and atrocious incident... Not just for me...but for every single one of us... ...We just hadn't realized it yet."
* "A new island, huh... Maybe now we'll finally find it. A way to get off this island and go home... No...that's the only thing we have! That's our one and only hope!"
* "Peko... You...weren't a tool at all. But you didn't realize it until it was too late..."
* "Judging someone for their crimes... No one has the right to do that... That's exactly it, huh...Mahiru... The killings... The class trials... It's all so messed up...!"
* "Nekomaru's quite good at taking care of people... I wonder if that's a habit of being a team manager?"
* "The moment I have a heart attack...I'll definitely have something I need to be worried about..."
* "He would've probably used the latest kitchen equipment... And cooked the World's Tastiest Dishes. With those dishes, he would've made a lot of people smile... But...that's no longer..."
* "Hey Kazuichi... "Those who won't run will never see the goal!"
* "The combination is crazy and everyone's doing different things...but strangely, it's harmonizing really well. Even though our paces are all different... Will we be able to be like this in the future? ... Mahiru, can you hear this performance? Are you seeing Hiyoko's dance...? Not just Mahiru... Peko...Teruteru...Byakuya...are you all watching? We will never forget about you. Ever! And we will not waste your deaths... We will survive and get off this island!"
* "It should be okay to have a peaceful day like this for a change."
* "It's...definitely not possible... There's no way it'd be that easy to move on... We never had to think about death until we came to this island. So when we're forced to suddenly confront it, there's no way we'd know how we're supposed to deal with it..."
* "I've never felt so fatigued in the morning before... It's probably because of everything that's happened... But I should put that feeling aside and move on. There's no such thing as a useless day for us anymore."
* "I see...Fuyuhiko's not the only one who's trying to change... She's...also trying, huh. The old Hiyoko...there's no way she would've ever forgiven Fuyuhiko like this."
* "Even if we opened our mouths, only words of worry would come out. We all knew that. When we saw Nekomaru's tragedy happen right in front of us, once again we were all taught... If you think you won't die...well, that's just wishful thinking. ON this island, without any warning... People die... That...is the nightmare we're trapped in. When you think you've finally woken up from the nightmare, you realize you're still inside it. ...And thus, the nightmare continues."
* "Nekomaru must've wanted to protect Akane at all costs. Just like how Peko wanted to protect you..."
* "It'd probably be a waste of time to find out the reason for each little thing Nagito does but... I don't get this at all. Why did he have to tell such an outrageous lie?"
* "Wh-What happened, Akane? It's not like you to cry...get a grip on yourself."
* "I-I'd really prefer if she had a more confident-sounding catchphrase...!"
* "I-It's going to be okay...you don't have to worry. Fuyuhiko and I are here, so don't cry."
* "Worry...why do I have to worry about a guy like him...?"
* "I do understand how you feel but...don't overexert yourself, okay?"
* "Anyway...all we can do now is wait... Just wait patiently...until the situation improves...and changes for the better. Because waiting patiently was the only thing we could do...we waited patiently."
* "My worries have piled so high that one sigh just isn't enough. And...the more I think about it, it's like I'm slowly being sucked deeper and deeper into an endless pit... I guess for today...I should just go to sleep. It's best if I not dwell on it too much..."
* "I wanted to cover my ears. I wanted to run. To the place I deserve to be. Not here. To the place...where I can be more confident."
* "Leave me alone... I just... I just want to become someone who's confident in myself."
* "I rushed into the music venue with a prayer in my heart. But... I completely forgot... Prayer...means nothing on this island."
* "Even though I expected it...I still didn't want to confront that reality. Under the hemp bag, there was no denying that the face I saw belonged to...Ibuki."
* "That's right...we need to end this... We need to finish this...once and for all. I know there's no way he can believe that one of us did this... But for those two's sake, we need to find the truth! And then, we need to end this nightmare once and for all!"
* "...I understand how you feel, but please get a hold of yourself. Two ofour friends were killed... That's all the more reason why we can't just leave this alone, right?"
* "This guy just wants to confuse us... There's no way I'm going to tell him what he wants to know!"
* "I noticed our lined up silhouettes keep getting smaller and smaller... ...But I can't turn back now. If I turn back, I won't be able to press forward..."
* "Ibuki Mioda, the Ultimate Musician... She was really loud, but she was the moodmaker of our group. When I was with her, all of my pain and suffering just seemed to melt away. Hiyoko Saionji, the Ultimate Traditional Dancer... Just from looking at her adorable face, you'd never know she was actually selfish and foulmouthed... But she was trying to change herself, and she was desperately trying to come to terms with Mahiru's death. The person who killed those two is among us. I...definitely can't believe it... But...whether I believe it or not is irrelevant. Unless I figure out the truth, I won't be able to escape from this hell. That's why...I must find out, no matter the cost. For our sake... For our friends' sake... For Ibuki and Hiyoko's sake... And so...the curtain to the third class trial was about to open... ...this life-threatening trial billowing with hope and despair... ...has begun."
* "It's just as Kazuichi said... Nagito's the kind of guy who'll just confuse us and make matters worse..."
* "Wh-What warm-up!? This isn't a game, you know!"
* "Why Hiyoko went to the music venue... If that's the key to all this... I need to find that out, no matter the cost!"
* "Nagito Komaeda... You're definitely someone I shouldn't underestimate..."
* "And whether or not we can reach the that hidden truth... ...is all up to me."
* "Tricks aside, logic aside... Is she really capable...of doing something like this? No, in fact...it'd be somuch easier if I was wrong... If I have this much doubt about someone I've spent so much time with..."
* "I...don't want to do this either...! Of course I don't want to do this...! But...I \*need\* to do this...!"
* "That's not it! I suspect them because I want to believe them!"
* "I need to...make up my mind. I'm the one who has to do it...! I'm the one who's going to finish this...!"
* "Don't flinch....don't hesitate...don't run away...! I'm the only one who saw that video... Who else is gonna do it if I don't!?"
* "At this rate, we're not getting anywhere... I gotta do something...and end this... I gotta do something...so I can make her admit it!"
* "Mikan...it's already over... After I go over your crime from the beginning and show that you have no argument left... ...Please just admit it already! In the end, at least let me believe in you!"
* "I-I won't believe it...! There's no way I can believe...you were like this all along... Because...if that's true...! Then who's the person we've been spending time with up until now!?"
* "Like a house of cards collapsing in an instant... In the end, our friendwe thought we knew ended up showing us a completely different side of herself... Then she vanished from our sight, leaving behind only her malice toward us. And now...there's no way we can just move on or try to have a clear-cut attitude about these feelings... ...That's clearly impossible."

**Chapter 4:**

* "We were hoping things would progress smoothly. That's right. A common, ordinary progression. Like, for example... The enemy's lair crumbling right after you defeat the final boss, or your dead friend suddenly reappearing... It would've been just fine if things had progressed like that. That's the kind of old-school progression we were hoping for... Not...this unreasonable turn of events."
* "It's better to just be alive... I do understand what Nekomaru is saying but... No matter how we make sense of this... It's just too weird... This isn't a novel or a movie. This is reality. Can something this unexplainable really be allowed to happen? No, instead... Why did this happen?"
* "As I listened to Monokuma's boisterous laugh, once again I was forced to accept... This island is not the day-to-day world I know. It's a mad world where the strange is accepted as normal. Causes, reasoning, circumstances, foreshadowing... These things don't apply here at all. ...That's what it means to live in a mad world."
* "I will not accept any more victims...! I will definitely prevent that from happening...!"
* "It's useless to think about things that are a waste of time... I've learned that much during my time here."
* "Don't talk so confidently about a castle you've never seen before..."
* "Maybe it's because we were shown a new mystery from that Future Foundation file but... ...I was panicking. I couldn't keep still after being forced to see more mysteries that didn't make sense. I felt like...I didn't even care if it was a trap. And because of that panic, I completely forgot... Monokuma's traps are always...far beyond our imagination... ...I completely forgot about that."
* "We've been together this whole time and you still don't know who I am!?"
* "When people stop trusting you...it seriously sucks..."
* "Of course, I'm not a kid who'd be amused by something like this... Besides, I don't have time to play anyway."
* "Yeah, you're right... It's still too soon to give up."
* "That's why... No matter what shape you're in, we're all extremely happy that you came back to us."
* "But...we can't just stand here and do nothing...!"
* "So once someone is suspicious of me, anything I do will look suspicious to them, huh. What should I do...?"
* "So it was definitely a waste of time to believe Monokuma..."
* "For a princess...you sure do think about petty stuff."
* "It's a little cold in here... The draft coming from the door is making me hungry... But...I shouldn't be talking like that. For now, I need to endure it no matter what. No matter what happens...I will definitely prevent a killing from happening... I won't let Monokuma get what he wants...!"
* "...Now then, what should I do now? In this kind of situation...panicking will accomplish nothing. It might be better if I spend time like I normally do for as long as I can. I should find someone to talk to...or it might be a good idea to just stay in myr oom and conserve my energy."
* "In the future, it may be necessary to know about the enemy..."
* "This isn't about just you... We're all getting screwed here."
* "I'd rather...have that happen to us... ...than have our friends kill each other..."
* "If I just leave this matter alone, something bad might happen... It's not like I'm worried but...I should go see how everyone's doing."
* "...I don't even have the energy or willpower to say anything anymore."
* "The weaker my body gets, the less sense everything seems to make... We're on the verge of starving to death and there's no way to escape... Is it really okay to just lay here and take it? Or..."
* "This morning, I couldn't help feeling angry...that I said what I said in front of every one, but... I...I don't really think that it's okay if we end up starving to death... I need to do something... I need...to do...something...soon..."
* "It...was very sudden. That's right, it's always sudden. The door to despair...always opens suddenly."
* "If this is a nightmare, please, just let me wake up..."
* "I gotta do it... I have to do it...!"
* "I knew he was strange from the start, but for him to casually do something so suicidal... He's crazy...! That's all there is to it!"
* "It's true that I'm...shocked, but...now's not the time for me to feel like that... Right now, I can't afford to be the only one who's depressed... I need to survive with everyone else and return home! That's what's most important! ...Isn't that right?"
* "No... We've all come this far. If he's saying we should try it out, then we should give it a shot."
* "O-Of course there isn't! What kind of hope comes from killing people!?" (to Nagito)
* "Calm down... That's right... I need to calm down..."
* "...And so it begins. I hoped this would never happen again, and now it's happening for the fourth time... The curtain to the fourth class trial...was about to open. Nekomaru Nidai, the Ultimate Team Manager... He was more passionate...more daring...more honest than anyone I'd ever met... Truly, he was more man than any of us. He sacrificed his body to protect Akane, and his appearance changed drastically because of that... But...he still tried to live earnestly. And just when I finally got used to his new form... Nekomaru's killer... ...is one of us. Killing someone because it's the only way to survive...is no excuse. ...I won't let this be excused. I won't forgive this. The person who betrayed Nekomaru... Who betrayed their friends... ...I will never, ever forgive them! And so... ...this life-threatening trial billowing with hope and despair... ...has begun."
* "You can tell what the weapon is just by looking...? It wouldn't be much of a mystery if that were true..."
* "Nagito... As usual, I can't tell what he's thinking. I have no idea if he's serious or not..."
* "...If I'm going to reach the truth behind this incident, I need to solve that mystery next!"
* "Another mystery I don't understand...? Seriously, it's just one after another... But...I can't choke up at a time like this. Just a little more and I'll be able to reach the truth... There should definitely be a clue to breaking through this contradiction!"
* "Perhaps we've overlooked something... Maybe we're misunderstanding something... Think... If I focus and think...I should be able to find the answer to that mystery."
* "I need too clarify by how much the time was off after the killer messed with the clocks. That's definitely the next mystery...! I'm going to reach the truth in one go!"
* "When something is obviously wrong, that's when a contradiction is born... There's no such thing as a contradiction that can't be overcome!"
* "A contradiction is when something is obviously wrong... There's no contradiction I can't shoot through... I'm going to find out what that is. For the sake of everyone's hope...I'll shoot through the contradiction!"
* "...There's no way I can stop!"
* "His argument...is exhausting... Just listening to it makes me tired... I need to skillfully cut back against his words, so he doesn't outpace me..."
* "I guess you really don't want to admit it... Then...just as you requested... I will provide an argument that'll leave you no choice but to be persuaded!"
* "It's true the class trial is finished but...that doesn't mean the incident is over... We can't finish yet until we hear it from Gundham!"
* "Even after Gundham is gone... The spirit of his parting words still lingered deep in our chests. "Don't give up on life" Did I...misunderstand what he meant? Then...what's the right thing to do? I don't know... No matter how much I think about it... I don't know if I'll ever be able to answer that."
* "We shouldn't just stand here... I mean...it's not like this is over. We...still have to do it. We still have to finish this. For the sake of our friends who have died, we need to finish this once and for all! So... Don't just stand there. Stand up and walk. Move forward. Live. If you don't... Everyone who fought and died will have died in vain...! We can't allow that!"
* "With this, the class trial has come to an end and once again, we returned to Jabberwock Island. The size of our group has definitely diminished... But despite that...even if it was just the rest of us, we did our best to stay upbeat and have fun together. Of course, our optimism was only superficial... But at that moment, we were able to forget about the dark despair looming before us. However, the only thing I was worried about... ...was him. He wasn't there. He...suddenly disappeared from our sight."

**Chapter 5:**

* "Nekomaru, you were a strong man. You were always straightforward...because you were strong. But...strength doesn't mean anything when you're dead."
* "Gundham...I won't forget your final message... "Don't give up on life." Even now, those words are still etched into my heart. I don't know if I'll find any answers, but... We...will continue to press forward...so you won't lecture us...!"
* "My whole life...I've just wanted to feel confident about myself... And I thought getting into Hope's Peak Academy meant I had finally become someone I could be proud of... Not...some fucking backup student...!"
* "Hey, don't talk like you're not included. You're our friend too, you know..."
* "As we left the restaurant, the expressions on our faces were clearly different than they were before... They were filled with strong will and determination... Armed with that, we began walking toward the last island. But...the clouds in my heart still lingered... I couldn't stop thinking about the Reserve Department. And that filled me with this strange uncomfortable feeling, like a small bone was lodged in my throat. But...I tried not to think about it. I tried to stay focused on moving forward."
* "This mystery doesn't make any sense... No matter how much we think about it, there's no reason behind it..."
* "It's just...a lot of unimaginable things have kept happening to us, so maybe I'm getting a little confused. But the world ending...? There's no way something so unbelievable could actually happen. That sounds like something that would happen in a work of fiction... But the thought of it actually happening in reality...is definitely unsettling."
* "Kazuichi is right. It's dangerous to let Nagito wander freely. If we're being cautious, we have to act fast... But...what is this indescribable anxiousness I'm feeling? ... I hope...it just means I'm thinking too much..."
* "There are photos of the 16 of us, but we can't return to those days anymore. Once again, I'm confronted by the fact that..."
* "Well, since I walked around all day today, I was able to obtain several clues... Although I'm not really certain if you can even call these clues... Instead...I feel like we're just suffering from more mysteries that don't make sense... ... This isn't good... As soon as nighttime hits, I can't stop thinking all these pessimistic thoughts... ...This might be a bad habit of mine. I should just get some sleep for today. Rest my mind for a while... And then...I'll give this some more thought tomorrow."
* "I don't know what he's thinking, but as long as we capture him, we'll have the advantage. I won't let him do as he pleases anymore...!"
* "I couldn't even stop him... I felt...afraid of Nagito. The madness emanating from Nagito's body was seeping into my bones. I...never expected him to go this far..."
* "But...it's ironic... Nagito is the reason we're all splitting up, but the reason we're all cooperating... ...is because of Nagito, too. ...It's pretty damn ironic."
* "Nothing good will come from rushing... I should try looking somewhere else...!"
* "Now's not the time to be calm! We need to stop them!"
* "I'd never experienced such an oppressive atmosphere before, and I couldn't help holding my breath. And then, on the other side of the curtain... I saw the true source of the intense malice that I had been feeling. I...I had no idea...what I was looking at... By the time I realized I was looking at the remains of Nagito Komaeda, the Ultimate Lucky Student... ...Time had already stopped."
* "Eventually...the shock finally registered with me. A numb feeling spread from the center of my brain almost instantly. Nagito...is dead... Even when I saw this before me, I wasn't able to comprehend that reality yet."
* "I never expected I'd be looking at Nagito's body like this... Nagito...probably thought the same thing. I couldn't help seeing it in his dead, frightened face. But...on this island, unbelievably abnormal occurrences happen all the time... Even Nagito couldn't escape that truth... But even something as small as that..."
* "There's a killer among us... The weight of those words began to sink into me. That was true of the previous cases, but...was it really true this time? No matter how much I tried, I couldn't believe it... Because the victim was Nagito...? Because his death was so abnormally cruel...? No, it wasn't just that. There was something more to it than that... And whatever it was...it was stuck inside me."
* "A-Anyway... Like you said before, if we screw up here, it's the end for us. For now...let's focus on the investigation. We'll think about the countdown...after we live through the class trial."
* "There's no time for us to stand around. In order to survive...there's no other way except to do it. In order to survive, we need to find Nagito's killer. If we don't sacrifice that person, nobody can survive... ...That's our reality. That's why...there's no time for us to stand around."
* "Don't worry or form conclusions on your own... That makes \*me\* more worried than I should be."
* "I never expected Nagito...to die like this... He was always spouting nonsense about hope and trying to confuse the hell out of us... But even so...dying like this is just too cruel. Also...he wasn't completely useless... There were times we were only able to reach the truth because of him. But...everything good and bad about him is gone. We'll never be confused by him again. We'll never be saved by him again... No...now isn't the time to think about unnecessary things. I need to focus on the investigation right now."
* "Jeez...I can't believe I actually investigated such a grisly-looking body... ...Even I'm surprised at myself. Does this mean...I'm used to it? My classmate's dead body is right in front of me...and one of my peers is the killer responsible... And I have to investigate his death so I can find his killer... Am I used to something as abnormal as that? That would mean...I'm becoming abnormal, too."
* "Well, Monokuma isn't exactly someone you would normally run into..."
* "I feel a little tired... No matter how much I investigate, I don't feel any closer to the truth... That's probably why I feel this way. I'm feeling this strange feeling that I've never felt before. As if Nagito is trying to make us suffer, even after he's died... ...Well, now's not the time to think about stupid things like that. I haven't even investigated his cottage yet... It's too early to start complaining. If we investigate that place, we might be able to find some kind of clue. ...All right, let's go."
* "So...Nagito was living here... What was he thinking inside this room? What was he feeling as he spent his days in here...? I can't even imagine. Wanting to see "absolute hope"... Becoming despair so he could act as a stepping stone for the rest of us... No matter how much I think about it, I just don't understand him at all... I don't even know if he truly believed that... He was especially weird these past few days. What changed him...? Maybe...the clue to that might be hidden here as well..."
* "You're right...you're absolutely right... We're not alone... Even if it's a mystery that can't be solved alone... As long as everyone cooperates and works together... Yeah...if we do that, things will turn out fine..."
* "In fact, during the Funhouse ordeal, we were completely dependent on him... But even if he's gone, the ones who've survived need to stand and fight. We...must fight... And then...the door slowly opened. This bright light greeting us... Is that the light of hope...? Or the light of despair...?"
* "Nagito Komaeda, the Ultimate Lucky Student... When I first met him, I thought he was a nice guy. He came across as very sociable... But his true nature...held such a demented thought process that was nothing like his outward appearance... He said he believed in hop more than anything else. He said he was yearning for a powerful hope that can overcome any despair. He said he would even help despair just to prove that hope will never lose to despair... And...he said he'd become a stepping stone for hope. ...His way of thinking was completely screwed up. But...there were also times he saved us, too. Someone like him was killed... That was the end of him. And I have no idea at all...who did it, but... There's no way we can end this without knowing. We will be consumed by despair. That's why...we absolutely have to find out... The person who finished off Nagito... The killer who murdered Nagito...! In order to return from this despair alive, we need to reach the truth. And if Monokuma says this is really the last class trial... ...That's all the more reason we need to do this. And so... ...this life-threatening trial billowing with hope and despair... The last one... ...has begun."
* "Jeez...and I was starting to feel a little sympathetic toward him... How stupid of me... I completely underestimated his capacity for malice... A mind-boggling malice that threatens us even after he's died... That's the form his malice look. I had forgotten all about it until now... If he was here now...he'd probably be sneering at me."
* "I just remembered that his malice always defied our expectations...and that concerns me. For example, would that malice...just end here? Did Nagito's malice drive him to risk his life for a truth we'd reach \*this\* easily? I mean...this is Nagito we're talking about, you know?"
* "If all your hopes are united, no despair can shake you", huh... ...Now that I think about it, Nagito said the same thing. "The absolute hope that can overcome any despair"... He said he was yearning for that... Then, this situation we're in...might be the thing that Nagito wanted all along... ... ...No, never mind. I'm probably...overthinking."
* "I don't want to hurt anyone... I don't want to get hurt anymore...by hurting someone else. Everyone's tired...tired of doubting everyone else... I...I also feel that way. That's why I want to just rule this as "Nagito's suicide". If I do that...nobody here has to get hurt... But... That's no good... I feel like...Nagito is seeing through us. By calling this "Nagito's suicide," we're trying to take the easy way out so we don't hurt anyone else... But if Nagito was here right now... He'd probably be sneering at us. He'd probably say something like, "So that's the extent of your hopes."
* "But...I just can't imagine ending this by turning our backs on the truth...!"
* "He wanted to prove to us that there are mysteries that just can't be solved with educated guesses!"
* "That's right...it doesn't mean the trial is over yet... Even though I don't know who killed Nagito... It should be clear what kind of trap he set. Then...I have to do it. Even if it leads to despair...! ...I got it. Let's do this then!"
* "He relied on his luck to aim for a target, but he didn't even know who he was aiming for... It sounds way too unbelievable to have actually happened, but... ...The only thing we can do is believe."
* "Wh-Whether I can prove it or not...that's not the problem... Don't youunderstand!? You may as well be asking me to kill you! I... There's no way I can do that...!"
* "No, the truth is I might've already known the moment I found this notebook... It's just...I wanted to turn my eyes from the truth it contained... But now I clearly know. I...can't help but know..."
* "I don't want to believe it either... I don't want to believe but... But...then nobody will be saved!"
* "I don't...I don't want to believe it...but... I have to move forward... I have to move forward to the path she's showing us...!"
* "We shouldn't believe in Monokuma...or Nagito... We have to believe in Chiaki! It doesn't matter who the traitor is... Even if Chiaki is the traitor, that's not the Chiaki I know. I believe in...the Chiaki who's been with us this whole time. That Chiaki is saying she wants to protect us with her life! So the only thing we can do is believe her! If we don't...nobody's going to be saved!"
* "...It's not fair. I...feel the same as everyone else. There's no way I can agree to this...! Emptiness. Loneliness. Sadness. But most of all...I'm ashamed of my weakness. But... Even so... ...I have to move forward. If we believe in the person who's urging us forward... ...then we have to start walking. And believe...with as much hope as possible in what lies ahead."
* "Without realizing it...I had fallen to my knees. A feeling of powerlessness spread throughout my body. It's over... It just had to end... Before I could ask what I needed to ask... Before I could say what I needed to say... Chiaki vanished before my eyes... And I couldn't even tell her, "Thank you"... If I had said that, would she have been comforted a little...? As she was executed as the traitor...would she have been comforted a little...? I don't know... My chest...just hurt."
* "Even after I woke up, my will to move my body didn't come back. That's why... I didn't look back on everything that happened up till now... I didn't think about what was going to happen... I just kept praying that nothing else would happen... And burrowed deep into my sheets, as if I were trying to hide."
* "The day feels abnormally long when you spend it praying that nothing happens."
* "...Is everything really going to end? What is "everything" anyway? How far, how much is...everything? If we leave this island...is everything going to end? There's still so much we don't know... About our school memories, the Future Foundation, Hope's Peak Academy, Monokuma's true purpose... Can we really end this and turn our back on all that? And not just that...if we're really leaving, then where are we going? ...To Hope's Peak Academy? ... That was...my last night at Jabberwock Island. At a place where my worries didn't even matter...everything was about to end."
* "I suddenly couldn't believe in anything, like everything in this world was nothing but lies..."
* "Nagito...I can't believe you actually left a will... Fine, then I'll make sure to listen to your last words...!"
* "To go to the trouble of preparing something like this... Nagito was unpredictable until the very end..."
* "Beyond this door... The future is waiting... A sparkling future... Now then...let's move forward."
* "Something's...wrong...? What did I do...? ... ... No...that's not it... I'm not the...weird one... .What's really weird is... ...this world?"

**Chapter 6:**

* "The gymnasium...is here, right? ...All right, I'm going inside! Something might be waiting...but I'm not going to cower away anymore."
* "If I really am a nobody...then...you should've just left me alone... Why...why do I have to go through something like this?"
* "Chiaki said...she could not betray the Future Foundation... But if she were still alive, she definitely would've helped us... No...even her just being with us would've been a big help."
* "He's...right... Now's not the time to bemoan how unlucky I am... Where this place really is... What's happened to Hope's Peak Academy... ...None of that matters. What's important is... I need to leave this islandwith the others. We sacrificed so many lives in order to survive just so we could do that... There's no way we can stop now."
* "If we stopped at the green light...we'd never reach our goal."
* "I...should hurry and start too... Just a bit more... Just a bit more...and it's going to end... I can escape this nightmare and return to my usual, peaceful, every day life. The only thing we can do is advance toward that hope... Even though I don't understand...and that a lot of horrifying things keep happening... For the sake of everyone who couldn't make it this far, I'm definitely going to go home!"
* "I-I don't know how he's doing it but...he keeps doing it over and over again... He's so persistent... Bur I'm not gonna fall for his trap! There's no way this will make me back down!"
* "The cherry tree is proudly displaying its full blossoms. The falling petals add to the elegance of the scene. If Hiyoko and Peko were here, it would've looked truly picturesque. For their sake's as well...I will definitely go home!"
* "No...it'd just be a waste of time to wonder about things that don't make sense."
* "He's trying to make us feel despair toward the outside world so we'll want to stay on this island. But...there's no way I'm going to do what he wants...! Despair like that simply can't exist... The outside world should be filled with hope... ...Just like now. Perhaps...no, that's definitely it."
* "No...I've already decided that I'm not going to be surprised. That's right...there's no time for me to be surprised by something like this!"
* "But still...her gut is pretty impressive... For some reason it's strangely intuitive... And Monokuma did say something about the main cast coming... It's surprising but...her gut must be correct again this time..."
* "I'm starting to feel like we might be better off not remembering the memories we've lost..."
* "A feeling of emptiness, like everything is being tainted. A feeling of weakness, like the world is collapsing beneath my feet. Everything is starting to feel meaningless... The desperate attempts, the sad goodbyes, the conflicts, the trust I felt until now... It's all disappearing until all I feel is... ...Despair."
* "There was no way for me to acknowledge it as the truth... It would make much more sense if this was a fictional world..."
* "I feel... I feel like I can't believe what's going on here... The missing sense of reality... All the mysteries...all the truths... They're all just fiction... Is that...? ... ...Even so, I need to know. I need to know what this world is."
* "Do our best...huh... But...what do we have to do our best at...? ... The mystery is getting solved... I'm finally starting to see the truth... But...what are we supposed to do when that truth is really a lie? We know we're working towards a conclusion that nobody wants to hear... But still, do we really need to work hard and do our best? Is there...really a reason to do our best? If everything was a lie... Then isn't everything just meaningless? It's the same for the killings, too... Even though we had to experience something as painful as that... Something as tragic as that... Wouldn't all that be meaningless too? When the world is flipped over and becomes so irrational... What...am I supposed to do...?"
* "It's...just a waste of time thinking about what this all means right now... For now...I need to finish this... I need to just focus on that..."
* "The world's true identity... If I answer this...it will be true... And that lie...will become the truth... But... There's no way I can leave it unanswered."
* "This world is a virtual reality created by a computer program. We can't proceed if we don't accept it... ...Is believing him really the only thing we can do?"
* "The truth is... ...The truth is it was all a lie. That...is this world's truth... I-If everything's a lie... Then...what should we believe...?"
* "What game...!? That's not what we risked our lives for!"
* "She didn't exist at all...? Not human...? No, that's not it! Chiaki was really alive...! Even if she was a virtual existence, she was really alive... Did you forget!? She saved our lives, you know!"
* "We've been trying desperately to survive until we can finally leave this place... If we don't get out of here now, all the deaths we've endured will be in vain... I...know this...but... ...Something's not right. ...How come Monokuma isn't trying to stop us? Is he just going to stay quiet and overlook us getting out of this game world? Then...everything Monokuma did would be pointless, too. Not only that... Is...it really okay for us to believe him? Should...we get out? Or..."
* "We're...completely at her mercy. But if we can't progress unless we answer... We have no choice...but no answer...!"
* "S-So you're saying you only exist...to fill people with despair?"
* "Meaningless...vanish... Does that...include her, too? If we lose our memories of this world, we're also going to forget \*she\* ever existed, right? If that happens... Does it really mean that... ...that she, an existence confined to this world...is really going to disappear? She risked her life to protect us, and we won't even remember she existed...!"
* "Gradute or shutdown... The world or me... Hope or despair... They're telling us to choose...? To choose between that...? Wh-Why...? Why...do we have to choose...? I can't do it... I...can't choose... You guys are telling us the world's going to be destroyed unless we sacrifice ourselves... And that...I can't decide... I can't choose either one..."
* "Shut up! Leave me alone! This...this is just too much... Why do I...why do I have to be a part of this...? I mean, I'm different from the rest of you... And I don't even have a talent... But even so...I got dragged into this... And now...my existence is going to disappear? Ha...hahaha, I don't understand it at all."
* "It's impossible! For someone like me...it's impossible... I can't choose the future...! Hope...despair...do whatever you want! It's not my problem!"
* "Anyway...don't you think they're messed up? Telling us the world's going to be destroyed and to sacrifice ourselves...? There's no way I can choose... For someone like me...I'm just not able to choose... Seriously...I've had enough... I'm tired of being mixed up in all this stuff I don't understand... Not only was I told that I have no talent at all, but if I get out, I'll go back to being Ultimate Despsair... And on top of that...I was told I'm going to disappear too. Isn't that messed up? ...Hey, you don't want that either, right? I mean, if we lose our memories, there won't be a single trace of your existence left. You're going to completely disappear...and none of us will ever remember you..."
* "Hey Chiaki...can you tell me something? Which...which choice should I make? My hope...the world's hope...which one should I choose?"
* "I have no talent at all... I was even betrayed by the academy I admired so much... I don't want to disappear... I'm not Izuru Kamukura... Who cares what will happen to the world...? It's not like I'll be appreciate anyway... I don't want to sacrifice myself... There's no way we can beat Junko! It's the Future Foundation's fault... Not mine... I can't choose the future..."
* "There won't just be hope... There will probably be a lot of despair too... I don't know what kind of future awaits us... ...but our futures are ours! I won't let anyone take them!"
* "I've decided...I'm done running away... I will fight for my future! I will fight alongside the future that everyone created for me! It's not for anyone else's sake but my own!"
* "I...am not Izuru Kamukura... I am Hajime Hinata!"
* "There's never only one choice to make... There's no way I'll allow things to end this way. The future everyone has created for us should have more possibilities than that. Let's leave this place with confidence, and from there we can just create it on our own. ...The future that we want!"
* "It wouldn't be strange if a miracle happened... This isn't a game! We can change the future as much as we want!"
* "We believe in our future... That's what makes us different from you... We believe that if we try new things, even difficult things, that everything will turn out okay. We believe we can even create our own futures!"
* "I'm not...the one you should be thanking."
* "And fro that point on...we're the ones who are going to create."
* "So this is the end... But...it's just the beginning. ...Isn't that right? It doesn't change how scared I am... I can't help feeling scared...so scared, but... Thank you... Thank you, Chiaki... Phew...I finally said it."

**Epilogue:**

* "And so...the ordeal has ended. And from here, our daily lives have started. Lives that are much more absurd, nonsensical, and irrational than before... Things are...probably going to be a lot more difficult now. There's no such thing as an answered mystery... It's doubtful whether or not things will even end well."
* "The future isn't a path, it's like an endless sea... You can try to go anywhere... But it doesn't mean you'll get there. Even so, I will keep on living. I will keep on living as Hajime Hinata. My future...lies here."

**Free Time Events:**

* "I'm pretty sure I'm going to regret playing this... But that's what makes it so much fun."
* "Nagito is laughing in a carefree way. But seeing him laugh like that was enough to distract me from my worries."
* "If I have to choose between liking you and hating you, then... well, I don't hate you. I definitely consider you a friend, and there's no way I could ever imitate your leadership... The truth is... I think you're amazing."
* "But...you remember, right? So all you have to do now is never forget that again. That's probably your dream or something, don't you think? Well, it's not like it's my place to say that."
* "I...don't really know much about photography, so I can't really give any good feedback, but... ...I really like photos like these. How should I put it...? It makes me realize the importance of what's right in front of you..." (to Mahiru)
* "Even thought she complains about it, she’s really good at taking care of people. Well, she'd have to be. Otherwise there's no way she'd able to take so many smiling pictures."
* "I can feel a strong bond between Mahiru and myself... Mahiru, let's definitely get off this island. With everyone. So I can one day hear the words she wanted to say...
* "I-I don't intend to fight my friends at all. I definitely don't want to do that..."
* "H-Hold on! What are you talking about!? I-It's pretty weird that you're assuming we'd ever need to fight them in the first place. We'll get out of this place if we cooperate with each other. Why do we need to think about fighting anyone?"
* "Let me help you until you can finally smile on your own. Isn't it too early to give up now?"
* "Fine...I got it... I'm not all that experienced myself, but... I think it's fine if you don't overthink it and just casually ask him, "Let's do something together." You want him to smile, right? You just have to make him feel like smiling."
* "If she didn't have her foul mouth and rotten attitude, she'd look perfect standing next to flowers."
* "Once again, I feel like I understand Hiyoko a little better now... ...But the more I get to know her, the more fearful I become."
* "You're not scared of anything, huh...? Well, that's one good thing about Hiyoko...I guess?"
* "Haha...maybe. But...if you're the one doing the dancing, I'll make sure to stay awake."
* "Jeez... When she's not being an unbearable brat, she can be pretty adorable... But I guess that strength has been supporting Hiyoko this whole time. Since I understand that now...maybe that means a bond has formed between Hiyoko and myself. So I'll protect her...but if I say that to her, she'll definitely treat me like a slave."
* "I see... If...I can fill that loneliness by doing stuff with her, even if it's just a little... Well, then I guess I don't mind playing along with her for a while."
* "Ibuki said that with a seriousness that I've never seen her display to anyone else. It's kind of surprising that I'm actually learning from her, but... Her words took root inside my heart. I won't give up. I'll definitely leave this island...with everyone."
* "B-But...I think you have an amazing talent for helping people. I mean, even now...you noticed right away that I wasn't feeling well, right? So, thank you for...caring about me."
* "N-No, it's fine. Asking someone if they want to talk is totally normal..." (to Mikan)
* "You're still talking like that... It's not like that... Everyone isn't doing anything to you because they don't hate you."
* "Hey Mikan... Of course everyone cares about you. Because...you're uniquely you. Stop looking at people's faces all the time, and try looking at yourself more. Take a step back and pay more attention to your surroundings, and to yourself. Because you're just like everyone else. You're...our friend."
* "I know it's difficult to change all at once...but I really want her to change little by little. That's what I felt when I looked at Mikan's smile. I can feel a strong bond between Mikan and myself. If possible, I want to watch over her just a little longer... Even after we leave this island... Because...it's not Mikan's fault at all."
* "I'm not much of a sports guy anyway... But more important, he's got a lot of confidence. And...I can understand how proud he must be to be a team manager. Just as I thought...Nekomaru is an amazing guy."
* "My heart is swayed... Is this the work of the Ultimate Team Manager's scouting skill?"
* "Like you said, it may be a world that I don't really understand... But at least now, I understand how important you are to your athletes."
* "I...I'm not good at all... It's like I'm thinking about way too many things... And...the more I think about it, I still don't know what to do..."
* "I endured an impossible amount of training while Nekomaru offered me advice... The more I worked out, the more I noticed that something sleeping inside me was being awakened. And with that...came an optimistic feeling. It's probably because of the strong bond Nekomaru and I formed with each other. We will definitely escape from here...all of us."
* "Listening to Gundham makes me rethink how much of a responsibility it is to raise pets."
* "But Gundham seems different from usual when he talks about animals. Somehow, his face seems gentler. He must...really love animals."
* "...I agree. But I don't plan to betray you at all."
* "D-Don't you feel better now that you’ve talked about it...? I mean...you're actually a really kind guy."
* "I'm not trying to manipulate you at all... In fact...you're the one who said I'm just a mere human with no special abilities whatsoever."
* "It's true. I don't know anything about what drove you to this point... But...I definitely believe that you're my friend. If I didn't think that, I wouldn't be able to go on. That's it... That's the only reason. As long as you're my friend...I have no desire to take anything away from you and try to force you to change."
* "It somehow became a battle of endurance but...I felt a strong bond between Gundham and me. Which reminds me... It's been a long time since I felt so happy being acknowledged by someone."
* "... To be honest, I don't even know why I thought about talking to him. But I felt like the more I left him alone...the bigger my worries would start to grow."
* "It doesn't seem he's trying to trick or trap anyone for the sake of his selfish desires. That's why...this is especially troubling."
* "For someone who's lucky, you still got dragged into this mess. Doesn't that seem ironic to you?"
* "...Don't get the wrong idea. I'm...just a coward... I'm scared to leave someone like you alone when I don't understand you at all."
* "In the end, everything Nagito said... ...I don't know what was true and what was lies. But even so, there might've been a definitive truth hidden somewhere in his words... If there wasn't...there's no way I could feel this mysterious bond between Nagito and me. If...he does obtain the hope he wants, what is he going to do...? Strangely enough...I feel like I want to see that..."
* "...You're right. It doesn't mean games always have to have happy endings, but you should get something out of beating them."
* "I don't know why Chiaki would say something like that... But there's no denying this strong bond I feel between Chiaki and myself... I will definitely get out of here... and take Chiaki to a lot of different places..."
* "She's pretty crazy, but I'm a little jealous of how cheerful she is."
* "Akane's eyes lit up from being surrounded by food. She sort of looked like a little kid. When she looks this happy, it's hard for me to want to stop her..."
* "Really...? Everybody has things they worry about. People feel hesitant or uneasy...and sometimes you just need to vent about it..."
* "S-Still...I think everyone is scared of something! Plus...it's normal to be scared. And you're a girl so..."
* "What's...wrong with being weak...? It's normal to be weak... Humans feel overwhelmed sometimes...and even cry... I know I do, so what's wrong with that? I don't think real strength means you don't accept your weaknesses... I think real strength means you overcome them."
* "You're not weak at all, Akane. You don't need to try so hard by yourself. ...Especially in this situation, we should all work together and do our best. Right?"
* "Akane gripped my hand tightly. I feel a strong bond forming between Akane and me... That's right...we're not alone. We can move forward and overcome our worries and hesitations. I hope Akane, who's been living alone her whole life, is able to understand that, even if it's just a little."
* "Although Kazuichi's intentions are probably not pure, I agree with what he is saying. If this was a normal school trip, it would've been really fun..."
* "Hmm, I don't know when people suddenly decide they're friends or not... But since we seem to have the same goal, maybe we can at least call each other comrades."
* "C'mon, you know what they: "Where there's a will, there's a way," right...?" (to Kazuichi)
* "Th-That rule doesn't matter! We...will never kill someone... It's that simple, right? If you start doubting now, you'll never stop... They want you to feel like this." (to Kazuichi)
* "Kazuichi...I never felt betrayed by you. I mean...you always believed in me, didn't you?"
* "B-But even so...you're still a regular girl to me. I mean, I'm not a citizen of your country. I'm not even one of your vassals. So...when it comes to myself and the others, you're just our classmate. You're a regular girl. ...You don't need to try so hard."
* "Well...anyway, I'm glad Sonia feels better now. I'm sure everyone else won't feel like their usual selves if they don't see Sonia's smile. ...I can feel a strong bond with Sonia, and as long as I have this bond... I will never give up. I swear I'll leave this island with everyone."
* "A dream, huh... How great would that be...? Ah...sorry. Obviously you'd be thinking about that more than I would."
* "Y-You don't have to be so angry... I like sweet things, too. Um... Sweet things calm your nerves, and they also nourish your brain... So...it's nothing to be embarrassed about."
* "...I really don't mind. If you think I look like someone who's easy to talk to, then I'll listen to you as much as you want."
* "...You're giving me way too much credit. I'm just trying to endure everything the best I can."
* "Fuyuhiko...let's definitely escape this island, okay? And when we do...would it be all right if we visited their graves together?"
* "Our somber conversation took an unexpected, lighthearted turn, and we laughed harder than we had in a while."
* "We each took a piece of the broken cup and put it in our pocket. I can feel a strong bond with Fuyuhiko. As long as I have this bond, I will never give up. That's what I believe."

*Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair* - Class Trial Interjections:

* “NO, THAT'S WRONG!”
* “I AGREE WITH THAT!”
* “THAT MUST BE IT!”
* "I SEE!"
* “I CAN PROVE IT WITH THIS!”
* “HERE'S EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN THIS CASE!”
* “There's no way I'll back out now!”
* “ALLOW ME TO CUT THROUGH THOSE WORDS!”
* “I'LL SHOOT THROUGH THAT CONTRADICTION!”
* “YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE!”
* “THIS IS MY ANSWER”
* “I GOT IT!”
* “THIS IS THE END!”
* “IT'S ALL COMING TOGETHER!”
* “THAT'S PROBABLY TRUE...!” (*Only in the Japanese version*)

*Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony (Demo Version)* (English)

**Introduction:**

* "My name is Hajime Hinata. I think I'm a grade ahead of you, but either way, nice to meet you." (*meeting Kaede Akamatsu*)
* "Well... I don't really have an Ultimate talent like the rest of you here." (*meeting Kaede*)
* "Feel free to talk to me if you've got any problems, Kaede." (*meeting Kaede*)

**Class Trial:**

* "Kokichi, don't single out Kaede. In a class trial, everyone needs to contribute."
* "It makes sense to suspect the first witness as the culprit... ...but taking shortcuts like that won't get us the best result."
* "Don't give up now, Kaede! You can't let it end here! For all our sakes, and yours too!"

*TMNT X Pokemon*

* "This is strange. I never seen readings like this before."
* "That giant worm alien is the cause of all the earthquakes in New York?"
* "We need to stop the Triceratons before they could destroythe Earth forever!"
* "Leone, this is serious!"
* "No fooling around!"
* "Let's do this!"

## TMNT X Pokemon

Hajime is the voice of reason. He tries to calm down the group during arguments and tries to find logical reason for everything. He can analyze the enemy and helps the group try to find the weak spot of how to defeat them.

## Trivia

* Hajime's first name (創) means “beginning”, while "Hinata" (日向) means “a sunny place” or “to face the sun”. His full name can altogether translate as “to face a new day”.
	+ The names "Hajime" and "Hinata" are very common names in Japan, with either having many written forms (e.g. Hajime can be written as 始, 治, 初, 一, 元, 肇, 創, 甫, 基, 哉, 啓, 本, 源, 東, 大, 孟, 祝...). Hinata itself is both a surname and a given name. This 'common' quality of his names is parallel to how Hajime was a common student with no extraordinary talent.
	+ Matching the meaning of his given name, Hajime's birthday is January 1, the first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar.
* Hajime's alternate identity is foreshadowed during one of Gundham's Free Time Events, where Gundham asks Hajime to reveal his “true name”.
* During the final trial, in his temporary "Awakened Form", Hajime bears a striking resemblance to Kiyotaka Ishimaru's "Kiyondo" form; both have their dark hair turn pure white and their eyes bright red (Kiyotaka's were already red, however).
	+ They both also changed into their respective forms because of memories of their deceased friends; Kiyotaka became Kiyondo due to his love for his friend Mondo, and Hajime entered his "Awakened" form due to the memory of Chiaki helping him overcome his despair.
* Technically being the same person as Izuru Kamukura, Hajime is the first character in the *Danganronpa* series that has participated in two Mutual Killing Games and survived. The others are Makoto, Aoi Asahina, and technically Kyoko Kirigiri.
* According to the text seen on the computer screen in the episode 6 of *Despair Arc*, both Hajime and his parents gave their consent for the Izuru Kamukura Project and agreed that the school would not be held liable for the said actions, although it's unclear if they were fully aware of the consequences considering the school's tendency to lie and hide information.
* Hajime's former high school before he enrolled in Hope's Peak Academy, Kodaka High School (小高高校 *kodaka kōkō*) is named after the creator of *Danganronpa*, Kazutaka Kodaka.
* Hajime, possibly Izuru with shorter hair, is seen in the promotional art for and the collaboration of *Danganronpa 3* and *Guns Girl Z*.