From the Games
Dangan Ronpa
- The opening theme
. It fits the mood of the game extremely well.
- Monokuma’s theme is consistently a fan favorite.
- Mr. Monokuma's Tutoring. When you hear it, you know something bad is going to happen. Sometimes, it crosses as Genocider's theme.
- "New World Order", which usually plays at the conclusion of each chapter, is also quite popular. Notable example of awesome, at the end of chapter 4, when Kyoko reveals the identity of the sixteenth student, with this song as the background music. The anime tends to use it as Kyoko Kirigiri's theme.
- BOX 16, a remix of the normal "investigation" music that plays during the final two investigations. It conveys the "this is the climax" message quite well.
- The music that plays during the executions is excellent. It's slightly different each time (in fact, each execution gets its own track) but instantly recognizable.
- Beautiful Dead, a very calming and peaceful theme, which usually plays when you're investigating a new floor.
- Kill and Live, which plays during tense scenes.
- When You Wish for Execution..., a very melancholic and slow theme.
- All three discussion themes: "Discussion -BREAK-" the basic version, "Discussion -HEAT UP-", which starts playing when things get more intense, and "Discussion -HOPE VS DESPAIR-", which is used at the very end of each trial.
- Welcome to Despair Academy is a perfect theme for the sad scenes.
- Climax Reasoning plays when you are adding the missing pieces to the manga. It really makes you feel like you're figuring out the entire incident.
- Climax Return, which plays when the manga is actually shown.
- The end credits song, Saisei -rebuild-note .
- The second game's opening theme is a remix of the first game's one, and sounds even more awesome.
- Usami's theme, Miss Monomi's Practice Lesson, manages to beat "Mr. Monokuma's Lesson" (Monokuma's theme) in terms of awesomeness!
- The new investigation music, "Ikoroshia"note . As well as its "grand finale" version, Ekoroshianote .
- Beautiful Ruin and its variation instantly create a peaceful, tropical mood.
- Rebuttal -CROSS SWORD-, the music for the Rebuttal Showdowns.
- Class Trial Future Edition, which plays when you make a breakthrough during the trial.
- HYPER ULTRA P.T.A., the music during the fastest tempo of Panic Talk Action.
- Welcome to Dangan Island! just creates a mood that tells you that something big and heroic is about to go down. Its usage is cut at one point, but where it IS used, in Junko Enoshima's AI defeat by Usami, is the best part...
- Trapped by the Ocean Scent sets a sinking feeling of despair and discomfort with a tropical flavor and punctuated by a wicked drumline.
- DIVE DRIVE just fits so well in its mini-game, Logic Dive, that it has to be mentioned.
- Liked "Discussion -HOPE VS DESPAIR-" from the first game? It got a remix for this game.
- Class Trial Strange Edition is an absolutely incredible song for whenever something shocking or serious comes up in debates. Notably, it plays right after a character directly objects against you (special cut-in portrait included) for an intense one-on-one Rebuttal Showdown.
- Discussion -B side- is a calmer remix of past Discussion themes.
- Nagito's character song poison -gekiyaku-note . Although released on a CD for another game, it clearly delves into his thoughts during SDR2 and references his own death by poison in Chapter 5. It is also quite pretty.
- Danganronpa V3 (Opening), the opening theme of the game is a cool jazz that lives up to the "psycho-cool" atmosphere of the game.
- Beautiful Lie is a beautifully smooth piano tune that is absolutely stunning and more fast paced than the "Beautiful Ruin" theme from the previous game.
- Discussion -BREAK- the theme for the new Nonstop Debates, has a fast pace and industrial sound that absolutely screams action and suspense.
- Scrum Debate, the theme for one of the new debate modes, creating an intense atmosphere for the face off between two teams.
- The various New T.A tracks, during the Argument Armament segments. A tense verbal battle against an opponent refusing to acknowledge your opinions.
- The final Argument Armament uses its own set of tracks: FINAL A.A., HYPER FINAL A.A. and HYPER ULTRA FINAL A.A. Keeping tradition with the other final battles in the series, they are remixes of "Discussion -HOPE vs DESPAIR-".
- The final Argument Armament uses its own set of tracks: FINAL A.A.
- The game's investigation theme, Despair Searching, as well as its powered up climax version, Hope Searching, don't fail to get the player into the pumped to do the appropriate detective work, once again.
- Dan Kusari -break-note , by Megumi Ogata, the ending theme song of the original Japanese version.
From the animes
The first anime
- The anime's ending theme, Zetsubōsei: Hero Chiryōyakunote by Soraru, is most definitely this.
- The opening Never Say Never. It's one of the few anime openings that is entirely in English originally (not just a few English words or phrases, entirely Englishnote ).
- Monokuma Ondo isn't too shabby either.
- Wishing on the M78 Galaxy, a very sad and beautiful Lonely Piano Piece.
- "DEAD OR LIE", the OP of Side:Future has become a major fan favourite thanks to its intense tone that hammers in the fact that this is the Grand Finale. The full version is even greater.
- "Recall THE END" has likewise become a favourite for its intense yet melancholy tone.
- Kami-iro Awasenote , Side: Despair's OP won the hearts of many for being solemn sounding with beautiful vocals by Annabel, which also fits the rather bittersweet tone when you watch it side by side with Side:Future, accounting to what the 77th class and Hajime(sans maybe Chiaki) will become. The full version is even better.
- "Zettai Kibō Birthday"note was already a fan favorite ever since it was revealed to be Nagito singing. The full version gets even better with an extremely chilling "zutto..." at the 3:24 minute mark.
- "Tsubasa wo Kudasai"note , sung by Mukuro while the student council slaughters each other.
- The score during the scene in Side: Future episode 10 where Munakata finally snaps out of his Ax-Crazy mode and cries over Chisa is as beautiful as it is a Tear Jerker.
- Junko's theme perfectly underscores her character: deranged yet charismatic at the same time.
- ever free, the ED of Side: Hope by the late Visual Kei legend hide, certainly qualifies as this, especially when one knows the significance of it as the song that helped inspire the franchise.
- Even the B-side that came with Zettai Kibō Birthday is pretty catchy: "Zensakura-zenka-"note , also sung by Ogata. It carries a sense of melancholy in its tune that's very impressive to hear.
- "Nonstop Action", which serves as the opening theme to Side: Hope as well as the introductory montage for the Remnants of Despair in Side: Future is basically an anthem to the audience that we've finally reached the Final Battle between Hope and Despair.
Other
Other
- World's End Curtain Call, the theme of the first stage play, sung by Junko's actress Sayaka Kanda from the band Trustrick. When released as a single along with the "Halloween Attack Mix" called "Trick or Holic", it even reached 27th on Japan's Music Charts!
- It may not be a part of the actual franchise, but KirigiriKirigiri JingJing is one Ear Worm that has little difficulty being associated with the fandom.
- DESPAIR, a cover of the Vocaloid song MARACON (which is about exactly what you think it is), has a tune and lyrics that fit the depressing nature of Danganronpa very well.
