Characters / Despair's Last Resort

Female Characters

Takara Tsukuda

Super High School Level Journalist

The protagonist, a determined girl who goes to any and all lengths to find the answers and truth. She accepted the letter to attend Hope's Peak Academy in order to figure out the secrets within. She makes it out of the resort alive.

• Alliterative Name: Takara Tsukuda.
• Amateur Sleuth: Being a journalist, she has the most experience out of any of the students when it comes to investigating. Before the first investigation, the others turn to her for advice on what to do.
• Bad Liar: A self-proclaimed one.
• Be All My Sins Remembered: She doesn't like the idea that she helps solve the murders when she has to convict someone to death for it.
• Catchphrase: "Actually, that's wrong!" when she points out a contradiction in the trials.
• Celeb Crush: She has a crush on a well-known news reporter, and doesn't want anyone to know that.
• Curtains Match the Window: Brown hair and brown eyes.
• Defiant to the End: She just doesn’t know to give up.
• Determinator: Part-and-parcel with being a protagonist. She will find the Blackened and she will escape the resort.
• Happily Adopted: As long as she can remember, she's been raised by her aunt and uncle. She doesn't know what happened to her real parents, but she's treated like their own daughter that she doesn't seem to mind.
• Hope Bringer: While nowhere near the levels of Naegi, her determination helps convince the survivors to complete Saemi's Final Test and return to the real world.
• Idiot Hair: Lampshaded. Monokuma notes her ahoge and says that people might think she's an idiot.
• If You Kill Him, You Will Be Just Like Him!: She insists that Shuuya not kill Saemi, since he's doing so out of revenge for Miyako. He listens for a moment, but then kills her to prevent her from dying on her own terms.
• My Greatest Failure: Being unable to save a classmate from committing suicide is something she's regretted since middle school.
• The Protagonist: She’s the main character of Despair’s Last Resort.

Miyako Morino

Super High School Level Good Luck

A reserved and stoic girl who doesn't talk much. She was accepted by winning the Hope's Peak lottery, making her talent Good Luck. She has all of her memories intact, and was forced to work for Monokuma in exchange for information on Saemi and Shuuya. She is the victim and culprit of Chapter 5, killing herself with a bullet to the head in order to make the others stop suspecting each other.

• Alliterative Name: Miyako Morino.
• Born Lucky: As the SHSL Good Luck, she’s extremely lucky.
• Driven to Suicide: Kills herself in order to stop the survivors from killing each other.
• Emotionless Girl: She's always very neutral in her reactions and barely shows her emotions towards the others in the rare instances she decides to. Turns out she does this on purpose to keep her true identity secret. Her video will shows her acting remorseful and afraid about her death.
• The Everyman: She’s pretty normal compared to her classmates.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Figures that one of the outcomes of her suicide would lead to this, as it would stop the killings no matter if they figured it out or not.
• Last Request: In her video will, she asks the others not to suspect each other anymore.
• Literal-Minded
• The Mole: For the Future Foundation who put them in Paradise Resort. Becomes a double agent when Monokuma gets her to tell him about what's going on with the students in exchange for the missing pieces in her memory.
• Not So Stoic: She gets angry in Chapter 5 after the others are pointlessly fighting with each other. Her video will also reveals that it was a ruse she created so information wouldn't get out.
• Ordinary High-School Student: Like most SHSL Lucky Students before her, she’s a normal high-school picked via lottery to join Hope’s Peak.
• Out of Focus: Compared to the rest of the characters, Miyako doesn't contribute much aside from a line or two every so often. Granted it's because she says she's not good with talking to people, but even during the investigations and trials she doesn't do a whole lot. Subverted in Chapter 5, as she's been getting a bit of focus due to the smaller cast.
• The Quiet One: She's not that good at talking to people, and when she does talk it's only in short sentences.
• The Stoic: She’s rather reserved and calm most of the time.
• Taking You with Me: In her video will, she states that either everyone will figure out she committed suicide and learn to trust each other, or that they'll fail, and this trope will play out. Either way, the killing will stop with her.
• Xanatos Gambit: Her suicide will result in one of two outcomes. Either the survivors will realize she killed herself, find her video will, and make the decision to stop questioning each other and work together. Or they will fail to work out she killed herself, vote for the wrong person, and everyone will be executed. Either way, the killing game would essentially be over.

Chiyo Ueda

Super High School Level Medium

A mysterious girl who wears all black and can speak with the dead. She senses a dark air surrounding the students at the beginning, saying that people will die. She is the victim of Chapter 1, stabbed multiple times with a pen and strangled with a jacket.

• Childhood Friend: To Kumiko.
• Childhood Friend Romance: Not with Kumiko, but a second friend of theirs. Sadly, he died from a terminal illness.
• Dark Is Not Evil: Even though she wears all black and speaks with ghosts, she's the most polite out of all the students and even goes out of her way to try and protect them.
• Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: Subverted. Despite her talent and monochrome appearance, she's actually very kind and supportive even when knowing someone is going to die.
• Did Not Get The Guy: She had a crush on one of her childhood friends, but he ended up dying of terminal illness.
• I See Dead People: Has this power as the SHSL Medium.
• Kill the Cutie: Nice as she is, she’s the first to die.
• Last-Name Basis: Due to her polite nature, she refers to everyone by their last name and inserting Mr. or Ms. in front of it. She even does this with Monokuma. The only exception is Kumiko.
• The Lost Lenore: Her childhood friend. She was in love with him and never got to tell him before he died from his illness.
• Nice Girl: She’s polite and friendly with others.
• Odd Friendship: With Kumiko. The two of them have been friends since they were kids.
• Only Friend: To Kumiko until she dies, as Kumiko tries to make other friends.
• Patient Childhood Love Interest: Subverted. Her friend/crush died from a terminal disease.
• The Promise: In one of her unused free time events, she asks Takara to watch over Kumiko if something happens to her while they're in the resort. After her death as the first victim, Takara does this for her.
• Sacrificial Lamb: She's the first victim.

Kumiko Akamine

Super High School Level Comic Artist

A hyperactive and talkative girl who acts like she's in her own world. She has made many online comics and plans to make even more. She makes it out of the resort alive.

• Anime Hair: It’s (naturally) bright pink and in a rather long and spiky ponytail.
• Berserk Button: Being called an otaku. She collects manga for the purpose of seeing what works best in a story and comic.
• Big Eater: Implied with the way she eats on their first day in the resort, and the bags of food she brought from the convenience store in Chapter 4.
• Break the Cutie: She has a breakdown after Chiyo is found dead. It takes her a long time to recover from it.
• Buffy Speak
• Childhood Friend: To Chiyo. Chapter 6 implies that she might have known Gundam when she was a kid, but she's unsure because she can't remember his last name after ten years or so. Ticking of the Clock, the prequel, outright confirms it and shows that they were dating!
• Childhood Friend Romance: Not with Chiyo, but with another friend she met as a child. Turns out it's Gundam Tanaka. Though if her reaction to seeing his picture in Chapter 6 means anything, something happened between them.
• Cloudcuckoolander: She’s very wild and has odd thinking patterns.
• Crash-Into Hello: Non-romantic example, she meets Takara this way.
• Establishing Character Moment: She crashes out of her hotel room and lands right on Takara, then acts like nothing's wrong moments later.
• Friendless Background: Aside from Chiyo and Gundam, Kumiko had no friends prior to coming to Hope's Peak. She doesn't seem too upset by it though. According to Chiyo, she actually wants to have more friends but doesn't want to admit it.
• Gamer Chick
• Genki Girl: She’s very peppy.
• Heroic BSoD: She crosses it after Chiyo and Kaito die. The efforts of Takara and the others barely help her return from it.
• Hidden Depths: Despite being hyper and perpetually happy, she's the one who comforts Kazumi over Shizuka's death and tells her not to hide her feelings. She also tries to convince Ryouta to trust in someone if not her after he was nearly framed for murdering Hikaru. She may not act like it, but she wants to help people when she can.
• Innocently Insensitive
• Motor Mouth: Talks like this when she’s excited.
• Mood-Swinger: Switches from one mood to the next in an instant.
• The Nicknamer: Uses nicknames on virtually everyone, from "Chi-Chi" (Chiyo) to "Karins" (Takara).
• Nightmare Fetishist: The author has stated that Gundam is her type, and in Ticking of the Clock, it's revealed that she was actually dating him, which implies that she's one of these.
• No Social Skills: Probably due to not having many friends outside of Chiyo.
• Odd Friendship: With Chiyo. The two of them have been friends since they were kids.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business:
  • After the first trial, she falls into a state of depression and doesn't talk much. Even the students who don't like her find it unsettling. She cheers up after the pool party, though she never really heals from the experience.
  • After discovering Chiyo's body, she temporarily stops referring to the person in question by their nickname.
• Parental Neglect: She mentions how her parents are always busy working and don't seem to care what she does. It seems to affect her so much, that even when they're not working she feels like she's home alone.
• Plucky Girl: She refuses to give up, in memory of Chiyo.
• Shipper on Deck: She seems to be one for Takara and Satoshi in Chapter 1.

Naomi Williams

Super High School Level Translator

A girl with mixed heritage who seems a little bit dorky but nice, though in reality she's rude and easily irritable. She knows at least ten languages and helped her father's company by using those skills. She lived most of her life in England, until her mother and her moved to Japan when she was in middle school. She is one of the two victims of Chapter 3, killed by a blow to the head with a shovel and left to die.

• Asshole Victim: Is perfectly okay with committing a double murder, and actively helps in Shigeru's attempt to murder Shizuka. It doesn't end well for her, as the one she was trying to help ends up killing her.
• Beneath the Mask: She comes off as cool and collected but is actually rather abrasive and rude.
• Blind Without 'Em: Can’t see without her glasses.
• Bookworm: Spends most of her time reading.
• But Not Too Foreign: She's half-Japanese and half-British, having a Japanese mom and a British dad.
• Character Tics: Pushes up her glasses to keep them from falling.
• Omniglot: Being a Super High School Level Translator, this trope is in play. Justified with the fact that she was bilingual due to her mixed heritage, and because she learned to speak others at a young age.
• Nice Girl: Subverted. It's just a ruse to hide her rotten personality.
• The Smart Girl: She’d have to be, in order to memorise so many languages.
• Smart People Wear Glasses: She wears glasses and is good with language.

Ayame Ishikawa

Super High School Level Football Player

A feisty girl who loves sports. She played for her school's football (soccer) team and helped them win a number of awards. She is the cluprit of Chapter 2, accidentally murdering Hikaru in self-defense after being called to his room. She is beaten to death with large footballs until a giant one slams her body against a wall.

• Accidental Murder: She only meant to intimidate Hikaru, but she ends up slitting his throat in the process.
• Berserk Button: Being told she's not feminine enough.
• Big Eater
• Chekhov's Hobby: Being a football player, she's got to be strong with her feet. Wounds that are found on Hikaru's lower body indicate that he was kicked very hard, and only one person is able to do that.
• Cruel and Unusual Death: Being placed in a goalie position and tries to deflect the balls as they get bigger and bigger before finally she's crushed by them.
• Defiant to the End: Even with her Freak Out, she mentions that she's not going to give up. [[spoiler: She does her best to stave off the footballs during her execution until they get too large to block.
• Freak Out: Before her death, she loses it over learning the truth about why Hikaru, her best friend, tried to murder her.
• Passionate Sports Girl: She’s rather feisty.
• See You in Hell: She declares this before her execution.
• Sympathetic Murderer: She never intended to kill Hikaru, and had been manipulated into it in the first place. She's very hurt by his betrayal, considering he was the only friend who didn't care if she was girly or not.

Shizuka Matsuki

Super High School Level Painter

A happy and kind girl whose paintings are known all over the country and sell for millions of yen. She tends to be a bit clingy, but truly cares about her fellow classmates and is against the Vacation of Mutual Killing. Her optimistic personality is a ruse she put up so she could make friends and get a new start. Deep down, she's actually very sad and lonely, and had to bottle up her negative emotions for years. She is the culprit of Chapter 3, causing Naomi's death and killing Shigeru in self defense. She is covered with paintballs before being shot in the head and heart.

• A-Cup Angst: During the pool party she can't help but notice how the other girls have bigger breasts than her and starts getting jealous.
• The Atoner: Sees her execution as this in regards to killing Naomi and Shigeru.
• Becoming the Mask: While she does admit that her positive self was one she created, she hints at the possibility that she truly was starting to become happy around everyone.
• Break the Cutie: She was broken long before the Vacation of Mutual Killing but it gets worse when her missing memories are taken into consideration. Her best friend in Class 80 is killed, and she's the last person to have seen her. She and her classmates watched the School Life of Mutual Killing, and watched friends get killed. There was one person in particular that Shizuka was incredibly close to who died. It affected her so much that according to the journal, Shizuka was crying all day after their death and she never acted the same afterwords. The poor girl needs a hug.
• Bunnies for Cuteness: Her favorite animal is bunnies, and she has a number of plushies of them.
• Chekhov's Skill: As a painter, she has an acute attention to detail. Said attention to detail provides to be useful in the first few investigations.
  • Hyper-Awareness
• Close to Home: Her argument with Naomi does this, making her run to her room in tears. It's implied Shigeru said something that triggered this response in her, leading to her killing him.
• Cruel and Unusual Death: Blindfolded and forced to hear mocking laughter as she's shot by paintballs, which break her skin, until finally she's delivered a bullet to the head and heart.
• Dark and Troubled Past: Lost her mom in a car accident that she survived, was mercilessly bullied as a child, had to hide away her negative emotions, never had any real friends, and just when it seems like she'll get a break the person who she can connect to more than anyone else dies.
• Deadly Dodging: Because her ducking under Shigeru's Shovel Strike resulted in him killing Naomi instead, Monokuma says Shizuka is technically Naomi's killer.
• Don't Fear the Reaper: She fully accepts her death, even planning things to make sure she was caught as the culprit. She doesn't even bother to fight back when the time comes for her execution.
• Due to the Dead: She hates it when anyone starts speaking badly about those who died. Even when it comes to Naomi and Shigeru, who tried to kill her themselves.
  • Never Speak Ill of the Dead: Thus she believes this.
• Feminine Women Can Cook
• Friendless Background: Due to being bullied heavily as a child.
• Face Death with Dignity: She's the only culprit who accepts her fate before the trial even begins. She doesn't bother to fight back against Takara's accusation and openly admits she's the culprit. Though that was her plan from the beginning.
• I Just Want to Have Friends: Reveals that she never had any real friends before being accepted to Hope's Peak, and acted more optimistic so people would like her.
• Kill the Cutie: She ends up being the third killer, and feels very remorseful for doing so.
• Missing Mom: She was killed in a car crash protecting a young Shizuka. The event is what caused her to develop a nauseous reaction to dead bodies.
• Nice Girl: She’s positive and friendly. Even when it’s revealed that her positivity is faked, she’s still kind enough to feel bad about killing someone that wanted to kill her in the first place.
• Odd Friendship: With Kazumi.
• Plucky Girl: Subverted. The poor girl can't get a break.
• Stepford Smiler: Type A. She acts happy and optimistic to hide the fact that she's been broken inside.
• Sympathetic Murderer: She never wanted to kill anyone, and makes that very clear. The only reason she did kill Shigeru is because she wanted everyone else to be safe, and he said something that pushed her past her breaking point.
• Wide-Eyed Idealist: Or so it seems.

Kazumi "Hanako" Katsuya

Super High School Level Vocalist

A rough girl from Osaka with a temper, she's one of the most popular punk rock artists in the country. She's not the brightest, and most people are intimidated by her, but she does manage to make some true friends. She makes it out of the resort alive.

• Action Girl: She’s rather fight-focused at least.
• Alliterative Name: Subverted. Kazumi is her stage name, and her real name is Hanako Katsuya.
• Big Eater
• Brutal Honesty
• Coming-Out Story: She reveals that she's gay to Shizuka after the second motive is announced. Shizuka is a bit weary at first, but Kazumi assures her that she isn't going to go after her.
• Defiant to the End: While she doesn't die, she does let Saemi know that she's not going down so easily. She's going to fight it as much as possible.
• Delinquent Hair: It’s (dyed) bright green and rather spiky.
• Establishing Character Moment: Takara finds her shouting at Shigeru and threatening to punch him.
• Fashionable Asymmetry: One of her socks is scrunched down.
• Gayngst: A milder example of this trope. Kazumi hates the fact that because of her career and Japan's overall attitude towards homosexuality, she can't let the fact that she's gay be revealed to the world. She even makes a remark that she would be better off in America, due to their higher tolerance for homosexuality.
• Hair-Trigger Temper: She’s got quite the fiery temper.
• Huge Schoolgirl: Is the tallest of all the girls, and is even more intimidating because of it.
• The Idiot from Osaka: She’s from Osaka, and not the brightest tool in the shed.
• Incompatible Orientation: She clearly likes Shizuka as more than a friend, but is aware of the fact she's straight and doesn't try to chase after her.
• Last-Name Basis: Refers to everyone, except for Naomi since she's a foreigner, by their last name regardless of her relationship with them. When Shizuka reveals herself as the culprit, she starts referring to her by her first name and continues to do so after her death.
• Living Emotional Crutch: Implied to have been one for Shizuka after the person she cared about died in the School Life of Mutual Killing.
• Odd Friendship: With Shizuka.
• Only in It for the Money: Part of the reason she's desperate to keep her career, and is unwilling to come out as gay, is because she needs the money to make her family life better. She does genuinely enjoy the fame, but it's clear she would rather take the money.
• The Rock Star: She’s a punk rock vocalist, anyway.
• Stage Names: Kazumi is the name she took up when she became a vocalist.

Male Characters

Minoru Yoshihara

Super High School Level Veterinarian

A pushover boy with a love of animals. While he's better with animals, he does serve as an amateur doctor among the group at times to help with simple problems. He is the victim of Chapter 4, drinking a poisoned smoothie planted ahead of time by Arata.

• A Friend in Need: Tries to be this towards the others.
• Big Brother Instinct: Expresses this towards the other students, due to being the eldest among them.
• Cruel and Unusual Death: Unlike the other victims, who die from causes such as strangling and a slashed throat, Minoru dies from bleach poisoning.

• Friend to All Living Things: Comes naturally from being a veterinarian and all. He even lives a vegetarian lifestyle.
• Labcoat of Science and Medicine: Dressed in one, due to being a veterinarian.
• The Medic: While he's much more suited to dealing with animals, he does serve as this to the best of his ability. Even though it's usually just patching up minor wounds. He does however, do his best to investigate the bodies.
• Nature Lover: He loves animals, at least.
• Nice Guy: He’s pretty friendly, though a pushover.
• Speaks Fluent Animal: Some people think he can do this.
• Team Dad: He's the oldest among the students, and tries to serve as a leader figure at times. It doesn't always work though.

Satoshi Teruya

Super High School Level Archaeologist

An overly-nice boy who's not too good around people. He quickly gets attached to Takara and tries to become her best friend, much to her dismay. He is caught out in the storm during Chapter 4, making him absent for most of the events. Though he is able to communicate by using the resort's phone system. He makes it out of the resort.

• Abhorrent Admirer: A rare male example, and a more friendship oriented one. He really likes Takara and wants to be close to her, but his odd behavior in the early chapters weirds her out. She does give him a chance though. Though Word of God reveals that he's had a crush on her for a while.
• All-Loving Hero: His optimism makes him unable to truly hate anyone, not even the people who can't stand him.
• Ascended Fanboy: He was inspired by Takara to work towards finding his own way in life and finding a talent he's proud of. Upon introducing himself to her, he becomes unbelievably happy that he gets to be in the same class as her.
• Break-Up/Make-Up Scenario: He gets angry at Takara during Chapter 4 and claims he wants nothing to do with her. After being isolated in the museum during the storm, his attitude changes and he forgives her.
• Broken Pedestal: He thought highly of Takara before meeting her and desperately wants to become her friend. [[spoiler: As time goes on though his vision of her begins to crumble, and at one point he doesn't even want anything to do with her. He realizes that he was wrong for judging her like that while trapped in the museum though.
• Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: He doesn't like [[spoiler: being known as an archaeologist and sees no real talent in his skill. He wants to graduate from Hope's Peak so he can find his own talent he feels he deserves to be renowned for.

• The Nicknamer: Immediately starts calling Takara "Kara-chan" moments after meeting her.

Arata Miyazaki

Super High School Level Designer

A stuck-up boy who wears clothing only he has designed. His fashions are worn by the top people in the country and he takes pride in it. He is the culprit of Chapter 4, putting chlorine bleach in all of Minoru's smoothie drinks that will kill him. He is sent down a fabric conveyor belt and is punctured multiple times by a giant sewing machine.

• At Least I Admit It: He says that in terms of his actions, he's no different from the other killers- he's merely honest about his selfish reasons for doing them.
• Covert Pervert: He insists that he's not a pervert in any way after Kumiko declares him as one, but there are times he acts a bit suggestive.
• Cruel and Unusual Death: Sent down a conveyor belt made of fabric and is punctured by a giant sewing machine needle over and over.

• Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: With a giant sewing machine needle, of all things.
• In the Back: Subverted. While he did stab Minoru with the knife, he did it when he was already dead.
• Last-Name Basis: He refers to everyone in this way, even Naomi. When being caught as Minoru's murderer, he refers to Takara by her first name out of respect.
• Oh, Crap!: When he's found out as Minoru's murderer.
• Sharp-Dressed Man: Considering he's a fashion designer, it makes sense.
• Smug Snake: He’s incredibly stuck-up when it comes to his craft.
• Waistcoat of Style: Wears a black one, suiting his talent as the SHSL Designer.

Masaru Nishioka

Super High School Level Patisserie

A boy with little self-confidence in most of the things he does. He is skilled at making pastries and makes a good portion of the meals for all of the students. He makes it out of the resort alive.

• Half-Identical Twins: He has a twin sister that looks similar to him.
• Theme Twin Naming: Masaru and Masami.

• Supreme Chef: At least when it comes to pastries. He's still working on regular dishes, but regular dishes usually turn out to be alright when he makes them.
• Team Chef: Tends to cook meals for everyone in the hopes it will bring them all together.

Ryouta Hoshino

Super High School Level Florist

A paranoid boy who insults everyone. He has an extensive knowledge of plants that extends beyond flowers, but his floral skills are the only thing he gets recognized for. He makes it out of the resort alive.

• Butt-Monkey: He gets hurt at least three times, is nearly framed for murder, and is treated like a loser in the early chapters.
• Characterization Marches On: He starts off as overly paranoid, quick to pin blame on others, and jumps to conclusions because of the killing game they've been thrown into. Starting in Chapter 3, after being nearly framed for Hikaru's murder, he slowly starts interacting with the other students and doesn't bother locking himself in his room when the new motive is revealed. His paranoia is still there, but it's not as severe. He starts working with the others more until it all culminates in Chapter 6, where he admits that he finds them trustworthy and will stick by them.
• Cowardly Lion: In the first two chapters he runs to hide in his room after a motive is announced. After he's nearly framed for murder, these traits start to slowly vanish.

• Freudian Excuse: Justifies his behavior due to an incident with a rival flower shop that nearly chased his family out of business.

• Hypocrite: He suspects everyone constantly, yet the instant he's even considered to be suspicious, he gets mad.
• I'm Not Here to Make Friends: He doesn't want anything to do with anyone and makes it very clear. He just wants to make it out alive so he can go to school. Though his attitude does start changing after he's nearly framed for murder.
• Improperly Paranoid: While his paranoia is understandable considering the killing game, by suspecting everyone, he ends up playing into Monokuma's hands.
• Nervous Wreck: He makes it clear that he doesn't like their situation before Monokuma even shows up.

• Sour Outside, Sad Inside: He hates that his skills is simplified down to being a florist when he has extensive knowledge of plants. He also finds it hard to trust people due to a rival flower shop nearly running his family out of business.
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Starts out as this, but he becomes more willing to work with the others as time goes on. After Miyako's suicide this attitude vanishes completely.

Hikaru Nagai

Super High School Level Track Runner

A slightly dim-witted boy who is very popular with girls. He's broken records all over the country, and has been selected to be an Olympic representative for Japan. He is the victim of Chapter 2, failing to kill Ayame so his cheating past won't get out. His throat is slit.

• Asshole Victim: Ayame accidentally kills him after thwarting his attempt to murder her.
• Be Yourself: Gives this advice to Kaito when he asks him how to get girls to like him.
• Big Guy Fatality Syndrome: Is killed in Chapter 2 by Ayame, making his demise quicker than is typical in the franchise.
• Broken Pedestal: To Ayame. She appreciated the fact that he thought of her as a friend, but in return, he betrayed her and tried to kill her to keep his secrets under wraps.
• The Can Kicked Him: He intentionally invites Ayame to his room with the intent to [[spoiler: kill her, because he knew she would trust him. He forgot about her leg strength and is killed himself.
• Chick Magnet: One of the things characters can't believe is how someone like him is so popular with girls. Subverted in the resort though, as none of the girls really take an interest in him except for Ayame, and they both insist their relationship is platonic. He actually seems to like it though, as he doesn't even see what's so great about him and enjoys the peace.
• Curtains Match the Window: Dark grey hair and dark grey eyes.

• Disappeared Dad: If his words in his free time event means anything, Hikaru lives with his mother after she divorced his father who was cheating on her with other women.
• Dumb Muscle: While he isn't an idiot, he clearly isn't the brightest.
• Locked in a Freezer: His body is found in the kitchen freezer in an attempt to make the students think he was killed there instead of his room. He was already dead by the time he was thrown in though.
• Really Gets Around: Due to being popular with young girls, he ended up (unintentionally) cheating multiple times and it's implied that this is what happened.
• Slashed Throat: How he dies.

Kaito Fujiwara

Super High School Level Animator

A boy who tries to appear confident and suave, but fails every time. He wants to get people to like him and remember his name. He also tends to freak out easily. He is the culprit of Chapter 1, murdering Chiyo in a moment of paranoia and weakness. He is taken through a crazy roller-coaster like mine ride and is then crushed to death by a giant anvil.

• Abusive Parents: He was constantly compared to his older brothers and was blamed for everything. Even when his older brothers tried to get themselves in trouble, Kaito would be blamed.
• Bad Liar: He’s horrible at lying. Especially when it comes to hiding that he was the first killer.
• Butt-Monkey: He falls flat on his face in his introduction, has terrible luck with girls, was treated like this by his parents, and is the first to be executed. The poor guy can't get a break.
• Cruel and Unusual Death: Sent through a wild mine cart ride and crushed by a giant anvil.
• Dark and Troubled Past: He was emotionally abused by his parents and could never get their approval on anything. Not even getting into Hope's Peak was good enough for them. This is why he's so desperate to get girls to like him and why he ends up murdering under pressure.
• Dead-Hand Shot: A verbal example. After being crushed by the anvil there's only a pile of blood and a twitching arm left of him.
• Destroy the Evidence: Tries to hide the talisman Chiyo intended to give to him before he murdered her.
• Establishing Character Moment: Tries to flirt with Takara but fails and manages to fall on his face in the process.
• I Never Said It Was Poison: He never saw Chiyo's body or went into the laundromat to investigate her murder. Yet he claims that she committed suicide because she hanged herself, her body being hanged never being brought up before that point in the class trial.
• Sympathetic Murderer: He kills out of paranoia, but also because his talent is the only thing he has to prove he's not worthless. If all his work was destroyed, his parents would have continued to treat him poorly. He even begs for forgiveness and hopes that Chiyo will forgive him from the afterlife.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy: He wants his parents to see him as someone who isn't useless.

Shigeru Kitagawa

Super High School Level Composer

A rude and stuck-up boy who believes himself superior to everyone else. He attempts to take on the role of leader among the group with varying success. He is one of the victims of Chapter 3, killed by a bottle to the head after failing to kill Shizuka.

• Abusive Parents: His parents are to blame for how cruel he acts now, due to teaching him that he shouldn’t associate with commoners and depriving him of a normal childhood by forcing him to find something he’s talented at.
• Asshole Victim: He tried to kill Shizuka in cold blood, kills Naomi without remorse in the process, and makes it clear that he doesn't care who lives and who dies anymore.
• Brutal Honesty: He's not afraid to let the others know just how he thinks about them.
• Curtains Match the Window: Blue hair and blue eyes.
• Enraged by Idiocy: Stupidity tends to tick him off.
• Establishing Character Moment: He is found arguing with Kazumi and is enjoying the fact that he's making her so angry.
• Even Evil Has Standards: While not exactly evil, he's more of a jerk. But even he finds himself appalled at the executions.
  • He clearly dislikes Kumiko, but when she gets depressed after the first trial he agrees to attend the pool party because even he thinks it's unnatural for her to be so quiet.
• Freudian Excuse: His final free time event reveals that his parents pressured him to find something he was good at, depriving him of a childhood and the chance to act like a normal child. It is also the reason Shigeru doesn't treat the other students with respect, he was taught that someone of his level wouldn't mix with commoners.
• Hidden Depths: Turns out he knows a lot about kidnappers and their motives. Though that's because he's been kidnapped multiple times as a child.
• Hypocrite: He tells Naomi that if he has to kill, it would only be because he had to. He then decides to plot a double murder with her in order to deceive the others.
• It Amused Me: The reason why he keeps making Kazumi angry is because he enjoys it.
• Jerkass: He doesn't care about most of the other students and is mostly looking out for himself.
• The Leader: Sees himself as a type II, but no one else does except for Naomi.
• Leave No Witnesses: Tries to kill Shizuka after she overhears his plan to commit a double murder with Naomi. He fails.
• Manipulative Bastard: Convinces Naomi to join him in committing a double murder, and before that tells her to show off her true colors.

• Shovel Strike: He tries to kill Shizuka this way, but ends up killing Naomi instead.
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Sees working with the other students as this. The feeling is mutual.

Other Characters

Saemi Sasagawa

Super High School Level Playwright

One of the two missing students. Before the students escaped from Hope's Peak Academy, she went missing and was never heard from again. Her situation is unknown. She is a member of Super High School Level Despair, and is the only active member remaining. She tricked the Future Foundation and convinced them that she no longer believed in Junko's movement so she could join her classmates in the New World Program and take over as Monokuma. She tries to put herself through an execution, but is stabbed through the heart by Shuuya before the execution can end.

• Alliterative Name: Saemi Sasagawa.
• Ax-Crazy: Since she was inspired by Junko, this is practically a given.
• Big Bad: Turns out she’s the Mastermind.
• Big "NO!": Lets one off as soon as her plan gets derailed.
• Cute and Psycho: Thanks to Junko, she's perfectly willing to torture her classmates without remorse.
• Evil Former Friend: One of the students’ classmates turned insane murderous Mastermind.
• Evil Is Hammy: Due to her tendency to overact.
• Lack of Empathy: She doesn't care that she's messing with the heads of her classmates, even though she was close to them during the missing year. It's implied that this is due to Junko's influence.
• Posthumous Character: Subverted. She's the mastermind.
• Slasher Smile: Pulls quite a few of these after being revealed as the Mastermind.
• The Sociopath: She doesn't even care if she completely changes her classmates to make them the new Super High School Level Despair.
• There Is No Kill Like Overkill: Her over the top executions, which tip Takara off in realizing she's the one behind Monokuma.
• Walking Spoiler: If the amount of white in this section didn't make it obvious, just about everything concerning her is a spoiler.

Shuuya Kuronaga

Super High School Level ??? Assassin

One of the two missing students. He helped his classmates escape Hope's Peak Academy after the disappearance of Saemi. After taking them to safety, he left to find out the situation at the school and never returned, leaving them to assume he was dead. His current status is unknown. He is the thief Miyako let into the resort, and is a member of the Future Foundation.

• Badass Longcoat: Dressed in one, fitting his mysterious image.
• Berserk Button: Miyako being badmouthed by Saemi makes him go nuts.
• Chekhov's Gunman: Mentioned near the beginning, becomes very important later on.
• Dark Is Not Evil: Despite having a dark appearance and being a skilled assassin, he's concerned about the safety of his classmates and wishes to help them escape the school. He also shows up during the final test in order to save the survivors.
• Hitman with a Heart: He turns out to be a fairly noble and extremely loyal individual, talent be damned.
• Posthumous Character: Subverted. He's alive and in the resort.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: Subverted. Possibly played straight when doing his assassin work.