Be warned that all spoilers are unmarked. It's virtually impossible to list tropes for this roleplay and its characters without spoiling everything or creating Self Fulfilling Spoilers.
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Students A-K
Akira Saeki
Super High-School Level Mortician
A mortician from a family who have specialised in funeral services for generations. Both he and his sister have presided over funeral services, despite their young age, and he has a reputation for politeness and professionality.
He is both murdered and a culprit in chapter 5; he kills Shinji, and then winds up dead himself by partial decapitation courtesy of Gorou.
- Dark Secret: He apparently has one. What it is exactly is unknown, but in chapter 2's trial he keeps saying that he's "dangerous" and the secret apparently has something to do with it.
- Destroy the Evidence: Upon receiving the "motive card" which might reveal his darkest secret, he throws the card into the wood-burning oven in his room.
- Dies Wide Open: His corpse is found with wide-open eye. Considering how he died… Not surprising.
- Due to the Dead: His SHSL talent, and he has a reputation for being especially respectful about it.
- Excuse Me While I Multitask: One of his skills is the ability to multi-task.
- Follow in My Footsteps: Both Akira and his sister have followed in the family tradition of organizing and presiding over the majority of funeral services in Japan and extending worldwide.
- Freaky Is Cool: Even as a child, he's wandered many a funeral and a morgue without being repulsed by the dead bodies, which is rather fortunate given his later SHSL talent of Mortician.
- Heroes Love Dogs: According to "IC Facts", he has three dogs at home: a black German Shepherd, a white German Shepherd, and a wolfhound.
- I'm a Humanitarian: Investigations in the fifth murder case reveal that Akira bit into Shinji's throat. Weeks later in the deadblog, he steals Nicanor's dismembered arm and cooks a meal with it.
- The Killer Becomes the Killed: He murdered Shinji, and was then murdered himself. Who killed Akira, however, was not figured out in-character.
- Last-Name Basis: Wants to be called "Saeki", does not allow anyone to call him "Akira".
- No Party Like a Donner Party: After killing Shinji, he takes a bite out of his neck. The motive for that chapter was starvation.
- Not Afraid to Die: He believes that "memento mori", "we all die someday."
- Official Couple: Becomes this with Usoko.
- Off with His Head!: Akira is one of two murder victims in chapter 5, and the culprit cut through his throat almost enough to cut off his head; as it is, Akira dies by exsanguination. Oh, and then when everyone finds Akira's body, the head finally tears off, remaining on the statue and letting Akira's body hit the floor.
- Pet the Dog:
- Feels he misjudged Usami/Monomi when they first met, feeling a small twinge of guilt after watching Usami/Monomi's attempt to defend the students from Monobear.
- As we learn from Akira's personal blog, he attempted to comfort Minako after Minako got really upset over Eikichi's death. In the deadblog, he does it twice more - once after Minako realizes she's dead and again when she begins crying in the middle of the courtroom after it appears to have been suicide.
- Riddle for the Ages: His murderer was never revealed in-game.
- The Stoic: One of his skills is to treat everyone with stoic respect so he can handle whatever they're feeling. He's also one of the few students who doesn't have any significant reaction to chapter 1's execution. He's even the very last person to leave the courtroom, rather than bolting right away like most of the other students.
- Take Me Instead: When the heat falls on Usoko during the second trial, Akira confesses to save her. Unfortunately for him, it doesn't work.
- Together in Death: Subverted; although both he and Usoko died and were a couple, they were cloned during endgame.
Alphonse Garrard
Super High-School Level Knight
The son of a photographer and a religious woman who grew up in a converted castle, and became interested in the art of swordsmanship after discovering armour and weapons in the castle's basement.
He's the victim in chapter 4, dying of cyanide poisoning as part of a suicide pact with Ume.
- Ascended Fanboy: Dueled suits of armor as imaginary foes as a child, studied old books of chivalry, dueled in Renaissance fairs until age 16 and then discovered by a group who offered him a scholarship to a boarding school to train in swordsmanship. To see more of the world and to hone his skills, he chose Japan, and now he's a SHSL Knight.
- Bilingual Bonus: Alphonse sometimes speaks in Latin when he's serious or stressed. For example, he begins chapter 1's trial by saying "Fiat justitia, ruat caelum" or "Let justice be done though the heavens fall."
- But Not Too Foreign: He is half-Japanese and going to school in Japan, but in a rare example of the trope he is very new to Japan and this is only his first time traveling to the country.
- Canon Foreigner: Alphonse was originally submitted to the Alpha roster, but the Powers That Be decided to have Alphonse and Sayuri switch games, so now Alphonse is part of the Omega roster, and thus on this character page.
- Compelling Voice: One of his special skills, since he can use such a loud and commanding voice that he can have a whole crowd's attention focused on him.
- Declaration of Protection: Alponse offers his "protective services" to Shinji, stating that this is in return for helping his pursuit of knowledge.
- Despair Event Horizon: After chapter 3's murder reveal, with Elijah Devereux being found as the victim, he was emotionally sent off the deep end and hasn't quite come back since.
- Fainting: Alphonse faints, and is described as being "out like a light", after the first execution.
- Fan Disservice: He takes off his shirt in chapter 1's trial to test whether Lee has a bruise under her chest henna tattoo, but Alphonse reveals in the process that he has a nasty burn that takes up virtually half his chest and his shoulder.
- Gentle Giant: He really does seem to be a big softie. He also carries a sword, though.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: He has blonde hair and is pretty soft-hearted.
- Heroic Bastard: He's the bastard (meaning illegitimate) son of a religious woman and a Japanese photographer, that's the "Bastard" part. The "Heroic" part is that his talent is SHSL Knight.
- Heroic BSoD: When Monobear reveals that the chapter 2 "motive" is a threat to reveal everyone's darkest secrets, Alphonse's reaction to whatever is written on his card is to first have trouble breathing, and then to sink to the sand as his knees give out in a moment of weakness (that he then becomes ashamed of).
- Humble Hero: Grew up in a convent in England, which taught him humility among other things.
- Long-Haired Pretty Boy: His hair goes past his shoulders and he’s rather handsome.
- No-Sell: Alphonse's reaction to Monobear's chapter 3 motive is "I Don't Care". It's literally the title of the post, since the motive doesn't bother him at all, not a bit, and he spends only a single paragraph turning on his heel, leaving, and heading to his dorm.
- The Quiet One: Tends not to talk much, due to going on long-winded tangents when he does.
- Red Is Heroic: He has a pair of red hair-clips in his hair.
- Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: Apparently speaks this when not making an effort to stay quiet specifically to avoid this trope.
- Suicide Pact: In chapter 4, he and Ume make a "suicide pact", but Alphonse changes his mind and replaces the poison that he would have put in Ume's drink with water. He even tries to protect Ume post-mortem from being found guilty, though it doesn't work.
Aome Takahara
Super High-School Level Veterinary Technician
A veterinarian in training who works at her grandmother's clinic, and is hoping to qualify as a fully-trained veterinarian once she comes of age.
The second victim of chapter 9, killed by parasympathetic nervous system failure caused by drinking poisonous tea. Chapter 9's trial reveals that she poisoned Eva, but then unintentionally poisoned herself.
- Ambiguously Brown: Has brown skin, but her ethnicity is unknown.
- Disappointed in You: Aome sometimes hears her mother's voice in her head chanting "Useless. Useless. Useless. Useless. Useless. Useless. Useless. Useless. Useless. Useless. Useless. Useless. Useless. Useless. Useless. Useless. Useless. Useless. Useless. Useless."
- Follow in My Footsteps: Aome did this in her backstory, and enthusiastically so. She was removed from her mother's custody at age 8, and wondered what would give her life meaning, and she found she had a natural talent for bonding with animals. Her grandmother, the owner of the Takahara Veterinary Clinic, eventually allowed Aome to become her assistant at age 10, making Aome the youngest veterinary assistant in the world at the time. Now, at age 18, she's so well known that she now has a SHSL talent of Veterinary Technican.
- Kindly Vet: The "Vet" part is from her SHSL talent. The "Kindly" part is that being a "socialite" is one of her skills, being able to get along with everyone even if her friendship specifically isn't wanted.
- Madness Mantra: Upon discovering Daisuke's body, Aome shouts "OHDEAROHDEAROHDEAROHDEAROHDEAROHDEAR!!!" But she recovers more quickly than most examples of this trope, so she can call whoever killed Daisuke an idiot for killing someone over such a stupid motive.
- The Medic: Aome is practically a walking, talking medical dictionary. She has a broad knowledge of both animal and human medicines, diseases, and treatments.
- No-Sell: Considers the first motive's threat of a computer virus to be a "stupid threat" and "laughable".
- Pet the Dog: Shows pity to chapter 3's murderer and says that the murderer doesn't deserve forgiveness but also doesn't deserve to die. This pity is thrown back in her face, which only causes her to confidently and boldly repeat the sentiment, with even greater emphasis."You don’t deserve to die. You do not deserve death. Fuyuuko Honpo, Super High-School Level Cross Country Runner, you do not deserve to be executed.”
- Please Kill Me if It Satisfies You: After the fourth murderer is announced, Aome says to the entire group flat-out that if someone wants to murder next time, then she wants it to be her. She'll accept any death the murderer chooses to give her, even if it's outright torture. Just so long as someone who's loved is murdered No one listens, and her death turns out to be at her own hand.
- Shout-Out: When Aome tries to get something from the Capsule Machine, she wins a megaphone from Ryosuke Shuuto from Doubt Academy White.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: In Aome's opinion, strawberries and milk do not go together. Luckily for Aome, her classmate Minako does like strawberry milk, so Aome is able to get rid of her hated drink by giving it to Minako.
Aqua Ooshima
Super High-School Level Angler
The son of an angler, who grew up on a ship as his father traveled from port to port. Both he and his sister Navy were enrolled at Hope's Peak after their father was killed during a storm and the family fell into poverty.
He survives all trials, and chooses to leave Arcadia.
- Affectionate Nickname: Refers to Naoki as 'Nao-kun' once they start dating.
- Big Ol' Eyebrows: His eyebrows are rather thick.
- Childhood Friend: With Wakana, unbeknownst to either of them until recently. Though he'd had a feeling that he knew her from the first time they met.
- Clothing Switch: At the start of chapter 4, Aqua ends up wearing Naoki's sweater, which Gorou notices after getting out of Aqua's headlock.
- Cloudcuckoolander: After coming to the conclusion that the chapter 1 culprit might be Usoko Tsuki, he then randomly decides who that is, and inadvertently accuses Akira instead.
- Crash-Into Hello: In their first meeting, Aqua and Naoki literally collided on the stairs.
- Flipping the Bird: Not knowing what it means, Aqua returns this gesture to Nicanor and then actually decides to save it for future use.
- Flipping the Table: His reaction to the chapter 2 motive is to flip over a table full of food and drinks to get everyone to listen to them, and then tell everyone else that anybody who listens to Monobear's motive is an idiot.
- Follow in My Footsteps: His whole family's in the shipyard professions, and Aqua's own goal is only to graduate so he can help with the family business.
- Friendship Trinket: Riko ties one of her hair ribbons around his wrist to symbolize their friendship.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: He's an overbearing, obtuse little man with zero capacity for anyone’s bullshit. Quick to anger, he easily slings mud at anyone and everyone who crosses him.
- Have I Mentioned I Am Heterosexual Today?: According to his profile, he will swear he's a 1 on the Kinsey Scale: "Predominantly heterosexual, only incidentally homosexual."
- A Hero Is Born: Upon his birth, his sister Navy predicted, to her horror, that Aqua would be a master angler like his father, throwing off the balance of the future family crew (she predicted ship jobs for her other siblings). In fact, Aqua, according to Navy's prediction, would eventually surpass his father's skill after a cruel twist of fate would befall their father. One day, their father was blown overboard, and this indeed came to pass: once Aqua graduates school, he must fill his father's shoes as the new master angler.
- Inferiority Superiority Complex: According to his profile, his superiority complex developed out of the need to prove himself to his older siblings and be noticed.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Despite his brashness and swearing, according to his profile, he cares a lot about those who do him good and show him kindness.
- Men Can't Keep House: His room is a complete disaster. Later, he ends up dirtying up Naoki's ordinarily pristine room when the two move in together.
- No-Sell: Doesn't react to the chapter 3 "motive" to invite the culprit to a party with all their loved ones, as Aqua feels his whole family can take care of themselves, although he knows someone else may take the opportunity to strike.
- Official Couple: Forms one with Naoki.
- Precision F-Strike: As he is introducing himself, in fact:"Youngest of the esteemed Ooshima clan, Super High-school Level Angler! I ain’t gonna say twice, so I hope y’heard me loud n’ fuckin’ clear, huh?"
- Pull the I.V.: After waking up from a coma, he enters the courtroom during Koyomi's trial, where he promptly rips the I.V. from his arm.
- Punny Name: His SHSL talent is Angler, as in someone who angles for fish, and his first name is Aqua, as in water.
- Really Gets Around: Not him, but his father. He has four siblings, all of whom have different mothers, because his father was constantly moving from port to port.
- Shout-Out: Aqua wins several items from the Monomachine, including a tea set from Yukie Seki of Doubt Academy Black (which he decides to give to Wakana), the cybernetic head of Iko Detayama from the same game, and a crown from the first Doubt Academy's Mastermind, Nanase Otakita.
- Tragic Keepsake: Shortly before her death, Riko takes a pink ribbon from her hair and ties it around his wrist to symbolize their friendship.
- Wouldn't Hit a Girl: This prevents Aqua from punching Usoko, upon Usoko being voted as chapter 2's culprit.
Daisuke Techou
Super High-School Level Secretary
A secretary who works for a talent agency that manages idol groups. He works behind the scenes, and is said to have rescued the business from going under.
He is the first victim, poisoned by Lee with black henna dye in chapter 1.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: Briefly, after Daisuke pointed out Koharu's mistake in Hidoiko's name, he broke the fourth wall to "stare at his writer." The reason behind this is that when the initial post was made, Daisuke's player mispelled Koharu's name in the title as Kahoru but that was later corrected.
- Dies Wide Open: His corpse is found with wide-open eyes.
- Drowning Pit: The chapter 1 culprit turned the hotel lobby's pool into a makeshift one for Daisuke, so Daisuke was murdered by drowning... but subverted, since this actually turns out to be a ruse by the culprit to throw everyone off; the real method of death was the substance the culprit force-fed Daisuke that caused his lungs to blister, he died before he could even reach the pool, but the murderer threw Daisuke in the pool anyway to obscure the murder method.
- Meaningful Name: His first name, "Daisuke", means "great help" in Japanese; this is perfect for someone whose SHSL talent is "Secretary." Also, his last name, "Techou", means "notebook", which is perfect for a profession that often involves taking notes for the rest of the staff, plus he sometimes carries a blue notebook with him.
- Sacrificial Lion: Daisuke is calm, cool, and collected, just the sort of person you'd expect to be a big help in investigations. But he's the first one to be murdered, so it sinks in that anyone could be a victim.
- Shout-Out: His backstory is similar to the Producer from The Idolmaster: he arrives at a talent agency that hosts an idol group, and thanks to his help the idol group becomes successful (although Daisuke is a secretary instead of a producer, and Daisuke does not personally oversee any of the idols).
- Smart People Wear Glasses: Has on black-framed specs and is calm and helpful.
- The Stoic: One of his skills is to put aside his emotions and focus on the task at hand.
Eikichi Baker
Super High-School Level Fortune Cookie Baker
A baker and fortune teller who decided to combine his talents by baking fortune cookies.
He is the first student to die, executed by Monobear for defiance.
- All-Loving Hero: His "thing" is he wants to make people happy, to the point of almost being obsessed with it according to his profile.
- But Not Too Foreign: He's of mixed blood, his mother being Japanese and his now-deceased father being American.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: He stands up to Monobear and tells him that the students are free not to go along with Monobear's crud. Monobear responds by throwing Eikichi inside a simulation of a classroom where Eikichi reveals, by going berserk and trashing the classroom, that it was all a lie. Eikichi wanted to get out and escape just like the rest of them. Then, in a Shout-Out to Persona 4, Eikichi is approached by a "Shadow" of himself (there's even a remix of "Boundaries of Madness" playing, the same music that played in Persona 4 each time a hero's Shadow revealed himself/herself). The Shadow chases Eikichi around the classroom before finally stabbing Eikichi with a sword. In an unusual twist, the punishment is related to Eikichi putting on a false front, not to Eikichi's SHSL talent as a Cookie Baker.
- Handsome Lech: According to his profile, he can come off as very flirtatious whether he intends to or not.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Gets stabbed through by a sword as part of his execution.
- The Power of Acting: One of his skills is he's very adaptable and has masks and facades for every situation.
- Real Men Wear Pink: He has "passive" and "feminine" hobbies according to his profile, such as, of course, baking, as well as reading and sleeping. He's also a talented ballroom dancer.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: So far averted: his eyes are red, but he hasn't killed anyone. And he never will, since he becomes the first casualty in the game.
- Sacrificial Lamb: He’s the first student to die, to show that Monobear isn’t screwing around.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Cream puffs.
Elijah Devereux
Super High-School Level Spoken Word Poet
A poet who rose to fame three years ago when he posted videos of himself performing his poems on his video blog. Nicknamed the 'Voice of the Underdog, Elijah writes about personal and social issues in an ironic yet poignant manner. He prefers performing in smaller venues, due to them being more intimate.
He is the third victim, stabbed to death in chapter 3 by Fuyuuko.
- Apologizes a Lot: Except once in chapter 1's trial where he says sorry, no wait he's not sorry, everyone should stop shouting and give Lee a chance to explain herself.
- Dreadlock Rasta: His hair is tied in a ponytail made of dreadlocks.
- Headphones Equal Isolation: He usually walks around with earbuds in, not because he's trying to drown everyone out or not talk to anyone, but because he likes the music since it helps him relax and brainstorm ideas. Unfortunately others sometimes perceive this as rude.
- Historical In-Joke: A grim version of this: he is found murdered by having his jugular cut via stab wound, and the book covering his face is titled 'Julius Caesar'.
- Humans Are Special: Believes in the inherent goodness and sanctity of humanity. Unfortunately this trust may have been misplaced, which he learns right after someone murders Daisuke.
- Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Well, they're dreadlocks, but they count.
- Meaningful Name: "Elijah" is the name of a prophet from the Old Testament; specifically, Elijah was the prophet who defended the worship of Yahweh over the Canaanite god Baal, and he's prophesied to return before the Lord does as the Lord's harbinger. And what is Elijah Devereux's SHSL talent, and what does he use it for? Spoken World Poet, and he uses his talent to tackle pressing social and personal issues. There's even a subtitle on Elijah's page, "Make No Exodus."
- Nerds Are Sexy: He’s rather hot, for a poet. Ume certainly thinks so.
- Official Couple: With Ume, even proposing during endgame.
- Serious Business: He gets really heated over board games; if you were playing Monopoly with him he would show no mercy in sending you to jail.
- Shrinking Violet: He very rarely makes large public appearances, preferring either to focus on his poetry "vlog" behind the computer screen, or the intimacy of smaller venues. Unfortunately for him, this had led some to accuse him of being egotistical or an elitist, which is not an accurate assessment.
- Smart People Wear Glasses: He's a poet who became extremely popular in only three years because he tackles pressing social and personal issues in an ironic yet poignant manner, and he wears a pair of square glasses.
- Stress Vomit: His reaction to the first execution is to throw up.
- Together in Death: Subverted; although he and Ume both died and were a couple, they were cloned during endgame.
Fuyuuko Honpo
Super High-School Level Cross-Country Runner
A champion athlete who got into cross-country running as a way to burn off excess energy. Growing up in a small house, Fuyuuko spent most of her childhood out of doors, to her mother's despair. She has competed in several athletic meets, even beating male runners.
She is the culprit of chapter 3 and is executed for the murder of Elijah.
- Accidental Murder: Subverted. Fuyuuko turns out to be chapter 3's murderer, and she claims it was only an accident that she killed Elijah about three different ways, but given her state of mind at the time this is probably not a completely reliable account of events, since she also describes herself as having lost her temper when Elijah pointed out her personality defects.
- Can't Take Criticism: Her response to Elijah criticising her was to lose her temper and kill him.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Fuyuuko turns out to be chapter 3's murderer. Her execution begins with a chain clamping around her neck and dragging her to a hospital, and she's chained to a hospital bed. This isn't the method of execution, however; Fuyuuko actually manages to break free from the chains, get up from the bed, and run out of the room. She runs down the hospital's hallway looking for an exit, as voices cheer her on, but the voices suddenly turn nasty and insulting. Fuyuuko gets distracted from her goal and trips, but before she can stand up, a copy of Fuyuuko appears wearing a wedding dress and cuts off Fuyuuko's head with a pair of scissors.
- Et Tu, Brute?: An unusual "double meaning" variant. First, Fuyuuko turns out to be chapter 3's murderer, and she murders her only friend, Elijah, the one person in the class who cared about her, thus the "betrayal" meaning. Second, there's a literal application because Fuyuuko grabs a random book to put over the victim's face, and it's Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.
- Free-Range Children: Was one of these as a child, to her mother's exasperation. She kept disobeying her mother's warnings and running outside to sleep every night, not to mention her constant running around and BMX biking. Finally her mother made her live in her own house and take some sort of interest that didn't involve pushing through mud with animals about. Thus, Fuyuuko took up cross-country running, and it became her SHSL talent.
- Girlish Pigtails: Has a braided pair of these.
- Heavy Sleeper: She slept through most of the first trial, in fact. She only woke up just in time to vote for the culprit and to watch the culprit being executed. Unfortunately for her, if she'd been more of a heavy sleeper, she might have been spared the sight of what she hates the most, a dead body.
- Immune to Flinching: A non-videogame variant of this trope: one of her skills is that she can block out all distractions and stay on task for a long period of time.
- I'm Not Here to Make Friends: Her dream of being the perfect athlete, in her mind, means that she needs to care only for herself, as we learn in a post in chapter 2 when Monobear reveals the motive. She makes one friend, Elijah, but murders him in chapter 3.
- Made of Iron: One of her skills is resistance to harsh environmental changes.
- Meaningful Name: Her name used to mean 'Wandering Child', but then switched because of Kanji issues.
- Official Couple: Becomes this with Chiemi.
- Off with His Head!: Fuyuuko's execution ends with Fuyuuko's head cut off.
- Pet the Dog: When Elijah is revealed as the third victim, she suddenly becomes very scared and feels incredibly lonely, because she realizes the only person who seemingly cared about her has died. And then it's subverted, when it turns out she was the one who killed him.
- Picky Eater: In her 35 facts, it is stated that she must have her food cooked properly. She also will not accept any microwavable food or pork.
- Red Ones Go Faster: She sports red shoes and is a cross-country runner with an amazing running record.
- Screw Yourself: Her execution culminates in her doppelganger, who is wearing a wedding dress, kissing her... before lopping her head off with scissors.
- Sherlock Scan: Can focus her gaze on small differences and point out anything out of the ordinary.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: She's always seeking companionship (it's not specified on her profile whether this means romantic, just anything that ends with her with another person), but her short temper can drive others away so keeping relationships once she has them is difficult for her.
- Speak Ill of the Dead: Her immediate reaction to Riko's death:"Finally, someone did something useful! [...] Another one for the dumps, whoops!"
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Fuyuuko considers dead bodies to be "vile, repulsive, useless and absolutely disgusting", because in her opinion, lifeless things don't deserve to keep their bodies, it should be burned and sanitized before any further use. So, of course, she freaks out and bolts from the courtroom after the first culprit is executed by falling to her death and smashing to pieces right in the courtroom, so Fuyuuko has to flee from "this possible new disease infected rat pile."
Gorou Inoue
Super High-School Level Waiter (Super High-School Level Vigilante)
A waiter who started out in his father's restaurant. After the business went bust, Gorou worked in other restaurants, gaining a reputation for friendliness and hospitality, and was discovered by Hope's Peak while working at an Argentinian restaurant in Tokyo.
But that's not the full truth: his real talent is Super High-School Level Vigilante.
He murders Akira in chapter 5 after the latter murders Shinji, but is never caught. He survives all trials, and chooses to leave Arcadia.
- All Love Is Unrequited: Gorou developed romantic feelings for Riko, but Riko loves everybody and is murdered in chapter 2 anyway. It's ambiguous, however, because Riko dies after leaving Gorou with a kiss.
- Beware the Nice Ones:
- In chapter 1's trial, he chastises Aqua and tells him that people are innocent until proven guilty, and that also applies to his accusations of Lee. The post itself notes that this is the first time since Gorou introduced himself to them all that Gorou has uttered an offensive remark to someone.
- And then there's his reaction to Fuyuuko's Speak Ill of the Dead in chapter two: grabbing her by the collar to yell in her face, and basically threaten to hunt her down when the students escape.
- Chaste Hero: Inability to comprehend romance? Check. Attractive by conventional standards? Check. Uncomfortable talking about sex? Triple check.
- Chick Magnet: Back at work, Gorou was infamous for attracting female clients. It only lasts for that night though, as they quickly learn that he's completely inexperienced on the topic of love.
- Clothing Switch: Through a comedy of errors, Gorou has Riko's shirt wrapped around him and doesn't have time to change before chapter 1's trial starts.
- Conspicuous Gloves: He's never seen without them, even when he swaps his waiter uniform for a plain white t-shirt. They hide the scars obtained from his vigilante work.
- Due to the Dead: Upon discovering Alphonse's body in chapter 4, Gorou kneels to the ground, his forehead brushing against the arm he places onto his high knee. He hopes that it's the case that this is how knights bid their brothers farewell, and thus has chosen this gesture to pay his respects since the victim was an SHSL Knight.
- Karma Houdini: He kills Akira in chapter 5, but isn't caught. He then goes on to survive the entire game.
- Kick the Dog: After the 7th execution, he makes a flippant remark to Chiemi just for the sake of teasing them.
- Nice Guy: Considering he's a waiter who's worked at a variety of high quality restaurants, this is to be expected. However, he becomes more ruthless in chapter 2 after discovering that Riko is chapter 2's murder victim. He yells at someone who was making light of Riko's death, and he coerces Naoki into helping him with the investigation solely because Naoki was so useful in figuring out chapter 1's culprit.
- No-Sell: Considers chapter 3's "motive" to be a "joke", since his family and friends can take care of themselves.
- One-Steve Limit: A Subverted trope, as Gorou shares the title of Waiter with Alpha student Shunichi Hikeshi. The trope is later Double Subverted when it's revealed Gorou's true talent is Vigilante.
- Scarf of Asskicking: During the "investigation phases" of Doubt Academy Omega, Gorou sometimes chooses to wear a long red scarf, rather than the "waiter uniform" he usually wears.
- Secret Identity: His real talent is Super High-School Level Vigilante.
- Shout-Out: To Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, when Gorou gets a Justice Robo 4 hammer from the Capsule Machine. It was the murder weapon in Chapter 3.
- Stress Vomit: Throws up upon discovering Akira's corpse in chapter 5.
- Took a Level in Badass: It's Gorou that exposes chapter 2's true culprit, since Gorou presents multiple pieces of evidence all at once that, when taken together, point conclusively to the guilt of one person.
- Tragic Keepsake: Riko leaves him with both her collared shirt and a red scarf.
- We Can Rule Together: In the final trial, Gorou reveals that he knows who the Mastermind is because, after the second trial, they gave him a card asking him to join them and act as their 'eyes and right hand'. He accepted.
- What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?: Not to anyone's face, but upon hearing Momoko introduce herself as a SHSL "Sukeban", Gorou mutters under his breath "Is that really worth being considered as a talent?"
Hidoiko Kyuuhen/Kiseki Shinjinai
Super High-School Level Motivator (Super High-School Level Instigator)
A politician's son who discovered he had a talent for influencing people, using this talent to work as a motivational speaker. Rather than addressing crowds, Hidoiko prefers working on a one-to-one basis.
He survives all trials, and chooses to leave Arcadia.
- Beware the Nice Ones: There's more to him than meets the eye. Kosuke is certainly disturbed by the data he finds on Hidoiko, though what it is exactly has yet to be revealed. Shun also hints that he has dirt on him.
- Charm Person: Very good at influencing the people around him, his ability to influence a crowd is one of his skills.
- Determinator: Has always been able to make the best of any situation, always able to get back up no matter how in trouble or in despair he is. Then he parlayed this skill into his SHSL talent of Motivator.
- Gender-Blender Name: Names ending in 'ko' are usually feminine/female names.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Has blond hair and he’s quite friendly.
- Ironic Name: The meaning behind his name being 'Awful/Terrible child'
- Nice Guy: His other skill is that he’s quite friendly and loves to get to know people.
- No-Sell: He reacts to Monobear's chapter 2 motive, threatening to reveal everyone's darkest secrets, by yawning.
- Official Couple: Becomes one with Hikaru.
- Secret Identity: His real name is Hiseki Shinjinai, and his real SHSL talent is Instigator. He chose Motivator as a fake title as he wanted to use his abilities in a more positive way.
- Speech Impediment: Specifically, a timid stutter.
- Spoiled Sweet: He's the well-connected son of a politician and a lawyer, but he grew up to have a SHSL talent that is entirely about helping others.
Hikaru Ookami
Super High-School Level Architect
An architect from a family whose traditional profession is carpentry.
He survives all trials, and chooses to leave Arcadia.
- And You Thought It Was a Game: Hikaru was under the impression that the students' permanent lives in Elysium was some kind of joke. But when Monobear shows up, starts the mutual killing game, and turns Elysium into Tartarus, Hikaru realizes that all of this is very real.
- Follow in My Footsteps: Subverted in his backstory. He belongs to a family of carpenters, and carpentry has been the family tradition for generations. Hikaru did end up taking a path related to building houses, but he became an architect instead.
- No Sympathy:
- Deliberately invoked on Hikaru's part. He's exasperated that everyone is crying and hugging Lee before her execution, so Hikaru pointedly shows Lee no sympathy. After all, where was everyone else when Lee's victim Daisuke needed help?
- He does this again after Ume is executed in chapter 4. Hikaru considers Ume's "dark wish of self destruction" to be idiotic, and wonders why girls are so stupid, does everything have to revolve around boyfriends or death? Then when Ume's letters are released to everyone, Hikaru doesn't bother reading his, since why the fuck would Hikaru want advice from someone who gave up? In Hikaru's opinion, the letters are poison drawn from an unfit mind and his classmates are all stupid for buying it. Hikaru then throws his letter into the courtyard's lake.
- Official Couple: Forms one with Kiseki.
- Real Men Cook: Hikaru knows how to cook as long as a recipe is accessible.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Coffee, which he prefers black.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Although his SHSL talent is "Architect", there's one part of houses he hates designing: bathrooms (though he accepts it as a necessary part of his career).
Imogen Yahola
Super High-School Level Natural Healer
A healer trained by her great-grandmother in apothecary arts, specialising in herbal medicine. Imogen is also interested in aromatherapy and energy healing.
She is executed in Chapter 10 for attacking Monobear.
- Berserk Button:
- Imogen's reaction to Monobear giving everyone their "darkest secrets" on cards for the chapter 2 "motive" is to tear the card into pieces and throw them at Monobear's feet, snarling at Monobear that he's dumber than he looks. What was written on Imogen's card, as well as the reason for Imogen's anger (whether at the possibility of her darkest secret being revealed or at Monobear thinking it would actually work), is unknown.
- Monobear pushes Imogen's Berserk Button in Chapter 10 by mocking her and accusing her of being a selfish hypocrite after she yells at Minako's killer to own up. She snaps and unleashes a barrage of gunfire at him, knowing full well what will happen. Sure enough, Monobear reverts to his robot form and kills her.
- Beware the Nice Ones:
- After the victim in chapter 3 turns out to be wouldn't-hurt-a-fly Elijah, Imogen refers to herself as a ruthless queen on the warpath, and swears to avenge Elijah.
- In Chapter 10, she stands up to Monobear. By firing an Uzi at him.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Monobear throws a silver disc at her which buries itself in her chest, drills its way through her body, and tears out her heart.
- Curtains Match the Window: Reddish brown hair and reddish brown eyes.
- Despair Event Horizon: Hits it almost immediately when the first motive is announced, as she realizes that literally nowhere is safe for any of the students.
- Don't Call Me "Sir": Coupled with a Sustained Misunderstanding. During her and Nicanor's first meeting in the prologue, she believes the word "frau" (the German equivalent for "miss") to be derogatory due to Nicanor's tone. Nicanor becomes confused at her anger and continues to address her as "frau" which doesn't help his case as Imogen gets angry that He Keeps Using That Word.
- Fainting: Imogen faints, and is described as having lost consciousness in a parody of a murder announcement, after the first execution.
- Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!: Imogen says this to herself; she feels that her breaking down in tears after the first motive was unseemly of her since all the other students also have problems and weren't in tears about it.
- Gut Feeling: One of her skills is her intuition, which allows her to read people pretty well.
- MacGyvering: One of her skills is her "Ability to make the most of what she has and to effectively scavenge for what she needs."
- The Medic: She patches up the others when they're injured, and has so far patched up Alphonse, Momoko, Aqua, and Rune. She also volunteers her services when Monobear threatens to infect the students with a virus in Chapter 7.
- Official Couple: Becomes this with Tamaki.
- Omniglot: Her profile states she knows English, American Sign Language, Japanese, and French.
- Shout-Out: Imogen wears a Chris Peril "World Danger Tour" T-shirt to bed. Chris Peril was a character from Doubt Academy White.
- Take Me Instead: Confesses to the chapter 4 murder right off the bat, but Rune quickly shoots this down since Imogen was with Rune at the time.
- Team Mom: Imogen's aesthetic design is meant to invoke a "motherly" look. She even attempts to mother Lee before Lee's execution, and Aqua even nicknames her "Mama Bird" at one point.
- Tender Tears: Sheds these when it's revealed that the culprit is Lee, who Imogen thought was a nice girl, though in this instance Imogen's sprite is not actually drawn crying.
- Together in Death: Subverted; although she and Tamaki both died and were a couple, they were cloned during endgame.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Fondue, and sweets in general.
- Tragic Keepsake: Is given Tamaki's skeleton key necklace shortly before their execution.
- Wild Hair: Subverted; it looks wild, but a recent post on her blog made it clear that Imogen's hairstyle is genetic, that she takes good care of it every day so it doesn't turn poofy, and Imogen would like everyone to know that it is not a "rat's nest".
Koharu Amashiro
Super High-School Level Mahjongbu
A self-taught Mahjong player and inter-school champion.
She is the culprit of chapter 6, and is executed for the murder of Koyomi.
- The Ace: In her backstory. After beating her father at Mahjong, she and her friend Fuu-chan formed a Mahjong team with herself, Fuu-chan, Rin-chan, Kanoda-san, and Yamaou-san. They won their first tournament and kept up the pace, although Koharu was the "ace player" of the team.
- Afraid of Blood: She needs to run to her room and calm down after seeing only a little blood on Alphonse after he fights with Aqua. Later, after Eikichi is stabbed, she's still woozy and nervous, but is just glad it was on a screen and not right in front of her, in which case she'd have a worse reaction. This later turns out to be untrue - Koharu is the sixth chapter's culprit, and cheerfully informs everyone she never said she was afraid of blood... she loves blood, and gets turned on by it, prompting her to kill.
- Can't Hold His Liquor: Just a single shot is enough to send her off the deep end.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Is executed by being Eaten Alive by three giant dragons.
- It Amused Me: When the class starts voting for a culprit in chapter 1, Koharu casts her vote and a mastermind vote, even though it's way too early for it, because why not?
- Nightmare Fetishist: She likes a good horror movie.
- Noodle Incident: Koharu finds the first execution gruesome, because she hasn't seen so much blood since... We never figure out what she's referring to.
- Pink Means Feminine: She's wearing a gray and pink outfit, although the pink is slightly less pronounced than the gray.
- Rebus Bubble: Not a literal application of the trope, but if Koharu doesn't understand something, one of her skills is to compare it to Mahjong and think of it in Mahjong terms, and then Koharu can understand it.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: Her eyes are red and she is rather Ax-Crazy and kills Koyomi in Chapter 6.
- Rule of Pool: Koharu trips and falls into the pool because she doesn't have her contacts. It's a bit of a Black Comedy example, since this is the same pool that was supposedly used to drown Daisuke, although this turned out to be a ruse by the murderer to cover up the real method of death, that of force-fed toxic substance.
- Shout-Out: In chapter 3's trial, Koharu asks everyone innocent in the class to raise their hands. This is a parody of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc's first trial, in which Ishimaru asked the guilty culprit to raise their hand.
- Spoiled Sweet: Born to a father en route to becoming a high paying executive and a mother who's the heir to a powerful pharmaceutical company, and she's nice. Though Koyomi's friends would disagree with that one.
- The Stoic: According to her profile, Koharu’s extended time in the field of Mahjong has taught her patience and discipline in waiting for winning tiles and that sometimes the most aggressive moves aren’t the best. However, the profile also notes that Koharu isn't like this in everyday conversation.
- Surpassed the Teacher: Her father taught her how to play Mahjong, and eventually Koharu got good enough to beat her own father.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Udon is hers.
Koyomi Maeda
Super High-School Level Wota
The son of a popular idol, Koyomi fell in love with the world of idols after his mother took him to concerts. He wants to prove that not all wota are disgusting perverts, and has dedicated his life to going to idol concerts, collecting and making merchandise, and practising wotagei
routines.
After the merger with the Alpha students, Koyomi is the first victim of Epsilon and the sixth of Omega, poisoned by Koharu in chapter 6.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Koyomi promises himself he'll watch the first culprit's execution so he never forgets the sight. Well, he'll probably never forget her being dropped into the courtroom and smashing her head into pieces, at any rate.
- Beneath the Mask: Kinda. He likes to believe his enthusiastic, over the top personality hides how badly he copes with stress and pressure, but it is still pretty obvious.
- Berserk Button:
- Is said to be "fiercely protective" of his friends, as seen when Lee is accused of murder in chapter 1, though he backs down after Lee defends herself.
- Another example of this may be any sort of violence towards women, seen in chapter 2 by the way he reacts to finding Riko's body.
- Coat Cape: Many wota wear long coats with their favourite idol's name on the back in huge characters. He doesn't really enjoy wearing his properly though, and keeps it around more due to sentimental value.
- Declaration of Protection: In chapter 2, he promises to protect Minako. She responds by offering the same.
- Due to the Dead: Despite her mangled and bloody appearance, he approaches Lee's body after her death and closes her eyes. It's mentioned that he does so because he "watched too many movies".
- Dying Clue: Played with. The letters 'TA' are found scrawled near Koyomi's body in blood. However, it turns out to be an attempt by Koharu to frame Tamaki.
- Follow in My Footsteps: His profile states that he became a wota as a result of his mother's influence, having been a former idol herself and introducing him to the world of idols from a very young age.
- Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: All of Koyomi's posts are titled first in Japanese kanji, and then the English translation after that, and all are idol related. For example, “忘れらんない” (I Won’t Be Able To Forget) is a song from Morning Musume, "鳥になろうとした少女は" (The Girl Who Would Become A Bird) is a line from the AKB48 song "Keibetsu Shiteita Aijou", and "次の足跡" (The Next Footsteps) is the title of their latest album.
- Kill the Cutie: He’s a sweet and nervy guy… And is the sixth victim, the first student to die in Epsilon.
- Meaningful Name: His first name, "Koyomi", means either "calendar" or "almanac". This is a reference to the fact that the pictures of idol singers are often posted on Japanese calendars (indeed, this was even a plot point in Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc).
- Mood-Swinger: Very easy to scare and upset, but in most cases he gets over it just as easily.
- Named After Somebody Famous: His surname, Maeda, is a reference to former popular AKB48 member Atsuko Maeda.
- Nerd Glasses: His eyesight is bad enough that he has to carry around a pair of glasses that are described as "incredibly lame", but refuses to wear them unless absolutely necessary.
- The Nicknamer: Uses them with girls so he can remain a bit more at ease around them, helping him imagine them as being like idols. Examples include Fuyuuko becoming "Fuyucchi" and Minako becoming "Minarun" (another reference to an AKB48 member, this time using the nickname of Mina Oba).
- No Indoor Voice: Years of loud concerts and cheering, combined with a complete lack of social experience, have led to him finding it a bit difficult to express himself at a normal volume whenever he gets a bit carried away.
- Otaku: His talent. More specifically, an idol otaku, otherwise known as a wota. Played with somewhat, as he is very strongly opposed to many of the overly creepy and perverted tendencies associated with the name.
- Significant Birth Date: As with Named After Somebody Famous, he shares his birthday, July 10th, with Atsuko Maeda of AKB48.
- Stress Vomit: After the first culprit is executed right in front of everyone by being dropped from a great height back into the courtroom, he barfs.
- Take Me Instead: Confesses to chapter 4's murder right after Imogen confesses, but the true culprit turns out to be neither of them.
- Textile Work Is Feminine: Sort of. One of his skills is his talent for textile work, since he felt he had to hand-make his wota coat in order to show his dedication. While on one hand he isn't exactly feminine, he's also pretty far from being considered particularly masculine.
- This Cannot Be!: His reaction to discovering that Riko is the chapter 2 murder victim is to shout at everyone that this is a computer program, so none of them are real, so this murder isn't real, so don't touch him!
- Wouldn't Hit a Girl: When Koharu meets him for the first time during the first trial, and tells him his 'shadow self' had beaten her up in the Animus, he apologises profusely on behalf of it, since he himself would never do anything like that.
Students L-Z
Lee Badens
Super High-School Level Henna Tattoo Artist
A henna tattoo artist from a port city. She became interested in the art after meeting a henna tattoo artist on a beach and asking him about his tattoos, and he took her on as an apprentice. She subsequently started her own henna tattoo parlour on the beach.
She is the first culprit of Doubt Academy Omega, having confessed to poisoning Daisuke, and is executed.
- Ascended Fangirl: When she was 11, she met a Henna tattoo artist named Alexander Firan on the beach, and persuaded him to take her as a henna tattoo artist "apprentice". Later she started her own business and gained popularity, and hence her SHSL talent of Henna Tattoo Artist.
- Bait-and-Switch: Monobear sometimes pulls one of these in executions he devises. Unusually for him, however, Monobear gives Lee two bait-and-switches. The execution takes place in a medical room, so Lee thinks she's going to die by lethal injection. Then a giant henna tattoo pen descends from the ceiling, so Lee thinks that she's going to get an execution related to her SHSL Henna Tattoo Artist talent, by being sliced open. But the pen withdraws and the room rotates, and it turns out she's getting a "worst fear" execution instead of a "talent" execution: she's afraid of heights, so she's dropped to her death.
- Chekhov's Skill: Lee's talent is SHSL Henna Tattoo Artist. This unfortunately causes the others to accuse her of murder in the chapter 1 trial, since Daisuke was force-fed a strange kind of ink that gave him blisters, and it turns out that a certain type of henna tattoo ink is capable of giving such blisters. And then it turns out she is the murderer.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Strapped to a table in a medical setting, at first it appears as if Lee is going to be given a lethal injection. Then, a massive grandfather clock (which has been ticking in the background) appears from the ceiling, with a henna tattoo pen on its pendulum, which begins to approach her... and then at the moment it would hit, it stops. Then the room rotates, revealing that she's going to die by being dropped from a massive height right back into the court, and getting splattered in front of everyone.
- Daddy's Girl: In her room, there's an envelope addressed to her father, whose name is "Gerald Badens". There are also multiple photos of Lee and her father, as well as a photo of her father by himself. Finally, the very last entry in her diary pleads with the reader if they ever find her father, they should tell him that Lee is okay. Which is ironic, because she's not okay: she's the first culprit, and she's been executed.
- Driven to Suicide: In the deadblog. The pain of feeling useless builds up over the course of the game, until it finally boils over in Chapter 8 after Lee finally gets to meet with some living people and ends up presenting incorrect theories about the murder case. Lee breaks open a capsule above her neck right as the mastermind voting begins, and out pops an axe that promptly decapitates her.
- Face Death with Dignity: After Lee finally gives the full explanation to how she committed chapter 1's murder, Lee turns to Monobear and actually asks him to start the execution, since she knows she deserves it.
- Foreshadowing: There was actually a hint even before the murder that Lee fell for Monobear's motive, but it was easily missed. When Monobear told everyone that he would put them in danger of being "glitched" by viruses, most of the students told Monobear that that was a stupid motive and no one would fall for something that petty. However, Lee was the only student whose post at least considered the possibility that if they were inside a computer program, the glitches really could do them some harm. Although the post was written in a gentle and lighthearted tone, the fact that only Lee was worried about the glitches foreshadows her being the only one to kill someone.
- Genki Girl: Described in her profile as a very warm, friendly and outgoing person to a default. She’s also rather open and isn’t afraid to express herself, as can be seen on the many Henna tattoos on her body. However, she's also described as calm. Until the chapter 1 motive rattles her into killing someone.
- Girl Next Door: Lee's general design is meant to invoke this. She's drawn with Generic Cuteness, has dark red hair, has a friendly and cheerful personality, has her arms crossed in a confident pose, is wearing a light blue outfit emphasizing how casual and down-to-earth she is, and in general she gets along with people rather well. Subverted, since she's the first culprit.
- Hero-Worshipper: To Alexander Firan, who taught her the art; she even addresses him as "Mister Xander" in her diary.
- Last Kiss: Aqua decides to briefly kiss Lee on the lips before her execution, in case she's never been kissed before. According to Lee's player, she hasn't, so this also doubles as her first kiss.
- Meaningful Name: Her last name is 'Badens', and she pretty much received a 'bad end'.
- Morality Pet: At one point she serves as this to Aqua, since Aqua manages to not act like a jerk to Lee and even kisses her.
- Nice Girl: Subverted, her classmates see her as a nice girl, especially Minako and Koyomi, but she's the very first murderer, and her murder was premeditated, her victim chosen both because she was slightly mad at him and because he was trying to help everyone and thus was an easy target. However, she was also trying to protect the others from the 'glitching' motive, cries tears of remorse when finally proven as the culprit, and she confesses to the murder before Monobear has to confirm it was her.
- Pet the Dog:
- In her diary, we learn that Lee feels a bit guilty about asking a "rude question" to Usami about the "portal thingy", since Usami was already in the middle of explaining.
- Lee changed her murder plan, because originally Lee was planning to frame Imogen for the murder, but then realized that this would be counterproductive since she was murdering to protect everyone, so why blame them for the murder? This is why, as described later on her personal blog, at this point she resorted to "going around words a lot".
- Serious Business: Invokes this about her talent to defend herself against an accusation by explaining that she only uses natural henna, she would never use something like dye that's both dangerous to your health and an insult to tattoo artists! But she did use dye, because she really is the culprit.
- Shout-Out:
- In order to defend herself against being accused of being the culprit in chapter 1, Lee shouts "THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE WRONG" while accompanied by a graphic of her face imitating Makoto Naegi's "YOU'VE GOT THAT WRONG" pose.
- There's one to Marian Spiegelman from Doubt Academy White, because they're both exposed the same way: by stripping and thus proving that they have an injury from the victim, although Lee's bruise required a tattoo to be washed off first. Nicanor's player even uploaded a picture to Lee's blog lampshading the similarity in this post (warning, post contains spoilers for one of the Doubt Academy White culprits).
- The Stoic: Despite her outgoing nature, Lee is actually one of the calmest and composed people you’ll meet. She’s willing to wait long hours in any given situation without breaking, may it be in preparing Henna paste or dealing with impatient customers. But not stoic enough to avoid being rattled by the chapter 1 motive of "glitching".
- Sympathetic Murderer: She killed to protect everyone from computer glitches, so this garnered her a lot of sympathy from Imogen, Koyomi, and Minako. Several readers have also expressed sympathy for Lee since Lee felt remorse over what she did.
- Tender Tears: Sheds these while apologizing and confessing to the chapter 1 murder.
- True Blue Femininity: She's wearing a blue jacket over a blue dress, though she’s not that feminine.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Apparently Lee is afraid of heights. We find this out in an easily-missed line as she's being executed by being dropped from a great height.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: She killed to protect not just herself, but everyone else from Monobear's "glitch" motive. However, after being caught, she freely admits that this wasn't really a good reason to kill someone, and that, as her blog is now called, "I was...just so damn scared..."
- Wingding Eyes: In this post, when Lee Badens notices something unusual among her notebooks, she gets actual stars in her eyes.
Minako Ito
Super High-School Level Puppeteer
One of several puppeteers in a large performing family who have toured with circuses, Minako got her big break after filling in for her sister, aged six. She has the ability to handle several puppets at once, and this talent gained her attention worldwide.
She is the victim of Chapter 10, dead from asphyxiation by cyanide poisoning; it is revealed in the trial that she drank a glass of water that Shun spiked with cyanide.
- Abusive Parents: Both a comment in the deadblog and a fic on Minako's personal blog revealed her father was emotionally abusive, and later physically as well.
- Accidental Murder: In that Shun hadn't intended to kill her. Minako had found out that he was planning to commit suicide by drinking poisoned water. Minako had been angry at Shun for this, an argument had broken out between them, and it had ended up with Minako drinking it herself to prevent him from committing suicide.
- Berserk Button:
- Don't even think about calling her a little kid.
- Another berserk button is triggered in chapter 2 when someone is murdered, and it's Riko of all people.
- In chapter 5, two people are murdered, and one of them is her crush Akira. Minako reacts by screaming at her card that her card is a "Liar", Akira can't be dead.
- Beware the Nice Ones: In chapter 2's trial, when Fuyuuko accuses Gorou of murdering Riko, Minako's reaction is to turn to Fuyuuko and very coldly tell her, "Shut up".
- Companion Cube: Her favorite childhood puppet, whom she calls "Miss Violet."
- The Cutie: She’s an sweet and adorable little girl.
- Declaration of Protection: Chapter 2, she offers to protect Koyomi after he offers this to her.
- Dull Eyes of Unhappiness: She gets these in chapter 4, after she finds that not only is Alphonse dead, but the five vanished students from earlier had returned, and no one thought to tell her about it.
- Expository Hairstyle Change: In chapter 10, she takes her hair out of its Girlish Pigtails, allowing it to hang freely.
- Expressive Accessory: Not only does Miss Violet mimic her expressions, but when Minako is crying after Eikichi's death, the puppet is crying along with her.
- Expressive Hair: In her shocked and angry sprites, Minako's pigtails puff up.
- Fainting: Throws up and passes out on seeing Nanoka's mutilated body in chapter 7.
- Follow in My Footsteps: Born to a large family of puppeteers who travel with a circus to put on shows, and Minako discovered her SHSL talent of Puppeteer when one day she had to fill in for her older sister who had hurt her hand.
- Genki Girl: Cheerful and friendly, which comes from working with a team, namely her troupe.
- Girlish Pigtails: Her hair is tied into two big puffy ones.
- Heroic BSoD:
- Is driven into this, in a post fittingly titled "Like a Puppet Without Strings", following the execution of her friend Lee Badens.
- She's later driven into this through the entirety of chapter 4, after seeing her friends "vanish" in a demonstration of Monobear's motive. A diary entry in her room reads that Minako thinks no one cares about her and she'll never be loved.
- He's Back!: In chapter 4, she went through a Heroic BSoD and had Dull Eyes of Unhappiness after feeling no one cared about her. In chapter 6, after Gorou acknowledges her and gives her a snack, and Tamaki cooks for the two of them, Minako realizes she does indeed have friends, and this trope ensues.
- Kill the Cutie: Sweet as she is, she’s Chapter 10's victim.
- Love Letter: Attempted to present one when she was 13, there's a sketch of her on the puppeteer's personal blog clutching a love letter while in her school uniform. A post on her personal blog reveals she was rejected with the receiver never even opening said letter.
- Massive Numbered Siblings: She's the youngest of seven children.
- Miser Advisor: Not Minako, but her father. Her father wouldn't let his seven children buy "frivolous stuff" like saltwater taffy when Minako was a child, because as a circus troupe they were always on the move and they had to save money for everything else. So when Tamaki offers Minako a saltwater taffy at one point, Minako is very grateful (although Minako doesn't realize that Tamaki wasn't doing it to be nice, but to stop Minako from crying).
- Nice Girl:
- Her goal so far has to been to try to spread friendship among everyone, and every time a classmate dies she starts sobbing out of empathy and grief. In fact, even when her friend Lee was exposed as the chapter 1 murderer, Minako refuses to condemn her as "just a murderer". In Minako's opinion, the culprit and everyone else here are just like Minako's puppets, getting their strings yanked around by someone else. Lee would never kill under ordinary circumstances, Minako is sure; why, the culprit probably just wanted to protect everyone from the glitching.
- In chapter 2's trial, Minako forgives Usoko for saying nasty things, and tells Usoko that Usoko is wrong, that the class does not consist of animals and vermin, mutual killing game or no. Minako isn't sorry for yelling at Usoko in the break room, but Minako is sorry about whatever puppet strings forced Usoko into horrible situations and caused Usoko to think this way. Minako wishes Usoko to be even happier in her next life, and promises to make Usoko a flower crown like she made flower crowns for the other dead students.
- In chapter 3's trial, Minako blows her stack at chapter 3's murderer, and then promises the murderer a post-mortem flower crown at their podium anyway.
- In chapter 4's trial, Minako tells Ume that she doesn't think Ume's a bad person, and promises to leave Ume's podium a flower crown despite Ume having technically killed Alphonse.
- The Nicknamer: Tends to use nicknames on people before she learns what their real names are. So far she's used "Blue" (Tamaki), "Bunny"(Momoko), "Braids" (Fuyuuko), "Mr Wizard" (Gorou) and "Miss Shades" (Ume). Momoko is the only one who gives her permission to keep using a nickname. After the classes merge, she takes to calling Shun (from the Alpha roster) "Principe"note starting in chapter 9.
- Perverse Puppet: Subverted. Minako's room has a life-size puppet that looks like Minako herself, but it turns out to be benign. Minako's father made Minako that puppet of herself to congratulate Minako for getting an acceptance letter into Hope's Peak. Minako just didn't have the heart to tell her father that the puppet is creepy, so it's just hidden in her room.
- Pink Means Feminine: All of Minako's clothes have pink on them, and her room is mostly pink and white, including the bedspreads and the desk.
- Precision F-Strike: After her Berserk Button is pressed in chapter 1's trial:"...I AM NOT A CHILD WHO’S JUST GOING TO SIT BACK AND SHUT UP WHEN ONE OF OUR CLASSMATES AND FRIENDS IS FUCKING DEAD!"
- Precocious Crush: In chapter 2, Minako develops one on Akira Saeki. It remains one-sided as not only does Akira die in chapter 5, but he's an Official Couple with Usoko. Minako never confessed for the latter reason.
- Puppet Shows: Again, her SHSL talent is making puppets for these.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: Averted; she has red eyes but she hasn't killed anyone. She never will, either, as she's chapter 10's victim.
- Sacrificial Lion: Downplayed in that she's actually one of the last students to die, but it was her death that allowed everyone to correctly identify the masterminds and allowed the survivors to win the game. Gorou even mentions how her death would be remembered as "the beginning of the end" of the game.
- Stealth Expert: One of her skills is her ability to tread anywhere without making a sound, which came from her more complex shows later in life where some of her acts required not drawing the audience's attention.
- Tender Tears:
- On her personal blog, during a conversation with Lee, Minako briefly imagines the details of what it must have been like for Daisuke to be pinned to the ground with someone sitting on him while they force-fed him "something terrible" and wouldn't let him go. The mental image is so horrible that tears roll down Minako's face just at the thought of it.
- Minako cries tender tears when, in chapter 1's trial, the culprit is discovered to be Lee, whom Minako had befriended and had thought to be incapable of murder. In fact, as a consequence, Minako is one of the only people in the class to vote for themselves, rather than the by-now-obviously-guilty Lee (the other being Koyomi), because Minako doesn't want to actually say it.
- This Cannot Be!: After everyone discovers Daisuke's body, Minako's reaction is to try to convince herself that this can't be happening, and it's only a dream.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Strawberry milk, which is convenient since her classmate Aome hates strawberry milk, so Aome is able to kill two birds with one stone: Minako gets her favorite drink, and Aome gets a hated drink taken off her hands.
- Wingding Eyes: By default she has little hearts in her eyes. A very close look at her angry/crying sprites will reveal that when upset, she has broken hearts in her eyes.
Momoko Kurosawa
Super High-School Level Sukeban
The leader of a gang of female delinquents, attracting followers after gaining a reputation as a troublemaker at high school. Her gang specialise in using toys as weapons.
She survives all trials, and chooses to stay behind in Arcadia.
- Ambition Is Evil: Momoko had a very ordinary childhood, except that she was raised alone by her father (the profile does not explain what happened to her mother). But one day something in Momoko snapped, and she became a rebellious delinquent to achieve something greater in life and to draw attention to herself.
- Cry into Chest: Cries into Nicanor's chest after Fuyuuko's execution.
- Exotic Eye Designs: Her irises have light X's going through them.
- Girly Bruiser: She’s a delinquent, but her tastes are quite girly.
- Girly Girl: Surprisingly, given Momoko's SHSL talent, Momoko seems to have very feminine taste in clothing (she prefers dresses) and her room is decorated in a girly fashion.
- The Glomp: After a close call ends up sparing Nicanor's life after all in chapter 5, and Momoko is so relieved she gives Nicanor a big hug.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: As Momoko realizes after the first trial, it is her very ambition which could prevent her from having a future, because her ambition is based on "teen delinquency", which she'll no longer be able to get away with upon becoming an adult.
- Improbable Weapon User: Her whole gang uses toys as weapons, and it's not clear to the authorities why.
- Japanese Delinquents: Momoko is the "sukeban" variety; in fact it's her SHSL talent.
- The Leader: One of her skills is to quickly develop plans and bark out orders in hectic situations, since she was the head honcho of a rather vast gang.
- MacGyvering: One of her skills is that she's very handy and crafty and can always tell what can and can't be used as a weapon.
- No-Sell: Momoko isn't affected by the first motive's threat of glitching out with computer viruses. After all, Momoko reasons, the viruses affected Monomi only because Monomi is virtual, while Momoko is real. Thus, why would computer viruses affect Momoko? So there's no reason for Momoko to kill.
- Official Couple: Becomes this with Nicanor.
- Pet the Dog: Combined with a Brick Joke, at the beginning of chapter 1 an argument ensues between Nicanor and Imogen in part because Nicanor needs a band-aid. Near the end of the investigation into chapter 1's murder, Momoko almost as an afterthought gives Nicanor the band-aid Nicanor needed.
- Pink Means Feminine: A subtle example, but Momoko is wearing some pink in her outfit, and her blog's theme is pink.
- Pointless Band-Aid: We don't know for sure yet whether or not the band-aid is technically "pointless", that's up to Momoko's creator, but its prominent position on her face despite the lack of (seeming) injuries makes it this trope. Then it turns out that it's Foreshadowing, because Momoko deliberately causes herself to be in need of a band-aid to stop an argument between Nicanor and Imogen, in hopes that this will indirectly both cool off Nicanor's temper and lead Imogen to giving Nicanor the bandages he needs.
- Rapid-Fire Nail Biting: When she's nervous, she either bites her lips, her fingernails, or her wrist.
- Real Women Never Wear Dresses: Averted. The average reader might expect a SHSL "Sukeban" to be a rough and tough tomboy, but Momoko likes to wear dresses and nail polish and her room is decorated mostly in bright pastel colors.
- Spirited Young Lady: Despite her title, Momoko is rather intelligent and has quite a calm disposition. As stated in her backstory, she has a rebellious spark and continuously speaks up for herself. She's rather defensive of other girls and is easily crossed if they are disrespected in her presence.
- The Stoic: Can develop a seemingly calm attitude when things fly off the handle.
- Tender Tears: Sheds these in chapter 5, after the class narrowly doesn't end up voting for Nicanor after all, so Nicanor gets to live.
- Thousand-Yard Stare: The first execution startles Momoko into being unable to move, or look away, or do anything, just standing there in eerie silence.
- What Is This Thing You Call "Love"?: On multiple occasions, Momoko questions love's existence and meaning.
Naoki Arakawa/Naoki Kawano
Super High-School Level Arthropodologist
An eccentric and socially awkward young man with a passion for spiders, scorpions and other arthropods. After entering high school, he began conducting research into preventative anti-venoms for spider bites.
He survives all trials, and chooses to leave Arcadia.
- Abusive Parents: In the middle of exploring the office block with Aqua, he reveals that his father was abusive.
- Affectionate Nickname:
- Refers to Aqua as 'Akkun' once they start dating.
- During chapter 5 he begins referring to Monobear as 'Kuma-kun'.
- Bridal Carry: He attempts to carry Wakana this way during chapter 3. Unfortunately, they both end up falling.
- Call-Back: While investigating the vending machines, he muses that a cruiserweight boxer might be able to use one to crush a potential victim. This is a reference to Katsuo accidentally killing Atsuko in Doubt Black.
- Cigarette of Anxiety: Despite never having smoked before, Naoki is so rattled by the second motive that he bums a cigarette off of Tamaki.
- Cloud Cuckoolander: He's intelligent, but he tends to bring up nonsensical or irrelevant things at times. A specific example occurs during the first trial, where he essentially suggests that Alphonse use his hair as a mop in order to remove the henna obscuring Lee's chest, in order to find out if it was covering a bruise or not. As bizarre as the suggestion was, it worked and revealed that Lee's henna was concealing a bruise.
- Consummate Liar: As the archives reveal, Naoki's strength is his ability to lie. And yes, he made ample use of it over the course of the game.
- Crash-Into Hello: In their first meeting, Naoki and Aqua literally collided on the stairs.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Naoki's the one who comes up with the plan that exposes chapter 1's culprit. He even says "checkmate" after his plan works. Even Gorou thought it was badass; in chapter 2, Gorou insists on Naoki's assistance in exposing this culprit as well.
- Crush Blush: Falls victim to one of these during the third trial. The object of his affections is Aqua.
- Dark Secret: Whatever was written on his chapter 2 motive card appears to be a dark secret of his. Before showing it to Aqua, he claims that Aqua will hate him once he sees it. This ends up not being the case, as the two end up dating shortly thereafter. The card's contents revealed that his last name is actually Kawano, he suffers from a hereditary heart condition, and alludes to a strained relationship between him and his father that ended in his father's death. Triple whammy.
- Did We Just Have Tea with Cthulhu?:
- During the chapter 4 investigation, Naoki ends up sitting down for drinks with Monobear. Strangely enough, he finds nothing wrong with this.
- He subsequently invites Monobear to spend time with him, and when the chapter 5 motive is announced, the two are found seated in the front row of the theater together. During this excursion, he takes to carrying Monobear around like a plush toy.
- Ditzy Genius: Incredibly book smart, but lacks all social skills and street smarts. If it can't be applied academically, it's safe to say he won't be privy to it.
- Evil Laugh: It's more of a creepy chuckle, but Naoki's laughs are mostly written as 'eheheh'.
- First-Name Basis: He refers to Aqua, Riko, Gorou, Ume, and Naori by their first names.
- Fluffy Tamer: He’s one to arthopods, especially spiders.
- Fluffy the Terrible: His spider is eleven inches, but her name is Daisy of all things.
- Friendless Background: Ever since obtaining her, Naoki's only friend has been Daisy. He tends to shy away from social interaction due to being terrible at it.
- Friendship Trinket: After receiving a friendship bracelet from the Monomachine, Naoki gives it to Riko as a symbol of their newly-formed friendship. In return, she gives him boxers. This also doubles as a shout out. The boxers were a reference to Reisuke, a character from Doubt Black.
- Happily Adopted: After the death of his biological father, he was adopted by Takeshi and Reika Arakawa. They treated him well, though whether Naoki was truly happy or not is up for debate.
- Hates Being Touched: Whenever anyone lays a hand on him, he flinches noticeably. Which is understandable, once you're aware of his history.
- Heart Symbol: During the third trial, after Aqua hits Rune in Naoki's defense, they appear in one of his sprites.
- Immune to Flinching: According to his profile, when Naoki gets involved in something, he throws himself into his work. Good luck distracting him.
- Innocently Insensitive:
- Outright asks Wakana how much she weighs, as though it's a question that wouldn't cause someone to take offense. Surprisingly enough, she actually doesn't.
- He sticks a potential murder weapon back into Elijah's neck in order to confirm whether or not it was responsible for the wound. He remains completely oblivious to the fact that doing so could be insensitive to the victim and his friends.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: A "friendship" variation in this case, but after Naoki discovers who the chapter 2 murder victim is, Naoki unhappily muses that if he could go back in time to Monobear announcing the "darkest secret" motive, Naoki would have traveled back to that moment and announced his secret to the entire world if it only meant that Riko could live.
- Laughing Mad: During Usoko's execution, Naoki has a moment of this the moment he sees her blood.
- Luminescent Blush: Naoki displays one of these after Riko sees him coming out of the office block bathroom with Aqua and asks if the two were "doing things". Given the context, it's possible that this doubles as a Crush Blush.
- Making Love in All the Wrong Places: He and Aqua have a habit of fooling around in the office block of Tartarus.
- Meaningful Rename: After leaving Arcadia, he takes Gorou's surname, making them true brothers. It's even better because Naoki's haircut reveals they have similar facial features.
- The Movie Buff: Compares situations to films on several instances. The first is when they first wake up, and he mentions that it seems just like every horror movie. The second is during the first trial, where he compares everyone targeting Lee without giving her an opportunity to defend herself to Frankenstein. Of course, the Frankenstein reference is a bit less apt when it turns out Lee really was the murderer.
- The Nicknamer: Once Naoki figures out who the culprit of chapter 1 is, Naoki can't resist making another arthropod pun, and refers to the culprit as "Black Widow", since the culprit is female.
- Nightmare Fetishist: His favorite holiday is Halloween, he owns a multitude of creatures that would make any ordinary person's skin crawl, and he went out of his way to stroke Daisuke's corpse's hair.
- Official Couple: Becomes this with Aqua.
- Opportunistic Bastard: The vast majority of his actions over the course of the game were done to further his own, and subsequently Aqua's, survival. Because of the unpredictable nature of the game, Naoki was forced to alter his plans several times, but he never stopped focusing on the end goal of getting out with Aqua.
- Pale Females, Dark Males: His color scheme consists of mostly black. Fittingly enough, Riko, a pale female, is his best friend.
- Parrot Pet Position: Carries his pet Goliath Birdeater around on his shoulder. And sometimes his head.
- Power of Trust: After Gorou shows him his motive card during the chapter 2 investigation, Naoki does the same. According to his relationships page, this solidifies Gorou as the person he can trust most, after Aqua.
- Precision F-Strike:
- His reaction to discovering that the chapter 2 murder victim is Riko:"It’s not fair. It’s not fucking fair."
- It happens again during the ninth trial, after Imogen threatens to break Aqua's arms, causing Naoki to respond by telling her not to "fucking touch him".
- His reaction to discovering that the chapter 2 murder victim is Riko:
- The Promise: Despite being in a game of mutual killing, he goes so far as to promise he will not kill anyone. True to his word, he refrains from killing anyone.
- Pungeon Master: While his sense of humor is sorely lacking, almost to the point of being nonexistent, he does delight in making bug puns every chance he gets. As he gains more confidence in himself, Naoki slowly begins to use them less and less, until they disappear from his vocabulary almost entirely around the time he starts dating Aqua.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gives one of these to Rune during the third trial, denouncing him as "irrelevant".
- Saw "Star Wars" Twenty-Seven Times: He played Fallout ten times, and he picked the entomologist perk each time.
- Self-Deprecation: During several of his internal monologues, he marvels at his own social awkwardness, thinking about how it's no wonder that his only friend is a tarantula.
- Self-Made Orphan: Subverted. He thinks he murdered his father, but his death was actually due to a bizarre coincidence. Unfortunately for Naoki, no one told him that he wasn't responsible, and has spent the past ten years thinking of himself as a killer.
- Shout-Out:
- At one point, Naoki wins a lolita dress from the capsule machine that belonged to Himeji from Doubt Academy White.
- A subsequent visit earns him a Monobear T-Shirt that Kazuya from Doubt Academy White wore.
- Speech Impediment: When separated from Daisy, Naoki begins to stumble over his words, interjecting plenty of 'er's and 'um's, among others. However, when the two are together, he speaks with clarity.
- The Stoic:
- His reaction to Monobear announcing his game of mutual killing and to Eikichi's death is only to wonder, with no emotion on his face, whether the game makes other rules work differently, too; could people crawl on the ceiling like Spiderman?
- He also has no reaction to the first execution, since he wasn't close to the murderer and thus is not disgusted at the manner by which the murderer was executed. Really, his reactions to all of the deaths, apart from Riko's and Fuyuuko's, have been surprisingly underwhelming.
- They Call Me MISTER Tibbs!: Outright refuses to refer to the other characters by their given names, despite being instructed by several to do so. In a conversation with Imogen, he states that he was instructed to always use -san when addressing anyone. After forming deeper bonds, he later makes four exceptions: first Aqua, then Riko, then Gorou, and finally, Ume.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Taiyaki, ebiyaki, and honey. Particularly the last one.
- Tragic Keepsake: Naoki receives a pair of boxers from Riko. Unfortunately, she's the very next victim. In a cruel twist of fate, he's even wearing them when he discovers her body.
- Trauma Button: After Fuyuuko is voted as the culprit for chapter 3, she delivers a speech that sends Naoki into a panic attack. The reasoning is unknown.
- Trying Not to Cry: After Riko's death, Naoki feels a tightness in his throat but forces himself not to cry.
- Unknown Rival: Unbeknownst to Naoki, Rune views him as a threat. Rune feels a sense of jealousy towards Naoki after Gorou relies more heavily upon Naoki than Rune during the chapter 2 trial.
Nicanor Smith
Super High-School Level Luthier
Adopted and raised by a temperamental cellist called Gallio, Nicanor discovered he had a knack for mending instruments due to Gallio constantly breaking his cellos in a fit of temper, and subsequently trained himself in the art of lutherie (making and mending stringed instruments). Hope's Peak Academy commissioned Nicanor to construct several instruments for them, and eventually he enrolled there himself.
He is the victim in chapter 8, decapitated by Tamaki.
- Anime Accent Absence: His Japanese is practically flawless, although his eloquence drops somewhat when he's extremely tired or embarrassed.
- An Arm and a Leg: Whoever killed Nicanor removed his right arm along with his head, positioning it at the bottom of the hospital stairwell and making it point in the direction of the rest of the body.
- Bilingual Bonus: After watching the first execution, Nicanor says “Nie...Wir können...dies nie wieder tun..." which means "Never...we can...never do this again..."
- Curtains Match the Window: Brown hair, brown eyes.
- Damn You, Muscle Memory!: Inverted, in Nicanor's case one of his skills is more like "thank you" Muscle Memory, because his muscle memory allows him to construct instruments efficiently without having to write down how. His abilities may be attributed to Germanic Efficiency, which he demonstrated while preparing soup for Momoko during chapter 2. While cooking, it is noted that his movements possessed a "machine-like quality."
- Dead Guy on Display: The first glimpse the class gets of Nicanor's corpse is his head, which the murderer hung right above the hospital entrance.
- Declaration of Protection: To Momoko. Coupled with Devoted to You after he claims, "As long as I'm still breathing, I will never abandon you."
- Driven by Envy: During the chapter 2 trial, Nicanor yells at Usoko after she claims that none of them matter. Nicanor's entire speech was born out of jealousy that Akira was willing to take the fall for her, that she still mattered to people even if they weren't in Tartarus, and that she was important just by the fact that she was a criminal psychologist.
- Everyone Has Standards: On Nicanor's "Relationships" page on his personal blog, he says that, as pretentious as he is, Tamaki is worse. He feels there's no need for Tamaki to dig the knife in further after they've made their point.
- Flipping the Bird: He gives this gesture to an unknowing Aqua during a conversation the two have, although Aqua isn't able to grasp its meaning because Nicanor was talking pleasantly with him at the time.
- Foreign Cuss Word: "Verdammt" and "arschgeige," just to name a couple.
- Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!: He says this to himself, because he briefly had a freak-out over the possibility that his mentor Gallio wouldn't be able to make money without him. But then he remembers Gallio's advice that whenever he's depressed, he should stop "moping" (in Gallio's words) and do something, so Nicanor then resolves to at least try to find a way out of this place, since there's an "old fool" waiting for him.
- Italians Talk with Hands: Nicanor demonstrated an Italian hand gesture to Hikaru while shouting, "CHE CAZZO VOY?!"
- Just a Stupid Accent: During the chapter 4 trial, Nicanor suggests that the culprit was one of the people who could speak or read English and then proceeds to demonstrate his poor English-speaking skills ("his inflection fairly good as opposed to his terrible accent"), also revealing that he Never Learned to Read, at least not in English.
- Mr. Fixit: His SHSL talent, although a very specialized version; a "luthier" is someone who repairs or makes lutes or other stringed instruments.
- Meaningful Name: Nicanor's death heavily referenced 2 Maccabees, wherein Nicanor (the Greek army commander) got his head and arm chopped off after being defeated in battle. In his body reveal post, there is also a nod towards the Nicanor in Acts, one of the Seven Deacons, who was supposedly martyred.
- Official Couple: Becomes this with Momoko.
- Old-School Chivalry: In this post, before he approaches Riko's corpse, it is noted that Nicanor pays close attention to his manners around females, treating them as politely as he can "out of both respect for them as individuals and fear that he would come off as a complete coxcomb."
- Omniglot: Knows German, Italian, French, Spanish, Japanese, and English (although English is still fairly new to him).
- Pointless Bandaid: Nicanor's corpse has a band-aid stuck to its cheek, however there was nothing underneath.
- Poor Communication Kills: He's almost voted guilty during the chapter 5 trial when he misquotes the phrase above Akira's corpse ("Cast in the name of God. Ye not Guilty" not "Cast in the image of God. Ye not Guilty") and was found to be suspicious by Gorou (because the culprit slightly misused the phrase the culprit wrote near Akira's corpse, causing Gorou to think the culprit had a poor grasp of English, which Nicanor has just demonstrated). Fortunately for Nicanor, he wasn't killed for his mistake, although he wasn't entirely able to convince everyone that he had a simple misunderstanding either.
- Precision F-Strike:
- Nicanor's reaction to Eikichi's death is "Holy fucking shit...!"
- And his reaction to Riko's death is an angry speech directed at whoever fucking did this.
- Rags to Riches: Described in those very words, in fact. In his backstory, an eccentric philanthropist and famous travelling cellist by the name of Gallio took him from his crumbling home and whisked him away into a life of luxury. Since Gallio was very irresponsible and would frequently damage his instruments in a fit of rage, it was usually up to Nicanor to fix them, and also to learn how to make them. Then Nicanor's big break came when he was commissioned to make several instruments for Hope's Peak Academy, which is also how he was accepted as a SHSL Luthier.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech:
- Upon discovering that Riko has been murdered in chapter 2, Nicanor shouts at "Whichever one of you thrice-damned sons of a bitch did this" that they're lower than dirt, and that they'll take responsibility for their actions once the class figures out who they are, and trust Nicanor, they will figure it out. Interestingly, the true culprit isn't one of the "thrice-damned sons of a bitch", because the culprit is female.
- He gives another one upon discovering that Elijah has been murdered in chapter 3, since in Nicanor's opinion, there was no need to kill for the motive when they can discover their families' welfare just as easily by escaping.
- The Stoic: One of his skills is how to conceal his emotions if need be, since Gallio would often cause Nicanor to lose customers due to Gallio's own loose tongue, but Nicanor wasn't in a position to criticize Gallio for doing so since Nicanor was also depending on Gallio for work, so Nicanor learned how to be a stoic from holding his tongue in the presence of his betters.
- Sustained Misunderstanding: Between him and Imogen during the prologue, when he calls her "frau" multiple times, believing that he's actually being polite by addressing her as "miss," although Imogen doesn't think that that's what he's saying at all. He fails to explain the word to her as their conversation continues, even though he knows that their argument started with a misinterpretation.
- Trash of the Titans: In his room, littered everywhere are chisels and other lutherie paraphernalia that you're sure he'd be very incensed to find damaged after your quick look-around.
- Trying Not to Cry: After Fuyuuko's execution, Nicanor hugs Momoko and forces back tears so that he doesn't upset her even more.
Riko Mieko
Super High-School Level Do-It-Yourself
An expert in cookery, crafting and various other domestic arts, who shared her skills over social media and became famous as a result.
She is the victim in chapter 2, stabbed to death by Usoko.
- Blush Sticker: Her cheeks are red by default; the cheeks only stop being red when Riko isn't displaying a happy expression.
- Clothing Switch: Through a comedy of errors, Riko is wearing Gorou's vest and doesn't have time to change before chapter 1's trial starts.
- The Cutie: She’s pretty, caring and sweet.
- Determinator: Is determined not to let her sad emotions show after the class discovers Daisuke's dead body, because if Riko was judged to be "weak", she might be next. Unfortunately, she still is next; she's murdered in chapter 2.
- Died in Your Arms Tonight: Specifically, in Gorou's arms.
- Friendship Trinket:
- After receiving a friendship bracelet from the Monomachine, Naoki gives it to Riko as a symbol of their newly-formed friendship. In return, she gives him boxers.
- She also ties one of her ribbons around Aqua's wrist to symbolize their friendship.
- Genki Girl: One of her skills is to be able to work for long hours with a great deal of concentration and plenty of enthusiasm.
- Girly Girl: Takes pride in her hair, which she usually brushes in the mornings. Also, in general she is designed to have a very feminine appearance, complete with bright pastel colors and literally wearing a heart on her chest.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Her weakness listed in the archive is her envious nature. In particular, she's jealous of other SHSL students, who unlike her can go on to master a specific skill, while she's trapped as a Master of None.
- The Heart: This is her personality, as she’s very friendly and kind, and bonus points because she literally wears a heart on her chest. In a macabre twist, she's found literally stabbed through said heart with a knife.
- Kill the Cutie: As sweet as she was, she ends up becoming the second murder victim.
- Master of None: Her title is a double-edged sword; by definition, Riko is supposed to have knowledge in every field, and she does. However, she doesn't have profound talent in any single place, unlike her classmates who are restrained to certain fields but have elite potential in them.
- Noisy Nature: Riko used to love listening to the birdies chirping, so she liked this trope.
- No-Sell: Riko reacts to Monobear's chapter 2 motive, threatening to reveal everyone's darkest secrets, with a stern and confident smile. Unfortunately someone kills her instead.
- Ordinary High-School Student: Her SHSL talent of "Do-It-Yourself" drives home that any ordinary high school student, such as herself, can be talented at do-it-yourself projects; hence the name, "do it yourself".
- Personal Raincloud: If Riko is feeling embarrassed of herself, her sprite shows steam coming out of her head.
- Pink Means Feminine: She's wearing a light blue vest sweater with pink stripes and she’s pretty girly.
- The Power of Trust: In chapter 2, Riko subverts this in order to be nice. Specifically, she thinks that blindly trusting each other is an attempt not to understand each other, because that's just apathy. Through doubting each other, we come to understand each other's feelings. Maybe if the class hadn't blindly trusted each other, they could have understood Lee's feelings and stopped her sooner. So, Riko has decided to "understand" her classmates by not trusting everyone this time. But this strategy doesn't work; she's the one who gets murdered.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Strawberry Milk.
- True Blue Femininity: She's wearing a light blue vest sweater with pink stripes and she’s pretty girly.
- Wakeup Makeup: As part of her morning routine, she brushes her blonde locks.
Rune Andersen
Super High-School Level Ocarina Player
A musician who carries his ocarina everywhere, despite music teachers trying to encourage him to take up a more conventional instrument. He became famous over the internet after his sister uploaded recordings of him playing.
He survives all trials, and chooses to stay behind in Arcadia.
- Dark Secret: It's not clear that this was written on his chapter 2 motive card, but Rune has another reason for covering his eyes with his hair: for some reason, his eyes made his classmates keep beating on him when he was a child because they thought his eyes were those of a monster. This is because he has purple eyes with no irises.
- Flower Motifs: The pink designs on his purple shirt are flowers.
- Impractical Musical Instrument Skills: His profile describes him as a child constantly playing his ocarina wherever he went, having an abnormally close attachment to the instrument.
- It's All My Fault: Feels this way about Alphonse's death in chapter 4, since Rune knew full well that Alphonse was struggling to keep his head up above despair, but Rune didn't offer to help him. Rune feels that if he had made such an offer, he could have protected the knight.
- No-Sell: Thinks chapter 3's "motive" is unimpressive, since there is no way in hell Rune's parents, which spoiled him rotten, or his sister, who stood up for him against bullies, would ever forget about him.
- Photographic Memory: One of his skills is to remember sounds very well and reliably.
- Real Men Wear Pink: Rune has a feminine hairstyle, is dressed completely in purple, has an "artistic" SHSL talent (that of playing the ocarina), and his "voice claim" on his profile is an English fandub of a cute Nicovideo song involving cute sheep.
- Super-Senses: Has eyesight problems, so he relies a lot on his ears, and can't stand people shouting.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Hard candy.
Shinji Shiomiya
Super High-School Level Librarian
A relative unknown who holds the world record for most books sorted alphabetically in under an hour.
He is one of two victims in chapter 5, eviscerated by Akira.
- Bookworm: Is this, due to being a librarian.
- Canon Foreigner: Shinji was originally submitted to the Alpha roster, but the Powers That Be decided to have Shinji and Dante switch games, so now Shinji is part of the Omega roster, and thus on this character page.
- I Need a Freaking Drink: Shinji's reaction to the chapter 2 execution is to go to the bar and take a swig from a bottle.
- Mysterious Past: Not a lot is known about him - in fact, Shinji was pretty much a nobody until he got accepted into Hope's Peak as a Super High-School Level Librarian.
- Neat Freak: Doesn't own any pets because he doesn't want any dirty animals around his books, one of his biggest pet peeves is people putting things back in the wrong place, and doesn't want to get books dirty so he only picks one up when he's certain his hands are clean.
- No Sympathy: Shinji didn't seem to care very much about Eikichi's death, due to him being someone he didn’t actually give a fuck about.
- Photographic Memory: One of his skills is to be able to process and memorize large amounts of information in a limited amount of time.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Shinji's reaction to the chapter 2 "darkest secret" motive is to immediately leave the area, go back to his room, and fall asleep as soon as he hits the bed.
- Stealth Expert: Despite what one might assume about someone his size, Shinji’s movements are, in reality, quiet and near-imperceptible. Stealth comes as somewhat of a second nature to him.
- Stress Vomit: One of the first things he does after Lee's execution is throw up.
- The Quiet One: Doesn’t talk a lot.
- This Is Reality: When Monobear announces his mutual killing game, Shinji is at first disgusted; after all, while he's read many stories that added a plot twist near the end, Shinji thinks it's just shitty writing that a story would change course entirely after the first chapter or even the opening credits. But as Shinji suddenly realizes, this isn't a book. This is reality.
- Torso with a View: Shinji is one of two murder victims in chapter 5, and Shinji has his wrists pinned to a table by knives and his stomach cut open so everyone can see his insides.
- Workaholic: Clearly an understatement. Shinji is so dedicated to his job as a librarian that he set a world record because of it.
Tamaki Manabe
Super High-School Level Literary Critic
Tamaki Manabe possesses a passion for literature of all types and a love of picking apart everything they read, traits that have served them very well as a literary critic. Their book reviews and critical commentary appear regularly in some of the most widely-read publications in Japan, and their word is respected enough to noticeably affect the sales figures of the works they have reviewed.
They are the culprit of chapter 8, and are executed for the murder of Nicanor.
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: During the third trial, they yell at the culprit for taking the victim's life, causing distress to the deceased's friends, and worst of all, making them get up at 2:40 in the morning.
- Ascended Fanboy: Tamaki has always been a big fan of all types of literature and loves to pick apart everything they've read, and they were able to parlay their hobbies into a job as a literary critic whose words appear regularly in widely-read publications in Japan and are taken seriously enough to affect the sales figures of books.
- At Least I Admit It: Tamaki takes this stance to their increasingly vocal misanthropy, cynicism, and general willingness to go along with the mutual killing game, claiming that their mindset is disgusting, but at least they own up to this, while everyone else hides behind false pretenses of morality and compassion.
- Bookworm: They’re a voracious reader, as one might expect from their talent. Their dorm room is shown to be positively crammed with books.
- Call-Back: When Koyomi ends up getting a machete from the Capsule Machine, Tamaki asks him to hand it over, musing that they couldn't handle something so heavy properly and wondering "What were they going to do - knock on someone's door and politely ask them to hold still so they could slash their throat with the thing?". Kei from Black did the same thing to Takeo: both of them are played by the same person.
- Charm Person: One of Tamaki's skills is their "golden pen", or their ability to entertain and persuade readers of their opinions.
- Cigarette of Anxiety: Has a noticeable fondness for menthol cigarettes and a tendency to reach for them when stressed out. This actually screws them over during chapter eight when singe marks are found on Nicanor's shirt, proving that the culprit most likely carried a lighter and therefore had a smoking habit.
- Clear My Name: They have to do this in the sixth trial after Koharu tries to frame them by writing the first two letters of their name in Koyomi's blood. Koharu didn't pick Tamaki for any specific reason; she just chose them at random. Tamaki is, understandably, furious with Koharu and tells her they hope her execution makes torture instruments look like a kids' playground.
- Disappeared Dad: Tamaki's father left their biological mother when they were about two years old. They know nothing about him and find it easier to pretend he simply doesn't exist.
- Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Tamaki definitely isn't the kindest person out there, but they are very close to their mothers, always speak highly of them, and worry about how they're faring while they're locked away in Tartarus, enough to seriously contemplate acting on week 3's motive - a "party" with the successful murderer's loved ones and later act on week 8's motive - a chance for whoever gets away with it to call the person of their choice. This aspect of Tamaki's life is used against them in their execution.
- First-Name Basis: While Tamaki generally uses last names with everyone, they eventually begin referring to Minako and later, Imogen by their first names.
- Foreign Cuss Word: Occasionally resorts to French profanity when particularly frustrated.
- Hiding Behind Your Bangs: Sports these, highlighting their generally shady personality.
- Incriminating Indifference: A variation - Tamaki is incriminated not by their indifference towards Nicanor's death, since they had been apathetic at best towards most of the game's victims, but by their general lack of interest in finding his killer, since they had been utterly bent on doing so for the previous cases, even if it was only for the sake of protecting themselves.
- Insufferable Genius: Tamaki lacks humility and has a talent for alienating people with their blunt and prickly personality, but their status in the world is genuinely well-deserved, given their intellectual skill and outstanding talent for analysis.
- It Was a Gift: They received their skeleton key necklace as a tenth birthday gift from their mothers, and it has almost never left their neck since. That is, until they give it to Imogen moments before their execution.
- Kind Hearted Cat Lover: Has a genuine soft spot for cats and personally adopted the four at their household. They're also significantly kinder and gentler when interacting with cats than they are when interacting with most humans.
- Not a Morning Person: This, combined with a prior lack of sleep, severely hinders their performance in the chapter 3 investigation and trial, the latter of which they intermittently catnap through. They later try to use this trait to excuse their uncharacteristic apathy during the chapter 8 investigation and trial. Unfortunately for them, people see right through it.
- Official Couple: Becomes this with Imogen in chapter 8.
- Off with His Head!: During their execution, immediately preceded by a particularly brutal Neck Snap.
- Omniglot: Can speak, read, and write Japanese, English, and French with perfect fluency.
- Only Sane Man: Sometimes feels this way, especially at the end of chapter 1's trial, where Tamaki is exasperated that everyone is hugging and crying over "the poor murderer".
- Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: Loses their affected Tokyo accent, revealing their thick Osaka drawl, when angry or otherwise agitated.
- Pet the Dog: Treats Minako with noticeable kindness on several occasions, although they usually justify these actions in their mind as anything but purely benevolent. They also are one of the two people who rush to meet, and then comfort, her after she dies.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: They have red eyes and are the culprit in Chapter 8, having committed one of the game's more gruesome murders.
- Sherlock Scan: One of their skills is being a canny analyst of everything they read and being able to effectively apply their skill for critical analysis to other situations.
- Shout-Out:
- Tamaki, while using the Monomachine, manages to win the same black blazer that Shinya Kagari was wearing in Doubt Academy White.
- Later, they win a bag of sweets from Hisoka Sato from Doubt Academy 1, and sparklers from Aoi Bakuhatsu from Doubt Academy Black.
- On a non Monomachine-related note, their execution is a direct shout-out to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
- Sour Outside, Sad Inside: Although Tamaki is a generally disagreeable person, their inner monologue reveals that they really do want the company and approval of others but are both unwilling to completely admit this to themselves and terrified of being hurt, especially in their current environment.
- Spanner in the Works: Ends up voting for Akira in a fit of pique during the chapter 5 trial, leading the class to tie twice over and causing no one to be executed as a result.
- Sweet Tooth: Adores sugary foods, frequently carries candy on their person (and stockpiles even more in their dorm room), and claims to be quite skilled at making sweet baked goods.
- Together in Death: Subverted; although they and Imogen both died, they were cloned during endgame.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Takoyaki when it comes to non-sweet foods, saltwater taffy when it comes to candy.
Ume Mori
Super High-School Level Record Producer
An electronic musician, DJ and producer who began making her own music due to being too young to get into clubs, and has headlined gigs all over Japan.
She and Alphonse make a suicide pact in chapter 4; however, she survives, as Alphonse switches the poison she was going to drink for water. Unfortunately for Ume, she is sentenced to death for the murder of Alphonse and executed.
- Alcoholic Parent: Drinks heavily after Asuka's execution, but upon finding Elijah dead realizes that she is acting far too much like her father, and realizes that if she keeps doing it, she'll end up like him, an outcome she wants to avoid. She stops drinking after chapter 3's murder. However, it's later revealed that Ume's father wasn't really an alcoholic, that's just what Ume has been told her whole life.
- Chick Magnet: According to Ume herself as she's telling off Aqua, the chicks and the dudes are all over her.
- Cool Shades: Not always wearing them, but she has a pair of blue sunglasses.
- Cluster F-Bomb: When Monobear reveals the chapter 2 motive cards, revealing everyone's darkest secrts, Ume Mori asks who the fuck gave Monobear the right to say shit like this, and then:"Mine ain’t even a fucking secret. This isn’t even a fucking secret! It... This is fucked, this is just fucked. Fucked up. Who says shit like this? I can’t fucking - I can’t."
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Ume's the chapter 4 culprit. She's dropped into a virtual world that actually looks virtual, as opposed to Tartarus. She's given a laser gun, which is fortunate for her, because thousands of Monobears show up with guns of their own. Ume manages to fight them off, since she finds cover to hide behind, but soon both the Monobears and cover disappear as a giant cannon appears before Ume, firing a humongous laser beam that finally kills her by blasting a hole through her chest.
- Foil: To Usoko. Usoko grew up in the rough life of the streets, and it made her give up and hate the world. Ume grew up in the rough life of the streets, and it made her make her happiness by carving it out. Ume gives Usoko a speech saying as much before Usoko is executed.
- Heroic BSoD: Temporarily. When chapter 3's murder victim turns out to be her boyfriend Elijah, Ume goes into a stupor, and even starts screaming after she enters Elijah's room. She eventually snaps herself out of it and resumes her confident self at the beginning of the third trial, even coming up with a murder suspect.
- Humans Are Diplomats: One of her skills is her ability to resolve disputes and fights as a third party.
- I Need a Freaking Drink: Her reaction to chapter 2's execution. She decides to sober up for good after chapter 3's murder.
- I Never Said It Was Poison: Double subverted. Ume brings up the fact that Alphonse ate a cupcake before being poisoned, despite the fact that all the class knows is that he ate something with chocolate. As Naoki points out, how did Ume know it was a cupcake despite everyone supposedly only finding chocolate crumbs? But it's subverted when this becomes irrelevant, as Imogen confesses to the murder. Then double subverted when Koyomi confesses too, and then the class proves it was Ume, so the point about the cupcake exposes Ume as chapter 4's culprit after all.
- Never Trust A Trope: Comes to the conclusion that you can never trust anyone after Elijah is murdered.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Minor example, but in chapter 2, Ume tries to override Monomi (who has just locked up the alcohol) by asking Monobear to unlock the alcohol. But Monobear interprets this as Ume trying to give the headmaster orders, so Monobear orders the alcohol to be locked up for good, and tells everyone that if they want to know why the rum is gone, they can blame Ume.
- The Not Secret: Subverted. Ume tells the class that whatever's written on the chapter 2 "darkest secret motive" isn't even a secret, but apparently her secret is greater than she lets on, because Ume then stuffs her card down her top so nobody would ever see it.
- Official Couple: Becomes this with Elijah.
- Photographic Memory: Information given to her will always stay in her mind.
- Please Put Some Clothes On: To Wakana in chapter 1's trial when Wakana volunteers to strip completely, rather than just to her sarashi. It's noted in the post that Ume actually wouldn't necessarily object to seeing Wakana's naked body, it's just that Ume would feel guilty doing so since Wakana only made that offer because of her alien mindset and Ume would have felt like she was taking advantage of her.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: After Daisuke is discovered to have been murdered, Ume gives the unknown culprit, whoever they are, a scathing speech about what an idiot the murderer was for falling for such a stupid motive.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: When Fuyuuko is identified as the one who killed Elijah, Ume reveals a knife she had hidden and attempts to kill her. Luckily, Alphonse manages to react quick enough to catch up to her and pin her to the ground.
- Self-Made Woman: Born to poor parents (a mother working multiple jobs and a father who left when she was a baby), grew up fending for herself, not allowed into electronic music clubs due to her young age, she decided to start making music instead, and now she headlines concerts all over Japan and produces music for popular artists all over the world under the stage name of MØRI.
- She's Back: After getting herself really depressed in chapter 3 after Elijah is murdered, Ume recovers and decides to herself, no more mopey Ume, and resumes being confident at the beginning of chapter 3's trial, even naming a murder suspect.
- Suicide Pact: Enters into one of these in chapter 4 with Alphonse, but Alphonse changes his mind and changes the plan to just poisoning Alphonse, making Ume chapter 4's murderer, though Alphonse unsuccessfully tries to protect Ume post-mortem.
- Sympathetic Murderer: Ume turns out to be chapter 4's culprit because Alphonse asked her to kill him, to thwart Monobear's motive so Monobear wouldn't pull the plug and cause the students to disappear. And Alphonse was supposed to kill Ume too in a suicide pact, but Alphonse changed his mind and just let Ume kill him instead.
- Tender Tears: She sheds this in reaction to finding out chapter 2's culprit is Usoko, who Ume actually knows a lot about.
- Together in Death: Subverted; although both she and Elijah died and were a couple, they were cloned during endgame.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: She kills Alphonse in chapter 4, by poisoning him under Alphonse's advice, to protect the rest of the students from vanishing under Monobear's motive. In fact, the original plan was for Alphonse to kill Ume at the same time for a suicide pact, but Alphonse changed his mind.
Usoko Tsuki/Asuka Tsukamoto
Super High-School Level Criminal Psychologist
An enigmatic psychologist who has aided the police in tracking down potential suspects, and relies on her own intuition, rather than training.
She is the second culprit; she confesses to killing Riko in chapter 2 and is executed.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: For chapter 2's execution, Usoko has to run from police cars filled with Monobears holding machine guns, running through a mock city of Roppongi where she grew up. She thinks she knows the city like the back of her hand, but she turns into the wrong alley and reaches a dead end, which is a glass wall that also allows her and the entire courtroom to see each other. She pounds on the glass wall, begging to be let out, but she stops when a hologram of her brother, Seiichi, appears and asks her what happened to her. The hologram then disappears when the Monobears show up and all open fire with their machine guns at once, their bullets turning Usoko into a mangled, gory mess except for the head, which is still staring at the courtroom.
- Dark Secret: Chapter 2's motive was a threat to reveal everyone's version of this trope, and it's Usoko who then kills someone to protect her secret. The full extent of her secret is unknown, but it includes the fact that Usoko Tsuki isn't her real name.
- Deadpan Snarker: Is said to have a sarcastic attitude.
- I'm a Humanitarian: Usoko eats some of the food that Akira prepares on their date. The main ingredient of this dinner? Nicanor's dismembered arm.
- Living Lie Detector: One of her skills is the ability to detect when people are lying, and in a variant this has also made her very good at lying herself.
- Meaningful Name: Her name, "Usoko Tsuki", is a pun on "Usotsuki", the Japanese word for "liar". But this only becomes important at the end of chapter 2's trial, when we learn that it's not her real name.
- Precision F-Strike: In the chapter 1 trial, Usoko angrily asks whoever the fuck took whatever was in the garbage disposal to please reveal the evidence, because if Usoko ever finds out someone hid evidence from someone who works with the police during an investigation and the class ends up executing an innocent person because of them... which doesn't happen, because in chapter 1, they catch the right person as the culprit.
- The Profiler: It's not her SHSL talent, that's Criminal Psychologist, but her profiling skills have helped the police catch criminals before the criminals even know the police are on their tail.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Just before her execution, Usoko tries to bolt and pry open the elevator's doors so she can leave the courtroom, but they won't open, and a chain drags her to her execution anyway. In fact, she tries to run during her execution, too, which is titled "Run Like Hell", but she reaches a dead end.
- Secret Identity: Usoko isn't her real name. Her real name is "Asuka Tsukamoto".
- Straw Nihilist: In chapter 2's trial, Usoko rants that the world, and everyone in it, is rotten, that no one is special, and that trying to do anything is pointless.
- Together in Death: Subverted; although both she and Akira died, they were cloned during endgame. Therefore, no longer dead.
Wakana Fujiwara
Super High-School Level Onmyouji
A traditional exorcist (onmyouji) and mystic who claims to be skilled in the arts of divination and purification. Wakana has made several appearances on television to discuss the art of onmyou, hoping to kickstart a revival.
She is revealed to be Omega's Mastermind and is executed after chapter 10.
- All of the Other Reindeer: She was bullied as a child for being the class 'weird kid'.
- Asian Rune Chant: Does the complete "Rin Pyo To Sha Kai Jin Retsu Zai Zen" chant to guard everyone from evil after Eikichi's death.
- Blush Sticker: Wakana's sprites have "blush" on her cheeks as her normal state.
- Bridal Carry: Naoki picks her up bridal style in chapter 3, but they both end up falling a short time later.
- Charm Person: One of her skills is to have such spiritual fervor that she can convince everyone around her that divinations and exorcisms are real.
- Childhood Friend: With Aqua, unbeknownst to either of them. Unlike him, she had absolutely no idea that they had met prior... but was willing to accept his explanation of having been married in a past life as to why he remembered her.
- Cloud Cuckoolander: Though some of her habits seem to be explained by her belief in the spiritual, it doesn't make her any less spacey. She became convinced that Chapter 5's murder was committed by an Oni, was easily convinced that Aqua recalled meeting her in a past life, continues to call Gorou '-chan' because of their first meeting, and attempted to protect her classmates by giving them ofuda.
- Due to the Dead: Upon discovering Daisuke's body, Wakana whispers "memorized prayers, blessings for Daisuke’s spirit and pleas for him to find peace in the next world."
- Emotionless Girl: Her expression and demeanor never seem to change, even when coming across a body or watching an execution.
- Fish out of Temporal Water: Her goal is to avert this; she's fed up with the idea that onmyouji have been relegated to history and stories, and since she claims to have learned from a descendant of Abe no Seimei himself, she frequently goes on TV to discuss her craft so she can persuade everyone else about the value of her field.
- Girls Love Stuffed Animals: Wakana has a stuffed penguin plush in her room.
- Hime Cut: Wakana's hair is arranged in this style (long length, even bangs and sidelocks), befitting an Onmyouji.
- Nice Girl: She holds no ill will to anyone, cooperates in murder trials even if being asked to strip for example, and she even tells Usoko in chapter 2 that she hopes Usoko will find peace in the next life, even though Usoko's murder plan almost threw Wakana under the bus.
- The Nicknamer: Wakana refers to Rune as "Tarou Tanaka" and to Ume as "Purple Oni-kun", because that's what they look like to her. She also called Minako "Hanako Chibito", continuing the theme.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Chapter 3's motive rattles her enough that she actually drops her fan, in addition to turning blue with shock. The post itself notes that this is unusually careless of the stoic and calm woman.
- Pink Means Feminine: Part of her robe is a sort of peachy-pink colour, and she acts quite girly, though not overly so.
- Polyamory: Word of God has confirmed Wakana to be polyamorous.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: Her eyes are red, but she hasn't killed anyone. She is, however, the Mastermind.
- Shout-Out: Wakana owns a shirt depicting Sailor Moon's silhouette against the moon and even wears it to chapter 3's trial.
- The Stoic: Unlike her classmates, Wakana (because of her training, as well as her fan) is not overwhelmed by emotion after the first execution. She also remains calm when defending herself against a murder accusation in chapter 2's trial.
- True Blue Femininity: The collar and skirt of her outfit are dark blue, and she shows many feminine traits.
The Mastermind
The Mastermind
The traitor behind the Game of Mutual Killing: Wakana Fujiwara. Abandoned by her parents and left to fend for herself on the streets, she joined Doctrina Artifice, but she grew disillusioned with their ideals and became a part of the Collective. After the ending of Doubt Academy 2, she worked with Yuuto to take down both groups, attempting to destroy the sin in the world and lead it to a pure rebirth.- Beware the Quiet Ones: Honestly, who would have guessed that someone this calm and collected was the Mastermind?
- Cruel and Unusual Death: She's betrayed by her accomplice, who summons multiple Monodemons to attack her and the survivors. Wakana is forced into running around the room, setting up charms to protect everyone (some of these charms require her to bite on her thumb until it bleeds and then smear the blood on them). Eventually one of the demons catches her and claws at her repeatedly, before devouring her whole.
- Despair Event Horizon: It was the sight of Minako's dead body that pushed Wakana over the edge; the reason Wakana turned and left the scene was because she would confess to being Mastermind if she was there a moment longer.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Wakana quickly realized that many murderers were terrified teens making horrible mistakes, but the big realization comes when it turns out the dead students didn't get to move on and become martyrs for her cause, but instead have been trapped in Arcadia/Gaia/Tartarus in a ghostlike state and have continued to suffer greatly.
- New Transfer Student: It's suggested through documents and her speech that Wakana was not enrolled into Hope's Peak Academy through normal means, but instead was transferred in by Yasuda so that she could help the Collective; an e-mail from Yasuda outright says that the 91st class got a new transfer student.
- Not So Stoic: After being identified, Wakana has trouble keeping her emotions in check as she confirms the suspicions and says her farewells to her dearest friends. By the time she's wrapping up her final speech, she's completely in tears, saying that she hopes she can be reborn into a world where a "monster" like her can know love and happiness.
- Parental Abandonment: Wakana's parents didn't love her because she never seemed to show any emotion or return their affections even as an infant. When they divorced, neither of them wanted to take custody of her, leaving her to fend for herself all alone.
- Pink Girl, Blue Boy: Compared to Yuuto, the other mastermind; her color scheme mostly has warmer colors (pink/red and yellow).
- Red and Black and Evil All Over: In endgame, she wears a variant of her robes that comes in Monobear's distinctive red, black, and white colors.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: Her eyes are red and she’s the one who planned this whole mess.
- Shed the Family Name: After her revival, Wakana abandons many links she has to her past life, including to the Fujiwara Clan. She then adopts Rune's last name, Andersen.
- Walking Spoiler: It’s hard to talk about the Mastermind without revealing who they are.
- Was It All a Lie?: Confronted with this after being identified. Wakana's voice just about breaks as she swears to Rune that her feelings are genuine.
- Utopia Justifies the Means: Wakana believed that once all evil was destroyed from the world, including her former affiliates and the murderers among her classmates, she would be able to lead society into happiness without sin. Even if innocents died, they would be celebrated as martyrs. This line of thinking wavered as soon as the first murderer turned out not to be a heartless monster, but a scared young girl, and it only kept falling apart from there.
