History EnsembleDarkHorse / DanganRonpa

* Although to a lesser extent than Aiko, '''Ryota Someya''' is another victim of the first killing game who gets some appreciation for being the only one to make the very reasonable suggestion of attacking Junko and Mukuro instead of each other. It also helps that he has a fairly cute design, and the fact that it's implied that his talent is making plush toys endeared him to many fans.

* '''Koichi Kizakura'''. Although he appears in majority of episodes, almost all of his appearances are short, even having only a couple of seconds per episode. Even his CharacterFocus episode focuses on him only during its first half. However, he became one of the most popular new characters a number of reasons. He was one of the [[CoolOldGuy calmer]] and nicer members of the Future Foundation who not only did not accuse Makoto of being the traitor, but also made a good guess on who it is. He guessed Miaya just ''"on a hunch"'' and was right that she was suspicious since she was really a robot from Monaca. His moments with Kyoko, being GoodAllAlong, and Episode 8 establishing he was quite the badass really solidified this trope. So when he died in a HeroicSacrifice, it was naturally met with tears and uproar like the deaths of the other examples of this trope

''Franchise/{{Danganronpa}}'' is no stranger to having likeable characters, but among the fans there are always a select group of characters that stand out more than others.

* '''Aoi Asahina''' tends to be the character that gets her Free Time Events filled the quickest, and not without reason. Being a MsFanservice helped, but her quirky personality of being a BigEater PassionateSportsGirl who really cares for her friends (especially Sakura) while also having a very cute ShipTease with Makoto in her final FTE of having to pretend to be his girlfriend who then convinces her to [[BeYourself be herself]], many people were happy that she is one of the survivors of the Killing Game. Also helps that although she gets tagged along with [[ExtremeDoormat Toko]] and [[ButtMonkey Yasuhiro]] later on, she's often the OnlySaneWoman of them, while also often following along the trials easier than those two. And in ''Anime/Danganronpa3TheEndOfHopesPeakHighSchool'', she participates in another killing game, and her FakeKillScare really affected many anime watchers at that point, showing how many fans really liked her. Many were happy that she survives this one too.
* It's difficult to find people who dislike '''Sakura Ogami'''. She's presented as a GentleGiant ActionGirl, who can also [[GoodIsNotSoft have her moments]] [[BerserkButton if made angry enough, usually by misstreating Aoi]], and overall one of the most helpful and [[NiceGirl nicest]] students in the game. Fans feel bad for her as [[BigBad the Mastermind]] blackmails her into becoming TheMole and drive people into distrusting her, but despite of all of this, she chooses to [[DrivenToSuicide take her]] [[HeroicSacrifice own life]] to put a stop to the DeadlyGame, and she succeds, as the remaining students don't kill anyone.
* Mondo's brother '''Daiya Owada''' seems to enjoy quite a popularity, even if his contribution is just DeathByOriginStory, only seen in flashbacks.

[[folder:''Danganronpa Zero'']]
* '''Isshiki Madarai''' gets this to an extent, as despite being Ryouko's major "antagonist", his plot is the least important to the story. What makes this rather awkward is that "Madarai" is actually 8 separate characters, each barely getting any focus on their own, and "Isshiki" is the only one of them not actually met in the story as he died before the story began, but is the name his younger brothers all use by default when trying to get someone who knows what really happened to him to panic and slip up.
[[/folder]]

* '''Ibuki Mioda'''. While she only lives for three chapters and is mostly a comedy relief character, people both in and out of universe love her for her [[GenkiGirl upbeat and cheerful]], LargeHam, {{Cloudcuckoolander}} personality, her great sense of hearing which helps to identify Teruteru as the murderer during the first Class Trial, and [[TheHeart her attempts to hold the group together]] by organizing certain events, which clearly contrast with her awesome [[TheQuincyPunk Quincy Punk]] design. Her [[KillTheCutie death]] at the hands of [[{{Yandere}} Mikan]] marks [[ShooOutTheClowns the game taking a turn for the darker]].
* '''Gundham Tanaka''' is this thanks to his LargeHam personality and the fact that he, the ''Ultimate Breeder'', speaks with AntiquatedLinguistics and dresses and presents himself as an EvilOverlord who treats his four pet hamsters as demons called "[[RidiculouslyCuteCritter The Four Dark Devas of Destruction]]" (though to be fair, they aren't exactly [[DeathbringerTheAdorable harmless]]) that [[IJustWantToHaveFriends secretly wants to have friends]]. He is also liked for being one of the killers with the most sympathetic motives for murder in the franchise, as both him and his victim, Nekomaru, agreed to fight each other to death in order to avoid the rest of the students from starving to death in the funhouse (And while he denies that this was his motive, he tells BlatantLies in order to push his EvilOverlord persona).
* '''Nekomaru Nidai''' is well-liked in his own right for his boisterous personality, being an even bigger ham than Gundham, his TakingTheBullet for Akane (and his subsequent EmergencyTransformation into Mechamaru) and the implication that he [[HeroicSacrifice willingly agreed to Gundham's]] SuicidePact in order to save the rest of the students' lives.
* People like '''[[{{Yakuza}} Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu]]''' for starting up with as a character with a FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon who states that he has no problems in killing anyone in order to escape and has next to no redeeming features initially (but in reality, [[{{Tsundere}} he wants to get close to the rest of the group]], as [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Chiaki), but eventually [[BreakTheHaughty breaks down]] after [[ChildhoodFriend Peko]] murders [[NiceGirl Mahiru]] when he was intending to kill her himself after Monokuma frames her for covering up the murder of his sister [[AssholeVictim Nastumi]], leading to her execution (which almost results in his own death when he attempted to save her from it, but failing). Fuyuhiko decides to start all over again with the rest of the students [[TheAtoner to make up for how he treated them]], to the point of committing seppuku when [[JerkassHasAPoint Hiyoko]] calls him out for Mahiru's murder, and gains a fair amount of CharacterDevelopment. He loses any HateSink traits he had and becomes genuinely reliable and good-natured. He is also the most liked among the surviving students, as people are divided with [[BaseBreakingCharacter Sonia, Akane and Kazuichi]] for being relatively static characters -- and in the latter's case for his [[AbhorrentAdmirer creepy obssession]] with the former.

* '''Izuru Kamukura'''. Despite being a major character in previous installments, he only actually shows up in the second half of the Despair arc. But in that short time, he solidified his popularity through his badass takedowns of Junko and Mukuro, his interesting and [[StarCrossedLovers tragic]] relationship with Chiaki, and having his characterization develop and unveil in a way that kept the awesome and removed the evil.

* Although to a lesser extent than Aiko, '''Ryota Someya''' gets some appreciation for being the only one to make the very reasonable suggestion of attacking Junko and Mukuro instead of each other. It also helps that he has a fairly cute design, and the fact that it's implied that his talent is making plush toys endeared him to many fans.
* '''Koichi Kizakura'''. One of the [[CoolOldGuy calmer]] and nicer members of the Future Foundation who not only did not accuse Makoto of being the traitor, but also made a good guess on who it is. He guessed Miaya just ''"on a hunch"'' and was right that she was suspicious since she was really a robot from Monaca. His moments with Kyoko, being good all along, and Episode 8 establishing he was quite the badass really solidified this trope. So when he [[HeroicSacrifice died]], it was naturally met with tears and uproar like the deaths of the other examples of this trope.

* '''[[FriendToAllLivingThings Gonta Gokuhara]]''' is liked thanks to his status as the GentleGiant, like Sakura and Nekomaru before him, having a BigBrotherInstinct towards all of the other students (despite being the youngest overall), and him being a TarzanBoy whose goal in life is to become a gentleman. Fans did not take his [[CruelAndUnusualDeath execution]] very well, and neither the circumstances surrounding it (he was tricked by Kokichi into murdering Miu, who was trying to kill Kokichi herself. Needless to say, Kokichi, despite hiding it, [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone regrets sending both of them to their deaths]]).
* While being somewhat of a BaseBreakingCharacter for a minority, most fans have taken up a liking for '''Miu Iruma''' thanks to her... [[HaveIMentionedIAmSexuallyActiveToday interesting]] [[LovableSexManiac personality]], her [[DitzyGenius useful talent]], her interactions with [[{{Robosexual}} K1-B0]] and her LargeHam persona, [[BigEgoHiddenDepths which she uses to hide the fact that she is actually insecure]] and [[ShrinkingViolet really shy on the inside]], plus she also tried to help catch the Mastermind early on (helping Shuichi and Kaede by making camera for them) and was distraught when Kaede died. Fans also enjoy her HiddenDepths as to why she wanted to become an inventor, and she has definitely been better received than previous perverted characters in the franchise, in which their tendencies, which don't have a real explanation unlike Miu, got to the point where they got grating. This surprised Kodaka himself, who said that while he personally liked her, he didn't expect Miu to be so well-liked by the fanbase.

* While most of the Monokubs are [[TheScrappy some of the most hated characters]] both in and out of universe, mainly Monokid and Monophanie, '''Monodam''' is the exception to the rule. Reasons for this include him [[TheQuietOne not talking as much as his siblings do]], resulting in him being less of an annoyance, [[TakeThatScrappy killing both Monokid and Monosuke]] during the first and second executions respectively (With Monokid being as a [[KickTheSonOfABitch form of]] [[TheDogBitesBack revenge]] of him being [[KickTheDog bullied]] by him) and him [[HostileShowTakeover taking over Monokuma's role as the headmaster]] in chapter 3, which even includes the "Monokuma Theater" segments! Unfortunately, Monokuma regains his position and his remaining siblings begin bullying him, which causes him to destroy himself in the third trial's culprit's execution.
* '''K1-B0''' has become this thanks to his unique character design and likable, if somewhat gullible, personality, coupled with his unusual talent helped him stand out quite a bit. And that's without accounting for his role in Chapters 5 and 6, where he finally takes the central stage and has numerous BigDamnHeroes moments in the process.

* Another Hit List character would be '''Takaaki Ishimaru''', mainly for being the father of one of the fandom's most popular characters, Kiyotaka Ishimaru.

* '''The Norman's hotel crew''' are beloved by fans for their quirky personalities and interactions with each other. Nanamura, Minase and Mifune are especially loved.

[[folder:''Danganronpa Togami'']]
* '''Hiroyuki''' is this among the new characters, thanks to being an awesome MetaGuy with easily some of the series' funniest lines.
* '''Aloysius Pennyworth''', Byakuya's BattleButler, is almost unanimously agreed to be the best thing about Vol.2, thanks to being an amazing badass whose antics slip out from absurd into pure CrazyIsCool.
[[/folder]]

* While being somewhat of a BaseBreakingCharacter for a minority, most fans have taken up a liking for '''Miu Iruma''' thanks to her... [[HaveIMentionedIAmSexuallyActiveToday interesting]] [[LovableSexManiac personality]], her [[DitzyGenius useful talent]], her interactions with [[{{Robosexual}} K1-B0]] and her LargeHam persona, which she uses to hide the fact that she is actually insecure and really shy on the inside, plus she also tried to help catch the Mastermind early on (helping Shuichi and Kaede by making camera for them) and was distraught when Kaede died. Fans also enjoy her HiddenDepths as to why she wanted to become an inventor, and she has definitely been better received than previous perverted characters in the franchise, in which their tendencies, which don't have a real explanation unlike Miu, got to the point where they got grating. This surprised Kodaka himself, who said that while he personally liked her, he didn't expect Miu to be so well liked by the fanbase.

* People like '''[[{{Yakuza}} Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu]]''' for starting up with as a character with a FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon who states that he has no problems in killing anyone in order to escape and has next to no redeeming features initially (but in reality, [[{{Tsundere}} he wants to get close to the rest of the group]], as [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Chiaki), but eventually [[BreakTheHaughty breaks down]] after [[ChildhoodFriend Peko]] murders [[NiceGirl Mahiru]] when he was intending to kill her himself after Monokuma frames her for covering up the murder of his sister [[AssholeVictim Nastumi]], leading to her execution (which almost results in his own death when he attempted to save her from it, but failing). Fuyuhiko decides to start all over again with the rest of the students [[TheAtoner to make up for how he treated them]], to the point of committing seppuku when [[JerkassHasAPoint Hiyoko]] calls him out for Mahiru's murder, and gains a fair amount of CharacterDevelopment. He loses any HateSink traits he had and becomes genuinely reliable and good-natured. He is also the most liked among the surviving students, as Akane is disliked ([[AmericansHateTingle at least by the Western fanbase]]) and people are divided with [[BaseBreakingCharacter Sonia and Souda]] for also being relatively static characters -- and in the latter's case for his [[AbhorrentAdmirer creepy obssession]] with the former.

* Almost everyone loves '''Himiko Yumeno'''. Common reasons for this include both her appearance as a {{Moe}} CuteWitch and counting with a talent that had been highly requested by fans, and her Chuunibyou and ColdHam personality. Fans also like that she goes through CharacterDevelopment and learns to be more expressive, following [[ShipTease Tenko]]'s advice before her demise. It also helps that unlike characters in the previous installments, Ishimaru and Hiyoko, she actually gets to complete her character arc and is not outright murdered in the very next chapter; in fact, she survives the Killing Game.

* Even if she is a DecoyProtagonist and overall only has one chapter focused on her, '''Kaede Akamatsu''' is one of the most beloved characters in this entry of the series, having HundredPercentAdorationRating both in and out of universe. These reasons include her being a much more straight forward protagonist than Makoto and Hajime as she actually attempts to [[TheLeader lead]] the group throughout the [[DeadlyGame Killing Game]] and [[TheHeart try to make sure that they all stay as friends ever after]], even going as far as to try to kill the [[BigBad Mastermind]] since the beginning, only for her plan to fail due to the mastermind already having knowledge of her plan, and said Mastermind also using it to her advantage to murder Rantaro and incriminate Kaede of a MurderByMistake, [[YouCantThwartStageOne having her executed]]. Kaede also has a SmallRoleBigImpact in the plot of ''Danganronpa V3'', as her death is what motivates Shuichi Saihara, the real protagonist, to be more confident in himself. The love people have for Kaede often lead to some fans seeing Shuichi as a ReplacementScrappy of her and stating they'd rather have had Kaede as the true protagonist, which seems to be the case in-universe ([[YouShouldHaveDiedInstead "This guy should have died instead of Kaede"]]).

* '''[[DitzyGenius Kiyotaka Ishimaru]]''' is the definition of an UnpopularPopularCharacter. While most of his classmates find him to be an irritating {{Determinator}}, he has earned a spot in the hearts of many players for being a [[TheWoobie Woobie]] with {{Adorkable}} tendencies (such as the [[CannotTellAJoke "Forget Beam"]] or [[OpenMouthInsertFoot mistaking Sakura for a boy]] in the first Class Trial). The effort he makes to try and keep the group united during the DeadlyGame is something that is also highly appreciated by fans. His MrFanservice moment is not ignored by some of his fans either, as [[ClarkKentOutfit he's shown to be quite muscular under his school uniform]]. Another factor is his OddFriendship with [[BadassBiker Mondo Owada]], which has a lot of HoYay thrown in and has made him attract the attention of yaoi artists. It is not a stretch to say that people feel disappointed with his death at the hands of [[FatBastard Hifumi]] and [[ManipulativeBitch Celeste]], which seems to [[DroppedABridgeOnHim come out of nowhere]] (and right after it seemed like he would be getting some CharacterDevelopment). His fans also do not take well the fact that [[AngstWhatAngst no one seems to care much when he is killed]] (Heck, Hina cries over Hifumi's dead body but completely ignores Taka, who is lying dead a few centimeters away from Hifumi) and that the rest of the students [[ForgottenFallenFriend act like he never even existed in the first place]] after the third trial. This has surprised the writers themselves, who have stated that Ishimaru was meant to come out as an unlikeable character, provided that the player didn't do his Free Time Events.

* People like '''[[{{Yakuza}} Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu]]''' for starting up with as a character with a FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon who states that he has no problems in killing anyone in order to escape (but in reality, [[{{Tsundere}} he wants to get close to the rest of the group]], as [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Chiaki), but eventually [[BreakTheHaughty breaks down]] after [[ChildhoodFriend Peko]] murders Mahiru when he was intending to kill her himself for covering up the murder of his sister Nastumi, leading to her execution (which almost results in his own death when he attempted to save her from it, but failing). Fuyuhiko decides to start all over again with the rest of the students [[TheAtoner to make up for how he treated them]], to the point of committing seppuku when [[JerkassHasAPoint Hiyoko]] calls him out for Mahiru's murder, and gains a fair amount of CharacterDevelopment. He loses any HateSink traits he had and becomes genuinely reliable and good-natured. He is also the most liked among the surviving students, as Akane is disliked ([[AmericansHateTingle at least by the Western fanbase]]) and people are divided with [[BaseBreakingCharacter Sonia and Souda]] for also being relatively static characters -- and in the latter's case for his [[AbhorrentAdmirer creepy obssession]] with the former.

* People like '''[[{{Yakuza}} Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu]]''' for starting up with as a character with a FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon who states that he has no problems in killing anyone in order to escape (but in reality, [[{{Tsundere}} he wants to get close to the rest of the group]], as [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Chiaki), but eventually [[BreakTheHaughty breaks down]] after [[ChildhoodFriend Peko]] murders Mahiru when he was intending to kill her himself for covering up the murder of his sister Nastumi, leading to her execution (which almost results in his own death when he attempted to save her from it, but failing). Fuyuhiko decides to start all over again with the rest of the students [[TheAtoner to make up for how he treated them]] and gains a fair amount of CharacterDevelopment. He is also the most liked among the surviving students, as Akane is disliked ([[AmericansHateTingle at least by the Western fanbase]]) and people are divided with [[BaseBreakingCharacter Sonia and Souda]] for also being relatively static characters -- and in the latter's case for his [[AbhorrentAdmirer creepy obssession]] with the former.
* '''Peko Pekoyama''' is rather well liked in her own right, mainly for having one of the most badass talents in the series, her relationship with Fuyuhiko, as well as her backstory, which reveals that she doesn't even think of herself as a person. Once she is caught for Mahiru's murder, and her plan to get Fuyuhiko out fails, she doesn't fight her upcoming death, just tells everyone that she is sorry that Mahiru had to die and requests for there to be no more murders, something that very few culprits actually do. Her execution is widely regarded as one of [[TearJerker saddest in the series]] as it both plays into her view of herself as a tool, but she also ends up maiming Fuyuhiko, and it's implied that she spent her final moments [[HumanShield shielding Fuyuhiko from the robots.]]

* '''Sonosuke Izayoi''' seems to be slowly gaining popularity as well, thanks to being a weird mixture of badass and TheComicallySerious. That he and Andou appeared to be a canon and ''healthy'' OfficialCouple (a first for the franchise) helps immensely (though as of Episode 8, it may not be an entirely healthy relationship as noted above in the AlternativeCharacterInterpretation section).

* '''Aoi Asahina''' tends to be the character that gets her Free Time Events filled the quickest, and not without reason. Being a MsFanservice helped, but her quirky personality of being a BigEater PassionateSportsGirl who really cares for her friends (especially Sakura), many people were happy that she is one of the survivors of the Killing Game. Also helps that although she gets tagged along with [[ExtremeDoormat Toko]] and [[ButtMonkey Yasuhiro]] later on, she's often the OnlySaneWoman of them, while also often following along the trials easier than those two. And in ''Anime/Danganronpa3TheEndOfHopesPeakHighSchool'', she participates in another killing game, and her supposed death is considered as an ugly fake out death, cause of how many people liked her, and were happy again that she survives this one too.

* '''Kazuo Tengan''' has had an interesting relationship with the trope. Early on, he was one of the most popular characters due to being a CoolOldGuy who beat up ArcVillain Munakata and the deeply unpopular HateSink Sakakura, and also for making an earnest if doomed attempt to sway Hajime from turning himself into Izuru Kamukura and helping trigger the apocalypse. Unfortunately, his popularity took a screaming swan dive after he was revealed to be the BigBad and his plan was revealed to be a barely coherent, nonsensical IdiotPlot, turning him into TheScrappy.

* '''Aiko Umesawa''' in episode 7 of ''Side:Despair'' was an instant favorite for her cute appearance [[spoiler:and many were upset once she was almost instantly killed off in the killing game, especially since her death was a really cruel YankTheDogsChain]]. She even makes an appearence in the {{OVA}} ''Super Danganronpa 2.5: Nagito Komaeda and the Destroyer of the World'', possibly due to her popularity.
* Although to a lesser extent than Aiko, '''Ryota Someya''' gets some appreciation for being the only one to make the very reasonable suggestion of [[spoiler:attacking Junko and Mukuro instead of each other]]. It also helps that he has a fairly cute design, and the fact that it's implied that his talent is making plush toys endeared him to many fans.
* '''Koichi Kizakura'''. One of the [[CoolOldGuy calmer]] and nicer members of the Future Foundation who not only did not accuse Makoto of being the traitor, but also made a good guess on who it is. [[spoiler:He guessed Miaya just ''"on a hunch"'' and was right that she was suspicious since she was really a robot from Monaca.]] His moments with Kyoko, being good all along, and Episode 8 establishing he was quite the badass really solidified this trope. [[spoiler:So when he [[HeroicSacrifice died]], it was naturally met with tears and uproar like the deaths of the other examples of this trope.]]

* '''Izuru Kamukura'''. Despite being a majot character in previous installments, he only actually shows up in the second half of the Despair arc. But in that short time, he solidified his popularity through his badass takedowns of Junko and Mukuro, his interesting and [[StarCrossedLovers tragic]] relationship with Chiaki, and having his characterization develop and unveil in a way that kept the awesome and removed the evil.

* '''Hiroko Hagakure''' became ''very'' popular after she was first announced. In game, she does very little important to the story, but her attitude and helpfulness makes her very endearing. She's also the only adult character from the game to be present in ''VisualNovel/DanganRonpaSUltimateSummerCamp'', with new sprites, to boot.
* Of the Kill List characters, '''Takemichi Yukimaru''' seems to have gained some noticeable popularity, mostly due to a large amount of fans who speculate that he's gay or asexual.
* Another Kill List character would be '''Takaaki Ishimaru''', mainly for being the father of one of the fandom's most popular characters, Kiyotaka Ishimaru.

** The Great Gozu has seen a fair increase in popularity after being revealed as a GentleGiant. Many fans love the design gimmick as well. The first episode only increased his popularity, as he showed himself to be not only supportive of Makoto, but also a colossal badass. Not to mention that in Episode 2, he fought Sakakura and essentially won.

* People like '''[[{{Yakuza}} Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu]]''' for starting up with as a character with a FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon who states that he has no problems in killing anyone in order to escape (but in reality, [[{{Tsundere}} he wants to get close to the rest of the group]], as [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Chiaki), but eventually [[BreakTheHaughty breaks down]] after [[ChildhoodFriend Peko]] murders Mahiru when he was intending to kill her himself for covering up the murder of his sister Nastumi, leading to her execution (which almost results in his own death when he attempted to save her from it, but failing). Fuyuhiko decides to start all over again with the rest of the students [[TheAtoner to make up for how he treated them]] and gains a fair amount of CharacterDevelopment. He is also the most liked among the surviving students, as Akane is disliked ([[AmericansHateTingle at least by the Western fanbase]]) for being a StaticCharacter among other reasons and people are divided with [[BaseBreakingCharacter Sonia and Souda]] for also being relatively static characters -- and in the latter's case for his [[AbhorrentAdmirer creepy obssession]] with the former.

* People like '''[[{{Yakuza}} Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu]]''' for starting up with as a character with a FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon who states that he has no problems in killing anyone in order to escape (but in reality, [[{{Tsundere}} he wants to get close to the rest of the group]], as [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Chiaki), but eventually [[BreakTheHaughty breaks down]] after [[ChildhoodFriend Peko]] murders Mahiru when he was intending to kill her himself for covering up the murder of his sister Nastumi, leading to her execution (which almost results in his own death when he attempted to save her from it, but failing). Fuyuhiko decides to start all over again with the rest of the students [[TheAtoner to make up for how he treated them]] and gains a fair amount of CharacterDevelopment. He is also the most liked among the surviving students, as Akane is disliked ([[AmericansHateTingle at least by the Western fanbase]]) for being a StaticCharacter among other reasons and people are divided with [[BaseBreakingCharacter Sonia and Souda]] for also being relatively [[StaticCharacter static characters]] - and in the latter's case for his [[AbhorrentAdmirer creepy obssession]] with the former.

* While most of the Monokubs are [[TheScrappy some of the most hated characters]] both in and out of universe, mainly Monokid and Monophanie, Monodam is the exception to the rule. Reasons for this include him [[TheQuietOne not talking as much as his siblings do]], resulting in him being less of an annoyance, [[TakeThatScrappy killing both Monokid and Monosuke]] during the first and second executions respectively (With Monokid being as a [[KickTheSonOfABitch form of]] [[TheDogBitesBack revenge]] of him being [[KickTheDog bullied]] by him) and him [[HostileShowTakeover taking over Monokuma's role as the headmaster]] in chapter 3, which even includes the "Monokuma Theater" segments! Unfortunately, Monokuma regains his position and his remaining siblings begin bullying him, which causes him to destroy himself in the third trial's culprit's execution.

* ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony''
** Even if she is a DecoyProtagonist and overall only has one chapter that focuses on her, Kaede Akamatsu is one of the most beloved characters in this entry of the series, having HundredPercentAdorationRating both in and out of universe. These reasons include her being a much more straight forward protagonist than Makoto and Hajime as she actually attempts to [[TheLeader lead]] the group throughout the [[DeadlyGame Killing Game]] and [[TheHeart try to make sure that they all stay as friends ever after]], even going as far as to try to kill the [[BigBad Mastermind]] since the beginning, only for her plan to fail due to the mastermind already having knowledge of her plan, and said Mastermind also using it to her advantage to murder Rantaro and incriminate Kaede of a MurderByMistake, [[YouCantThwartStageOne having her executed]]. Kaede also has a SmallRoleBigImpact in the plot of ''Danganronpa V3'', as her death is what motivates Shuichi Saihara, the real protagonist, to be more confident in himself. The love people have for Kaede often lead to some fans seeing Shuichi as a ReplacementScrappy of her and stating they'd rather have had Kaede as the true protagonist, which seems to be the case in-universe ([[YouShouldHaveDiedInstead "This guy should have died instead of Kaede"]]).
** The same goes for Rantaro. In spite of being only present in one chapter and being even more OutOfFocus than most other first victims, he's surprisingly well-liked by fans for his mysteriousness and being a CoolBigBro, having managed to beat out several characters who have bigger roles (such as Keebo, who's no slouch in the popularity polls either), placing 6th place in the popularity poll. Fans have been clamoring for a spin-off starring him because of his interesting backstory, and it would appear fans will get their wish, as Kodaka has mentioned plans for a spin-off starring Rantaro in an interview.
** Almost everyone loves Himiko Yumeno. Common reasons for this include both her appearance as a {{Moe}} CuteWitch and counting with a talent that had been highly requested by fans, and her Chuunibyou and ColdHam personality. Fans also like that she goes through CharacterDevelopment and learns to be more expressive, following [[ShipTease Tenko]]'s advice before her demise. It also helps that unlike characters in the previous installments, Ishimaru and Hiyoko, she actually gets to complete her character arc and is not outright murdered in the very next chapter; in fact, she survives the Killing Game.
** Gonta Gokuhara is also liked thanks to his status as the GentleGiant, like Sakura and Nekomaru before him, and having a BigBrotherInstinct towards all of the other students (despite being the youngest), and him being a TarzanBoy whose goal in life is to become a gentleman. Fans did not take his [[CruelAndUnusualDeath execution]] very well, and neither the circumstances surrounding it (He was tricked by Kokichi into murdering Miu, who was trying to kill Kokichi herself. Needless to say, Kokichi, despite hiding it, [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone regrets sending both of them to their deaths]]).
** While being somewhat of a BaseBreakingCharacter for a minority, most fans have taken up a liking for Miu Iruma thanks to her... [[HaveIMentionedIAmSexuallyActiveToday interesting]] [[LovableSexManiac personality]], her [[DitzyGenius useful talent]], her interactions with [[{{Robosexual}} Keebo]] and her LargeHam persona, which she uses to hide the fact that she is actually insecure and really shy on the inside, plus she also tried to help catch the Mastermind early on (helping Shuichi and Kaede by making camera for them) and was distraught when Kaede died. Fans also enjoy her HiddenDepths as to why she wanted to become an inventor, and she has definitely been better received than previous perverted characters in the franchise, in which their tendencies, which don't have a real explanation unlike Miu, got to the point where they got grating. This surprised Kodaka himself, who said that while he personally liked her, he didn't expect Miu to be so well liked by the fanbase.
** Ryoma Hoshi is this especially to [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff western audiences]]. He has definitely been way better received than the past characters with a NonStandardCharacterDesign, Hifumi and Teruteru (in which they have both been received as TheScrappy in their respective games due to their pervert traits, something what Ryoma lacks entirely), because he has a way more serious personality than either of them, and because he is a KindheartedCatLover and a BadassAdorable with a DarkAndTroubledPast who was able to take out Yakuza members with ''a custom-made steel tennis ball all by himself''. Most fans felt like TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter by having him as the victim of chapter 2, and most fanworks depict him as a survivor alongside Kaede.
** While the Monokubs are [[TheScrappy some of the most hated characters]] both in and out of universe, mainly Monokid and Monophanie, Monodam is the exception to the rule. Reasons for this include him [[TheQuietOne not talking as much as his siblings do]], resulting in him being less of an annoyance, [[TakeThatScrappy killing both Monokid and Monosuke]] during the first and second executions respectively (With Monokid being as a [[KickTheSonOfABitch form of]] [[TheDogBitesBack revenge]] of him being [[KickTheDog bullied]] by him) and him [[HostileShowTakeover taking over Monokuma's role as the headmaster]] in chapter 3, which even includes the "Monokuma Theater" segments! Unfortunately, Monokuma regains his position and his remaining siblings begin bullying him, which causes him to destroy himself in the third trial's culprit's execution.
** Keebo has also become this thanks to his unique character design and likable, if somewhat gullible, personality coupled with his unusual talent helped him stand out quite a bit. And that's without accounting for his roles in Chapters 5 and 6, where he finally takes center stage and has numerous BigDamnHeroes moments in the process.

* Although to a lesser extent than Aiko, Ryota Someya gets some appreciation for being the only one to make the very reasonable suggestion of [[spoiler:attacking Junko and Mukuro instead of each other]]. It also helps that he has a fairly cute design, and the fact that it's implied that his talent is making plush toys endeared him to many fans.
* Kizakura as well. One of the [[CoolOldGuy calmer]] and nicer members of the Future Foundation who not only did not accuse Makoto of being the traitor, but also made a good guess on who it is. [[spoiler:He guessed Miaya just ''"on a hunch"'' and was right that she was suspicious since she was really a robot from Monaca.]] His moments with Kyoko, being good all along, and Episode 8 establishing he was quite the badass really solidified this trope. [[spoiler:So when he [[HeroicSacrifice died]], it was naturally met with tears and uproar like the deaths of the other examples of this trope.]]
* Some of the characters from the Future Foundation's Ultimate Task Force have captured the fans' eyes and interest due to their notable appearances and talents (despite no explicit explanation of what said talents are until Volume 4's release). In particular, the girl with the long nails who was after Saionji[[note]]Revealed to be the Ultimate Nailist[[/note]], the man with the fan and game pieces[[note]]Revealed to be the Ultimate Shogi/Go Player[[/note]], and the lanky guy who breathed fire at Akane[[note]]Revealed to be the Ultimate Street Performer[[/note]].

'''Warning. Unmarked spoilers ahead.'''

''Franchise/{{Danganronpa}}'' is no stranger to having likeable characters, but among the fans there are always a select group of characters that stand out more than others.

* ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc''
** [[DitzyGenius Kiyotaka Ishimaru]] is the definition of an UnpopularPopularCharacter. While most of his classmates find him to be an irritating {{Determinator}}, he has earned a spot in the hearts of many players for being a [[TheWoobie Woobie]] with {{Adorkable}} tendencies (such as the [[CannotTellAJoke "Forget Beam"]] or [[OpenMouthInsertFoot mistaking Sakura for a boy]] in the first Class Trial). The effort he makes to try and keep the group united during the DeadlyGame is something that is also highly appreciated by fans. His MrFanservice moment is not ignored by some of his fans either, as [[ClarkKentOutfit he's shown to be quite muscular under his school uniform]]. Another factor is his OddFriendship with [[BadassBiker Mondo Owada]], which has a lot of HoYay thrown in and has made him attract the attention of yaoi artists. It is not a stretch to say that people feel disappointed with his death at the hands of [[FatBastard Hifumi]] and [[ManipulativeBitch Celeste]], which seems to [[DroppedABridgeOnHim come out of nowhere]] (and right after it seemed like he would be getting some CharacterDevelopment). His fans also do not take well the fact that [[AngstWhatAngst no one seems to care much when he is killed]] (Heck, Hina cries over Hifumi's dead body but completely ignores Taka, who is lying dead a few centimeters away from Hifumi) and that the rest of the students [[ForgottenFallenFriend act like he never even existed in the first place]] after the third trial. This has surprised the writers themselves, who have stated that Ishimaru was meant to come out as an unlikeable character, provided that the player didn't do his Free Time Events.
** Chihiro Fujisaki is also one of the most popular characters in the first game thanks to his status as a {{Moe}} WholesomeCrossdresser, being one of the smartest students next to [[GreatDetective Kyoko]], and having a SmallRoleBigImpact, because even if he dies early in the story (in chapter 2) his creation [[ArtificialIntelligence Alter Ego]] is one of the reasons why [[FlingALightIntoTheFuture the surviving students were able to escape]], and because it also [[BigDamnHeroes saves Makoto from being wrongfully executed]] for a murder he did not commit. His role even extends to ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'' where he was one of the people who created the Neo World Program (a.k.a. where the game took place at), and the "father" of Usami and AI Chiaki. His HiddenDepths are also something to take into account: even if he knows that he is physically weak, he is determined to make a change for the better if necessary, all of this coming from the guy who [[NiceGuy wouldn't hurt a mosquito because it may have a family]].
** It's difficult to find people who dislike Sakura Ogami. She's presented as a GentleGiant ActionGirl, who can also [[GoodIsNotSoft have her moments]] [[BerserkButton if made angry enough, usually by misstreating Aoi]], and overall one of the most helpful and [[NiceGirl nicest]] students in the game. Fans feel bad for her as [[KillerTeddyBear Monokuma]] (and by extend [[BigBad The Mastermind]]) blackmails her into becoming TheMole and drive people into distrusting her, but despite of all of this, she chooses to [[DrivenToSuicide take her]] [[HeroicSacrifice own life]] to put a stop to the [[DeadlyGame Killing Game]], and she succeds, as the remaining students don't kill anyone.
** Mondo's brother Daiya seems to enjoy quite a popularity, even if his contribution is just DeathByOriginStory, only seen in flashbacks.
* ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair''
** Ibuki Mioda. While she only lives for three chapters and is mostly a comedy relief character, people both in and out of universe love her for her [[GenkiGirl upbeat and cheerful]], LargeHam, {{Cloudcuckoolander}} personality, her great sense of hearing which helps to identify Teruteru as the murderer during the first Class Trial, and [[TheHeart her attempts to hold the group together]] by organizing certain events, which clearly contrast with her awesome [[TheQuincyPunk Quincy Punk]] design. Her [[KillTheCutie death]] at the hands of [[{{Yandere}} Mikan]] marks [[ShooOutTheClowns the game taking a turn for the darker]].
** Gundham Tanaka is this thanks to his LargeHam personality and the fact that he, the ''Ultimate Breeder'', speaks with AntiquatedLinguistics and dresses and presents himself as an EvilOverlord who treats his four pet hamsters as demons called "[[RidiculouslyCuteCritter The Four Dark Devas of Destruction]]" (though to be fair, they aren't exactly [[DeathbringerTheAdorable harmless]]) that [[IJustWantToHaveFriends secretly wants to have friends]]. He is also liked for being one of the killers with the most sympathetic motives for murder in the franchise, as both him and his victim, Nekomaru, agreed to fight each other to death in order to avoid the rest of the students from starving to death in the funhouse (And while he denies that this was his motive, he tells BlatantLies in order to push his EvilOverlord persona).
** Nekomaru is well-liked in his own right for his boisterous personality, being an even bigger ham than Gundham, his TakingTheBullet for Akane (and his subsequent EmergencyTransformation into Mechamaru) and the implication that he [[HeroicSacrifice willingly agreed to Gundham's]] SuicidePact in order to save the rest of the students' lives.
** People like [[{{Yakuza}} Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu]] for starting up with as a character with a FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon who states that he has no problems in killing anyone in order to escape (but in reality, [[{{Tsundere}} he wants to get close to the rest of the group]], as [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Chiaki), but eventually [[BreakTheHaughty breaks down]] after [[ChildhoodFriend Peko]] murders Mahiru when he was intending to kill her himself for covering up the murder of his sister Nastumi, leading to her execution (which almost results in his own death when he attempted to save her from it, but failing). Fuyuhiko decides to start all over again with the rest of the students [[TheAtoner to make up for how he treated them]] and gains a fair amount of CharacterDevelopment. He is also the most liked among the surviving students, as Akane is disliked ([[AmericansHateTingle at least by the Western fanbase]]) for being a StaticCharacter among other reasons and people are divided with [[BaseBreakingCharacter Sonia and Souda]] for also being relatively [[StaticCharacter static characters]] - and in the latter's case for his [[AbhorrentAdmirer creepy obssession]] with the former.
** Peko Pekoyama is rather well liked in her own right, mainly for having one of the most badass talents in the series, her relationship with Fuyuhiko, as well as her backstory, which reveals that she doesn't even think of herself as a person. Once she is caught for Mahiru's murder, and her plan to get Fuyuhiko out fails, she doesn't fight her upcoming death, just tells everyone that she is sorry that Mahiru had to die and requests for there to be no more murders, something that very few culprits actually do. Her execution is widely regarded as one of [[TearJerker saddest in the series]] as it both plays into her view of herself as a tool, but she also ends up maiming Fuyuhiko, and it's implied that she spent her final moments [[HumanShield shielding Fuyuhiko from the robots.]]
** Fuyuhiko's sister (who is only ever mentioned, only actually being seen dead in a picture during chapter 2) has people who roleplay her as well as a decent amount of fanart. There is also the somewhat-popular fanon of her given name being Fuyuki (to match her brother), although ''Danganronpa 3'' revealed her name to Natsumi.
* ''Anime/Danganronpa3TheEndOfHopesPeakHighSchool''
** Seiko Kimura is ''absolutely'' loved by fans. This is all thanks to her CreepyCute design, her tragic backstory and being one of the most useful characters in ''Future Arc'', as it is thanks to her cure medicine that Kyoko was able to survive, and although despite being received with a BrokenBase and a bit of an AssPull, people were glad it was Seiko of all people who caused Kyoko to survive. The fact that Ruruka Ando constantly antagonizes her has contributed into increasing the hate towards Ruruka ''big time''. It is safe to say that Seiko is one of the few things in ''Danganronpa 3'' that has been universally acclaimed by the fanbase, if not the ''only one''.
** Kazuo Tengan has had an interesting relationship with this trope. Early on, Tengan was one of the most popular characters due to being a CoolOldGuy who beat up ArcVillain Munakata and the deeply unpopular HateSink Sakakura, and also for making an earnest if doomed attempt to sway Hajime from turning himself into Izuru Kamukura and helping trigger the apocalypse. Unfortunately, his popularity took a screaming swan dive after he was revealed to be the BigBad and his plan was revealed to be a barely coherent, nonsensical IdiotPlot, turning him into TheScrappy.

** Ryoma Hoshi is this especially to [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff western audiences]]. He has definitely been way better received than the past characters with a NonStandardCharacterDesign, Hifumi and Teruteru (in which they have both been received as TheScrappy in their respective games), because he has a way more serious personality than either of them, and because he is a KindheartedCatLover and a BadassAdorable with a DarkAndTroubledPast who was able to take out Yakuza members with ''a custom-made steel tennis ball all by himself''. Most fans felt like TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter by having him as the victim of chapter 2, and most fanworks depict him as a survivor alongside Kaede.