A two-colored robotic bear named Monokuma supervises the events inDanganronpa. Its responsibility also includes executing the students. Monokuma is known for being cruel as it enjoys seeing the despair in people’s eyes.
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EveryDanganronpaseries introduces a set of characters that are forced to participate in a Killing Game. The students must commit a murder without getting caught. If they succeed, the others die and they survive. If not, well, they have to face punishments.Some of these characters' deaths are well deserved, but the others are simply unfair. Here are some characters that deserve a second chance.
Updated on June 24, 2025 by Ritwik Mitra:Danganronpa is one of the greatest murder-mystery franchises in gaming history. Players are looped into some of the most twisted games around, forced into pointing their fingers at the people they’ve been steadfast friends with during their imprisonment. As a result, some of the deaths in Danganronpa games can be pretty hard-hitting, with the ones mentioned below being really tough to watch.
15Kyoko Kirigiri
Kyoko stays alive throughout the games if players follow the canon storyline. However, in the firstDanganronpatitle, players can actually go for the bad ending, where they end up framing Kirigiri for the crime and are forever imprisoned in Hope’s Peak Academy.
It’s a rather eerie ending, withthe students setting into an odd life within the confines of this academyfor the rest of their lives. There’s also another death scene where Kyoko is poisoned during theDanganronpaanime, but this scene was a fake-out with Kyoko returning by the end.
14Alter Ego
Alter Ego is a friendly artificial intelligence that supports the students trapped on the murder island inDanganronpa 2. However, as is the case with anything in the games that might bring some hope, this AI companion is also dealt with in a rather cruel manner.
After solving a crime that had no culprit, Monokuma laments the idea of a trial ending without a glamorous execution. However, in a turn of events, he decides to bring out Alter Ego, who becomes the target of Monokuma’s twisted punishments.
13Korekiyo Shinguji
At a glance, Korekiyo seems like nothing more than a freak… until his backstory is revealed. The fact that he was forced into an abusive relationship where he developed an attachment with his sister, who took advantage of him, is deeply saddening.
Unfortunately, before Korekiyo could work on these issues, he decided to commit a murder that would seal his fate in stone. His death might’ve been an over-the-top spectacle, but fans who really resonated with this story saw it more as a tearful farewell for a misunderstood character.
12Sayaka Maizono
The firstDanganronpagame was a complete surprise, with most people wondering whether any deaths would even happen over the course of this experience. However, it turned out that the title was just hiding behind a rather cutesy exterior, with the first death being quite impactful indeed.
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Sayaka Maizono was a pretty engaging character… right up until her unfortunate demise. Watching the group struggle to cope with this loss — especially Makoto himself — set the tone for the rest of this game and the entire series.
11Kaito Momota
Kaito is a character whom players befriend in the third game over time. Throughout the game, he shows signs of an illness that only get worse over time.
After a string of events lead to his name being picked out as the correct wrongdoer,Monokuma sets up an elaborate punishmentwhere this character would die after being attached to a rocket and sent to space. However, Kaito’s illness got the better of him just before the execution was carried out, which meant that he died of his own accord and Monokuma’s plans were thwarted at the last second.
10Sonosuke Izayoi
Sonosuke Izayoi was first introduced inDanganronpa3: The End of Hope’s Peak High School. It was revealed that he was the Branch Office 9 Director in theFuture Foundation. Izayoi was responsible for managing and preparing weapons. Considering his title wasUltimate BlacksmithinHope’s Peak Academy, it’s not a surprise that he was given this role.
Sonosuke’s death was unexpected as he was betrayed by none other than Ruruka Ando, his girlfriend. At the start of theFinal Killing Game, he promised not to betray her. However, when Sonosuke discovered a secret exit, Ruruka feared that he might break his promise. As a result, she put food in his mouth while kissing him, breaking his NG code. He forgave her and told her that he loved her before passing away.
9Seiko Kimura
Kimura was a shy girl and tried to help as much as possible. She managed to befriend Sonosuke Izayoi and Ruruka Ando at a very young age. However, during their Practical Exam in their second year, an unfortunate event resulted in the expulsion of the three of them. Both girls blamed each other, which caused their friendship to end.
In the Final Killing Game, the Ultimate Pharmacist encountered the couple, and they got into a heated argument. She then started attacking them while Izayoi and Ruruka tried to run away. While pursuing them, Kimura ended up being hit by Miaya Gekkogahara’s missiles that were meant for Juzo Sakakura. After fleeing the scene, the Pharmacist slept while contemplating how she’s alone and a failure. In this moment of despair, she got brainwashed into committing suicide while she was asleep.
8Gundham Tanaka
A student in Class 77-B and theUltimate Breederin Hope’s Peak Academy, Gundham Tanaka is very protective of animals, especially his pet hamsters, theFour Dark Devas of Destruction. Gundham Tanaka participated in theKilling School Tripfeatured inDanganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair.
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After arriving at theFun House, Monokumaannounced that all of them will starve unless a murder takes place. As Gundham cared a lot for everyone and couldn’t stand to watch them give up, he decided to take matters into his own hands. Obviously, he didn’t succeed and the truth was revealed in theClass Trial.
At the beach, a stampede of animals led by Monokuma charges toward Gundham. He drew a spell in the sand to protect his hamsters while he got trampled over by the herd. With his last breath, he smiled at them before animal angels took his body to heaven.
7Gonta Gokuhara
Gonta Gokuhara was a student in theUltimate Academy for Gifted Juvenilesand participated in theKilling School Semester. Gonta was a gentleman that hated violence and risked his life to save others. Additionally, he wanted nothing to do with the Killing Game. He was nicknamed theUltimate Entomologistbecause he could communicate with animals and had a passion for insects. This talent was obtained while he was raised by wolves in the forest.
The sad truth about Gonta’s death is that he didn’t even know he committed a murder. Gonta had suffered from an avatar error caused by him mixing up the cords, causing him to forget that he killed Miu Iruma. Thus, he kept denying that he was the culprit until Monokuma revealed this truth to him. Unfortunately, the Robot Bear decided to kill the Entomologist anyway with the things he loves the most.
Gonta was seen tied to a post in a “Wild West Town” while Monokuma unleashed a herd of Mechanical Wasps. They stung him to the point where his face was swollen and unrecognizable. Suddenly, a Giant Mechanical Wasp came out of Monophanie (who was seen struggling on the ground) and pierced Gonta in his torso, killing him. And if that wasn’t enough, the White and Black Bear set the post on fire and walked away, giggling.
6Peko Pekoyama
Like Gundham Tanaka, Peko Pekoyama was a participant in the Killing School Trip. In Hope’s Peak Academy, Peko was known as theUltimate Swordswoman. She was a Servant of the Kuzuryu family and a childhood friend of Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu. Peko cared deeply about her Master and considered herself a tool to him. So, when Fuyuhiko was furious with Mahiru Koizumi and was close to killing him, the Servant beat Mahiru herself with a baseball bat. A gesture to protect the Master.
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When everyone found out the truth, the Swordswoman was deemed guilty and was dragged to her punishment. At first, she was seen standing on a seamount and holding a sword while a group of wooden samurais surrounded her. All of the sudden, Monokuma appeared with a straw marionette that resembled her and forced Peko to fight the wooden warriors. While killing them, she accidentally slashed Fuyuhiko, injuring him. Peko then hugged her Master and shielded his body while the samurais started stabbing her.
It’s a sorrowful death as Peko died with the idea that she killed her Master, and most importantly, her friend.
