The anarchistic terrorist group responsible for bringing the world to its knees. It's members consist primarily of students and alumni of Hope's Peak Academy, such as the 76 and 77-A Class. They and those affiliated with them are the ones behind all the happenings in the series.
The majority of their forces were based in Towa City during the Hope's Peak Killing Game, mainly guarding the hostages, but following the city's liberation by Future Foundation near the game's conclusion (and the deaths of several members), they escaped and went into hiding. Those that haven't begun killing games of their own are still at large.
Tropes for the organization as a whole:
- Big Bad: Collectively serve this role (to one degree or another) for the entire series.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: Pretty much all of them to one degree or another.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Those who survive apparently all flee Towa City after it's captured by Future Foundation in chapter 104.
- Terrorist Without A Cause: Like in canon, they seek Despair and the ruination of the world/humanity basically just because.
Junko Enoshima
True Ultimate Despair (also 'Ultimate Fashionista' and actual Ultimate Analyst)
The mastermind of the Killing Game and the Tragedy outside of the school. Driven to utter boredom by her talent, she has dedicated herself to the one thing that brings her any joy (Despair) and making the world feel it as well. After erasing her memories and becoming Ryoko again, she nearly regained her memories during the virtual reality arc, but ultimately stayed gone.
When Ryoko died, any chance of Junko returning* died with her.
Except not.
- All According to Plan: Getting her memory back in the simulation. Except she didn't. The Train plan, however, went off without a hitch.
- Back from the Dead: Reveals herself to the world to still be alive (and herself again) at the end of Railway of Despair.
- Came Back Strong: Gets revived as a vampire that can create teleportation portals.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Technically. Sleeping with Jibo was apparently where she'd draw the line.
- Evil Redhead: Her natural hair color is apparently red.
- Foreshadowing: In the non-canon Post-Game Show, Junko explains that she also plays Ryoko within the series. This becomes a hint to Chapter 110, where Junko's return turns out to be Ryoko's act. She really convinced the Mastermind, didn't she?
The Hand of Despair
A group of Junko Enoshima's agents who embraced/fell to despair through means other than the despair video (meaning a simple Hope video won't be enough to Heel–Face Turn them). They have been tasked with masterminding more killing games in the future.
- Dragon Ascendant: Serve as the new main villains following Junko's death.
- Dragon-in-Chief: Collectively serve as this to Junko.
- Dragon Their Feet: They all* outlast Junko by at least a couple of years. Or so it appears.
The Hope's Peak Mastermind
New Despair
The individual who has taken over control of Monokuma and the Hope's Peak Killing Game after Junko departs. All that's known about them is they have one eye, are in contact with Chisa Yukizome (and the rest of Ultimate Despair), and (according to Mukuro's inner monologue) seems like someone driven into despair as opposed to embracing it like Junko. At the end, it's revealed he's actually the original Makoto, having fallen to despair after seeing his place be filled by a clone.
He's the final victim of the Hope's Peak Academy Killing Game, dying when the Trial Room (and the rest of the school) collapses on top of him. He survives.
- Adaptational Villainy: Has embraced Despair wholeheartedly.
- Back from the Dead: Revealed to be alive at the end of Railway of Despair.
- Clone Angst: Inverted. When Makoto realised that his clone had taken over his life, he fell into despair and became a Fallen Hero.
- The Cynic: Their motive for the game seems to be forcing others into Despair like he was, calling it the one thing they can always count on in life. Being replaced by a clone with no one (except Kyoko, sorta) noticing did not go over well for him, especially not with Junko on hand.
- Dragon-in-Chief: Subservient to Junko as one of the Fingers of Despair, but ultimately commands the Killing Game for even longer than she ever did.
- Eye Scream: He lost his eye in the maze, ending up being replaced with a glowing red eye akin to Monokuma's.
- Fallen Hero: Makoto is no longer the Hope Bringer he once was.
- Killed Off for Real: Left behind in a collapsing Trial Room with a knife in his gut. He just laughs as the ceiling collapses and crushes him.
- Misplaced Retribution: While his desire for revenge against Class 77 B and 78 are understandable, Class 79 hadn't even starting attending Hope's Peak Academy when he went there, meaning he had no reason to include them in the killing game.
- Revenge: His main motivation to take control of the killing game was to get revenge on his clone for taking over his original life.
- Total Party Kill: He blows up the entire building to kill all of the deceased students' clones as well as himself. He intended to take the surviving students with him, had Kokichi and Usami not saved the day.
- Walking Spoiler: His real identity is that surprising. Especially his later appearance.
Jibo Momota
Ultimate Biologist
An early-40s Japanese man, graduate of Hope's Peak Class 54, and father of Kaito Momota, Mikan Tsumiki, and Kokichi Oma. Obsessed with talent, he had multiple children to see if it was hereditary. He also had developed a means of cloning humans and giving talents to others, even from scratch. Junko converted him to Despair at some point (not that it seemed to matter much to him), and made him part of the Hand of Despair. He becomes the Mastermind of the Killing Games on Hora Island, and leader of the staff there.
Is the willing first victim of the final Hora Island killing game.
- Better to Die than Be Killed: Reversed. He chooses to be killed by Junko instead of dying to his cancer.
- Big Bad: For House of Horrors and its prequels. Though not so much House of Horror's, as it turns out.
- The Cynic: Thinks that 'Hope cannot exist without strife', according to his virtual world counterpart.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Used to be a genuinely well-meaning biologist, even trying to save the life of a friend (the future Ultimate Zombie Jizoku). However, when his fiancé Yukiko became terminally ill, he tried to harvest a cure out of his friend via painful methods. When she died anyway, Jibo broke down over having betrayed a friend for ultimately nothing; at first he attempted to validate it all for the sake of a greater cause, but eventually spiraled into the state he is in the present.
- Dirty Old Man: Had some uncomfortable interest in a few of the girls of Class 80-A, particularly Shiori and especially Alice, neither of whom are older than his kids. He also might have been involved with his lab assistant, Hiyoko. Who attended Hope's Peak in the same class as one of the man's daughters, and is therefore
roughly the same age as her. - Even Evil Has Standards: He did find a cure for AIDS, and gave it to Haruna to spread once she left the island.
- Evilutionary Biologist: Commits human experiments and thinks that morals hold people back. Shuhei compares him to Josef Mengele at one point, something he doesn't deny.
- Expy: Jibo brings to mind the adult Kokoro Mitsume, having fathered an Ultimate (three in fact), and are willing to extend beyond ethics for what's necessary (experimenting on a child for Kokoro, experimenting on talents for Jibo).
- Face Death with Dignity: Allowed Junko to kill him before the cancer could.
- Greater-Scope Villain: For Final Horizon, having experimented on Class 80-A prior to the Killing Game's start. And probably Sea of Tranquility, given the presence of eight students who probably got their talents artificially. And, to an extent, Kuma-Kuma Land after he selected the replacement Mastermind.
- Incurable Cough of Death: Courtesy of the cancer.
- Misanthrope Supreme: Doesn't care for the 'common rank and file' who drain the world's resources.
- Reed Richards Is Useless: Can create clones and Artificial Ultimates, cannot cure cancer, not even his own.
- Sadist: Has been accused of being this. Probably is.
- Secretly Dying: From cancer. And no, simple cloning would just make it go faster given how the healing ability works.
- Small Role, Big Impact:
- For the main story: Barely shows up, but his technology is what drives along the big twist.
- And Final Horizon and Sea of Tranquility as well: Only shows up in recordings or is mentioned in passing, but he helped set the Killing Games in motion. And his daughter was essentially running the game and responsible for all the deaths in the latter story.
- And also Kuma-Kuma Land: He saw Dolly's potential and sent her to manage Monaca in the park.
- Social Darwinist: He speaks in chapter 101 on how he's into Despair for the science, feeling the talented will thrive and the talentless will be removed. His simulated self also called his genes a 'natural advantage' for his children, regardless of the horrible lives they had growing up. Recordings of him on Horizon Station seem to follow that, with him dreaming of a world with only Ultimates. He outright says he'd kill the 99% talentless if it meant the 1% talented were sole inheritors of Earth.
- Used to Be a Sweet Kid: His downward spiral started when his bride-to-be got sick and he couldn't save her. Things got worse from there.
- Walking Spoiler: There's a bit of stuff about him you wouldn't expect from Kaito and Mikan's dad (or Kokichi's dad, for that matter).
Hiyoko Saionji
Ultimate Traditional Dancer
The true Ultimate Traditional Dancer, and a member of Ultimate Despair. She is presumed dead at the start of A New Hope.
Revealed to still be alive, and Masterminding the Horizon Station Killing Game. And its final victim.
- Body in a Breadbox: Her severed head is given to Mukuro in a box with wrapping by Monokuma as a Christmas present. It disappears the following day. The survivors later literally find her in a fridge (well, a morgue, but still). Except that was actually a clone.
- Demoted to Extra: In the previous fic, she was (eventually, to the readers at least) revealed to be the one controlling Monokuma (or at least one of the responsible parties). Here, while she might have still had that role, she's killed off before we ever see her working behind the scenes. Still has that position on Horizon Station, though.
- Posthumous Character: There haven't yet been any flashbacks to when she may have been alive. Besides chapter 86. Then it turns out she isn't dead at all until the end of Final Horizon.
Chisa Yukizome
Ultimate Housekeeper
Graduate of Hope's Peak Academy Class 74, she was brainwashed and indoctrinated into Ultimate Despair to the point that the Hope video can't undo the brainwashing. Current de facto leader of the Despairs while Junko's busy.
As of chapter 104, she has abandoned Towa City and disappeared.
- Bad Boss: Willing to kill her underlings, as Ruruka found out.
Monaca Towa
Lil'Ultimate Homeroom
The young child of the Towa Group CEO, Monaca leads the Warriors of Hope to (supposedly) aid children at the cost of adult lives. Last seen heading to Kuma-Kuma Land.
- Final Boss: Of Kuma-Kuma Land. And the final one killed in the park.
Class 76
Seiko Kimura
Ultimate Pharmacist
A member of Class 76. Best friends with Ruruka Ando and Sonosuke Izayoi.
She presumably escaped, still despaired, during the liberation of Towa City.
- Mad Doctor: Has extensive medical knowledge, and unfortunately serves as a villain.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Only really has prominence in two scenes (though presumably survives to the end of the story), but is revealed to be the one who revived the original Makoto for Junko, allowing him to fall to Despair and serve as the Mastermind of the Hope's Peak Killing Game.
- Sole Survivor: Of her trio and of the named/canon Class 76 members in general.
Ruruka Ando
Ultimate Confectioner
Member of Class 76 and Sonosuke's girlfriend. Good at making delicious treats.
Killed by Chisa in chapter 83.
- Butt-Monkey: Gets knocked out by escaping hostages, and then killed by her boss for the failure.
Sonosuke Izayoi
Ultimate Blacksmith
Member of Class 76 and Ruruka's loyal boyfriend. Really likes candy.
Dies during Towa City's liberation.
- Dying as Yourself: Hopefully, after being exposed to the Hope video in chapter 104 shortly before dying.
- The Heavy: The most prominent and frequently appearing member of Ultimate Despair's "rank and file" during the Towa City arc (and one whose skillset is focused on combat), even killing a couple of major characters before being the last antagonist to die (onscreen) at the climax of the arc.
Other Members
Information currently unknown.
Class 77-A
Yasuke Matsuda
Ultimate Neurologist
A member of Class 77-A and Ryoko/Junko's childhood friend and lover. Beaten to death prior to the Tragedy, then crudely brought back to life.
Killed for good during Towa City's liberation.
- Came Back Wrong: Chapter 87 reveals that Matsuda actually did die, but was brought back as a Cyborg Frankenstein's monster facsimile, who is hoping to actually die.
- It's All My Fault: Feels this way about letting Junko carry out her plans when he could've stopped it.
- Killed Off for Real: By Takumi in chapter 104.
- Unexpected Character: It was rather surprising to see him still active, let alone allied with the Despairs.
Shinobu Togami
Ultimate Secretary
Byakuya's older sister. Has a robotic arm.
Presumably still on the loose.
- Cyborg: As the metallic pieces can attest to.
Yūto Kamishiro
Ultimate Secret Agent
An often overlooked member of Class 77-A and a raging pervert.
Stabbed to death by Hiroki during the hostage purge of Chapter 83.
- Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: Planned to have his way with Saki. Didn't get the chance.
Santa Shikiba
Ultimate Botanist
A boy in a white labcoat with oddly spiky hair.
Fatally shot by Ishimaru's father during the hostage purge.
- Light Is Not Good: Wore primarily white clothes, yet thanks to brainwashing was willing to kill people in cold blood.
- Underestimating Badassery: Didn't think Mr. Ishimaru was a threat. Paid for it.
Other Members besides Daisuke del Rio
Information currently unknown, including number of survivors.
The Student Council
The students who were on Hope's Peak's student council when the initial brainwashing/Tragedy occurred at the Academy. Members (drawn from Classes 76 and 77-A) include:
- Sōshun Murasame (Ultimate Student Council President) - Class 77-A
- Kotomi Ikuta (Ultimate Vice-President)
- Karen Kisaragi (Ultimate Secretary)
- Aiko Umesawa (Ultimate Pilot, bunny hoodie) - Class 76
- Tomohiko Gōryoku (giant)
- Kiriko Nishizawa (Ultimate Physician, pink-haired girl) - Class 77-A
- Sōsuke Ichino (likes Kiriko)
- Tsubasa Kamii (Ultimate Event Coordinator) - Class 76
- Tarō Kurosaki (Tsubasa's boyfriend) - Class 76
- Ryōta Someya (has plushies)
- Suzuko Kashiki (short-haired girl)
- Asukasei Hino (wears glasses)
- Daiki Kubo (the fat guy)
- and Shōji Yokō (someone who exists)
Their exact fates are unknown, though some could've died (or possibly been un-brainwashed, not that Munakata would've likely let them live) during the libration of Towa City.
Others
Assorted other members of Ultimate Despair who go unidentified. Primarily found in Towa City. Mostly dead, un-brainwashed (and possibly dead anyway), or in hiding.
- Cannon Fodder: The extra ones only seem to show up to die. Whether they're canon characters (the student council, the rest of Class-76 or 77-A) or random extras brought in later is never even established.
Warriors of Hope
A group of children stationed in Towa City, they are allied with the Despairs. Led by Monaca Towa, their group includes Nagisa Shingetsu, Masaru Daimon, and Jataro Kemuri. Kotoko was once one of them. Have left to (apparently) start another killing game in a theme park.
- Abusive Parents: All of them, to one horrible degree or another. They're all dead now.
- Kids Are Cruel: They've become this after the above trope got involved. Especially Monaca.
- Transhumanism: They abandoned their human bodies to become robotic bears that will never grow up.
Jun Enoshima
The biological offspring of Junko Enoshima and the Hope's Peak mastermind (the original Makoto Naegi), carried to term by the Horizon Station mastermind (Hiyoko Saionji) with the aid of Jibo Momota. A toddler with strawberry blonde hair (with two ahoges) and a Monokuma doll, he's on the station watching the game with his 'mother'. Doesn't seem as enthused about Despair as those who have raised him. Alice helped in delivering him, and he seems to have bonded with her a bit.
He escapes the station for Earth, having decided on his own that he will 'discover Despair'. Ends up finding his parents, and heading to Rapture following the Train Game.
- Ambiguously Evil: Where he falls on this by the end isn't clear. Being reunited with his parents doesn't really help either.
- Antagonistic Offspring: To Hiyoko.
- Big Damn Heroes: Keeps Shuhei and Giselly from flying out the destroyed window, to the mastermind's displeasure. Except Giselly was actually the mole, so...
- Break the Cutie: Alice realizes the whole point of the Killing Game is to break Jun so he'll fall into Despair. It's not clear how much this succeeds by the end, but meeting his still-alive parents can't have helped things.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: Seemed to be subjected to this, courtesy of his 'mother' Hiyoko.
- Meaningful Name: Named after Junko Enoshima, the True Ultimate Despair and his biological mother.
- Wise Beyond His Years: Has a very developed vocabulary for a two year old, lecturing Ringo on how his 'lone wolf' attitude isn't superior to everyone sticking together.
Yukiko Momota
Ultimate Sociopath
A Japanese girl and expert chess player. Is the one responsible for all the murders on the Tranquility moon base (for the most part), wanting to leave behind a legacy as (as an Artificial Human) she has nothing from before the game. She's also (technically) the daughter of Jibo Momota and possibly Junko Enoshima (going by where the DNA used to make her came from), and unofficially the true Mastermind of the Tranquility Base game (as there wasn't anything but an AI running Monokuma in the moon base).
She escapes the moon, and is picked up by certain individuals to help manage another killing game underwater...
- Big Bad: Is technically the one actually managing the Killing Game, and orchestrated most if not all of the killings that happened on the Moon Base over the course of the story.
- Dark Is Evil: Black hair, pants, belt, and shoes, is actually the Big Bad.
- Didn't See That Coming: Honestly didn't expect the roulette would land on her (a less than 5% chance).
- Expy: She's pretty much the closest Danganronpa offers to Sosuke Aizen.
- Foil: To Tomoko in Class 81-A. They both look similar and have Ultimates involving similar games (chess and shogi respectively) with the intelligence and organisational skills associated, but they are more different than meets the eye. Tomoko is a Jerk with a Heart of Gold, keeps secrets for the favor of the other Ultimates and was able to save everyone in the death game. Meanwhile, Yukiko is a Bitch in Sheep's Clothing, has hidden her true self from everyone and was responsible for orchestrating the all of the murders. This even applies to their names too; "Tomoko" means friendly child and "Yukiko" means snow child. Snow Means Death, anyone?
- The Chessmaster: Literally, as her talent's in playing chess. She also masterminded all the murders that occurred in the game, and technically was the one running the Killing Game itself.
- Light Is Not Good: She wears a white shirt and her analytical and helpful demeanor may seem to be good, but she's actually the main villain.
- Not Cheating Unless You Get Caught: Drugged her opponent in the final match to prove who the Ultimate Chess Player was. A hint of her true nature, even if the story was fake.
- The Sociopath: Has a second talent to the tune of this trope.
