Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc | Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair | Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School | Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony
Future Arc:
- A bunch of people are trapped somewhere with no escape, equipped with bracelets loaded with both an anesthetic that is administered at regular intervals and a poison to execute them should they step out of line, and forced to play a Deadly Game. Sound familiar? It's probably worth noting that Zero Escape creator Kotaro Uchikoshi is a good friend of Kazutaka Kodaka, so this is not exactly surprising.
- At one point in the dubbed Episode 4, Monomi says, "My body is ready!"
- In Episode 7:
- Monaca has a speech about Junko's death, which is likely a nod to Gihren Zabi's speech about Garma's death from Mobile Suit Gundam, complete with a cutaway to a Monokuma dressed in Char Aznable's suit and sunglasses watching the speech from a bar along with a bartender Monokuma.
- Chibi Komaru-chan during Toko's fantasy. Coincidentally, Chibi Maruko-chan is voiced by TARAKO, the current voice of Monokuma. The same sequence has Togami siting on the hood of a moving car in the exact position used in the "Akio Car" Stock Footage.
- Monaca launches herself into space, and then remarks that she's decided to stop thinking.
- Speaking of which, Monaca's NEET outfit is clearly based on Umaru Doma's "Indoor Mode" from Himouto! Umaru-chan.
- In episode 8, when deducing Juzo's forbidden action, Kizakura points his finger in a fashion similar to how characters point in Ace Attorney.
Despair Arc:
- Kazuichi ends up in bandages, a lot like Makoto Shishio's after an... unlucky accident.
- Ibuki playing a flamethrower-guitar, much like Coma the Doof Warrior from Mad Max: Fury Road.
- Chiaki plays a rather familiar game called Gala Omega, complete with a suspiciously similar jingle.
- After drinking the Doping Corn Soup, Akane's crazy hair length and combat poses are a dead ringer for Adult Gon's.
- Episode 2 has Chiaki name-dropping Double Dragon II, along with the cast playing games visibly similar to Super Smash Bros., Mario Kart, and Bomberman.
- Episode 4 has Ruruka present her confections to four judges, who react like they had a foodgasm like in Food Wars!.
- Episode 4's title is "The Melancholy, Surprise, and Disappearance of Nagito Komaeda", all of which are titles to books in the Haruhi Suzumiya series.
- Episode 7 has Mukuro singing "Give Me Wings" during The Tragedy of Hope's Peak Academy, the same song used in Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance when Shinji sets off Third Impact.
- The premise of the Student Council Killing Game begins very similarly to Battle Royale, with the killing being started off by the host shooting a student who stands up to them.
- One of the weapons provided for the first Killing Game is a chainsaw with "Jason Freddy" inscribed on it.
- Episode 9 has Gundham charging a Pegasus Meteor Fist.
- Episode 9's title is Chisa Yukizome Doesn't Smile.
- In Episode 10, when Junko is blackmailing Juzo, the music used is the classical violin composition Zigeunerweisen by Pablo de Sarasate, well-known as the "Love is Over" music from Catherine.
Hope Arc:
- One of the Future Foundation's Elite Mooks does a move that looks strangely similar to the Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu when fighting Class 77.
- According to a piece of concept art, the Guile-looking foundation member is the Ultimate Street Fighter.