Sayaka Maizono is this trope, as she invited Leon to her room as an attempt to murder him, which backfired. She had also set up the protagonist to take the fall for her. Leon doesn't come out of this smelling like roses either, as he picked up Sayaka's framejob from there, even though wrongly accusing Makoto of murder meant that everyone but Leon would be killed. At the end, one character points out that he did have time to stop and think when the victim (who was having second thoughts) retreated, meaning that it wasn't entirely done in self-defense - but pursued and killed them anyway. The manga makes both of them more sympathetic however- Sayaka genuinely cared about Makoto and left her dying clue as penance for what she had tried to do to him, and Leon himself actually murdered her by accident. Even in the game, Makoto forgives both of them for their actions, and rightly points out that the real asshole is Monokuma, the sadistic bear who's been trying to manipulate everyone into becoming murderers to begin with.
While Hifumi Yamada's murder of Kiyotaka Ishimaru is because Celeste manipulated him into thinking that Kiyotaka sexually assaulted her, he also does so in the hopes of graduating alongside Celeste, which would doom everyone else, and so that he can have a computer AI that he's in love with all to himself. It's thus difficult to feel bad for him when Celeste betrays and murders him once he's no longer useful.
As far as killers who get executed, it's hard to feel sorry for Celes/Celestia Ludenburg as she had Hifumi kill Kiyotaka, a fan favorite character, and claim he raped her, and then did away with Hifumi once his purpose was served. It doesn't help that she claims her motive was just Greed and that she feels zero remorse for both of the murders, although given her character there is at least room for doubt there, Makoto is conflicted about it in-universe by saying he can't pity Celes' fate given the facts of the case but still remembers her as once having been a friend and blames Monokuma for corrupting her.
Final case victim Mukuro Ikusaba is an interesting case. While she did work as the mastermind's willing accomplice especially prior to the game, the way she dies is so unbelievably cruel that you can't help but feel for her.
Junko Enoshima the mastermind in Case 6 executes themselves if you beat them and let's just say, after all the crap they put you through, it's extremely cathartic.
This isn't subjective and the characters must be presented as an ass to qualify, not just be disliked by fans. Sayaka isn't innocent, but she's still presented as a victim of circumstances, manipulated by Monokuma. Makoto still remembers her fondly, despite being betrayed by her. Hifumi is largely manipulated by Celeste, meaning majority of responsibily falls on her. Mukuro's actions are largely offscreen, meaning no one knows her enough to make the call. Celeste and Junko are assholes but not victims, as Celeste was executed for her crimes and Junko commited suicide.
- Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc:
- Sayaka Maizono is this trope, as she invited Leon to her room as an attempt to murder him, which backfired. She had also set up the protagonist to take the fall for her. Leon doesn't come out of this smelling like roses either, as he picked up Sayaka's framejob from there, even though wrongly accusing Makoto of murder meant that everyone but Leon would be killed. At the end, one character points out that he did have time to stop and think when the victim (who was having second thoughts) retreated, meaning that it wasn't entirely done in self-defense - but pursued and killed them anyway. The manga makes both of them more sympathetic however- Sayaka genuinely cared about Makoto and left her dying clue as penance for what she had tried to do to him, and Leon himself actually murdered her by accident. Even in the game, Makoto forgives both of them for their actions, and rightly points out that the real asshole is Monokuma, the sadistic bear who's been trying to manipulate everyone into becoming murderers to begin with.
- While Hifumi Yamada's murder of Kiyotaka Ishimaru is because Celeste manipulated him into thinking that Kiyotaka sexually assaulted her, he also does so in the hopes of graduating alongside Celeste, which would doom everyone else, and so that he can have a computer AI that he's in love with all to himself. It's thus difficult to feel bad for him when Celeste betrays and murders him once he's no longer useful.
- As far as killers who get executed, it's hard to feel sorry for Celes/Celestia Ludenburg as she had Hifumi kill Kiyotaka, a fan favorite character, and claim he raped her, and then did away with Hifumi once his purpose was served. It doesn't help that she claims her motive was just Greed and that she feels zero remorse for both of the murders, although given her character there is at least room for doubt there, Makoto is conflicted about it in-universe by saying he can't pity Celes' fate given the facts of the case but still remembers her as once having been a friend and blames Monokuma for corrupting her.
- Final case victim Mukuro Ikusaba is an interesting case. While she did work as the mastermind's willing accomplice especially prior to the game, the way she dies is so unbelievably cruel that you can't help but feel for her.
- Junko Enoshima the mastermind in Case 6 executes themselves if you beat them and let's just say, after all the crap they put you through, it's extremely cathartic.
This isn't subjective and the characters must be presented as an ass to qualify, not just be disliked by fans. Sayaka isn't innocent, but she's still presented as a victim of circumstances, manipulated by Monokuma. Makoto still remembers her fondly, despite being betrayed by her. Hifumi is largely manipulated by Celeste, meaning majority of responsibily falls on her. Mukuro's actions are largely offscreen, meaning no one knows her enough to make the call. Celeste and Junko are assholes but not victims, as Celeste was executed for her crimes and Junko commited suicide.