Danganronpa V3, I can honestly say, is by far one of my favorite games that I’ve played this year. Unlike some of the newer games from a long existing series, this one stuck to the formula of its predecessors, only bringing a few small changes (which is something I appreciate as fan). This time around though, it delivered a strong and diverse cast which I grew to love very much. However, there were some characters that stood out more than others. Which brings us to this article. Here is my list of the characters I ranked worst to best. Please note, that there will be spoilers, so if you haven't played the game and plan on doing so, save this article for another day.
Winning in first place as the worst character is:
1. The Monokubs
“We're the Monokubs! Nice to meet'cha!" ~ Monotaro
Character intro: Placed at number one, the Monokubs are the five children of Monokuma, the robotic bear and the self-proclaimed Headmaster of the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles. They assisted their father and carried out the father’s deeds- supervising and presenting motives for the students to kill, and use “Exisals”, robotic beast-like killing machines to keep the students in line.
Why they’re ranked #1 worst characters on my list: Although they were quite entertaining throughout the game, they were more of a nuisance to not only the students but also to Monokuma. I also felt that they were a major distraction from the storyline and that they were just all over the place.
My opinion/advice: Although they were entertaining throughout the game, I was definitely glad to see them go.
Character rating: 5/100
2. Monokuma
"How dare you compare me to a child's plaything! You've cut me deep. Deeper than the Mariana Trench”. -Monokuma
Character intro: Monokuma is a robotic teddy bear and self-proclaimed headmaster of Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles, bringing forth the “killing games”.
Why he’s ranked #2 worst character on my list: Having played and beaten the other two games, I have to say that Monokuma didn’t really have the same maliciousness and spunk in this one. Also, I felt the Monokubs and even Kokichi had a stronger presence and overpowered him a bit. The only thing that stopped him from ranking at number one was that he was far less annoying than his cubs!
My opinion/advice: Monokuma should have had a stronger presence in the game and been a lot more brutal to the characters. Compared to the last two games, he was a lot weaker especially when he decided to take a “vacation” in one of the chapters.
Character rating: 25/100
3. Tsumugi Shirogane: Ultimate Cosplayer
“Ah geez...It's such a low-level cosplay, I can't bear to look." -Tsumugi
Character intro: It’s not really explained how she became the Ultimate Cosplayer although that may have been fabricated since she ended up being the Mastermind/antagonist.
Why she’s ranked #3 worst character on my list: Before being revealed as the antagonist, her character as one of the classmates was a bit dull. She didn’t really stand out nor have any defining moments like some of the other characters. She pretty much stayed in the background and often, she was forgettable- which I guess that was her plan all along. As the antagonist of the game, she didn’t reach nearly the same level of evilness as Junko Enoshima (the mastermind of the last two Danganronpa games). Her execution also was the weakest out of all the executions in the game but also fitting for the ending-meaningless.
My opinion/advice: I’m not saying that the creators should have made it a little easier for us gamers to figure out that she was the mastermind. But they should have given Tsumugi a stronger presence and personality. I also felt that her motives were pretty lame- and should have been other than not being able to live without Danganronpa. The only thing that impressed me about her was the fact that she set up Kaede to be the killer of Rantaro when it was her all along.
Character rating: 25/100
4. Kirumi Tojo: The Ultimate Maid
“A maid's duty is to serve...and I'm satisfied when I can fulfill that duty”.
Character intro: Known as the Ultimate Maid, it was her mission to fulfill any request given to her. She served as a maid and a bodyguard to very powerful people that eventually led her prime minister of country to appoint her as his successor.
Why she’s ranked #4 worst character on my list: Like Tsumugi, she was one of the weaker characters of the bunch. What makes her place just below Tsumugi is that she did manage to catch me off guard as she, without mercy, killed Ryoma. Not just that, but had the goal to kill off all the other remaining classmates through manipulation-all for the greater good.
My opinion/advice: I wish there was a little more development of her character and a little more personality shown before her demise. Although she was one of the blackened, her motives weren’t for personal gain. Yes, taking a life in general is a bad thing. But sometimes heroes even in real life have faced that situation of having to sacrifice lives, even their own, for everyone else to survive. Still, she was not a nice person and she got the execution she deserved.
Character rating: 30/100
5. Himiko Yumeno: Ultimate Magician
“Nyeeeh. I'd cast a magic spell to help you, but my MP is far too low. It would just be too tiresome”. -Himiko
Character intro: Originally known as the Ultimate Mage, she trained under a skilled magician that she called the Greatest Mage. She grew to even surpass him and gained massive popularity.
Why she’s ranked #5 worst character on my list: She wasn’t really a strong character. She became a nuisance during Angie’s and Tenko’s case, refusing to help investigate or even speak. In fact, it took half the trial for her to really participate so that she could somewhat help determine who the killer of Tenko and Angie was. Some might defend that this was due to her silently grieving and bottling up her emotions, almost costing everyone’s lives including her own.
My opinion/advice: On a personal note, I just found her to be the most annoying character next to the Monokubs. Saying her tricks were magic got old really quick and I was over it. I also hated her attitude towards Tenko who cared about her more than anyone else in the group. It took Tenko’s death to have Himiko acknowledge that they were friends. And yes, even though she became a better character after Tenko’s death and ended up being one of the survivors at the end of the game, there were stronger characters that outshone her.
Character rating: 31/100
6. Angie Yonaga: Ultimate Fine Artist
“Praise be to Atua. Surely He helped you in His own mysterious, miraculous way". -Angie
Character intro: It really wasn’t clear on how she became the Ultimate Artist. However, she really should have been given the title Ultimate Cult Leader or Ultimate Atua Worshipper.
Why she’s ranked #6 worst character on my list: Although she had good intentions in trying to protect her classmates from the killing game, she seemed to be a character with ulterior motives. In fact, she had the potential of beating out Kokichi as the Supreme Leader. She managed to brainwash half of her class into joining her Atua cult-I mean student council. And if she stayed alive just a little longer, she could have very well started a dictatorship. Unfortunately, we will never know what her true intentions were as she was killed by Korekiyo.
My opinion/advice: I really wished that she had her talent shown more than her devotion to Atua. I also think she would have been more interesting as a good character but later turned into a villain because of her influence on half of the class. Now I’m just left to wonder how in the heck did her brainwashing power work? I also just didn’t like her “two sidedness”. Overtime, it just got too creepy.
Character rating: 40/100
7. Korekiyo Shinguji: Ultimate Folklorist
“I find all aspects of humanity, even the ugly parts, to be beautiful. Our present situation is rather intriguing. What beauty will I be able to witness here?”-Korekiyo
Character intro: In the beginning of the game, you could tell that Korekiyo was an expert and very passionate about his field of his talent -folklorist or rather anthropology. He seemed like such a bright character, yet I could sense something creepy within him. And I wasn’t wrong.
Why he’s ranked #7 worst character on my list: Having killed not one but two classmates (Tenko and Angie) within hours of each other was clever. I was impressed over the fact that both murders were creative and genius. I was even surprised over the reasoning of why he committed the murders (he really loved his sister). However, what hurt his character was that his sister was also his lover. Now everyone loves a little incest now and then but in Korekiyo’s case, it didn’t really help his storyline that much. It just added more creepiness than he needed.
My opinion/advice: I honestly think the creators would have made his storyline better if he just had a close bond with his sister. You know-without the incest. He’s still one of my favorite male characters of the game.
Character rating: 45/100
8. Gonta Gokuhara: Ultimate Entomologist
“Gonta sorry for scaring. Gonta know he look scary”. -Gonta
Character intro: As a young child, he was raised by a pack of wolves and acquired the skill of communicating with bugs and animals. This earned him the title of the Ultimate Entomologist.
Why he’s ranked #8 worst character on the list: Gonta was a sweetheart. He really was. He was trying to live as a gentleman and did his very best to protect his friends. Unfortunately, he was completey useless especially during class trials. In fact, he became quite deadly to everyone when it came to his obsession with bugs. I’m not sure what would have happened to them if they had resisted him while they were put in his research lab that was full of bugs.
My opinion/advice: The end of his story really gave me another heartbreak over this game. It was really rough watching his execution over a crime he didn't fully have control over.
Character rating: 49/100
Now that we got the worst characters out of the way, let’s get to the best characters starting from my last choice to my first choice. But first, there is one character that I just had to place at neutral:
Neutral: Danganronpa V3 Characters Ultimate Survivor
“Everyone's a little anxious about not being able to remember how they got here, right? Well, in my case, not only am I dealing with that, I also can't remember my talent. So, I guess I'm asking you to...bear with me if I say things that don't make sense sometimes". -Rantaro
Character intro: Rantaro Amami was known as the Ultimate Survivor due to surviving one of the previous “killing games” before. Because of this, he had somewhat of an upper hand in the game, having a few memories and perks that the rest of the students had. Unfortunately, he was the first casualty of the game, so we will never know if he would have been a protagonist or a villain.
Why he’s ranked neutral on my list: He got killed off way too soon in the game and nothing was discovered about his true identity until later on in the game.
My opinion/advice: I wished he wasn’t killed off so soon. I would have loved to see if he would have turned out to be a hero or a villain.
Character rating: 50/100 (not the best or the worst).
Now that the list of the worse characters is out of the way, it’s time to start the countdown to the number one best character of Danganronpa V3.
9. Miu Iruma: Ultimate Inventor
“There's gotta be somethin' we can do...I can't die...The world needs my genius!" -Miyu
Character intro: Miu started off with not having any talent or brilliance at all. One day, she got into a car accident and ended up in a coma. But she pulled through and ever since then, her head has been filled of ideas for all sorts of inventions. She believed that the surgery that saved her life, turned her into an “augmented human” and led her into becoming an inventor. One of her famous inventions included the “Eye-drop” contacts which to her, was supposed to be a failure.
Why she’s ranked #9 best character on my list: Although she was brilliant and many of her inventions helped the team fight Monokuma and the Monokubs, I just did not care for her personality. She was too vulgar at times, always tried to pick a fight with and insulted the other classmates especially Kokichi. She always ended up cowering down every time someone stood up to her or returned the insult. Lastly, I am all for a female character embracing her sexuality. However, she got to be a bit too “slutty” for me which outshone her talent and brilliance.
My opinion/advice: Although her personality isn’t something I see often in a female character, I think her character would have been stronger if she was less sexual and more of a badass. She was already brilliant and beautiful. She didn’t need to degrade herself.
Character rating: 75/100
8. Maki Harukawa: Ultimate Nursery Teacher/Ultimate Assassin
“After what I've been through, am I still even human? Even Kiibo acts more human than me". -Maki
Character intro: Growing up in an orphanage, she helped take care of the younger children there. Even though the children liked her, she didn’t like them that much or enjoy taking care of them. Eventually, she was scouted by the Holy Salvation Society to be trained as an assassin. She was told if she didn’t agree to be trained, the orphanage would lose all their funding and so she agreed to the training. She described it to be extremely difficult and intense. It broke her down and led her to become the cold blooded Ultimate Assassin.
Why she’s ranked #8 best character on my list: Sorry. I have to be a little negative. Although she was the classic retired assassin that wanted to find her humanity, she was often cold and aggressive for someone who was trying to turn over a new leaf. She also showed no remorse for all the lives she took. However, she did warm up enough to become friends with Shuichi and fall in love with Kaito.
My opinion/advice: She was not one of my favorite characters. The one thing that turned me off about her was due to her actions during the trial of Kaito and Kokichi. She knew who the culprit was in the trial and yet she almost threatened to kill Shuichi and risked the lives of everyone to protect him. Plot twist it was Kaito. I saw this as a major betrayal to her friendship with Shuichi and I just couldn’t get over it.
Character rating: 76/100
7. Kiibo/K1-BO: Ultimate Robot
“THAT'S ROBOPHOBIC!” -K1-BO
Character intro: Created by Professor Idabashi, the leading expert in Robotics Engineering, Kiibo was created to be a robot with human emotions. One day, his programing went rogue and he ended up injuring the professor. Even though he survived the attack, Kiibo carried extreme guilt and sadness so severe that he attempted to take his own life by resetting his memories and become “reborn”. After that, his strength became the equivalent (as described) as an old person. But even so he was still granted the title of being the “Ultimate Robot”.
Why he’s ranked #7 best character on my list: Even though he was a robot, he was a very relatable character and one of the most humane (yes even for a robot). Even though he looked like a total kick butt robot, he had a shy and sensitive side to him and I loved it. He also was one of the characters that grew in the game, getting to learn more about human emotions and coming into his own. But what placed him at number #8, which wasn’t his fault, was that his true purpose in the killing game was to act like a camera for the people watching them. He’s not really doing things of his own free will and the moment that he does he decided to go on a mission to destroy the school knowing that his classmates were inside of it.
My opinion/advice: He’s one of the characters that grew on me later on in the game. But I hated the fact that he “committed suicide” twice instead of moving forward. Suicide is a deep topic for me as I have lost a few friends from it. I think he would have been better without the “inner voice” and the whole plot twist of being a camera for the Danganronpa V3 viewers. But that’s just me.
Character rating: 80/100
6. Tenko Chabashira: Ultimate Aikido Practitioner
“If anything happens, I'll protect most of you! But the degenerate males are on their own!" -Tenko
Character intro: Known as the Ultimate Aikido Master, she earned the title by creating a martial art with her master called “Neo-Aikido”. She was the closest to Himiko and made her mission to help her become a better person and believe in people.
Why she’s ranked #6 best character on my list: Although she had her flaws like taking her man hating fits got old and letting Himiko become her obsession, she was a genuinely a good person and friend. I liked even how she volunteered in participating in Angie’s resurrection, not just out of Angie’s friendship, but also because of the guilt she had over the rocky friendship they had.
My opinion/advice: In the beginning of the game, I didn’t like her. She was loud, aggressive towards men and just all over Himiko. However, as I continued playing I could see that she was a really kind and genuine person. The best friend everyone should have. The one that’s loyal, protective, and will help you grow. And it was because of her friendship, that Himiko finally began to branch out and really appreciate her friends and herself.
Character rating: 83/100
5. Kaede Akamatsu: Ultimate Pianist
“Nothing. No light. No sound. No form. No voice. No knowledge of who I am. Who am I? Who am I? I extend a hand. A hand that belongs to no one. To take hold of my existence. This is me. My name is Kaede Akamatsu. I just remembered who I am. Nice to meet me. I'm the protagonist of this crazy story" -Kaede
Character intro: Since she was a child, Kaede devoted herself into playing the piano. She would play so often, that she would forget to eat and sleep sometimes, resulting in people starting her “Piano Freak”. But after winning a lot of contests and earning awards, she earned the title “The Ultimate Pianist” and has performed in front of important figures such as a European King and famous pianists.
Why she’s ranked #5 best character on my list: Kaede was a breath of fresh air in the game. She was a normal sweet girl who reminded me so much of the first Danganronpa’s protagonist, Makoto Naegi the “Ultimate Hope”-only more confident and more willing to take on the leadership role. She tried her hardest to help her classmates keep hope alive in one day escaping the school.
My opinion/advice: I really wished that she wasn’t used as Shuichi’s stepping stone in the game and that she would have had a more developed storyline. That plot twist where she was proven to be Rantaro’s “murderer” in the beginning of the game and having to watch her be executed still haunts me months after playing the game. What I really admired about her is, that even though she had a chance to get away with Rantaro’s murder and not have a class trial she stayed anyways for the sake of Shuichi and her classmates’ lives. I also liked the fact that she showed that it’s not always black and white when it comes to truths and lies.
Character rating: 85/100
4. Kaito Momota: Ultimate Astronaut
“We can't panic about something like this. I'll...do something about it." -Kaito
Character intro: Kaito earned the title “Ultimate Astronaut” by becoming the first teenager to pass the astronaut exams. In reality though, he never took the test due to not having the required college degree and forging his documents. Once he was found out, he was allowed to stay on as a trainee (can that happen in real life?).
Why he’s ranked #4 best character on my list: Even though Kaede inspired Shuichi to be the protagonist he grew to be, Kaito served as a guiding hand to him. He was the one person Shuichi could really rely on and trust even with his goofy and sometimes ditzy nature. Despite of everything that they went through, Kaito was Shuichi’s backbone and encouraged him to keep going and living despite knowing that he was dying himself. Yes. He was dying and he knew it from the beginning of the game. But instead of giving up and falling into despair, he kept going not only for himself but for everyone.
My opinion/advice: I have to admit that he is my favorite character in the game. I loved how he saw the best in everyone including Maki, even after her secret past as the assassin was brought to light. He was the best friend that I even wished I had. It really broke my heart when he was revealed to be Kokichi’s murderer. One of my favorite parts in the game was his execution because instead of letting Monokuma finish his execution, he dies from his illness instead, smiling.
Character rating: 86/100
3. Shuichi Saihara: Ultimate detective
“To protect my friends, I need to reveal the truth of this academy. I need to face the truth and reveal it to the world. I have to...to keep my friends alive." -Shuichi
Character intro: Shuichi Saihara earned the title of “Ultimate Detective” after helping his uncle, who was also a detective, solve a murder case faster than the police. Turned out that the culprit of that murder case was the true victim and had killed the "victim" due to the victim driving his family crazy and driving them to commit suicide. Having such guilt for “siding with” the victim and not the culprit, he gained a fear of exposing the truth and began to wear a hat to avoid looking people in the eyes.
Why he’s ranked #3 best character on my list: Out of all the characters, I believe that he showed the most growth and development. Starting off as a “weak” detective, throughout the game he began to grow stronger and more confident in himself. He was forced to deal with his inner demons and overcome them in order to survive. Not only that, but he also had to use his talent in solving cases even though he knew he would help give out death sentences to his friends. He showed that it is not always the easiest to do the right thing but it still has to be done at the end of the day.
My opinion/advice: Although he fit well as the protagonist of the story, in my opinion, I felt that Kaede or Kii-bo would have been more unique and stronger choices. However, of all the protagonists in the Danganronpa games, I connected with him the most. I liked seeing him going through and overcoming his grief over Kaede and finding a new resolve in surviving the “Killing game” with his friends. And he learned to get out of his shell and leaned on the support of his friends.
Character rating: 89/100
2. Ryoma Hoshi: Ultimate Tennis Player
“This world can be too big and bright for eyes that have spent too long staring down. So be careful. Don’t let your eyes deceive you”. -Ryoma
Character intro: Ryoma had a promising career as the best professional tennis player in the land. That all changed when a mafia organization invited him to play rigged matches and he eventually won a game that he was supposed to lose. As punishment for embarrassing them, the mafia killed his girlfriend and his whole family. In return, he killed all the mafia’s members with his custom-made steel tennis balls and ended up a prisoner on death row.
Why he’s ranked #2 best character on my list: Even though he didn’t have a lot of time in the game, the short time he did have in the game was phenomenal. After losing his family, his girlfriend and his career, he truly believed that he had no purpose in life. So, when he found out Kirumi’s intent for murder, he sacrificed his life for her without hesitation, believing that this was the only way he could atone or maybe even finally finding his reason to die.
My opinion/advice: Out of all the characters, Ryoma’s story affected me on a personal level the most. I know/knew a lot of people who went through moments where they felt like they had no reason to live at all. I loved how his classmates were trying to remind him that there is always a reason to live. Sadly, he stopped believing that when he saw his motive video that revealed that he had no one left waiting for him. And so he gave his life up to Kirumi.
Character Rating: 90/100
Now it’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for. The number one best character on my list is:
1. Kokichi Oma: Ultimate Supreme Leader
"The world could be tricking you right now, and you wouldn't even know it. But, I could also be lying about that." -Kokichi
Character intro: Due to his constant lying and keeping anything about himself secret, it is unclear how he got the title Ultimate Supreme Leader. He claimed that he was the leader of an evil secret society with over 10,000 members, but it was never confirmed in the game if that was true. However it was revealed that he was the leader of D.I.C.E. (DNA Integrated Cybernetic Enterprises), a small group of pranksters that committed laughable petty crimes.
Why he’s ranked #1 best character on my list: Of all the characters in the group, Kokichi was the most well put together character and the strongest influence out of his class. Yes - even more than Shuichi. He knew what he wanted and did whatever it took to do it even if it meant playing dirty, using manipulation to do it, and sacrificing his own life. Without his presence, the game would have definitely been dull. And to be honest, even though he wasn’t the true mastermind, he outdid Tsumugi when it came to “playing” the "villain". Even months after playing this game, I still wonder who Kokichi truly was as a character. I guess we'll never really know.
My opinion/advice: This character got under my skin so many times. He was the character that I loved to hate because of all his games and lies. Looking back on it now, I couldn’t really blame him for his actions. If you were put in his situation where anyone you trusted could potentially kill you, wouldn’t you do whatever it took to protect yourself too? It's a shame that he wasn't the true mastermind.
Character rating: 97/100
Agree or disagree with my list? Tell me what you think in the "comments" section.
