Template:Tab
|
This article is a despair-inducing stub!
As such, it is considered to be incomplete regarding the information available. |
Template:CharacterMakoto Naegi (苗木 誠 Naegi Makoto) is the main protagonist of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc.
Unlike the other students, Makoto was selected by Hope's Peak Academy via lottery, earning him the title of Ultimate Lucky Student (超高校級の「幸運」chō kōkō kyū no “kōun”). In chapter 6, his title became Ultimate Hope (超高校級の「希望」chō kōkō kyū no “kibō”). Throughout the course of the game, he became one of the more prominent investigators, and he was usually the one that was able to see the truth behind every murder.
Makoto survived the final trial and execution, despite the Mastermind's best attempts to dispose of him, and escaped with the other survivors at the end of the game.
Makoto returns in Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair along with Kyoko Kirigiri and Byakuya Togami as a member of the Future Foundation in order to shut down the Neo World Program when it went rogue.
Makoto also returns in Ultra Despair Girls - Danganronpa Another Episode as a member of the Future Foundation.
The DVD/BD vol.1 of Danganronpa: The Animation came with with a 25~ page booklet called Makoto Naegi’s Worst Day Ever. This short story describes the chain of events that led to Makoto being selected as the Ultimate Lucky Student.
Appearance
Makoto describes himself as a typical normal high school student. He has a rather short and thin build. He has spiky, desaturated brown hair with a prominent ahoge, and washed-out hazel eyes. He wears a zipped-up dull green hoodie with a red stripe along the zipper, an open black jacket with gold buttons over the hoodie, black jeans, and red sneakers with white toes.
Makoto's hoodie has a logo of a red gas mask in a circle printed on the back of the hood, and the zipper goes all the way up to the top of the hood. He wears a pin shaped like a four-pointed star overlaid on a crescent moon; this is pinned to the lapel of his jacket.
After joining the Future Foundation, Makoto is seen wearing a black suit.
Personality
Makoto is friendly and a lot more down-to-earth than the other students. This is possibly the reason why he is capable of approaching and befriending them in Free Time sequences. Junko Enoshima refers to him as a ‘herbivore man,’ which means that Makoto is likely to be the passive one in a relationship; this is reinforced in his conversation with others.
According to himself, Makoto's most distinguishing feature is his optimism and because of it, he's capable of befriending almost anyone, even the most antisocial such as Byakuya and Toko Fukawa. Makoto would make use of this particular trait later on in the final trial by preventing the other students from giving in to the despair that starts to overtake them, earning him the title Ultimate Hope.
History
[Warning: Several spoilers follow this section!]
Prior to the Tragedy
It is revealed in one of Sayaka Maizono's Free time events and in the manga that Makoto and Sayaka were in the same class in middle school, and in fact Sayaka is the only other student at Hope's Peak that he has a pre-existing connection to. According to Sayaka, he found a lost crane and rescued it; this act of kindness caught her attention, and is how she remembers him even years later.
Makoto started out as an ordinary high school student with no special talent. He lived with his mother, father, and little sister, and had a rather normal life to the point of being entirely unremarkable. He was selected to attend Hope's Peak Academy through winning a random lottery, elaborated on further in the short story Makoto Naegi's Worst Day Ever; the previous student selected was disqualified through a chain of events that Makoto was unintentionally at the heart of, and he ended up being the student drawn in her place. Hope's Peak Academy granted him the title of “Ultimate Lucky Student”, a title given to one randomly-chosen student once a year.
Makoto's role in Danganronpa/Zero was fairly minor. During his time at Hope's Peak Academy before the High School Life of Mutual Killing, he bumped into Ryoko Otonashi in the medical bay while he was their to return the Electronic Handbook that Yasuke Matsuda misplaced. Afterwards, he had a short encounter with Isshiki Madarai which led to Mukuro Ikusaba saving Makoto's life.
Makoto lived in the Academy happily, spending his happy times together for around 1 year until The Tragedy occurred. During The Tragedy, Jin Kirigiri, the Headmaster of the Academy, planned to seal the school building and let the students live forever inside the Academy in order to protect them from the destruction of the Tragedy. His plan was agreed to by Makoto and the rest of their class, and they sealed the building together and lived peacefully inside it for a year without knowing that the Ultimate Despair members were already in their midst.
High School Life of Mutual Killing
Makoto is first seen in front of the building of Hope's Peak Academy. When he makes the move to enter the school and begin his new life, his vision suddenly becomes warped and he blacks out. He wakes up in a classroom with bolted windows with little explanation beyond a crayon-written letter titled "Orientation Info".
Makoto soon finds out that he is not alone in what he assumes is the Academy; a group of other students is locked in with him, each telling a story with one thing in common: they all woke up in a classroom after losing consciousness when stepping inside the school grounds. Without many other options, Makoto joins the present students as they assemble and are introduced to Monokuma. Monokuma gave the students a harsh choice; either live in the academy forever, or kill one of the other students without being found out to “graduate”.
After Makoto woke up from getting knocked out during a scuffle in the assembly, Monukuma announced to all the students that he had prepared a "gift" for them. The "gift" ended up being a DVD containing an incentive personalized to each viewer: Makoto's DVD is of his younger sister and parents at home smiling at the camera, then suddenly cutting to the room destroyed and his family is shown missing. Sayaka reacted the worst out of all the students and fled the room in a panic; Makoto followed her, and was able to calm her down by promising to keep her safe.
Chapter 1 - Sayaka Maizono's Death, First False Allegations and the First Class Trial Execution
Unfortunately for Makoto, his promise to protect Sayaka was broken the very next morning. They had switched rooms for the night because of Sayaka thinking it would be safer, but when Makoto awoke and checked in on her he instead found her corpse in his shower. The overwhelming circumstantial evidence led Makoto to be blamed for the murder.
In Makoto's frantic quest to clear his name, he worked through numerous heated debates and collected evidence, eventually coming across conclusive proof that indicated Leon Kuwata might had be the one who killed Sayaka.
After Makoto arrived at the most logical conclusion of events that had transpired leading up to the murder, he had a brief but very intense debate with Leon. The latter was eventually found guilty of Sayaka's death, leading to Makoto's name being finally cleared from the murder. However, before anyone had a chance to fathom what was in store, Leon was then dragged off to his punishment by Monokuma.
After witnessing Leon's brutal execution-by-baseball-machine, Makoto angrily blamed Monokuma for ultimately causing Leon and Sayaka's deaths. His emotional outburst was, however, halted by Kyoko, after which Makoto remained sullen and silent.
Makoto would later learn from Kyoko that Sayaka's motive in writing her dying message could possibly have been to protect him, while regretting to have plotted for Makoto to be blamed for the murder; Makoto responded that he would shoulder the weight of both Sayaka's and Leon's death and live on, so that their deaths would never be forgotten, and so that he could avenge their deaths by finding out who the mastermind was.
Chapter 2 - More Casualties and Distrust are Among Us
Since the death of both Sayaka and Leon, Makoto, along with the others, seek for more clues in order to find a way to escape. However, Monokuma gave another incentive to the students, the students' most embarrassing and the deepest secrets. During the course of doing so, he witnesses another death which involved his friend, Chihiro Fujisaki, who was hung like a crucified figure nearby a blood message on the wall. With the assistance of Celestia Ludenberg and Mondo Owada's information about the clue, Makoto manages to clear both Byakuya's and Genocide Jill's name off the crime and finally pins Mondo as the culprit over Chihiro's murder.
Despite Kiyotaka Ishimaru's plead which claimed that Ultimate Biker Gang Leader was innocent over the murder, Makoto solidifies the charges by noticing the changed gym rooms and the blooded dumbbell. He, however, didn't anticipate that Mondo's reason to kill Chihiro was due to his jealousy and rage over Chihiro's strong determination to get rid of his weakness. After Mondo's execution, Makoto witnesses a sense of distrust among the group as they wondered who would be the next victim of the next murder.
Chapter 3 - The Queen of Liar's Manipulations for Greed
The next day, Makoto joins the surviving students as they gather for Monokuma's announcement. He is then shocked to learn that whoever graduates would be given ten billion yen, and grows frustrated as he realizes the intentions of the bear to turn them against each other. After the assembly, Makoto and the others gather in the bathroom after hearing Aoi Asahina exclaiming that she had seen Chihiro's “ghost” there.
Instead of seeing a ghost however, Makoto and the rest of the students discover an AI programmed by Chihiro called Alter Ego, who was made to resemble its creator. Amazed and in awe, Makoto is filled with hope by their sudden advantage and remarks about how Chihiro has left a bright legacy for them. Later, Alter Ego turns up missing, leading led Makoto and the rest to meet a roadblock again as they learned from Byakuya that whoever stole Alter Ego was most likely a traitor. Makoto and the others then decide to search for the AI.
Makoto's search for Alter Ego comes to a halt as he hears Celestia Ludenberg's scream, claiming that she was attacked by a suspicious figure known as “Robo Justice”. Celeste, stating that she has a clue, shows them a picture of the figure via Hifumi Yamada's digital camera. Worried that the culprit would hurt his friends again, Makoto then rushes to warn Kyoko and the others about the new threat, only to find an injured Hifumi instead. Once again, trying to find the others so that they would be informed of recent events, Makoto wanders around and discovers Taka's corpse lying on the floor.
After a period of investigating, a class trial begins with accusations against Yasuhiro Hagakure, who was the primary suspect. The debates go on and slowly, Makoto uncovers the truth and reveals that Celeste is the culprit of the murder. After saying the reasons why she killed their classmates, Makoto and the other students watch on as Celeste is executed.
Chapter 4 - Sakura Ogami's Role as a Mole and Her Noble Sacrifice
After the 3rd Class Trial and Celeste's execution, Makoto asked Kyoko where she disappear during their search for their absence friends, Kyoko then tells Makoto that she discovered a secret room in the men's room on the second floor. Knowing that, Makoto heads toward the secret room after the nighttime announcement.
Makoto discover that behind the supply closet, and finds shelves filled with many files and some old yearbooks which all covered in dust. Interestingly he found a files called as “Hope's Peak Academy Student Register”, the only things that isn't coated in dust. When Makoto opens the file, he find a single scrap of paper written “YOU MUST NOT LEAVE THIS PLACE”. Makoto recognizes its words, but before he can remember anything, someone who wears a mask and a lab coat attack him from behind, and it succeeds in making him lose consciousness.k
Aftermath, Makoto found that all files in the shelves, and even the single scrap of paper, were gone. But Makoto decided to rest his head and body first, so he decided to head back to his room. However, when he reach the first floor, he heard a noise in the gym and it's revealed that the noises come from the gym it's made by Sakura Ogami and Monokuma who were fighting all night and discussing about “Mole” and “Hostage”.
Makoto could feel the unease of the confrontation which he assumes that Sakura has hide something. And it's revealed later that Sakura is the mole among the groups. Sakura commit suicide to prevent the dispute among the groups. And her sacrifice was not in vain as the others stop fighting each other.
Chapter 5 - The 16th Student, Mukuro Ikusaba And Another False Allegation
After witnessing his friends falling one by one, executed and murdered, Makoto vowed to his late classmates that he would find the clue to escape this nightmare so that their deaths would not be in vain, while avenging them by finding the real culprit behind the inhumane game.
While in his sleep, Makoto is suddenly attacked by a masked figure but is saved by Kyoko. Before he checked the school for more mysteries, Makoto finally found the perpetrator who was almost responsible for his assassination, only to find them dead.
During the investigations, Makoto also found the control room, only accessed by Monokuma and decides to investigate. Later he realized that Monokuma is much like a mass-produced robot and he is indeed surprised that all the commotion they had been through were.
As the clues pointed to Kyoko, Makoto refused to accuse her of the murder. This decision sadly didn't help him at all as he is assumed to be the murderer of Mukuro instead. Even with his plead for innocence, the execution is already going underway by Monokuma as he has been voted guilty even though he didn't commit the murder.
Rescued by Alter Ego
In the middle of his execution, Makoto is suddenly rescued by Alter Ego, who he thought destroyed as the replacement for Sakura's “execution”. Alter Ego was able to hack into the system (Thanks to Makoto hooking the AI up to the school's data server earlier) and rescue Makoto by stopping the slammer and opening a hole beneath him that sent him to the basement. Having escaped death, Makoto wakes up in the basement and decides to conserve his energy.
Makoto is later awoken by Kyoko falling into the basement to rescue him. She ends up using the Master Key she found in the principal's office and they both make their way back up by climbing a tall ladder. On the way up, Kyoko tells Makoto that she remembers parts of her past and who she is. She then reveals her identity as the “Ultimate Detective”, and informs him that she came here to find her father, the principal, who abandoned her when she was a child.
Chapter 6 - Miracle Return and Tensed Rivalry with Real Junko Enoshima
Prior to his miraculous return with Kyoko, Makoto is reunited with the other students (In the game, the other students still think that Makoto was responsible of killing Mukuro until he and Kyoko convinced them that it was a trap created by Monokuma, who was in fact the true killer; In the anime, however, the other students realized that Makoto was innonent, as well Monokuma being the true killer and breaking his own rules, when Alter Ego saved Makoto from his execution.
This caused them to feel guilty for not trusting Makoto and nearly killing him for a crime he didn't commit. However, Makoto forgives them, saying that it was Monokuma's fault for breaking the rules and trying to make them all despair).
Kyoko then explains on his behalf that the trial was restarted due to some circumstances (basically thanks to Kyoko's sharp retaliation over Monokuma's taunts). Throughout the course of the investigation, Makoto learns about their past via the DVD and is confused that all of the students, including himself, agree to stay in the academy during their interview with the former principal of the Hope's Peak Academy, Jin Kirigiri; began to realize that they were actually in amnesia before this sadistic game started and they had been staying in the academy for 2 years.
As the true perpetrator was revealed as the real Junko Enoshima, Makoto is surprised over reason behind Junko's sadistic survival game. During the course which almost all student were stunned over the truth; where details partially told by Genocide Jill (who knew the truth better than her other personality), only Makoto managed to analyze the course of event during his past journey in the academy, behind every offer and lure from Junko (mostly about based on despair):
- Sayaka's interpersonal reasons to frame Makoto by murdering Leon out of desperation to leave the school and save her idol group (though Leon instead retaliated and caused her plan to backfire, she then wrote Leon's name in her own blood, which was thought to be the number 11037 due to it being written backwards, as a redemption for her betrayal).
- Mondo's anxiety about his secret (his brother's death) exposure in order to keep his motorcycle gang together and accidently kill Chihiro due to his uncontrolled rage and jealousy over Chihiro's inner strength.
- Celeste's greed for the 10 billion yen so she can buy a European castle, including her fantasy about vampire butlers, would led her treachery to the group by killing both Taka and Hifumi.
- Sakura's suicide due to her position as a mole worked for Junko and caused the conflict and distrust behind the group. (Though at first, it seemed that her suicide was caused by the beatings from Hiro and Toko, as Genocide Jill, it was later revealed that the act was her last ditch effort to keep the group together from turning against each other).
At the climax of the trial, Makoto and the rest were stunned by Junko's revelation about Hope Peak Academy's true plan, which was to plant ultimate despair into the world. Junko then again twisted the rules in an attempt to bring out despair from the survivors. In that attempt, she stated that if they chose to live a life in which they can survive, then Makoto would have to be executed. Yet as persistent as always, Makoto refused to give in and tried to persuade his friends that hope exists in their hearts.
- He convinced Hiro that staying in this school, in this despair, isn't living at all. Hiro then realized that living means moving forward, even if it's hard and scary. So this rekindled his desire to leave this school and find his future.
- He convinced Hina that they aren't just living for themselves, but also for their deceased friends. Hina then realized that Sakura, her deceased friend, would say that living means going against despair and walking through hardship. So this made her make up her mind.
- He convinced Byakuya that the Togami Family never succumb to despair and he, as its heir, must rebuild it as many times as he can without giving up. Byakuya realized that the Togami Family isn't dead since he is still alive. So this made him decided to keep his word and have the mastermind, Junko, defeated and dead (he also added that he isn't doing this for Makoto, though it is probably a lie).
- In the game, Jill said to him that she doesn't care wheither she stays here or leaves; so as long as Byakuya comes with them. In the anime, Jill decided to leave as well after seeing Byakuya convinced to leaving the school and ending the mastermind's life.
- He convinced Kyoko that her father never gave up nor give in to despair and if there is no hope, then they'll become the new hope. Kyoko realized that her father would never sacrifice Makoto so he can stay and survive. So this made her realize that even though they are related only by blood, it doesn't mean she can not understand her father. She also realized and revealed that Makoto has the ability to defeat the Ultimate Despair, thus making him the Ultimate Hope.
With his classmates' solid support around him, Makoto managed to defeat Junko, leading her to execute herself in her very own special punishment (The Ultimate Punishment), which then resulted in her 'death', leaving the survivors finally free from the strings of the once sadistic game.
Their torments finally over, Makoto then opens the door that led to the exit while beginning to wonder if his doubts and insecurities remain in his mind after his gruesome journey in the academy. In his heart however, Makoto remarks that as long he refuses to give in, hope will be spread throughout the world and as long he wields hope, he would make the impossible possible. With that, Makoto, with the six survivors who survived the incident, joined the Future Foundation.
Ultra Despair Girls
Island Life of Mutual Killing
During the last trial, Monokuma summoned a fake Makoto to led the students to choose the "graduation" so AI Junko's could succeed her plan to create her "EnoshimaLand."
However, Hajime knew that that "Makoto" was the fake one and later the real one returned as a Future Foundation member, along with Kyoko and Byakuya. He went to Jabberwock Island to save the remaining students, and to activate the Forced Shutdown.
Execution
- Main Article: After School Lesson
Alternate Execution
Makoto is put into a large barrel and Monokuma closes the lid. When he was about to escape, a sword came in from the exterior and grazes his face. While Makoto was shocked with fear, more and more swords are thrust into the barrel. The barrel is wobbling in the beginning, but after a number of swords, it stopped moving. Monokuma peeked into the barrel and closes it hastily. He runs away and the screen blacks out. This execution is only shown in the Official Fanbook.
Relationships
Sayaka Maizono
Prior to entering Hope's Peak Academy, Makoto and Sayaka attended middle school together and didn't have much of a friendship due to them being in different social standards. Sayaka later reveals that she always meant to talk to Makoto since witnessing him nursing an injured crane back to health after it got lost and stuck in the pool at their school. Unfortunately, they ended up graduating without ever having contact.
In high school, Sayaka recognized Makoto immediately and befriended him. A mutual attraction formed between the two and she even considered herself to be his "sidekick". He admired her very much and silently remarked on her beauty everytime she smiled. They trusted one another, and she admitted that she would go to dangerous lengths so she can protect and defend her idol members.
After receiving the alarming video which showed her friends disbanding the idol group and laying on the stage in distress, Sayaka had an emotional breakdown. Makoto was quick to comfort her, promising to get her out of the school no matter what it took. Makoto cared for her enough to let her borrow his room when she was scared of sleeping in her own. The next morning of her absence, Makoto goes looking for her worried about the condition she was in. Upon finding her dead in his bathroom, devastated, he lets out a loud scream and faints.
After finding out the facts from the class trial, and knowing that Sayaka took advantage of his caring actions and tried to frame him, Makoto feels betrayed. However, he still mourns her death as she was his close friend. Kyoko comforts Makoto and exposes that its most likely Sayaka wrote her dying message with Makoto in her thoughts, exposing her killer to apologize for her actions. Makoto points out that she also could have just wanted to get back on her killer. It is not revealed whether that is true or not but in his conversation with Kyoko after the trial, he quotes Sayaka one last time, calling his intuition a result of him being a psychic and then denying it as a joke after.
In the second game, Makoto used the 11037 number as a code to save the remaining students, the number which Sayaka used to save Makoto from being framed as the culprit in the first trial, Makoto later explained to Hajime Hinata the reason he set 11037 as the code because a certain person (Sayaka) left that number behind to save him from trouble, proving that Makoto believed Kyoko's theory and remembered her dearly as a friend.
Kyoko Kirigiri
The two's bond began during the events of the first case. Kyoko is the one who tells Makoto that there was more to Sayaka's murder than what everyone has been lead to believe. It is thanks to her words that he is able to solve the mystery of his late friend's death. She later comforts him about the events, saying that Sayaka was hesitating to carry out her planned deed to kill him and gave her (and subsequently him) the piece of evidence needed to solve the case.
Since then, the two have been on good terms and she aids him in the debates during cases. Makoto refers to her as a friend and wishes that she would trust him as much as he trusts her to which she begins to try and believe in others.
During the moments of the fifth trial, when Kyoko is suspected of the crime and Makoto finds a contradiction in her claim, he remain quiet, putting his faith in Kyoko. This lead to him being found guilty of the crime in question.
Makoto is forced to undergo a punishment, but is saved thanks to Alter Ego. She realizes that she was only concerned for herself rather than the safety of the only person that trusted her. Because of this, she risks her life to save him. This coupled with other subtle hints indicate that she has romantic feelings for him.
It is hinted in the novel, Danganronpa IF that Makoto had a crush on Kyoko before their memories were erased, when Junko asked Mukuro if she had taken care of her rival in love, Kyoko.
His Family
Before enrolling in Hope's Peak Academy, Makoto lived a normal life with his family.
Quotes
- “Ah, that's right. Someone mentioned this before -- What's up with this situation?! What's the meaning of all this?!”
- “Being able to touch a body without any reserve… I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get used to it, no matter how many times I have to do it…”
- “Are you sure you aren’t telling me just because I don’t have your trust…?”
- “Eh…? Are you sure it’s alright, disturbing the crime scene like that?”
- “No, I’ll definitely figure it out…!”
- “What the hell are you saying…! This is all your fault…!” (to Monokuma)
- “NO, THAT'S WRONG!”
- “I'VE GOT IT!”
- “NOW I UNDERSTAND!”
- “HERE'S MY ANSWER!”
- “THIS SHOULD PROVE IT!”
- “THE KILLER IS... YOU!”
- “HERE'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED!”
- “I think... I like bears best.”
- “You want to see the bodies? That doesn't sound like something a lady would say.”
- “Sayaka, you need to calm down!” (to Sayaka Maizono)
- “After all, my only redeeming quality is my optimism.”
- “Then promise me something. If at any point you think it will become dangerous, just let it go.”
- “You're wrong! I believe in you, Kyoko! That's why I want you to trust me too.” (to Kyoko Kirigiri)
- “DON'T LOSE HOPE NOW!”
- “HOPE KEEPS GOING!”
- “She doesn't yearn for any kind of future at all... She fills every person she meets with despair!” (talking about Junko Enoshima)
- “What I believe is not their past, but their futures!”
- “No matter what you do to me...I will never fall into despair!” (to Junko)
- “At least...this wasn't the ending prepared for them. This was...the ending they created.” (talking about the Remnants of Despair)
- “Even if there's the smallest possibility... They're still trying to create that future for themselves... In their eyes, that is the future.”
- “They've accepted their hopes and their despair, and they're trying to create their own future... Maybe, for people like that, miracles and inevitable, don't you think?”
- “We...must create our own futures, too.”
Trivia
- Naegi means “seedlings” in Japanese, and Makoto means “faithfulness”.
- This could reference how he spreads hope to everyone, similar to how Junko tried to plant “seeds of despair”.
- According to a 25-page booklet included with the first DVD for the anime, it is revealed that Makoto wasn't the first chosen for his year to be Ultimate Lucky Student, but rather events pertaining to his bad luck led to another draw occurring.
- The official reload artbook reveals that A Man's Fantasy is his favorite free time present. A Man's Fantasy is an easter egg present which allows Makoto and the other male cast members to peek at the girls taking a bath.
- Due to an error in the first game, after being given the title "Ultimate Hope" near the end of the game, his e-handbook profile lists his title as "Ultimate Despair".
- Makoto's seiyuu, Megumi Ogata, also voiced Nagito Komaeda in the second game.
- Makoto's English voice actor, Bryce Papenbrook, voices Nagito as well.
- He is the only character to retain his original voice actor from the game for the English dub of Danganronpa's anime adaptation.
- The "gas mask symbol" on the back of his hood has some meanings:
- In Ultra Despair Girls, Makoto likes Curry and trendy things and he dislikes dried pickled horse mackerel and dried tofu.
- Makoto's blood type is A.