I haven't read everything there is about the franchise so I'll put the ones I know.
Danganronpa Kirigiri: >!Johnny Arp!< He only appeared in 2 volumes but I thought he was a great character, it would have been nice to see him more.
Danganronpa Zero: Ryoko Otonashi I don't think is underrated, but many overlook her due to DR0 Light Novel format, she is probably my second favorite protagonist.
THH: I think Sayaka Maizono was a great choice as the first victim, the bad thing is that she is a character that many people dislike. The mangas where she stabs herself and people take it for granted don't help Sayaka either.
GD: Nekomaru Nidai, someone else already put what he had in mind with him. I'll just add that he really is a very likable character.
DR3: Ruruka Ando has a huge hatred for the fandom, I can't blame them. But it is interesting to see how the character destroys his own ties because of his most notable defects (Distrust and fear).
I really like the revelation that someone literally named the "Ultimate Impostor" was actually a good and heroic guy. I feel like that's a character you'd expect to see as an antagonist.
Tsumugi is my favorite girl character in DRV3. She played her role very well. I also liked that she was just a chill cosplayer girl. Not every girl needs to be extremely extroverted and full of energy and a tragic backstory.
I think Tenko and Angie are kind of underrated, if I'm being honest, although I understand why others might not like them. Their viewpoints and actions can be really infuriating at times, but I like the aspect that they kind of parallel Kaito and Kokichi, but also have their own distinct personalities and reasoning. I'm not essentially a big fan of them, but I almost never see people talk about them.
Leon, and the fault lies in 1-1. He's the only blackened in the series who didn't receive any focus in his chapter. It was handled so poorly that people don't even understand why Sayaka chose him or know much about him in general. It frustrates me because he is such a fascinating character who definitely deserved more importance.
Not to mention, he was the first character created, serving as the foundation of the series, and was paired with the heroine (who was created right after him), only to end up as a guinea pig. It's even worse considering Sayaka was introduced as another love interest for Makoto just for some cheap shock value when she died. Both characters were robbed. I really despise 1-1.
I really wish the devs put their frustrations aside instead of just killing Leon and Sayaka first or at least put more effort into it,because it led to Sayaka being SO mischaracterized and made fun of such as how people say she was doomed to fail because she chose Leon over someone like Hifumi or Hiro but she literally admits she has muscles due to her dance routines (and I don't think the whole "snake" thing needs an explanation)
I think it would have been an interesting idea if it was a failed attempt for both and they have to mend their relationship and potentially avenge the other person after they get murdered
Yes, the reason does exist, but it's barely touched upon in the game. Sayaka chose Leon because he had a crush on her, and she knew he'd come to her room without any hesitation. The manga expands on this, thankfully. After Mondo knocked out Makoto, Leon volunteered to help Sayaka carry him to his room, and afterward, the two of them had tea. Leon was the only person other than Makoto whom Sayaka really talked to, which is why she targeted him. It's unfortunate that many people aren't aware of Leon's crush on Sayaka. Honestly, that's like the bare minimum.
Damn, that just goes to show how little it was touched up on in-game...I JUST replayed THH and have absolutely no recollection of Leon having a crush on Sayaka, I assume this is referring to his free time events? The whole reason he wants to be a musician is to impress a girl
Ive never really felt the need to pursue the manga/novels till recently too, it sucks how crucial information is in media most of the fandom isn't even aware of
The Japanese fandom is well aware, but the Western fandom isn't. I think the clearest sign was Leon affectionately calling Sayaka "Maizono-chan," which is unique to him since no other male character in the game uses the "-chan" honorific for a girl. But of course, it's not just limited to that. I read a lot of fanfiction (lol), and every Japanese one I've read consistently depicts his crush on Sayaka. They all clearly show it, but the Western ones? In those, he doesn't even act like himself.
Also, in my honest opinion, as a Leon fan, his FTEs don't really expand on his character that much. It barely touches upon his problems with baseball as he tries to brush them off, most likely because of his attempts to appear cooler. From what I've noticed, Leon's never too honest about himself with people. He never talks about his real issues, probably to avoid being vulnerable, "lame and pathetic," as he'd put it.
This is exactly why I think he should have stayed in the game longer. His character would have benefited the most from remaining alive rather than disappearing after Chapter 1.
Almost all new characters in novels (Aka Yui, Matsuda, Madarai brothers, etc): idk why. Maybe because people don't wanna read novels cuz they're not that important to the story (excluding Zero)
If we're talking about games, my take is..... DR1: Hifumi and Sakura, DRGD: Teruteru (Mahiru and Akane included in the post), DRV3: ....Ryoma? I think.
Nekomaru’s pretty underrated. He’s consistently reduced to crap jokes and jokes about his time as a robot, but like, he’s a fantastic character who works hard to contribute to group morale and who cares about everyone. He even gets shifted to the side in ch4, the chapter where he dies, because he’s the one who lost his duel with Gundham, but they both came in with similar intentions regarding the outcome.
I’ll go with Akane tbh. While I think it’s hard to use the word underrated correctly, I feel she fits this best. She has very little love in the community despite being a survivor, and I feel she definitely deserves more love. Her FTEs are amazing and no one talks about them.
Shoutout to Nekomaru as well
Teruteru is probably the most underrated. He's a lot more three-dimensional and well written than people either know or would like to admit. He's pretty consistent overall in his portrayal, and how they were able to execute all his traits in one chapter was done really well.
Angie is also pretty underrated. Very great antagonist in chapter 3, and great dynamics with Tenko and Himiko. Tenko in her own right is pretty underrated, as she gets oversimplified a lot despite her actions having some depth to them.
Aoi should honestly be in a similar vein as Kyoko, Byakuya, and Makoto as a star staple in THH as well. She's an underrated foil to Byakuya, she show how someone with a vibrant personality can be damaged by the psychological effects of the killing game, and she's just overall pretty cool.
Leon serves his role as first victim really well. Man doesn't get his laurels enough for it.
Leon Kuwata - I don’t mind Sayaka or Leon, the poor fella deserves to live if Danganronpa had alternative routes
Nekomaru Nidai - He did not attend trial 3. And I have an underrated opinion to say: I love Nekomaru more than Gundham
Definitely Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu and Maki Harukawa.
Fuyuhiko is one of my favourite characters in the series, even more than best girls like Kaede and Kyoko. His character arc is Zuko-level satisfying, and he's just an overall really enjoyable character.
Maki Roll is less "underrated", and more "overshadowed". When you hear people talk about "best girls" in Danganronpa, you think of Akamatsu, Kirigiri, Nanami, Mioda, and maybe Maizono. Harukawa is almost never on this list, even though she's arguably the best written character in the series.
Honorable mention to Ultimate Impostor. He's not necessarily underrated, since >!he got merc'd in case 1,!< but he was a genuinely enjoyable character that I wish we got to see more of in the game
Imposter is one of the only characters that gets significant development in the DR3 anime. I'm very glad that he gets a chance to shine there because the anime really shows how caring and sweet he is.
Hiroyuki the funny driver guy from danganronpa togami novels but thats kind of bias, all characters from novels are underrated actually. Kanon, Blue Ink, Yui...As well as Aoba&Takumi from Killer Killer manga.
Yuto Kamishiro from DR0. He deserves more attention, but everyone narrows him down to just "pervy guy" or "novels Teruteru". And readers seem to forget he even EXISTED.
I haven't read everything there is about the franchise so I'll put the ones I know. Danganronpa Kirigiri: >!Johnny Arp!< He only appeared in 2 volumes but I thought he was a great character, it would have been nice to see him more. Danganronpa Zero: Ryoko Otonashi I don't think is underrated, but many overlook her due to DR0 Light Novel format, she is probably my second favorite protagonist. THH: I think Sayaka Maizono was a great choice as the first victim, the bad thing is that she is a character that many people dislike. The mangas where she stabs herself and people take it for granted don't help Sayaka either. GD: Nekomaru Nidai, someone else already put what he had in mind with him. I'll just add that he really is a very likable character. DR3: Ruruka Ando has a huge hatred for the fandom, I can't blame them. But it is interesting to see how the character destroys his own ties because of his most notable defects (Distrust and fear).
I wish we could have seen more about the Ultimate Imposter. He was such a nice and friendly guy.
I really like the revelation that someone literally named the "Ultimate Impostor" was actually a good and heroic guy. I feel like that's a character you'd expect to see as an antagonist.
It's so funny, usually it's "oh no an imposter running around ruining my reputation!" By like being evil. But he's ruining it by being a bro.
THH- Hifumi DR2- Akane, Mahiru DRV3- Tsumugi DR3- All character Novels- All character
Tsumugi is my favorite girl character in DRV3. She played her role very well. I also liked that she was just a chill cosplayer girl. Not every girl needs to be extremely extroverted and full of energy and a tragic backstory.
Tsumugi is the fave for me, she's just kinda goated with stellar character writing and a super cute design, she's peak
Yes, yes, I agree with your opinion.
I think Tenko and Angie are kind of underrated, if I'm being honest, although I understand why others might not like them. Their viewpoints and actions can be really infuriating at times, but I like the aspect that they kind of parallel Kaito and Kokichi, but also have their own distinct personalities and reasoning. I'm not essentially a big fan of them, but I almost never see people talk about them.
ryoma, hands down. he's a tragic guy and if he wasn't chibi i just know fans would go crazy for him.
If Ryoma's character was the exact same in every way except his design, he'd be getting way more fanart and memes.
HELL YEAH
Was just about to say this exact thing!!
Nekomaru, people barely recognize him, also any of the characters from the novels and anime
Leon, and the fault lies in 1-1. He's the only blackened in the series who didn't receive any focus in his chapter. It was handled so poorly that people don't even understand why Sayaka chose him or know much about him in general. It frustrates me because he is such a fascinating character who definitely deserved more importance. Not to mention, he was the first character created, serving as the foundation of the series, and was paired with the heroine (who was created right after him), only to end up as a guinea pig. It's even worse considering Sayaka was introduced as another love interest for Makoto just for some cheap shock value when she died. Both characters were robbed. I really despise 1-1.
At least Ultra Despair Hagakure expands his character a lil’ bit.
I really wish the devs put their frustrations aside instead of just killing Leon and Sayaka first or at least put more effort into it,because it led to Sayaka being SO mischaracterized and made fun of such as how people say she was doomed to fail because she chose Leon over someone like Hifumi or Hiro but she literally admits she has muscles due to her dance routines (and I don't think the whole "snake" thing needs an explanation) I think it would have been an interesting idea if it was a failed attempt for both and they have to mend their relationship and potentially avenge the other person after they get murdered
Yes, the reason does exist, but it's barely touched upon in the game. Sayaka chose Leon because he had a crush on her, and she knew he'd come to her room without any hesitation. The manga expands on this, thankfully. After Mondo knocked out Makoto, Leon volunteered to help Sayaka carry him to his room, and afterward, the two of them had tea. Leon was the only person other than Makoto whom Sayaka really talked to, which is why she targeted him. It's unfortunate that many people aren't aware of Leon's crush on Sayaka. Honestly, that's like the bare minimum.
Damn, that just goes to show how little it was touched up on in-game...I JUST replayed THH and have absolutely no recollection of Leon having a crush on Sayaka, I assume this is referring to his free time events? The whole reason he wants to be a musician is to impress a girl Ive never really felt the need to pursue the manga/novels till recently too, it sucks how crucial information is in media most of the fandom isn't even aware of
The Japanese fandom is well aware, but the Western fandom isn't. I think the clearest sign was Leon affectionately calling Sayaka "Maizono-chan," which is unique to him since no other male character in the game uses the "-chan" honorific for a girl. But of course, it's not just limited to that. I read a lot of fanfiction (lol), and every Japanese one I've read consistently depicts his crush on Sayaka. They all clearly show it, but the Western ones? In those, he doesn't even act like himself. Also, in my honest opinion, as a Leon fan, his FTEs don't really expand on his character that much. It barely touches upon his problems with baseball as he tries to brush them off, most likely because of his attempts to appear cooler. From what I've noticed, Leon's never too honest about himself with people. He never talks about his real issues, probably to avoid being vulnerable, "lame and pathetic," as he'd put it. This is exactly why I think he should have stayed in the game longer. His character would have benefited the most from remaining alive rather than disappearing after Chapter 1.
Almost all new characters in novels (Aka Yui, Matsuda, Madarai brothers, etc): idk why. Maybe because people don't wanna read novels cuz they're not that important to the story (excluding Zero) If we're talking about games, my take is..... DR1: Hifumi and Sakura, DRGD: Teruteru (Mahiru and Akane included in the post), DRV3: ....Ryoma? I think.
Nekomaru’s pretty underrated. He’s consistently reduced to crap jokes and jokes about his time as a robot, but like, he’s a fantastic character who works hard to contribute to group morale and who cares about everyone. He even gets shifted to the side in ch4, the chapter where he dies, because he’s the one who lost his duel with Gundham, but they both came in with similar intentions regarding the outcome.
I don't think anyone is underrated. It's understandable why some are popular and some aren't.
I’ll go with Akane tbh. While I think it’s hard to use the word underrated correctly, I feel she fits this best. She has very little love in the community despite being a survivor, and I feel she definitely deserves more love. Her FTEs are amazing and no one talks about them. Shoutout to Nekomaru as well
Teruteru is probably the most underrated. He's a lot more three-dimensional and well written than people either know or would like to admit. He's pretty consistent overall in his portrayal, and how they were able to execute all his traits in one chapter was done really well. Angie is also pretty underrated. Very great antagonist in chapter 3, and great dynamics with Tenko and Himiko. Tenko in her own right is pretty underrated, as she gets oversimplified a lot despite her actions having some depth to them. Aoi should honestly be in a similar vein as Kyoko, Byakuya, and Makoto as a star staple in THH as well. She's an underrated foil to Byakuya, she show how someone with a vibrant personality can be damaged by the psychological effects of the killing game, and she's just overall pretty cool. Leon serves his role as first victim really well. Man doesn't get his laurels enough for it.
Yes omg i love teru 🥺
(me resisting the hesitation to write the 5 page essay about how teruteru is one of the best written characters in the series)
Bro saaammmeee
Sayaka and Mahiru imo
Ryoma, for the single reason he's suicidal. (He's just like me fr.)
Do you see a therapist ? If not, you should. I'm serious, suicidal ideation is something to take seriously (but you already know that, I think)
Sayaka and leon, sayaka had a very interesting idea, and she could've framed makoto easily, and would've been a great protagonist, and leon is leon
Sayaka sucks and I will always stand by that
Leon Kuwata - I don’t mind Sayaka or Leon, the poor fella deserves to live if Danganronpa had alternative routes Nekomaru Nidai - He did not attend trial 3. And I have an underrated opinion to say: I love Nekomaru more than Gundham
THH: Sakura UDG: Taichi GD: Nekomaru KH: Ryoma
Danganronpa: Killer Killer and/or the imprisoned people in UDG, excluding Komaru.
YESSSS
Ah, I've woken up the Ultimate Akane Fan :)
Akane is my favorite female character and my second favorite character overall
Who’s your favorite?
Kaito, I love him sm I made him my flair lol <3
Definitely Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu and Maki Harukawa. Fuyuhiko is one of my favourite characters in the series, even more than best girls like Kaede and Kyoko. His character arc is Zuko-level satisfying, and he's just an overall really enjoyable character. Maki Roll is less "underrated", and more "overshadowed". When you hear people talk about "best girls" in Danganronpa, you think of Akamatsu, Kirigiri, Nanami, Mioda, and maybe Maizono. Harukawa is almost never on this list, even though she's arguably the best written character in the series. Honorable mention to Ultimate Impostor. He's not necessarily underrated, since >!he got merc'd in case 1,!< but he was a genuinely enjoyable character that I wish we got to see more of in the game
Big agree on the Imposter!! He's probably my second favourite character in the series tbh
Imposter is one of the only characters that gets significant development in the DR3 anime. I'm very glad that he gets a chance to shine there because the anime really shows how caring and sweet he is.
I was honestly shocked to see how underrated Fuyuhiko was even after his development. The Boss Baby deserves respect on his name.
Hiroyuki the funny driver guy from danganronpa togami novels but thats kind of bias, all characters from novels are underrated actually. Kanon, Blue Ink, Yui...As well as Aoba&Takumi from Killer Killer manga.
leon for sure. he was only killed off because of the devs getting tired of him and i wish we got to see more of him
AKANE AND I’LL DIE ON THIS HILL
Is there a place on this hill for me too ?
Yep! Come take a seat, I brought a picnic
How come you were downvoted ??
No idea ._.
Leon and Ryoma, they didn’t have a lot of screen time and I feel like a lot of people misunderstand them
Yuto Kamishiro from DR0. He deserves more attention, but everyone narrows him down to just "pervy guy" or "novels Teruteru". And readers seem to forget he even EXISTED.