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Santa Shikiba (色葉 田田田) is a minor character mentioned in Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, and later appears in the sound novel titled Kirigiri Sou. He is the Ultimate Botanist (超高校級の「植物学者」chō kōkō kyū no “shokubutsu gakusha” lit. Super High School Level Botanist).

Appearance
Santa wears a white lab coat over a plain pink shirt, long light-brown pants and white boots. The collar of his coat is adorned with a 5-petal flower-shaped pin. The lower half of his black hair is trimmed while the upper half is shaped like two horns on both sides of his scalp - giving his hair the shape of the letter "U". He also has a widow's peak and a round nose.

Santa's official art shows him holding two blooming sakura branches.

Personality
According to himself, Makoto is a very ordinary person, to the point that he feels a bit insecure about it. He does have one distinguishing feature, however, and that is his unusual optimism.

Ultimate Botanist
Santa is the Ultimate Botanist

In other languages
Makoto's talent as it appears in official translations of Danganronpa material.

Keen Intellect
Throughout the series, Makoto has proven to be quite intelligent noticing contradictions in peoples testaments that both Byakuya and Kyoko missed. He was able to decipher Kyosuke's NG code based on the fact he hasn't opened a door since the killing game began. Makoto then went on to use this NG Code to his advantage, setting up a plan to trap Kyosuke so that he can speak with him and subsequently convinced him to join his side.

Prior to the Tragedy
Makoto lived a normal life with his parents and little sister, Komaru. They also had a dog during his childhood. Although sometimes he didn't get along with his sister, he had a close relationship with Komaru. The two watched TV and shared thoughts on manga together.

In a typical day with Makoto and his family, his mother would always watch the same talk show at lunchtime, and his dad wouldn't shave his beard on Saturday when he didn't have work.

In middle school, Makoto was in the same class with Sayaka Maizono. He found a lost crane and rescued it; this act of kindness caught her attention, and that was how she remembers him even years later. It's implied that Makoto had a crush on her, but they never talked due to them being in different social standards. Later, he went to Dusk High School.

Makoto had normal school, normal friends, and a normal family. He was pretty much the textbook example of a normal high school student.

Makoto was selected to attend Hope's Peak Academy's Class 78th through winning a random lottery, and on August 20, 2010 (2013 in the anime), Makoto visited a forum and looked up information about his future classmates.

During the Tragedy
Makoto lived in the Academy happily, spending his happy times together for around one year until The Tragedy occurred. During The Tragedy, Jin planned to seal the school building and let the students live forever inside the Academy in order to protect them from the destruction. His plan was agreed by Makoto and the rest of the 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.

The True Ultimate Despair took away the Class 78th's school memories so they could participate in the Killing School Life.

Chapter 4 - All●Star●Apologies
After the 3rd Class Trial and Celestia's execution, Makoto asked Kyoko where she disappeared to during their search for their absent 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 discovers that behind the supply closet and finds shelves filled with many files and some old yearbooks, all covered in dust. Interestingly he found a file known as “Hope's Peak Academy Student Register”, the only things that isn't coated in dust. When Makoto opens the file, he finds 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 attacks him from behind and succeeds in making him lose consciousness.

In the aftermath, Makoto found that all the files in the shelves, and even the single scrap of paper, are gone. But Makoto decided to rest his head and body first, so he decided to head back to his room. However, when he reaches the first floor, he hears a noise in the gym and it's revealed that the noises were made by Sakura Ogami and Monokuma who were fighting all night, discussing about “Mole” and “Hostage”.

Makoto could feel the unease of the confrontation which he assumes that Sakura has hidden something; it's revealed later that Sakura is the mole among the groups. Sakura commits suicide to prevent the dispute among the groups. And her sacrifice was not in vain as the others stop fighting each other.

Chapter 5 - 100 Mile Dash; Pain of a Junk Food Junkie
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 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 that person 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 plea for innocence, the execution is already going underway by Monokuma as Makoto has been voted guilty even though he didn't commit the murder.

In the middle of his execution, Makoto is suddenly rescued by Alter Ego, who he and the others thought were 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.

Relationships

 * Family:

Komaru Naegi
Komaru is Makoto's little sister. Being one of the closest people to him, Makoto loves her dearly, which is proved when she is chosen as Makoto's Captive. They are also slightly similar as siblings, as they both have the same ahoge. According to Komaru, the two watch TV together, as well as share thoughts on manga they share with each other. She's also mentioned that they did argue quite a bit, which is a rather common occurrence between siblings.

When the Tragedy began, Makoto was separated from his sister and forced to participate in the Killing School Life. In an attempt to persuade the participants to kill someone, Monokuma gives them videos showing the people they cared about most get hurt or killed. In Makoto's video, Komaru and their parents were in their home congratulating him on getting into Hope's Peak Academy but suddenly disappear from their place on the couch, which has been destroyed as well as their home. Makoto was terrified, now believing that Komaru and their parents were dead, and was desperate to get out. However, when he learns Komaru is alive, he was greatly relieved and ecstatic to see his sister again. He was a bit disappointed when she informs him that she would be staying in Towa City.

Makoto is once again contacted by Komaru during the Final Killing Game. Makoto almost despairs when he learns from Komaru that one of his friends would die because of him, but Komaru reminds Makoto that he has to stay alive so he could pick her up. This gives Makoto hope, knowing that his sister and friends were supporting him, and proudly takes notice of Komaru's growth. Although Makoto does not get a chance to tell her, he swears that he will pick Komaru up after his battle ends.

After the battle ends, Makoto supposedly reunites with his sister (although this is not shown on screen), who assists him and his fellow survivors in rebuilding Hope's Peak Academy.

His Parents
Before enrolling in Hope's Peak Academy, Makoto lived a normal life with his parents and Komaru. They are the people closest to him. This is proven when the mastermind selects them as his Captives, as well as when they are used in Killing Among Loved Ones in an attempt to motivate Makoto to kill. His parents' status is currently unknown.


 * Class 78th:

Kyoko Kirigiri
While their relationship during their school years is a bit unclear, in Danganronpa IF it's stated that Makoto had a crush on Kyoko and Junko described her as Mukuro's "rival in love" due to Mukuro's secret crush on him. However, it's not mentioned how she felt about him. Since Makoto is originally shown interested in Sayaka, this seems to imply that at some point his affections turned towards Kyoko (regardless, he and Sayaka are shown to be close friends in Danganronpa 3). In a high school picture, Makoto seems to be looking at Kyoko and Sayaka while their class was out swimming.

After they were brainwashed, 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 had been led to believe. It is thanks to her words that he was 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, Makoto finds a contradiction in her claim. However, he remains quiet, putting his faith in Kyoko. This later leads 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. She then showed him her scarred hands, which is a great sign of trust from her, as she states that she only shows her hands to people she considers as important as family. This is coupled with other subtle hints that indicate that she has romantic feelings for him.

After joining Future Foundation, Kyoko becomes Makoto's leader. Makoto constantly makes sure Kyoko doesn't overdo her tasks and Kyoko, in return, states she'll use her powers to protect Makoto. Kyoko continues to admire his optimism, and Makoto, in turn, admires her 'cool' personality and considers her the person who has kept him alive.

In Danganronpa 3, it becomes much more evident that the two have feelings for each other, especially notable in Makoto's shyer behavior and tendency to blush more often. During the collaboration game of Danganronpa 3 and Guns Girl Z, when Kyoko is accused of being so stoic that even Makoto can't find her cute, he then a bit shyly but firmly points out that he does in fact find her quite cute, which surprises her and makes her blush. During the killing game, when Makoto overhears Kyoko talking about him with Ryota Mitarai, Makoto blushes, embarrassed by Kyoko's small speech while Kyoko coughs awkwardly after realizing he heard her. At one point, Kyoko takes off her gloves and holds his hand to comfort him, and Makoto is also seen mimicking Kyoko's thinking posture at one point. In the Otomedia magazine, Makoto is asked who is the first person that comes to his mind when he thinks about autumn. He answers Kyoko, since she is cool, but also has a really warm and gentle side. He then nervously tries to explain that he doesn't mean that in a weird way and tries to change the topic by stating that coincidentally her birthday is in October. This makes it seem even more suspicious, and he defends himself by stating that of course he would remember his own friend's birthday... only to fail to name Yasuhiro's one when questioned and nervously laughing that he may have forgotten. Aoi also appears to be very much aware that the two like each other, grinning widely after Kyoko's speech and later looking at the two while smiling knowingly, seemingly supportive of them.

However, Makoto ends up unintentionally triggering Kyoko's NG code in the Final Killing Game, as her NG code was passing the fourth time limit with him alive. Makoto was shocked and very much saddened by her supposed death, blaming himself for letting her die. However, her last words of encouragement to him seemed to give Makoto just a little bit of hope and her supposed death fueled him determination to bring an end to the Final Killing Game. Although he tried to act strong about Kyoko's demise, Makoto is seen crying about her when alone, while remembering his memories with her by his side. After he was brainwashed, he hallucinated the "ghosts" of Kyoko and Sayaka. Sayaka's ghost has been confirmed to represent his first love, implying that Kyoko is his current love. When Makoto had a confrontation with Kyosuke it is insinuated by him that Makoto was in love with her. While trying to persuade him to help him, Makoto tearfully tells him that if Kyoko had fallen into despair, and he had no choice but to kill her, he would still be happy to have met her.

After Mikan revived Kyoko, Makoto was very happy to see her. Makoto and Kyoko are last seen running the rebuilt Hope's Peak Academy together.

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.

It's heavily implied that Makoto had a crush on Sayaka since middle school. This appears to be a bit naive first crush, as he doesn't actually know her at that point, but admires her from afar. He thinks Sayaka is very beautiful and, based on Makoto Naegi Secret File, he enjoyed watching her performances after she became an idol. After meeting with each other in high school, they seem to have become close friends, and are seen talking together in Danganronpa 3 - Despair Arc. Also, in one of their high school pictures, Makoto seems to be looking at Sayaka while their class was out swimming.

During the Killing School Life, Sayaka recognized Makoto immediately and befriended him. A mutual attraction formed between the two and she even considered herself to be his "assistant". He admired her very much and silently remarked on her beauty every time she smiled. They trusted one another, and she admitted to him 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, he was devastated, letting out a loud scream and fainting in shock.

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 over her death as she was his close friend. Kyoko comforts Makoto and tells him that it's 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 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. This is most likely due to the fact that Makoto regained his memories, and remembered his relationship with Sayaka.

In the anime version of the first game, Makoto is often seen blushing in Sayaka's company and the relationship chart confirms his crush on her. However, the chart does not mention her liking him back, while it's been implied that she does. In Danganronpa IF, it's stated that Makoto had a crush on Kyoko, implying that his feelings for Sayaka changed for some reason during their school years. Regardless, the two are shown to be at least very close friends in Danganronpa 3 - Despair Arc.

In Danganronpa 3 - Future Arc, Sayaka's "ghost" appeared to Makoto alongside Kyoko's "ghost", after he was brainwashed and about to commit suicide. According to Sayaka's voice actress, her appearance was supposed to represent "a guy thinking of his first love right before his death", and thus she was not portrayed with a scary voice.

In Danganronpa V3 bonus mode Ultimate Talent Development Plan, Sayaka cooks a dish for Makoto, which he enjoys. They then talk about the old days and want to spend more time together.

Aoi Asahina
Although not sharing any kind of close relationship with Aoi when they first met, Makoto becomes close friends with her during their time together at Hope's Peak. During one of her Free Time events, Aoi requests that Makoto act as her fake boyfriend so she can practice when she gets a real one. Their closeness is also shown when Aoi is shown feeling guilty over having executed Makoto and she seems happy when he forgives her.

As members of the Future Foundation, the two have grown considerably closer. Makoto makes sure Aoi doesn't overdo things while Aoi frequently tells him that everything is okay. When Makoto is arrested for betraying the Future Foundation, Aoi (along with Kyoko) helps defend him, and she also helps him escape from Kyosuke when the latter tries to kill him. Makoto gives Aoi hope after she despairs at the fact that they must start a new round of killing.

Makoto remains with Aoi throughout most of the Final Killing Game, and she helps him escape from Kyosuke and Juzo numerous times. Makoto constantly relies on Aoi, and is thankful for the help she has given him. Despite this, Makoto worries for her safety, particularly when she attempts to fight Juzo despite being at a disadvantage due to her NG code.

Makoto and Aoi have been shown to understand one another when deaths or murders occur, even since the Killing School Life. Makoto's understanding of Aoi's emotional side is ultimately what allowed him to thwart her plans to have them executed in Chapter 4. During the Final Killing Game, when Kyoko supposedly dies, Aoi fears that Makoto would become reckless and hurt himself, despite Makoto assuring her that he wouldn't let their friend's sacrifice go to waste.

The two also comfort each other when these events occur. When Kazuo is murdered by Kyosuke, Aoi gives Makoto support and gives him hope just as he did her. After his conversation with Komaru, Makoto realizes that they may have reminded Aoi of her deceased brother, Yuta, who was Aoi's Captive and thus the person closest to her prior to The Tragedy. He appeared to want to comfort his friend, however he was unable to do so as they were interrupted by Miaya revealing her robotic nature.

During the Final Killing Game, some of Aoi's expressions indicate that she knows Makoto and Kyoko like each other, and she appears silently very happy for them.

After the events of The Tragedy have been resolved, Makoto, Aoi, and their fellow survivors decide to rebuild Hope's Peak Academy together.

Byakuya Togami
Makoto thought of Byakuya's talent as exceptional, due to his status as the Ultimate Affluent Prodigy. Byakuya often acted coldly towards Makoto, starting at their introductions, similarly to everyone else, which Makoto disliked, albeit not openly. Despite this, Makoto acted friendly to Byakuya, similarly to everyone else, keeping his negative comments to himself.

During Byakuya's Free Time events, when Makoto explained his talent to Byakuya, he thought of Makoto as a boring commoner, something which Makoto saw as going too far. Makoto tried to understand Byakuya, and he realized that that they were worlds apart. He tried, unsuccessfully, to teach Byakuya that living a normal life was alright with him. Similarly, Byakuya used Makoto to try to find out the mentality of the 99%. He offered him a $550,000 salary, as a part of a test to understand and see if his belief of being happy with what he had was true or not, and was surprised when he rejected it, but said the thought of Makoto being his secretary made him feel ill. In the end, Byakuya disliked Makoto's philosophy, but was willing to talk to him about his past, but stated they would never be friends. Makoto realized they were worlds apart, but began to understand him.

During Chapter 2, Byakuya assisted Makoto with finding evidence for the murder of Chihiro, though it was later revealed that it was used for Byakuya's entertainment and to help figure out who was a threat to Byakuya's plans, to which Byakuya identified Makoto as.

In Chapter 5, after Byakuya resolved to defeat the mastermind, he became less cold towards Makoto, such as being more willing to give him information and warning him about the dangers of protecting Kyoko during the fifth trial.

During the final class trial, Makoto helped rescue Byakuya from Junko's despair. Although Byakuya states he didn't need Makoto's encouragement, he was most likely lying.

In Danganronpa 2, Byakuya cooperated with Makoto's plan, agreeing to rescue to remnants of despair and Byakuya respected Makoto's decision.

In Danganronpa Another Episode, Byakuya says to Komaru, that she reminds him of Makoto when Byakuya first met Makoto, indicating Byakuya respects Makoto more after the events of Danganronpa.

In Danganronpa 3, Byakuya tells Makoto that he "was as tough as a cockroach, and as hard to kill", and that he wouldn't want them to be enemies. Aoi suggested that Byakuya was trying to make Makoto feel better, as the latter was thrown into another killing game.

Toko Fukawa
Makoto finds it difficult to talk to Toko, mostly because of her antisocial nature and the fact that Toko can be very accusative. Toko has expressed dislike for Makoto, saying she disapproves of him, but sometimes thinks of him as reliable. Makoto and Toko survive the Killing School Life together, and become members of the Future Foundation (although Toko is not an official member).

Yasuhiro Hagakure
A fellow survivor of the Killing School Life and member of the Future Foundation. Makoto is visibly the nicest to Yasuhiro out of all their fellow survivors, but often finds his eccentric personality confusing.

Leon Kuwata
During his free-time events, he shared a lot of things with Makoto and even invited him for a baseball match after they escaped the academy. However, it never came true as Leon was executed at the end of the first trial. Makoto himself didn't hold a grudge against Leon for killing Sayaka, because he felt that the one at fault was Monokuma.

Mondo Owada
Byakuya provoked Mondo to become enraged, Makoto tried to stop Mondo from doing something rash and ended up being punched by Mondo when trying to intervene. Mondo later apologized for his short-tempered actions showing he holds no disdain towards Makoto.

When Sayaka was murdered, Mondo assumed Makoto to be the killer due to the murder happening in his dorm room without considering other evidence, showing he did not fully trust Makoto by this point.

Mondo and Kiyotaka have an argument about who has the greater strength and challenge each other to an endurance contest in the sauna. Mondo requests Makoto to be their witness in order to have a fair contest showing that he now may trust Makoto more after the events of the first class trial in which his innocence was proved.

During Mondo's Free Time events he requested Makoto come riding with his gang after they escape Hope's Peak Academy. Makoto is unsure if it would be safe and Mondo stated Makoto could ride with him on his motorcycle, showing that he trusts Makoto and sees him as a close friend. Mondo also talks to Makoto exclusively about his indecisiveness over his career path, something that he stated he would share with no one else which presents the development of their friendship.

In Chihiro's final free time event, Makoto recommended Mondo as his trainer.

Makoto is able to discover Mondo to be the culprit of Chihiro's murder and upon hearing Mondo's reasons for killing Chihiro, Makoto started to feel guilty and was deeply upset when Mondo is sentenced to be executed.

Kiyotaka Ishimaru
Kiyotaka seems to regard Makoto in a friendly manner, or at least respectfully as a fellow classmate and student. In Kiyotaka's Free Time Events, their relationship deepens when Makoto manages to help Kiyotaka and his social skills with making friends, to which Kiyotaka responds by giving him the title of "Professor", much to Makoto's discomfort. Eventually Kiyotaka comes to call Makoto a friend, and even entrust him with the knowledge of his grandfather, Toranosuke Ishimaru, and why he hates geniuses.

Sakura Ogami
Originally, Makoto was very afraid of Sakura, due to her reputation as a martial artist and imposing figure, but they eventually bonded during the killing game.

Sakura put a great deal of trust in Makoto, telling him about her past and her boyfriend Kenshiro. Makoto, in turn, told Sakura to be patient until they escaped and to embrace her femininity. Sakura stated that Makoto reminds her of Kenshiro in some ways.

Chihiro Fujisaki
Chihiro was good friends with Makoto and stated that talking to him made him feel better. Makoto, in turn, told Chihiro to become stronger and to feel better about himself. In a free-time event it is revealed that Makoto is partially responsible for Chihiro's death as he is the one who recommended that Chihiro train with Mondo to become stronger. Despite their closeness, Chihiro never told Makoto that he was a boy in the actual story. However, he does so in School Mode.

In Danganronpa V3 bonus mode Ultimate Talent Development Plan, during a Sports Festival Event, Makoto seeks out Chihiro to team up for a three-legged race because they are close in height. After finding and asking to team up, Makoto reassures a worried Chihiro that he is the only one he can count on to race.

Celestia Ludenberg
Celestia seemed to be rather fond of Makoto and she was curious to see if his luck as the Ultimate Lucky Student could beat her luck as the Ultimate Gambler.

During the Free Time Events, when Celestia does her personal ranking, she ranked Makoto with C-rank, which is higher than any of her classmates. While Makoto considers Celestia a friend, he is intimidated by her luck and that she would have a person assassinated if she found them boring which led Makoto to conclude that she is a friend that he needs to be careful with.

Hifumi Yamada
During their introductions, Makoto is made very uncomfortable by Hifumi's innuendos, despite that however, Hifumi seems to view Makoto in a friendly way, even finding him worthy enough to ramble about his interests such as Princess Piggles or his fanfiction creations.

Their relationship is deepened in Hifumi's Free Time Events and in School Mode, going as far as to call Makoto his "true friend" and even getting him to agree to join him as his apprentice/historian at his studio after they escape the school.

Mukuro Ikusaba
Before the Tragedy, Makoto was friends with Mukuro in Hope's Peak Academy Class 78th, though it seems they never became very close because of her distant's personality. Makoto was the first person to ever smile at her, which led to her falling in love with him, although he seems to be unaware of this and is only known to like her as a friend. In Danganronpa Zero, she rescued him, claiming that she did it because they're classmates.

In Danganronpa IF, Makoto treated her very kindly and placed his trust in her, even after it was revealed that she was partly responsible for what had happened to Hope's Peak Academy.

Besides that, Makoto doesn't seem to see Mukuro the same way as the other Class 78th (after his memory was erased), as when he watched the brainwashing video she was not amongst the classmates that appeared before him. This could either be because he sees her, like Junko, as not a victim of the killing game, or because he simply cannot remember her image or personality due to his mindwipe, and simply doesn't feel like she died in order to facilitate the eventual escape of himself and the other survivors.


 * Ultimate Despair:

Junko Enoshima
As the Ultimate Hope, Makoto was a major enemy of Junko. In turn, she seems to be one of the few people he genuinely dislikes, as he's usually very kind and forgiving. In turn, Junko thinks out of all the students in Class 78th, Makoto seems to be the most annoying and odd person in her class.

They developed a great hatred for each other during the Mutual Killing Game. In the end with the help of his friends, he had Junko Enoshima executed. However, even in her case, he felt that she didn't need to die and tried to reason with her when she was about to execute herself.

Though dead, Junko has found ways to antagonize Makoto through her AI form.

Besides his hatred for Junko, in Danganronpa IF, after he convinced Mukuro to think outside of Junko's world, he said that he would try to convince Junko in the same way as her sister, even after it's revealed that she's the mastermind of the Killing game.

Monokuma
During the Killing School Life, Makoto feels intense hatred for Monokuma, especially after the events of Chapter 1. The two maintain a fierce rivalry throughout the Hope's Peak Series, a battle between Hope and Despair. In Danganronpa 3 - Future Arc in the Final Killing Game, Monokuma states that this will be their final battle and conclude the history of each other between the last battle of Hope and Despair.


 * Reserve Course:

Hajime Hinata
Makoto put Izuru and the other Remnants of Despair in the Neo World Program. After waking up from the program, Izuru who successfully restored his previous identity, Hajime, brought his classmates to help Makoto to prevent Ryota from using his brainwashing video. Hajime is very thankful to Makoto, because of his hope his classmates return to their original personalities before being brainwashed by Junko.


 * Future Foundation Members:

Kyosuke Munakata
Makoto is Kyosuke's most persistent obstacle in his desire to eliminate Ultimate Despair. Because of Kyosuke's position as vice-leader, he was successfully able to charge Makoto with treason against Future Foundation and continues to antagonize him. Rather than just punishing him, Kyosuke is in favor of executing Makoto alongside the Remnants of Despair.

Contrary to what his actions might imply, Kyosuke admits to Makoto that he thinks he is impressive, and not just because he was responsible for the defeat of Junko Enoshima. Kyosuke respects Makoto's charisma and determination in the face of impossible odds; both qualities that were repeatedly displayed during the broadcast of the Killing School Life. Makoto implies that they had once been friends.

Despite this, Kyosuke is consistently at odds with Makoto because their viewpoints are so different. Makoto believes solely in hope, while Kyosuke believes in power. Because of this, Kyosuke thinks that Makoto's words are hollow and meaningless, as he does not appreciate despair in the same way that he appreciates hope. In his view, Makoto's experience with the Killing Games pales in comparison to the Future Foundation's battle in a world with no laws or restrictions on the depths to which the forces of Despair can sink in order to snuff out hope. Kyosuke also fears how influential Makoto can be, as he doesn't want him convincing people that they can win against despair without fighting.

Ultimately, Kyosuke's antagonism of Makoto is a clash of ideals on how best to reverse the damage wrought on the world by Ultimate Despair. Kyosuke also states that he'll eliminate despair at all cost, even if the despair itself was someone he dearly loved. However, Makoto managed to remind him to not forget about his beloved (In this case, Chisa) and Kyosuke began to change. He agreed to ally himself with Makoto, although he still seems somewhat wary of him despite Makoto trusting him completely.

Kazuo Tengan
Originally, Makoto had a great deal of respect towards Kazuo. He was thankful to Kazuo for defending him and blamed himself after he was murdered by Kyosuke. Makoto was shocked upon discovering Kazuo had been the mastermind behind the Final Killing Game, but didn't seem to hold a grudge against him or view Kazuo as an enemy.

Great Gozu
Great Gozu admires Makoto for his optimism in the face of adversity and has thought that way ever since seeing him broadcast in the Killing School Life for the first time. He sees Makoto as the type of hope that Future Foundation needs, and fiercely protected Makoto from Kyosuke for that reason.

Juzo Sakakura
Juzo has a strong hatred for Makoto and is often unable to look at or hear his name mentioned without showing disgust. His dislike was present long before Makoto had gone against protocol and sheltered the Remnants of Despair. In Danganronpa Gaiden: Killer Killer, Juzo is shown to hate Makoto so much that he requested the former Super High School Level Make-up Artist make a fake corpse in his image, which he used to infiltrate the Killing Festival and "murdered" in order to win over the crowd. When the Make-up Artist jokingly asked if Juzo was going to fight it, he answered that Makoto wasn't worth it.

Juzo despises the fact that Makoto is labeled a "hero," and mockingly refers to him as such. He doesn't believe that he deserves to be called a hero, after all of the lives his actions have directly or indirectly sacrificed. Additional reasons for his hatred include Makoto's conflicting ideals, and the trouble that Makoto has ultimately caused for Kyosuke. However, it was eventually discovered that Juzo hated Makoto due to the fact that he is able to stand up and defeat Junko, something that Juzo himself failed to do and blames himself on.

Juzo later saves brainwashed Makoto from suicide and confesses the reasons behind his hatred. Makoto tries to tell him that Kyosuke was tricked and that's why he attempted to kill him, and later convinces Kyosuke that Juzo still cares about him and he should go to him.

Ryota Mitarai
A fellow member of the Future Foundation. Ryota greatly admired and respected Makoto for his bravery during the Killing School Life, although the two don't share any close relationship in particular.

Creation and development
From the planning stages it was decided that Makoto should not have much individuality, which made him difficult for character designer Rui Komatsuzaki to design compared to the other characters whose designs were more unique and distinct. Because the game was initially planned to be played from a third-person perspective from behind Makoto, he was designed wearing a hoodie with a distinctive decal on the hood to give players something to look at. His ahoge was added to give his hair some character, and he was deliberately made shorter than the other male characters in order to give him a ''-type image. His color scheme, though plain, were chosen because they were colors that Komatsuzaki particularly liked.

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”.
 * In DISTRUST, he is not shown to have a name. Instead, 主人公 (Protagonist) is used as a placeholder.
 * The "gas mask symbol" on the back of his hood is a reference to "Zero" from the game, "". Another existing reference to "999" was mentioned by Makoto in the end of the fourth Class Trial.
 * Makoto is the one of the few characters to survive more than one killing game. The others are Aoi, Kyoko and Hajime/Izuru.
 * Byakuya and Makoto are the only characters to appear in every canon games and anime of the Hope's Peak Series.
 * 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". This is not a translation error, as it was the same way in the Japanese text.
 * Makoto appears as a guest character in . His Max ATK is 7220 while his Max HP is 7380. His weapon is despair bat and its ability is doubled attack power. His deathblow is "Refuted", which causes small damage to all enemies within reach.
 * Makoto is also included in the collaboration of Danganronpa 3 x Hōkai Gakuen.


 * Makoto appears in Mystery Chronicle: One Way Heroics as the Ultimate Student class, being one of three designs available for it alongside Komaru and Monokuma.
 * The profile for the Ultimate Students states, You are the Ult. student. You may be the best, but you're just a student...You're not very good at close range combat. Master the various Truth Bullet (TB) skills and survive in this harsh world.
 * Makoto and Nagito share voice actors in both the Japanese and English dub. This is because Nagito's character is based on Makoto and he acts as his darker parallel.
 * Makoto is the only character to retain his original voice actor from the game for the English dub of Danganronpa anime adaptation.
 * Makoto and his sister Komaru (voiced by Megumi Ogata and Aya Uchida) perform Danganronpa Another Episode's ending theme Progressive -Zan Shin- together.

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