Kyoko Kirigiri

Kyoko Kirigiri (霧切 響子 Kirigiri Kyōko), is a student in Hope's Peak Academy's Class 78th, and a participant of the Killing School Life featured in Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc. She doesn't remember her talent at the beginning of the Killing Game, so her title is Ultimate ??? (超高校級の「???」 lit. Super High School Level ???).

Years later, she is a participant of the Final Killing Game featured in Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School with the other Future Foundation heads.

Her past as a young teenager is explored in the novel series Danganronpa Kirigiri.

Appearance
At the beginning of the Killing School Life in Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Kyoko appears to be young high school-aged teenager, but due to the memory loss she is two years older than she believed. She has purple eyes, and a pale complexion. She wears her long lavender hair down with a single braid on her left side, tied with a black ribbon.

Kyoko's outfit consists of a dark purple collared jacket with six brown buttons over a zipped up long-sleeved white blouse and brown tie with a bird-like symbol on it. She also wears a black short skirt, heeled knee-high purple boots with equally knee-high light purple socks. She notably wears custom-made black studded gloves to conceal the burn marks on her hands she received when she was still a young detective.

After joining the Future Foundation and in Danganronpa 3, Kyoko wears her hair back in a pony-tail with two parts of hair loose that go down the front of her body. Her outfit consists of a dark jacket worn over a long sleeved white blouse. She wears a brown belt, holding up a dull purple short skirt. Around her left leg she wears a brown satchel. Her shoes are heeled ankle-length boots. She still also wears her studded black gloves.

During her school years, she wore black low-rise briefs with a ribbon decoration on the side. They're described as being able to "obscure her form". They are likely a joke about how in certain parts of the game you are able to see shadows under Kyoko's skirt.

Personality
Kyoko is a stoic and mysterious girl who tends to hide her feelings. She has a calm demeanor and tends to be completely unfazed by most of the events that occur, even at the sight of a dead body. During the beginning of the game, Kyoko often keeps her distance from the other students while investigating. Prior to the investigation to find the way out with no casualties, Kyoko doesn't seem to cooperate with the other students and does most of the investigating by herself. She plays major roles in solving mysteries of the culprits in Class Trials and is also one of very few students that see things objectively and doesn't jump to conclusions in the trial, making her a valuable ally to Makoto.

Kyoko is very sensitive regarding the subject about the Hope's Peak Academy's headmaster (who later is revealed to be her own father), going as far as to even lose her cool and react with anger when Alter Ego mentioned the possibility of him being the mastermind. She also doesn't like it when people keep secrets from her, as Makoto finds out.

Behind Kyoko's stone cold personality, she seems to easily get emotionally upset, which is masked by her strong will. Even under calm situations, she sometimes lets her emotions get the best of her as shown when Alter Ego mentions her father, the former headmaster, and when Makoto refuses to tell her about Sakura Ogami's odd rivalry with Monokuma (assumed that Makoto suspected Sakura's betrayal). Furthermore, there are some moments that cause her to be visibly surprised, and she also blushes at Makoto during some rare situations. She appears to grow fond of him during the game, as she does show him her hands, after explaining that she only shows them to people she considers her family. During her Free Time Events, Kyoko says that her emotions work fine but she deliberately hides them to make herself really hard to read, but also to give others a calm and composed person to lean on.

As seen in Danganronpa 3, Kyoko has changed quite a bit, with Kazutaka Kodaka considering her development one of his favorite parts in the anime. She has become a lot more considerate of her friends and her demeanor is friendlier in their company. She is seen smiling at them and sharing physical contact, like hugging and holding hands (even taking her gloves off while holding hands with Makoto), and she trusts her friends very much. When she's with anyone but them, though, she's still very expressionless and reserved. She is also a bit sharp and annoyed in Koichi Kizakura's company. Being his boss, she is very protective of Makoto, but also admires him greatly.

In Danganronpa Kirigiri, it is revealed that many of Kyoko's emotional issues are caused by the way her grandfather raised her according to the strict family traditions. The family tradition is to take no sides in order to remain as neutral as possible, because the truth has no bias, though this tradition started during a time when being a detective was a more sacred occupation. Fuhito also refused to let Kyoko see her dying mother and even appeared to encourage Kyoko to dislike her father, as he believed that detective work comes before anything else, even a death of a family member. Notably, this was the one family tradition Kyoko didn't fully agree with. Fuhito enforced the idea that her entire sense of self is wrapped up in being a detective, giving the young girl some identity issues. He was also strictly overprotective of her, ordering her to not move outside after dark, forbid her from having a cell phone and always wanted to know what she is doing.

Ultimate Detective
Since she was a child, Kyoko has been trained as a detective by her grandfather, Fuhito. She was registered as an official detective at age 13 and her DSC number is 919. Befitting the Ultimate Detective, Kyoko is very good at analyzing clues. Kyoko can be seen as able to find the good in people's motives: for example, after the first trial (Sayaka Maizono's death), she goes to Makoto's room to tell him that she thinks that in the end, Sayaka actually wanted to make sure he didn't get the blame for her death, which is why she wrote "11037" on the wall. Another example is in the second school trial, where she points out that the broken ID card is actually Chihiro Fujisaki's. Kyoko says that Mondo Owada broke it to protect Chihiro's secret.

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

Childhood
Kyoko comes from a family of famous detectives. Her father, Jin Kirigiri, wasn't interested in being a detective, and he was kicked out of the family by his father Fuhito Kirigiri before Kyoko was even born.

Some time afterwards, Jin married a woman from Uzuchi family and they had Kyoko. It appears that when she was very young, she and her father spent some time with Jin's close friend Koichi Kizakura. After learning about her existence, Fuhito invited Jin back to the family solely because he wanted to make the girl his heir. He began strict training to make Kyoko a true detective, though Jin still very much disliked his father. When Kyoko was only 7 years old, her mother turned ill and was hospitalized when Kyoko and Fuhito were doing detective work abroad. Jin tried to contact them, but Fuhito refused to aid his family and didn't even let Kyoko see her dying mother, because to Fuhito being a detective was more important than anything else. Kyoko's mother then died, with Kyoko's last memories of her being "a white face floating above a hospital bed". Absolutely furious with his father, Jin left the family, and Fuhito encouraged Kyoko to hate him by claiming that Jin only used her mother's death as an excuse to leave the family and pursue her own dreams.

Kyoko became very close with her grandfather, Fuhito, who raised her and taught her all she currently knows in the detective business, and he protected her from anything he deemed a threat. However, Fuhito was also shown to be extremely strict in his wish to make Kyoko a perfect heir and a detective, even causing the young girl some emotional issues as Fuhito wanted her to be a detective above everything else.

Danganronpa Kirigiri
Kyoko, along with Yui Samidare, is the protagonist of the light novel Danganronpa Kirigiri.

In the novel, a 13-year-old Kyoko and 16-year-old Yui solve a case called "The Sirius Astronomical Observatory Murder Case". Her DSC number is 919.

Prior to the Tragedy
Even though her family kept their talent out of the spotlight, Kyoko publicly touted her abilities so that the Hope's Peak recruiters would notice her. She attended Hope's Peak Academy's Class 78th as the Ultimate Detective.

Episode 01 - Hello Again, Hope's Peak Academy
A picture of a young Kyoko and her father, Jin can be seen on his table in the Principal's Office.

Episode 05 - The Beginning of the End
Kyoko's picture can be briefly seen on the pile of student registration forms that her father places on his desk, along with Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Celestia Ludenberg, and Aoi Asahina.

Episode 11 - Goodbye, Hope's Peak Academy
Kyoko is seen briefly in the episode, picking out some tools with Aoi as the rest of the students of the Class 78th continue sealing the old school building, which is later used by Junko where the Killing School Life occurred.

Chapters 13-15
While attending Hope's Peak, Kyoko did investigations for her father and the Hope's Peak Academy Steering Committee. She tried to investigate Izuru Kamukura and The Tragedy of Hope's Peak Academy.

One night, a month after the incident, she plans on meeting one of the Steering Committee's members on the school's eastern quarter's courtyard to ask him questions directly. When she first contacted the man, he coldly refused to meet her, insisting that it wasn’t necessary. But once she'd procured documents concerning shady deals in his past, she found him much more open to the suggestion.

The man is late for a few minutes. As he is annoyedly about to ask why Kyoko called him, he is suddenly crushed and hit directly on the head by a falling school desk, killing him. Then, several more desks fall down, hiding the body. Kyoko notices a human figure standing atop the school building. It's Mukuro Ikusaba disguised as Junko, though Kyoko cannot tell. She tries to target Kyoko as well, but she avoids the attack and goes inside the building. She can't find the culprit and soon the body disappears as well. She decides to call her father and then goes to see him to tell him what happened. They talk about Izuru Kamukura and she tells her father to warn the Steering Committee. As Kyoko leaves, Jin tells her to be careful.

Chapters 8-9
Kyoko enters Yasuke Matsuda's Neuroscience Laboratory, looking for him. However, she only finds Ryōko Otonashi sleeping on the bed. She understands she is the amnesiac person of the rumors who has received treatment in the lab.

Kyoko investigates the room and finds a hidden storage space under the bed. She finds clothes which belonged to a deceased Steering Committee member, and she immediately understands that Yasuke is connected to the murders. She is also suspicious of him considering the murder of Sōshun Murasame.

Kyoko's investigation is interrupted when Ryōko wakes up on the bed above her. Ryōko hears the detective under the bed, assuming that she is Yasuke. Kyoko gets up and mentions that the rumors seem to be true. Ryōko doesn't understand what she means and Kyoko clarifies that Ryōko must be the amnesiac who has been having treatments. Kyoko introduces herself and when she mentions Yasuke, Ryōko asks her where he is, but she doesn't know.

Kyoko says she is looking for Yasuke as well, as she needs some information. Since Ryōko assumed Kyoko was Yasuke at first, the detective asks if he has a habit of being under the bed. Ryōko answers honestly that Yasuke told her it helps him concentrate when he is frustrated, but Kyoko says this is certainly a lie. She shows Ryōko that the bed is actually hiding a secret room. She tells Ryōko that she believes Yasuke is involved in the murder of the Steering Committee members. Ryōko tells her he would never kill anyone, but Kyoko answers she said he was involved, not that he has murdered. She then mentions the murder of Soshun Muramase, which was disguised as a suicide. Kyoko says that most likely Yasuke murdered Soshun. Hearing this makes Ryōko feel intense anxiety and she doesn't understand anything anymore. Ryōko starts to scream that it has nothing to do with her.

Suddenly, one of the Yosshiki Madarai breaks through the door.

Chapter 10
The fourth brother Yosshiki confronts Ryōko and Kyoko in Yasuke's lab. Ryōko is confused about how many times she's seen Madarai get beaten up, and Yosshiki claims once again that he, "Isshiki", is immortal. However, Kyoko calls out that Isshiki Madarai's "immortality" is apparently just a ruse, much to Yosshiki's surprise. The Brothers then choose to reveal their secret when the fifth Brother Sasshiki appears. Kyoko speaks of how the Madarai Brothers really look just like one, and the sixth Brother Rosshiki soon appears to outnumber and beat up Ryōko and Kyoko.

Ryōko is pushed out of the lab into the hallway and she is pursued by four of the Brothers, with Rosshiki remained behind in a fight with Kyoko. After Mukuro helps Ryōko, she goes to help Kyoko and kills the last brother.

During the Tragedy
Kyoko lived in the Academy for around one year until The Tragedy occurred. During The Tragedy, Jin planned to seal the school building and let the students live in the Academy forever in order to protect them from the destruction. Kyoko and the rest of the class agreed to his plan, 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. Unlike the others, Kyoko forgot her talent.

Prologue - Welcome to Despair
When Makoto attempted to introduce himself to Kyoko and asked her name, she was very secretive. She didn't reveal her talent, questioning why she should tell him. After Makoto stated she didn't have to reveal anything about herself, she said she won't, thus ending the conversation. Later, when Mondo Owada threatened Monokuma in the gymnasium, Kyoko was the only one who realized that the robotic, plush teddy bear was about to explode and told him to throw it. The Ultimate Biker Gang Leader promptly agreed to Kyoko's suggestion and threw Monokuma, who immediately self-destructed. Kyoko had effectively saved Mondo's life.

Chapter 1 - To Survive
On her first day of being trapped inside the school with her fellow classmates, and during everyone's initial investigation, Kyoko did not join the others in the dining hall until later than usual, much to Kiyotaka Ishimaru's annoyance. However, everyone grew bewildered when she revealed to have found a map of the school. Kyoko stated that they were indeed locked up inside Hope's Peak Academy, but that it was different in terms of its construction and has had many odd renovations done to it. After Monokuma had presented the first motive to everyone, Kyoko asked him why he would do something like this and what his motive was. Monokuma simply replied with "Despair. That's all".

After Sayaka Maizono was murdered and everyone checked the Monokuma File, Kyoko was one of the few students who did not immediately suspect Makoto. Kyoko investigated the scene of the crime, Makoto's room, and made many important discoveries such as his room being completely free of any hair, as well as the bathroom doorknob hanging off its hinges. When Makoto asked Kyoko about Sayaka's dying message, she told him that if he wanted to be completely convinced about the truth of this case, then he needed to solve the mystery himself, implying that she had already solved the mystery before anyone else had.

During the class trial, Kyoko is the only student who defends Makoto despite all initial evidence of the crime pointing to him. With her assistance, Makoto was successfully able to prove his own innocence. Once everyone had gotten onto the topic of how the killer entered Makoto's room (which the killer believed to be Sayaka's room due to the nameplates being swapped), Kyoko confirmed that Sayaka had lied about being scared and was actually trying to lure someone into the room with every intent to kill them. Makoto was quick to deny this claim, but with a notepad that Kyoko had discovered, she revealed that Sayaka had left a note asking someone to come to the room. Makoto was incredibly saddened to have found out that Sayaka took advantage of his trust and kindheartedness, but Kyoko reassured him and said that it would be over for all of them if they didn't figure out who the real culprit was.

After Kyoko helped everyone deduce Sayaka's dying message, Makoto was able to hone in on Leon Kuwata as the true perpetrator. Despite all of the evidence presented, Leon continued to vehemently deny the claim until Makoto asked to see his toolkit. Kyoko strictly said to Leon that "I lost it" is not an excuse to prove his own innocence at this point. Leon was no longer able to refute and as such, was found guilty of killing The Ultimate Pop Sensation. When Makoto attempted to lunge at Monokuma for driving Sayaka and Leon to commit their crimes, Kyoko stopped him and said that if he wanted to make Sayaka's enemies pay for what they've done, then he should hold off for now. Makoto reluctantly complied and Leon was dragged off to his execution, Kyoko kept a composed face during it while everyone else watched in shock.

After the trial had concluded, Kyoko talked to Makoto and tried to reassure him that even though it is an undeniable fact that Sayaka had betrayed him, it was still possible that her final moments were spent thinking of him due to her leaving her dying message. Makoto replied by saying it's impossible to know for sure and that she may have just been trying to get back at Leon for killing her, but Kyoko believed that deep down, she was uncertain about committing a crime and betraying her friend, calling it ironic. Kyoko went on to state that she believes that Makoto is the kind of person to push past these events and move on, becoming slightly surprised when he stated that he would carry Sayaka and Leon's deaths with him forever. Kyoko looked forward to seeing how he would continue, but then asked how he knew that she wanted to ask him about Sayaka. Makoto jokingly replied with "I'm psychic", stunning her a bit, before going on to say that he just had good intuition.

Chapter 2 - Boy's Life of Despair
After the first trial, Monokuma allowed the groups to explore the second floor after he removed the shutters. Kyoko and the others discovered a letter regarding what happening before the Killing School Life began. She also discovered a broken laptop, which was later repaired by Chihiro.

Upon the trial, she was the second person who discovered that Chihiro is actually a male. Knowing this, Kyoko attempted to lure the killer, Mondo, to misspeak. Kyoko's plan succeeded, and finally, the students were able to deduce the killer.

Chapter 3 - A Next Generation Legend!
On the next day, after exploring the third floor, Aoi confessed that she discovered Chihiro's ghost- who was later revealed as Alter Ego. Kyoko was the person who told the students to keep Alter Ego's presence a secret since Alter Ego was left by his master, Chihiro, in the bath's locker room which has no surveillance cameras in it. She also forbade anyone to use Alter Ego for their personal gain.

The next morning after Monokuma revealed his third incentive, to give a 10 billion yen cash to whoever manages to graduate, only Sakura, Aoi, Makoto and Kyoko herself attended the usual breakfast in the cafeteria. Feeling strange due to Celestia Ludenberg and Yasuhiro Hagakure's absence, they decided to split up to search for the others to avoid something bad that might happen.

During their search, Kyoko suddenly disappeared when the groups manage to find all the students, including Kiyotaka Ishimaru and Hifumi Yamada's corpses. Later, Kyoko revealed that during her search, she found Hiro in "Justice Robo" suit inside a locker in the pool, a costume that the students believed to be the culprit behind Kiyotaka and Hifumi's murder.

Much later after the third trial, Kyoko is the person who was trusted by the killer to keep the key for the locker that Alter Ego is in. After the trial ended and the culprit was executed, Makoto asked her where she disappeared to during the search of the missing students. And it's revealed that Kyoko found a secret room in the men's bathroom on the second floor which doesn't have any surveillance cameras inside it.

Chapter 4 - All●Star●Apologies
Kyoko, along with Makoto and Aoi didn't receive a letter from Sakura to meet with her. Later, she and Makoto found Aoi screaming and reporting that she saw Sakura sitting silently inside the locked rec room on the third floor. With Makoto's help, they were able to break into the rec room.

But it was too late, Kyoko confirmed that Sakura has already lost her life. Aoi, who was shocked by the fact that her best friend was murdered, decided to call up the others to come to the rec room, leaving Kyoko and Makoto, who already started their investigation. During the investigation, Kyoko found that the shattered Monokuma bottle behind Sakura's death site was heavier than a Monokuma bottle figure. Kyoko believed that Sakura was struck twice in the head based on her wounds, but strangely she and Makoto only found one Monokuma bottle figure.

During the trial, Kyoko and Makoto deduced that Sakura committed suicide to stop the others from fighting. Kyoko then used Sakura's payback (Breaking the Headmaster's room, which is prohibited by Monokuma) and snuck inside the Headmaster's room and stole Monokuma's key that can unlock every room in Hope's Peak Academy. From there, she was the first of the survivors to know about Mukuro Ikusaba, the sixteenth student.

Chapter 5 - 100 Mile Dash; Pain of a Junk Food Junkie
Byakuya's suspicion regarding how Kyoko's Ultimate Talent was the only one left unknown had come to fruition to which she states 'she can't' answer because she had no memory at all of what she was. Byakuya didn't believe this was the truth and explained they should limit her options until she's willing to talk, by taking her room key. When he thought he had finally convinced her to talk, she handed him her room key with no hesitation, to Byakuya's shock. Kyoko realized that trying to explain her situation earlier would only lead to the same conclusion.

Kyoko later rung Makoto's doorbell during the night and told him to come to the dressing room before rushing off, to which Makoto followed in pursuit. She revealed to him that she has stolen something precious from Monokuma and made sure to state this in a room without surveillance cameras. She explained she used Makoto as a decoy to draw Monokuma to the data center so she could enter the headmaster's room undetected and retrieve the key giving her access to every part of the school that was locked, she also discovered a file revealing Mukuro's existence within the school and concluding her to be the possible mastermind rather than the Headmaster, Jin Kirigiri, who she stated she is sure isn't the mastermind. Her reason for calling on Makoto's help is so he can distract Monokuma yet again so she can find out which door will open with the key she retrieved, he successfully achieved this.

Upon meeting in the dining hall the next morning, they find Kyoko missing and Monokuma was unaware of her whereabouts either. Later that day, Makoto started feeling the effects of a fever and had a strange dream in his sleep but woke up to find a masked stranger, who we later find to be Junko trying to murder him however too heavy to move, he was powerless until Kyoko saved him from danger by fighting back and stood over him before he passed out again, he woke up believing it to be a dream.

A body at the indoor garden on the 5th floor is discovered, and upon Toko triggering the explosion and making the body unrecognizable, with Kyoko missing during the investigation, it is presumed she may be the one dead. She later shows up just before the Class Trial begins and tells Makoto that she was searching the second-floor dorms where there were no surveillance camera's and that she took a brief look at the body before making her way to the elevator.

During the Class Trial, the murder of Mukuro is pinned on Kyoko following evidence of a locker key that was hidden in her room is found, the exact key to a locker which contained blood-stained arrows bunched together used as a weapon to Kill Mukuro. But Kyoko made a convincing lie that she couldn't enter her room with her room key because Byakuya had confiscated it. Makoto knew this was a lie because she told him about the key she had found which could open any door in the whole school but he chose not to say anything in order to protect Kyoko and took the blame when they accused him of planting the locker key during the investigation while he and Byakuya searched Kyoko's room.

In a twist of fate Makoto ended up being the one to receive an execution when it was destined for Kyoko, she was choked up, for the first time revealing her frustration and sadness for letting Makoto down.

After dealing with the upset, Kyoko stated to Byakuya that it was the mastermind who was on the back foot, not themselves. She later helped Makoto escape the garbage disposal room, providing him food and water and saying she was atoning for her mistakes for not helping him in the trial when she should've protected him. She then explained why she had to survive the Class Trial since she was the only one to lose her memories of her Ultimate Ability and purpose, the mastermind clearly removed them otherwise she'd interfere with their plan. She expresses how much she trusts Makoto but isn't used to seeking help from others, she then explains her Ultimate Talent and purpose which she's finally remembered, that she's the Ultimate Detective and she came to the school to find the headmaster, Jin, her father. She also explained that the mastermind had to use the trial to kill her because they had to follow their own school rules yet unconventionally tried to kill Makoto, but she states she can hear the God of Death and felt a sense of dread, noticed Makoto's attacker and gave pursuit, before hindering the attackers actions. She then explains the Mastermind is the 'Other Ultimate Despair' and that that is their 'True enemy' at this point in time.

Chapter 6 - Ultimate Pain, Ultimate Suffering, Ultimate Despair, Ultimate Execution, Ultimate Death
Prior to Makoto's miraculous survival and return, Kyoko would begin her retaliation by demanding that Monokuma reopen the trial, to which the talking bear gave up and reluctantly agreed. She is then reunited with the other students (who still think that Makoto was responsible for killing Mukuro) while explaining 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, Kyoko learned that her father is no longer alive in the academy: his remains were put in a gift box by Monokuma in the secret room of the principal's bedroom. Even though she looked unaffected by this revelation, she was clearly shocked by the fact that her father, in fact, never forgot about her and that she was really dear to him, to the point that the password to access the secret room was Kyoko's name and that in that room there was a photo of a smiling Kyoko as a child with her father. Even though she is still upset with her father, she was shocked to the point where she asked Makoto to leave the room, since she needed to be alone for a while to 'collect' her feelings.

As the true perpetrator was revealed as the real Junko Enoshima, Kyoko is shocked by her father's primary reason to cut his ties with her big family and his true motive to build the academy which made her remain silent for the first time.

As Kyoko was motivated by Makoto's words that hope is still alive, Kyoko would rethink about the case which seemingly involved her late father's meaning, indicating that even though their hearts disconnected, she added that if she knew her father well, he would never allow her to sacrifice Makoto just to stay in the school. With her support to Makoto and Byakuya Togami, the students forced Junko onto her knees, executing herself in a special punishment (The Ultimate Punishment); which resulted in her 'death' and the survivors were finally free from the strings of the sadistic game.

Epilogue - Goodbye Despair Academy
Considering their torments are finally over, Kyoko wonders if Makoto's faith about hope would maintain pure after the gruesome journey. Before she bid her friends farewell, Kyoko wonders if leaving the school, which she wouldn't miss, would be for better or worst. With that, Kyoko is among the 6 survivors who survived the incident.

Joining the Future Foundation
Kyoko and the others survived together in the apocalyptic world until they were found by the Future Foundation. They decided to join Future Foundation to fight against despair and Future Foundation helped them to recover their school memories. Kyoko was made the head of the 14th division and her duty as the 14th division leader is the protection of victims and to spread the news of the Future Foundation’s activities to the public.

Chapter 3 - Bessatsu Shounen Zetsubou Magazine
Kyoko was seen in the explanation of the Tragedy, along with the survivors of the Killing School Life as one of the people integral in stopping the Tragedy's mastermind, Junko Enoshima.

Chapter 6 - Possibility of Despair
Kyoko stepped into the room where Misaki and Takumi admitted in the hospital and directly asked Takumi whether he knew about his former middle-school classmate, Shūji Fujigawa. Kyoko left the room and told him to report anything he knew about Shūji after Takumi replied that he didn't know Shūji very well.

Chapter 6 - This is the End Goodbye Academy of Despair
Kyoko, Makoto, and Byakuya arrived into the Neo World Program to save the remaining students by activating the Forced Shutdown.

Epilogue - The Day Before the Future
After defeating Alter Ego Junko and exiting the Neo World, Kyoko leaves Jabberwock Island with Makoto and Byakuya while Hajime Hinata watches from the island.

Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School - Future Arc
Kyoko appears in Danganronpa 3 - Future Arc, along with Makoto, Aoi, and Yasuhiro. Kyoko is the 14th Division's leader and is one of the few people allowed to attend Makoto's trial, thus she gets roped into the "Final Killing Game."

Episode 01 - Third Time's the Charm
Kyoko, Aoi, and Yasuhiro were waiting for Makoto's arrival on the Future Foundation's off-shore facility's rooftop. She took Makoto inside the boarding room to attend his trial. However, Kyosuke Munakata immediately ordered Juzo Sakakura to handcuff Makoto without any discussion first. Kyoko began to patronize Juzo as he wounded Makoto and requested to Kyosuke to suspend his trial as he was not in a suitable state for questioning, which Kyosuke agreed to.

Later, Kyoko and Aoi were in the bathroom together. Aoi was upset that they weren't permitted to visit Makoto, and Kyoko simply explained to her that the Future Foundation still suspected them as allies to protect and hide the Remnants of Despair. Kyoko told Aoi to stay away from her Division's problem, but Aoi insisted that she would help her friends in need, making Kyoko smile at her.

As she got out from the bathroom, she encountered Ryota Mitarai in the corridor who was hesitating to enter the boardroom since he was very late. Kyoko and Ryota returned to the boardroom. Soon after, the building was attacked by an unknown enemy. She asked Makoto about the situation and concluded that they had been locked up inside the facility.

Kyoko and the others were unaware that a sleeping gas had been thrown inside the boarding room and rendered them to sleep for some time. When she awoke, she and the others found Monokuma bracelets already set up on their wrist.

Monokuma, who has been resurrected, appeared on the monitor, announcing that he would make the Future Foundation's leaders kill each other. He began the Final Killing Game with Chisa Yukizome's dead body falling from the ceiling.

Episode 02 - Hang the Witch
After Monokuma announced the Final Killing Game rules, Kyoko checked her NG Code and was quietly surprised by what was written there. When Usami appeared on Miaya Gekkogahara's computer screen, she explained to Aoi that Miaya was one of the developers of the Neo World Program.

Kyoko examined the boardroom’s door and found that the kunai that Sonosuke Izayoi threw to the door earlier was missing after they drugged to sleep. She was the first person who noticed Daisaku Bandai dying from the lethal poison injection from the bangle. To avoid the NG Code violation, Miaya suggested everyone reveal theirs but Kyoko told her that there might be some people that were prohibited to tell their own NG Code.

When the situation heated up, Kyoko created a diversion using the fire extinguisher so that Makoto could escape from the room. Following her successful attempt, Kyoko went to hide with Kazuo Tengan and Ryota somewhere inside the building.

Episode 03 - Cruel Violence and Hollow Words
Kyoko awakened after the sleeping drug's effect wore off. She was a bit skeptical and suspicious with Kazuo's calmness despite the situation hanging around the facility. Kyoko pointed out that the fewer the participants, the higher chance to find the attacker as if they had no intention of winning. The rules are totally disadvantaging the attacker.

Kyoko intended to investigate alone before Ryota wondered why Kyosuke wanted to kill Makoto. He wanted everyone to believe in each other to fight back Monokuma, but when Kyoko asked her to show him his NG Code he refused to show it. She also didn't want anyone to discover her NG Code, saying that it was difficult to trust each other in that situation. Kyoko speculated that the attacker probably incorporated their NG Codes into the rules in order to make everyone realize that. Kyoko was cut off by Makoto via the intercom. She smiled when Makoto revealed his NG Code to everyone.

However, despite knowing Makoto's softness to his Future Foundation allies, Kyoko still worried about him. When Kyosuke went to finish off Makoto, his subordinate Juzo came to attack Kyoko and almost hit her with a chair but she managed to dodge it.

Episode 04 - Who is a Liar
Kazuo and Ryota stood up for Kyoko and tried to protect her from Juzo's attack. Juzo knocked Kazuo away by kicking him in the back of the head and went to attack Kyoko with the chair he had previously thrown. Ryota tried to stop him, but Juzo kicked Ryota into Kyoko, and he accidentally injured her ankle when he fell on her. After Kazuo managed to beat Juzo, the three of them tied him to the wall with two loose wires. Soon, she reunited with Aoi and Miaya. The two of them comforted Ryota who blamed himself for hurting Kyoko's legs a while ago.

After hearing Kyosuke's announcement from the intercom to execute Makoto, Kyoko confirmed it as bait for their group. She wanted to negotiate with Kyosuke, but Kazuo offered to do the job. Kyoko decided to return to the boardroom to investigate Chisa and Daisaku's bodies and met with Koichi Kizakura who was already waiting for her. Hearing that he felt safe when he stayed around her, Kyoko slapped Koichi's hands and didn't let him intervene with her job. When Ryota asked her about her opinion of the attacker, Kyoko revealed that she hadn't gathered enough information and guessed that Ryota had already thought about his own opinion.

Episode 05 - Dreams of Distant Days
Kyoko finished inspecting Chisa's body and learned a lot of things regarding the attacker. She said to Koichi that she would go to inspect Great Gozu's body to reveal the attacker's method.

Episode 06 - No Man is an Island
Kyoko appeared in Makoto's nightmare and apparently died from a stab on her chest with the attacker's signature knife. She came back to alive and scared Makoto until he woke up from his nightmare.

Later, Kyoko alongside Ryota and Koichi woke up inside the room where Great Gozu's body located. She inspected his body for a while and decided to search for the third body. On the hallway, she was annoyed with Koichi's ramble about his hatred towards detectives. Eventually, Kyoko learned that Koichi only joking with her and took his advice to express her feelings more.

Kyoko and Ryota found Sonosuke's dead body with the attacker's signature knife stabbed in his chest. Kyoko confirmed that he was the third victim but Koichi objected him. It turned out that Seiko Kimura's body also found pushed to the wall with blood coming out from her left abdomen. Kyoko took notes before Ruruka called for them from inside the lounge room.

Kyoko and the others moved Sonosuke's body inside the lounge room and did some autopsy on his body. She found a strange white powder on his face and noticed a small amount of blood spotted on his left eye. To support her deduction, she asked Ruruka to stay with her to help her investigation.

Episode 07 - Ultra Despair Girls
Kyoko makes a small appearance during the ending scenes after Monaca explains that one of the people who survived 'Big-Sis Junko's Killing Game' will not survive thanks to Makoto's actions. With that being said, Kyosuke is seen walking down a blue-lit hallway, katana in hand and automatically the scene is transported to the library with Kyoko looking up in potential shock at what might be coming her way.

Episode 08 - Who Killed Cock Robin
Kyoko continued to investigate Sonosuke's body while Ruruka continuously sought to hinder her findings. Kyoko was surprised to find Koichi is more resourceful than he seems by knowing Sonosuke's trap layout within the library.

Juzo entered a little later and beat everyone in the library down and then focused entirely on Kyoko, seeking to finish off the job he tried to complete earlier. However, Koichi is able to protect her by leading Juzo away, but Ruruka has a plan of her own and blows up the floor using one of Sonosuke's explosives to make sure nobody else finds out the truth about how she murdered Sonosuke and her true intentions.

As Kyoko was falling, Koichi set off his NG code in order to pull her up and used his last amount of strength to push her on to steady ground. Kyoko expressed muted shock as Koichi fell away from her, as she tried to reach out her hand to him, he falls too quickly and she missed her grip.

After these events took place, Ruruka took control of Juzo to try and remove Kyoko and Ryota, but her plan fails and Kyoko, snapping out of shock, explained how Sonosuke's murder took place and the secret door's involvement in the matter. With Juzo and Ruruka occupied the secret doorway, Kyoko and Ryota escape the library in a hurry.

In the ending scene, Ryota asks why Koichi decided to save her. Kyoko explains that she had her suspicions but no solid evidence. She then removes her jacket and states that she is a detective, implying that she still muted her emotions as she always has done.

Episode 09 - You are My Reason to Die
Kyoko and Ryota come to halt after escaping the library where Juzo and Ruruka were situated. After catching their breath, Ryota inquires as to whether leaving the exit behind was a good idea, Kyoko admits to him that it was indeed a fraud. She did understand that it led outside the facility but not in the way they would've wanted, beginning to reveal that the building they're in is, in fact, an underwater facility. She explains it would be an easy job to remove them from the room after the first sleep timer and make it look as convincing as possible that they hadn't ever been moved, she reveals her suspicions when Sonosuke's knife that damaged the conference room door is no longer there and the door is left undamaged, leading to the conclusion that if they were underwater, the chances of someone intervening would be slimmer and points towards Kyosuke as the culprit of the Final Killing Game as he was involved in the facility's construction from the very beginning. She concludes that the whole game they've been playing has favored only Kyosuke.

She requests her and Ryota go look for Makoto and the others, to Ryota's displeasure, Kyoko explains Makoto is more than he seems, that he is stronger than anyone, optimistic and cares about his friends. She admits to being worried about him, with the way he puts everyone else's needs over his own, but that she believes in him because of this. As she gets to the climax of her speech, she is cut off as Aoi and Makoto show up behind her, the latter blushing and Kyoko begins to feel flustered herself, coughing as she tries to gain her composure once again.

Kyoko, Makoto, Aoi, and Ryota found themselves later in an unknown room, discussing with each other as they eat and drink. Kyoko begins to inquire if Byakuya is on his way, but Makoto is still worried about the idea that someone may die because of him, explaining that Munakata believes his words have no power. Kyoko removes the glove from her left hand, something of which she has never done in front of anyone before unless it was 'someone close', she places her hand upon Makoto's. She tells him the power of his words has become everyone's hope, including her own. Kyoko further explains that they will all be behind him along the way. Kyoko and the rest of them, are later seen examining Kazuo's message of hope left behind after his death.

Before the timer goes off for the fourth time, Makoto, Aoi, and Ryota make sure to barricade the room as Kyoko begins examining her NG code once more. Kyoko tells Makoto to never give up on hope and that whatever happens, she will always be there for him. The sleeping gas kicks in and they all collapse unconscious. Kyoko, the last one to go down, stares at Makoto and smiles before also losing her consciousness.

When they begin to awake, Makoto is confident everyone has survived, until he, Aoi, and Ryota notice that Kyoko is motionless. They quickly approached her and checked her bracelet, specifically her NG Code: 'Passing the Fourth Time Limit With Makoto Naegi Alive'. They conclude that Kyoko is dead and break down into tears. Then Munakata speaks through the intercom in the Monitoring Room, inquiring whether Makoto has learned Kyoko's forbidden action and explaining that this proves further that his platitudes are useless.

Episode 10 - Death, Destruction, Despair
Makoto has a flashback of the time Kyoko saved him during the Killing School Life, she dropped down the trash shoot to save him from the trash disposal room and offered him food and drink. She inquired as to whether Makoto ever gave up, to which he replied his optimism is all he has going for him. Kyoko expressed that it was a wonderful thing he has going for him and then smiled in his direction to which he blushed, smiling in return.

The scene was revisited to the point where Kyoko is dead and Makoto, Aoi, and Ryota are gathered around her, tearfully. After Kyosuke explains that Kyoko's NG code proved that Makoto's platitudes are useless, Makoto gathered his composure by remembering Kyoko's words, that she will always be 'by his side'. He wiped the blood of her left eye on his left-hand palm and went to meet with Kyosuke. Makoto explained to Ryota that he has no choice but to meet with Kyosuke and leave Kyoko, because she entrusted her hope to him by letting him live, and he has to fulfill what she believed in.

Later Makoto is able to relate to Kyosuke in their battle by expressing to him that if Kyoko had turned to despair and tried to kill him or he had no choice but to kill her in order to stop her, that he would still be glad to have met her nonetheless.

While Aoi watches over Kyoko's corpse, she finds her notebook, which contains the truth behind the Final Killing Game.

Episode 11 - All Good Things
A flashback is shown, revealing the point in time when the Future Foundation observes the end of the Killing School Life. The vault door of Hope's Peak Academy is opened, Kyoko and the remainder of the 78th class survey the despair laying around them, with Kyoko having a muted expression of shock.

After Aoi finds Kyoko's notebook, she shares it with Makoto, Kyosuke, and Ryota. In it, Kyoko explains that the victims committed suicide, and the monitors in the building were somehow related, indicating that the victims watched some type of video. Makoto requested Kyosuke tie him up facing the monitor so he can test Kyoko's theory out himself. When Makoto forced himself to watch the brainwashing video, Kyoko appeared first, alongside Sayaka. She proceeded to taunt Makoto with the former, asking why he is still alive and placed the blame for their deaths on him.

As their deceased classmates appear behind Kyoko and Sayaka, blood starts to flow out of Kyoko's eye, which was how Makoto and the others found her corpse. Makoto picked up a knife to kill himself as Kyoko instructed. She and Sayaka urged him to continue until Juzo quashes their efforts by knocking the knife out of Makoto's hand, effectively wearing off the brainwashing effect.

Side: Hope - The Academy of Hope and Students of Despair
Makoto began to reminisce about Kyoko, staring at her blood upon his hand.

On the boat ride home, Mikan Tsumiki held up a drug vial labeled Antagonist, which Nagito Komaeda realized Seiko had made during the killing game. Mikan explained that she had found someone who used the drug to save themselves from the NG Code Poisoning of the bracelets of the Final Killing Game, so she was able to revive them from a near-death state. This is shown to be Kyoko, who left the building alive and unharmed, meeting with Makoto who turned around in surprise.

Several months after the event of the Final Killing Game, the Future Foundation rebuild Hope's Peak Academy. At the end of the scene, Kyoko entered a classroom where Makoto was located, telling him that everyone was waiting for him, the new headmaster of the Academy. It is implied that she helps run Hope's Peak Academy alongside Makoto as a vice principal.

Execution

 * Main Article: After School Lesson 
 * Main Article: NG Code Poisoning 

Relationships
Family:

Jin Kirigiri
Little is known about their relationship, she only stated that they were just family and nothing more. Jin left her when she was a little girl and Kyoko stated that he only used her mother's death as an excuse so that he could leave the house and that she didn't really know him as a father because they never really spoke to each other much during their days together. However, it was Kyoko's grandfather who encouraged her to hate her father and in reality Jin left the family because Fuhito showed no care when Jin's wife died.

When Kyoko found out that her father died in the school and found his skeleton, she didn't show any feelings towards his death. But Makoto, who was looking at the remains of her father instead, noticed that she didn't even look in the box. Makoto thought that somewhere in her heart she must have thought she was wrong and guilty about her father's death.

Fuhito Kirigiri
Kyoko is very close to her grandfather, who taught her all she knows about being a detective, and protected her from anything he deemed a threat. However, he was also very strict about raising Kyoko as his heir and told her she is a detective before anything else, causing some of Kyoko's emotional issues. He also didn't allow Kyoko to see her dying mother and encouraged her to hate her father.

Nevertheless, Kyoko loves her grandfather dearly, which is confirmed by the fact that he became a Captive.

Childhood:

Yui Samidare
During the events of Danganronpa Kirigiri, Yui is seen as Kyoko's accomplice. They met when Kyoko was in the 7th grade, in a situation where Kyoko was the only possible suspect. This led Yui to initially distrust her, but the two eventually became close. Yui thinks that Kyoko is cute and admirable. She insists that Kyoko call her oneechan (お姉ちゃん; "older sister" in a familiar, affectionate tone), but Kyoko calls her Yui-oneesama (お姉様; "older sister" in the most honorable yet emotionally distant tone).

Class 78th:

Makoto Naegi
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 was not mentioned how she felt about him. Since Makoto was originally shown interested in Sayaka, this seems to imply that at some point his affections turned towards Kyoko (regardless, he and Sayaka were shown to be close friends in Danganronpa 3). In a high school picture, Makoto seemed to be looking at Kyoko and Sayaka while their class was out swimming.

During the Killing Game, ever since the first murder, Kyoko became closer to Makoto, evident from her later interactions with him, hinting at some sort of mutual attraction. Kyoko also helped Makoto solve each Class Trial whenever he was out of clues. Both were on good terms with each other; Kyoko trusted Makoto (although just for her plans against Monokuma) but Makoto put his trust in her completely as he hoped that she would trust him as much as he trusted her. Regardless, Kyoko seemed to care more for Makoto as time went on. Evidence was shown when she entered his room and told Makoto to beware of Mukuro. She also saved him from Junko (thought to be Mukuro), who was about to kill him when he was asleep. When Makoto allowed himself to be found guilty in Chapter 5 (though he was saved at the last minute by Alter Ego), Kyoko realized that she had been putting her own desires ahead of his safety. When she discovered that Makoto ended up at the garbage disposal room, she risked her life to save him. Kyoko then showed her scarred hands to Makoto, which was a great sign of trust from her, as she stated that she showed her hands only to people she considered as close as family.

During the last Class Trial, Makoto was the one who told the remaining students (including her) to not give in to despair, helping her overcome her state of shock over the intense pressure of the situation they were in. Kyoko told Makoto that even though she didn't know her dad, he would never tell her to stay in the school if it meant betraying and getting him murdered by Junko, thus showing their bonds and trust to each other. At their "Graduation," Kyoko told Makoto she was actually kind of looking forward to facing whatever was out there if it was with someone like him, hinting that she possibly has romantic feelings for him. After joining the Future Foundation, she became Makoto's leader. Kyoko continued to admire his optimism, and Makoto, in turn, admired her 'cool' personality and considered her the person who had kept him alive.

In Danganronpa 3, it became much more evident that the two had 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 was accused of being so stoic that even Makoto couldn't find her cute, he then a bit shyly but firmly pointed out that he does, in fact, find her quite cute, which surprised her and made her blush. During the killing game, when Makoto overheard Kyoko talking about him with Ryota Mitarai, Makoto blushed, embarrassed by Kyoko's small speech while Kyoko coughed awkwardly after realizing he heard her. At one point, Kyoko took off her gloves and held his hand to comfort him, and Makoto was also seen mimicking Kyoko's thinking posture at one point. In the Otomedia magazine, Makoto stated that Kyoko reminded him of autumn due to being cool as well as possessing a really warm and gentle side. He then got very nervous and defensive about the subject and tried to change it by stating that coincidentally her birthday was in October. This only made it even more suspicious, and he claimed he remembered her birthday because they were friends, yet he failed to remember his other friends' birthdays. 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.

After he tried to protect the Remnants of Despair, Kyoko had to escort Makoto to his trial, and she promised to use her powers as his leader to protect him. At one point during the Final Killing Game, Makoto caught Kyoko talking about him with Ryota, which seemed to embarrass her a bit and made Makoto blush. Later, Kyoko ended up triggering her NG code of passing the fourth time limit with Makoto alive. It is possible Kyoko did not tell him because she believed he might sacrifice himself for her, and it's also possible she didn't know with full confidence that Seiko's Antagonist drug would be able to save her life completely. Instead, Kyoko gave Makoto words of encouragement before they fell asleep, telling him to never give up on hope and that she would always be by his side.

After he was brainwashed, Makoto hallucinated the "ghosts" of Kyoko and Sayaka, as he believed that she was dead at the moment. Sayaka's ghost has been confirmed to represent his first love, implying that Kyoko was his current love.

The two reunited after the Killing Game, and it was implied she helped Makoto run the rebuilt Hope's Peak Academy after the events of Side: Hope.

Friends:

Aoi Asahina
Kyoko becomes close friends with Aoi after joining the Future Foundation with her and the other survivors. When Aoi decides to help Kyoko defend Makoto, she shows concern for her, knowing that she'll be blamed as well if she continues to do so. Aoi is one of the few people Kyoko has complete faith in, smiling when Aoi states her willingness to protect Makoto.

During the events of the Final Killing Game, Aoi and Kyoko reunite for a short spell to which Aoi hugs Kyoko open seeing her, showing how their bond has grown (especially considering Kyoko's usual dislike for physical contact). Aoi also calls Kyoko Kyoko-chan, which she seems to like. Some of Aoi's expressions indicate that she knows Kyoko and Makoto like each other, and she appears silently very happy for them.

Byakuya Togami
Kyoko does not have a good relationship with Byakuya. During their killing school life, Byakuya had always been suspicious of Kyoko and even went as far as to taking her room key because she couldn't tell him what her reason for selection at Hope's Peak Academy was in Chapter 5. Kyoko stated that he is obnoxious and disliked him because of his lack of respect for human emotions, which she said would come back to bite him, with Byakuya shaking the remark off. Seemingly Kyoko acknowledges Byakuya's intelligence, as in the 4th investigation she wants Hina to allow Byakuya in the crime scene, saying that they need to find out the truth.

Eventually, it seems they learned to work with each other during their time at the Future Foundation, possibly because they both had their memories returned.

Ultimate Despair:

Junko Enoshima
Junko saw Kyoko as a threat from the very beginning, due to her status as a detective. Because of this, she took care in erasing her classmate's memories, however, this later proved to be ineffective. Junko later went against her own rules and attempted to have Kyoko killed, but Kyoko easily saw through Junko's plans, using her abilities to keep herself alive. Kyoko later took part in defeating Junko.

Mukuro Ikusaba
In Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony bonus mode Ultimate Talent Development Plan, she and Mukuro are partners in the track race. Mukuro stated while Kyoko isn't very athletic, she wasn't bad either. Kyoko notes of Mukuro's athletic physique and Mukuro stated that her good eye was befitting the Ultimate Detective.

Monokuma
As one of Monokuma's captives, Kyoko is, at first, very cautious around him, suggesting to her fellow students that they obey his orders. Later, when Kyoko breaks the school rules and steals one of Monokuma's possessions, she angers Monokuma. Monokuma tried to manipulate the students to suspect Kyoko as the culprit who supposedly killed Mukuro Ikusaba and votes for her as the guilty murderer. If followed the bad ending, Monokuma executes her leaving the other students inside the academy. If following the good ending, Kyoko challenges him in Chapter 6 to find the mastermind behind the killing game and the murder of Mukuro.

Future Foundation:

Koichi Kizakura
Koichi was a close friend of Kyoko's father, Jin, and liked to stick around with Kyoko because of this. However, his attitude irritated Kyoko, who found him to be a nuisance. Kyoko even expresses anger towards him, despite her usually preferring to keep her emotions hidden. However, when Ruruka Ando attempts to kill Kyoko by destroying the floor beneath her, Koichi catches Kyoko with his left hand, although his NG code was not to open it. This resulted in Koichi being injected with the poison and dying. Kyoko was shocked when Koichi saves her and is visibly saddened by his death. Whether Kyoko knew of Koichi's relationship with her father or not is still unknown, but she did say she had her theories when Ryota asked her why Koichi saved her at the cost of his own life.

Ryota Mitarai
The two become friends during the Final Killing Game although it is unknown at this point whether they share a true connection with each other. At the request of Kazuo, Ryota escorts Kyoko wherever she goes during this time, and Ryota seems quite interested in Kyoko's detective abilities. Kyoko sees Ryota as a friend, and he seems to be one of the few people in the Final Killing Game that she trusts. He's willing to protect her and she appreciates this, supporting Ryota when he gets depressed for thinking he is not as strong as Makoto.

Free Time Events & Bonus Mode Guides
The links below are full transcripts and indepth guides for Kyoko Kirigiri's relationship routes in Free Time Events, School Mode, and Ultimate Talent Development Plan including her MonoMono Machine Present preferences and most effective dialogue options.

Quotes

 * -|DR1=

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 * -|Novel=

Creation and development
Character designer Rui Komatsuzaki has stated that Kyoko was one the most difficult female character to create in Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc. It was decided by the team that she would have the image of a mysterious girl, so she was originally planned to have a toneless, monotone color scheme, but that needed to be altered after the game's direction changed to the Psycho Pop art-style and so her color scheme was changed to a pastel purple. Her early design prominently featured a school uniform with overalls because Komatsuzaki wanted it to have a rarer design than the other female characters, but this was later changed to a simple blouse and skirt. Her gloves were always a part of her design from the planning stages to give her the air of a detective, so her double-breasted jacket was added to compliment the detective look.

Komatsusaki had difficulties deciding which hairstyle to chose for Kyoko and was torn between a shorter style or a longer one. It was suggested by producer Yoshinori Terasawa that Kyoko could have an in the first game, but the idea was ultimately rejected and so Kyoko's hair remained long. Because Kyoko is the replacement deuteragonist after Sayaka Maizono's death, Komatsuzaki wanted Kyoko's design to closely parallel Sayaka's and their similar hairstyles in different shades was a deliberate choice.

Trivia

 * The name Kyōko means "sound, echo" (響) (kyo) and "child" (子) (ko), which fits her composed, quiet speech and how, during the trials, she more than once guides Makoto Naegi to conclusions she has already reached herself and lets him be the one to voice them.
 * Kyoko's surname Kirigiri means "fog" (霧) (kiri) and "cutter" (切) (giri), which refers to her detective background.
 * In the beta version of Danganronpa, Kyoko was named Gyaru Kirigiri and the victim depending on the players choices.
 * Kyoko shares her title The Ultimate Detective with Shuichi Saihara.
 * The very first trailer for Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls (the original release), which begins teasingly by saying that the upcoming installment of the Danganronpa series is a sports game, which shows Kyoko playing basketball. The reason Kyoko was assigned this particular sport is probably because her Japanese voice actress, Yōko Hikasa, is known for her role in the basketball-themed series Ro-Kyu-Bu! as Saki Nagatsuka. Hikasa is also part of a five-girl pop group of the same name along with four of her fellow voice actress who also portrays a part of the series' main cast.
 * Kyoko is included in the collaboration of Danganronpa 3 and Guns Girl Z.
 * She is one of the few characters to have participated in two killing games and survived. The others are Makoto, Aoi, and Hajime/Izuru.
 * Kyoko's English voice actress, Erika Harlacher, also voices Kaede Akamatsu in Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony.

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