Koichi Kizakura

Koichi Kizakura (黄桜 公一 Kizakura Kōichi) is a character featured in Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak Academy - Side: Future and played a minor role in Side: Despair.

He is a member of the Future Foundation and leader of the 3rd Division. He is also a recruiter, who seeks out survivors to help grow Future Foundation.

Before the Tragedy, Koichi acted as a talent scout for Hope's Peak Academy and the official homeroom teacher of Class 77-B.

Appearance
Koichi is a relaxed-looking man with blue eyes and ragged light brown hair. He has a pencil-thin mustache and goatee. He wears a worn down, white fedora, a faded dark blue tie and a black suit with the Future Foundation ID pinned to the jacket's lapel. He also wears light brown slip-ons.

Personality
Koichi is a relaxed, passive and whimsical man who chooses not to get involved in arguments. He is sometimes carefree to a fault; before the events of the Tragedy, he was shown to be somewhat irresponsible and would rather get drunk than teach a class.

However, Koichi is also a reliable and quick-witted person with a sharp intuition, which allows him to assess people for their talents, and true character. During the Final Killing Game, he chooses to flat-out avoid confrontation with the other members and is capable of staying completely calm during such a threatening situation. He decides to stay close to Kyoko Kirigiri since she is the most likely person to figure out what's going on, and he knows he will find her by staying with the bodies. He also rightfully suspected that Miaya Gekkogahara was suspicious based "on a hunch".

Prior to the Tragedy
Koichi worked as one of the many talent scouts for Hope's Peak Academy, identifying incoming high school freshmen with Ultimate-level talents who were worthy of attendance to the school. In addition, he is the official homeroom teacher for Class 1-B, part of the 77th Class, but due to being drunk most of the time, the duty was pushed to the assistant homeroom teacher, Chisa Yukizome.

During the Tragedy
Koichi, alongside Kazuo Tengan, began building Future Foundation as a way to combat Ultimate Despair. He recruited several talented Hope's Peak alumni to work for the organization, with Koichi himself being put in charge of the 3rd Division. His responsibility as 3rd Division leader is to help scout and distribute personnel for Future Foundation.

He later discovered the survivors the School Life of Mutual Killing and recruited them for Future Foundation.

Episode 01 - Hello Again, Hope's Peak Academy
Koichi is shown sitting in a chair in Jin Kirigiri's office as Chisa came in to formally accept her position as Class 1-B's homeroom teacher. He was hungover and attempting to hold back from vomiting, but cheerfully told Chisa to make the best of the situation and encouraged her. After she left, Koichi commented that Chisa was just as he remembered her, and asked if it was true that Kyosuke Munakata had recommended that she be a teacher.

When Jin confirmed this, he cautious told him to be careful, saying that Kyosuke's influence was growing very quickly, despite being so young, and Jin wouldn't want Kyosuke to undermine his position as headmaster. Throughout the rest of the school day Koichi stayed in Jin's office and watched the events unfold from the window.

Episode 02 - My Impurest Heart for You
Koichi appeared at the beginning of the episode, wondering why Chisa circling her calendar with red marks. Chisa cheerfully replied that the circle was a mark showing her students full attendance, make Koichi reminded his position as the homeroom teacher. He supported Chisa, telling her to work hard so they didn't end up as Reserve Course teachers. Koichi left the room to scout Celestia Ludenberg shortly after.

Episode 03 - A Farewell to All Futures
Koichi gathered in the Principal Office along with Jin and Kazuo. After learned that Hajime Hinata agreed to participate in Izuru Kamukura Project, he stated his dislikeness toward the artificial talent and hope.

Episode 04- The Melancholy, Surprise, and Disappearance of Nagito Komaeda
After the bombing at Hope's Peak, Koichi and Chisa are summoned to the Principal's Office. Koichi mentions that Ruruka Ando, Seiko Kimura, and Sonosuke Izayoi are expelled. After deliberating upon the state of Nagito Komaeda, who indirectly executed the bombing plot beyond his control, Jin calls for Nagito to be indefinitely suspended. Koichi is placed on probation as Nagito's homeroom teacher, and Chisa is transferred to the Reserve Course as compromise for Nagito to remain at Hope's Peak. Koichi peers into Nagito's student profile and comments, "Luck is scary."

Episode 01 - Third Time's the Charm
Koichi was present inside the boardroom along with the other ten Future Foundation Division's leaders to discuss Makoto Naegi's fate. When their discussion was out of the topic, Kyosuke entered the room and lead them to discuss Makoto's betrayal. Later, the trial was postponed until Makoto's wound, received after he got assaulted by Juzo Sakakura, was healed and Koichi was waiting inside the boardroom.

Later, the facility began to shake as an unknown attacker shot their missiles and cut off every exit to the building. Koichi was rendered to sleep after a sleeping gas was thrown inside the room. He and the others found a Monokuma bracelet had been set up on their wrists.

Koichi learned that Monokuma had been resurrected and announced the Final Killing Game of Future Foundation, starting with Chisa Yukizome's body, which fell from the ceiling.

Episode 02 - Hang the Witch
Koichi was overwhelmed after Monokuma announced the Final Killing Game rules. He chose to point Miaya merely based on his hunch.

Episode 03 - Cruel Violence and Hollow Words
Koichi separated himself with the others, secretly watched Ruruka Ando, Sonosuke Izayoi, and Seiko Kimura's fight. He stated that he needed to hurry to meet with a certain "girl".

Episode 04 - Who is a Liar
The girl that Koichi wanted to meet revealed as none other than the former Ultimate Detective, Kyoko Kirigiri. Knowing that she will investigate Chisa and Daisaku Bandai's corpse, Koichi decided to return to the boardroom and greet both Kyoko and Ryota Mitarai when they arrived. He said that he felt safe when he stood next to a detective.

Episode 05 - Dream of Distant Days
Koichi asked Kyoko if she already finished her job to inspect Chisa's body. She said that she almost finished to reveal the attacker's method after she checked Great Gozu 's body, making Koichi impressed by her seriousness.

Quotes

 * “Feel free to treat the class like it's your own!” (To Chisa Yukizome as encouragement)

Trivia

 * Koichi's last name "Kizakura" (黄桜) means "yellow cherry blossom", a possible reference to his blonde hair color. His first name (公一) can mean "first official" or "first prince", referring to his role in building Future Foundation with Kazuo.
 * According to a Weekly Famitsu Interview with Kazutaka Kodaka, he likes Koichi's character and he enjoyed Keiji Fujiwara's voice work.
 * Koichi's English voice actor, Kaiji Tang, also voices Yasuhiro Hagakure in the original game.