Hiyoko Saionji

Hiyoko Saionji (西園寺 日寄子 Saionji Hiyoko) is one of the characters featured in Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair and a participant in the Killing School Trip.

Hiyoko has the title of Ultimate Traditional Dancer (超高校級の「日本舞踊家」“chō kōkō kyū no Nihon buyōka.” lit. Super High School Level Classical Dancer).

Hiyoko returns in Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak Academy as a student of Class 77-B enrolled in Hope's Peak Academy with the other Remnants of Despair. Hiyoko succumbed to despair along with her classmates after being brainwashed by Junko Enoshima and became a part of Ultimate Despair.

In Danganronpa 2, Hiyoko was murdered by Mikan Tsumiki along with Ibuki Mioda in Chapter 3 after ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

At the end of Danganronpa 3, Hiyoko and the other members of Ultimate Despair were cured by Hajime Hinata and awake from the Neo World Program. Hiyoko and her classmates decided to atone for their sins as the former Ultimate Despair.

The illusory Hiyoko appeared in the 30-minutes long OVA titled Super Danganronpa 2.5: Nagito Komaeda and the Destroyer of the World as part of Nagito Komaeda's imagination world.

Appearance
Hiyoko is a young woman in her early twenties, around 22 at youngest. Her virtual avatar in the Neo World Program appeared as her 17 year old self.undefined

She is a very petite girl with long, blonde hair that is generally seen tied into curved twin tails. At first sight, Hajime remarks that her voice and her appearance don't give off the air of a high schooler at all. In the game, she has gold eyes and keeps her hair up with two hair-ties, both of which consist of a green ribbon with a cat face in the middle.

Hiyoko is dressed in an orange, traditional furisode kimono with a white floral print pattern, and a green obi sash which is tied around her waist and secured with a bow at the back. In her official artwork, she is instead dressed in a pink kimono with a red sash, her hair put up in one ponytail instead of two, tied up with a Kanzashi with pink flowers and holds a fan.

Hiyoko goes through a significant growth spurt during her time at Hope's Peak, which she completes before the beginning of her second year. When older, Hiyoko is shown to be much taller and bustier. She has only one ponytail tied back with a black scrunchie. Hiyoko also wears a yellow kimono with a pink rose-outline pattern, and a purple obi sash. She also wears zori (Japanese sandals). Her outfit reflects the fact she is the Ultimate Traditional Dancer.

As the Ultimate Despair, she keeps her hair free.

Personality
Hiyoko's cute appearance, voice, and (initially) her way of talking give off the impression she is innocent and childlike. However, in her introduction alone, it is quickly revealed that she is cruel with a malicious side in how she squishes ants while telling Hajime that they make a satisfying popping noise if done correctly, and even invites him to join her.

Later at the beach, Hiyoko goes around trying to step on and trample the crabs, laughing as if it were just child's play, showing an alarming fascination with violence. She also constantly judges others and patronizes them with rude insults, with Mikan and Kazuichi Soda being the most common victims.

Hiyoko often takes a jab at Akane Owari as well, though she, unlike Mikan or Kazuichi, doesn't cry or get frustrated but rather actually takes her pranks into serious consideration. Hiyoko is able to manipulate the others to do her bidding easily. She proves this when Akane agrees to investigate the motel on the third island under her request.

In one of Hiyoko's free time events, she revealed to Hajime that one day Akane saw Hiyoko stomping flowers. She asked Hiyoko what she was doing, but Hiyoko was disturbed and annoyed to explain to her, so she told Akane that stomping and kicking her food before she eat it gives her a lot of more protein. Then she actually started eating the flowers, but she said they didn't taste that good.

On the other hand, Hiyoko loves Japan and its cuisine very much, and does show some innocent and childlike traits like her liking for gummy candy or konpeito. She is also prone to tears when humiliated, such as in Chapter 2 when Akane says something smells and it turns out to be coming from Hiyoko. She also seems to hate it when people don't side with her, such as in one of her Free-Time Events when she tries to get Hajime to go and beat up Kazuichi with her. She also often passes off her crying as fake tears, though Hajime notes that it probably isn't true.

Hiyoko becomes attached to Mahiru Koizumi after the latter helps Hiyoko take a shower and shows her how to tie her obi, even referring to Mahiru as 'big sis' afterwards. Though reluctant at first, Mahiru went along with it and became close to Hiyoko.

Hiyoko also hated being deceived to and it was proven in Chapter 2 when she felt annoyed and flustered by Monokuma's invitation that was actually made by Nagito Komaeda. In Chapter 3, Hiyoko told directly to Hajime that she hated being deceived by others.

After the events of Chapter 2 and with Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu's apology and subsequent re-opening of his wounds, Hiyoko attempts to change herself for the better, becoming somewhat less hostile and not insulting as much.

Ultimate Traditional Dancer
Hiyoko enrolled in Hope's Peak Academy as the Ultimate Traditional Dancer. She is the heiress of the Saionji Clan who is famous with its traditional Japanese dancing. As a promising young member of the world of traditional Japanese dance, she performs often, even abroad despite being so young. Crowds of audience members are drawn to her un-high school student-like appearance and cute voice. However, she stated that most people who aren't used to watching traditional dance performances often fall asleep easily.

Prior to the Tragedy
Hiyoko's Free-Time Events reveal that she lived with her grandmother and is heiress to the Saionji Clan, which is also the head of the school of traditional Japanese dance. Being the heiress, many people were jealous of her to the point of bullying her, such as poisoning her food or putting needles in her shoes when she was a young child, among other horrible things. In addition, her grandmother, though she treated Hiyoko well, only cared about pride of the family, to the point where Hiyoko couldn't even see her own parents.

Because of Hiyoko's past, she considers herself part of the noble class and everybody else meager slaves. Hiyoko is said to be a rookie dancer, but it is said that her family has high expectations as she has done many shows overseas. She is also popular with younger audiences, though most of her fans are older males.

She previously attended Golden Light Girl's Institute before enrolling into Hope's Peak Academy.

While in Hope's Peak Academy, Hiyoko befriended Mahiru, Ibuki, Mikan, and Sato. During their time together, they discovered a corpse in the music room. This was later revealed to be Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu's sister, who was murdered by Sato. A few days later, Sato was killed by Fuyuhiko. When Mikan, who was late, asks what's wrong, Hiyoko suggests her to enter the classroom. This part of Hiyoko's life was revealed in Monokuma's second motive, "Twilight Syndrome Murder Case".

Episode 01 - Hello Again, Hope's Peak Academy
Hiyoko was one of the few students that attended the class along with Mahiru, Fuyuhiko, and Sonia Nevermind. Hiyoko, who only behaves towards Mahiru, insulted Mikan shortly upon her late arrival in class. She arrived and tripped over her bag, causing her to fall into an erotic pose. Hiyoko said seconds after Mikan tripping, she wanted to "break" her new homeroom teacher Chisa Yukizome from every aspect.

When Chisa asked her about her classmates, Hiyoko said that she didn't know or even care about them. Everyone is free to skip the class as long as they keep sharpen their skills and pass the practical exam. Furious because of her students' ignorance, Chisa called all of them as "rotten oranges", making Hiyoko upset and forced them to search for their classmates. Their little adventure began there.

First, the group needs to retrieve Nekomaru Nidai from the boys toilet. Nekomaru accidentally exploded the toilet, making Hiyoko and Mahiru who stayed outside threw to the air due to the massive explosion. After retrieved Teruteru Hanamura, Chisa had him cook a roast with Hiyoko, Mahiru, and Fuyuhiko tending the fire, in hopes of drawing out Akane Owari and eventually succeed to capture her.

After easily retrieved Kazuichi and Gundham Tanaka, Hiyoko and the others visited the Light School Music Club room. Inside, they listened to Ibuki sang a heavy rock song which automatically hated by everyone with Hiyoko and Chisa as an exception. Hiyoko started to weary inside the dojo where Peko Pekoyama practiced and didn't want to clean the classroom when almost all of them gathered in the class.

Chisa returned with Chiaki Nanami and the Ultimate Imposter after Hiyoko and the others cleaned the classroom. When the students once again bring up that they didn't have to go to class, so long as they have their talent, Chisa reminded Hiyoko and the others that talent isn't everything, and wanted them to build strong relationships and "hope" with each other.

Episode 02 - My Impurest Heart for You
Hiyoko and her classmates took cover on the side of the class, didn't want to get involved in Nekomaru and Akane's deadly training session that almost destroyed the entire classroom. Later, she played games that Chiaki brought with the rest of her friends. Hiyoko, Chisa, Chiaki, and Ibuki played a racing games together. Hiyoko's true intention was not to become a winner, but to bully Ibuki by knocking out her car twice.

Later, Hiyoko went to the kitchen and helped Teruteru cooked nikujaga. It was revealed that she stole one of Teruteru and Seiko Kimura's invention called as Sexy Sexy Soup filled with aphrodisiacs. Her plan to make everyone drowned in their lusts succeed, even making Teruteru in raged and about to molest her. Chiaki who managed to fight back the effect of the food delivered a finishing uppercut to Teruteru, was able to protect Hiyoko in the last minute. Hiyoko then visited everyone in the nurse's office.

In the next day, Hiyoko agreed with Chisa to elect Chiaki as their class representative.

Episode 03 - A Farewell to All Futures
At the beginning of the episode, Hiyoko and her classmates walked past Hajime heading toward the Main Course building. Later that day, Hiyoko was with her classmates during the break time on the school's park. She was playing with rabbits alongside Ibuki.

Several days later, Hiyoko comforted Mahiru who was crying on her chest after she heard the news about Sato's death.

Episode 04 - The Melancholy, Surprise, and Disappearance of Nagito Komaeda
Hiyoko looked at her classmates in worried as they still showing no sign of their usual lively and cheerful class when Chisa announced that they will start the annual practical exam on the next day. The deaths of Natsumi Kuzuryu and Sato affected their morale greatly.

At the end of the episode, Hiyoko and her classmates sadly bid their farewell to their beloved teacher Chisa as she was transferred to the Reserve Course after the bomb incident involving one of Hiyoko's classmate, Nagito.

Episode 05 - The Beginning of the End
During Chisa's absence, Hiyoko has a growth spurt. When Chisa returns, she is shocked by how much Hiyoko has grown. Hiyoko says her wish came true, and that she can now bend Mikan's bones in any direction she wants. Chisa comments that Hiyoko's personality hasn't changed.

Episode 06 - A Despairfully Fateful Encounter
As they are moving to a new classroom, Hiyoko picked up the cage that has Gundham's rabbit in it. Gundham told Hiyoko to let the hamster go, but Hiyoko ignored his warning and snickered that the hamster can't do anything to her. Suddenly, the hamster poops on Hiyoko through the cage, causing Hiyoko to toss the cage as she screamed in disgust.

Episode 07 - The Biggest, Most Atrocious Incident in Hope's Peak Academy's History
Hiyoko placed a white flower on top on Nagito's desk and explained that it's the "first anniversary of Nagito's death" when she was questioned by Mahiru. Annoyed the latter reminded Hiyoko that Nagito has merely been suspended, causing a conversation about him amongst Hiyoko and her classmates. Suddenly noticing Mikan's absence, Hiyoko asked where she was and was told that Mikan had gone somewhere with the Ultimate Imposter.

Later, Hiyoko and the rest of her class watched from the classroom's window as the Reserve Course students attempted to break into the main course building.

Episode 08 - The Worst Reunion by Chance
Hiyoko, Chiaki and Ibuki watch on as the Reserve Course parade continues to increase. When Nekomaru questions if Mikan missed school again, Hiyoko answers him by suggesting the protests scared her off. Hiyoko expresses her disappointment when Nagito is the one to return to class and not Mikan, when Nagito tells everyone that he's brought back souvenirs Hiyoko interrupts him saying now is not the time. As Nagito is yet to see her growth spurt, he questions who Hiyoko actually is. When he explains that he noticed Mikan at the West District of the school grounds, Hiyoko and the rest of the class proceed to look for her although to Hiyoko's protest. She searches for her in a group, with Teruteru, Fuyuhiko and Mahiru, calling for her in an intimidating way as a method to get Mikan to come out before getting embarrassed and uncomfortable at Teruteru's conversion of the sentence.

Episode 09 - Chisa Yukizome Doesn't Smile
Hiyoko and the rest of the class assume what Nagito told them was false information after a failed attempt to find Mikan. Chiaki returns to the classroom with an unconscious Nagito and explains to the class that Chisa is in trouble, they all become worried but agree to help. Hiyoko looks forward to making Junko's teeth chatter although Nagito warns her and the rest of the class that the risk is high and there is a possibility of them dying, to which she considers these concerns before Chiaki convinces her otherwise.

She and the rest of the class are shocked to discover the Ultimate Imposter's true identity but come to accept it quickly.

Upon leaving the Main Course building, the Reserve Course students notice Hiyoko and the class and seek to take them on in battle to make placements available on the Main Course. Nekomaru and Gundham fend them off and the class continue to Junko's lair, reaching the stairway and making their way underground.

Episode 10 - Smile at Hope in the Name of Despair
Hiyoko and the others continue their approach, attempting to find and rescue Chiaki and Chisa. In the middle of this, they find Nekomaru and Gundham, and the two rejoin the group. Later on, they reach a large red door. Mikan presses a button to open the door and the class finds themselves in what seems to be the room that would be used for Class Trials later on.

The monitors on the walls of the room switch on, and reveal Junko on the screen. After a bit of exposition, Junko starts Chiaki Nanami's Punishment while the rest of the class is forced to watch it. Everyone tries desperately to take their eyes off the screen, but is unable to.

Once Chiaki reaches the "goal" in her execution, she opens the door. She sees Hiyoko, the rest of the class, and Chisa on the other side. Once she reaches for Chisa's hand, spikes appear from under the ground and stab Chiaki everywhere on her body. The class, besides Nagito and Mikan, is devastated by this, and is brainwashed into despair.

Episode 11 - Goodbye, Hope's Peak Academy
Hiyoko and the rest of the class have returned to the classroom, receiving their final lesson before graduation. Chisa stated that she has been honored to be their teacher and started reading a letter she prepared. Hiyoko and the class clap with gratitude.

After the speech, red lights turn on, and Chisa started to cry. The patterned swirled return in their eyes as they all make a declaration of what they will do upon graduation. Hiyoko expressed she will use her dance to 'spread joy'. Chisa then explaedns that they'll 'officially' have to die at the classroom to be taken off the list of protected students, Hiyoko commenting that she doesn't have to keep repeating herself revealed the class has discussed this plan prior. After bidding her class a final farewell, Chisa activated a bomb that fakes the death of Class 77-B. Hiyoko and her class stand outside the school grounds as they watch Hope's Peak's destruction.

Chisa's narration later reveals Hiyoko and the rest of her class helped to infect the world with despair.

During the Tragedy
The members of Ultimate Despair did all kinds of horrible things during the Tragedy, causing despair all over the world.

After the death of the True Ultimate Despair Junko, the Remnants of Despair including Hiyoko agreed to an insane plan to have AI Junko take over their bodies, so they could resurrect their leader.

The Remnants of Despair later found by Future Foundation. Makoto Naegi plans to undo Junko's influence by putting them into the Neo World Program, but the program is taken over by AI Junko, right according to the Ultimate Despair's plan.

Episode 01 - Third Time's the Charm
As a member of Ultimate Despair, seen in the flashback, Hiyoko and Ibuki held a concert together during the Tragedy to rally the brainwashed army's spirit.

Prologue - Welcome to Dangan Island! Panic at the Heart-Throbbing School Trip!?
Hiyoko can first be found hanging around at the Usami Corrals. Hajime notes that she was poking at the ground repeatedly for some reason, which later turns out to be that she was crushing (popping) ants. She invited Hajime to join her, but he declined, which makes Hiyoko call him a wuss.

Chapter 1 - Destination Despair
Later, Mikan and Kazuichi quickly turn into easy targets for Hiyoko's cruelty. She also bought gummies from the supermarket. Otherwise, she does not have much of a significant role in either Prologue or Chapter 1.

Chapter 2 - Sea and Punishment, Sin and Coconuts
At the beginning of Chapter 2, after everybody gathered at the Restaurant, Akane suddenly speaks up and tells everyone that she smells something bad. Although everyone was confused at first, the smell turns out to be coming from Hiyoko, who becomes frustrated and begins crying. She admits that she hasn't been able to take a shower for the few days, due to the fact that she is unable to properly wear her kimono by herself and that it isn't her fault that she smells.

While most of the others go off to investigate a new island, Mahiru offers to help Hiyoko, who immediately happily drags Mahiru off to take a shower with her. If Hajime has a certain item with him at this point, he will go to peek at them taking a shower together. For the rest of the chapter, Hiyoko has a close bond with Mahiru, often hanging around her and referring to her as 'big sis'.

Later, after Mahiru's murder in the Beach House, Hiyoko acts suspicious and runs away when Nagito tries to question her about whether Mahiru tried to talk to her before her death. It's revealed that Hiyoko was one of the Twilight Syndrome Murder Case characters, labeled as Girl B.

During the Class Trial, Hiyoko is initially heavily suspected as to being the culprit. She immediately denies all the accusations in tears, yelling that there would be no way that she would've killed her big sis. Thanks to Hajime and Chiaki Nanami's efforts, it is determined that all the evidence that seemingly pointed to Hiyoko were actually traps set by the true culprit to frame her instead.

Hiyoko admits that she was actually the first witness to the body of Mahiru, and ran out the Beach House in panic. Thanks to a multitude of testimonies from Hiyoko, Kazuichi, and Chiaki, Hajime arrives to the conclusion that Peko was the murderer. She is found guilty and executed, with Fuyuhiko heavily injured in the process.

Chapter 3 - Trapped by the Ocean Scent


Later, in the beginning of Chapter 3 after Fuyuhiko's injury, Hiyoko snuck into the Restaurant before anybody else in the morning and made a sinister-looking memorial to honor Mahiru, to which she had thought that everyone would be happy over.

However, Hiyoko's expectations were ruined when everybody, not knowing Hiyoko had made it, commented that the memorial was creepy and unsettling to the point that even Gundham thought it was evil. Not wanting everyone to know that she had made that 'creepy and unsettling' memorial, she goes with the flow and comments about how Mahiru wouldn't like it at all as well, until Chiaki points out that the memorial was surely made with an honest intention.

Hiyoko begins crying and admits she made the memorial because she thought Mahiru would be lonely, and apologizes for how it looks since the only thing she can do is dance. Hiyoko then asks for them to not burn it, to which the others agree, keeping it up for Hiyoko and Mahiru's sake.

When Fuyuhiko comes back to the group, Hiyoko openly shows her distrust and dislike of him, as he is essentially the cause of Mahiru's death. Despite that, after Fuyuhiko apologizes and bows down to the floor at the expense of re-opening his wounds, and later seeing him earnestly trying to change for the better, she forgives him and tries to change herself for the better as well.

After Monokuma's announcement of Chapter 3's motive, the Despair Disease, is given, Hiyoko along with Kazuichi, Gundham, Sonia, and Chiaki move to the Motel near the Hospital so they can keep in touch with those staying at the Hospital.

Hiyoko, however, locks herself into her own Motel room and initially doesn't come outside because she doesn't want to contract the Despair Disease. Later, Sonia finds her door half-open and goes to check up on Hiyoko, who she finds with her clothes half-on and crying. She attempted to wash herself and put her clothes back on the way Mahiru had taught her properly how to do, and yet she wasn't able to, causing her frustration.

At Sonia's recommendation, Hiyoko went to the Live house and planned to use the full-body mirror there to fix her kimono. However, she witnessed Mikan about to murder Ibuki on the way and she was murdered by Mikan with a slit to the throat.

Chapter 6 - This is the End Goodbye Academy of Despair
Much later, Hajime finds a news article in the glitch version of Hope's Peak Academy that shows an older, much more mature-looking Hiyoko, showing that their time spent on 'Jabberwock Island' was actually a memory of their time when they first came to Hope's Peak while in reality, their bodies had matured around 2–3 years (approximately).

Epilogue - The Day Before the Future
Currently, Hiyoko is most likely comatose, just like most of her classmates. The survivor of the Killing Game are waiting for her and the rest of their classmates to wake up.

Real-life
After Nagito awoke from the simulation, he learned that all of his friends, including Hiyoko, were alive and awake from the Neo World Program. He boarded the boat with the rest of Class 77-B and they all then headed for the Future Foundation Headquarters.

Side: Hope - The Academy of Hope and Students of Despair
Hiyoko returned in Side: Hope alongside the rest of the Class 77-B, who had been resurrected by Izuru Kamukura although Izuru was now combined with the personality and memories of Hajime. They arrived at the island where the Future Foundation's off-shore facility was located, having left from Jabberwock Island and proceeded by rescuing Byakuya Togami and Yasuhiro Hagakure from being trapped under rubble, they then began their fight against Ryota's brainwashed rescue squad troops, including the Former Ultimate Elite Task Force.

Venturing into the underwater facility beneath the main building, Hiyoko became threatened by the former Ultimate Nailist, throwing continuous swipes at Hiyoko, prompting her to dodge. She is saved by Mikan who had procured a giant syringe and used it to knock the squad member unconscious. Despite showing her usual abrasive attitude toward Mikan, Hiyoko reluctantly offered her gratitude for the timely assistance, bringing Mikan to joyful tears.

Later, Hiyoko helped convince Ryota to abandon his plan to brainwash the world. When Hajime began persuading him to join them in atonement, Hiyoko happily accepting Ryota. Upon leaving the broadcasting studio, Nagito held Makoto Naegi's hand and began to ramble about their comparable talents before being swiftly carried away by Nekomaru and Akane for speaking too long, Hiyoko stating Nagito had become even creepier than before.

Shortly afterword, she and the other Former Remnants of Despair shoulder the blame for the Final Killing Game in a broadcast to the Future Foundation, presenting themselves in their despair persona and relieving the organization of any wrongdoing.

With the battle won, Hiyoko and the Class 77-B return to Jabberwock Island by boat. She is last seen with Mahiru, standing over Mikan who had once again fallen to the floor.

Mahiru Koizumi
Hiyoko's friendship with Mahiru blooms in Chapter 2, when the latter helps her take a shower and then wear her kimono correctly. Since then, Hiyoko regularly referred to Mahiru as her 'big sis' or 'big sister Mahiru'. Hiyoko states that Mahiru is the only person who isn't weird and acts ordinary and normal.

Although Mahiru was initially reluctant to be dragged around by Hiyoko, it is evident that Hiyoko greatly looked up to the other as she was devastated by Mahiru's death, and later made her a memorial. Even after the events of Chapter 2, Hiyoko tries to take a shower and put her clothes back on by herself since Mahiru had taught her with so much patience, and was extremely frustrated to find out that she couldn't.

Later, it's revealed that Mahiru was one of Hiyoko's best friends during her time at Hope's Peak Academy as well, calling her "Big Sis" and stating she loves her. Despite their close friendship, Hiyoko involved Mahiru in her mischievous plot which included aphrodisiacs. Hiyoko later comforted Mahiru after Sato's death.

Upon awakening from their coma, Hiyoko is seen happily chatting with Mahiru and celebrating with her, Mikan, and Ibuki on the ship after the battle has ended.

In the Danganronpa 3 relationship chart, Hiyoko tells Mahiru that she loves her, and Mahiru tells Hiyoko that she loves her too.

According to Kazutaka Kodaka, Hiyoko's school memories with Mahiru are very precious to her, explaining why she became close with Mahiru even after losing her memories in the Neo World Program.

Mikan Tsumiki
Hiyoko is quick to latch onto Mikan, but not in a friendly way. Mikan quickly became a common target for her bullying because of her timid nature. Hiyoko constantly makes rude remarks towards Mikan, such as calling her a "filthy pig" or "ugly bitch". Despite Hiyoko's bickering and attitude, Mikan still cares for Hiyoko and states about her health which however Hiyoko refuses to listen to Mikan, like in Chapter 1 when Mikan tries to tell Hiyoko that eating sweets for breakfast is bad for health.

Later, it was revealed in Chapter 2 that Hiyoko and Mikan were in the same group of friends, and knew each other very well prior to the Tradegy. Despite this, Hiyoko was just as mean to Mikan even then, and says that her wish of being able to twist Mikan's bones in different directions would finally come true when she hit her growth spurt. In the Danganronpa 3 relationship chart, Hiyoko calls Mikan "pig puke", which Mikan apologizes for. Still, Hiyoko was visibly concerned about Mikan when she suddenly disappeared, no matter how much she tried to hide it. This may possibly mean that Hiyoko still thought of Mikan as a friend, to some extent. Although somewhat reluctant as she says this, Hiyoko admits that Mikan's talent is very useful in situations where someone needs medical attention.

During the Killing School Trip, Hiyoko was murdered by Mikan, not because of her actions, but merely because she had witnessed Mikan murdering Ibuki. But after Hiyoko and the other Remnants of Despair awake from the Neo World Program, Mikan makes it up to Hiyoko by saving her from a brainwashed man upon their awakening from their coma. Hiyoko insults her at first for not coming earlier, but then, although somewhat reluctant, sincerely thanks Mikan, causing her to cry tears of joy. Later the two, along with Mahiru and Ibuki, are seen celebrating together on the ship, indicating that Hiyoko finally accepted Mikan as a friend.

In the non-canon "Danganronpa V3" bonus mode, Hiyoko decided to meet up with Mikan in the nurse office since she was in a bad mood. Mikan was surprised and curious how Hiyoko would meet up with her. Mikan then smiled that Hiyoko came to be friends with her and chat along which Hiyoko decline and telling her to not smile. In the end, Hiyoko states how she forgot about her nervousness when she talked with Mikan.

Ibuki Mioda
Hiyoko appears to think of Ibuki as a friend, despite the fact that she often insults her. She joins her improvised band as a dancer. During the events of chapter 2, it is revealed that both Ibuki and her, along with Mahiru, Mikan, and Sato, were best friends at Hope's Peak Academy.

Ibuki appears to like her as well, though she is amazed by how many tears Hiyoko can cry. They seem to have a similar taste in music, which is revealed in Ibuki's "Welcome Back" party for Fuyuhiko. Ibuki played one of her songs, but Hiyoko was the only one who enjoyed it. Hiyoko states how amazing Ibuki's ears can be and feels astounded by her skills. During the Killing School Trip, Hiyoko and Ibuki were murdered together by Mikan, but despite this, the three, along with Mahiru, are seen celebrating together on the ship after awakening from their comatose states.

When Hiyoko and Ibuki were still members of Ultimate Despair, they often performed on the stage together, rallying the brainwashed army with Monokuma helmets.

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu
Besides the other people that were fallen victims of her bullying, Fuyuhiko was also targeted by Hiyoko. She often called him a coward yakuza, or an ugly baby-faced yakuza. Later at the end of the chapter 2, Hiyoko developed a feeling of hatred for him.

Hiyoko blamed Mahiru's and Peko's deaths on him and Hiyoko still refused to apologize to Fuyuhiko after he lost his right eye. Even when Fuyuhiko gave her and the others an awkward greeting she still refused to apologize to him, and even cornered him, which caused him to jab his own stomach to show his guilt to her. Finally, Hiyoko agreed, forgave him, and chose to cooperate.

Sonia Nevermind
Hiyoko is one of the people that Sonia tends to trust and invites in some events. Sonia even shows concern towards Hiyoko as when Hiyoko struggles putting on her kimono in Chapter 3. Sonia was devastated how Hiyoko, Ibuki, and Mikan are dead since they all died in the same case and states how she remembers Hiyoko dance while mourning for Mahiru. In turn, Hiyoko states to Hajime that she feels irritated how everyone is pampering Sonia like crazy including Kaizuichi. Hajime states that Hiyoko might have been jealous of Sonia which Hiyoko holds hatred towards Sonia in Hiyoko's last free time event.

Teruteru Hanamura
During their time at Hope's Peak Academy, Hiyoko appeared to enjoy messing with Teruteru, Hiyoko soon stopped after Teruteru almost molested her and seemed to ignore him altogether.

On the island, Hiyoko was very grossed out by Teruteru's perverted nature, and she bullied him. However, like most of her classmates, she enjoys Teruteru's cooking.

Kazuichi Soda
Hiyoko enjoys bullying Kazuichi, teasing him in a similar manner to Mikan (although not as much). She does not hesitate to insult him when given the chance, other times, she does so for no reason at all. She called him useless unlike she did to Mikan. She even made threats and wanting to see him get hurt. Hiyoko called him a pathetic annoying virgin during her last free time event and explained to Hajime how annoying he can be whenever Sonia is around.

Akane Owari
When it comes to Akane, Hiyoko tends to take her pranks into serious consideration. She can easily persuade the former to do her bidding, and one time, even reveals to Hajime that she had gotten Akane to consume flowers that she had stomped on.

Sato
Prior to The Tragedy, Sato was one of Hiyoko's best friends. They, along with Mikan, Ibuki, and Mahiru spent most of their time together prior to Sato's murder.

Hajime Hinata
Despite Hiyoko's attitude towards Hajime, Hiyoko appears to like Hajime more than most of the others, calling him Big Bro. He apparently reminds her of her father. She does think that Hajime is bland and a wimp at times. She also states that Hajime is a kind-hearted person which is a good thing. After receiving the 6th page of her report card, Hiyoko states that Hajime's kindness is probably a good trait.

Usami
Hiyoko often likes to tease Usami while Monomi tries to become friends with her and the rest of the characters. Hiyoko states how Monomi always acted like a party pooper and thinks she is annoying while Usami feels upset. Hiyoko continues to tease and bully Usami and treats her like a plush toy. Hiyoko despite the idea of letting Usami participate in the events that all of their classmates attended.

Presents
Obtained from the MonoMono Machine.
 * Cloth Wrap Backpack
 * Biggest Fantom
 * Paper "10th Act Verse"
 * Century Potpourri
 * Rose In Vitro

Choices
During free time conversations, the player will occasionally be given a choice on how to respond to something that is said. These are the 'right' choices.
 * Confeito
 * To protect his daughter
 * Sonia

Skills
These will aid you, usually during Class Trials.
 * Pivot Turn - Erases all dummy panels. Effective during Closing Argument.

Quotes

 * “Hmmm? I'm Hiyoko Saionji.”
 * “Squish! Squish!”
 * “Um, um...I've been thinking this ever since I first met you... You have a shady-looking face, and you look like the kind of person who's too lazy to try hard. And not only that, I think you're so hopeless for coming after me like some pedo pervert!” (to Hajime Hinata)
 * “Honestly, everyone on this island is a huuuge weirdo! Ah, except Mahiru!”
 * “Hey, isn't it stressful when someone you're not interested in at all tries to talk to you?”
 * “Jeez Hajime...you're such a pushover. You totally promised me without realizing it was impossible...and you even got tricked by my fake crying! Jeez, you're so hopeless. I guess I'll go easy on you and make you bring me something else.” (to Hajime)
 * “That thing you call 'friendship' is just bunch of weaklings plotting together. This world is divided between with a chosen noble like me, and those who serve us as slaves. That's why I don't need to team up with something like friends...”
 * "Well, I like to spend my breakfast eating sweets in my room! That's already fine!"
 * "Who made you my doctor? Do speak to me without my permission." (to Mikan)
 * "Jeez, listen to this ugly bitch's crying in the morning makes me soooo sick!" (talking about Mikan Tsumiki)
 * “A slave should never talk back to their master!”
 * “Hey Hajime. Are you thinking about killing me? Then you better make it quick, 'cause if you fail, you're the one that's gonna die, y'know? You're not even thinking about killing me? Are you a coward? Or are you just too stupid to do it?” (to Hajime)
 * “I'm just saying we should take good care of the things that are close to us. I know I have an old-fashioned way of thinking because I'm involved in a hobby with over 400 years of history. But what's wrong with old-fashioned things? Of course...I don't intend to disagree with the new direction Kabuki Theater is taking these days... But I think it's a good thing to protect things that need to be protected.”
 * “I love flowers 'cause they're soooo pretty! I used to play at flower gardens when I was a kid. It was lots of fun stomping them and messing them up! It's fun to stomp pretty things with my feet and kick them all over the place.”
 * “How can you perform a traditional Japanese dance if you don't have a heart that cherishes flowers? You don't understand at all, do you?”
 * "You nasty pig barf!" (to Mikan)
 * “Huh!? What does that mean, you stupid, ugly, idiot!? You're so meeeeeeeeean!” (to Hajime)
 * “I seriously love traditional dancing, Japanese candy, and Japanese food. And as much as I love these... I seriously love stomping on disgusting things!”
 * “Well, it's so elaborately made that it's practically art. They're so small and sparkly and cute... I love them so much. Foreign sweets are made with too much sugar, so they're perfect for uncultured idiots.” (talking about traditional Japanese candy)
 * “You're unrefined, common human being Hajime, so of course you wouldn't understand... You have to make it a habit to be mindful of the very tips of your fingers at all times! That's also the very first move in dance!”
 * “Well, no duh. What's wrong with that? Friends are what you call a bunch of weaklings who decide to get along and play nice, right? The world is filled with people who exist to serve perfect humans like me. That's why I don't need friends or any close contacts...”
 * “I had a reaaaaal bad dream today. The next time you casually say my last name, I'll kill you.”
 * “I hate my last name! Everyone who shares my last name...eventually dies a crazy death!”
 * “There's nothing lamer than being envied by people who have no talent at all!"
 * “Life isn't that easy.”
 * “That's why...it really makes me happy when you talk to me...Heh, as long as I say that, everyone gladly agrees to become my slave.”
 * “Man, people who can't read between the lines are the worst... Their lives are completely worthless.”
 * “Rice, fish, vegetables, miso, soy sauce... I could totally live of that stuff alone. I seriously can't stand smelly, oily people who eat tons of meat! They think and act like stupid animals.”
 * “Jeez...that's why opportunists are such useless cowards.”
 * “I'm always serious!”
 * “She's nothing but sturdy toy, y'know?” (talking about Akane Owari)
 * "I don't care if she's a princess or a foreigner. She gets away with it 'cause you all pamper her like crazy!" (Talking about Sonia Nevermind)
 * "Ew, don't cry! Pigs have no right to cry! You're grossing me out!" (to Mikan)
 * “From her face, brain, style and personality, the only good thing here are her ears!” (talking about Ibuki Mioda)
 * “What am I going to do?! Just listening him to speak is embarrassing!” (talking about Gundham Tanaka)
 * “You sure you're not exaggerating about your 'powers'? Aren't you just a breeder?” (to Gundham)
 * “You're really kind-hearted. Well...in your case, I guess that's a good thing.” (to Hajime)
 * “Ha! A nasty, trashy, pigshit like you doesn't have any privacy rights!” (to (Mikan Tsumiki)
 * “Short and foulmouthed...? That's like the complete opposite of me!”
 * “No one would kill a nice person like Mahiru besides a piece of shit, menace to society like Fuyuhiko!”
 * “What are you even saying, you nasty, toilet-clogging bitch!?” (to Peko Pekoyama)
 * “I-I don't have such ugly footprints! They're probably Mikan's based on how ugly they are!”
 * “People who call other people liars...are usually liars themselves.”
 * “Saying I met up with her when I never even saw her... Is this a panel of idiots?”
 * “There's no way I'd wear such a childish mask! Is your brain fried or something!?” (to Akane about the Sparkling Justice mask)
 * “Y-You're a midget too, you know! You're the one who worries about never getting taller!” (to Fuyuhiko)
 * “I'll get my revenge! I'm gonna bop you on the head with all my might!”
 * “There's no way I'd kill Mahiru... Cause...Mahiru taught me how to wear a kimono...and she was very, very kind... There's no way I would kill a nice person like her! Why wouldn't you believe me earlier!?”
 * “You guys are stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!”
 * “Shut the hell up, pig barf! I hope you get a hangnail and die!” (to Mikan)
 * “Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! How mean! Give me back Mahiru!”
 * “Stop being annoying or I'm gonna make Akane bop you on the head and shut you up for good.” (to Hajime Hinata)
 * “Wh-Whatever! Let's hurry up and vote so we can freaking kill this weird, crazy bitch!” (talking about Peko)
 * “mrmrmraaaaants-o,,o,,o’(~=squish--~;31-o,,o,,o’mi$s[@Ma9hiru8823” (Hiyoko's cottage post-fifth trial)
 * “I told her that you only understand piggy-talk!” (to the Ultimate Imposter, about Ibuki)

Trivia

 * Saionji (西園寺) translates to “Western garden temple” while Hiyoko (日寄子) means “Child who brings forth day”.
 * Hiyoko (as 雛) is also the Japanese word for "chick" (as in a baby bird). This association connected to Hiyoko's name matches her childish, innocent-looking appearance, as well as her hair color. She also has a chick print on her kimono, located just above its sash.
 * Coincidentally, there is also a brand of bean jam-filled steamed buns called Hiyoko Sweets. Whether this was intentionally reflecting Hiyoko's sweet tooth or not is unknown.
 * Hiyoko's title is often translated as the Ultimate 'Classical' Dancer. In original Japanese, she is known as the Ultimate 'buyō-ka', or a master of buyō dance, which is a traditional form of Japanese art that combines the act of moving to a rhythm and dancing.
 * At some point during the game, the remaining students find out that about 2-3 years have passed since their actual enrollment at Hope's Peak Academy after a glitch in the Neo World Program reveals a newspaper article featuring Hiyoko in her actual current appearance - considerably taller and much more adult-looking.
 * Hiyoko possibly enjoys playing Professor Layton, a mystery-solving game, and Pokémon, a game where you collect monsters called "Pokémon", because when Monokuma was introducing the Twilight Syndrome Murder Case, Hiyoko states that she wants to play games about "riddle solving professors" (Professor Layton), and "collecting cute monsters" (Pokémon).
 * Hiyoko has a bit of a sweet tooth; she mostly eats gummies. However, she never eats yellow gummies, due to her dislike of sour food.
 * In her report card it states she eats flower candies and Japanese sweets.

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