Hope's Peak Academy

Hope's Peak Academy (希望ヶ峰学園 Kibōgamine Gakuen) is the school where the series is set. To enroll, one must be top in their field of expertise and also must be a high school student. The students do not apply for the school but instead the school invites them. If they graduate from the school, they are almost certainly guaranteed success in life. Students who attend the main school are given the title “Ultimate”.

Description
Hope's Peak Private Academy was an exclusive, government-sanctioned school that accepted only students with exceptional abilities. The location for said school is in the center of a large city, making it look as if it were the main focus of the world.

Main Course
Its stated goal was to raise the future “hope” of the nation, earning it the moniker “The Academy of Hope”. It was a source of envy for average high school students, as it was common knowledge that one can gain great success in life just by being a Hope's Peak graduate. Certainly, many Hope's Peak graduates were employed in high positions in every field of the professional world, so that statement was not an exaggeration.

There were two requirements to becoming a Hope's Peak main course student: One must be currently enrolled in high school and one must super-excel at their field of expertise; in the case of Ultimate Lucky Student, the "expertise" is determined by winning an annual draw. Should the invitation be lost, a redraw occurs, as the loss of the invitation indicates their luck is not that exceptional. Based on the screenshots in the Japanese version, Hope's Peak enrollment takes place in September - unlike those of regular Japanese schools, which take place in April.

Hope's Peak did not hold any standard entrance exams, as the academy insists that the things tested by these kind of exams are meaningless for its purposes. Instead, students were scouted by the school itself. Hope's Peak Academy's faculty members were much like parents, who made it their life's mission to find talent and nurture their children.

Hope's Peak Academy was not a traditional learning facility like other schools. It provided education for the talented, while at the same time researching those talents. The teaching staff were not simple teachers, but also scientists who researched human talent. In order to provide even more funding for their experiments, a special program was installed.

The students do not actually need to attend class except for socialization; in fact, they were encouraged to merely further develop their talent. The only mandatory exams they need to take are the practical exams taking place once every school year. Dignitaries and media were invited to the gym to see and judge the talent of the students.

Reserve Course
Before any of the games take place, Hope's Peak was a small-scale facility that survived on a government subsidiary and graduate donations. However the research was often blocked by a lack of resources. The school's steering committee was not satisfied with this, so they instated the preparatory school system in order to bring in more money. This led to the construction of a separate facility attached to the main school, called the Reserve Course. It's located on the west quarter of the campus, while the main school was in the east quarter, so the students didn't intermingle much.

The Reserve Course didn't scout its students and relied on a regular entrance exam to choose potential students. The teachers were chosen the same way. While the teachers of the main Hope's Peak were also scientists who worked and lived at the school, the preparatory school had regular teachers coming from outside. However, teachers from the main school could be reassigned to the Reserve Course if they demonstrated a failure to control their Ultimate students.

Even though it was technically just a regular high-school, there was a flood of applications because a brand name is a powerful thing. People didn't care that it was just a preparatory school, the prestigious Hope's Peak Academy had finally opened its doors to the public. As Yasuke Matsuda, the Ultimate Neurologist, explained the situation to Ryoko Otonashi, the Ultimate Analyst:

By the time of Danganronpa/Zero, Hope's Peak Academy was set up like a pyramid class system in a third world country: The multitude of students in the preparatory school existed only to support the talented few Ultimates. There was a system in place for exceptional students in the Reserve Course to transfer to the main school, but no one ever actually managed this.

History
Hope's Peak Academy has been around for several hundred years, best known for continuously sending its students to be the best of their profession time and time again. The school personally invites students to join the school; Hajime Hinata states that many current leaders of various industries are alumni of Hope's Peak Academy.

In order to continue researching talents, Hope's Peak opened the Reserve Course as a way to gain funding and guinea pigs. During the first year of the 77th Class, Hope's Peak began construction of an oversea campus under the direction of Kyosuke Munakata; in the main campus, the Twilight Syndrome murder case occurred, while the Hope Cultivation Project proceeded. Soon after the 78th Class were admitted, the Main Course students moved to the new school building.

The tragedy of Hope's Peak, also known as the First Mutual Killing game, soon take place between the student council members, leading to all of them being killed except Izuru Kamukura and the Student Council President. Despite the cover up, rumors were spread, leading to demonstrations and protests by Reserve Course Students, until it leads to the mass suicide due to the leak of the video. Soon, The Tragedy occurred, leading to the shutdown of Hope's Peak, with the Class 78th retreated to the old school building and using it as a shelter until the Hope's Peak Killing Game.

Areas
The campus of Hope's Peak Academy is diamond-shaped, equivalent to the size of four regular high-schools. It was divided into quarters, with the East side containing the facilities and classrooms for Ultimate students, the North side contained the old school building that is sectioned off, and the West side being the paid Preparatory School. The South side contained the dorms where the Ultimate students lived for free, as well as living necessities for the Ultimate Students, such as a convenience store, a book store, and other miscellaneous shops. The central plaza is where the students were meant to relax, and was open from 7:00 to 22:00.

Hope's Peak Academy Old School Building
The Old School Building, located at the North Quarter, was the location where the First Killing Game, which started off the Tragedy happened, and the Second Killing Game's location, where its mastermind was killed. Prior to being re-outfitted as a survival shelter, the building gave off a sophisticated air with red carpeting lining the tiled halls and dark wooden molding on the walls. The building apparently attempted to integrate classic and modern design. After being turned into a survival shelter, the building was bolted up tight with thick metal plating. In addition, colorful wallpapers were plastered throughout the school and the lights were changed to tint the room in a range of colors.

First Floor
Within the first floor is the entrance hall, locked up tight. The School Store is found here as well, along with the A/V Room and Classrooms 1-A and 1-B. There's also the Gymnasium and in front of that before you get in is the Trophy Room separating it from the first floor just a little. Attached to the First Floor is “Hotel Despair”, the dorm area for the students, which includes a cafeteria, storage, trash room and bathhouse. Additionally there is a nurse's office and entrance to the Gym. Lastly is an untitled room, but it is off limits until it is time for a Class Trial. It connects to the elevator which leads to the courtroom.

Second Floor
The Library and Archives, the indoor pool, and the boy's and girl's changing rooms are on this floor. Classrooms 2-A and 2-B are also on this floor and are located at opposite ends of the floor. Within the men's restroom is a secret room, containing secret documents and files about Hope's Peak Academy.

Third Floor
The Rec room is directly across from the stairs leading to the second floor. To the left is the Art Room and a storage room. To the right is the Physics Lab, which contains an air purifier and another storage room. Classrooms 3-A and 3-B are also on this floor and are right next to each other.

Fourth Floor
This floor contains the Music Room, the Staff Room, the Headmaster's Office, a second Chemistry Lab, and Classrooms 4-A and 4-B which are next to one another. The Data Processing Room is also on this floor and is kept locked; it connects to the Monokuma Control Room.

Fifth Floor
The final floor contains a dojo, along with the illusive Biology Lab, which doubles as a morgue. The Greenhouse is found here, however, the room is given artificial sunlight and sprinklers. Three classrooms are found here, as opposed to the usual two. 5-A and 5-B are right next to each other, but “5-C” is near the Bio Lab. Room 5-C is covered in blood, the desks lay astray, and body chalklines all over, possibly the location where The Tragedy of Hope's Peak Academy took place.

Basement
Located deep underground, the Basement is where all trash and unwanted things are found. Makoto Naegi is sent here after Alter Ego saves him from being executed. Kyoko Kirigiri rescues him, and the two climb up an incredibly long ladder. The ladder ends at a hatch, which opens up to the trash room. Seperated from the dump was a large circular room connected by an elevator to the first floor, originally used to hide Izuru Kamukura before beind modified for use in class trial.

Hope's Peak Academy New School Building
Opened in the 78th year of running the school, the New School Building is a tall tower-like structure with many floors that cascade near the upper levels. Main Course students were transferred from the Old School Building into the newer one after its construction was completed.

Biology Building
Located on the east quarter, the Biology Building is where students who specialize in fields such as neurology go to study. The building is square-shaped, light green, and has multiple stories.

Neuroscience Institute
The Neuroscience Institute is located on the third floor of the Science Building. It is outfitted with many scientific instruments and a medical trolley.

Faculty Buildings
Located in the East District of the Academy, the Faculty Buildings are lined up with one another and students are forbidden to access without prior invitation.

Meeting Room No. 13
Located on the top floor of the Faculty Building, Meeting Room No. 13 is the largest meeting room in the entire academy holding a maximum occupancy of around 300 people. Despite its size, the room only holds a long table, rather than being structured as an auditorium type of setting.

Hope's Peak Academy's Steering Committee Room
Hope's Peak Academy's Steering Committee Room is where the Steering Committee and current Headmaster meet to discuss the plans of the school's future as well as ongoing projects. The yearly drawing for the Ultimate Lucky Student also takes place in this room.

Other Buildings
In addition to the Biology, Faculty, and Old School Buildings, it has been stated that there are also buildings that go into the subjects of literature, science, physics, art, health, and language.

Courtyard
The Courtyards of Hope's Peak Academy are scattered throughout and are noted to be decorated with fountains and small grounds-keeping sheds.

The 66th Class

 * Daisaku Bandai (Ultimate Farmer)

The 69th Class

 * Great Gozu (Ultimate Wrestler)

The 74th Class

 * Chisa Yukizome (Ultimate Housekeeper)
 * Kyosuke Munakata (Ultimate Student Council President)
 * Juzo Sakakura (Ultimate Boxer)

The 76th Class

 * Ruruka Ando (Ultimate Confectioner)
 * Seiko Kimura (Ultimate Pharmacist)
 * Sonosuke Izayoi (Ultimate Blacksmith)

Section-A

 * Yasuke Matsuda (Ultimate Neurologist)
 * Yuto Kamishiro (Ultimate Secret Agent)
 * Shinobu Togami (Ultimate Secretary)
 * Soshun Murasame (Ultimate Student Council President)

Section-B

 * Teruteru Hanamura (Ultimate Cook)
 * Mahiru Koizumi (Ultimate Photographer)
 * Peko Pekoyama (Ultimate Swordswoman)
 * Ibuki Mioda (Ultimate Musician)
 * Hiyoko Saionji (Ultimate Traditional Dancer)
 * Mikan Tsumiki (Ultimate Nurse)
 * Nekomaru Nidai (Ultimate Team Manager)
 * Gundham Tanaka (Ultimate Breeder)
 * Nagito Komaeda (Ultimate Lucky Student)
 * Akane Owari (Ultimate Gymnast)
 * Sonia Nevermind (Ultimate Princess)
 * Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu (Ultimate Yakuza)
 * Kazuichi Soda (Ultimate Mechanic)
 * Chiaki Nanami (Ultimate Gamer)
 * Ultimate Imposter
 * Ryota Mitarai (Ultimate Animator)

The 78th Class

 * Makoto Naegi (Ultimate Lucky Student)
 * Kyoko Kirigiri (Ultimate Detective)
 * Byakuya Togami (Ultimate Affluent Progeny)
 * Toko Fukawa/Genocide Jack (Ultimate Writing Prodigy/Ultimate Murderous Fiend)
 * Yasuhiro Hagakure (Ultimate Clairvoyant)
 * Aoi Asahina (Ultimate Swimming Pro)
 * Sakura Ogami (Ultimate Martial Artist)
 * Celestia Ludenberg (Ultimate Gambler)
 * Hifumi Yamada (Ultimate Fanfic Creator)
 * Kiyotaka Ishimaru (Ultimate Moral Compass)
 * Mondo Owada (Ultimate Biker Gang Leader)
 * Chihiro Fujisaki (Ultimate Programmer)
 * Leon Kuwata (Ultimate Baseball Star)
 * Sayaka Maizono (Ultimate Pop Sensation)
 * Mukuro Ikusaba (Ultimate Soldier)
 * Junko Enoshima (Ultimate Fashionista)

The Student Council

 * Soshun Murasame (Ultimate Student Council President)
 * Karen Kisaragi (Secretary)

The Elementary School Division

 * Monaca Towa (Li'l Ultimate Homeroom)
 * Nagisa Shingetsu (Li'l Ultimate Social Studies)
 * Masaru Daimon (Li'l Ultimate P.E.)
 * Kotoko Utsugi (Li'l Ultimate Drama)
 * Jataro Kemuri (Li'l Ultimate Art)

The Reserve Course Department

 * Hajime Hinata
 * Natsumi Kuzuryu
 * Sato

Others

 * Izuru Kamukura (Ultimate Hope)
 * The Madarai brothers (Ultimate Bodyguard/Ultimate Multiple Birth Siblings)
 * Santa Shikiba (Ultimate Botanist)
 * Ultimate Physicist
 * Miaya Gekkogahara (Ultimate Therapist)
 * Ted Chikatilo (Ultimate Pyrotechnician)
 * Ultimate Make-up Artist
 * Suzuhiko Otsuki (Ultimate Hitman)
 * Ichiro Togami (Ultimate Surgeon)
 * Jiro Togami (Ultimate Karate Master)
 * Yusuke Togami (Ultimate Gourmet)
 * Asa/Yoru/Hiru Togami (Ultimate Weather Forecasters)
 * Sana Kagami (Ultimate Brother Complex)
 * Naomi Kagami (Ultimate Dual Personality)
 * Tsurugi Hitomoshi (Ultimate Rock Climber)

Staff

 * Izuru Kamukura (Founder)
 * Steering Committee
 * Jin Kirigiri (Headmaster)
 * Kazuo Tengan (Former Headmaster)
 * Koichi Kizakura (Talent Scout and Homeroom Teacher)
 * Chisa Yukizome (Homeroom Teacher)
 * Physical Education Teacher
 * Juzo Sakakura (Head of Security)