Kaito Momota

"You gotta be a little reckless to make your dreams reality!"

- Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony

Kaito Momota (百田 解斗 Momota Kaito) is a student in Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles and a participant of the Killing Game Semester featured in Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony.

Despite never actually traveling to space, and even going as so far as forging his documents to get into space training, Kaito was given the title of the Ultimate Astronaut (超高校級の「宇宙飛行士」 chō kōkō kyū no “uchū hikō-shi” lit. Super High School Level Astronaut).

Early life
{{spoiler|
 * Before Joining Danganronpa

Kaito Momota is a normal talentless high school boy who adores a famous reality show called Danganronpa, a series which tells the story about Killing Games, created by Team Danganronpa. In his audition video before he participated in Danganronpa, he said that he wanted to murder, earning the honor and money after winning the game.

Kaito and the other talentless fifteen students undergo the fabrication process, where all of their past memory and personality were heavily fabricated. He also received the talent and title of Ultimate Astronaut. All of this were done for the sake of satisfying Danganronpa's audience from all around the world. After the fabrication process done, Kaito and the others entered the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles as a whole different person, officially commencing the 53rd killing game season known as the Killing Game Semester.

During his high school days, Kaito attended Dodonpachi Commercial High (怒首領蜂商業高校). However, it is unclear if this memory of him is a part of the fabrication made by Team Danganronpa.


 * Fabricated Past

After he successfully participated in the 53rd Killing Game, Kaito's memories and past were fabricated by Team Danganronpa as follows.

Kaito is famous for becoming the first teen to pass the astronaut exams. However, in reality he hasn't even passed the test, lacking the required college degree and thus cheating his way through using false documents that he got from an acquaintance. Once he was found out, he was allowed to stay on as a trainee thanks to being an interesting and amusing person of talent. He hasn't been to space yet, but he harbors a great longing to go.

The Gopher Plan
Part of the fake backstories created for Kaito and the other fifteen students was the Gopher Plan, which supposedly happened before the killing game started. It was initiated by the government after countless meteorites crashed into Earth. To try and preserve the last vestiges of mankind before the Earth’s destruction, the government decided to select a number of excellent human beings, put them in a spaceship, and have them escape.

Kaito and fifteen other high school students were chosen to participate. Not wanting to abandon their loved ones, they attempted to escape from the plan.

Around that time, an extremist cult came into power. They believed that the meteor crashes were a punishment humanity brought upon itself, and having heard of the Gopher Plan, they tried to stop it. As a result, the “Super High School Level Hunt” started and spread throughout the world, and the sixteen students were hunted down.

The government then decided to counter the situation by faking the students' deaths, calming down the “Super High School Level Hunt” while providing protection to the students. The Gopher Plan was then put into action while the Earth was being destroyed. Kaito and the others went to the space in a massive colony spaceship, the true form of Ultimate Academy of Gifted Juveniles.

Kokichi Oma who declared himself as a member of Junko Enoshima's Remnants of Despair said that he is the mastermind behind the Killing Game who let Monokuma entered the spaceship, effectively forcing Kaito and the others to participate in the Killing Game.

It should be noted that Kaito has no complete recollection of the event, as he was not present when the complete memory about The Gopher Plan was triggered by the Remembering Light in Chapter 5. }}

Killing Game Semester
{{Spoiler/for|Danganronpa V3| Being told to killing each other, Kaito was enraged and threw away his MonoPad, to which Rantaro Amami alerted him from not doing so, since it could caused him troubles for breaking the rules. The group then began to fight on each other, but immediately stopped after Kaede Akamatsu raised her voice about her ideals in working together instead of fighting. Kaito who also has a similar ideal was in complete agreement with her. Later, Kaito and the others followed Gonta Gokuhara to the manhole that he discovered inside the boiler. Under the manhole, they found a secret tunnel which could be a passage to escape from the academy.

At first, everyone was reluctant to enter the secret tunnel until Kaede calmed them down, which once again agreed by Kaito to the point where he offered her a hug because they share the same opinion, and of course he was turned down immediately by the Ultimate Pianist. Kaito and the others later tried to escape via the Despair Death Road, but no matter how hard they try, they always failed in the end. Kaito supported Kaede in rallying the group's morale, until Kokichi and the others complaining that they've gone tired after their efforts died in vain.

Monokuma and his children appeared and told the group that the tunnel was merely a trap set by them to crush the student's hope in escaping. Everyone then returns to their respective dorms to rest their body. Before leaving, he told Kaede that she didn't have to apologize for what happened and he would teach a lesson to everyone who opposed her beliefs.

In the next morning, Kaito was angered by Monokuma who presented them first motive, anyone who perform a killing will be graduated without Class Trial being held. He was about to grab Monokuma until the Monokuma Kubs came in order to punish rule breaker using the Exisals. However, instead of crushing Kaito, Monokuma was destroyed by the Exisals accidentally by the Monokuma Kubs. All of his children later went to mourn for their father deaths, making everyone thought that the killing game is over.

In the next day when Kaito and the others truly believe that Monokuma is gone for good, the robotic bear suddenly appeared with a healthy body, announcing that if no one committed a murder in two days, all of the students will be executed. This statement making Kaito very angry and his resentment towards Monokuma grows significantly. Kaito also trying to think a way to stop the killing game. After everyone slowly splitting apart, Kaito noticed that there is something that Kaede and Shuichi kept as a secret from the rest of the group. However, he didn't mind at all and trusts Kaede without any doubt.

The Strategy Meeting
In the final day of the time limit, Kaito held a strategy meeting in the basement's game room to discuss a plan to fight Monokuma after the time limit end and he managed to gather six participant. The one who came with him are Gonta, Himiko Yumeno, Angie Yonaga, Tenko Chabashira, Maki Harukawa, and Rantaro. The seven of them was about to discuss how to defeat Monokuma, the Monokuma Kubs, and their Exisals. Before the meeting begin, Rantaro left the room and claimed that he wanted to go to the toilet. Kaito who didn't want the meeting to start without Rantaro, he decided to find him along with Tenko. Accidentally, they met with Kaede and Shuichi in front of the library, who told the two of them that they succeed in catching the mastermind of the killing game inside the library.

When the buzzer went off, alerting Shuichi and Kaede that someone had moved the bookshelf that concealed the hidden door in the library, they immediately made their way to the basement and were joined by Kaito and Tenko. As they made their way into the library, they noticed the bookshelf move back in place. They looked around for a bit, but it didn't take long for them to discover Rantaro's corpse, much to Kaito and everyone's shock.

Protecting Friends
During the Class Trial, when everyone was accusing Shuichi of being the culprit, Kaito was one of the students who chose to defend him and refused to believe that he would be capable of murder. When Shuichi pointed out Kaede as the true culprit however, Kaito still could not believe it and tried to defend her as well near the end of the trial. However, Shuichi's deduction makes it apparent that Kaede committed the crime, much to Kaito's dismay.

After the Class Trial ended, and Monokuma wanted to proceed with the execution, Kaito along with Tenko, and Gonta Gokuhara stood up for her despite facing an Exisal. He stated that if Kaede was willing to risk her life for them, he would put his life on the line as well, though she eventually told them to stop, saying that she was ready to die and that they could end this killing game together and all be friends before being dragged off to her execution.

Following Kaede's execution, Kaito threatened Monokuma out of anger of seeing one of his friends get killed, but he simply replied with ominous foreshadowing by saying he doesn't have much longer to live.

Once Monokuma and the Monokuma Kubs left, Kaito told everyone to shut up because their constant whining and complaining annoyed him, but then stated that Shuichi was the most annoying one of them all before promptly punching him in the face. He angrily criticized Shuichi for doing nothing and letting Monokuma do whatever he wanted while Kaede put all her thoughts on him and believed in him before being told to back down by the others. As everyone else headed back up and out of the elevator, Shuichi and Kaito remained behind for a bit. Kaito recommended him to check out Kaede's Research Lab and stated that there's probably a lot of things she held dear in there before leaving as well.

Following the first Class Trial, Kaito is the only student whose opinion on Maki Harukawa never changed even after her true talent as the Super High School Level Assassin was revealed. He was the only one who tried to talk to her and even went as far as to force her to come out of her room to work together with everyone else.

When Gonta was accused of being the culprit of Miu Iruma's case in Chapter 4, Kaito refused to accept it and resisted all of the arguments, even when they made perfect sense. He could never accept someone as nice and kind-hearted as Gonta would commit a murder. Kaito naively said that Shuichi's deduction is an utterly wrong one and managed to cause a break in their relationship.

Due to tirelessly protecting Gonta during the trial, Kaito pushed himself too hard and he coughed up blood after Gonta's execution, implying that he suffered from a chronic disease which the world they're in might have caused.

Clearing the Despair Death Road
After Kaito and his fellow survivors, aside from Kokichi, crossed the Despair Death Road, they came across a large metal hatch which they open up and discover the apparent state of the outside world. Shortly after, Kokichi himself appears and proclaims himself to be the ringleader behind the game and controls the Exisal's to take Kaito hostage in the Exisal hanger.

Taken Hostage
A few days later, Kaito who was still being held captive inside the hanger, asked Himiko Yumeno to bring him a disassembled crossbow from Maki's Research Lab, a request which she complied to gave to him through the small bathroom window. He proceeded to assemble the crossbow and threatened Kokichi with it, not wishing to kill him, but at the very least overpower him. Kaito shot him in the arm and they got into a quarrel. It was at this time that Maki rode an Exisal into the hanger, intent on ending the Killing Game, saving Kaito, and killing Kokichi due to believing that he was a Remnant of Despair from the false memory triggered by the Remembering Light.

Kokichi made a desperate grab for the remote control that Miu made to control any electronic device, but he was promptly shot in the back by Maki with a poison tipped arrow from her crossbow and brought to the ground. Despite the position he was in, Kokichi belittled Maki, asking her why a Killing Game that should have already ended is still continuing. He had no idea what she means by Remnant of Despair, and asked her whether or not she really enjoys killing that much. Maki would not hear any of it and proceeded to shoot the killing blow, only to have it intercepted by Kaito, stunning Kokichi and shocking Maki.

Maki panicked and rushed out of the hanger and made her way to Shuichi's Research Lab to retrieve the antidote, but Kokichi closed the shutter to the hanger to ensure she could not come back in. Later, Maki came back with the antidote and passed it to Kaito through the small bathroom window, but Kokichi immediately stole it and supposedly drank it, much to Kaito's anger, and Maki's horror due to there only being one antidote. Kokichi boasted that another class trial would start now where Kaito would be the victim and Maki would be the blackened, much to her shock. Kaito reassured her that she would be fine and told her to leave.

After Maki fled the scene, Kokichi used the electric bomb to disable the security alarm, and the safety mechanism of the press machine inside of the hanger. He then gave the antidote to Kaito, revealing that he only pretended to drink it. He forced Kaito to comply with his plan where he would kill him in order to create an unknown victim case so that Monokuma would not be able to create proper judgement during the class trial. Kaito initially refused, but when Kokichi made the point that Maki would be the blackened if he didn't, he had no choice but to go along with the plan in order save Maki, and stop the killing game as well. It is revealed here that Kokichi has actually been trying to stop the killing game from the very beginning. Pretending to be The Mastermind and revealing the supposed truth about the outside world to the others was all done by him to discourage another killing from happening. He states that the idea of someone watching this boring killing game where they risk their lives pissed him off. Kaito couldn't tell if he was lying or not, but acknowledged that he was really pulling at his strings in order to get him to work with him.

Both Kokichi and Kaito acted quickly to ensure that the former would not die from poison that was circulating throughout his body. They both made their way to the press machine and began to go through with the plan. Kaito took off his jacket, placed it underneath the press machine, then lied down on it while Kokichi controlled the press machine and filmed the "time of death" with a simple video camera. Kokichi stopped the press machine and the video camera while only Kaito's sleeve was visible, then the two promptly swapped places. Kaito, now controlling both the press machine and camera, turned them both on once again, crushing Kokichi to an unrecognizable, bloody mess, with Kaito's jacket sleeve hanging out of the press as a false clue as to who the victim was.

Imitation
Kaito would proceed to retrieve the video camera, snap the cords to the press machine to ensure it would not move again, and hid inside the red Exisal until the class trial began, where he imitated the Super High School Level Supreme Ruler himself thanks to the Exisal's voice changing function, as well as a book that Kokichi prepared for this exact moment that detailed his exact way of speaking and specific behaviors unique to him, essentially carrying on his will and plan until Shuichi is able to deduce that the person inside of the Exisal is not Kokichi, but Kaito.

Despite Shuichi's deduction however, Kaito would continue to imitate Kokichi, intent on carrying on his plan. This forced Shuichi to lie and back-pedal to the person inside of the Exisal being Kokichi and the victim actually being Kaito, much to everyone's shock. After hearing Shuichi's lie, Kaito concluded that that was enough and decided to come out of the Exisal, clearing up all the confusion as to who is the victim and who is the culprit. Kaito tells Shuichi that he was amazing for having worked out Kokichi's plan, though he could not help but feel sad about having condemn yet another fellow friend.

Kaito's Fate
After the trial, Kaito congratulates everyone for coming to the right conclusion, but no one could do anything other than be silent. Maki asked him why he killed Kokichi despite saying that killing was wrong. Kaito proceeds to explain Kokichi's whole plan to his fellow survivors and what they discussed inside the hanger, but after finishing his explanation, he proceeds to say that he doesn't have much time left due his illness. Kaito apologizes to Shuichi, claiming that he was jealous of his abilities as a detective and that it was his skills that let them all survive this long. Shuichi responded that it was only because of him that he was able to stand up and have confidence. Kaito could only respond by coughing up blood, much to everyone's horror.

Monokuma states that it's time to get on with the execution, but Maki refuses to let Kaito get killed regardless of whether or not he's sick. It is then that all five Monokuma Kubs are revealed to have been reconstructed, meaning that all five Exisal's will once again be under Monokuma's control and ready to protect him. Despite this however, Maki is not phased though Kaito told her to stop, much to her annoyance and disappointment. She tells him that he was the first person she had ever ended up liking, much to his surprise. Kaito apologizes to Maki, telling her that it's impossible either way due to his illness. He proceeds to tell her that if she was able to like someone like him then she could even like herself, to which she responds to by breaking down in tears. Kaito tells Monokuma to get on with the punishment, but not before threatening him and stating that his friends will stop him and put an end to the killing game once and for all.

During his execution, Kaito's illness ends up being the end of him instead of the execution, as he died in the middle of it with a smile on his face, happy that he was able to die on his own terms and not Monokuma's, much to his annoyance.

Everyone else is noticeably saddened about losing Kaito, but his death ends up fueling their determination even more than before as everyone aside from K1-B0 gathers in the courtyard once again to train, intent on carrying on his will to end the Killing Game once and for all.

Real Feeling
While obviously not present for the final class trial, Kaito's sacrifice and dedication to protect Maki had a profound impact on her. After Shuichi convinced Maki to abandon her vote, she came to the conclusion that she'll believe in herself even if everything is fiction. She stated that if she couldn't do that there would be no meaning for her existence. She said that if she can make fiction change reality, it then wouldn't be fiction and it would give Kaito's life meaning, choosing to believe her feelings for him were in fact real. She resolved to use her own life as a weapon and abandoned her vote along with the others.}}

Name
His given name kanji, 解斗 kaito, means "absolution of the Dipper [constellation]" - somewhat matching his space-related title. His last name kanji, 百田 momota, means "one hundred rice paddies".

Alternate Fates
In Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony (Demo Version), Kaito is first seen inside the cafeteria along with Tenko Chabashira and Himiko Yumeno. When Kaito reveals he was cheating to become an astronaut trainee, Kaede Akamatsu becomes concerned of him.

Appearance
Kaito has spiked purple hair that's grown out both at the top and bottom of his head and a short goatee. His eyes are a warm lilac. He also has a slightly tanned complexion.

Kaito wears a tee shirt with a red design resembling a half of a face or a mask, on top of that he wears a long sleeved dress shirt with a breast pocket. On this shirt are black buttons which are currently not in use. On top of that, he wears a long, purple overcoat with a galaxy design inside it. However his coat is never worn properly, instead, Kaito wears his left sleeve and leaves the right side of the coat to drape over his shoulder. He wears purple pants matching his coat which are rolled up over his ankles. Kaito wears grey slippers with a strange, cloudy pattern.

In his promotional art, he's featured his entire coat draped over both of his shoulders, no slippers, and a mysterious pipe that resembles.

Personality
Kaito is an energetic person with a passionate heart, who lives for dreams and romance, and tends to give somewhat dramatic encouraging speeches for others. He believes you need to take risks for the sake of your dreams and should't limit yourself nor ever give up. Due to his clichéd hot-blooded spirit and his document falsification he could pass the astronaut examination, proving that he is smart. Being the Ultimate Astronaut, he harbors a dream and a great longing to go to space, and already considers himself a space legend.

Throughout the game, Kaito described himself as a passionate protagonist of his own story who would help the others to survive the killing game. Because of that, Kaito always tries his best to unite the group, and he is very much a reliable older brother type of character.

In other languages
Kaito's talent as it appears in official translations of Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony.

Relationships

 * Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles:

Shuichi Saihara
Kaito feels eased and relaxed during the class trial in the demo because he knows that Shuichi, guided by his talent as the Super High School Level Detective, will eventually discover the truth.

Kaede Akamatsu
At first, Kaede is angered when Kaito informs her that he had broken the law in order to become an astronaut. However, he still supports her during the Killing Game Semester.

Miu Iruma
Being the two loudest and outspoken characters, they get into disagreements. These disagreements can cause them to throw insults at each other. During the Danganronpa V3 demo, Miu calls Kaito a "flower-garden brained idiot." Because these two can get emotional, both can end up losing their tempers, with Kaito scaring Miu in the end.

Quotes

 * -|DRV3 Demo=

Danganronpa V3=

List of Appearances
Games=
 * Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony
 * Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony (Demo Version)
 * -|Manga=
 * New Danganronpa V3: Minna no Koroshiai Shin Gakki Comic Anthology

Trivia

 * Kaito, along with K1-B0 and Maki Harukawa, was one of the first new characters revealed for Danganronpa V3 in November 2015. However, their names and talents weren't revealed until ten months later in September 2016.
 * In a poll hosted by MyNavi, fans voted Kaito the 11th most popular Danganronpa V3 student.
 * Kaito's birthday, April 12, marks the International Day of Human Space Flight.

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