Danganronpa Heroines

Danganronpa Heroines is the poly ship between Kyoko Kirigiri, Chiaki Nanami, and Kaede Akamatsu from the Danganronpa Fandom.

Canon
The three never act as a trio canonically because of debuting from different games within the series and also Kaede from a different saga. However, the three were the love interests to the protagonists in their respective games.

Kyoko, Chiaki, and Kaede are similar in that they three acted as the emotional support for the male protagonists of their respective games. They have an undefeated attitude, though Chiaki tends to express it differently. Also with Kaede initially played as the protagonist until Chapter 2, making Shuichi in her role for the rest of V3. Kyoko is the only surviving girl in the trio, while Chiaki and Kaede have died of being crushed to death in their brutal execution, but also with Kaede being choked to death.

During the Killing Game proper, Kyoko doesn't trust anyone at first due to her amnesia and a suspicion that the mastermind may have a mole hidden among the students. The first major interaction between Kyoko and Makoto happens while they are investigating Sayaka Maizono's murder. Kyoko helps Makoto find several crucial clues about the true nature of the crime, but she insists that he needs to piece them together himself or he'll never be able to accept the truth behind what happened. During the first trial, Kyoko defends Makoto from being falsely accused and helps guide him to his answer. It is revealed that Sayaka was planning to frame Makoto for murder and use the crime to escape Hope's Peak Academy. Makoto is devastated by Sayaka's betrayal, but Kyoko tries to comfort him, using evidence to suggest that Sayaka was hesitant and ultimately tried to protect Makoto with her dying message. From then on, Makoto and Kyoko start growing closer throughout the course of the game.

Over the next few chapters, Kyoko helps Makoto with class trials whenever he's out of evidence, while Makoto helps Kyoko with investigating Hope's Peak's mysteries. However, Kyoko is not above manipulating Makoto if it helps her with the investigation. Makoto trusts her completely, as he hopes that she will trust him as much as he trusts her. Despite this, Kyoko seems to care more about Makoto. Evidence was presented when she entered his room and told Makoto to beware of Mukuro. She also saved him from Junko (believed to be Mukuro), who was about to kill him while he was sleeping.

In chapter 3, Kyoko tells Makoto about the secret room encouraging him to investigate. However, when inspecting the room Makoto gets attacked by the mastermind. As it later turned out, Kyoko suspected that Makoto might get attacked and intentionally lured him to the room to test the mastermind's reaction. Makoto isn't happy about it but doesn't hold a grudge.

In chapter 4, Makoto witnesses the battle between Sakura and Monokuma. However, he refuses to tell Kyoko about it. When Kyoko realizes Makoto is hiding secrets from her, she's irritated by his lack of trust and refuses to speak with him for the next few days. Only when Monokuma reveals Sakura as the traitor and Makoto reveals he suspected it, but didn't want to reveal it to avoid unnecessary conflict, she reconsiders.

In chapter 5 Makoto helps Kyoko disappear from Monokuma's radar by distracting him while she investigates the second floor of the dorms. Kyoko reappears later when the mastermind attempts to kill Makoto, saving his life. Later, Mukuro Ikusaba's body is found. During the trial, Makoto and Kyoko are the main suspects and Kyoko is forced to lie to give herself an alibi. The player can choose to either chose to expose her lie (which leads to Kyoko being executed and a bad ending) or to cover for her which leads to Makoto being found guilty. Monokuma then attempts to execute Makoto (though he's saved at the last minute by Alter Ego) and Kyoko realizes that she's been putting her own desires ahead of his safety. When she discovers that Makoto ends up at the garbage disposal room, she saves him. Kyoko then showed her scarred hands to Makoto, which is a great sign of trust from her, as she states that she shows her hands only to people she considers 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 is out there if it's with someone like him (hinting that she might have romantic feelings for him). After joining Future Foundation, she becomes Makoto's leader. Kyoko continues to admire his optimism, and Makoto in turn admires her 'cool' personality and considers her the person who has kept him alive.

Chiaki was Hajime's closest friend in Hope's Peak Academy. One of the reasons he participated in the Izuru Kamukura Project was to be worthy of her.

The two first met at a water fountain near the school, when Chiaki bumped into Hajime while playing a game. Since then, the two continued to meet with each other and play games after school at the same place.

Chiaki once comforted Hajime after he felt upset about not having a talent. She told him that there's more to life than talent and that making memories with people is more important. Her words comforted him, though his obsession with having a talent didn't lessen.

Before the Izuru Kamukura project, Hajime finds Chiaki by the water fountain, and she invites him to play a game with her. Hajime refuses and says he has to be somewhere. Chiaki asks him to wait, before saying "I l- Nothing. It was nothing." Before leaving, Hajime tells Chiaki that she's more than just an Ultimate Gamer, and tells her to make many memories at Hope's Peak. While walking away from Chiaki, Hajime thinks to himself how one of the reasons he decided to participate in the project was because of his desire to show Chiaki he has a talent. He thought of her while he was being transformed into Izuru Kamukura, and decides to become a version of himself that he can be proud of around Chiaki.

Upon his transformation, Hajime forgot all his memories with Chiaki. As a result, Izuru could not recognize Chiaki, although he confronted her after her execution. After Chiaki dies, Izuru is seen shedding tears despite not knowing who she was, suggesting that a part of Hajime remains in Izuru.

After awakening from the Neo World Program, Hajime, when trying to persuade Ryota Mitarai that hope and despair are both essential, he remembers Chiaki, showing great sadness over her death. While recalling memories of her, Hajime claims that he would never forget her, nor would he want to, and forever thought of her as precious to him.

In the bonus mode of Danganronpa V3, Hajime and Chiaki quickly become friends and often meet up to play games together. She runs late to one such meeting and apologizes, explaining that she had to stay behind as some of her classmates got too rowdy and wrecked it. He says it's no problem, leading to them reminiscing about how well they both get along with their friends. At another point, they're playing Gala Omega when Monokuma pops up to 'supervio clean up her classroomse' them, claiming it to be unwholesome for a boy and a girl to be alone together. While Chiaki doesn't pay him much mind, Hajime expresses annoyance at the bear. In their third year, she extends him an invitation to her class's Christmas party, and he accepts. There, they talk about their plans after graduation, and Chiaki says she hopes they can all keep meeting up like this in the future. Hajime asks her if she's free New Year's Day, and if so whether she'd like to come to his birthday party. She eagerly agrees, and offers to extend the invitation to the rest of her class. He questions whether they'd really want to come, but she says they all like him, so she's sure they will. Chiaki blushes as she says she's looking forward to spending time with him, and he agrees, though he adds it's a bit embarrassing to be making a big deal out of his birthday like this.

Shuichi seems to strongly believe in Kaede, reassuring her and telling her that “if it's her, she can do it“. During the game, he is shown to admire her a lot because of her optimism and her habit of moving forward. Shuichi's presence appears to comfort Kaede, due to his status as a detective. Kaede is also the person who helped Shuichi to face the truth, and it is in her memory that he will face the truth in every trial, to honor the promise he made to her. They are the main duo of Chapter 1 and also the two protagonists of Danganronpa V3; Kaede is initially the main character and protagonist of the game with Shuichi as a supporting character, playable in Prologue and Chapter 1. After Chapter 1, Kaede will still be the protagonist through her final wish which will be from Chapter 2 carried by Shuichi, the new main playable character who will continue to move forward in honor of Kaede, continuing to spread her will and final wish among the group.

As Shuichi was often seen blushing when Kaede complimented him and being one of the only ones he really trusted, this strongly suggests that he had a crush on her. Because the two spent so much time together, many other students pointed this out and some more or less jokingly assumed they were dating, with Miu crudely assuming that they're having a sexual relationship. While talking to Ryoma at the courtyard, he points out that he “always” sees Shuichi and Kaede together all the time or one of them is always nearby the other. Kokichi Oma has noted that Kaede and Shuichi are “pretty buddy-buddy with each other” in chapter one's class trial. He also cheekily asked Kaede about how far she's gone with Shuichi, but then claims that he simply meant how far they’ve gone investigating the building. During the investigation of Rantaro's crime scene, he jokes at Kaede and Shuichi for investigating the scene together and points out how awfully chummy the two have gotten.

In the extra game Ultimate Talent Development Plan, Chiaki and Kaede would have met in the real Hope's Peak Academy. Their similarities include similar eye colors, talent-themed clothing, backpacks and their overall uniform is similar as pink seems to be the color used most on each of their designs. They are also similar for their strong concern towards their classmates that cost their lives. With Kaede dying by being executed for trying to help her classmates finding out the mastermind, and Chiaki playing the despair game that killed her when she thought that she finally cleared it and saved her classmates.

When challenged to hone their talents in Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp, Chiaki and Kaede can work together to create an album of video game music on piano.

Fanon
The ship sailed as a result of the three being the Rivals of their games and having many similar traits. However, this ship is often overshadowed by their much more popular ships with the protagonists, Naegiri, Hinanami and Saimatsu. The ship can also being referred as the "gay for the protagonist" squad, with their main rivals being Naegami, Komahina, and Saiouma. Though, they all have somewhat popular poly ships between themselves, the protagonist and the protagonist's rivals, Naegamigiri, Komahinanami and Saioumatsu.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

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