Best Plot Twists in the Danganronpa Series

The Danganronpa series is basically built around its plot twists, so you'd hope that there are some great ones in the series. If you came to this list without expecting spoilers, then you really do deserve to get every good twist ruined for you.
The Top Ten
1 Kaede wasn't Rantaro's killer, and was framed by the real mastermind.

This made a lot of sense in hindsight and really made the mastermind detestable. I appreciated this one due to how it made the Trial 1 twist that much more shocking.

I did see this coming, sadly. We all knew that it was too good to be true, did we not?

This was an amazing plot twist! Do I even need to explain why?

2 The main cast from the second game are all the remnants of despair.

This twist had so much impact, primarily because of the implications of the protagonists all being heartless killing machines. It also wasn't completely obvious until Chapter 0.

This will always be the best plot twist in the series. I am just objectively right.

This was an amazing plot twist, but I wish they had actually made a game where you play as the Remnants of Despair and try not to make it too dark. I mean, you kind of get introduced to the Remnants of Despair in Danganronpa 3.

3 Kokichi wasn't actually evil, and was trying to stop the killing game the whole time.

I don't forgive him for his actions, especially Chapter 4, but this developed his character in an amazing way. Thanks to this, he probably became the most complex character in the series.

Kokichi is, like, the most misunderstood character ever. His actions in Chapter 4 had reasons, but I think I've explained it too many times, and I don't have all day.

See, this is one of the many reasons I love Kokichi. He's a really complex character.

4 Junko was the mastermind and puppet master in control of Monokuma during the Hope's Peak killing game.

I absolutely love how they pretended to kill off Junko in the second episode so that we could forget about her until her reveal. Epic plot twist.

Out of everyone, I didn't expect her to be the real mastermind. It was a nice twist.

5 The entirety of Danganronpa V3 was set inside a television show that the participants willingly entered.

This surprised me, but I slightly expected it. It made sense.

6 Kaede was the supposed killer of Rantaro, leading to the main protagonist being switched.
7 Toko was revealed to have a split personality that would turn her into a serial killer every time she sneezed or passed out

This was just really funny to me.

8 Hajime Hinata was Izuru Kamukura
9 Shirokuma really had Junko's AI and was leaking information to the Warriors of Hope
10 Fat Byakuya was really the ultimate imposter and had nothing to do with the actual Byakuya
The Contenders
11 Chiaki was the one that killed Nagito due to his broken lucky talent and was the spy sent by future foundation

I genuinely think this shocked me more than anything, even the Izuru Kamukura bit. That was a high-key good part, though. It made me sad. This was a tearjerker - the whole thing! They brought up the spy as a bad thing at first to make the reader feel disdain. But to see our sweet little Chiaki be the traitor we swore against? How despair-inducing! Not to mention, it would have been a normal suicide if Nagito hadn't done that. I don't like Nagito, but it was clever, and also heartbreaking. Why did it happen? Nagito wanted everybody who was a Remnant to die, and Chiaki (who did NOT cause despair) to live. And what happened? Our gamer girl was wiped out! She even knew she had to prove it, even if she WAS an AI. To put it simply, Nagito Komaeda's plan caused Chiaki Nanami's downfall, even if it was supposed to keep her alive. And with her downfall came despair. Junko could easily push despair onto the survivors, all thanks to Nagito.

12 Tsumugi was V3's mastermind
13 The “Junko” that died in the first chapter was actually her sister Mukuro in disguise.
14 Sakura was the traitor
15 Chihiro turned out to be a male

This was one of those subtle surprises.

16 Makoto and Kyoko were framed in the 5th trial and you choose the good or bad ending
17 Sayaka tried to kill Leon and failed
18 Shuichi was the real protagonist
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