#and being driven by fate to lose himself to the ai he created

[morelikedoccock]

Lowkey three sheets to the wind rn but like… anyone else just reall emotional about Otto? Canon Otto’s story is so fucking tragic and intense and like, I’m thinking about it and straight up feeling a lot about it rn

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

Danganronpa 2 hypothetical reimagining

(NOTE: The intention of this post is that the universe is the same but the twists and deaths are different. Think of this as the “Dead Rising 2: Off the Record” of the series)

CHAPTER  1

Story starts out like the actual game. However, the divergence occurs at the party scene. Instead of “Byakuya Togami”/Ultimate Impostor being the victim, it’s Nagito Komaeda. The cause of death is a broken neck.

In the class trial, Hajime deduces that Byakuya is the blackened. In this version of the party scene, Byakuya was able to reach Nagito before he got under the table. Instead of diving under the table, Byakuya shoved Nagito into the wall with the intention of just knocking him down. However, he did it with such force that Nagito broke his neck on impact. Thus, Byakuya unintentionally killed Nagito.

Byakuya is executed by being dropped into a vault of gold coins and bricks, representing his wealth. He breaks every bone in his body on impact. 

(Students eliminated: Byakuya Togami/Ultimate Impostor, Nagito Komaeda. 14 students to go)   

CHAPTER 2

Motive for this round is the same as before (Twilight Syndrome Murder Case). However, the real life event is heavily altered. The victim of this chapter is Kazuichi Souda, with the cause of death being multiple blows to the head. 

In the class trial, Hajime deduces that Akane Owari is the blackened. In this version of Twilight Syndrome Murder Case, we learn that Kazuichi was trying to court Natsumi Kuzuryu, despite the latter not being interested in him. It’s not clear exactly what happened but it’s implied that Kazuichi killed Natsumi on accident when she rejected his advances. 

Fearing retribution from the Kuzuryu clan, he framed fellow classmate Sato for the murder. Fuyuhiko fell for the frame and murdered Sato in retaliation.  

Because of the revelations, everyone assumes that Fuyuhiko killed Souda. Then, the suspicion turns to Peko when the class learns that she’s his childhood best friend/bodyguard. Then, the suspicion turns to Mahiru Koizumi when the group learns that she was Sato’s best friend and may have killed Souda for framing Sato. Mahiru eventually does admit to hitting Souda in the head with Peko’s kendo stick, which should’ve sealed her fate.

However, like the Sakura Ogami trial, Hajime and Chiaki aren’t convinced that Mahiru is the killer as she only struck Souda once. That’s when the suspicion turns to Akane Owari. After finally breaking through her lies, Akane reveals she struck Souda a second time when she stumbled upon his unconscious body a few minutes after Mahiru left the scene. She says that she struck Souda a second time in order to take the credit for the kill in order to win the game, hoping the class would vote Mahiru as the blackened. She also mentions that killing Souda wasn’t personal.

Akane is executed by being placed inside a nightmarish gym, forcing her to do several gymnastics activities, ending with her being hanged by the steady/still rings.

(Students eliminated: Kazuichi Souda, Akane Owari. 12 students to go)

CHAPTER 3

Motive for this round is the same as before (Despair Disease). For the most part, chapter 3 follows the original version pretty closely. However, the people who get the disease this time around are Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu (who fully embraces his Yakuza-personality), Teruteru Hanamura (who stops being a pervert), and Hiyoko Saionji (who starts acting shy and meek). The victims of this chapter are Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, whose belly has been split open, and Mikan Tsumiki, who was stabbed through the chest.  

The class trial for this one is a bit complicated. Just like the original version, the class learns that Mikan caught the Despair Disease and tried to murder her patients (Hajime found Mikan’s patient notes during his investigation which listed out her murderous intentions). So naturally, the group thinks that Mikan murdered Fuyuhiko. However, what confuses the group is that Mikan died first and that Fuyuhiko’s wounds seem self-inflicted. 

After a very lengthy trial, Hajime deduces that Mikan was actually killed by Fuyuhiko in self-defense. This leads to the group pondering if a third person killed Fuyuhiko, which infuriates Peko Pekoyama. Hajime then finally deduces that Fuyuhiko actually committed suicide (seppuku to be specific), meaning all the people involved in the murders are dead. 

How it went down: Fuyuhiko was in the middle of slicing his belly open when Mikan entered the room in order to kill him. Fuyuhiko, with the last of his strength, killed Mikan in self-defense before bleeding out from his own wounds. 

When the group discusses why Fuyuhiko killed himself, Chiaki theorizes that he did it to protect Peko and the others. Since he was fully embracing his Yakuza persona due to the Despair Disease, he sacrificed himself in order to convince Monokuma to stop the disease. Hajime adds that he must’ve really cared for Peko to sacrifice himself like that, leading to Peko breaking down. 

(Students eliminated: Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, Mikan Tsumiki. 10 students to go)  

CHAPTER 4

Motive for this round is the same as before (starvation). Just as before, the group starts falling apart the hungrier they get. Teruteru, being the Ultimate Cook, suddenly became the most valuable member of the group as he was placed in charge of managing the food. The victims of this chapter are Teruteru Hanamura, who was beaten to death, and Hiyoko Saionji, who was poisoned. 

In the class trial, the group learns that Hiyoko was actually murdered by Teruteru Hanamura. Teruteru apparently got so desperate that, while making the group’s breakfast, he slipped poison into Hiyoko’s meal. Teruteru was going to get away with it...until he was discovered by a third party, who apparently beat him to death out of anger.  

Initially, the group suspects Gundham Tanaka of killing Teruteru. However, as the group digs deeper into the evidence, Hajime learns that Gundham manipulated the evidence in order to make himself look guilty. When Hajime points this out, Chiaki proposes that Gundham is covering for the real murderer.

And the real murderer turns out to be...Sonia Nevermind. Sonia was the one who discovered Teruteru poisoned Hiyoko and, out of anger, she proceeded to beat him to death. Gundham, despite his best efforts to protect Sonia, ultimately fails when Sonia herself admits to the crime. 

Sonia is executed by guillotine, referencing how the French monarchy were killed during the French Revolution (specifically Marie Antoinette).

(Students eliminated: Hiyoko Saionji, Teruteru Hanamura, Sonia Nevermind. 7 students to go)

CHAPTER 5

This is probably the most divergent chapter in this rewrite. Leading up to this, there are two subplots that reach their climax in this chapter. The first is involving a “17th figure” living among the students. The second is Mahiru Koizumi slowly losing her mind in the game, going from a rational figure to an insane psycho. 

Monokuma also reveals there is a traitor, leading the students to wonder if the traitor and the 17th figure are one and the same. 

It turns out, there was no “17th figure”. Instead, it was Mahiru Koizumi who was creating the mystery. Hajime learns that Mahiru found out about the truth behind the island early on in the game and began formulating a plan to kill everyone as they were the Ultimate Despair. She was hesitant on enacting this plan until the events of the previous chapter when Hiyoko Saionji was murdered. Angered by her friend’s death and driven to her breaking point due to all that’s transpired in the story, she decides to go forward with her plan.  

(basically, she took Nagito’s place in this chapter)

The twist, though, happens right before the class trial. After the initial investigations are done, the POV suddenly switches off to Chiaki Nanami. There is no explanation for this until it’s revealed at the end of the trial that Hajime is the AI traitor. 

In this version, the reason why Hajime’s talent is unknown is because there was a glitch in his programming. Also, Hajime was programmed to think of himself as a regular human being in order to avoid any suspicion that he was the traitor. On a subconscious level, he would watch over and moderate the other students but would not understand why he was so concerned for them. Due to Mahiru’s plan succeeding, Monomi and the Future Foundation were forced to rewrite Hajime’s program right after Mahiru’s death in order to have him expose himself as the traitor (this is the moment where the POV changes to Chiaki). 

Hajime and Usami are executed in the same way as Chiaki and Usami were in the original game. 

(Students eliminated: Hajime Hinata, Mahiru Koizumi. 5 students to go)

CHAPTER 6

I won’t go too much into detail with this chapter since this one follows the original version fairly closely. The main difference with this chapter is that instead of Hajime being the Ultimate Hope and having a second identity known as Izuru Kamukura, it’s Chiaki. This explains why Hajime was especially protective over her as he was programmed to be subconsciously aware of her true identity. 

(Survivors: Chiaki Nanami, Peko Pekoyama, Gundham Tanaka, Nekomaru Nidai, Ibuki Mioda)

[thetruthinlies]

.What ‘real monsters’ are

( This one is inspired by this post, and this cover. I know you didn’t request for one, but if I am to become an aspiring writer, I shall adhere to Stephen King’s words and write as much as I can. So Ai-chan, this one is for you and your cute Brick and a bit on his relationship with his beautiful Ma. )

Word count: 2561 words.

“Monsters exist, but they are too few in number to be truly dangerous. More dangerous are the common men, the functionaries ready to believe and to act without asking questions.”

One shouldn’t be surprised at reading stories or hearing legends from their fathers, grandfathers or their old relatives of the existence of demonic presences. The things that one would call imaginary, things that don’t exist because all the living creations on earth were simple, practical, and self-driven, or mindless. 

One thing each living being have in common; survival.

Their own survival is all what matters most, as taking that away would end their story, and they would lose their role in this play. Charles Darwin nailed the term himself when studying finches and beetles that had only left him with a sour taste in his mouth.

Living beings strive to survive to keep their legacy going. To keep playing the foolish game they want to “win”, to find end-goals to this long-winded mystery called life. This essence that brings them to this planet, requiring to breathe, move, eat, drink and slumber to maintain. This curious phenomena of existence..

The tale goes on.

Mankind label beings of fur, of scales and claws, fins, and wings to be something different from them, animals due to their lack of capacity to communicate in the many human languages, being unable to think in ways that a human would, instead resorting to their means which in the terms of the sapiens, were unintelligent. Brainless. Strange.

Sometimes when the boy looked at fellow beings in their upright poses, hunched over ones and foolish actions, he begins to question ‘who really are the brainless ones?’ Another question arises within his small little head. “Why?”

Why are humans considered the most intelligent of the race of living, smarter than plants who can create their own food and live without having to endanger the lives of another species similar to them. Why are humans considered one of the more perfect beings, being able to adopt mannerisms of furred animals and be considered smart for that? Weren’t they the ones who called these beings foolish?

Humans couldn’t create their own food without having to take other living beings and derive their nutrition from it. Their own stomachs did not create it and distribute it to the rest of the body unlike the green little leaves that crunch in the dry and beautifully cold season. Plants did not have damage one another to exist. They did not even bother with the other beings that were so close, similar and existing. Breathing the same air as them.

Unlike the species of human.

Cats did not randomly attack a human being until they feel threatened to do so, and the carnivores had only slain enough to maintain their life, but human.. oh humans..

They slain another of their species because they liked it. Human beings did not eat one another, they simply kill one another by a reason of anger. They may not liked the words of another, and they would not only kill that one person, but an entire group because of association, or believing that every kind of person in a certain group deserved it.

Deserved it for breathing alone.

Brick couldn’t comprehend that. It made him wonder why people had treated him as if his glance alone would kill them ( and it would, mind you. ), shying away because he had shown characteristics that were not exactly “human”. So what if he could fly, or shoot heat through his eyes, mankind had never been the lovers of peace, they had only wanted the best for themselves. 

Even if they lacked the fearsome power he had, they were possibly worse than him, a monster that was raised in the depths of hell, son of Satan himself. Looking at these eyesores claiming that his powers were dangerous, when their own minds were defiled, driven mad by power and the need to be wealthy..

Utter garbage.

That was all they were. Complete and utter garbage.

Crushing a lowly skull under the thick sole of his boot, he forgot to count how many times has done the same to the others that were lumping like a useless mound of nothingness.

Watching it fly like specks of dust, his eyes unamused and a lips pursed, he glanced at it as if it would turn into something else. Maybe the little specks could gather together and create butterflies, flying within amidst the air. Fragile to the core, they are, but befitting to see.

The wind was tightened, clenching clouds from the sky unmoved, threatening to cry at the sight. Here was a young boy who was probably as old as an infant who studied in the laps of their mothers, or the ones who fit a huge glove into their little fingers to catch the ball their father would throw in pleasure.

Here this young child stood, clothed in crimson and deep black, with eyes that were as dark as the colour of the bodies spilling on the ground; bloody. Whose skin was still soft, moon-kissed and clear, save for the dust that flew by him, or the red that threatened to stain his beautiful face.

The grounds were dry, thirsting for a liquid to smoothen the surface. Grey as his mood was, it looked less like the beginning of a storm, and more like a sad passing. An emptiness that was similar to the hole where his heart should’ve been. 

Then again, he questioned whether he even had that organ to begin with. There was a flow within his arteries and veins, but it felt cold unlike what the books would say it was. Warm, the key to maintain body temperature, practically the reason why they had said warmth comes from the heart instead of the brain.

Without the heart, the human body could become cold as ice and be unresponsive. The brain couldn’t hold the warmth of the heart, it only served to deliver thought and action into the body, but the food that the body needed, that love that makes the brain move was the heart.

The heart unconditionally pumps blood to keep the body living.

But he never found his heart beating for him. His blood was still, almost non-existent. There was no crimson warmth, but a black emptiness. This could’ve been because he was created, not birthed.

This child who could’ve been a sweet, kind, or someone who could understand the tales of the human race. 

But fate surely laughs upon the souls of the unfortunate.

As every claim had its counter-argument, or sometihng that loved to oppose, there came in his life something that didn’t agree with his viewpoint. Every sentence had something that combatted it, no matter how many times it could be considered correct. There was always that one counter.

Just as there was a returning punch to one that was given. An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.

There came someone who didn’t look at him and shriek. She didn’t blink in fear for her life, wondering how bad her choice was to see who this cute little monster was. No, she smiled, hoping that she could mend that hurtful look in his eyes that he couldn’t see.

The pain that was throbbing for so long to the point he didn’t notice, the wounds that had tore through his body.. none of it that he could have a heart to care about, a mind to fear, or a conscience to understand.

Seeing her gentle existence irked him. You see, humans can sometimes play the card of the clever fox, sly and cunning. some of them upon finding out what one may need, pretend to hold that sentiment or item just to lure them to a trap.

That could mean this woman was doing the same, knowing he couldn’t understand feelings of warmth.

With this in mind, he seethed at her. “What do you want from me, woman? I have nothing of your interest and you have nothing for me.”

She only smiled, reponding back lightly. “You looked lonely, and I thought.. it’d be nice to keep you company.”

With this strange woman, he couldn’t find a moment where she was trying to give him away, or find a means to hurt him no matter how many times he had hurt her.

It was surely something new. Something that stupid books didn’t say, or the words of gross beings said. Gross as those people only try to make themselves look good by bragging about their features of good nature but did nothing that was worth being happy about.

Those people who were just wolves in sheep’s clothing, or devils in angel’s robes. True scum that walked on the faces of the planet who deserved nothing but their heads rammed through the ground, forget six feet underground, make it sixty feet. Where their entire bodies can burn in the core of the earth as if it were just another pile of sorry waste.

She was sweet to him, taking his hand within hers as she showed him around places that were graced with colour, with the sun shining, not brightly to burn the eyes, but enough to illuminate even dirty places as something that was not as bad as it looked.

The silver linings that the clouds had been obscuring for so long were finally visible.

She took him home, bathed and clothed him in more comfortable clothing, made sure he was acquiring enough food for his body to regulate movement and function, and moreover, she made the deep inky darkness that ran through his veins feel a bit more.. mellow.

Almost as if that was not what flowed through him. He was not corrosive, not a pain to be breathing next to, or someone who was not worth smiling to. He was not different from others due to his special powers that he was born with.

He was the same as anyone else. Weird, but a living being trying to survive.

She made him feel as though he can open a new leaf, just like opening a notebook that was brand new, unlike one that was full of cryptic scribbles, he was anew. For a moment there, he had forgotten that his existence was different, his goals were set even before he learnt how to breathe.

He felt.. humanly.

Perhaps it was just a term for lack of a better word. This was to say that monsters were not animals, demons were not innocent creatures who were simply trying to live and co-exist with the rest of the living beings in the world, they are weaker than the cruelty of a human itself.

There is only a fine-centimeter distance between the difference of man and monster. Monsters were ferocious on the outside and perhaps on the inside as well, but their faces were what frightened others to approach, leaving them to be isolated, kept aside or slain.

Human beings however..

Human beings were truly the most dangerous beings on the planet. Their faces were clean and proper, pleasing to the other and enabling them to be accompanied by other species. They looked tender, innocent, and had a voice that ranged from different octaves, nonetheless, convincing to be harmless. They had no claws, no fur on their faces, and no gutteral growls that rip the spines out of the weaker. No, they had none of it.

They were softly created, with smiles on their lips, with nails that unsharpened, and with gentler features. Recall that this is the outside features that lull others into their presence.

Their hearts and minds.. oh if only they were as pure as snow.

They had the power of words, of deceit, manipulation, and sweet nothings that drawn others in, only to face the cruel fate of believing in the falsehood. For being gullible, are monsters punished when associating with a human.

He’s seen fellow human beings that she looked up to, who were only trying to gain something from her. He seen the sweet words they could say to her, making her feel special, wanted and loved.  The very same thing that he was worried that she was trying to do with him was playing like a broken record player right in front of him.

Filthy beings trying to mould her into something they wanted her to be, something they said she was born to be. People who took advantage of her kindness, taking it as something that they were entitled to, seeing as they were ‘good’ to her.  Brick couldn’t stand it. How many more bastards were there that were living, getting away with the horrid actions that they breathe every single day with.

How many more.. he cracked his fingers dangerously, probably breaking a few in the process as he stood up and walked over to them..

Here he was, standing once more, bathed in crimson and volcanic ash that he had created to destroy those ugly faces with. Broken skulls and torn ligaments, their skin peeled like a fruit, and laying down as if it were backdrop.. There were his claws, sharp and fearsome, his eyes glaring down as if that alone brought death riding on his shoulders. There stood in front of the innocent woman.. the face of a monster.

She looked at the mound in fear, seeing it consisted of figures of those she had seen not too long ago. Looking at who stood on top of the mound as if he was looking at waste was her child, beautiful, cute, but with a look that broke her heart.

He was hurting beyond measure.

Her baby boy who she had grown so close to within those short few months, like a child she had birthed from her own womb. A little bud that was to bloom if he was given enough care, a boy who had done no wrong to her.

Nothing intentional, that is.

“Ma..” his tone was silent, piercing. “You took a monster and taught it to be human, but..”

She looked at him.

“That only shown me that.. humans are no different.” with heaviness in his breath, he swore in between his words.

“Not a single. difference.” he repeated, raising his voice as if angered with himself, letting the swear run sharply in the middle once more.

“I’m always going to be the one who hurts you.” even if the primary liquid that ran through his body was churning with warmth, he knew that this was only her love that was transpiring, trying to communicate with him.

Wishing he wouldn’t leave her. Not her child she was proud to know.

“You can’t be proud of me, Ma, and I can’t stay here.. I’m only going to keep doing this.” he kicked a body from the mound near her, meaning to say every person who he would come across would become as destroyed as what supposed to formerly be a human body. 

Completely eradicated.

“I’m only going to hurt you too..” turning his back from her, he ran.

If living ever gave a monster a chance, then he would choose to stay, exist with the woman who took him under her wing, calling him her son and showering him with only care and love that he deserved.

What she believed he deserved.

[kayostesting]

Voiced by: Ai Nonaka (JP), Lauren Landa (EN), Marga López (Spain) A veteran and morally ambiguous magical girl, she first appears as a foe to Madoka and Sayaka, serving as a "pseudo-villain" for a few episodes. Her view of a magical girl's duties are ruthlessly utilitarian; for example, on her first encounter with Sayaka, she suggests allowing a familiar to feed on humans and mature into a witch so as to ultimately gain a grief seed from slaying it. She wields a halberd whose shaft can split into chained-together segments, giving her weapon dangerous flexibility and reach. Adorkable: In the drama CD with her and Mami which takes place before she became jaded. Anti-Hero: After her Heel–Face Turn, she becomes mainly a Knight in Sour Armor. Anti-Villain: Initially appears as a dangerous antagonist and a cynical Social Darwinist who lets people die just to harvest more Grief Seeds for herself. However, it turns out that she isn't outright malicious, and is merely a broken girl: her selfishness is a result of her selfless wish backfiring spectacularly, and she later warms up to Sayaka and others after realizing the truth about magical girls, to the point that she isn't antagonistic at all in Rebellion. Arc Villain: Serves as the main villainous focus for a few episodes until her Heel–Face Turn, but mostly as the catalyst to demonstrate The Plan and intention of the real villain, Kyubey. Back from the Dead: In the Grand Finale. Since she died fighting a witch, Madoka is able to revive her with her wish. Bare Your Midriff: A lot of art work — both official and fan — implies she's wearing a belly shirt underneath her jacket. Berserk Button: She threatens to kill Sayaka for wasting food. Better to Die than Be Killed: After finding out the whole Awful Truth and unable to save Sayaka, Kyoko felt she had two choices: destroy her soul gem in a final attack to put Sayaka out of her misery and die together, or win the fight the usual way and still become a witch sooner or later, be killed by a magical girl and die alone. Considering her past, guess which one she picked? Big Damn Heroes: Gen Urobuchi loves to play with this trope. In Kyoko's case, Homura saves Sayaka from her and then she saves Sayaka from Elsa Maria. Then she saves Sayaka from a very pissed-off Homura. She tops it off by protecting Madoka and Homura's escape from Oktavia... by going out with a bang. Big Eater: She's always eating something and it's not Played for Laughs, as there is a Freudian Excuse for it. Blade on a Stick: Uses a spear as her signature weapon. Blood Knight: Unlike the other girls she enjoys hunting witches mainly for her own selfish purposes. Broken Bird: She used to be a lot like Sayaka, a "hero of justice" but then her dad freaked out and killed their family. Is there any surprise she is now so cynical and selfish? Byronic Heroine: A good person with a dark past and a lot of angst who engages in hedonistic behavior; yep. Calling Your Attacks: She never does this in the anime, but in the third drama CD, Mami insists on calling her Doppelgänger Attack "Rossa Fantasma" - literally "Red Phantom". Kyoko says it once during battle, but then breaks out laughing afterwards because she can't take it seriously. Catch Phrase: "You want some?" Chekhov's Gunman: Appears in the title and credits sequences before appearing in the series. It's also implied that she's the magical girl that Kyubey and Mami talk about in Episode 3, who made a wish for someone else. This is confirmed in the third drama CD. Clingy Jealous Girl: Becomes this to Mami in The Different Story. After their separation, Kyoko tried to bait Mami to fight her twice and got frustrated both times by her refusal. The irony is that this jealousy is the result of Mami taking Sayaka as her partner. Curtains Match the Window: Red hair and eyes. Cute Little Fangs: She has one and it makes her look like the predator she talks about. (Also cute.) Cynicism Catalyst: She made a shortsighted wish to bring followers to her father's congregation. When he realized what was going on, he killed his family. After this, she decided to work for herself and only herself. Dark Action Girl: She's selfish, brutal, and not at all heroic. This changes some after her Heel–Face Turn. Dark and Troubled Past: Her father was a priest, but he was excommunicated for "heresy" and the Sakura family fell in poverty as he couldn't support them anymore. Kyoko used her wish to get more followers for him...but when he found out it was just magic and not his ideas and words, he went crazy and killed himself and his entire family, leaving Kyoko as the only survivor. Darker and Edgier: Than the other main characters who think of themselves as traditional 'love and justice' magical girls. Dark Magical Girl: Her time in the show is all about pitting herself and her beliefs against Sayaka, who sees herself and her beliefs as a traditional magical girl. As per the trope, she has a Heel–Face Turn and develops a soft spot for Sayaka, who reminds her of her ideals. Death Equals Redemption: Part of the reason of her Heel–Face Turn is the realization that magical girls are essentially liches, and that she might as well do something to remedy this situation. Culminating in her Heroic Sacrifice to give the bewitched Sayaka a Mercy Kill. She even gets her final moment of clarity, where she realizes that she has always wanted to protect someone. Defrosting Ice Queen: Introduced as cold and selfish, but reveals a slightly warmer personality later as she grows fond of Sayaka. Depower: The third drama CD reveals that Kyoko could originally create illusory copies of herself, but she lost this power when her family died. Despair Event Horizon: Played with. As the sole survivor of a Pater Familicide committed by her father she became bitter and jaded but her soul gem did not corrupt so she held onto a bright outlook. When Kyubey lets slip the Awful Truth, she shows more and more humanity. Potentially played straight in the PSP game if Homura defeats Oktavia before she has a chance to save what is left of Sayaka, thus removing the very last trace of hope and idealism she had left, and triggering her transformation into Ophelia. Died Happily Ever After: Implied in the anime to be her eventual fate, following Madoka's wish. Doppelgänger Attack: The third drama CD reveals that Kyoko's original power was to create decoys of herself. She lost this power when her family died. Dying Moment of Awesome: She kills Octavia in a Heroic Sacrifice which is also a Together in Death attempt. Elegant Gothic Lolita: Her fighting outfit looks a little like this with a Showgirl Skirt thrown in. Evil Redhead: Initially, she is an antagonist and her hair color is much darker than pink-haired Madoka. Expy: Red hair? Check. A passionate and cruel personality to go with it? Check. Introduced a third into the series and as being above the protagonists in skill and power? Check. Lives for battle? Check. Antagonizes the blue-haired girl? Check. Has Tsundere tendencies? Check. Abrasive attitude caused by a parent who went mad and committed suicide? Check. Are we describing Kyoko or Asuka Langley Soryu?note Her first name and long ponytail also bring Yoko Littner, Asuka's Spiritual Antithesis, to mind. Face Death with Dignity: Her last moment is her praying to her God. Fallen Heroine: She was sort of a Church Militant and she acknowledged how stupid heroism is but not even she can help feeling a little sympathy for Sayaka's broken state, leading her to a Heel–Face Turn. Fiery Redhead: As her red hair indicates, she's abrasive and hotheaded. Foil: To Homura, a fact not made clear until Rebellion. Kyoko acts selfish, but it's mainly to drive people away from the fate she suffered, and she regains her humanity through her interactions with Sayaka and Madoka. Homura on the other hand, while fighting for the greater good, is ultimately driven by selfish reasons, and the hostility she received from the other girls in other timelines has left her jaded and cynical. Freudian Excuse: Her love of food comes from her family constantly starving after her father was excommunicated for "heresy" and barely having enough to eat; a scene in the manga shows Kyoko getting punished by her mother for wasting food. Her selfish and Jerkass nature comes from the fact that her wish led to her maddened dad killing the whole Sakura family except for her. Hair Decorations: Her ponytail is tied up with a large black bow (and a hairpin, as shown in Episode 9). Heel–Face Revolving Door: From an Adorkable rookie magical girl to an amoral Psycho for Hire to a defrosted Knight in Sour Armor. Heel–Face Turn: Cements this with a near-Precision Bitch Strike as soon as Kyubey lets slip the Awful Truth. She then dedicates herself to preventing her friends from suffering Sayaka's fate. Heroes Gone Fishing: Homura once meets up with Kyoko while she's playing a dancing game in an arcade. Heroes Want Redheads: Inverted; she seems to be after Sayaka, but not the other way around. Heroic Sacrifice: She does a Mercy Kill on Sayaka so she won't have to die alone. In The Different Story, she uses Oktavia's grief seed to cleanse Mami's soul gem, but this leaves her without another one to use on herself, and she dies while fighting another witch later. Hero of Another Story: She was a magical girl for a long time. Her start up until meeting Madoka could be its own story. Hidden Depths: She reveals to Madoka in Episode 9 she used to love stories where love would triumph. This is hinted at when Kyoko tells Sayaka about her Dark and Troubled Past; losing her family left her jaded, but she didn't fall into the Despair Event Horizon and she kept on fighting. "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: She tries to do this alongside Madoka in a desperate attempt to save Sayaka after she turns into a Witch. It fails and Kyoko has to kill Sayaka along with herself. Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: In the manga, during her fight with Oktavia von Seckendorff. Ironic Echo: When she first encountered Oktavia (Sayaka's witch form), she was rescued by Homura because she was carrying Sayaka's lifeless corpse and had no way to defend herself. When she refused to drop Sayaka's corpse, Homura calls her a hindrance. During their futile attempt to bring Sayaka back from being a witch, a very injured Kyoko leaves an unconscious Madoka to Homura, before stating that they should leave because Homura would not be able to fight with a hindrance like herself, before making her Heroic Sacrifice. Irony: The daughter of a religious man, who battled witches in the dark, is labeled as a witch by her own father. To make it worse, instead of her father burning her at the stake, he burns himself, Kyoko's mother and younger sister together with their church, leaving Kyoko the last of her family. It's All About Me: This is what she claims to be her philosophy; that a magical girl should only use her powers to benefit herself. However, she says this to Sayaka because she thinks she would benefit from that philosophy, and then she tries to help Sayaka against a witch. Jade-Colored Glasses: There was a time she was actually a lot like Sayaka and she wished to be a "hero of justice", but had her optimistic worldview shattered when her father killed her whole family and then himself after finding out people only listened to his preachings because of the wish she'd made. Japanese Christian: Her father was a priest. She seemed to have been observant when she was younger but there's little evidence that she still is. She does appeal to God as she makes her Heroic Sacrifice, but whether this is out of faith or desperation or some combination thereof is ambiguous. She carries a bag of apples during her explanation of her backstory and attempt to persuade Sayaka to her way of thinking. Japanese Delinquents: She skips school, picks fights with those who enter her territory, wears somewhat inappropriate clothing for her age, and lives off of stolen food. And true to the major character archetype of this trope, she turns out to be nicer than she acts. Japanese Pronouns: Uses "atashi" for herself, which is odd considering her Darwinist lifestyle and masculine vocabulary. Jerkass: Initially, she cares about nothing more than killing her foes and leaving people to die in order to benefit herself. Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Her backstory doesn't justify her horrible treatment of Sayaka before the Awful Truth happened. However, her later interactions with Sayaka and Madoka show that, Jerkass as she is, Kyoko is still somewhat redeemable. Kleptomaniac Hero: Implied that she stole most, if not all, of the food she was eating. Knight in Sour Armor: After being reminded of her ideals by Sayaka she became this; renewed idealism but still bitter. Knight of Cerebus: There's a reason why they waited until after Mami's death scene to introduce her and why she originally didn't appear with the other core four in promotional materials. The Lad-ette: Magical girls are known for their femininity. Kyoko is not. Lady in Red: Her magical girl outfit is red and she has hedonistic tendencies. The Lady's Favour: Inverted in The Different Story. Kyoko goes off to fight Oktavia and leaves her ribbon with Mami, promising her to return to get it back. Lady Swears-a-Lot: By Japanese-standards, her vocabulary is filthy and at best is inappropriately masculine. Laughably Evil: There are no comic relief characters in Madoka, and definitely not Kyoko, but try not to chuckle a bit as she nonchalantly stuffs her face with food or plays a Bland-Name Product Dance Dance Revolution clone as the events of the series unfold. Leitmotif: "Anima mala" ("Evil soul"). Letting Her Hair Down: Does this just before sacrificing herself for Sayaka. Lost Food Grievance: Do not waste food in Kyoko's presence if you value your life. She'll Neck Lift you. Magic Knight: Mainly a melee fighter, but her main element is "enchantment" and she can occasionally use illusionary powers. Master of Illusion: Used to be capable of illusions as her magical girl power before the Pater Familicide incident. Meaningful Name: 'Kyouko' means 'apricot' (this ties in to Momo, the name of her sister, meaning 'peach'), which symbolizes strength achieved through struggles with adversity. 'Sakura' is the cherry blossom, which represents the transcience of life. Mercy Kill: Gives one to Sayaka that doubles as a Taking You with Me. Minor Living Alone: Kyoko lives in her apartment complex alone with no parental supervision due to her father murdering her mother, younger sister, and then himself in a murder-suicide. Neck Lift: Performs one on Sayaka when she throws her apple to the ground without eating it. Nice Girl: The Different Story and the PSP game show that she used to be this back when she first started out as a magical girl, being a very nice and polite girl who wanted to save the world from Witches and had undying respect for Mami, just like Sayaka did. But her father's increasingly abusive behavior after he found out the Awful Truth and eventual Pater Familicide left her jaded and resulted in her becoming far more cynical, amoral and selfish to the point where her and Mami's friendship ended because her philosophy developed into the complete opposite of Mami's. No Body Left Behind: Implied to be her ultimate fate eventually, due to Madoka's wish. Nominal Hero: At the start, while she's a magical girl who fights witches and may be loyal to both her teammates and the mission, she cares far more about killing witches, gaining grief seeds, and letting familiars kill people so they can become witches with grief seeds, than she does about protecting civilians. Not So Different: From Sayaka. She criticizes Sayaka for fighting for someone else's sake, but ends up sacrificing herself to take out Oktavia to make sure Sayaka/Oktavia won't die alone. This is lampshaded when she tells Madoka that Sayaka made her remember the reason she became a magical girl. Oral Fixation: Always has something in her mouth. Pater Familicide: In her backstory, her father killed her entire family save her before killing himself. Pimped-Out Dress: Her magical girl outfit is bloodred to symbolize her aggressive nature and the blood that was spilled as a consequence of her wish, as well. It is also adorned with the symbol of her father's church. Preacher's Kid: She was an angelic Church Militant before things went bad. When we meet her, she's well over on the cynical side. Psycho for Hire: Initially she kills witches for their grief seeds and Kyubey has her on call. Psychosomatic Superpower Outage: She's been unable to use her Master of Illusion powers ever since the Pater Familicide incident. It's implied this was because of the trauma she experienced. As shown in side materials, in a few of the alternate timelines she eventually gets them back. A Pupil Of Mine Until She Turned To Evil: She used to be Mami's apprentice just like Madoka and Sayaka, until the Pater Familicide happened and Kyoko decided to be selfish with her magic. Rapunzel Hair: Her messy hair grows past her back. Instead of the 'wealth' or 'high status' associations, it's more likely because she doesn't bother cutting it. Red and Black and Evil All Over: Initially she is a villain and her magical girl outfit is red with a bit of black. Redemption Equals Death: Sayaka's influence on Kyoko leads her to perform a Mercy Kill that takes both of of them out. Red Eyes, Take Warning: Her eyes are red and she is the first indication that some magical girls are outright evil. Red Oni, Blue Oni The red to Sayaka's blue. She's more feral and hedonistic and they are color coded. Also the red to Mami's blue in the past and in The Different Story because she was more reckless and less precise than her mentor. Say My Name: She yells "SAYAKAAAA!!!" when Sayaka becomes a witch. Selective Obliviousness: A common theme is how Kyouko says many things... while not actually doing them. She says she's going to kill Sayaka... but is content (at first) to only beat her up before walking away. She talks trash about Mami and her beliefs... but as other content showed, she at first came back to Mitakihara to try to reconcile with her, before learning about her death. She even made a grave for her. She comments on how normal people are essentially just food... but never hurts Madoka and doesn't stop her from going to Sayaka. She even encourages Madoka that she's done nothing wrong and that being a magical girl isn't something to envy. She talks about how magic is only meant to be used for herself... but her wish was used for someone else, and even after that she uses magic for Sayaka and Madoka's sake, repeatedly. Serious Business: Nearly strangles Sayaka because she threw an apple on the ground. Played for Drama; see Freudian Excuse above. She's Got Legs: Comes with wearing short shorts. Ship Tease: Implied to have a one-sided crush on Sayaka. Sir Not-Appearing-in-This-Trailer: Didn't appear in early promotional materials, likely because of her darker nature. Sour Outside, Sad Inside: At first, she seems to be a mean, selfish girl who believes that magical girls should use their powers for their own purposes. As the series progresses, it's revealed why she acts this way: Her family fell into destitution after her preacher father was excommunicated and when he found out that his followers increased and came back was due to Kyoko's magical girl wish and not from people actually believing in him, he killed his family and himself and only she survived. It is only when she learns about the Awful Truths of being a magical girl and when she saves Sayaka from Homura that she starts to get over her sourness, which culminates in her performing a Mercy Kill to witch!Sayaka and sacrificing herself so Sayaka wouldn't be alone. Spell My Name with an "S": "Kyoko" versus "Kyouko". Both are officially endorsed, with the anime materials using Kyoko and manga materials using Kyouko. The Social Darwinist: She compares the fight against witches to the food chain: Witches and their familiars prey on weak humans, while Magical Girls are the apex predators and prey on Witches. Familiars don't drop grief seeds, so she sees no point in killing them before they kill enough people to become a witch themselves. She also applies this to Magical Girls themselves: weaker ones should yield their territory over to the stronger ones or die. She seems to have abandoned this philosophy after learning the true nature of Magical Girls. Stopped Caring: She was very idealistic when she started out, wanting to be a hero and save people from witches. After the Pater Familicide, she's now perfectly fine with letting people get killed by Familiars if it means more Grief Seeds. Meeting Sayaka reminds her of her old ideals and eventually gets her to start caring again. Stupid Sacrifice: The only thing Kyoko accomplished by throwing her soul gem to Oktavia was forcing Homura to fight Walpurgisnacht all by herself. Suicide Attack: She kills Oktavia with one. Super Drowning Skills: According to the 4th drama CD, she can't swim. Sweet Polly Oliver: In a gag image Kyoko decides to disguise herself as a boy in order to become closer to Sayaka. Sweet Tooth: She's constantly munching on sweets, even during battle. Together in Death: With Sayaka via Suicide Attack. Token Evil Teammate: Initially, prior to her Heel–Face Turn, she was a nasty magical girl. Kind of like a mercenary. Tomboy: She's even more tomboyish than Sayaka with her aggressive personality and masculine manner of speaking, but despite that, she still refers to herself with a feminine pronoun. Tomboy and Girly Girl: Tomboy to Mami's and Sayaka's girly girl, having a much rougher speech pattern and being more aggressive and masculine than both of them. Tomboyish Ponytail: Although her hairstyle should be more feminine than Sayaka's, it also emphasizes her nature as a rough Action Girl and looks quite unkempt. It also contrasts quite a bit with the preppy but cute Mitakihara school uniform, which she wears in Rebellion and the best ending of Portable. Tomboy with a Girly Streak: Downplayed; aside from using the feminine pronoun "atashi", her speech patterns are very rough and masculine, and when it comes down to it she's not very girly at all. In comparison, Sayaka is quite a bit more feminine than she is. Took a Level in Kindness: After starting as a bitch, Sayaka's and Madoka's suffering soften her up little by little. This culminates in Episode 9 with her bonding with Madoka, then sacrificing herself to save Madoka from a bewitched Sayaka, and putting Sayaka out of her misery. Tsundere: She comes off as aggressive and bitchy, but there's a warmer personality buried under. These tendencies are more prevalent towards Sayaka and Mami in The Different Story, since she obviously cares about them but refuses to express it openly. Tsurime Eyes: Befitting her harsh and confident nature. Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Had Kyoko not picked fights needlessly with Sayaka, Madoka wouldn't have snapped and thrown Sayaka's soul gem away, thus The Reveal would have happened later, or not and all — and thus, Sayaka wouldn't've begun her Start of Darkness either. Used to Be a Sweet Kid: A Daddy's Girl who made a Selfless Wish and heroically fought witches, who later became a Nominal Hero and Blood Knight. Variable-Length Chain: Her spear can segment into parts separated by chains. Her spear's shaft length also changes between scenes. We Used to Be Friends: The third drama CD shows that she and Mami knew each other when they were younger and were friends and partners in fighting witches, until the Pater Familicide happened and Kyoko decided to be more selfish with her magic. What Have I Become?: Not even she could stay indifferent to the Awful Truth but she takes becoming a lich better than Sayaka. Whip Sword: Her spear is capable of splitting into chains, but it also appears to be able to curve in a whip-like fashion. Who Wears Short Shorts?: In her civilian garb. It's another tomboyish contrast with her fellow feminine magical girls. Wrong Genre Savvy: Tries to start an "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight to transform Sayaka back from her witch state. Explicitly lampshades it ("It'd be like one of those stories where love and courage triumph over all"). Considering the tone of the series, it's not surprising that it doesn't work. Zettai Ryouiki: She's sporting a Grade B in her magical girl outfit and her school uniform.