This Article Contains Spoilers -
WARNING: This article contains major spoilers. If you do not wish to know vital information on plot / character elements in a story, you may not wish to read beyond this warning: We hold no responsibility for any negative effects these facts may have on your enjoyment of said media should you continue. That is all. |
This article's content is marked as Mature The page Kaede Akamatsu contains mature content that may include coarse language, sexual references, and/or graphic violent images which may be disturbing to some. Mature articles are recommended for those who are 18 years of age and older. If you are 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page. |
“ | Good job! | „ |
~ Kaede to all her friends after they all evade danger in the first part of the Death Road to Despair |
Kaede Akamatsu is the false protagonist of Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony. She was the main protagonist of the prologue and the Chapter 1 of the game until she was executed at the near end of the first chapter and Shuichi Saihara takes over the role of being the main protagonist.
A participant in the Killing School Semester, Kaede has the title of Ultimate Pianist (Super High School Level Pianist), owing to her prowess in playing the piano since childhood and winning various awards.
To save the students from being killed, she makes up a plan to eliminate the mastermind; unfortunately Rantaro Amami gets caught in the scene. Although Kaede’s shot missed Rantaro, Tsumugi Shirogane kills him and pinpoints/frames the murder on Kaede. Kaede is executed believing she was the killer.
She is voiced by Sayaka Kanda in the Japanese version of the game, and by Erika Harlacher in the English version of the game.
Appearance
Kaede has shoulder-length blonde hair and a prominent ahoge. She wears silver music note hairpins and has warm purple eyes. She wears a high school uniform, which consists of a long-sleeved white shirt completed with a pink ribbed-hem sweater vest adorned with her previous schools’ insignia and an orange tie. She wears a dark, warm purple skirt patterned with black music staves and lining each of them. The song on her skirt creates an actual melody, but it doesn't seem to be any relevant tune. Dark purple knee socks are adorned with her previous schools’ insignia on the top of them, and beige shoes with dark brown laces and soles. Kaede also carries around a white backpack, that has a gold clasp.
In the Prologue, Kaede wears a dark blue sailor uniform with a short matching blue skirt, a red tie, black knee socks and black penny loafers. The pins in her hair are regular, silver straight ones.
Personality
Kaede is an optimistic hard worker. As a leader type with a firm character, she has a strong will and doesn't hesitate to take action, her notable character trait being her strong sense of belief in herself and others. Her main motivation for playing the piano is to see others smiling.She has a kind personality that makes her think about others before herself. Because of this, she is unable to immediately suspect people, as demonstrated in the demo by her going as far as faking an alibi out of her trust for Makoto, with no rational basis for his innocence. She is willing to lie for good reasons, but appears uncomfortable while doing so and is quite bad at lying. Like the other protagonists before her, she has a very sensitive nature and listens to other people's troubles. However, as seen during her Free Time Events with other students, she seems to encourage other people to get better even more actively than some other protagonists do, and she isn't afraid to be bold about it and point out their flaws. It appears that she is rather quickly well-liked by the other students.
The truth about Kaede's fate
When Tsumugi frames Kaede by killing Rantaro by switching shot put balls after Monokuma threatens all the other students, Kaede decided to accuse herself in the Class Trial before being what the spotless students call executed with a piano concert that plays a classical musical piece called "The Flea Waltz", but it turns out that she has been murdered due to the Monokubs' yanking of the ropes that pulled her up and down much faster than fast, choking her by asphyxiation because of the Monobear-designed clasp around her neck.