Hajime Hinata

Hajime Hinata (日向 創 Hinata Hajime) is the main protagonist of Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair and a participant in the Killing School Trip.

Hajime originally had no talent, entering Hope's Peak Academy as a reserve course student, but he eventually received the title of Ultimate Hope (超高校級の「希望」chō kōkō kyū no “kibō” lit.

Appearance
He has short, spiky brown hair with an ahoge that moves according to his emotions. He wears a simple white shirt with the emblem of his previous high school embroidered on the hem. He wears a green tie which also bears the same emblem. He has black jeans and red-and-white sneakers. During his time in Hope's Peak Academy, he wore a black reserve course student uniform.

Personality
Hajime is seemingly cynical due to how he behaves, but it would be better to describe him as a realist. He is quite skeptical and tends to worry more than the other students, but his worries are often very justified and understandable. He is a logical and smart person, often annoyed by the idea of not being able to understand someone or something at all. He tends to be quite serious, but he does joke around occasionally and often goes along with his classmates' eccentric hobbies.

Hajime can be snarky towards his classmates in his thoughts and he can be blunt at times, though he means well and he's more frank than sarcastic or mean-spirited. Though sometimes a bit submissive, he is not afraid to speak his mind. He can sometimes be short-tempered and can snap at others, especially when he's tired or under pressure.

Still, Hajime is generally pleasant and easily exhibits kindness and thoughtfulness to others around him; he genuinely cares about everyone. Although he may have trouble understanding or relating to his classmates, he is tolerant of everyone's eccentric personalities and quirks and is always willing to listen and give advice. The official artbook reinforces this by stating that he spends his time talking with everyone and gets along great with both the girls and the guys. In Free Time Events, he makes even the most antisocial characters feel more relaxed and they often reveal things about themselves they wouldn't tell anyone else. Due to this particular trait, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu thinks that Hajime's talent might be Ultimate Counselor and Nagito calls him Ultimate Serenity.

It's also heavily implied that Hajime is romantically inexperienced, appearing somewhat shy and even naive about the topic. He once mentioned that he hadn't really thought about it and has never asked a girl on a date. However, during Free Time Events and especially during Island Mode, several characters appear to have romantic interest in Hajime and he sometimes responds by flirting, dating or even forming actual (non-canon) relationships with them.

Though a bit paranoid in the start of the game and not having much interest in friendship, Hajime later really wants to believe in his classmates and feels bad about doubting them during the class trials, but understands it's necessary. He sometimes regrets exposing the murderers, as shown after singling out the murderer in chapter 3.

Though he tries to hide it, Hajime is very insecure about his lack of talent and it bothers him deeply. This caused him to admire Hope's Peak Academy more than anything, as he believed that attending the school would fix his problem. He wished to be part of something bigger than himself, to become more confident and someone he can be proud of. He felt bitter about being just a reserve course student. Chiaki was the one who guided Hajime to see the reality that whether or not he had a talent was irrelevant. It was largely due to her support and encouragement that he was finally able to overcome despair and gain true confidence.

Counseling skills
Though he does not naturally possess an Ultimate talent, other characters have noted that Hajime may have potential for many things, the most notable trait being his ability to make other people feel more relaxed and talk about their issues. Because of this, Fuyuhiko says he could be Ultimate Counselor while Nagito calls him Ultimate Serenity. However, though he's glad to help, Hajime feels that such a talent would be stressful. Hajime also displays this trait as he manages to calm down Ryota Mitarai during the ending of Danganronpa 3.