| Makoto Naegi | |
|---|---|
| Danganronpa character | |
 Promotional artwork for Makoto Naegi in Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc. | |
| First appearance | Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (2010) |
| Created by | Kazutaka Kodaka |
| Designed by | Rui Komatsuzaki |
| Voiced by | EN: Bryce Papenbrook JA: Megumi Ogata |
| Portrayed by | Kanata Hongō (stage play) Shun Nishime (stage play) |
Makoto Naegi (Japanese: 苗木 誠, Hepburn: Naegi Makoto) is a fictional character introduced as the protagonist of the 2010 visual novel adventure game Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc by Spike Chunsoft. A fairly optimistic but otherwise average student who is selected in a raffle to enroll in Hope's Peak Academy as the "Ultimate Lucky Student", Makoto finds himself before a remote-controlled robotic stuffed bear named Monokuma upon entering the academy, who states that he and his fellow students will be imprisoned in the academy for the rest of their lives unless one of them becomes "the blackened" and murders another without being found out by the other students, prompting the character to solve crimes. Makoto returns in the game's sequels and in multiple adaptations featuring him in new story arcs, most notably in Lerche's 2016 anime series Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School, as a member of an organization known as the Future Foundation that seeks to take his life in a new killing game.
Writer Kazutaka Kodaka created Makoto to differ from previous visual novel protagonists. He aimed to have Makoto be a more active character than previous heroes in the narrative; his older characterization from the sequel was more complex, as he becomes more mature when engaging others. While Makoto is described as an average teenager among outstanding students, artist Rui Komatsuzaki designed him to have appealing clothing. Megumi Ogata voices him in Japanese while Bryce Papenbrook provides his voice for the English dub.
Critical response to Makoto's character has been generally positive for his role in the first game as a detective and the bonds he can form in the school during the video game. Video game and anime publications praised the voice actors' deliveries for making the character an appealing hero. Critics found his return in the sequel The End of Hope's Peak High School appealing because of his ideals and the handling of his relationships. Makoto has also been a popular character, often being listed as one of the best characters from the series.