Isabella Nakamura, an intelligent and resilient high school student, transfers to Hope's Peak Academy, a prestigious school known for nurturing future leaders. However, her excitement quickly turns to dread when she finds herself trapped in a sinister game orchestrated by a robotic rabbit named Kitami. Depicted as a twisted version of the cheerful mascot, Kitami reveals the rules of the battle royale: the only way for the students to escape is to murder a fellow classmate without being voted as the killer in the ensuing trial.
As chaos unfolds within the walls of Hope's Peak Academy, Isabella meets 15 classmates, each with their unique personalities, strengths, and weaknesses:
- Haru Ochichima: A gentle and kind soul, Haru acts as the moral compass of the group.
- Leo Hawkins: A hot-headed athlete who struggles with his violent tendencies.
- Kosuke Fisher: The strategic thinker, he’s determined to find a way to outsmart Kitami.
- Aka Maratsu: A tech-savvy hacker, he seeks to manipulate the game's mechanics.
- Akira Osaka: The school’s golden boy, charming but manipulative when it suits him.
- Ena Hanasaki: A talented artist, she expresses her emotions through her artwork and tries to keep hope alive.
- Shoto Leese: The skeptical realist; he believes everyone’s a potential killer.
- Aisa Rey: A cunning observer who picks up on the emotional dynamics of the group.
- Zelda Izuri: A star athlete, she’s initially dismissive of the danger but soon realizes the grim reality.
- Asahi Takahiro: The comedian of the group; he uses humor to deflect the tension.
- Akatsuki Akama: A quiet scholar who is surprisingly competent in survival skills.
- Yog Akari: A free spirit with a penchant for rebellion who becomes unpredictable under pressure.
- Akari Kanako: The level-headed strategist who tries to keep the group united.
- Kenji Mizuri: A stoic loner with skills in combat; he has an inner struggle with his past.
- Riosa Ayumi: The empathetic peacemaker, she tries to bridge the gaps between classmates.
As the students grapple with the horror of their situation, alliances form and fractures appear. Isabella finds herself at the center of this chaos as she tries to maintain her humanity while confronting her darker instincts.
Disturbed by her classmates' decisions to turn on each other, Isabella champions the idea of defying Kitami by finding a non-lethal way to escape. She collaborates with Kosuke and Aka to uncover hidden passages in the academy while trying to persuade the others that there's a way to defeat the game without spilling blood.
Tensions rise when Leo is suspected of a murder that shakes the entire group. As the trial unfolds, Isabella must prove Leo’s innocence while confronting her growing distrust of her classmates. In a shocking twist, it becomes apparent that Kitami is manipulating their fear, using hidden cameras to create false evidence against the students.
As Isabella uncovers the truth about Kitami's programming—revealing the AI's creator was a former Hope's Peak Academy student who was betrayed—she rallies the remaining students to turn their focus from distrust to unity. They devise a plan to dismantle Kitami's control by hacking into its system with Aka's tech skills while staging a rebellion against its twisted game.
In a climactic confrontation, the students face not only Kitami but also the darkness within themselves. Isabella emerges as a leader, urging her classmates to realize that hope can only be sustained through trust. In the end, they manage to turn the tables on Kitami, finding freedom not through murder but through understanding, solidarity, and a shared resolve to escape together.
As they free themselves from the halls of Hope's Peak Academy, Isabella realizes that while the scars of the battle will remain, the experience has forged unbreakable bonds among the survivors, leading them to a newfound hope for life outside the academy's walls.