List of Battle Royale characters

The following is a list of characters that appear in the novel, manga, and film versions of Battle Royale.

Shuya Nanahara
Boy #15 Shuya Nanahara (七原秋也) is the primary protagonist. He has witnessed a good deal of troubling events throughout his life. His father was killed by the government for struggling against the regime, and his mother died while he was in third grade. When the rest of his family rejected him, Shuya was put in an orphanage. He is willing to trust others, not wanting to take part in the Battle Royale program. He tries several times to rally fellow students in an attempt to escape, but fails. Consequently, he narrowly escapes death at the hands of his classmates on several occasions. Shuya is a self-proclaimed "rock star", listening to and playing rock 'n' roll music in spite of the ban on the genre. Shuya's favorite artist is Bruce Springsteen. After the death of his best friend Yoshitoki, he vows to protect Yoshitoki's crush, Noriko, in his stead. Shuya survives the contest and escapes. In the manga version he emigrates to the United States.
 * Assigned weapon: Army knife (novel and manga); Pot lid (film)

In the English manga he has the nickname "Shu."

In the original novel Shuya develops an anger and feels remorseless when he kills soldiers on the boat. In the manga, Masayuki Taguchi altered Shuya's personality so the characters could differentiate themselves, as he believed the serialization of the manga requires more of this aspect than other mediums such as novel and film. Taguchi described Shuya as developing a justice-oriented personality like "the character of a shonen manga." As Taguchi developed Shuya's pacifistic characteristic, he decided to change the ending and allow for Shuya to spare the soldiers in the boat. Taguchi somewhat felt that Shuya pulled him into the story.

Noriko Nakagawa
Girl #15 Noriko Nakagawa (中川典子) is the story's primary female character and Shuya's first companion, as well as, ultimately, his love interest. She is a quiet, reserved girl. In the novel and manga, she is shot in the lower leg for attempting to help Yoshitoki Kuninobu; in the film, she is shot in the arm, although this wound is an accident. In both versions she falls ill and is treated for her fever by Shogo and Shuya at a pharmacy. Although she does not realize it, she manages to keep Shuya sane, and she is the only other person besides Shuya to survive the game. Much like Simon in Lord of the Flies, Noriko is thought to represent a voice from outside the novel, such as the voice of the author or the audience. While innocent at heart, she is profoundly philosophical and inspires hope in Shuya and Shogo, and everything she says is true in the broader context of the novel. It is she who kills Kazuo Kiriyama, with the one and only bullet she fires during the course of the game (there is some confusion over this scene in the novel, as Shogo then shoots Kiriyama again and takes credit for the murder; the general consensus is that he is trying to spare Noriko the lifelong guilt of having killed someone). In the manga, after the game, her family rejects her (as her brother has been abducted by the police as a means to get her family to help look for her), so she emigrates to the United States with Shuya. In the film, teacher Kitano cares for Noriko, wishing her to win the game and reveals a picture of her as the victor when she, Nanahara and Kawada break into the school. He even goes into the island to look for her, giving her an umbrella.
 * Assigned weapon: Boomerang (novel and manga); Binoculars (film)

Shogo Kawada
Boy #5 Shogo Kawada (川田章吾), portrayed as a loner within the class ranks, is a transfer student. He is put in Class B about two months before the program takes place. He is the winner of the current program (pretending to kill Shuya and Noriko) and a previous program which he participated in some three years prior. He allies himself with Shuya and Noriko, telling them he knows a way to escape from the island and the entire Battle Royale program. Noriko and Shuya frequently doubt his trustworthiness, but these doubts turn out to be unfounded, as Shogo reveals that he deliberately transferred to the school in hopes of being in the selected class. He is on a mission to avenge the death of his girlfriend, who he killed purely on instinct during the last program they played in. He along with Noriko and Shuya defeat Kiriyama. He helps overturn the program, helping Shuya and Noriko to escape, but he succumbs to his wounds and dies. In all versions he is the final participant to die.
 * Assigned weapon: Remington Arms M31 sawed-off shotgun (novel); Remington Arms M32 Shotgun (manga); Franchi SPAS-12 (film)

Koushun Takami describes Kawada as a "Young Champion-esque character" (the manga version of Battle Royale was serialized in Young Champion) and recalled that a person told him that Masayuki Taguchi's version of Shogo Kawada " looks like Bancho Kiyohara," referring to the Yomiuri Giants baseball player Kazuhiro "Bancho" Kiyohara. Readers of Young Champion ranked Kawada first in a character popularity poll. Taguchi felt that timing contributed to the ranking as a Kawada-centered story appeared at the time of the poll. Takami felt that Kawada would have received first place even if a Kawada-centered story had not appeared on the same pages as the poll.

Kazuo Kiriyama
Boy #6 Kazuo Kiriyama (桐山和雄) is the player who kills the most students in the game.
 * Assigned weapon: Knife (novel); Ingram MAC-10 machine pistol (manga); Paper fan (film)

In the novel and manga, Kiriyama is a sociopath with the mind of a genius and the inability to feel emotion, due to brain damage from a car crash in his childhood (in utero in the novel) that led to partial lobotomy. He came from a rich family, but in the manga profile is suggested to be an illegitimate child. Kiriyama has a great intuitive grasp of everything, enabling him to not only do outstanding schoolwork, but also to master normally time-consuming skills such as painting, playing the violin, and various martial arts at a rapid rate. However, due to his emotionless state, he tends to set them aside after attaining mastery. This quick intuitive grasp allowed Kazuo to be the first student to master the mechanics of the Program. In the manga, he also plucked out an abusive gym teacher's eyeball and crushed it with it still connected by the retina, just to see the color of the liquid within. He was also the only male student not to fall for Mitsuko Souma's charms.

During his time in school, Kiriyama became the leader of his own gang, consisting of Mitsuru Numai, Sho Tsukioka, Hiroshi Kuronaga, and Ryuhei Sasagawa. Despite their loyalty, he has no attachment to any of them and murders all of them during the Program. Kiriyama participates in the Program not out of necessity (as with most students), but only because he had nothing better to do, and quickly becomes the primary antagonist and succeeds in killing many of his fellow classmates (fourteen total, fifteen if Shogo Kawada is counted, amounting to the most kills of all students), only to ultimately be killed in the end. In the novel, Noriko shoots Kiriyama in the head once, and then Shogo shoots him in the head again; at that point Shogo tells her that he killed Kiriyama to spare Noriko the guilt of murder. In the manga, Shuya ultimately kills Kiriyama by shooting him in the neck.

In the film, Kiriyama, not from Shiroiwa Junior High School Class 3-B, joins the Battle Royale program for his own entertainment. Shogo ultimately kills him by shooting and detonating his collar.

Mitsuko Souma
Female Student #11, Mitsuko Souma (相馬光子) is a hollow shell. She is said to be the most beautiful girl in school with her angelic face, shapely body, and seductive smile which is referred to in the novel as her "fallen angel's smile." She uses her sexuality to her advantage throughout the series. Similar to Kazuo Kiriyama, Mitsuko suffers from childhood trauma, and she is the leader of her own gang, which consists of Hirono Shimizu and Yoshimi Yahagi. She manages to kill a total of nine students, becoming the second most dangerous opponent in the Program, before being killed by Kazuo Kiriyama.
 * Assigned weapon: Kama (Sickle) (novel, manga, and film)

In the novel, Mitsuko is abused by several individuals. When she was nine years old, her mother was paid to let three men rape and videotape her. Next, she was raped by her trusted elementary school teacher when she told him of her previous rape. A friend of hers witnesses the rape and spreads a rumor which leads to the teacher's resignation. Later, Mitsuko's mother again accepted payment to let Mitsuko be raped but Mitsuko resisted, accidentally killing her mother in the process. She is sent to live with relatives, only to be molested once again by the father of the household.

In the manga, Mitsuko and her mother were beaten and raped by her abusive stepfather after her real father ran away from the government. Eventually, even her mother turned abusive against her. Mitsuko made a deal with a local criminal, arranging for her stepfather's murder, but he ended up killing her mother as well. Mitsuko then betrayed the criminal by calling the police on him. In the English manga, she is nicknamed "Hardcore Souma". She uses much of her sexuality in the manga. She developed a reputation in school, including when she stabbed a boy, causing him to get thirteen stitches. Souma is head of a gang at school, where she participates in theft, murder, and prostitution. Many of the girls fear Mitsuko in the manga. Due to her emotional abuse, she has a twisted idea of sex, thinking that it is the solution to everything, which led her to rape a wounded Yuichiro Takiguchi, thinking it would make him feel better. She became upset when he said that it hurt him, and thinking that he was rejecting her, she killed him.

In the extended version of the film, a flashback portrayed a young Mitsuko returning home from school. At home she found her mother drunk, and an unknown man who then tried to molest her. Mitsuko retaliated in self-defense and pushed him down the stairs, snapping his neck and killing him. She is an outcast in school and has no friends. It was rumored that she slept with a few guys at school and stole Hirono Shimizu's boyfriend. She is played by Kou Shibasaki in the film.

Hiroki Sugimura
Boy #11 Hiroki Sugimura (杉村弘樹) spends most of the program time looking for Takako Chigusa, his best friend, and Kayoko Kotohiki, the girl he loves.
 * Assigned weapon: Tracking device homed in to collar's frequencies (novel, manga, and film)

The novel describes Hiroki as "reserved" and as having a "tall, lanky body." Hiroki "projected toughness" because he studied martial arts. Hiroki has a "shy" demeanor and does not socialize that much with the other boys. The novel stated that people who began to "know [Hiroki] a little" discovered that Hiroki "turned out to be nice." Hiroki enjoys reading Chinese poetry; because the Greater Republic of East Asia considers China to be "part of our homeland," translations of Chinese books are easy to find in Japan.

When he finds Takako, she is near death, and he comforts her. In the novel and film Kayoko becomes frightened and fatally injures Sugimura. In the manga, Kayoko decides to travel with him. However, they are both soon killed by Kiriyama.

Koushun Takami, author of the novel and co-author of the manga version of Battle Royale (with Masayuki Taguchi), said that the manga version emphasizes Sugimura's fear of being "violent."

Shinji Mimura
Boy #19 Shinji Mimura (三村信史) uses his intellect to invent escape plans.
 * Assigned weapon: Beretta 92 (novel, manga, and film)

The novel describes Shinji as having "short hair" and wearing an "intricately designed [sic] earring" on his left ear. Shinji, the first-string shooting guard in basketball had the nickname "The Third Man." Shuya and Shinji became friends after the two performed well as a team during the second-year class basketball competition. The novel states that Shinji and Shuya had equal athletic skills, although Shinji would proclaim that he is more talented. Shinji's grades in subjects other than mathematics and the English language "weren't great." Instead Shinji has an "incredible" scope of real-world knowledge, "mature, way beyond his peers" views, and knowledge of information from outside of the Greater Republic of East Asia. The novel states that Shinji is "not arrogant."

In the novel and manga, his first plan is to hack into the government's computer and disable their collars, and then bomb the school. He is unsuccessful at hacking into the computer, since he discusses his plan with a fellow student, and the conversation is transmitted through his collar back to the teacher, who puts a stop to that plan. Shinji then attempts to bomb the building where the Program's staff is bunkered in, a plan which fails after a slight disruption that results in Shinji killing Keita Iijima. In the ensuing confusion, Kazuo shows up and kills both Shinji and his friend and accomplice, Yutaka Seto.

In the film, Mimura meets with Iijima and Yutaka immediately. Mimura discovers that his collar is bugged early on, so they plot to bomb the school. They nearly succeed, but Kiriyama discovers the group and kills Yutaka and Iijima. Mimura blows himself up to inflict injuries on Kazuo.

Yoshio Akamatsu
Boy #1 Yoshio Akamatsu (赤松義生) is the first student to leave the school where they are briefed in all versions of the series.
 * Assigned weapon: Crossbow (novel, manga, and film)

Yoshio Akamatsu is one of the class of third-year students at the fictional Shiroiwa Junior High School. A large, overweight boy who performs poorly in sports, Yoshio is frequently bullied, particularly by his classmate Ryuhei Sasagawa. Yoshio is said to be 180 cm tall in the novel (about 5'11"). He is a timid, quiet student, who is often paranoid about being mistreated by his peers. In the manga, a flashback of Yoshio being asked for help with a video game by Shuya Nanahara can be seen. Shuya had told Yoshio that he considered him a friend.

In all versions, after killing girl #14 Mayumi Tendo, Yoshio trips down a small hill during his attempt to kill Nanahara, blinded by fear of his own death. He rises in a huff to find Kazushi Niida standing nearby. Kazushi then shoots Yoshio with an arrow from his own crossbow. The book says that Kazushi shoots him in the back of the neck accidentally after panicking. In the film, Kazushi shoots Yoshio in the heart instead of the neck after panicking. In the manga, the attack is deliberate and is done by Kazushi Niida: when Yoshio awakens, he panics and looks for his crossbow. However, Kazushi shoots him in the side of the head, killing him instantly.

Keita Iijima
In the novel and manga, Boy #2 Keita Iijima (飯島敬太) is a loner who is a former friend of Shinji Mimura. The two have had a falling out, due to Keita's spite in refusing to help fight the street gang harassing Shinji, due to spite of losing a bet, though Iijima is also said to be a coward, which Shinji refused to take into account. When Keita wishes to join Yutaka Seto and Shinji, Shinji points a gun at Keita and tells him to leave. Shinji fires the gun in an attempt to scare him off, but accidentally hits and kills him. This begins a chain of events which leads to the ultimate failure of Mimura's plan. In the manga, Keita is known to vomit in disgust when he sees something revolting, such as when Kazuo Kiriyama plucks out the eyeball of a gym teacher and crushes it in front of everyone, and when Yonemi Kamon shows the class the decaying corpse of Masao Hayashida.
 * Assigned weapon: Kitchen knife (novel and manga); Jutte (film)

In the film, Iijima is still Mimura's friend, and he travels with Mimura and Yutaka. In the end Kazuo Kiriyama kills Iijima and Yutaka.

Tatsumichi Oki
Boy #3 Tatsumichi Oki (大木立道) cracks under the pressure of the situation in all of the versions.
 * Assigned weapon: Hatchet (novel and film); Machete (manga)

Oki is a member of the school's handball team. After the game starts, he attempts to kill Shuya and Noriko. After a fall with Shuya, his weapon becomes lodged in his face. Yuko Sakaki witnesses the fall, and believes Shuya to be deliberately responsible for Oki's death.

Toshinori Oda
Toshinori Oda (織田敏憲) is boy number 4.
 * Assigned weapon: Bulletproof vest (novel, manga, and film)

In the novel and manga, little more than an ugly rich kid (his father owning a successful produce company) with high views of himself, Toshinori sets out to preserve his talents with the violin. Toshinori loathes the students in his class, calling them the 'vulgar masses'. He hates Shuya because Shuya is handsome and plays rock music, which Toshinori has a great disdain for. Toshinori kills Hirono Shimizu. Afterwards Kazuo Kiriyama, whom Toshinori states he despises, because he engaged in vulgar activities with his gang, shoots Toshinori. Although the bullet proof vest prevents Toshinori's death, in the end Kiriyama kills him. In the novel Kiriyama shoots into Toshinori's helmet, while in the manga Kiriyama shoots Toshinori in the groin, with Toshinori dying of blood loss.

In the novel, movie, and manga, Toshinori initially escapes death with the bullet proof vest by faking his death after being shot by Kiriyama, but dies in the film when Kiriyama brandishes a wakizashi and beheads him; Kiriyama then picks up the head, places a hand grenade inside Toshinori's mouth and throws it into Shogo's hideout.

Yoshitoki Kuninobu
Boy #7 Yoshitoki Kuninobu (国信慶時) is Shuya's best friend. He is cheerful and does not lose his temper easily. In the Japanese version, he's the only character aside from Noriko who calls Shuya by his first name. He is killed by Kamon/Sakamochi/Kitano before the game begins.
 * Assigned weapon: None

In the novel and manga, after the teacher reveals that he has raped Yoshitoki's guardian (orphanage overseer), Yoshitoki expresses his hatred for the teacher. Showing hatred for a government official is illegal, so the teacher shoots Yoshitoki in the mouth, which spirals through his head, killing him.

In the film, Yoshitoki had stabbed Kitano in the buttocks at school, leading to Kitano's resignation.

When the children appear for the program, after Kitano kills Fumiyo and Noriko is shot in the chaos, Yoshitoki attacks Kitano. In revenge, Kitano slashes Yoshitoki's buttocks. After Yoshitoki argues and fights with Kyoichi Motobuchi, Kitano detonates Yoshitoki's collar.

Yoji Kuramoto
Boy #8 Yoji Kuramoto (倉元洋二) is a quiet boy in a relationship with Yoshimi Yahagi. In the manga, they first met at a cinema.
 * Assigned weapon: Dagger (novel); Box Cutter (manga); Rope (film)

In the novel and manga, during the program they have a dispute (Yoji claiming he never loved her) and then reconcile, only to both be killed shortly thereafter by Mitsuko. In the film the two commit suicide by hanging.

Hiroshi Kuronaga
In the novel and manga, Boy #9 Hiroshi Kuronaga (黒長博) is a member of Kiriyama's street gang. After being told by Kiriyama to meet with the other gang members at a certain point on the island, he, along with the other gang members, is killed by Kiriyama. He is a small plump boy with tiny glasses.
 * Assigned weapon: Unspecified in novel and manga; Knife (film)

In the film, he is in a group of students who bully Kiriyama; he dies with the rest of the group.

Ryuhei Sasagawa
In the novel and manga, Boy #10 Ryuhei Sasagawa (笹川竜平) is a member of Kiriyama's street gang with long hair. After being told told by Kiriyama to meet with the other gang members at a certain point on the island, he, along with the other gang members, is killed by Kiriyama.
 * Assigned weapon: Ingram MAC-10 (novel); Unspecified in manga; Uzi submachine gun (film)

In the film, he is in a group of students who bully Kiriyama; he dies with the rest of the group.

Yutaka Seto
Boy #12 Yutaka Seto (瀬戸豊), the class clown and the shortest boy, allies with Shinji Mimura and helps him gather the materials for the bomb plan. In the film Keita Iijima is also part of his group.
 * Assigned weapon: Fork (novel, manga, and film)

In the novel, Yutaka has a crush on Izumi Kanai. In the manga, because the teacher killed Fumiyo Fujiyoshi, his crush, he feels especially motivated to help Shinji. In all versions he is killed by Kazuo Kiryama.

Yuichiro Takiguchi
Boy #13 Yuichiro Takiguchi (滝口優一郎), an otaku, is very naïve and a bit too friendly. He hides with his friend Tadakatsu and has a crush on Mitsuko.
 * Assigned weapon: Aluminum baseball bat (novel); S&W Model 19 (manga); Machete (film)

In the novel and manga, when Mitsuko attempts to kill Tadakatsu, they capture her. Yuichiro sympathizes with Mitsuko, going as far as to take a bullet meant for her. Mitsuko, shocked by his genuine kindness, shows him more compassion then any other, holding his body and even giving him a genuine kiss. While in the manga, Mitsuko rapes an injured Yuichiro, hysterically believing it to stop his pain, when he screams at her to stop she drives her scythe into his throat just as he reaches climax.

In the film, he and Tadakatsu are seen nude, stabbed to death while Mitsuko, putting on her clothes, leaves the area, implying that she seduced them to lower their guard and striked when they were most oblivious.

Shou Tsukioka
Boy #14 Shou Tsukioka (月岡彰) is the sole homosexual in the class.
 * Assigned weapon: Deringer (novel and manga); Nunchaku (film)

In the novel and manga, he is member of Kiriyama's street gang. His father owns a gay bar and he often entertains in it. He views himself as if he is a woman inside, and is incredibly narcissistic. He also has a crush of some sort on Kiriyama, and refers to fellow boys and Kiriyama with strange nicknames. After he witnesses Kiriyama killing off the other members of the street gang, Shou, being skilled at stealth, devises a plan to follow Kiriyama around until Kiriyama kills everyone off, then killing Kiriyama, thus becoming the winner. However, Kiriyama realizes that Shou is stalking him, and tricks Shou into lingering in a Forbidden Zone by leading him into a zone with a bathroom. Kiriyama then entered the small stall, making Shou believe that he was urinating. After the dripping noise goes for about 5 minutes, Shou finally decides to look up. A breeze opens the door to the toilet, and Shou notices that Kiriyama had impaled a water bottle, and put it over the toilet, creating a false peeing sound. Shou then turned to see Kiriyama walking far away and before he can do anything, his collar explodes (snapping off Shou's head in the manga), killing him instantly.

In the film, he is one of a group of students who bully Kiriyama; he dies with the group.

Kazushi Niida
Boy #16 Kazushi Niida (新井田和志) is a sleazy, awkward boy.
 * Assigned weapon: Shamisen (novel and manga); Coathanger (film)

In the novel he is a member of the soccer (football) team. Kazushi kills Yoshio after finding him unconscious, and then comes upon Takako Chigusa. In the manga, aside from desiring to rape Takako Chigusa, he attempts to shoot her when she runs from him. A vicious fight ensues, and ends with Kazushi being impaled with one of his own arrows. In the novel, Takako gouges out Kazushi's eyes, crushes his genitals, and viciously stomps on his throat before thrusting an ice pick into his mouth. In the film, he tries to coerce Takako with his arrow and accidentally fires it, scraping and scarring her flawless face, making her angry and frustrated with his behavior. After a final argument, she retaliates and repeatedly stabs him in the genitals, resulting in his death.

Mitsuru Numai
In the novel and manga, Boy #17 Mitsuru Numai (沼井充) is Kiriyama's loyal second-in-command in the street gang. He was a harsh classmate, After Kiriyama tells the gang to meet at a certain point on the island, Mitsuru happens upon the dead bodies of his fellow gang members (along with Izumi, an innocent bystander). He is killed shortly thereafter.
 * Assigned weapon: Walther PPK (novel); Walther P99 (manga); Colt Python (film)

In the film he is the leader of the students who bully Kiriyama; he dies with the group.

Tadakatsu Hatagami
Boy #18 Tadakatsu Hatagami (旗上忠勝) is a tall, athletic boy who is friends with Yuichiro. The two hide together.
 * Assigned weapon: S&W M19 (novel); Aluminum baseball bat (manga and film)

In the novel, Tadakatsu played on the baseball team. Shuya was Tadakatsu's friend. The two stopped seeing each other after Shuya quit baseball and began playing the guitar, which was highly discouraged in the Greater Republic of East Asia. Tadakatsu's mother had an "uptight" attitude against guitar playing.

In the novel and manga, he captures Mitsuko after she attacks them. After Yuichiro releases Mitsuko, she seduces Tadakatsu in an attempt to kill him. After she attacks him, Tadakatsu chases her with his gun, and accidentally shoots Yuichiro when he jumps in front of her. While Tadakatsu is distracted by this, Mitsuko throws her kama into his shoulder. In the novel she then smashes his head with his bat, killing him. In the manga the kama also hits his eye, and head, causing his death.

In the film, he and Yuichiro are seen stabbed dead and nude in an area while Mitsuko is leaving.

Kyoichi Motobuchi
Boy #20 Kyoichi Motobuchi (元渕恭一) is an intelligent but stuck-up student. He is the class representative and the son of a government official, which made him mistakenly think that he could not be selected for a Battle Royale because of his father's station. When he was selected for the Program, he cried that there must be a mistake, to which the teacher talked about equality, and that Kyoichi is no different than anyone else. Driven insane by his desire to live and to please his father, Kyoichi attacks Shuya, but is soon shot by Kawada at close range.
 * Assigned weapon: S&W Model 60 (novel and manga); S&W Model 19 (film)

Kazuhiko Yamamoto
Boy #21 Kazuhiko Yamamoto (山本和彦) is Sakura's long-term boyfriend. The novel describes Kazuhiko and Sakura as "the most intimate couple in the class."
 * Assigned weapon: Colt Python (novel and manga); Headband (film)

The two decide to kill themselves by jumping off a cliff. In the novel and manga, the two jump when they hear a person approaching; the person approaching is revealed to be Yukie, who only wants to help them, and is upset at seeing them die.

Masayuki Taguchi, creator of the manga version, felt that he fully grasped how to portray the suicide of Sakura and Kazuhiko.

Mizuho Inada
Girl #1 Mizuho Inada (稲田瑞穂) spends most of her time living in a fantasy world, thinking of herself as a beautiful warrior. On the island, her mind breaks down and she begins to actually believe in the fantasy. She is best friends with Kaori Minami and Megumi Eto. Toshinori Oda referred to the three girls as "daydreamers".
 * Assigned weapon: Double-bladed knife (novel); .44 Auto Mag pistol (manga); Kitchen knife (film)

In the novel, while believing she is an enlightened warrior, she creeps behind Kazuo in an attempt to stab him; he shoots her in the head without even looking backwards.

In the manga, she attacks Shuya, who tries to persuade her to join them to escape the island, but due to her damaged mentality, she keeps shooting at him until her gun runs out of bullets. At this point, Shuya finally gives up as Mizuho changes the cartridge, and Shuya escapes. After that, she succumbs to her delusional world, and believes it to be a reality. She creates an overly elaborate shrine to her fictitious god, believing that it would save her from any harm, and Kiriyama kills her while she is worshiping there. In the novel Mizuho is the last girl to die.

In the film she and Kaori join forces; they are later seen stabbed to death next to a life preserver. The two had killed one another.

Yukie Utsumi
Girl #2 Yukie Utsumi (内海幸枝) is an intelligent, caring girl. She is best friends with Haruka. In the novel she is a member of a non-distinct group of girls referred to by the novel as "the neutrals."
 * Assigned weapon: Browning Hi-Power (novel and manga); S&W Model 357 (film)

During the game, she gathers Haruka and several other girls and hides in an abandoned lighthouse. Hiroki delivers Shuya and brings him in. Yukie admits that she is in love with him. Another girl, Yuko Sakaki, is suspicious of Shuya (she witnessed Oki's accidental death and assumed Shuya meant to kill him). Yuko decides to poison his food, but the food meant for him is instead eaten by Yuka Nakagawa, who quickly dies. The girls quickly turn on each other. In the novel and manga, Yukie is gunned down by Satomi when she fires a warning shot. Yukie is the thirtieth to die.

In the film she is shot by Satomi and in return kills Satomi; she dies shortly afterwards.

Megumi Eto
Megumi Eto (江藤惠) is Girl #3.
 * Assigned weapon: Diving knife (novel and manga); Stun gun (film)

Megumi Eto is a shy girl who is close friends with Noriko Nakagawa. In the novel and manga, she hides in an abandoned house. She tries to use her cellular phone to call her parents, but the teacher answers instead.

In the novel, Megumi ends the call and hears Mitsuko enter the house. Sakamochi, the teacher, calls again, alerting Mitsuko to Megumi's presence. In the manga, Megumi crushes her phone with her hand, and after hearing someone break into the house, becomes frightened. Wishing the person to be one of her friends, her luck fails as Mitsuko discovers the phone.

In the novel and manga, Mitsuko tells Megumi that she is scared, as well, and wants to team up with her. Megumi believes her, but Mitsuko instead slits her throat, revealing that she had been lying the whole time. Megumi is the fifth student to die in the manga.

In the film Megumi, a photographer, has a crush on Mimura and is Noriko's best friend. Megumi takes refuge inside an abandoned house when Mitsuko enters the house and intimidates Megumi. Mitsuko compares their weapons and takes Megumi's stun gun. When she seems to be handing the stun gun back to Megumi, Mitsuko begins to attack her. Mitsuko corners Megumi and places the kama next to her throat before slitting the throat.

Megumi is often bullied (especially by Hirono Shimizu). In the film, after Megumi is killed and Hirono confronts Mitsuko, Hirono defends Megumi as well as her friend Yoshimi.

Sakura Ogawa
Girl #4 Sakura Ogawa (小川さくら) is one of the most attractive girls in the class, and Kazuhiko's long-term girlfriend. The novel describes Sakura and Kazuhiko as "the most intimate couple in the class."
 * Assigned weapon: Unspecified in novel, manga, and film (where she refuses to take a survival pack, opting to throw it back at Kitano instead).

She and Kazuhiko meet on the island and decide to kill themselves by jumping off a cliff.

In the novel, Yukie witnesses their deaths, and is very upset.

Masayuki Taguchi, creator of the manga version, felt that he fully grasped how to portray the suicide of Sakura and Kazuhiko.

Izumi Kanai
Girl #5 Izumi Kanai (金井泉) is a student.
 * Assigned weapon: Unspecified in novel and manga; Hand grenades (film)

In the novel, Izumi is a girl who is part of a non-distinct group of girls referred to by the novel as "the neutrals." Izumi's father is a town representative. The novel describes her as a "preppy."

In the novel and the Japanese version of the manga, Izumi happens to be in the area where the "Kiriyama Family" meets. Kiriyama is uncertain as to fight the teacher or kill them all, so he flips a coin to decide. He then kills them all. In the novel she happens to be in the area. In the English manga Ryuhei and Hiroshi capture Izumi and bring her to be raped.

In the film she is with a group of students who bully Kiriyama; she is the last of the group to be killed.

Yukiko Kitano
Girl #6 Yukiko Kitano (北野雪子) is a feminine, domesticated girl who likes to bake cakes for her best friend Yumiko. She has a crush on Shuya. On the island, she and Yumiko decide to use Yumiko's megaphone to call the other students and discuss things as a group. However, this attracts the attention of Kazuo Kiriyama, who quickly kills both of them.
 * Assigned weapon: Darts and dartboard (novel and manga); Megaphone (film and manga)

Yumiko Kusaka
Girl #7 Yumiko Kusaka (日下友美子) is an athletic tomboy and Yukiko's best friend. She has a crush on Shuya, but does not want to admit it to Yukiko, since Yukiko likes him, too. On the island, she and Yukiko decide to use her megaphone to call the other students and discuss things as a group. However, this attracts the attention of Kazuo Kiriyama, who quickly dispatches both of them.
 * Assigned weapon: Hand grenades x2 (novel and manga); Shirasaya katana (film)

Kayoko Kotohiki
Girl #8 Kayoko Kotohiki (琴彈加代子) is a playful, energetic girl who is a member of a tea ceremony class. She is unaware that Hiroki has a crush on her. She hides during most of the game, avoiding confrontation, until Hiroki finds her.
 * Assigned weapon: S&W Model 59 (novel); S&W Model 19 (manga); Glock 17 with stainless slide (film)

In the novel and film, the frightened Kayoko shoots Sugimura, who tells her that he loves her as he dies. Afterwards Mitsuko kills Kayoko.

In the manga, the two travel together, but are killed off by Kiriyama after Sugimura admits his love for her.

Yuko Sakaki
Girl #9 Yuko Sakaki (榊祐子) is a troubled girl with big ears, who witnesses Oki's accidental death and blames Shuya for it. Later, she joins up with several other girls and hides in an abandoned lighthouse. When the girls find Shuya and bring him in, she poisons his food. The food, however, is instead eaten by Yuka Nakagawa, who quickly dies. The girls soon turn on each other and kill each other in a violent gun fight. Yuko survives this confrontation.
 * Assigned weapon: Telescoping spring baton and Potassium cyanide (novel); cyanide (manga and film)

In the manga, its been clear that Yuko has an extremely high paranoia level (Shuya pointed out that she was crying when everyone awakened on the island). After witnessing two boys in Class 3-B fight, she refused to go to school for a while, and locked herself in her room. Her mother, Kaori Sakaki (榊かおり), and father, Souichiro Sakaki (榊宗一郎), try to comfort her, but she closes her door on her father's fingers and realizes that anyone could be violent. In the English-language adaptation of the manga, she is a pious Christian, and sometimes saw a psychiatrist named Dr. Chiodo and a pastor named Pastor Min.

In the novel and manga, Yuko runs from Shuya. When she gets to the top of the lighthouse, her foot slips, and she falls. Shuya catches her and tries to pull her up, despite his severe injuries. Yuko realizes that Shuya is responsible for saving her life, even though he suffers agonizing pain, and this leads her to realise that he is good after all; her friends died in vain. Yuko pries her hand free from the bars, and falls to her death. Yuko dies thirty-third in the manga.

In the film, Yuko hears Shuya struggling with the door after he hears loud noises. Yuko opens the door and realises she was responsible for her friends' deaths, and then proceeds to commit suicide by jumping off the lighthouse.

Hirono Shimizu
Girl #10 Hirono Shimizu (清水比呂乃) is a rebellious girl.
 * Assigned weapon: S&W Model 10 (novel and manga); M1911 pistol (film)

In the manga and novel, she is a girl with spiked hair who has been involved with prostitution and drugs. On the island, she is attacked by Kaori Minami, which is briefly stopped by Shuya. However, Hirono was not a bad person, she merely had a negative reputation.

In the novel, she shoots Kaori and runs away. In the manga, she expresses interest in his offer, but runs away after Kaori shoots her in the shoulder.

In the novel and manga, Hirono uses her entire water supply to treat her wounds. However, she suffers from septicemia, and becomes severely dehydrated. When she tries to get water from a well, she is attacked by Toshinori Oda. She shoots him and leaves him for dead. However, it is soon revealed that he is wearing a bulletproof vest, and gets up to attack her again. In the novel he strangles Hirono with a belt. In the manga Toshinori pushes Hirono her down the well, where she drowns during a final dream in which she climbs out, her dehydration gone, and finds Shuya and company who deactivate and remove her collar and tell her there is a way to escape the game. Her body is later discovered by Hiroki who mourns her.

In the film, Hirono confronts Mitsuko. Hirono accuses Mitsuko of killing Megumi, Yoshimi, and Yoji, pimping Yoshimi, and stealing Hirono's boyfriend while Mitsuko had sexual intercourse with other men. Mitsuko uses her stun gun to take Hirono's gun; once Mitsuko takes Hirono's gun, she shoots Hirono in the back as Hirono runs away.

Haruka Tanizawa
Girl #12 Haruka Tanizawa (谷沢はるか) is Yukie's best friend. The novel describes Haruka, a member of a non-distinct group of girls referred to by the novel as "the neutrals," as "exceptionally tall."
 * Assigned weapon: Unspecified in novel; Stun baton (manga); Browning Hi-Power (film)

She hides with Yukie and several other girls in an abandoned lighthouse. However, soon they turn against each other, and kill each other in a violent gun fight. Haruka does not participate until Satomi kills Yukie, and is shot several times in the side when grabbing her friend's gun. She finishes Satomi off by shooting her in the eye, while she herself lay dying. Haruka dies thirty-second. In the film Haruka does not kill Satomi.

Takako Chigusa
Girl #13 Takako Chigusa (千草貴子) is an athletic girl (the fastest sprinter on the track team) and the second prettiest in the class (next to Mitsuko Souma). Takako is described as a little severe-looking with upward-curved eyes, a sharp chin, and a well-defined nose. She is very close with Hiroki Sugimura, her only friend in the class. On the island, she is approached by Kazushi Niida, a boy she despises because of his immaturity. When she refuses to team up with him, he threatens to rape her and attacks her. She gouges out his eyes and crushes his penis and scrotum, finally killing him with her issued ice pick. Takako then notices Mitsuko standing nearby and talks with her for a short time before Mitsuko shoots her and leaves her for dead. Mortally wounded, she is found by Hiroki a while later. She tells he has become "quite a stud." He compliments her back but before she can thank him, she dies in his arms. Takako is played by Chiaki Kuriyama in the film.
 * Assigned weapon: Ice pick (novel and manga); Jackknife (film)

Mayumi Tendo
Girl #14 Mayumi Tendo (天堂真弓) is an attractive girl who is friends with Izumi Kanai and Yuki's gang. She is quickly killed by Yoshio as she exits the school. Perched on the roof, he shoots her dead. In the novel she gets an arrow to the back, while in the manga she receives an arrow through the head. In both the manga and novel Mayumi's corpse is the first object encountered by Shuya outside of the school. In the film Mayumi receives an arrow through her neck and dies shortly after she asks Shuya about the arrow.
 * Assigned weapon: Nunchaku (novel and manga); Boxing gloves (film)

Yuka Nakagawa
Girl #16 Yuka Nakagawa (中川有香) is a chubby, cheerful girl who hides in an abandoned lighthouse with Yukie Utsumi, Haruka Tanizawa, Chisato Matsui, Yuko Sakaki and Satomi Noda. They then find Hiroki holding Shuya, who is injured.They take in Shuya and prepare a stew. Yuko, however, thinks Shuya intentionally killed Tatsumichi Oki, even though it was an accident. While Yuko is preparing soup for Shuya, she slips potassium cyanide into it. Yuka says that she will have a taste of the soup, and eats the poisoned food meant for Shuya, causing her to die. This sparks a gunfight between the girls in the lighthouse. Although Yuka has the same surname as Noriko, the two have no relation to one another as "Nakagawa" is a very common last name in Japan
 * Assigned weapon: CZ 75 (novel); Luger P08 pistol (manga); Micro-uzi (film)

Satomi Noda
Girl #17 Satomi Noda (野田聡美) is a model student. Satomi wears wire-rimmed glasses which the novel says fits her "calm, intelligent face."
 * Assigned weapon: Uzi submachine gun (novel and manga); Remington 870 (film)

Satomi was one of the girls who joins Yukie Utsumi and her group at the lighthouse. Her designated weapon was a Uzi submachine gun in all versions, which she uses to kill all of her friends. As soon as she left the school Satomi joined the group of girls that Yukie Utsumi put together. In the film, Satomi moans about only living until the next day. Yukie comforts her, telling her that she will find a way out of the scenario.

After Yuko Sakaki tries to poison Shuya Nanahara, but accidentally kills Yuka Nakagawa, the girls suspect each other, thinking that one of themselves is the murderer. Satomi realizes she should kill her friends since she has the chance to and win the program. She was the first one to become panicked enough to grab her gun and points it at her friends. Satomi kills Chisato Matsui, Yukie Utsumi, and Haruka Tanizawa in all versions but the details vary.

In the novel and manga, Satomi shoots Chisato first after she goes for Yuka's gun. Satomi claims afterwards that Chisato was guilty of poisoning Yuka and that Chisato's murder was in self-defence. Yukie rejects this, saying that Satomi killed Chisato because she just wanted to. Satomi gets ready to shoot Haruka because Haruka told Yukie to kill her. While Satomi's back is turned, Yukie points her gun at Satomi, and hesitates because she only wants to disarm her. This gives Satomi the chance to turn around and kill Yukie. Haruka dives for Yukie's gun but Satomi shoots her too. Thinking that Haruka is dead, Satomi turns to Yuko, the last girl standing. In the manga she encourages Yuko to join her, and that she will protect her. In the novel she also says that Yuko is 'different'. Haruka then uses the last of her energy to shoot Satomi in the head, killing her. In the novel, Satomi's Uzi goes off as she falls, almost tearing off Haruka's neck.

In the film, Satomi shoots Chisato dead, then ends up in a gunfight with Yukie and Haruka. Satomi successfully kills Haruka and mortally wounds Yukie, but sustains injuries herself. As in the other versions, Satomi speaks her last words, of mercy, to Yuko. However in the film Yukie shoots Satomi dead before dying herself, not Haruka.

Fumiyo Fujiyoshi
Girl #18 Fumiyo Fujiyoshi (藤吉文世) is the quiet, caring nurse's aid. She is caught whispering during the presentation, and Kamon throws a knife into her forehead. In the novel and manga, she is the second student to be killed, while she is the first to die in the film. She is good friends with Yukie Utsumi. Yutaka has a crush on her, and named Shinji's plan "Fumiyo's Revenge".
 * Assigned weapon: None

Chisato Matsui
Girl #19 Chisato Matsui (松井知里) is one of the class of third-year students at Shiroiwa Junior High School in Shiroiwa, Kagawa Prefecture. The novel describes Chisato, a member of a non-distinct group of girls referred to by the novel as "the neutrals," as "always quiet and withdrawn." Chisato is a petite girl with long hair. She had a crush on Shinji Mimura and in the Manga, she and Yuka were apparently "Boy crazy".
 * Assigned weapon: Unspecified in novel; Luger 9mm (manga); Walther PPK (film)

Chisato was one of the girls who teamed up with Yukie Utsumi and the others at the lighthouse. She cooked the meal, along with Haruka Tanizawa, which made the others suspicious of her when Yuka Nakagawa was poisoned. When the girls all became paranoid and panicked, Satomi Noda grabbed the uzi, and when Chisato moved to get Yuka's gun, Satomi shot her three times in the back. In the film, she also accuses Yukie of poisoning the meal in order to run off with Shuya Nanahara alone before grabbing a gun.

Kaori Minami
Girl #20 Kaori Minami (南佳織) is a fan of various pop idols, especially of Junya Kenzaki. She is friends with Megumi and Mizuho, although Mizuho's fantasy games annoy her. On the island, Kaori loses her sanity after killing a cat, and she gets into a gun fight with Hirono. After trying to kill Shuya, Shogo kills her by shooting her in the head with his shotgun. In the novel, Kaori is distracted by Shuya during her gunfight with Hirono, allowing Hirono to shoot her in the head.
 * Assigned weapon: SIG P230 (novel); SIG P226 (manga); Pickaxe (film)

In some of the flashbacks in the manga, she is constantly bullied by Mitsuko's gang; gang members usually steal her money. Other students label her "pizza face" to insult her due to her acne problem that she was sensitive to; during the program she goes insane because of this and often chants out the sentence, "No more pizza face!".

In the film, she and Mizuho Inada join together, but are later seen stabbed to death next to a life preserver. The two killed each other.

Yoshimi Yahagi
Girl #21 Yoshimi Yahagi (矢作好美) is a rebellious girl with wavy, long hair and is in a relationship with Yoji Kuramoto, whom she met while watching a movie.
 * Assigned weapon: Colt Python (novel); M1911 pistol (manga); Plastic hammer (film)

Yoshimi Yahagi is one of the class of third-year students at the fictional Shiroiwa Junior High School. She was a member of the gang headed by Mitsuko Souma, along with Hirono Shimizu. Yoshimi used to regularly steal from and torment her classmates. She often singled Kaori Minami out of the girls. Yoshimi is described in the novel as one of the more urban girls in Shiroiwa; she never saw a sickle before in her life.

In the novel and manga, Yoshimi is thrilled when she manages to meet up with Yoji, but is shocked when he attacks her. They talk briefly, and Yoji starts to realize that he could not kill Yoshimi because he loves her. Before they could do anything, Mitsuko appears and kills Yoji; in the novel, Mitsuko stabs Yoji's head with her sickle, while in the manga, she picks up Yoshimi's gun and shoots him through the head. Afterward, Yoshimi is then killed when Mitsuko shoots her in the eye.

In the film version, Yoshimi and Yoji hang themselves rather than participate in the Program.

Masayuki Taguchi, creator of the manga version, did not model his version of Yoshimi after any particular person. Taguchi said that he listened to many women and felt that they had a "unique outlook on life." Koushun Takami, author of the original Battle Royale novel, liked how Taguchi expanded Yoshimi's backstory. Takami described the manga version of the meeting between Yoshimi and Yoji as "standing strongly on its own."

Kinpatsu Sakamochi
In the novel version Kinpatsu Sakamochi (坂持金発) is a government employee who is the administrator of the current Battle Royale program. He briefs the students on the rules of Battle Royale. He is a vile and sadistic man, as he kills two students because they annoy him. In the end, he was killed by Shogo Kawada.

Yonemi Kamon
In the manga version, Yonemi Kamon (嘉門米美) is a government employee who is the administrator of the current Battle Royale program. He briefs the students on the rules of Battle Royale. He is a vile and sadistic man, as he kills two students because they annoy him, and then orders the rest of the class to write lines, each stating that they will kill a certain student's name, all the while making making cruel and sick jokes. He is also overtly lecherous. He also claims to have killed parents who objected to their children's placement in the program, as well as having raped Yoshitoki's guardian. Kamon himself bet 20,000 yen on Kazuo Kiriyama as the winner. When Yonemi tries to kill the winner, Shogo, for breaking the rules and saving Shuya and Noriko, Shogo stabs Yonemi in the neck with a pencil, killing him.

Kitano
In the film version, Kitano (キタノ) is the head instructor of the program.

He leaves his initial job at Shiroiwa Junior High School after Yoshitoki stabs him. Kitano returns as the instructor of the Battle Royale program and kills both Fumiyo and Yoshitoki.

Kitano seems to have some sort of affection for Noriko, whom he considers a respectful student much unlike the rest of her class. At one point in the movie, he saves her life from Mitsuko Souma by scaring Mitsuko. Afterwards, he then gives her his umbrella telling her "not to catch a cold". After Shogo Kawada is declared the winner, Kitano orders the military to leave the island and to not bother to check for the bodies of Shuya Nanahara and Noriko. When Shogo arrives to meet Kitano, Kitano reveals that he knew Shogo had deactivated Shuya's and Noriko's collars and then threatens to kill him. Shuya and Noriko both burst into the classroom in time. Kitano then reveals a painting he had created with all the other students dead, and Noriko triumphant. He tells her that he wishes to die, and he would prefer to die with her. He then threatens the trio with a gun once more and orders them to shoot him, or he would shoot them. Shuya promptly shoots him with a machine gun; Kitano rises and fires his gun (which turns out to be a harmless water gun). Shocked by the fake gun, Shuya accidentally lets loose another volley and Kitano falls down. Kitano rises again once more to answer his cell phone. After hanging up angrily on his daughter, tossing the phone to the floor, shooting it with a real gun and then eating the last of Noriko's cookies (complimenting the cookies while doing so) Kitano dies.

Keiko Onuki
Keiko Onuki (大貫慶子) is Shogo Kawada's girlfriend from his previous school in Kobe; Keiko was in Shogo's class when the two were in a Battle Royale.

In the novel, Shogo loses track of Keiko; Shogo believes that Keiko felt afraid of him. Shogo later discovered Keiko dead. In the manga, Shogo and Keiko meet. When Keiko seemingly points her gun towards Shogo, Shogo kills her; he later discovered that Keiko had aimed at a person behind him. In the film, Shogo and Keiko are the last two in the game. The injured players notice that their collars are about to explode. Keiko shoots Shogo to entice him to shoot her fatally; before Keiko dies she smiles and says arigatou (Thank you). Shogo, the survivor of that game, wonders why Keiko smiled at that point.

Ryoko Anno
Ryoko Anno (安野良子) is the superintendent of the Charity House, a Roman Catholic orphanage. She acts as guardian to Yoshitoki and Shuya. In the manga and novel, the teacher (Sakamochi in the novel, Yonemi in the manga) says that he raped her when she objected to her charges being selected for the program.

Masao Hayashida
Masao Hayashida (林田昌朗) is the teacher of Class 3-B at Shiroiwa Junior High School. He is executed when he pleads for the lives of the 3-B students. In the novel and manga, Kamon/Sakamochi shows Hayashida's decaying corpse to the whole class as an example to what happens to people who defy the Program. He is nicknamed "Dragonfly" because of his glasses.

Tahara, Nomura, and Kondo
Privates Toshihiko Tahara (田原俊彦), Nomura (野村), and Kondo (近藤) are, in the novel version, soldiers enforcing the Program. Tahara, described as "the frivolous one," shoots Noriko in the leg. The soldiers are killed by Shuya and Shogo in the end. They are named after characters in Kinpachi Sensei.

Mai
In the film version Mai (FR) is the smiling girl who survived the previous program. She appears in the sequel, Battle Royale II.

Kazumi Shintani
In the novel, Shuya has confessed to and been rejected by Kazumi, a tall, plump girl in his music club. She is older than him, and plays the saxophone.