Hope's Peak Academy

Overview

Hope's Peak Academy is an exclusive, government-sanctioned school accepting only students with exceptional abilities. Unlike other schools, it does not hold an entrance exam. Instead, the schools staff scout the world for students they think are the best in their field. Many students from other schools dream of attending Hope's Peak Academy, as simply being a graduate is enough to ensure you get employed in high positions in every field of the professional world.

The school itself is large, with 5 floors, and its own dormitories for both students and staff. The school also contains a basement that is used for trash. The school is equipped with top of the line facilities, such as two chemistry labs, a biology lab, an indoor greenhouse.

While it has been known as "The World's Hope," events at Hope's Peak Academy lead to the worldwide event known simply as "The Tragedy", an event which would change the world forever.

The Tragedy at Hope's Peak

Due to it's strict rules about accepting students, and the cost of research that would be conducted at Hope's Peak, the academy would soon face a financial situation. In an attempt to raise more money, It was decided that Hope's Peak would allow normal students without talent to attend the academy for a ridiculously high fee, which would be used to fund the schools research continue the search for the worlds best students.

This did not go as well as planned however. These normal students, even after paying the high fee's and passing the strict entrance exams would be treated as nothing more than trash by both the staff and the ultimate students. Both student bodies were separated at all times, with the normal students having their own classes and teachers. The academies staff would call these normal students the reserve course.

During this time, two sisters, who together, were secretly known as "The Ultimate Despair", plotted to spread despair throughout the school. They accomplished this by killing several members of the reserve course. The academy committee, along with the school's headmaster, Jin Kirigiri, had attempted to cover up the incident. However, unknown to them, the killings were actually broadcasted to the reserve course. This caused immense anger among the reserve course students who were disgusted that, after paying large fees and treated like trash, would then be murdered by members of the ultimate students and be covered up by the staff.

This anger spread outside the walls of the school into the streets, which then lead to riots, protests, and deaths. Essentially, the Tragedy had transformed the world into a violent place, with nothing left but death and despair.

After The Tragedy

With the world slowly killing itself, Jin Kirigiri had no other choice but to shut down Hope's Peak Academy. However, Jin believed that the remaining students at the school would be worlds best and only hope of survival. It was decided that Hope's Peak would become a shelter to these students, protecting them from the dangers of the outside world. He interviewed the students, asking if they would agree to live within the school. 16 students agreed to this proposal, and immediately began work on reinforcing the school. Unknown to the headmaster however, two of the students who agreed to this proposal were the same students who caused the tragedy, the ultimate despair.

Using research that they conducted, these two students were able to wipe the memories of the other 14 students, causing them to forget everything that happened during the past two years. They then took control of Monokuma, and used him to execute Jin Kirigiri, and proclaim himself as headmaster. Jin would be the first of many executions to take place at Hope's Peak Academy.