You got some interesting thoughts on Komaeda in chapter 5. I honestly think he made his plan without knowing the identity of the traitor, but wishing a little that it would be Hinata so he could survive. It would mean Hinata would have nothing to do with the SHSL despair, and I think he wished it could be true. However the fact that his plan failed is definitely bad luck on his part I think, with the fact that the traitor gets executed. [1/2]
The good luck that follows is probably the SHSL despair turning away from their past and trying to build a new future. Imagine though, how confused Komaeda would be when he wakes up from his coma, clueless on if this is good or bad luck, or if he deserves to live again, or wants to, or if he’s glad his classmates are shining so much with hope or if he doesn’t believe they can have any hope anymore. Imagine post game Komaeda.
When I said that it was actually “good luck”, I did mean that in the long run it turned out to be much, much closer to what Komaeda had wished for than if his plan had succeeded (in which case the traitor would have “graduated” and Junko would’ve taken over everyone else and despair would have quite literally ruled the world). The failure itself would of course initially be perceived as “bad luck”, you’re right about that.
As for post game Komaeda - heh. I’ve been thinking about that for the past two hours or so. I mean… Hinata appears to remember the events of the game in the end, and the fact that the survivors all decide to stay behind indicates that the others do too, but seeing as they weren’t actually supposed to remember after the shut-down, I can only assume it has something to do with that third option Hinata found (one where only the virtual environment would be reset and not they themselves, as they are “not part of a game”).
However, that means it may have only worked for the survivors who were present, since the others were comatose - almost braindead - from the moment they died. They might not have that same “faith” that Hinata found. Therefore I’m not sure Komaeda would even remember any of it, meaning he would essentially be reverted to his #TeamDespair self, not his #TeamHope one. If that is the case, well… I’m not sure I want to imagine how that would go if he wakes up?
The alternative though would be equally… difficult. At least at first. After all, Komaeda would be faced with a situation in which “hope” was not the right answer. In which people accomplished greatness by discarding their value as “symbols of hope”. In which the penguin learned to fly, so to speak.(…and in which he has no idea wtf happened to his hand)This could either lead him to an epiphany, much the same one Hinata himself had - they are similar after all - or make him just reject everything completely.
Personally, I’d like to believe that Komaeda would find a pathway through his principles, as the bit of character growth he did get in the game was how he accidentally begins to uncover his beating human heart, free of fixed world views. I would like to think that he could continue on that path, if he ever does wake up before he dies.(What I’d also like to believe is that through some insane, lucky, you-had-one-job-reality glitch, the shut-down somehow cures his dementia? Then his lymphoma gets treated and there you have it - long live(s) Komaeda! ^^ )
Hope this answer wasn’t too long x3
