Guest Profiles - Suzuhiko Otsuki
The last of the profiles with everyone’s....most controversial hitman - Suzuhiko Otsuki. It’s been writing these and I hope anyone whose interested liked knowing a bit more about DRT’s eccentric cast.
WARNING: Like the others spoilers will be spoken of frequently here. In addition, be warned this section contains mention of incest and sexual abuse.
Name:
Suzuhiko Otsuki
Who Are They? (Danganronpa-wise):
Suzuhiko Otsuki is the ex-Ultimate Hitman and serves as one of the trilogy’s recurring antagonists. Originally, he was the Togami Conglomerate’s hitman on standby, but once the World Domination Proclamation went underway he pretty much defected in order to be one of the Assassins trying to slay his old boss.
In volume one, Suzuhiko is introduced by Byakuya via phone call, with the heir wanting to send in a hit on the Imposter that impersonated Byakuya and caused the World Domination Proclamation. Something that noticeably results in Blue Ink crying, which Byakuya doesn’t see. During the call, Suzuhiko notes he had to sneak away from a ‘date’ in order to talk to him. Likewise, he refuses and cheerily announces he’ll be joining in the hunt against Byakuya.
However, the hitman himself wouldn’t reappear until the first volume’s end. In a way. On Detsky’s Island, which held the facility Blue Ink entered in order to retrieve Byakuya from the Hasaga Research Institute’s Chief and her subordinate, a small group of people in a jeep arrive. A ‘mole man’ (think a NEET), an injured idol Satomi Aoba, and the three Mystr’y Research Society members.
Frustrated by the lack of success in treating Satomi, he ends up hitting Blue Ink with his car as she was running from the HRI (who she believed killed Byakuya). Moleman brutally began to beat up Ink and even destroyed her prosthetic arm. However, an injured Ink gains the upper hand following a kick to the groin. Strangling him with her remaining hand, she demanded to know his name. His response? Suzuhiko Otsuki.
Suzuhiko has Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), something he used in his hitjobs by getting closer to his targets by use of his alters…and then switching back to murder them. Once Moleman reverted to Suzuhiko, the hitman went on a rampage, killing the MRS and the HRI higher-ups, as well as the surrounding areas all via slicing everything in half. Satomi was only spared following intervention by Blue Ink, who was taken aback by the appearance of the hitman (who notes that his talent was essentially a ‘get out of jail’ free card for his appearance in the WDP, but clarifies that he was always in Prague, hiding himself until he could get close to Byakuya). It’s during this confrontation with Ink, where Suzuhiko was the one to give out her real name beyond her alias: Shinobu Togami, the older sister to Byakuya Togami, and his Suzuhiko’s little sister.
After Byakuya presents himself as being alive all along, having only faked his death to Chief and Kanai, Suzuhiko is eager to kill him and begins to approach the heir (who also begins to approach). However, before anything could happen, the island shakes and reveals itself to also be the headquarters of Despair High School.
In volume two, from the kidnapping of Ink and Bykauya’s pursuit to rescue his secretary, Suzuhiko disappears from the scene. However, Suzuhiko does play a role in the flashback to the Legacy Crown Championship, which took place in Toajo Castle, which resides on the Togami Conglomerate’s private island. It’s revealed that Suzuhiko is the child of Michiko Togami and Kijo Togami, and is the oldest of three siblings. These siblings are himself, Blue Ink (thus making him her full-blooded older brother) and Kazuya Togami (who was adopted). Of the sixteen participants of the Championship, Suzuhiko was one of the four to be ranked Silver.
Suzuhiko has a reclusive nature in this flashback, seeming content to stay in his windowless room to read. Even when the Championship murders happened, he didn’t come out. It was only on the seventh day when he regained contact with the others, but only because Suisei wanted to interrogate him by going into his room. During this process, Suzuhiko insulted Suisei, but warmed up to the detective by teasing each other about their professions. When asked about the murders, he merely replied to be wary of the ‘brat’ behind Suisei, which was either Kazuya (who was instructed by Suisei to show him to those that didn’t show up for questioning) or Polaris P. Polanski (his assistant). After they leave Suzuhiko, Kazuya would reveal how he came to be a Togami. It came about from Suzuhiko’s first hitjob which took place in Kazuya’s Kuchinashi village. But, Suzuhiko overdid his job and slaughtered everyone in the village by cutting them in half and then lighting the village on fire. It was only by luck a young 3 or 4 year old Kazuya survived the massacre, with him being found by Blue Ink (who Suzuhiko was forced to take with him) and then adopted by Michiko. The incident became known as the Kuchinashi Village Incident and was covered up immensely by the Togami Conglomerate. Two years prior to the Championship, Suzuhiko was kicked out of the house for a ‘petty incident’ (said incident being implied to be the abuse he did towards Ink).
On the eighth day, Suzuhiko willingly shows up to Suisei’s deductive reasoning to inform everyone that he only has one method of killing: his knives (utensils that were closely secured by a security system to prevent them from leaving the kitchen, thus meaning Suzuhiko couldn’t qualify to be the killer).. On the ninth day, he comes to his siblings' rescue against Jiro Togami’s rampage (who was manipulated by Takaya Togami into believing that everyone else had murdered his older brother, Ichiro). Thus, this allowed both of them to escape and he would meet up with them later in Ink’s room.
At this point, Kazuya had already confessed to being the killer to Ink (as he ‘loved’ his sister’s injured body), having pulled off the murders by use of his own ‘talent’ - a lightsaber he can summon. It’s during Kazuya’s motive reasoning where he brings up Yoru having heard Suzuhiko and Ink having a ‘passionate’ moment together (which, combined with Yoru’s insults, angered Kazuya so much he beheaded Yoru for it).
When Jiro enters the room, Kazuya pulls out said lightsaber to prepare to defend against Jiro, but Suzuhiko kills the karate master with a knife to the back. Kazuya, confident that with his power he can kill Suzuhiko and declares his intention of protecting Blue Ink. Suzuhiko mocks his light saber and warns him not to bother, pointing out they were supposed to be looking for Takaya (the one who killed Mitsuzo and set Jiro on a warpath).
Takaya shows himself with the intent to get Suzuhiko to join him, citing that both of them could create a new conglomerate that’ll create new wars and settle things with blood. However Suzuhiko isn’t interested since Takaya killed his family for his own gain. Takaya calls Suzuhiko out for his own harm against his family, referencing the hitman’s abuse towards Ink.
However, Suzuhiko believes what they have is ‘love’ and sees no problem with either being blood related since it happened so often in history. As such, Takaya is left disgusted and Kazuya (upon seeing some degree of confirmation on Ink’s face) becomes utterly shocked and creeped out given how he thought the situation was more one-sided, in Ink being just a victim (in his eyes).
Takaya then went to escape the room, declaring he’ll rule alone, and threw down the gasoline can he brought with him before setting it on fire with a match. As the others chase after him, it shows that Takaya set the castle on fire, forcing Michiko’s children to try to flee the castle. Ultimately, Kazuya is separated from his brother and sister by the flames, thus forcing both to leave them behind. During the escape, it is implied from Takaya’s charred, knife-filled body, Suzuhiko killed him on the way out and left his body to burn. After leaving the castle, Suzuhiko left Blue Ink behind before managing to leave the island, somehow. As a result, she was picked up by Polaris, who turned out to be Byakuya (who would take her in as his older sister and secretary). Suzuhiko would regain contact with the Conglomerate, even after his loss, and be on standby as their hitman (up until the World Domination Proclamation). However, it was later revealed that the events of the Championship flashback was merely a fabrication by the K2K system.
In volume 3, Suzuhiko returns by riding in a bus filled with gunpowder to crash into the battle between the United Nations (who have captured Byakuya and Blue Ink, amongst other Hope’s Peak students) and Hasegawa Research Institute (actually known as the Kasamori Drug Manufacturers, with the prior name only being unreality). Following the fiery crash, which he escaped by jumping out in time, the hitman cut down any survivors that weren’t Kazuya (who was leading the UN/WHO forces), Blue Ink or were in the train (the remaining HPA students). Of the casualties, this includes Taeko Kanai. Suzuhiko claims he wants to reconcile with Kazuya and Ink, but this leads into Kazuya pointing out how the other just destroys everything (which Suzuhiko playfully retorts right back at Kazuya) Ink, who was watching, wanted nothing to do with either brother for their actions. Just as Kazuya and Suzuhiko are about to fight, an incendiary bomb hits the area. This causes Kazuya’s PTSD concerning fires to come in full force, leaving him incapacitated in fear. Ink uses this chance to run off and manages to escape the scene thanks to the timely arrival of her friend Hiroyuki Ketoin in his car (even as Suzuhiko called out to her). During the chaos, the other arrested Hope’s Peak students use the chance to escape.
Offscreen, Suzuhiko reconciles with Kazuya by playing UNO and agrees to work with him following his loss, helping the UN to retrieve Blue Ink. Prior to Kasamori’s interference, Kazuya gave Ink a new prosthetic arm that had a tracker in it. The plan was to let Ink find Byakuya and then both would use the tracker to go get both the heir and secretary at once. In addition, Kazuya used his power as a WHO member to get Prague on lockdown. Ink would learn of their team-up when she snuck back into Prague, eventually witnessing both being together in a car ride together. By then, Ink was desperate to get back her master and knew she needed some sort of aid. Thus, getting out of hiding, she approached Suzuhiko (who was surprised she willingly showed herself) and asked him to become her ‘companion’.
Suzuhiko was enthusiastic by the idea and took her to a house, while also killing UN guards along the way. Getting her into a bedroom, Suzuhiko begins chewing on a bar of ‘chocolate’ while answering why he teamed up with Kazuya. Ink then tries to steer the conversation to both rescuing Byakuya, but by now Suzuhiko has begun to desire Ink herself. Ink tries to convince him to do something else, but he manages to get close to her, before putting his lips on her eyepatch (which she has been wearing since losing Borges). He then quicklys destroys Ink’s prosthetic hand, which held the tracker in it and informed Ink she was being monitored. This makes Ink wonder if Kazuya now knows of their new relationship, but Suzuhiko swears he’ll protect his ‘princess’. To further annoy Kazuya, the hit on Byakuya is called off.
An explosion rings out from the first floor since apparently Suzuhiko planted a C4 bomb down there (and it’s the same type of bomb he was chewing on, not a chocolate bar). However, Kazuya and his men survive, confronting the hitman. Kazuya tries to get Ink to join him, but Suzuhiko just says Ink is with him now, trying to get Kazuya to go into a new deal: Suzuhiko gets Byakuya to give to Kazuya, but Kazuya has to leave his two siblings alone. Kazuya refuses, but becomes ever more freaked out upon truly taking in the scene. He takes out his lightsaber (which Suzuhiko wonders how it even operates) and is ready to attack, but Suzuhiko throws down a smoke bomb and escapes with Ink.
Getting into the old Skoda car Ink got from K, Suzuhiko drives off, killing any UN soldier that tries to stop him. During this car ride, Suzuhiko conversation Ink gives way to how he’s someone that is willing to accept what is in front of him, belief that world domination was boring, and life actually did have value by just simply existing. He’s also supportive of Ink rescinding her talent in favor of living life how she wants, but notes he feels he can only be good at being a hitman and wonders if both can just leave behind their current lives to start anew. This all before he tries to run over Toko Fukawa after she throws down scissors at their car.
In actuality, this was Genocide Jack and she does battle with Suzuhiko after both realize the other is a killing-type Ultimate, as well as wanting to learn Byakuya’s location. Despite Suzuhiko’s best efforts, age has caught up to him and Syo has managed to get him to the point where he was close to being defeated. It was thanks to Kazuya’s arrival that he avoids this fate, though tries to wave it off as just playing around. Together, because Kazuya can’t bear to see Suzuhiko look weak, both back Syo to a corner and are about to kill her when a gunshot rings out. Suzuhiko was shot in the chest by a sniper, collapsing. This sniper was a brainwashed Yuika Ketoin, who Kazuya kills in a rage. However, the shot is fatal. Suzuhiko, in an effort to not look weak, refuses to speak. As Kazuya begs for their older brother to stay with them, the unreality the K2K System created about Suzuhiko Otsuki fades for Ink. In actuality, Suzuhiko Otsuki was Minoru Oe.
Following Minoru’s death, Ink resolves not to mourn for him given what he did to her. Her own form of revenge. From there, at Kazuya’s begging, she and Kazuya head off to the location of Byakuya Togami: Prague Castle.
Appearance:
Compared to his siblings, Suzuhiko lacks details on his appearance. At most, he’s an older male in his late twenties, and given that Ink didn’t recognize him immediately when he was Moleman, his appearance must’ve been a degree different to how he usually looked like.
Personality:
Suzuhiko’s main personality is quite similar to Genocide Jack. Insane, destructive and bloodthirsty, his actions throughout the trilogy paint him as someone who is utterly only concerned with his own perverse desires and little to that of anyone else's, and especially no concern for their lives. Largely unserious and prone to rambling (even singing randomly), he treats life as though everyone else was utterly beneath him, being prone to mocking enemies and allies alike. An utter wild card - his loyalty is always to himself, as he has no problems turning on his would-be allies easily for his own desire.
Unlike Jack, Suzuhiko has no standards when it comes to killing anyone or anything, even those that aren’t his targets, barring a few exceptions. This would even go towards people his own alters have befriended as well. Suzuhiko has an obsession with knives and even looks down on people whose main weapons are ‘gimmicky’ in comparison.
During the Championship, Suzuhiko preferred to be reclusive and read in his room, not caring about the Championship or murders that were plaguing it. Suzuhiko also admits he’s largely against killing family for means of furthering an end. However, it was also during the Championship, were its revealed Suzuhiko was sexually abusing Blue Ink even during the Championship (thus making him both incestuous and even an ephebophile), though he deluded himself until thinking what they had was genuine love and seemed fine with incest in general considering how much it happened historically. This lust for his sister still continued even during the World Domination Proclamation. When he finally met back up with both of his siblings, he wanted to reconcile with both.
During his last car ride with Ink, Suzuhiko is shown to believe it's fine to just be ignorant and accept what's right in front of you, and is cynical towards attempts at world domination, with beliefs that even a person has value as long as they’re alive. He’s also shown some lament over not being able to do anything else but be a good hitman, and desired to start over in his elope with Ink. He’s also quite prideful, opting to refuse to speak in fear of being weak in his last moments.
Relationships:
Blue Ink - His full-blooded younger sister and really the only member of his family he ‘cares’ about. Suzuhiko openly lusts for Ink and desires to elope with her, even putting their past as Togamis behind them. It’s to the point that its implied he had been sexually abusing her since she was at least 12, and had utterly deluded himself into believing this was ‘love’. In contrast, to Ink, Suzuhiko is a person who she is well aware he is highly destructive and genuinely wants nothing to do with him, very clearly refusing to want to be with him when he tries to ‘reconcile’. That said, a part of Ink does feel some connection to her brother, enough to become upset when he gets fatally wounded and was used to his violence that seeing it was ‘nostalgic’ in a way. It is also suggested that the nature of Suzuhiko and Ink’s relations possibly wasn’t completely unreciprocated by Ink. Yet, in Suzuhiko’s final moments, she was clear that her refusal to mourn him was meant as a way to take revenge for her treatment. Fully showcasing that, ultimately, she hated what he did to her. It’s unknown what ties Blue Ink (who was the Kudan) had with Minoru Oe or whether they were even still siblings with each other.
Byakuya Togami - Suzuhiko was Byakuya, and by extension the Togami Conglomerate, hitman on standby in case of extreme emergency. However, when the Proclamation began, Suzuhiko had no qualms in taking up a hit against Byakuya himself and cheerfully announced he was coming to kill him, much to Byakuya’s chagrin. Ultimately, due to Ink’s influence, he drops the hit against the heir.
Kazuya Togami - Kazuya holds hatred against Suzuhiko for the destruction of his village and the threat he poses to Ink. Once his ‘talent’ manifests, Kazuya becomes emboldened enough to repeatedly want to try to fight against Suzuhiko to claim his ‘princess’. On the flipside, Suzuhiko takes these threats with a degree of amusement. He also mentions how compared to Ink, he’s always on the fence concerning Kazuya and how much he actually loves him. Still, there does seem to be some degree of attachment Kazuya has with his older brother, looking quite grateful when Suzuhiko saved him during the Championship (even referring to him as ‘big bro’) and was distraught when Suzuhiko died.
Moleman - Suzuhiko’s alternate personality, a hermit that took residence in Cesky Raj. Suzuhiko allowed Moleman to take the reins, only really taking over to kill anyone that tried to do them harm. Once Moleman got close enough to Byakuya, Suzuhiko took over for the rest of the trilogy. Despite being his alter, Suzuhiko does not care for whom Moleman befriends, more than willing to kill Mole’s allies (like Satomi, though she is spared thanks to Ink).
Genocide Jack - A fellow killing-type Ultimate, and one to whom he was excited to meet given her reputation, though eh never knew Genocide was a liberal arts girl. Ultimately, both tried to take each other out.
