辺古山 ペコ

Allow me to start from the beginning then. Peko was raised, in short, to be a tool. A possession. We see through the images provided of her cabin that she’s given a thin mattress to sleep on, and doesn’t own very many personalized material possessions-- perhaps, other than weaponry and the like. The Kuzuryuu family most certainly didn’t want to waste a large amount of money on keeping her happy and comfortable. They gave her shelter, a place to sleep-- enough to be grateful for the very fact that she’s alive. To be so unbreakable, to wear such a stone faced mask all the time, the psychological abuse she endured must have been brutal. I imagine that she must have made her first kill when she was very young and was fusilladed with strict responsibilities and orders. And what could the Kuzuryuu family take away from her, if she disobeyed them? If she didn’t act as a tool? They could kick her out. They could threaten to kill her. Escaping a head yakuza family? In all honesty, there’s no way out for her in a situation like this. One might even presume that Peko would’ve fallen into despair at this point. 

Lets keep in mind that Peko is still a girl, she’s still human. Her mask is perfected and icy-- she treats everyone with clipped formality. But is that really who she is? Or is that the face she crafted to keep herself from getting into trouble? 

While she’s very good at hiding it, there are hints in her dialogue and actions that prove that she’s more than that. A tool purposed for assassination, I believe that Peko knowingly resigned to her fate of death the very moment that Monokuma began talking of murder. If not then, then certainly when Kuzuryuu begins talking of “not hesitating to kill any of them” when the first motive is exposed. Her life’s purpose is to keep him alive and to “cut down anyone he wishes to see cut down”. Therefore, Peko knows that she’s going to kill one of the classmates standing around her. 

Then a party is promised-- to help them steer clear of motives for murder, to become closer to each other. Kuzuryuu doesn’t attend the party. Peko does. But is Peko really at the party? Is she enjoying herself, eating food and speaking with her classmates with hopes to establish “bonds” and to strengthen “hope”? Of course not. Peko doesn’t want to risk growing attached to any of the classmates that she might have to kill. She hardly puts up with idle conversation to keep from learning more about others, for enjoying their company. She simply excuses it as “I’m not very good with crowds” and heads off to the office to guard the case. In a way, it’s an act that makes it seem like she cares for everyone. It seems like she’s sacrificing a night of fun to be heroic. While she would be a suitable candidate to guard the dangerous items, she was doing this with her own interests in mind. That, and I honestly think that she wouldn’t manage to enjoy herself there while Kuzuryuu was absent. 

Skipping ahead to the first trial, when the fiasco involving the office and the restroom comes into play, Peko says that she’s ashamed that she was absent and couldn’t prevent the blackout. Kuzuryuu slips a line in there that alludes to their connection-- “seems you shouldn’t worry about it too much”. For Kuzuryuu to point that out aloud, I think that those words coming from her must have been genuine. He was raised alongside her-- I think, in a way, that he can tell when she’s genuinely upset with herself sometimes. It’s a small note, but something that sticks out to me. 

Now I’m going to discuss some elements of her free time events. If anything-- her love for ‘fluffy’ things goes to show that Peko has personal pleasures and wants herself. It’s all locked up inside her brain and she doesn’t show it outwardly, but it’s still there. Animals are soft, loyal companions that rely on the person who cares for it. In a way, I think that’s something that Peko is seeking. She wants to care for something, she wants to expose some of the love that she keeps trapped in her seemingly icy heart. Kuzuryuu won’t let her dote on him, in a way-- I think her love for animals exposes the fact that she wants someone to rely on her, she wants someone to need her. What a better candidate than an animal? Things that don’t require conversation. 

Her next free time event is drastically different. She mentions that Owari and Nidai teaming up could potentially take her down. She’s analyzing potential murderers, potential people that could get in her way. Hinata is mildly appalled at the prospect of her looking to fight or visualizing needing to fight one of their classmates. Peko says she doesn’t discredit his way of thinking-- but it’s something she has to do. It aligns perfectly with the fact that she doesn’t truly wish to kill anyone. She’s not violent or aggressive by any means. But she will do what she has to do, she’s loyal until the very end. 

Now, why did I use all the paragraphs above to discuss the island? It doesn’t really cover her despair. But it does show that there’s a human living inside Peko’s head, that she’s more than just a “stone faced badass” character. It also shows us her motive, the fact that she knows from the very start that she’s going to murder someone. And, of course, it shows that she fears attachment. 

So now, I’m going to backtrack-- pre-despair, pre-island. Since before high school, Kuzuryuu has told Peko to pretend that their relationship doesn’t exist. While Kuzuryuu’s intentions might be in her best interest, it doesn’t register with her. In her mind, she’s a tool. A gesture of pushing her away certainly wasn’t the way to go about that-- but Kuzuryuu, as we all know, isn’t the best with words or feelings. He does this so he can’t be a “master” figure to her. Rather, a “classmate”. But of course, this facade isn’t enough to convince Peko otherwise. If anything, it makes her feel discarded and shelved. Thus, she disobeys him at times to protect him. She cares for him more than a “simple tool” should and some of the actions she takes are of her own free will. 

When Peko’s mask breaks in the second trial, she frequently goes on to say “what is a tool without its’ wielder” or “a tool without a master has no meaning”. All of those years feeling cast aside-- she must have seen herself as meaningless, her life’s purpose as pointless. I imagine she spent her time at school focusing primarily on studying and busying tasks. Physical tasks that could keep her mind from breaking into pieces. She’s given no opportunity to explore other interests, and lacks the personality required to make friends. Her school life must have already been dark and despairing. 

Peko’s role as a tool was something that even death couldn’t separate her from. When Kuzuryuu told her to run, she didn’t take that opportunity. She resigned to her death, she readily accepted self sacrifice for his sake. Her role as a tool is prominent, it’s something she believes in to the fullest. So how did she disregard that purpose and actually fall into despair?

She didn’t follow Kuzuryuu. She didn’t say “oh, well if he’s doing it, I guess it’s natural for me to go too”. No. 

Kuzuryuu was an influence, though. Because like Komaeda mentions in the second trial, “Kuzuryuu is her hope”. In fact, if you look at her Kirakira-chan impression, replacing the word “Justice” with “Kuzuryuu” could quite easily explain her motives. If he suddenly needs her again one day, then her hope is restored. He tells her “I don’t need things like tools” repeatedly without realizing that she’s registering those words as “I don’t need things like you”. If he needs her, she’ll have purpose again. She won’t feel like a waste of space. So what’s the triggering moment? What makes Peko snap?

I believe it’s explained through the Twilight Syndrome incident. Not only did Kuzuryuu find his sister’s murderer-- no, he kills her himself. And what does that prove to a tool who is good for nothing but “assassination and cutting down those that get in the young master’s way?” If Kuzuryuu is capable of killing someone that Peko should have killed for him, it proves that he “doesn’t need her”. If he doesn’t need her, then what’s the point of her existence? I believe this must have been where Junko could easily wrench out all of her darkest fears, all of her despairing thoughts. At this point, her spirit would be broken enough to make her feel true despair. Her purpose, her source of hope, it’s all been erased. Her reason to continue living. If he can handle himself like he says he can, then there’s no use for her to continue on with her charade as a ‘tool’. 

But honestly, without the time to build a personality-- I don’t think that Peko had much independence through her time in despair. I think she let herself serve as a “tool” for Junko instead. Junko had a plan, Junko needed some help in triggering said plan. Thus, Junko could give her a purpose. And through despair, she could also escape the hope of relying on Kuzuryuu to need her one day, the fact that all of her efforts were for naught. While she might have a few crazes and breakdowns, I believe that Peko would remain mostly numb through her time in despair.