Gentarou Hongou

"Ah, so you're going to kill me. Please do. Come now, I'm waiting. ... Is there a problem? What are you waiting for, boy? Don't you want me to send you to join your sister?"

- Hongou

Gentarou Hongou is a participant in the Second Nonary Game. He uses the codename Ace and has the bracelet numbered 1. He is the CEO of Cradle Pharmaceutical and is often regarded by Junpei and the others as being calm, fearless, and composed.

Personality
Hongou's first impression is that of an elderly lion, caused by his wild hair and calm composure. The lack of fear that Junpei notes after first meeting him is seen in many other cases throughout the game, like when he offers to stay behind in the Hospital Room so the others can advance. Staying behind also shows him to be selfless and trusting, as he tells Akane he believes everyone will return to rescue him as soon as they are able to. Appearing older and wiser than many of the other participants, Hongou comes across at first as a fatherly figure, who puts others before himself and is determined to protect them.

However, the events of both the Safe and True Endings reveal that Hongou is determined only to protect himself. His brave, caring, and trusting persona is all an act. It becomes clear that he stayed behind in the Hospital Room because he knew that because the others had to come back for him and to keep the others from seeing "Light"'s body behind Door 3. He did not stay behind out of a sense of loyalty to the others, and after being outed as the mastermind behind the First Nonary Game and the killer of Kubota, Nijisaki, and Musashidou, he makes it clear that he doesn't care which of them he has to kill to get out alive. He is cunning, resourceful, and remorseless. Human life seems to mean little to Hongou. He is selfish, killing Nijisaki (who at the time he mistakes for Light) and Musashidou to keep his involvement in the previous Nonary Game secret.

In the past, he has shown himself willing to endanger and kill children to benefit himself, believing that he will find a cure for his prosopagnosia by forcing them to access the morphogenetic field. He is deceptive and cruel, lying to protect himself and also to test the rule of Zero's game. However, despite seeming confident in his own intelligence, he still falls into traps made by Zero and Junpei. When he realizes he's done such, he seems more annoyed at himself than regretful of his actions.

History
text

Story
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Axe End
[Info, assume 5 -> 7 -> 1]

Knife End
[Info, assume 4 -> 8 -> 6]

Submarine End
[Info, assume 4 -> 3 -> 2]

Coffin End
[Info, assume 4 -> 7 -> 1]

Safe End
[Info, assume 5 -> 8 -> 6]

True End
[Info, assume 4 -> 7 -> 1]

Trivia
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