Monokuma

Monokuma is the official mascot of the Seiberg Institute since 1987. He is teddy bear, half white and half black, with a cheeky grin and a shiny red eye. Within the Danganronpa sector of the fandom, he is a sentient robot who often acts as the "headmaster" during killing games.

History
Monokuma was designed by Tamashiro Yori, the Ultimate Concept Artist from Class 22, in 1994. He was designed to match the school's sigil, and though some staff found his expression 'creepy', he was approved and quickly merchandized. According to Tamashiro, she selected Monokuma's name from the Japanese word 熊 (kuma), which means bear, while 'Mono-' is a hybrid English and Japanese pun; Monokuma's color scheme is monochromatic, and in Japanese, it means, roughly, a thing.