Nekomaru Nidai is a student of Hope's Peak Academy's Class 77-B and a participant of the Killing School Trip featured in Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair. Nekomaru is a vigorous, boisterous, openhearted student who is passionate about supporting athletes. He is very optimistic and his willpower is immeasurable, but he isn't very smart and is bad at lying. He enjoys fighting and often trains with Akane Owari. Many athletes have become elite and set new records under Nekomaru's guidance. He believes the bonds that are created between a manager and an athlete are the key to success. Nekomaru was born with a heart defect that left him bedridden and confined to a hospital. The doctor who treated Nekomaru told him that he would only live to be 20. Because of his sickness, he never got to play sports and didn't participate in P.E. in school. He was also teased a lot when he was young, being unable to make friends, and making frequent trips to the hospital.While at the hospital, Nekomaru met a boy named Daisuke, who suffered from the same condition. Daisuke was a team manager. Nekomaru took notice of how many people came to visit him in the hospital. When Daisuke died without seeing the team he had been training reach their championship, Nekomaru was inspired to continue in his footsteps and honor Daisuke's dream by becoming a team manager himself. Nekomaru quickly gained a reputation as a skilled team manager, turning around several poorly-trained teams and leading them to national recognition. His clients have included baseball stars, figure skaters, and rugby teams. His job ended up developing his muscles and learning a special massage for athletes by using his fingers. He previously attended First Yokoyama High School before enrolling in Hope's Peak Academy.
