Kiyotaka Ayanokouji

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Lore & Background

Kiyotaka Ayanokōji is a student of Class 'D' at the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing School, a prestigious elite national high school established by the Japanese government. The school assigns students to four classes in the hierarchical order of 'A', 'B', 'C', and 'D', who are in constant competition over their three years to decide which class ultimately graduates in 'Class A', whose members are promised automatic acceptance into any desired career path or further education. Class 'D' is where the school dumps its inferior students, widely considered 'defective'. Ayanokōji is quiet, modest, bad at making friends, and would rather keep his distance, but he possesses unrivaled intelligence and incredible physical ability. His thought of an ideal normal high school life is disrupted after meeting Suzune Horikita and Kikyō Kushida, drawing him into many affairs.

In Their Own Story

The story follows the perspective of Kiyotaka Ayanokōji, a quiet and modest boy who is bad at making friends and would rather keep his distance, but possesses unrivaled intelligence and incredible physical ability. He is a student of Class 'D', which is where the school dumps its inferior students, widely considered 'defective'. After meeting Suzune Horikita and Kikyō Kushida, two other students in his class, the situation begins to change, and he gets involved in many affairs and his thought of an ideal normal high school life is disrupted.

Reader's Guide

Kiyotaka Ayanokōji is the central perspective character of the Classroom of the Elite series. He is a student of Class 'D' at the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing School, a government-established institution where students compete over three years to graduate in Class A, which guarantees automatic acceptance into any desired career path or further education. Ayanokōji is quiet, modest, and bad at making friends, preferring to keep his distance. However, he possesses unrivaled intelligence and incredible physical ability. His story begins when he meets classmates Suzune Horikita and Kikyō Kushida, which disrupts his desire for an ideal normal high school life and draws him into many affairs. The series is written by Shōgo Kinugasa and illustrated by Shunsaku Tomose, published under Media Factory's MF Bunko J imprint. The original light novel series, Classroom of the Elite: Year 1, ran from May 2015 to September 2019, followed by Year 2 from January 2020 to November 2024, and Year 3 beginning in March 2025.

Did You Know?

• The series is abbreviated as Yōjitsu (よう実) in Japan.
• The original light novel series title literally translates to 'Welcome to the Classroom of Real Ability Supremacism'.
• Seven Seas Entertainment released a new version of volume seven on February 17, 2021, due to localization decisions in the original omitting several paragraphs.
• The anime's first season aired from July 12 to September 27, 2017, on AT-X and other networks.
• The fourth season of the anime premiered on April 1, 2026.

The Genesis of a Literary Phenomenon

Kiyotaka Ayanokōji is the protagonist of the Classroom of the Elite light novel series, written by Shōgo Kinugasa and illustrated by Shunsaku Tomose. The series is published under Media Factory's MF Bunko J imprint. The first series, Classroom of the Elite: Year 1, was published from May 2015 to September 2019, comprising eleven volumes and three short story volumes. The sequel, Classroom of the Elite: Year 2, was published from January 2020 to November 2024, with twelve main volumes and three short story volumes. The follow-up, Classroom of the Elite: Year 3, began publishing in March 2025. Seven Seas Entertainment has licensed the series for English publication, and on February 17, 2021, announced a new version of volume seven due to localization decisions in the original omitting several paragraphs. The series has sold over 10.8 million copies in circulation, as one of the best-selling light novels.

The Architect Behind the Mask

Kiyotaka Ayanokōji is introduced as a quiet and modest boy, bad at making friends and preferring to keep his distance, but possessing unrivaled intelligence and incredible physical ability. He is a student of Class 'D' at the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing School, a prestigious elite national high school established by the Japanese government. The school assigns students to four classes in hierarchical order—'A', 'B', 'C', and 'D'—who compete over three years to decide which class graduates in 'Class A', whose members are promised automatic acceptance into any desired career path or further education. Class 'D' is where the school dumps its inferior students, widely considered 'defective'. After meeting Suzune Horikita and Kikyō Kushida, two other students in his class, the situation begins to change, and he gets involved in many affairs, disrupting his thought of an ideal normal high school life.

A Multiverse of Adaptations

Ayanokōji's story has been adapted into multiple manga and anime formats. A manga adaptation by Yuyu Ichino began serialization in Media Factory's Monthly Comic Alive on January 27, 2016, and has been collected in twelve tankōbon volumes as of February 22, 2022. A spin-off manga featuring Suzune Horikita, illustrated by Sakagaki, was serialized from June 2017 to May 2018. A manga adaptation of the Year 2 light novels, illustrated by Shia Sasane, was serialized from December 25, 2021, to December 26, 2024. A sequel manga to the Year 2 adaptation, illustrated by Hachi Komada, began serialization on January 27, 2025. An anime television series adaptation produced by Lerche aired from July to September 2017, with a second season from July to September 2022, a third season from January to March 2024, and a fourth season from April to June 2026. A fifth season has been announced.

Chronicles of an Ongoing Saga

The literary timeline of Ayanokōji's life at the Advanced Nurturing School is chronicled through distinct year-based sequels. The original series, Classroom of the Elite: Year 1, was published from May 2015 to September 2019. The sequel, Classroom of the Elite: Year 2, was published from January 2020 to November 2024, concluding with twelve main volumes and three short story volumes. The follow-up, Classroom of the Elite: Year 3, began publishing in March 2025. All series are published under Media Factory's MF Bunko J imprint and have been licensed by Seven Seas Entertainment for English publication.