On the surface, Koudo Ikusei Senior High School is a utopia. The students enjoy an unparalleled amount of freedom, and it is ranked highly in Japan. However, the reality is less than ideal. Four classes, A through D, are ranked in order of merit, and only the top classes receive favorable treatment. Kiyotaka Ayanokouji is a student of Class D, where the school dumps its worst. There he meets the unsociable Suzune Horikita, who believes she was placed in Class D by mistake and desires to climb all the way to Class A, and the seemingly amicable class idol Kikyou Kushida, whose aim is to make as many friends as possible. While class membership is permanent, class rankings are not; students in lower ranked classes can rise in rankings if they score better than those in the top ones. Additionally, in Class D, there are no bars on what methods can be used to get ahead. In this cutthroat school, can they prevail against the odds and reach the top?

Life back on the cruise following the Island Special Examination is anything but smooth sailing. Almost immediately after their return, the first-year students of Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School face yet another special exam, with both class and individual points on the line. In addition to the complicated ruleset, more issues arise in the form of Kakeru Ryuuen and Kei Karuizawa. Angered by the previous test's outcome, Ryuuen is dead set on outdoing every class in the new challenge using any means necessary. Meanwhile, Karuizawa, a crucial pillar of Class D, is close to crumbling under the pressure of her past. The stage is now set for Kiyotaka Ayanokouji to once again—using the full extent of his planning, foresight, and ruthless manipulation—steer Class D to victory as dangerously close enemy forces try to bring it down.

Third season of Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e.

Makoto Naegi, a teenager with no remarkable talent, is surprised to learn that he has been accepted into Hope's Peak Private Academy: an elite school that gathers the best students from various fields. Despite believing his admission was just a fluke, Naegi is delighted to attend an institution known for ensuring success to those who graduate. Determined, he enters the front doors of the prestigious academy. However, after losing consciousness inside, Naegi wakes up in a seemingly abandoned classroom. Failing to comprehend how he got there, Naegi begins to explore, and to his surprise, finds his classmates assembled in the gym. While everyone is trying to figure out what happened, they are confronted by the school principal—Monokuma, a robotic teddy bear. The mysterious toy explains that the freshmen are trapped inside the school with only one means of escape—kill a classmate without being discovered. Tension fills the air as Naegi and his classmates realize that they are faced with two choices: participate in Monokuma's killing game, or reside together in the school for the rest of their lives.