Now, what are we going to analyze the protagonist of Classroom Of The Elite, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.
What is Ayanokoji’s ultimate goal? Let’s dive into this topic.
Some might think...
“Didn’t Ayanokoji enter Advanced Nurturing High School without any particular purpose?”
It’s true that there are scenes where he describes himself as indifferent or without clear goals.
However, behind such statements, there are hints suggesting that Ayanokoji might actually be driven by some purpose.
From a narrative perspective, it seems inevitable that he’ll achieve something significant by the story's conclusion. So, let’s see what that might be...
To speculate on Ayanokoji’s ultimate goal, let’s first examine his thought process and principles of action.
In the early stages of the story, Ayanokoji often mentioned that he desired peaceful, uneventful days and portrayed himself as indifferent.
However, this notion was challenged during conversations with Chabashira-sensei and Horikita. As readers are well aware, his actions suggest much more than what he claims.
It’s clear that Ayanokoji is not a simple indifferent character.
As mentioned in the final scene of the first season of the anime, as well as in the third volume of the first-year arc and the sixth volume of the second-year arc, Ayanokoji values being the one who ultimately wins.
At the same time, contradictory to this, he also expresses a desire to lose to someone, revealing a complex and conflicting inner mindset.
This contradiction—wanting to win while also wanting to lose—seems to be a hidden truth about his character. Ayanokoji’s defeat would also signify the failure of the White Room’s education, which appears to be tied to his deeper intentions. It seems that Ayanokoji wants to confirm whether the White Room’s education is truly infallible by surpassing its framework and testing its limitations.
Additionally, one of his objectives in the second-year arc involves fostering competition among the four classes by destabilizing their hierarchy. This aligns with the idea of creating students who learn through experience and leave a lasting impression, as emphasized by a key line from the story. His actions suggest that his ultimate goal may be to observe the endpoint of these four classes, each following a distinct philosophy, and see how their differences unfold in the end.
While we’ve discussed Ayanokoji’s principles and motivations, I still wonder whether these are truly his overarching goals.
Did he really enter Advanced Nurturing High School at first simply seeking peace? Or does he have a more fundamental purpose?
There’s a strong possibility that something deeper drives him. It’s highly plausible.
Let’s begin with the conclusion:
Ayanokoji’s ultimate goal at Advanced Nurturing High School is likely to acquire the strength necessary to stand up against his father.
Why is that the case?
There are four main reasons to support this theory, which I’ll address one by one. But first, we need to consider whether Ayanokoji truly has a goal or purpose. If he doesn’t, any speculation would be meaningless.
That said, based on several scenes, it’s almost certain that Ayanokoji is acting with a specific objective in mind. Let’s start by examining a key excerpt from Classroom of the Elite.
Here’s a scene where Ayanokoji reflects on his father:
"My father, this man, thinks he understands me. He looks out the window, believing that there’s no emotion in my actions, as if I’m merely observing a virtual world. However, he couldn’t be more wrong. Letting him think everything is under his control is more convenient for me right now. At this moment, it’s beneficial for me to hide my true intentions. There’s no need for him to realize that I am already baring my fangs at him."
This moment clearly indicates that from the time Ayanokoji left the White Room, he had already developed hostility toward his father and was concealing his defiance. It suggests that he’s not only planning but also actively preparing for a confrontation.
This insight forms the basis for understanding his overarching purpose and adds credibility to the idea that he’s working toward gaining the strength to counter his father’s influence. Let’s explore further evidence to substantiate this theory.
Following this, it becomes even clearer that Ayanokoji harbors intentions of opposing his father.
He acts in a way that ensures his father cannot discern his thoughts, which strengthens the likelihood of this theory.
Another key point comes from the conversation with Sakayanagi in the latest volume. In this exchange, Sakayanagi mentions that Ayanokoji has a role to play outside of Advanced Nurturing High School, and that this role poses some sort of burden or challenge for him. Sakayanagi also describes Ayanokoji as someone who looks 10 or 20 steps ahead into the future.
It’s important to note that the groundwork for these developments seems to have been laid earlier, even though Ayanokoji himself may not fully envision the outcomes just yet. These hints strongly suggest that Ayanokoji is strategically planning ahead and not simply acting without a clear purpose.
If we accept that Ayanokoji is unfolding a grand strategy, the next question becomes:
When did he begin these plans, and what steps has he taken?
For this, let’s recall events up to volume 2 of the first-year arc.
Specifically, consider two key incidents: the acquisition of the quiz questions during the midterm exam and the handling of Sudou’s violence case. These events occurred before Chabashira-sensei coerced Ayanokoji into cooperation in volume 3.
If Ayanokoji truly enrolled at Advanced Nurturing High School seeking only peace, it would have been normal for him to act as a bystander, like many other students. However, his proactive involvement in these incidents suggests otherwise. It hints at a deliberate effort to establish control and further his own goals from the very beginning.
Ayanokoji claims to be an indifferent bystander, yet he actively intervenes and resolves issues. When you think about it, he could have avoided getting involved in these troublesome situations entirely. However, instead of remaining uninvolved, he chose to provide assistance.
This behavior leads me to believe that the way Ayanokoji acted during this period might hold the key to uncovering his fundamental purpose. Among these, Horikita’s four questions stand out as crucial to understanding his motivations.
Chabashira-sensei’s Four Questions
Why do you think Ayanokoji scored exactly 50 on all parts of the entrance exam?
Why do you think Ayanokoji is helping you all?
Why do you think, despite his abilities, he doesn’t display his true strength openly?
Is Ayanokoji really the indifferent person he claims to be?
These questions were posed by Horikita near the end of volume 2 of the first-year arc and were also featured in the anime, making them memorable for many.
Even in the latest volumes, however, clear answers to these questions have yet to be provided. This lack of resolution suggests that the answers are crucial for unraveling Ayanokoji’s character and ultimate goals.
Additionally, during this scene, Chabashira-sensei advises Horikita to grasp Ayanokoji’s true nature as early as possible. This further emphasizes how significant these unanswered questions are in understanding his intentions.
Let’s examine the first question:
Why did Ayanokoji score exactly 50 on all sections of the entrance exam?
This action stands out as one of Ayanokoji’s most perplexing decisions. While he claims to want a quiet, inconspicuous life, this act was highly conspicuous.
A Contradiction in Behavior
For someone who claims to desire peaceful, uneventful days, deliberately scoring 50 on all subjects during the entrance exam is extraordinarily unnatural. Such precision is bound to attract attention. As previously mentioned, Ayanokoji is a person who plans far ahead and does not take actions without a purpose. Thus, there must be a significant reason behind this decision.
The Consequences of His Actions
This act had two notable outcomes:
Attracting the attention of Horikita Manabu (Former Student Council President):
Ayanokoji’s calculated behavior created an opportunity for him to establish a connection with Manabu, a key figure in the school. This was an intentional move to ensure that a student of Manabu’s caliber would take notice of him.
Being recognized by school officials:
Scoring precisely 50 in all subjects demonstrated Ayanokoji’s extraordinary abilities and uniqueness to the teaching staff and other authorities in the school. This ensured that his presence and potential were acknowledged from the very beginning.
A Strategic Move
The likely answer to this first question is that Ayanokoji scored 50 on all sections of the entrance exam to make himself known to the school’s power players. By doing so, he ensured that both influential students like Manabu and school authorities were aware of his existence and capabilities.
Long-term Impact
This deliberate action laid the foundation for later developments. For example, during the incident involving Tsukishiro (an external influence in the second-year arc), Ayanokoji’s prior recognition by teachers likely facilitated their willingness to assist him.
In short, this act wasn’t a random or reckless move; it was a calculated strategy to establish a presence and prepare for future scenarios. This highlights Ayanokoji’s tendency to always think several steps ahead.
The second question asks:
Why does Ayanokoji help his class instead of remaining uninvolved?
This essentially questions why he chooses to aid his classmates rather than staying passive. The reason likely lies in Ayanokoji’s intent from the very beginning to foster the growth of his class.
Ayanokoji’s Intent to Foster Growth
From the start, there have been numerous depictions of Ayanokoji subtly working to improve his class.
This suggests that helping them wasn’t just a spur-of-the-moment decision but part of his long-term strategy.
One commonly suggested reason for this is Ayanokoji’s desire to encounter someone capable of defeating him.
His defeat would symbolize the rejection of the White Room’s education system, proving that it is not infallible.
The Conflict within Ayanokoji
Ayanokoji’s desire to see the White Room’s superiority challenged becomes clearer in the sixth volume of the second-year arc. In that volume, he resolves to leave Horikita’s class, expressing the following thoughts:
"It’s precisely because I wish to be defeated that I’m choosing to leave. There’s a future I hope remains uncertain. Even though the answer already exists, I wish it to be something different."
This internal contradiction reveals his complex mindset. While he recognizes the White Room’s education as optimal, he still hopes for it to be proven wrong. This desire drives him to nurture others into becoming individuals capable of challenging him.
Supporting the Class as a Means to an End
By helping his classmates grow, Ayanokoji creates the conditions for someone to eventually rival or even surpass him.
This aligns with his overarching wish to refute the absolute authority of the White Room’s methods.
Thus, his aid to the class is not simply altruistic but a calculated effort to cultivate potential challengers.
In short, Ayanokoji’s assistance to the class stems from his desire to nurture growth, build rivals, and ultimately prove that the White Room’s education is not the pinnacle of human development.
Ayanokoji's early efforts, while ultimately aimed at fostering growth, initially focused more on preventing the collapse of his class. Before creating opportunities for growth, he prioritized stabilizing the class to ensure it wouldn’t fall apart. This approach indicates a layered strategy: stabilizing the environment first and fostering development later.
Ayanokoji's Deeper Motives
While his desire to create someone capable of defeating him is a significant reason for aiding the class, it may not be the sole motivation.
There are likely other factors driving his actions.
Currently, Ayanokoji faces an inescapable reality: Regardless of how he spends his three years at Advanced Nurturing High School, he is set to return to his father’s control after graduation.
Even if he concludes that the education at Advanced Nurturing High School surpasses that of the White Room, this realization would only hold personal significance. It wouldn’t allow him to escape his father’s grasp.
The Core Problem: Ayanokoji’s Father
Ayanokoji’s true freedom hinges on addressing the fundamental issue of his father. Without overcoming this challenge, any conclusions he reaches about the superiority of the school’s education system are irrelevant to his father. To his father, Ayanokoji’s insights would hold no weight, as his father remains indifferent to anything outside the White Room’s principles.
The Importance of Finding an Answer
However, for Ayanokoji, finding this answer is deeply significant. Up until now, he has operated under the belief that no education can surpass that of the White Room.
If he can prove otherwise, it would be the first step toward challenging the ideals imposed by his father.
This dual purpose—nurturing a rival and validating the value of Advanced Nurturing High School's education—reflects Ayanokoji's calculated and multifaceted approach to his time at the school.
While he seeks to dismantle the White Room's dominance in his own mind, he also works to gather the tools necessary to confront his father directly.
Ayanokoji has, up until now, accepted the idea of eventually returning to the White Room and his father’s control.
However, if the conclusion he reaches at Advanced Nurturing High School challenges the supremacy of the White Room, his worldview would change.
If he can disprove the belief that the White Room’s education is the best, it would allow him to envision a future beyond his inevitable return to his father’s grasp.
A New Future Beyond the White Room
For Ayanokoji, this answer—proving that the White Room's education isn’t the best—would act as the trigger to open a new future for him.
With this newfound belief, he could break free from the inevitable fate of returning to the White Room and his father's control. In this context, his efforts to nurture his classmates and encourage their growth are steps toward preparing for this new future.
The Blank Sketchbook: A Symbol of Unseen Potential
Ayanokoji’s blank sketchbook in the second-year arc is a key symbol. It represents a lack of clarity or vision for the future.
At that point, Ayanokoji couldn’t see a clear path forward. However, when he encounters defeat or finds a way to challenge his father's control, that will likely mark the moment when he begins to fill the sketchbook with new possibilities.
The Unseen Future and Ayanokoji’s Role
Earlier, I mentioned that the future remains unclear to Ayanokoji—his move to leave Horikita's class reflects his desire for an uncertain future.
He hopes that the future is still open to change. Given these circumstances, it seems that Ayanokoji’s decision to help the class from the beginning was aimed at preparing for a future where the White Room is not the only path available to him.
The Ultimate Challenge: Defeating the White Room
Ayanokoji's ultimate goal may be to create a path where the White Room's greatest creation—the perfect student—can be defeated.
By doing so, he would finally have the power to escape the cycle of control imposed by his father and the White Room.
This is why his help for the class, especially in the beginning, is not just for their growth, but also to build the foundation for the future where he can break free from the past.
Ayanokoji’s ability to defeat his father, who is the representative of the White Room, is tied to his potential to challenge the very institution that shaped him.
By helping to nurture his classmates, Ayanokoji is simultaneously setting the stage for his personal goals:
To be able to counter his father’s influence.
To gain the power to destroy the White Room’s influence. This is why, from the beginning, he may have been quietly orchestrating his moves in preparation for the future.
Why Doesn't Ayanokoji Show His Strength?
The third question—why Ayanokoji doesn’t display his abilities despite being so talented—refers to a deeper issue.
It raises the question of why Ayanokoji, who clearly possesses immense skill, deliberately chooses not to use it.
This would seem like foolishness to most, as not utilizing one's strength could be considered a waste of potential.
The truth is that Ayanokoji is intentionally holding back, likely because he sees greater value in controlling when and how he reveals his true abilities.
Is Ayanokoji Really a Hedonist?
The fourth question—whether Ayanokoji is truly a hedonist—ties directly into the earlier query. As discussed previously, Ayanokoji is not a true hedonist.
He only claims to be one to mislead others into thinking so. By positioning himself as someone who only seeks peace and avoids conflict, he can prevent others from recognizing his true motives and intentions.
This is a deliberate strategy to maintain control over how others perceive him.
Ayanokoji’s Strategy and Motivation
By pretending to be a hedonist and not displaying his abilities, Ayanokoji is manipulating his environment to keep people from understanding his true potential.
He does not want to reveal his hand too soon. As he reflects in a quote from his first-year arc...
“The higher the quality of the product, the more difficult it is to handle.”
This suggests that, much like a high-quality item that requires careful handling, Ayanokoji is not going to reveal his full potential until the time is right, and he wants to ensure that he is in control of the situation.
If he makes a mistake, the class will be wiped out without a doubt.
"I just want an ordinary, uneventful daily life. It must be that way. I know myself better than anyone else, how I am a dangerous, foolish, and terrifying person."
What stands out in the second statement is that Ayanokoji expresses that he must seek an ordinary life, almost like he is describing it as a restraint.
Following this, he talks about how he is a dangerous and terrifying person.
The "dangerous" part of Ayanokoji is likely referring to his lack of emotions.
Specifically, because he doesn’t let emotions influence his decisions, he can only make rational judgments. This lack of emotion is a key aspect of his strength, but at the same time, it means he cannot make humane decisions, which is a dangerous side of him.
Indeed, Ayanokoji has caused a few students to be expelled, but all of those decisions were rational, not humane.
In other words, he will easily cut off his classmates if it's rational. From his earlier statement, it seems Ayanokoji understands this flaw in himself, which is why he places the restraint of seeking an ordinary life.
So... in order to control his flaw, Ayanokoji might have pretended to be a laid-back person and refrained from showing his abilities.
Exactly. As a result, he ended up fitting the description of a "fool" according to his father.
From his first statement, we can also interpret that Ayanokoji believes showing his true power could lead to the destruction of the class.
Indeed, Ayanokoji's mindset suggests that if his power is misused, the class could easily fall apart.
This means that if Ayanokoji were to act openly, it would risk ruining the class, and if the class falls apart, it would hinder his goals of creating a person who could defeat Ayanokoji and of creating a pawn against his father.
Therefore, Ayanokoji likely pretended to be a laid-back person, not revealing his full strength.
With this in mind, it seems Ayanokoji has been strategically developing his plan from the very beginning, likely starting when he first entered the school.
His ultimate goal appears to be twofold: creating someone who can defeat Ayanokoji and gaining enough power to go against his father.
If he was indeed working with such an objective from the start, his foresight is truly impressive. Now, for the third reason why I believe Ayanokoji has a clear purpose...
This is the final, cathartic statement:
"As long as I win in the end, that's all that matters. All humans are just tools. Family doesn't matter. I don't care what sacrifices I make. The only thing that matters in this world is winning. As long as I win in the end, that's all that matters."
This is indeed one of Ayanokoki's most famous quotes.
Yes, this line is from the third episode of the first year arc, in the final scene of season one of the anime. It perfectly captures the essence of Ayanokoji as a character.
But what exactly does the phrase "as long as I win in the end" refer to? It's not clear who or what he is talking about when he says "win," right?
Exactly. If we consider Ayanokoji's actions up until the end of the second-year arc, it becomes evident that his goal isn't necessarily graduating from class A.
Ayanokoji doesn't seem concerned about which class he graduates from; instead, he helps all the classes grow.
So, what is the value he seeks?
I believe the value Ayanokoji is pursuing is freedom.
From the start of his enrollment, he seems to realize that gaining freedom within the system of the school, particularly in the third-year cycle, is crucial.
Furthermore, the theme of the story's beginning revolves around questions of freedom and equality. For this reason, Ayanokoji entered the school in pursuit of freedom.
It can be argued that Ayanokoji's pursuit of freedom involves escaping from his father, who represents the physical and psychological constraints placed on him.
As long as Ayanokoji remains bound by his father and the White Room, he cannot truly experience freedom.
As I mentioned earlier, Ayanokoji has yet to completely overturn his belief that the White Room's education is the only absolute path.
However, when his conclusion is overturned by the education system at the school, it will break the psychological shackles that have held him.
At that point, he will begin to take action to free himself from the physical shackles imposed by his father. This would be the reason behind his statement that "winning in the end" is what matters.
So, the third reason for Ayanokoji's goals can be interpreted as him wanting to escape his father's control.
Now, the fourth and final reason is about why Ayanokoji has been working to cultivate others. In the first year, he focused on helping his classmates, like Horikita and Ike, grow.
Then, in the second year, his influence extended beyond his class, and he began to intervene more with other classes, especially focusing on the leaders of each class and their respective strategies.
This suggests that his efforts to nurture others weren't just for the sake of helping them, but rather for a larger purpose, likely connected to his long-term goals.
Ayanokoji's goal of reaching a 4-class system can be seen as maximizing the potential of all the classes.
This is easier to understand if we compare it to a game. For instance, imagine a game with four different job classes.
In this case, we can think of each class’s direction as the job and their class points as levels.
Even if all the jobs start at the same level, there are differences in their growth speed, strengths at the beginning, or strength only after reaching a certain level.
For example, the Sakayanagi class starts strong from the beginning, while the Ryuen class might have a job that is particularly effective in some situations. You get the idea, right?
However, unlike a regular game, the school has a three-year time limit. In this context, if the Sakayanagi class starts winning early, what happens?
The level gap between classes widens. If there were an unlimited amount of time, all classes could potentially reach the highest level, but with only three years, the class that starts pulling ahead will cause others to lose hope and stop leveling up. This is similar to the gap that has existed up until the current generation of students.
But in reality, the job chosen by Class 1-D, for example, could become stronger as time goes on, even though it starts out weaker.
Sakayanagi's class, for example, may become weaker compared to other classes once they reach the later stages of leveling up.
However, this is a part of the process that requires all four classes to keep leveling up together in order to reach a conclusion. That’s why Ayanokoji aims to maintain the leveling of all four classes.
As a result, the maximum potential of each class will be drawn out.
But why does Ayanokoji want to see the outcome of each class's approach so badly?
I think his ultimate goal includes determining how to fight against his father. By leveling up each class’s job to its maximum potential, Ayanokoji will be able to assess which job is most effective in the fight against his father. This, I believe, is the final purpose of the four-class system.
At the same time, Ayanokoji may be hoping for the emergence of a job that can defeat him as well.
In any case, as the fourth reason for Ayanokoji’s actions, I would suggest that he’s intentionally guiding the growth of his students and classes.
To summarize: Ayanokoji’s plan likely started from the moment he enrolled. He is acting in such a way that he will eventually "win."
Additionally, he is intentionally fostering the growth of his students and classes. Based on these points, I believe Ayanokoji’s actions have been strategically designed from the start.
From the beginning of his enrollment, it is concluded that Ayanokoji has been acting with a purpose. That purpose consists of three main goals:
To create a person capable of defeating Ayanokoji.
To secure a piece for the battle against his father, Ayanokoji's dad, in his quest for freedom.
To devise a strategy for fighting his father.
In short, it can be said that Ayanokoji has been preparing to escape his father’s control after graduation.
Based on the direction Ayanokoji takes moving forward, we may be able to confirm these objectives, so I’m looking forward to the third-year arc.
As a side note, there has always been ambiguity about when and where Ayanokoji will fight his father.
However, from the depictions in volumes 12 and 12.5, we can hypothesize that the battle might take place in the political world.
Here, I'll just briefly share the supporting evidence for this hypothesis:
Alice Sakayanagi has a role in the outside world.
Sakayanagi made a request to the chairman.
The Boy Scouts incident involving Tsukishiro.
The use of Kiyomori’s phone number.
The presence of many influential figures from the business world in the school.A
yanokoji once mentioned his dream of becoming the Prime Minister.
The potential use of Class A privileges.
The involvement of his family connections.
This collection of factors could indicate that Ayanokoji will eventually confront his father in the political realm.
The final part of the analysis ties together the theory that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka’s ultimate confrontation with his father may occur within the realm of politics. The reasoning is based on various clues:
A mention by others that Ayanokoji has the qualities of a politician.
The recent direct interactions between Ayanokoji and his father.
These hints culminate in the conclusion that Ayanokoji might face his father on the political stage in the later stages of the story.
As the story approaches its conclusion, it's exciting to imagine how these elements will unfold.
This discussion was an analysis of Ayanokoji Kiyotaka’s potential objectives during his time at Advanced Nurturing High School.
If Ayanokoji has indeed been taking calculated steps from the very beginning to escape his father's control, it’s truly awe-inspiring. And considering his character, it seems plausible.
Currently, Ayanokoji remains bound by the "curse" of the White Room.
However, when someone capable of defeating him emerges during the third-year arc, only then might Ayanokoji finally be able to seek true freedom. Fans are eagerly waiting for this development as the story nears its climax.
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