Monokuma first appears in Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc as a disguise used by Junko Enoshima during her killing game in the fictional school of Hope's Peak Academy.

The Monokuma robot is one controlled by the main antagonists of the Danganronpa franchise, consisting of a teddy bear with a black left-hand-side, a white right-hand-side, one black right-eye, one red-left eye containing the logo for Hope's Peak Academy, a half-smile expression, short ears and an extruding belly button microphone, with a built-in explosive device in the scenario that a student decides to fight the Monokuma robot.

[8] The character's name originates from a combination of the romanization of monochrome (モノクローム, monokurōmu), referencing his black-and-white color scheme, and クマ (kuma), the Japanese word for “bear”.

[12] Referring to the creation of Monokuma by Kazutaka Kodaka and the character's subsequent position as a mascot of Spike Chunsoft appearing in multiple other video game series produced by the company, Danganronpa series producer Yoshinori Terasawa stated that: [Monokuma] was created with an image of contradictions in mind, like good and evil, hope and despair.

After shedding the form of Monokuma, the new Alter Ego Junko reveals their plan to supposedly be to insert copies of herself into the deceased Remnants' bodies on their escape from the Neo World Program in which they have been imprisoned; however, Izuru's Hajime personality instead convinces the remaining Remnants to remain in the program, leading to Junko's deletion by a new manifestation of Usami.

In Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls (2014), set between the first and second games, a new arm of Monokuma robots are commanded by the Warriors of Hope to kill every adult within Towa City.

ally Shirokuma, inhabiting an all-white Monokuma body, while the Warriors of Hope are overseen by an all-black gangster-themed Kurokuma variant.

he and Tsumugi manipulated Kaede into thinking she killed Rantaro and wrongfully executed her by torturing her to death; And he offering advice to Kokichi Oma when he offers to make the killing game more interesting by implanting a flashback light into the virtual world which lead to Miu and Gonta's deaths and later Kokichi impersonates the mastermind, leaving Monokuma unaware of either the victim or culprit of the fifth chapter by disabling his security camera system, the microscopic Nanokumas, with an electrobomb, leading him to join the game as a participant.

Realizing that the killing games are over, Monokuma and Tsumugi Shirogane request that K1-B0 execute them while destroying the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles, the pair being crushed by a falling rock while sadly waving to a no-longer-watching audience.

[24][25][26][27] In the Japanese edition of Re-Logic action-adventure sandbox game Terraria, published by Spike Chunsoft, Monokuma is featured as an unlockable costume for the player character.

In 2013, to promote the Seth MacFarlane film Ted in Japan, United International Pictures teamed up with Spike Chunsoft in a marketing campaign involving the title character and Monokuma.

[28][29] In a 2013 downloadable content to the Spike Chunsoft role-playing video games Mystery Chronicle: One Way Heroics and Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars, Monokuma is respectively featured as a playable character and a DLC enemy.

[30] In a 2014 crossover event of the Sega horror game, Chain Chronicle, Monokuma is included as a playable character alongside fellow Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls characters Komaru Naegi, Toko Fukawa, Genocide Jack / Genocide Jill and Byakuya Togami, where their storylines in the event depict the group as they seek to return home to their original universe.

SoniComi, a Monokuma and Monomi hoodie and pair of hand puppets are made available for Super Sonico in the in-game “Ouka Shop”.

Abarenbou Kyoushi in High School, a Monokuma mascot suit is included as an alternate costume for respective protagonists Kujo Kanata and Torao Kaji, in addition to the 2017 roguelike rhythm video game Crypt of the NecroDancer.

In a Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony-themed DLC to the 2018 Q-Games tower defense games PixelJunk Monsters 2, masks based on Monokuma, Monomi, and the Monokubs are featured.

Aiba discover a drawing of two Monokuma robots in the titular somnium, and mention the character if a panda ride is examined; the game is additionally implied to be set in the same fictional universe as Danganronpa in the resulting conversation between the duo.

[42] In December 2020, Japanese fashion brand Estryllia Enhillia announced a clothing line featuring a range of dresses, accessories, and unisex clothing pieces themed around Danganronpa characters to tie in with the 10th anniversary of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, including Monokuma, Junko Enoshima, Kyoko Kirigiri, Makoto Naegi, Byakuya Togami, and Toko Fukawa.

[43] Since the release of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc in November 2010, Monokuma (and their initial mastermind Junko Enoshima) has become one of its most popular characters, with several memes being made about him.

[46] In 2020, Comic Book Resources praised Monokuma as the ninth scariest character in horror anime, describing them "every bit as unfeeling, and dissonantly camp as [the] death game demanded and ha[ving] the kind of short temper and spoiled attitude that makes a hostage situation all the more volatile.

[48] Yuzuru Hanyu's performance in the 2014 Winter Olympics led to an illustration of the athlete skating alongside a parody of Monokuma and Winnie-the-Pooh.