Gundham Tanaka attended Hope's Peak Academy as the Ultimate Breeder of Class 77-B, renowned for his extraordinary skill in breeding and taming animals, from saving endangered species to creating new hybrids. He was raised by his mother, whose poor cooking led him to believe his body was poisonous, causing him to avoid physical contact by claiming a curse. His father was absent, referred to as a devil, and Gundham suggested he was born from an affair. These experiences fostered his social isolation and the development of an eccentric, defensive persona. He kept four hamsters, the Four Dark Devas of Destruction, concealed within his scarf and often bore bandages on his left arm from taming them. His appearance featured a pale complexion, black and grey hair, a facial scar tattoo, and no eyebrows. He wore a long black jacket, a purple scarf, and a Hell Hound Earring. Initially skipping classes, he was persuaded to attend by his teacher Chisa Yukizome and eventually formed bonds with classmates, particularly Sonia Nevermind, who adopted his manner of speaking. He was involved in incidents such as his Pomeranian growing giant after consuming drugged drinks, causing chaos at the academy. During the events leading to the Tragedy, Gundham and his classmates searched for their missing teacher and were trapped by Junko Enoshima. Forced to witness the execution of Chiaki Nanami, they were brainwashed into becoming Ultimate Despair. As a member, Gundham spread despair worldwide, commanded animal armies, and grafted parts of Junko's body onto himself. After Junko's death, he became one of the Remnants of Despair. Captured and rehabilitated via the Neo World Program, he and his classmates later accepted blame to protect the world’s hope and lived in exile on Jabberwock Island, where Gundham continued caring for animals. His personality was defined by a self-mythologizing and dramatic speech pattern, often calling himself the "Supreme Overlord of Ice." This masked underlying loneliness, social anxiety, and distrust of humans rooted in his childhood. Despite his eccentricities, he held deep respect for life and nature, considering the abandonment of life blasphemous. He valued survival and natural order, evident when he sacrificed a friend to save others during a killing game, justifying it as a natural struggle. His philosophy emphasized controlling one’s destiny and moving forward without dwelling on the past. He opposed animal mistreatment and expressed pity for livestock, suggesting vegetarian or vegan leanings.