Hanako Ikezawa is one of the five primary heroine characters in Katawa Shoujo. She is badly scarred on the right side of her body, due to a house fire that claimed the lives of her parents. Having lost her only family, Hanako grew up in an orphanage, eventually becoming the oldest resident. Hanako developed extreme social anxiety in response to years of teasing and bullying by her peers due to her scars. As a result, she is extremely shy and only trusts a few people in whose presence she seems to relax and be comfortable in. Hanako grows her hair long and uses it to hide her facial scarring from casual observation. An honest girl, she believes in equality between friends and highly values the few people she chooses to spend time with. As a result of her social isolation, Hanako developed a number of solitary interests including chess, reading and billiards. Surprisingly, and in contrast to her personality, she is also fond of karaoke.