Kiyotaka Ayanokouji is a man on a mission and, although that exact mission may be unclear, it is evident that discretion is the key to his success. Class D's man of mystery has the potential to excel in many different fields but prefers to keep his marks at an average level so as not to stand out from the crowd.
This mastermind would rather remain uninvolved when it comes to drama, but somehow always ends up saving the day. Despite his best efforts, this somber loner has undoubtedly been influenced by Koudo Ikusei Senior High School's social system, and Ayanokoji has subsequently made some personal developments that have produced heroic results in Classroom of the Elite on Crunchyroll.
First Impressions
When fans first meet Ayanokoji, it is evident that the young man is an overthinker who is not easily swayed, and moral expectations are not about to influence his actions either. He comes across as the type to make snap judgments about a person based purely on first impressions but, unlike Suzune, Ayanokoji seems more invested in keeping the peace in Class D. While his priority is to remain as uninvolved as possible, his aversion to conflict apparently hold more weight, as the youngster even attempts to persuade Suzune and Kushida to put aside their differences.
Ayanokijo is a rather suspicious character, always overanalyzing the state of affairs to uncover a person's true intentions. He is one of the few students to practice caution during their first month of school as he is untrusting of the whole "free money" situation. He questions everything and is one of the only members of Class D to begin testing the school's boundaries early on, giving him a greater understanding of the disciplinary system when things begin to get out of hand.
A Reluctant Hero
Initially, Ayanokoji is not terribly invested in helping his Class ascend through the ranks, and refrains from inviting Ken Sudo, Kenji Ike, and Haruki Yamauchi to Suzune's study session. Mr. Strategist is particularly unimpressed by Sudo's self-centered attitude and arrogance and adopts the "made your bed, now lie in it" mentality, however, he quickly changes his tune for the sake of Class D. When the hot-head's failure becomes evident, there is little hesitation before Ayanokijo finds a loophole and, with Suzune's help, spend a total of 15,000 points just to raise Sudo's marks sufficiently enough to impede his expulsion.
"The measure of intelligence is the ability to change." -Albert Einstein.
Ayanokoji slowly starts to invest more time and energy into helping out his fellow classmates and solidifies his status as Suzune's ally in her quest to reach Class A status. His original disapproval of Sudo's incompetence is thrown out the window again when the jock is threatened with expulsion a second time thanks to Class C's conniving scheme. Ayanokoji goes out of his way to clear Sudo's name while making some valuable accomplices in Class B in the progress. He also constantly encourages Suzune to take the lead in Sudo's hearing (and stand up to Manabu.) Again, Ayanokoji ensures to take no credit for his good deeds and pushes the praise onto Suzune instead, which quickly becomes quite a common habit throughout Classroom of the Elite.
Even after Sae Chisabara's blackmailing attempt falls flat, Ayanokoji seems too invested in helping Suzune reach her goal to back out now (so long as she keeps her nose out of his sordid past, that is.) This young man makes a great effort to persuade Suzune to present herself in a more favorable light so that she can successfully lead the Class to greatness (which he previously had zero interest in accomplishing.)
A Knight in Shining Armour
It appears that Ayanokoji has a soft spot for the damsel in distress and he can't seem to resist going against his plan to maintain discretion in order to come to their aid. He could have easily feigned ignorance about the boys' Peeping Tom plan in Season 1 episode 7 but decides to defend the girls' honor instead. Without revealing himself as the traitor, Ayanokoji comes up with an elaborate ploy to corrupt the data from the hidden camera, while simultaneously pushing Suzune into the limelight (and closer towards the Class Leader role) once again.
His keen observation skills help to rescue poor Sakura from a disturbing predicament with her stalker, as Ayanokoji keeps a close eye on the bashful girl to guarantee her safety. In contrast, however, he plays the silent observer when Kei begins to get bullied as he seems more invested in gathering intel on the situation than putting a speedy end to Karuizawa's suffering. Eventually, Ayanokoji positions himself in the role of Kei's caretaker and invites some unwanted drama into his life by pretending to be her boyfriend, unintentionally forming a bond with the beauty in the process.
Making New Friends
Ayanokoji's introduction to Class D is accompanied by some social anxiety caused by a lack of confidence in his ability to make friends, but by the time the "2nd Year Arc" rolls around, he could be considered to be quite a popular guy. His interactions with his classmates are not seeping with as much judgemental criticism as before and he has subsequently gained the trust of several impressionable students, along with some (unwanted) attention from many of the ladies, too.
Ayanokoji progresses from being a lone wolf to having his own Fanclub, who were so impressed by the mastermind that they named their little group after him (and officially making him the center of attention for the first time at Koudo Ikusei.) He gets a new nickname ("Ayanon") and dips his toe into the concept of "socializing just for fun," however, is incapable of pushing Kei's predicament from his mind. Thankfully, Ayanokoji decides to help the blonde bombshell and exposes his precious secret to help her, surprisingly relying on the assistance of Manabu and Chisabara to get the job done (two individuals he would have never trusted in the past.)
Positive Progress
"I'm thinking of reflecting over and face myself for this year. I intend to do whatever possible to make that happen."
Although he still uses most of the women (and men, for that matter) in his life as tools, Ayanokoji seems to genuinely care about Kei's safety (even if he is not particularly sensitive when it comes to her emotional state.) The fact that he is willing to expose his secret skills to Ryuen of all people for the sake of a girl shows great development compared to the opening scene, where he would not even offer up his seat for a lady in need.
This time around, Ayanokoji gets his own hands dirty and tackled Ryuen head-on (quite literally) instead of remaining behind the scenes and using pawns to accomplish his goal. In another uncharacteristic turn of events, the mastermind confesses to manipulating and exploiting Kei for his own benefit, but promises to cease his deceitful ways, while simultaneously informing her that their friendship has come to an end. Kei may, however, rely on Ayanokoji if she ever needs help again; which is essentially his first, truly selfless, and loyal act in Classroom of the Elite so far.
Source: Classroom of the Elite Promotional Akihabara Posters (translated by reddit/u/Cinnaminn)