Inahime, also known as Ina, is a character depicted as the eldest daughter of the legendary Tokugawa warrior Honda Tadakatsu and was later adopted by the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. She is historically married to Sanada Nobuyuki, the elder brother of the famed Sanada Yukimura, making her Yukimura's sister-in-law. Her background is inspired by the historical figure Komatsuhime, who was praised for her beauty, intelligence, and a famous act of defiance where she used a bow to bar entry to Numata Castle for her own father-in-law, Sanada Masayuki, during the tumult before the Battle of Sekigahara.

In her portrayal, Inahime is defined by a strong duality between her life as a warrior and her expected role as a noblewoman. Her personality is primarily that of a serious, upright, and filial daughter who holds deep pride in her father and her family name. She is eager to prove her own worth on the battlefield and is driven by a sense of duty to her lord and a commitment to righteous, honorable conduct. This strong moral compass gives her an innate need to confront what she sees as injustice. Despite this stern and dedicated warrior exterior, she is also depicted as a gentle, elegant, and refined woman away from the chaos of war. This creates an internal conflict, as she struggles with her devotion to martial life and the peaceful, domestic role that society expects of her.

Her motivations evolve throughout her story, but are consistently tied to her quest to understand her own reason for fighting. Initially, she believes that war is a necessary tool to achieve peace, fighting to fulfill her duty to her family and lord. However, she is haunted by the thrill of battle itself, and she struggles to reconcile her enjoyment of combat with her noble intentions. A rival shinobi, Kunoichi, often taunts her, suggesting she simply loves the carnage, a claim Inahime fiercely denies. This internal struggle pushes her to seek a pure purpose for her strength, ultimately finding it in the desire to protect her loved ones, her home, and the new era of peace. In some endings, after achieving this understanding, she is seen laying down her bow to focus on her family.

As a retainer of the Tokugawa, Inahime plays a central role in many of Ieyasu's key campaigns, including the retreat from Mikatagahara and the defense of Iga. Her narrative is deeply intertwined with her family relationships, which are often complicated by the shifting political alliances of the Sengoku period. Her relationship with her father, Tadakatsu Honda, is one of admiration and respect, as she strives to follow in his footsteps as a great warrior. The dynamic with her husband, Nobuyuki Sanada, is initially tense due to their opposing allegiances; however, she quickly comes to respect his integrity and bravery, and her affection for him grows as they fight alongside one another. Her relationship with her brother-in-law, Yukimura Sanada, is one of profound mutual respect. While they are often on opposite sides of a conflict, they never dislike each other for their respective loyalties. In her most emotionally charged moments, she tearfully tries to stop Yukimura from marching to his death, showing her deep care for him. A notable episode in her story, derived from folklore, sees her single-handedly defying both Masayuki and Yukimura Sanada at Numata Castle, firing shots from her bow to repel their attempted entry.

Throughout the series, Inahime remains a loyal warrior for the Tokugawa, but her character develops from a young woman questioning her place on the battlefield to a more resolved and experienced fighter who knows her own heart. In later storylines, after her political marriage to Nobuyuki, she shows great personal growth by offering to step aside, believing her husband's true loyalties lie with his brother. This act demonstrates a deep consideration for his feelings over her own position. She also takes on the role of protector of the Sanada family name, vowing to defend it in the absence of her brother-in-law.

In combat, Inahime is a formidable archer who wields a distinctive bladed longbow. This unique weapon allows her to engage in both melee combat and ranged attacks, making her a versatile fighter. Her fighting style involves firing rapid volleys of arrows to suppress enemies at a distance and using the bladed edges of her bow for powerful close-range swings. She is also known to possess powerful special attacks, such as imbuing her arrows with elemental properties like fire, ice, or lightning to enhance their destructive capability.