Kagome Higurashi is a fifteen-year-old girl who lives in modern-day Tokyo at the beginning of the series. She is a student who comes from a family that runs a Shinto shrine, living with her mother, her younger brother Sota, and her grandfather. Her life takes an unexpected turn on her fifteenth birthday when a demon pulls her into a mysterious well on her family's property, transporting her five hundred years into the past to Japan's war-torn Sengoku period. In some Spanish-language versions of the anime, her name is adapted to Ahome for reasons of pronunciation.

Upon arriving in the past, Kagome discovers she is the reincarnation of a powerful and tragic priestess named Kikyo. Because she is Kikyo's reincarnation, the sacred Shikon Jewel, also known as the Jewel of Four Souls, was reborn within Kagome's own body. In a desperate fight to protect herself and a newly awakened half-demon named Inuyasha, Kagome inadvertently shatters the jewel into countless fragments that scatter across the feudal era. This accident sets the primary mission of her life into motion: she must recover every shard of the jewel before they fall into the hands of evil demons who would use them to increase their own power.

At the core of Kagome's personality is a deep and genuine compassion. She is described as having a noble and kind heart, and she is driven by a strong sense of justice and a desire to help anyone in need, even at great personal cost. She is fiercely loyal to her friends and protective of the innocent, often putting herself in danger to save others. Despite her gentle nature, Kagome is far from passive. She has a well-known hot temper, particularly when it comes to the stubborn and often insensitive Inuyasha. Their frequent arguments are a hallmark of the series, usually ending with her forcing him to the ground with a single, powerful word. Her determination is one of her strongest traits; she is resilient and adaptable, quickly learning to survive in the dangerous and unfamiliar Sengoku period while never losing sight of her goal to collect the jewel shards.

Kagome's role in the story is that of the central protagonist whose arrival in the past breaks a fifty-year-old curse, setting Inuyasha free from his imprisonment. She is the emotional anchor and the moral compass for the group of companions that forms around her. Without her, the half-demon Inuyasha would still be pinned to a sacred tree, and the quest for the Shikon Jewel shards would never have begun. Her unique spiritual powers allow her to sense the location of the scattered jewel fragments, a skill that is essential to their search. Throughout the journey, her modern-day perspective and knowledge often provide unique solutions to the problems the group faces in the feudal era.

Her most significant relationship is, of course, with Inuyasha. Their connection begins with hostility and mistrust, as Inuyasha initially sees her only as a replacement for the priestess he believes betrayed him. However, as they travel and fight together, their bond deepens into a complex and powerful romance. Kagome helps Inuyasha learn to trust others, to rely on his companions, and to accept his identity as a half-demon, something his first love, Kikyo, had wished to change. Their relationship is often strained by the lingering feelings Inuyasha still holds for Kikyo, which is a source of great pain and jealousy for Kagome. Despite this, her love for Inuyasha is unwavering. She is also a maternal figure to the young fox demon Shippo, a close friend and confidante to the demon slayer Sango, and a trusted companion to the monk Miroku. She also attracts the unwanted romantic attention of the wolf-demon leader Koga, which further complicates her dynamic with Inuyasha.

Throughout the series, Kagome undergoes significant development. She begins as a somewhat ordinary teenage girl who is confused and frightened by her destiny, but she gradually evolves into a competent and powerful spiritual warrior. Initially, her priestess abilities are weak and unreliable, especially when compared to her predecessor Kikyo. This is later revealed to be because a part of her power was sealed away by an evil will within the Shikon Jewel. As she faces increasingly dangerous enemies, she learns to master her spiritual powers, including the ability to create powerful barriers and fire purifying arrows. Her final and most crucial act is not one of destruction but of selfless wish-making. Trapped within the jewel itself, she is tempted to use its power for her own desire. Instead, she makes the one wish that could bring true peace, proving her complete spiritual purity and fulfilling her role as a true priestess. By the end of the story, she leaves her modern life behind to live in the feudal era with Inuyasha, fully embracing her identity and her future as a priestess.

As a priestess, Kagome's notable abilities are all spiritually based. Her primary skill is the power of purification, which allows her to destroy demonic energy and curses with her sacred arrows. She is the only one, besides Kikyo, who can see the aura of Shikon Jewel shards, making her an indispensable guide in their search. She can also create spiritual barriers or kekkai that can protect herself and her friends from demonic attacks. While her physical combat skills are limited compared to her demon-slaying companions, she is a proficient archer. Over time, her spiritual energy grows to be incredibly powerful, eventually matching and even surpassing that of Kikyo, allowing her to deliver the final blow to the main antagonist, Naraku.