Kagome Higurashi is the primary protagonist and a modern-day middle school student who becomes entangled in a supernatural quest that spans centuries. She lives at the Higurashi Shrine in Tokyo with her mother, her younger brother Sota, and her grandfather. Her father passed away in an accident when she was young. On her fifteenth birthday, a demon pulled her into the ancient Bone-Eater's Well on the shrine's grounds, transporting her five hundred years into the past to Japan's Warring States era. It was there she discovered she was the reincarnation of a powerful priestess named Kikyo, and that the legendary Shikon Jewel, a powerful artifact that grants wishes, had been born inside her body. After the jewel was forcibly extracted from her, she accidentally shattered it into countless fragments that scattered across the land, setting her on a journey to retrieve them all.

In personality, Kagome is defined by a potent combination of deep compassion and a fiery, impatient temper. Her heart is kind and empathetic; she treats nearly everyone with warmth and respect and is driven by a strong, sometimes uncompromising, sense of justice. She is known for her reckless courage, often rushing into dangerous situations without waiting for help because of her strong spirit. Despite her usual calm demeanor, she has a short fuse, and Inuyasha, in particular, often provokes her wrath due to his rude and tactless nature. This frequently results in her using a magical command to slam him into the ground, a punishment she rarely regrets. As a fifteen-year-old, she can be immature and quirky, but she also serves as the emotional core of her group, using her insight to interpret the feelings of those around her and offer direct, if sometimes hard, advice. Her courage and refusal to see the world in black and white allow her to act as a bridge between humans and demons, befriending outcasts and earning the trust of even the most wounded individuals.

Kagome's primary motivation is the collection of the Shikon Jewel shards to prevent them from falling into the hands of the evil mastermind Naraku. However, her mission becomes deeply personal as she develops strong bonds with her companions. Her most significant role in the story is as the emotional anchor and moral compass for the half-demon Inuyasha, who is initially untrusting and accustomed to loneliness. Over the course of the journey, she becomes a conduit of acceptance that helps him learn to trust others, rely on his friends, and ultimately accept his own identity.

Her key relationships are central to the narrative. Her dynamic with Inuyasha is the driving force of the series, evolving from a partnership of convenience into a deep, romantic love that further complicates his lingering feelings for her past life, Kikyo. Kagome struggles with intense jealousy over this connection but ultimately refuses to leave his side, choosing to be a source of comfort and healing for him. She becomes a doting mother figure to the young fox demon Shippo and a treasured, sympathetic friend to the monk Miroku and the demon slayer Sango. In the modern era, her family is supportive of her secret double life, though her school friends are often curious about her mysterious absences.

Throughout the series, Kagome undergoes significant development. Initially insecure about her role as Kikyo's reincarnation, she grows to take pride in her own life and identity. Her spiritual powers, though immense from the start, are initially untrained and partially sealed by an evil will. As she faces greater threats, her abilities mature, culminating in her full power being unleashed so she can fight on equal footing with the most dangerous demons. After the final battle, she makes the selfless choice to wish the Shikon Jewel out of existence, severing the link between the eras. Following a three-year separation during which she completed high school, she ultimately chose to return to the feudal era permanently, marrying Inuyasha, becoming a priestess, and starting a family with him.

As a priestess, Kagome's notable abilities are rooted in her immense and innate spiritual power. Even without formal training, she can sense the presence of Jewel shards, resist demonic energies and illusions, and pass through spiritual barriers. Her primary method of attack is channeling her purifying power into her sacred arrows to destroy demons or break curses. She can also concentrate spiritual energy in her hands for defense, though this ability is less refined than her archery. As she gains experience, she learns to create barriers, purify objects and miasma, and even reverse magical curses back at their casters. Her possession of the Beads of Subjugation grants her a unique ability to instantly subdue Inuyasha with a single word. Finally, her connection to the ancient well allows her to travel freely between the modern era and the Warring States period.