Ashigumo is a significant supporting character in the Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin anime and its source video game. He is a native inhabitant of Hinoe Island, also known as the Isle of Demons, and belongs to a reclusive tribe that shares his name. Physically, Ashigumo is an anthropomorphic creature, with some sources describing his appearance as resembling a weasel or a Japanese otter, characterized by rounded ears and brown fur. His name, which applies to both the individual and his clan, is derived from tsuchigumo, a historical and mythological term for hostile indigenous groups in Japan. The name was originally coined as an insult by a previous ruler of the capital to mean lowborn people who sneak through the reeds, but the Ashigumo tribe does not appear to be particularly offended by it.

Ashigumo’s personality is defined by a fierce sense of independence, loyalty, and a deep-seated wariness of the gods from the Lofty Realm. This suspicion stems from a long history of conflict, as his people fought to prevent their conquest by the capital's deities. Despite this general distrust, he holds an immense and profound respect for Sakuna's parents, the harvest goddess Toyohanahime and the war god Takeribi. This respect was earned when Toyohanahime healed an injured Ashigumo, transforming a hostile rivalry into a powerful alliance. He carries the weight of his tribe's tragic past, as most of the Ashigumo were wiped out in great wars against the malevolent serpent deity Omizuchi and the island's demons. This loss has made him a solitary figure, often described as one of the last, if not the very last, of his kind on Hinoe Island.

In the story, Ashigumo serves as a guardian of the past and a protector of the present. He had been taking care of the home and rice fields belonging to Sakuna's parents during their long absence. When Sakuna is first banished to the island, Ashigumo is hostile towards her group, mistaking them for an invasion force from the capital. However, upon learning through the divine familiar Tama that Sakuna is the daughter of his benefactors, his attitude changes completely. He willingly yields the house and farm to her and allows the exiled goddess and her human companions to stay. From that point forward, he becomes a crucial ally, acting as a mentor, a guard for the mountain pass and farm, and a warrior who joins Sakuna in battle. His role extends to teaching the craftsman Kinta how to create useful tools for the farm and daily life. Later in the series, he accompanies Sakuna and the goddess Kokorowa into a secret river to confront the final antagonist, Omizuchi.

Key relationships are central to Ashigumo's character. His unwavering loyalty is reserved for Sakuna, whom he supports out of a profound sense of debt and gratitude to her mother. He shares a respectful alliance with the wise old divine weasel Tama, who helps mediate the initial meeting with Sakuna. While he is generally suspicious of the capital's gods, he is able to set aside his prejudice when necessary, recognizing that each deity is different. His history with Sakuna's parents is the foundational event of his life, motivating his every action in the present. There is also a notable, though somewhat ambiguous, confrontation with the antagonist Ishimaru, where Ashigumo pursues him for attempting to abduct the young Kaimaru.

Over the course of the narrative, Ashigumo shows a measured development. He begins as a hostile recluse, living in the shadow of his people's destruction, but transitions into a cooperative and reliable member of Sakuna's group. He learns to coexist with the very gods his tribe once fought against, finding a new purpose in protecting the legacy of Toyohanahime and Takeribi by safeguarding their daughter and her farm. While some mysteries about his past, such as the exact fate of his tribe and his true individual name, are left unexplored, his role is firmly established as a steadfast guardian and a bridge between the island's violent history and its hopeful future.

Ashigumo possesses several notable abilities. He is a formidable warrior, known for his incredible speed and proficiency with a sickle. His combat skills are such that he serves as a powerful tutorial boss in the video game, and he is recognized as a very challenging opponent in post-game content. He has extensive knowledge of survival on Hinoe Island, as well as practical skills in home maintenance and tool crafting. Beyond his living abilities, there is a supernatural element to his character; the spirits of his fallen Ashigumo ancestors have become nether gods that haunt the island's volcano, and he himself seems to have a complex, spectral connection to his deceased kin. In the anime, he actively participates in the final battle against the evil god Omizuchi, demonstrating his importance as a fighter in the climax of the story.