This character originates from Hans Christian Andersen's 1845 fairy tale and appears in animated adaptations, including an anthology series episode closely following the original narrative. She is a young, impoverished girl selling matches on a freezing New Year's Eve. Her bare head and bare feet underscore her vulnerability. She wears an old apron holding unsold matches, having lost her oversized slippers earlier, leaving her feet livid from the cold.

Fear of physical punishment from her father prevents her returning home without money. Seeking shelter between buildings, she lights matches for warmth. Each match ignites a vision: first, a warm iron stove; second, an inviting roasted goose; third, a glorious Christmas tree; and finally, her deceased grandmother, the sole person who ever showed her love and kindness. An earlier shooting star connects to her grandmother's teaching that such stars signify a soul ascending to heaven.

Desperate to keep her grandmother's vision, she ignites her entire remaining bundle. This culminates in her grandmother's spirit carrying her soul to heaven, resulting in her physical death from exposure. The next morning, passersby find her body bearing a faint smile, unaware of the transcendent visions that brought her peace and happiness.

Adaptations, including a 1953 Italian short film and various anime episodes, maintain this narrative trajectory and symbolic conclusion without expanding her backstory or altering her fate. Her experiences consistently reflect themes of suffering, escapism through imagination, and spiritual transcendence over earthly hardship.