Satoru Kanoichi hails from the wealthy Kanoichi Clan, a long lineage of diviners whose financial resources granted access to magical texts from both Western and Eastern traditions. He established his reputation by blending British and Japanese magical practices into a unique methodology. Physically, he possesses naturally black hair and eyes, bearing a prominent scar on his right eyebrow from a childhood incident where a man injured him before Suzuka, the Zashiki-warashi deity considered the Kanoichi God; this event contributed to underlying psychological trauma.

As a Kanoichi Clan member, he exhibits extensive knowledge of Yin-Yang combinations and maintains the ruthless, realist perspective shared by his siblings. This worldview manifests as opposition to understanding non-human entities known as Anothers. He advocates solely for their elimination or neutralization, disregarding individual circumstances or innocence. He leads or is closely associated with the "Kanoichi Anti-Another" faction, which employs specialized items and Kanoichi-developed products in operations targeting Anothers, regardless of the user's organizational affiliation.

Within the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Nocturnal Culture and Environment Bureau, he serves as a narrative foil to protagonist Arata Miyako, who possesses the 'Ears of Sand' ability to communicate with Anothers. This highlights their conflicting philosophies: Satoru prioritizes extermination, dismissing communication-based approaches as impractical. During field operations, such as responding to cocoon-related incidents at a stadium, he directs personnel to destroy cocoons containing Anothers, demonstrating his commitment to lethal methods even when colleagues become ensnared, triggering dilemmas for Arata who seeks non-violent resolutions.

His background includes adversity beyond the scar incident. The Kanoichi Clan's rumored wealth facilitated access to diverse occult resources, shaping his hybrid magical expertise. The trauma from his encounter with Suzuka underpins his hardened stance toward Anothers, reinforcing his view that coexistence or understanding is unfeasible and undesirable. His faction's operations systematically deploy clan resources and artifacts against Anothers, reflecting a structured, institutional approach to their eradication.