Asirpa, a young Ainu girl raised in Hokkaido, is the daughter of Wilk, an Ainu hunter, and Riratte, who perished shortly after her birth. Honed by her father from childhood in survival skills—hunting, trapping, and mastering knowledge of Hokkaido’s ecosystems—she embodies Ainu traditions, revering animals as kamuy (spirits) and utilizing every resource from hunted prey, a philosophy forged by the region’s unforgiving climate.

Orphaned after her father’s death during a gold transport incident, her resilience and self-reliance deepened. A bond with a white wolf named Retar, who later vanished, left scars of abandonment, shaping her guarded nature. Yet among trusted allies like Sugimoto and Shiraishi, her playful humor emerges, revealing layers beneath her stoicism.

Teaming with Sugimoto, a hardened Russo-Japanese War veteran, she pursues vengeance for her father’s death and reclaims stolen Ainu gold. Pragmatic yet principled, she refuses to kill humans, adhering to Ainu ethics even in conflict. Her quest evolves from personal retribution to safeguarding her people’s autonomy, viewing the gold as a tool to resist cultural erosion.

Beyond survival, she crafts traditional Ainu cuisine like citatap and showcases artistic precision in replicating tattooed maps from convicts. Steeped in rituals honoring prey, she respects ancestral customs while questioning certain traditions, rejecting practices like mouth tattooing.

Her journey traces growth from solitary hunter to a leader awakening to her people’s plight. Three years after meeting Sugimoto, her taller, matured frame mirrors her role as a guardian of Ainu heritage. Though her bond with Sugimoto eases fears of abandonment, tensions linger over his intentions with the gold.

Woven into historical strife—Japanese assimilation efforts and post-war turmoil—her resolve to protect Ainu identity sharpens. The name "Asirpa," meaning "new year" or "future," echoes her symbolic mantle as a beacon for her culture’s endurance.