Haru is a main character in Beastars, a female dwarf rabbit recognized by her pure white fur and small stature, standing approximately 105 centimeters tall. She is a student at Cherryton Academy, where she is the sole member of the gardening club, a space she tends to alone on the school's rooftop. Her name means spring in Japanese, a reference to the season when flowers bloom and a nod to her love of botany.

Personality: Haru possesses a strong, resilient, and unapologetically honest personality. The creator of the series describes her as someone who is true to herself and honest to a fault, never wearing a social mask like many other characters in the world. She is thick-skinned, brave, and has little trouble speaking her mind or talking back to dangerous individuals, which makes her seem rude or short-tempered at times, especially to those close to her. Underneath this tough exterior, however, she struggles with a poor self-image and a deep sense of resignation. From a young age, she has been acutely aware of how her tiny, fragile appearance as a dwarf rabbit causes others to view her with pity or as something to be protected. She resents being perceived this way, feeling that her individual identity is often erased because of her species and size.

Motivations: Haru's primary motivation is to be seen and valued as an individual, not as a small herbivore or a fragile creature in need of saving. Because her size and species cause others to either infantilize her or want to shield her, she has developed a complex about not being treated as an equal. In her adolescence, she began using sex as a way to feel a sense of equality and self-worth, as it was the one context where she felt she was treated without pity and was on the same level as her partner. This promiscuity leads to her being ostracized and labeled as the school slut, further isolating her from her peers, but she remains unapologetic about her choices. Her actions are driven by a deep desire for genuine connection and to be loved for who she truly is, rather than for her body or out of a sense of obligation from larger carnivores.

Role in the Story: Haru serves as a central figure in the narrative's exploration of the fraught relationship between carnivores and herbivores. Her initial encounter with Legoshi, a grey wolf, occurs when he nearly attacks her in a fit of predatory instinct. This event creates the central tension of their relationship, as Legoshi is simultaneously ashamed of his actions and romantically attracted to her. Haru is often placed in dangerous situations because of her small size and the predatory instincts she awakens in carnivores. In a key sequence, she is kidnapped by a gang of lions, prompting Legoshi to mount a rescue that puts their world's social conflicts into sharp relief. Her presence forces both Legoshi and the larger society to confront questions of nature, instinct, and whether love can transcend the biological divide between predator and prey.

Key Relationships: The most significant relationship in her life is with Legoshi. Initially, she finds him interesting precisely because he does not immediately treat her as a sexual object, and his awkward sincerity stands in stark contrast to her other superficial encounters. Their bond grows slowly and is complicated by the fact that his deepest feelings for her are intertwined with his hunting instincts, a connection a psychologist in the story describes as warped. She also shares a complex relationship with Louis, a red deer. Unlike her relationship with Legoshi, her connection with Louis is more conventional in its romance, though it is haunted by the understanding that their different species ultimately prevents them from being together, leaving her with a lingering sense of loneliness. Despite being isolated at school, she is shown to have a family, consisting of her parents and two older siblings, which is a rarity among the main cast.

Development: Over the course of the story, Haru evolves from someone who has resigned herself to a life of superficial transactions and isolation to someone who begins to believe in the possibility of genuine love and acceptance. Her growing love for Legoshi, and his persistent, if awkward, devotion to her, helps to strengthen her self-esteem. She learns to assert her boundaries even more firmly, at times scolding Legoshi when his protective instincts become overbearing. However, she also faces the harsh realities of an interspecies relationship, witnessing the tragedies that can befall couples like them, which forces her to grapple with her future and whether she has the strength to continue. Her personal journey is about learning to value herself not just as an equal partner, but as an individual worthy of love, independent of the danger her existence represents to a carnivore.

Notable Abilities: Haru does not possess physical abilities that allow her to compete with larger animals, but she demonstrates notable strengths in other areas. Her most defining ability is her exceptional courage and bluntness, which allow her to stand up to powerful carnivores, such as the lion mafia called the Shishigumi, without flinching. She is also a dedicated and knowledgeable gardener, finding solace and purpose in cultivating plants, which is the only extracurricular activity she participates in at school. Her resilience is a key ability; despite being socially isolated and frequently looked down upon, she continues to live life on her own terms without apology.