Kyoko Sakura hails from Kazamino City as the eldest daughter of a Protestant pastor. His unorthodox teachings led to excommunication and crushing poverty for the family. Driven by starvation, she resorted to stealing food. This desperation ultimately pushed her to contract with Kyubey. Her wish—that people seriously listen to her father's sermons—initially brought prosperity. However, tragedy struck when her father, discovering her magical abilities and condemning them as demonic, murdered her mother and younger sister Momo before killing himself. This catastrophe shattered her idealism. She adopted a ruthless, self-centered philosophy: magical girls must prioritize their own survival above all and never use magic for others, believing such altruism inevitably breeds despair. Her initial magical girl power was illusion magic ("Rosso Fantasma"), creating duplicates of herself, a reflection of her wish's deceptive nature. She subconsciously lost this ability after her family's demise. Her primary weapon is a spear capable of segmenting into a chain whip for ranged attacks or binding foes. She also conjures defensive barriers formed from red energy diamonds, creating protective walls or staircases. In combat, she employs aggressive, acrobatic tactics, leveraging superhuman agility and durability tied to her Soul Gem's integrity. A final, sacrificial technique involves overloading her Soul Gem to generate a massive explosion, powerful enough to destroy formidable witches but fatal to herself. Her red, eye-shaped Soul Gem rests on her upper chest. Personality-wise, Kyoko presents as abrasive, pragmatic, and fiercely independent, often dismissing heroism as naive foolishness. She views witch hunting transactionally, permitting familiars to consume humans to mature into more rewarding witches. Her trauma manifests in a fixation on food: she constantly eats, despises waste, and threatens violence against those who discard it—a direct consequence of childhood starvation. Beneath this hardened exterior lies loyalty and compassion, particularly towards those mirroring her past idealism. She readily shares food and risks her life for others when emotionally invested, revealing a capacity for self-sacrifice she outwardly denies. Blunt pragmatism contrasts with moments of vulnerability, like praying to God before her death. Key relationships define her development. She trained under Mami Tomoe in "The Different Story," forming a close partnership until their ideological split after her tragedy, though she later sacrificed herself to save Mami from despair. Her dynamic with Sayaka Miki is central: initially adversarial due to clashing morals, she came to see Sayaka as a reflection of her former self. This compelled her to protect Sayaka, culminating in a joint suicide with Sayaka's witch form, Oktavia, ensuring Sayaka wouldn't die alone. In "Rebellion," they share a more openly friendly rapport, Kyoko expressing regret they weren't closer. She mentors Yuma Chitose in "Oriko Magica," shielding the orphaned girl and opposing those who exploit magical girls, demonstrating her underlying protectiveness. Her interactions with Homura Akemi involve pragmatic alliances and mutual, if grudging, respect. Her story expands across media. In the main anime timeline, she moves to Mitakihara after Mami's death, clashes with Sayaka, and undergoes a redemptive arc before sacrificing herself. "The Different Story" explores her apprenticeship with Mami and loss of illusion magic, concluding with her dying to secure a Grief Seed for Mami. "Wraith Arc" depicts her fighting wraiths alongside Mami and Homura, her observational skills aiding strategy. "Oriko Magica" shows her adopting Yuma, challenging the manipulative Oriko, and confronting the truth that witches originate from magical girls. In "Rebellion," she attends Mitakihara Middle School in Homura's fabricated world, displaying a lighter, more carefree demeanor while retaining her core loyalty during the fight against Homulilly. Video games like "Madoka Portable" explore alternate paths, such as preventing Sayaka's witch transformation or reuniting with her family in flashbacks. Her design reinforces her narrative. Her civilian attire includes a dark teal hoodie, denim shorts, and boots, reflecting her casual, non-scholastic life pre-Rebellion. Her magical girl outfit combines a maroon dress with white frills, a black corset, thigh-high socks, and red boots. In "Rebellion," she wears Mitakihara's school uniform. Upon full corruption of her Soul Gem, she becomes the witch Ophelia, a headless horseman-like entity wielding spear-based attacks and commanding colorful familiars.