Borsalino, known by his alias Kizaru, is a senior officer of the Marines and holds the rank of admiral, making him one of the organization's greatest combat assets. He appears in the film One Piece Film Red as part of the large military force deployed to the island of Elegia. His mission, ordered by Fleet Admiral Sakazuki, is to subdue the singer Uta, who the World Government has deemed a significant threat to global stability.

Borsalino is a tall, slender man with a perpetually relaxed expression, often seen wearing a yellow vertically striped suit and a pair of round amber sunglasses. His most defining characteristic is his extremely laid-back and absent-minded personality. He speaks in a slow, drawling tone and often trails off at the end of his sentences, a mannerism that sharply contrasts with the blinding speed granted by his Devil Fruit power. This calm, almost disinterested demeanor persists even in the most dangerous situations. He adheres to a personal philosophy described as uncertain justice, meaning he does not strictly follow an unwavering moral code like some of his colleagues but instead carries out the orders of his superiors without question while maintaining his own detached and unpredictable perspective.

In One Piece Film Red, Borsalino's role is that of a major antagonist, acting on the orders of the World Government to eliminate the perceived threat of Uta. He arrives on Elegia with a fleet of battleships and his fellow admiral, Fujitora. True to his character, he pursues this objective with a calm ruthlessness, showing little concern for the collateral damage or the ethical complexities of the mission. This is exemplified by a cynical remark he makes regarding the necessity of sacrifice in the pursuit of justice, highlighting his pragmatic and amoral approach to his duty. His motivations are not driven by personal vendetta or ambition but by a simple, unquestioning adherence to the chain of command. He sees himself as someone who is merely doing his job.

His key relationships within the film are primarily with his superiors and fellow officers. He receives his orders directly from Fleet Admiral Sakazuki and works alongside Admiral Fujitora, though the two do not share a particularly deep bond, acting more as powerful assets on the same mission. His relationship with the protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, remains antagonistic, continuing their history from the Sabaody Archipelago, though their interaction in the film is limited to his pursuit of Luffy and his friends as they attempt to stop Uta. As one of the Marines' top fighters, his abilities are a central part of his threat. He is a user of the Pika Pika no Mi, a Logia-type Devil Fruit that allows him to transform his body into light. This power grants him the ability to move and attack at light speed, deliver devastating kicks of pure kinetic energy, and project powerful laser beams from his fingers. His techniques are named after Japanese mythological objects, such as Yasakani no Magatama and Ama no Murakumo, reflecting a theme of divine power. There is no significant character development for Borsalino within the film; he serves as a static force of nature, an immutable representation of the World Government's overwhelming power and its detached, unforgiving justice.