Sunakake-Babaa, the Sand-Throwing Hag, is central to the 1996 GeGeGe no Kitarō adaptation. This version establishes her unique origin: she was once human before becoming a yōkai. Her human past involved a romantic relationship with a fisherman. Antagonists later exploit this history, trying to manipulate her with promises of reuniting with this lost love or restoring her youth. Silhouettes depict her younger self. Medama-Oyaji specifies her age as over 500 years.

Her personality shows strong maternal traits. She cooks for residents of the Yōkai Apartments and consistently cares for Kitarō's well-being. During "The Great Yōkai Trial," Yagyō-san explicitly calls her "like a mother to Kitarō," a status that legally prevents her from testifying for him. In the final episode, she creates a doll resembling Kitarō’s deceased mother for him.

She manages the Yōkai Apartments with comedic flair, sometimes disguising herself as a heavily made-up schoolgirl or posing as a geisha alongside Nezumi-Otoko. She maintains a close, platonic partnership with Konaki-Jijii. The two collaborate efficiently during crises and are rarely separated in high-stakes situations, though fan speculation about romance remains unconfirmed.

Her signature sand-throwing ability persists, but this adaptation reduces emphasis on witchcraft and potion-making. Instead, it highlights her strategic use of sand in combat and problem-solving. Enemies occasionally exploit her human backstory, attempting to sway her allegiance with promises of youth or reunion, but these attempts ultimately fail.