Makoto Sahara is introduced as a coworker of Kaiji Ito at a convenience store called Dawson, where he works alongside Kaiji and another employee named Nishio. He shares many of Kaiji’s lazy and directionless tendencies, yet he harbors a strong desire to escape his mundane life and make a fortune that will give him his “big shot.” Sahara is more outgoing, friendly, and impulsive than Kaiji, and he possesses a sharp instinct that allows him to sense when something is wrong. When Endo, a loan shark connected to the Teiai organization, approaches Kaiji, Sahara quickly picks up on the danger and devises a plan to force Kaiji to admit what is happening.

Driven by the dream of turning his life around, Sahara agrees to participate in a deadly gambling event known as the Human Derby, a high-stakes race across a series of electrified steel beams. His youthful strength and reckless nature serve him well in the early stages of the race, allowing him to take a strong lead and finish first in his block, earning a certificate redeemable for twenty million yen. However, the race’s true danger lies beyond the visible course, and Sahara ultimately loses his life during the challenge. His death becomes a crucial turning point for Kaiji, who witnesses the fall and realizes that a hidden completion route exists, leading Kaiji to discover the glass stairs that allow him to finish the race legitimately.

Sahara’s role in the story is brief but significant. He represents the ordinary person who dreams of a better life but is crushed by the brutal system of the Teiai organization. His friendship with Kaiji is genuine, and his demise reinforces the life-or-death stakes of the gambles and serves as a catalyst for Kaiji’s determination to survive and seek the truth. Sahara’s notable traits include his physical agility, his quick thinking, and a combination of impulsiveness and street-smart awareness that makes him both effective and vulnerable in the high-pressure environment of the Human Derby.