Sawa is the central character of the 1998 anime Kite. After her parents are brutally murdered, she is taken into custody by the detectives assigned to her case, Akai and Kanie. These men are corrupt and were involved in the circumstances of her parents' death. They raise her as an assassin, training her in the use of firearms and combat. She lives a double life, attending school during the day while carrying out assassinations for her handlers at night.

Her primary motivation shifts over the course of the story. Initially, she is controlled by the promise of revenge for her parents and a sense of manipulated loyalty toward her guardians. As she becomes fully aware of their exploitation and true nature, her motivation transforms into the pursuit of freedom and a drive for personal vengeance against her abusers.

Sawa's personality is defined by a strong duality. On the surface, she functions as a detached and efficient killer, displaying minimal emotion while carrying out her assigned hits. This cold demeanor acts as a psychological defense mechanism developed through years of trauma. Beneath this exterior is a deeply wounded young woman who has endured physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Her suppressed intelligence and capacity for human connection survive, most visibly demonstrated through her bond with Oburi.

Oburi is the most significant relationship Sawa forms in the story. As a fellow young assassin working for the same controllers, he intimately understands her circumstances. Their friendship is built on mutual empathy and develops into a romantic connection. It is Oburi who provides her with the perspective and courage to believe that escape from her life of violence is possible.

In the latter half of the story, Sawa undergoes her most important development. She shifts from a passive instrument of her handlers to an active, calculating rebel. She expertly manipulates her abusers by feigning compliance while secretly preparing to dismantle their control. Her final act of development is her violent rebellion, culminating in her killing her handlers and discarding both her weapons and the symbolic earrings gifted by her abuser, casting off the tools of her enslavement.

Sawa's notable abilities include expert marksmanship, specifically with a custom pistol that fires explosive bullets designed to detonate inside a target. She is also highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat and possesses strong tactical intelligence. Her capacity to endure immense suffering and compartmentalize her emotions are key to her survival and enable her to execute her long-term plan for freedom.