Name: Kyoko Sakura Kyoko Sakura appears tomboyish, selfish, and bellicose on the surface, but at her core, she is a deeply affectionate and caring girl. Due to a painful past, she began acting solely for herself, yet she holds firm convictions—such as never forgiving those who waste food—and hides a pure kindness that manifests as clumsy concern for others. Appearance She is characterized by a prominent snaggletooth and wears her long red hair in a high ponytail tied with a black ribbon. While often perceived as petite, she stands at 158cm (according to the Puella Magi Madoka Magica PRODUCTION NOTE), which isn't particularly short. Among the main Magical Girls, she is the third tallest. Her Magical Girl outfit is likely modeled after her father's clerical vestments. The color is a deep crimson, consisting of a ruffled sleeveless dress with a standing collar. A diamond-shaped cross opening at the collar reveals a red gem embedded in her skin. (This red stone was created by Kyoko using magic to house her Soul Gem; it was not there originally.) The front of the dress opens in an A-line, with layered lace along the edges. The dress length reaches her mid-thigh. Underneath, she wears a long black tube top featuring a church motif and a short pink pleated skirt. On her feet, she wears black thigh-high socks and red Gothic-style heeled boots with fold-over cuffs and diamond cross patterns. She wears light grayish-purple arm covers from her upper arms to her wrists, with black cuffs featuring white buttons covering part of the wrists. Her Soul Gem is red, its symbol is an oval, and its position after transformation is at her collar. Kyoko's wish was: "I want everyone to listen seriously to what my dad has to say." Her father, a clergyman, believed that "a new era needs new teachings" and began preaching "common sense" truths separate from traditional dogma. However, society viewed him as nothing more than a suspicious cult leader; he lost his followers and was eventually excommunicated from the church. From then on, the family lived in such poverty that they struggled to find daily meals. This experience is likely why she is obsessed with eating and refuses to tolerate wasting food. Kyoko was pained by the fact that no one would listen to her beloved father. When Kyubey appeared, she made a contract, and her father regained more followers and faith than ever before. However, the happiness did not last. Upon discovering that he had gained followers through magic rather than his own teachings, her father denounced her, screaming, "You're a witch who leads people's hearts astray!" Driven to a breakdown, he killed himself and the rest of the family (mother and younger sister), leaving Kyoko as the sole survivor. As a result, her miracle led to an even deeper despair, and Kyoko vowed from that point on to "never use magic for the sake of others." Afterward, she lost her moral restraints, living an extreme lifestyle driven by whim and emotion—committing ruthless crimes at times and helping people at others. Ironically, living selfishly in this manner helped suppress her transformation into a witch. On the other hand, she secretly hated this way of life (it is mentioned that her constant eating is a way to vent stress). This feeling intensified through her contact with Sayaka Miki, who fought for justice and wished for others just as Kyoko once had. According to Gen Urobuchi, the scriptwriter: "Kyoko maintained her composure by venting her despair through acting as a villain, but in truth, she didn't like that version of herself. If she could have saved Sayaka, she could have saved her own heart. However, had she abandoned her, she would have faced true despair." In other words, Kyoko likely committed misdeeds as a motive to release her negative emotions. She may have been venting her unrewarded feelings by taking them out on unspecified people. Furthermore, in the portable game version, there is a development where she turns into a witch due to factors involving her relationship with Sayaka. Combat Style A close-quarters type specializing in speed and power. Her physical abilities are among the highest of the Magical Girls in the series. she displays acrobatic, light movements and maneuvers through the battlefield with high-performance multi-part spears and superior technique. Beyond speed, her power is immense; she hung Sayaka up while untransformed, pinned Homura (who was already transformed) in the manga version, and performed the feat of hurling the Quitterie witch high into the sky while transformed. Additionally, in the status table published in the pamphlet for the first movie, all her stats—excluding her sealed initial magic (hallucinations)—such as attack, defense, speed, and stamina were rated 3 or higher out of 5. Her speed was listed as equal to Madoka's (who was significantly buffed by accumulated karma). While this suggests she has the most balanced and high-level abilities among the five, it should be noted that Gen Urobuchi clarified on Twitter after the movie's release that "old data from the early planning stages was unearthed and somehow printed in the pamphlet." Therefore, these parameters lack reliability regarding the characters in the finished anime. (According to Gen Urobuchi, regarding Sayaka's speed alone, the actual ability value should be about 50% higher than what was listed in the pamphlet.)