Акемі Хомура

She tries, again and again,​ to prevent Madoka from being killed or becoming a magical girl and, inevitably, a witch, but is never able to save her. She always returns to the beginning of the month upon failure. Her magical weapon is a shield filled with sand that allows her to freeze time. However, this power becomes useless if she is physically restrained as she cannot turn her shield to activate it. She can also use this shield to block projectiles and store the various weapons she carries. Since her shield and magic have no offensive capability, she instead attacks using stolen firearms and homemade explosives while time is stopped. Once the sand on her shield runs out, Homura must reset the timeline.

Homura's prominently black design is sinister and mysterious, fitting with how the series is slow at revealing her motives. Her ambiguity is further amplified by her dull, purple eyes. Whereas the rest of the cast had vibrant, same-color eyes, Homura's show internal conflict (purple is a mix of red and blue) and trauma. She has a cold design and personality, with her monotone voice and dark color palette. Her eyes are similar to Mami's, which hints towards Homura putting up a facade when she's actually quite fragile, hinting towards a past event that turned Homura into who she is.