Puella Magi Oriko Magica/Characters

Characters from Puella Magi Oriko Magica include:

New Characters

Oriko Mikuni

A mysterious magical girl. Her magic allows her to see into the future. Her first vision was one where a powerful witch attacks Mitakihara City. She is the mastermind behind the magical girl killings. Her wish was to understand the meaning of her life.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Anti-Villain: Type III
Big Damn Heroes: To Kirika, just as Mami is about to blast Kirika's head.
Canon Foreigner
The Chessmaster
Decoy Protagonist: The first volume, at least, is more about Yuma and Kyouko than Oriko. There's also the fact that Oriko is the main antagonist.
Desperately Looking for a Purpose In Life: After her fall of grace.
Dissonant Serenity
Evil Counterpart: To Madoka, in a sense. Both are girls Desperately Looking for a Purpose In Life, express a desire to help others (in Oriko's case this manifested in some well-intentioned extremism in preventing Madoka from becoming a world destroying witch and Madoka doing a Cosmic Retcon to prevent the birth of witches), have a friend with Undying Loyalty and invoke a princess motif, having Pimped Out Dresses in their Magical Girl forms and living in Big Fancy Houses.
Fallen Princess: Her backstory. Her father was a corrupt congressman who commited suicide, and everyone shunned and abandoned her afterwards. When Kyuubey found her to offer her a contract, she was wrapped in a bedsheet in a corner of her now empty home, apparently resigned to Dying Alone.
Feminine Women Can Cook
Green Eyes
Hannibal Lecture: Attempts this on Homura.
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: She gets in the way of Kyouko's spear to prevent it from hurting Kirika's corpse. She didn't die because of this, but it allowed Homura to shoot her Soul Gem.
- She also uses her last moments of life to shoot a shard of Kirika's witch body through the barrier, as her last chance to kill Madoka. It works, hitting the poor girl in the torso and killing her.
Les Yay: She and Kirika are very close.
Light Is Not Good: Invoked because she wears white, the color of light.
The Man Behind the Man: To Kirika.
Meaningful Name: Oriko means "weaver girl" or "sewing lady" - think of weaving the threads of fate. It also sounds similar to Oracle.
- "Mikuni" can also be read as "Beautiful Country" which could connect to her political family, as well as her dream and desire to protect her world.
My God, What Have I Done?: After her death, she's seen in some kind of afterlife, where she's unable to move due to the weight of all the deaths her actions caused.
Necessarily Evil: It's not that she likes being the Big Bad, but she does it because she truly thinks it's what she has to do. She's even shown the afterlife lamenting all the deaths her actions have caused.
Nice Hat: She has an odd headdress on her magical girl costume.
The Ojou
Omniscient Morality License: She does have a point about the imminent apocalypse...
Out-Gambitted: By Kyubey. And she out-gambits Homura.
Pimped-Out Dress: Her magical girl outfit is quite impressive.
Seer: Her powers appear to let her see the future.
Set Right What Once Went Wrong: When she foresees the future of Mitakihara and its destruction, she decides to change it by manipulating events to give her the opportunity to kill Madoka.
Shadow Archetype: Both played straight and inverted with Homura. Anti-Villain to Homura's Anti-Hero. Utterly determined to kill Madoka as Homura is to protect her. Has a friend with the same Undying Loyalty to her that Homura has to Madoka. Inverted in that she's dressed all in white while Homura is all in dark colours.
- Their powers are also each others' inverse. Oriko can see the future, while Homura can change the past.
Slasher Smile
Spot of Tea: A witch appears at Oriko's house. What does she do? Make tea while Kirika fights it.
Villain Protagonist
Well-Intentioned Extremist: She wants to kill Madoka to prevent her from becoming a Magical Girl and then a world-destroying witch
What Happened to the Mouse?: Oriko's fate in the timelines seen in the anime is unknown.
White-Haired Pretty Girl: The volume 2 cover has her as silvery blonde, but that's close enough.
Woman in White: When in her magical girl outfit.

Yuma Chitose

A young girl that Oriko names as a potential magical girl candidate to Kyubey. Her wish was to heal a dismembered Kyouko, which grants her healing spells; her offensive abilities involve using her staff to cause tremors.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Abusive Parents: Her father never was around. Her mother burnt her with cigarettes and told her she was worthless and useless.
Animal-Eared Headband
Big Damn Healer: Yuma heals Kyouko after her arms and legs were ripped off by a witch she was fighting alone, saving her life.
Blue Eyes
Broken Bird: Severely mentally damaged from her past.
Canon Foreigner
Catgirl: Her magical girl form.
Combat Medic
Conveniently an Orphan: Witches killed her parents.
Hair Decorations
Girlish Pigtails
Healing Hands: To the point she can heal someone (Kyouko) who just had their arms and legs ripped off. It's unclear if this level of healing is her power all the time; or whether that instance was the wish she made with Kyubey.
I Wished You Were Dead: Admits she's not really sad that her parents are dead, though she doesn't want to be alone.
Morality Pet: Kyouko really, really doesn't want to be a nurturing protector and she definitely doesn't want to be nice about it. But being mean to Yuma is like kicking a puppy.
Parental Abandonment: Her father was never around and left Yuma in her abusive mother's care.
Please Don't Leave Me: She really doesn't want Kyouko to leave her.
Red Herring: Despite what many thought, no, she's not Charlotte.
- Also an in-universe example. She, along with the magical girl murders, was used to distract Kyubey from Madoka so that Oriko would have enough time to kill her.
Replacement Goldfish: For Kyouko's little sister Momo.
Rousing Speech: Gives one to Kyouko and Mami after they've given up hope when they discover that witches come from magical girls. Involves Do Not Go Gentle.
Tareme Eyes
Third Person Person: Just like Momo, Kyouko's dead little sister.
Unwitting Pawn: To Oriko.
What Happened to the Mouse?: Yuma's fate in the timelines seen in the anime is unknown.
You Gotta Have Green Hair

Kirika Kure

A "black magical girl", and a friend of Oriko. She's the culprit behind the magical girl killings. Her wish involved changing her formerly quiet personality to a more outgoing one, and it grants her time-slowing magic.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Alliterative Name
Ax Crazy
Badass Longcoat: In magical girl form.
Because You Were Nice to Me: The main reason she likes Oriko.
Berserk Button: Being called a "kid" by anyone but Oriko, and throwing around the word "affection." In her case, it's more like "Push this button to make her Berserk more."
Canon Foreigner
Cute Little Fangs
Dark Action Girl
The Dragon: To Oriko.
Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette
Excuse Me While I Multitask: While fighting a witch, Kirika tells Oriko how much sugar she wants in her tea, and argues with her about being treated like a kid.
Hair Decorations
Evil Counterpart : To Homura, in many ways. Unfortunately, it's not explored further.
Eyepatch of Power: Her magical girl outfit has one.
Eyes of Gold
Fashionable Asymmetry
Hurricane Kick: Performs one in her fight with Mami while doing a handstand.
Les Yay: It's obvious she really likes Oriko.
Living Emotional Crutch / Only Friend: To Oriko after her fall from grace. She admits she would really be broken if Kirika wasn't around.
Loners Are Freaks: In her past.
Magic Skirt: In her magical girl form.
One-Winged Angel: When Kirika figured out that she can't defeat Homura and the other magical girls, she turns herself into a Witch.
Only a Flesh Wound: Apparently, being shot at the knee by Mami is not enough to stop her. Too bad, while she's healing, Mami is ready to blast her head.
Psychopathic Woman Child
Psycho Supporter: To Oriko.
Security Blanket / Girls Love Stuffed Animals: The stuffed toy she carries around, which is implied to be a gift from Oriko.
Slasher Smile
Sweet Tooth
Too Many Belts: A fairly minor case, but present in both her civilian and magical girl outfits.
Time Master: Her power is to slow down everything except herself and (presumably) her allies, making her seem fast. Notably, this power can actually slow down the destruction of a witch's barrier after it's defeated. She even slows down her own transformation into a witch.
Undying Loyalty: To Oriko.
What Happened to the Mouse?: Kirika's fate in the timelines seen in the anime is unknown.
Wolverine Claws: Her weapons.
Woman in Black: When in her magical girl outfit.
Yandere: Of the "obsessive" type. She'll do anything for Oriko... anything.
Zettai Ryouiki

Returning Characters

This section is only for tropes that appear exclusively in Puella Magi Oriko Magica. See here for character tropes from the original series.

Mami Tomoe

A magical girl veteran who is investigating the recent murders of magical girls.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Adaptational Badass: She was already Badass in Madoka Magica, but her track was cut short due to Charlotte chomping her. Here? She shows further the extent of her Badassery if her track wasn't cut short at all.
Despair Event Horizon: When she and Kyouko discover that witches come from magical girls. Ultimately subverted when Yuma gives a Rousing Speech and brings the two back from the brink of despair.
For Want of a Nail: Survived in this timeline because she wasn't showing off to Madoka in her fight against Charlotte.
Mythology Gag: "That witch would have killed me if I left my guard down".
Not So Stoic: Has something of a Freak-Out when she learns where witches come from, but snaps out of it thanks to Yuma.
Scenery Censor: When her skirt is flipped, Yuma's head and arms block the reader's view.

Kyouko Sakura

A magical girl veteran who becomes an "older sister" figure for Yuma.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Adopt the Dog: Though she hadn't yet abandoned her Jerkass nature at the time Oriko Magica begins, she finds it in her heart to take Yuma in, acting like a mother to her better than her real mother did.
Big Sister Instinct: Towards Yuma.
Despair Event Horizon: When she and Mami discover that witches come from magical girls. Ultimately subverted when Yuma gives a Rousing Speech and brings them back from the brink of despair.
Don't Call Me Oneechan: She says this to Yuma.
Parental Substitute: For Yuma.

Homura Akemi

A description of the character goes here.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Always Save the Girl: Gets called out by Madoka herself.
Demoted to Extra: Only appears briefly in volume 1, though her role is expanded dramatically in volume 2.
Foregone Conclusion: She fails to save Madoka, obviously.
Out-Gambitted: By Oriko. So Homura thought that killing Oriko would save Madoka? It didn't: Oriko still managed to kill her.
Somebody Else's Problem: Her reaction to most things. As long as they don't affect Madoka, she doesn't care.

Madoka Kaname

A description of the character goes here.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Blush Sticker
Demoted to Extra: Makes only a two panel appearance in volume 1, though her role is expanded somewhat in volume 2.
Doomed by Canon
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Oriko kills her via shooting a piece of Kirika's witch body out of the barrier, which impales poor Madoka in the torso in front of the horrified Sayaka and Hitomi. When the barrier is lifted, everyone sees what has happened, and Homura is driven to a Heroic BSOD.
What the Hell, Hero?: Calls Homura out for only protecting her and refusing to help Hitomi and Sayaka, among others.

Madoka: How can you be so cold, Homura-chan? Why are you saving only me? You have such an incredible power, Homura-chan! But if you're going to abandon everyone and run away, then you shouldn't save me!

Kyubey

A description of the character goes here.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Sayaka Miki

A description of the character goes here.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Demoted to Extra: She doesn't even appear in the first volume.
Heroic Bystander: She doesn't become a magical girl here, but does what she can to help.
Improvised Weapon: A big candy cane from the surrounding witch barrier.
Plucky Girl

Hitomi Shizuki

A description of the character goes here.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Break the Cutie: Hitomi didn't know anything about Witches and Magical Girls in the original. In this one, she witnesses a particularly bloody attack on Mitakihara Junior High, gets caught in a witch barrier with her friends and other students, and then sees Madoka die horribly right in front of her and Sayaka. To say the kid's broken by that is an understatement.
Heroic BSOD: Suffers a HUGE one during the witch attack on her school, when she sees the lifeless body of a student inside the magical barrier. She doesn't look much better when she and Sayaka tend to the dying Madoka.

Kazuko Saotome

A description of the character goes here.

Tropes exhibited by this character include:

Doomed by Canon: Inverted. She lives to the end of the original series, but is gruesomely killed in episode 5 of this manga.
Sacrificial Lamb - Stuffed Into the Fridge
Expy - Very likely to be a reference to a certain other young female teacher who suffers a gruesome death in *two* alternate universes. Considering that Mami's death scene is also a possible reference to the same franchise - and the manner of that other teacher's death - it's not too much of a stretch to see this parallel.

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