Saya is a second-year student at Fujimi High School and the daughter of Soichiro Takagi, the influential leader of a powerful right-wing organization. Due to her prestigious background, she was raised under high expectations and has been trained from a young age to act with discipline, intelligence, and independence. This upbringing contributed to her strong-willed personality and exceptional academic performance, particularly in science and strategy.

Although she starts the series as someone focused on logic and rationality, the collapse of society and the emergence of the undead force Saya to step beyond the confines of academic theory and engage in real-world survival, where she proves herself an invaluable asset to the group.

Saya has long, pink hair styled with bangs and tied into twin tails, and wears glasses that accentuate her sharp gaze. She typically dons her school uniform, which consists of a green-trimmed white blouse, a black skirt, and black thigh-high stockings common among the female characters in the series. Her expression is usually serious, stern, or irritated, though she occasionally displays vulnerability or affection in quieter moments.

Her confident posture and voice reflect her pride in her intellect, and she often pushes up her glasses when about to make a strong or sarcastic remark.

Saya is highly intelligent, analytical, and confident, bordering on arrogant. She is a natural skeptic, quick to challenge others’ assumptions and correct misinformation, which makes her both respected and resented at times by her peers. She does not shy away from voicing her opinions, even if it causes friction within the group.

Despite her abrasive manner, Saya is deeply caring and protective of her friends, especially when it comes to their safety. Her intelligence often serves as the backbone for the group’s tactical decisions, and she grows to understand that emotional strength and cooperation are just as important as logic in a crisis.

Over time, her initially detached demeanor gives way to moments of warmth, especially around Takashi, revealing a more vulnerable side to her character.

• Tactical Support and Survival Planning
  Saya’s primary contribution to the group lies in her intellect, often devising strategies for avoiding or fighting the undead. Early in the series, she explains the nature of the outbreak and helps the group understand the zombies’ limitations, such as their dependence on sound.

• Personal Growth and Engagement
  While Saya initially avoids combat, preferring to stay behind and observe, she becomes more involved in the action as the group travels through the city and faces increasingly dire threats. During their time at the police station and later at her family’s estate, Saya begins to accept the new world and her active role in it, even wielding weapons when necessary.

• Connection to Takashi
  Saya has known Takashi Komuro since childhood and often teases or argues with him. However, as the story progresses, her actions and emotional reactions reveal that she harbors romantic feelings for him. Her complicated emotions regarding Takashi and his closeness with Rei Miyamoto often cause internal conflict, though she rarely expresses her jealousy openly.