Madoka Kaname (Soul Magica)

Madoka Kaname is the titular character of Puella Magi Madoka Magica IF and a central character in the Soul Magica series. She is a 9th grade student at Mitakihara High School

Appearance
Madoka has rose pink eyes and strawberry blonde hair done up in pigtails with red ribbons. She traditionally wears the Mitakihara High School uniform, even on weekends

As a Magical Girl, she wears a pink "cupcake" dress with a rose pattern on the skirt (as seen from above) and a small heart cutout in the back. She wears white gloves with a pink stripe at the wrist and red ballet heels with ribbons around the ankles. There is a red ribbon tied around her neck just above her Soul Gem, which in this state, takes on the shape of a teardrop.

Personality
Madoka first appears to a naive, gentle girl from a kind family. Though sometimes shy, she makes friends without much difficulty and treats others gently and with respect. She is shown to be a level-headed person, capable of making decisions on her own. She initially has low self-confidence, and she believes she does not have much to offer the world unless she is helping people, which makes becoming a Magical Girl appealing to her. She has been known to become flustered easily, and in certain circumstances, she can be easily manipulated by others playing on her insecurity and desire to help. Once she becomes a Magical Girl, she is more obviously confident in herself than before her wish.

Madoka often tries to help and understand others, even if it doesn’t end particularly well. She’s anxious, scared, and doesn’t fully understand the whole situation, but she desperately tries her best to do so.

Etymology

 * The kanji of her last name mean "deer" (鹿) and "eye"(目), respectively.
 * Her last name can also be used as a first name.
 * Her last name sounds the same as (要), a word which means "keystone" or "hub".
 * Madoka could also mean "wish" or "ambition" or "flower".

Wish
Madoka's wish that makes her into a Magical Girl is different depending on which timeline she is from. However, her wishes have always stemmed from her kindness. From what we know until now, she has Contracted with Kyubey in order to:


 * Save a cat who had just died in front of her in the first three timelines (exact wording unknown)
 * Either save Homura from Walpurgisnacht or obtain the power to defeat Walpurgisnacht in the fourth timeline (exact wording unknown)
 * "I wish you could understand how they all felt." (penultimate timeline shown in chapter 7)
 * "I wish for the Witches that you (Kyubey) made to turn back into Magical Girls once they're defeated, and that you can get even more energy that way!" (current timeline)

Pre-series
It is implied in chapter 2 that Madoka either had an unborn twin or two unborn siblings via miscarriage, as there is a sonogram seen on her desk as she designs her Magical Girl costume. This may also attribute to her initially low confidence and feeling of self-worthlessness, as she feels pressured to fulfill their purpose in life as well as her own.

Dreaming of Walpurgisnacht
The first chapter of Madoka IF takes place just as the first episode of the anime, the only main difference being that the Preserver Kriemhild Gretchen, rather and Kyubey, is the one to offer Madoka a Contract to become a Magical Girl

Mami vs the Sweets Witch
During her heart-to-heart with Mami in chapter 3, the pair are shot by raven's feathers laced with the sand from Homura's Time Shield, allowing them access to memories of other timelines. For Mami, this manifests as visions of her apparent death against the Witch, allowing her to take measures to avoid it. It is not specified what memories Madoka received, but the preview for chapter 3 as well as a brief mental back-and-froth at the end of chapter 6 indicate a connection to her dead twin.

Discussing Nodoka and Making Her Wish
Madoka goes with Kyubey to speak with Homura about her memories. She explains that when she found the sonogram and asked her parents about it, they told her about her sister Nodoka. The two also talk about Homura's time travelling and have a similar conversation to that in episode 12 before Madoka makes her wish. She originally planned to make this wish when she was hit, but after Nodoka became conscious, decided to stop and think about it. She comments on the differences between Incubator Witches and the Witches born from tainted Magical Girls, and how it gave her the answers she was looking for.

Homura demands they find Gretchen right away, but Madoka says that she can't make a Contract with her, and asks if there's another Preserver they can talk to. Homura says there is one than appeared in the Witch's Labyrinth from before, but she's not familiar with it. Madoka evaluates her options and decides to make her Contract with Kyubey. Homura panics and shoots Kyubey, but Madoka manages to calm her down when Kyubey respawns. Despite making a Contract with an Incubator, Madoka obtains a Preserver-born Soul Gem.

Songs

 * It's Here

Duets

 * Showtime (Along with Homura Akemi)
 * Take Me As I Am (Along with Kyoko Sakura)