Saori

Overview

Joumae Saori is a second-year student from Arius Branch School in Blue Archive, serving as the formidable leader of the elite Arius Squad. Renowned as an unmatchable expert in guerrilla warfare, she forged her squad's high combat abilities through her own rigorous instruction. While she normally acts as a cold, calculating commander who relies on any means necessary, she also harbors intense inner passion and strong possessiveness over her duties. After breaking away from her past lineage, she travels around engaging in various odd jobs and mercenary work, navigating normal society with a surprisingly naive outlook.

Appearance

Saori has long black hair and blue eyes set in a slender frame. Her default attire consists of a black baseball cap, a black sleeveless crop top revealing her midriff, and a white coat worn loosely over her shoulders, paired with a lower-face mask during combat operations. Her halo features a rotated four-pointed star pattern. In alternate attire, she wears an elegant long white dress accompanied by opera gloves and a thigh holster with a knife, or a casual outfit consisting of a black tank top, hot pants, sandals, headphones, and a white cap.

Personality

Shaped by a harsh upbringing, Saori adopted a heavy nihilistic mindset, strictly maintaining a detached and stoic persona. Beneath her cold exterior lies a deep sense of responsibility and genuine care for her comrades, driving her to bear heavy burdens to shield them. Following key events, she frequently struggles with guilt and self-blame over her past actions. Due to her isolated military training, she lacks basic worldly knowledge, leading to endearing moments of obliviousness where she easily gets tricked by shady employers or takes unusual instructions too literally.

Abilities

In combat, Saori wields a customized Arius assault rifle based on the SIG516, outfitted with an optical sight and foregrip, alongside a sidearm handgun and combat knife. She excels in focused single-target strikes, delivering guaranteed critical damage against chosen foes. Her offensive efficiency scales significantly when deploying alongside fellow members associated with the Arius Squad. Additionally, she demonstrates exceptional endurance and physical tenacity, holding her ground even in severely disadvantageous engagements.

Background

Raised in the slums of the Arius district under Beatrice's tyrannical rule, Saori served as both instructor and leader for the Arius Squad. To protect Atsuko from being sacrificed, she carried out extreme orders, eventually leading to the disruption of the Eden Treaty signing. After discovering she was merely being used, she hit rock bottom during the ensuing conflict. With the intervention of Sensei, she managed to break free from her past chains. Deciding to wander independently, she left the district to work as a freelance mercenary and part-timer across Kivotos.

Relationships

She shares a deep, protective bond with Hakari Atsuko, whom she addresses with great deference, while maintaining long-standing trust with Imashino Misaki and Tsuchinaga Hiyori. Her relationship with former squadmate Shirasu Azusa was complex and strained due to differing paths, though mutual recognition remains. Despite intense clashes with Misono Mika stemming from past conflicts, the two ultimately reached a mutual understanding. Additionally, her interactions with Problem Solver 68 led her to oddly admire Rikuhachima Aru and her crew as top-tier outlaws.

Trivia

Saori's default design was illustrated by 9ml, while her Swimsuit and Dress variations were created by Mx2j. Although listed as a second-year high school student at age 17, the main story clarifies that she had previously been held back a year. Her swimsuit alt debuted during the 3.5-anniversary event featuring her in a DJ role. In official spin-off comics, she is occasionally depicted as having a surprisingly weak spot for cheesy puns.