[1] Her less regimented look is a reflection of her youthful urge to stand out among her peers, as well as her literal background as an "Outsider" compared to the other main characters in Gears of War 4; unlike J.D.

"[2][3] Kait's transition from a supporting character to protagonist in Gears 5 is reflected by the ending of its prequel, where it is revealed that her past is connected to the new threat facing the world of Sera.

The designers explored different looks for Kait that evolved from her Gears of War 4 attire as well as armor variations which match the different environments she visits, while preserving a few elements of her Outsider heritage, especially her braid.

[4] The Coalition staff have disclosed during interviews that the decision to place Kait as the protagonist in Gears 5 was planned over a number of years, and it involved change on a cultural level for the company.

Following the death of Oscar, who led an Outsider settlement called Riftworm Village in their defense against a Swarm raid, she travels to a remote area in search of answers about her maternal family's connection to the origins of the Locust Horde.

In the latter novel, Kait explores her family's past by learning more about her father, Lieutenant Colonel later Sergeant Gabriel Diaz, who died of Rustlung when she was young.

The ending hints at the events of Gears Tactics with Colonel Victor Hoffman telling Kait to pay attention if she ever hears the name Ukkon.

[20] Sam Byford from The Verge was of the view that the game's plot does a great job throughout of establishing the stakes on both a personal and global level, giving emotional momentum to the storytelling about Kait's exploration of her heritage even as the world is on the brink of collapse.

[21] In his review of Gears 5 for The Bleacher Report, Chris Roling said that Kait's past and conflicts "are exploited for some excellent, creative gameplay sequences even longtime fans of the series won't see coming".

[17] John Saavedra from Den of Geek opined that Kait and Del outshone the series’ original duo of Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago as they have actual personalities and motivations that go beyond “killing Grubs”, highlighting their banter to be a delightful experience which adds necessary levity to a plot that often place its characters in tragic circumstances.

[21] Todd Martens from The Los Angeles Times noted that Kait's story arc helped bring a sense of mystery to a series filled with monstrous villains and chainsaw guns while reducing the unnecessary machismo prevalent in previous installments.

[28] Terry Terrones from The Gazette claimed that Kait makes for a fascinating protagonist and her personal journey gives the franchise a completely new look, even with the presence of Marcus Fenix and his son J.D.

[29] Owen Gough felt that the narrative of Gears 5 benefited from an exciting new lead in Kait "who manages to revitalise the male-only club of killing monsters, without feeling like it's pandering to an expanded audience".

[17] Shaun Munro from Flickering Myth considered Kait to be the most sympathetic and likeable character in the entire Gears series and a more appealing protagonist then J.D., whom he dismissed as a "dullard".

[30][21][25][24] Byford credited Bailey's strong performance with anchoring Kait's personal struggles in a believable manner, which play out with a surprisingly delicate touch and includes some genuinely shocking moments.