He considered Sakura to be a typical eroge heroine; more scenes of erotic content were created for her compared to the game's other female characters.

Writer Kinoko Nasu wanted Sakura to contrast with Rin Tohsaka, the heroine of another route in the visual novel, based on their different pasts.

Sakura's initial concept was based on Fujino Asagami from Kara no Kyoukai, which Nasu accepted when Takeuchi first showed him the sketches.

[2] While making Fate/Zero, the staff favored showing more of her suffering, most notably when Kariya tries to save her, but some scenes were removed from the light novel because of the nature of the content.

[4] For Ufotable's film based on Heaven's Feel, director Tomonori Sudo said he wanted to further explore the past relationship between Shirou and Sakura, which he believes is the most important part of the story.

[12] Sakura is introduced in visual novel Fate/stay night as a first-year high-school student and the sister of Shinji Matou, a friend of the story's protagonist Shirou Emiya.

[14] Sakura is proven to be a powerful mage as well as Rider's true Master, having used a command spell to give control to Shinji because she had no desire to fight.

In Heaven's Feel it is revealed that Sakura underwent years of torture and sexual abuse by Shinji and her grandfather Zōken Matō that have left her psychologically scarred and emotionally dependent on Shirou.

[15] As a result of the combined machinations of Zōken and magus priest Kirei Kotomine, she gradually sinks into depravity before embracing the Shadow to become the bloodthirsty Dark Sakura.

Torn between her usual self and being fully consumed by her long-repressed feelings of rage and envy, Sakura initially intends to sacrifice herself in order to stop Angra Mainyu, but proceeds to seek vengeance upon the world by unleashing Angra Mainyu upon humanity after her biological sister Rin, from whom she was separated after being adopted into the Matou family, expresses her desire to kill her.

Sakura now stays at the Emiya residence on weekends, holidays and special occasions; she also becomes the head of the Matou household, having ousted Zouken.

Sakura maintains slight resentment and an inferiority complex towards Rin, and displays jealousy towards other women when Shirou pays them attention.

Sakura's evil and sadistic side from the Heaven's Feel route of Fate/stay night manifests occasionally as comic relief in the game.

[19] Once Shirou recovers, he tells the other characters about Sakura's past, which is also told in the movie prequel Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya: Oath Under Snow.

[29] Writer Gen Urobuchi praised Sakura's role in Heaven's Feel because the character represents a darker side of women but Shirou still accepts her.

[32] Rice Digital claimed the sexual scenes were given a deep theme, most notably in Heaven's Feel when the heroine, Sakura, is treated differently due to her backstory, which makes her unease.

[42] Rebecca Silverman commended the film for exploring into Sakura's hidden depths and psychological state and found her descent into darkness beautiful and understandable.

[43] Skyler Allen praised Sakura's hidden depths in the second movie because of the revelation of her difficult childhood while wondering whether her relationship with Shirou is healthy.

[44] IGN felt that Sakura's personality was one of the best parts of the second film due to how she suffers a darker characterization despite retaining her original wellmeaning self.

[45] Biggest In Japan said that the second Heaven's Feel makes a major impact in Shirou and Sakura's relationship to the point the former's character arc "comes full circle".

As the story makes Sakura the biggest enemy in the narrative who wants to be killed by the person she loves the most, Shirou becomes conflicted between his feelings for her and whether or not he can save her until giving up on being a hero and allowing her live.