Yes that is Homura Akemi. A shy, frail, isolated young girl with no Hope to cling to. But at least there’s a kind classmate determined to give her some much needed encouragement. A classmate named Madoka Kaname.
Sadly, with her weak body unable to keep up in PE and missing half a year of schooling after being confined to a hospital bed, that encouragement wasn’t enough. While wandering home, she laments her pitiful life and considers just ending it. I’m fully convinced that even without the witch whispering to her encouraging that action, that she would still decide to jump off the bridge if nothing else happened. But instead, she’s now trapped in a labyrinth with no idea what to do or what these things chasing her are or want. And then...
A suspiciously familiar gun... But... she died... right?
This is, hands down, my favourite scene in the entire franchise.
of Magical Girl Madoka Kaname!
The first time I watched, I was in awe.
My face looked just like Homura’s at that very moment.
Combined with Credens Justitiam blaring in sync with the shots fired.
Madoka may as well have been an angel, descended from Heaven itself.
Homura no doubt viewed her as such.
Homura had discovered Hope. Likely for the first time in her entire life.
But good things never last forever. As quickly as she appeared, Madoka soon fell in battle against Walpurgisnacht.
Homura had found everything...
And then lost everything.
Much like before, if Madoka fell at this time and Kyubey wasn’t there to answer Homura’s prayer, she would likely have tried to commit suicide once more. But instead, Kyubey was able to grant Homura’s one wish.
To meet Madoka all over again, and instead of Madoka protecting her, Homura would protect Madoka.
She then found herself in the hospital.
It was as though nothing had happened...
If it weren’t for a small violet gem.
And so began Homura’s famous loop. During this we see Homura gradually improve and increase her skill and arsenal. She also see’s Madoka turn into a witch before turning back. Trying to warn the others didn’t work and just worsened relations. But hey, she got to rob the Yakuza, so that’s cool! When Sayaka finally proves her prophecy right, Mami...
She couldn’t take it.
Ensnaring Homura and executing Kyoko, Mami likely planned on killing their entire team and then herself so they wouldn’t turn into witches. She only stopped when Homura is saved yet again...
...by Madoka Kaname.
If you thought that was the worst scene, you haven’t seen anything.
Now Madoka and Homura are about to turn into witches.
And Homura considers following through.
But Madoka is too kind to subject the world to that kind of pain. So she lies about having a spare grief seed to use her... Sayaka ...on Homura. And asks for two promises:
Don’t let her get tricked by Kyubey again.
Mercy kill her so she doesn’t turn into a witch before the world dies.
On that day, the young, frail, innocent girl named Homura Akemi died, leaving a cold, hardened soldier in her place.