Rena comes across as prickly and standoffish, which throws people off. She hides her actual insecurity behind a willful, blunt attitude that makes strangers think she's just difficult. But dig a little deeper and you'll find her taste in food is surprisingly cute and childish, and she spends her free time obsessing over female idols.
Her rough exterior has roots in real trauma. She was bullied as a kid, which made her defensive and suspicious of people trying to get close. This defensiveness backfired—she'd act hostile to potential friends, which isolated her further and reinforced her bad reputation at school. Most days she was alone, just watching her favorite idols perform at home.
When she contracted with Kyubey, Rena wished to become a better person. What she got instead was the ability to shapeshift—practical for disguises and hiding from classmates, but totally useless for fixing what was actually wrong on the inside. She ended up hating herself even more.
Everything changed when she met Momoko Togame at an idol concert. Momoko was an experienced magical girl, and they bonded fighting a Witch together. Momoko's laid-back, understanding nature was exactly what Rena needed. She felt less alone for the first time in a while.
When Momoko introduced her to Kaede Akino, a shy magical girl with her own loneliness, Rena spiraled. She got possessive, worried that Kaede—who was actually likable and gentle—would replace her. She pushed Kaede away and tried to distance herself from both of them. But even while doing it, Rena hated herself for acting that way.
The thing is, both Momoko and Kaede saw right through her. They recognized the hurt underneath the nastiness and didn't hold it against her. Rena finally found friends who actually got her.
It's been a slower process since then. Old defensive habits die hard, and Rena still says things she regrets or misreads situations with Kaede, leading to friction between them. But they never stay broken up for long. After something nearly took Kaede away for good, the two developed a much deeper bond.
Now Rena's a solid member of Momoko's team, and she's genuinely trying to be better. It's a work in progress, but she's got people who stick with her.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
