Sakamoto, Mio

坂本美緒

As the first Strike Witch and sub-commander of the unit, she holds the commissioned rank of Squadron Leader and the official rank of Major. Mio is also the oldest witch at nineteen (later, twenty) years old and, like Yoshika, hails from Fuso. She appears to be the toughest and most mature of the Witches, serving as an experienced veteran of the early conflicts against the Neuroi. She was acquainted with Yoshika's father during his initial design work on the Striker Unit and was the first person to pilot one.
Mio's primary duty involves training new recruits, a role in which she acts as a very strict disciplinarian, appropriately manifesting the ears and tail of a Doberman when equipped with her Striker. Otherwise, she is quite friendly, albeit occasionally a bit too forward, and possesses a very distinct laugh.
Beneath Mio's eyepatch lies a magic eye that grants her enhanced visual capabilities and the ability to detect Neuroi cores when activated. However, because she is 19/20 years old, Mio's magical power has aged to the point where she can no longer erect effective shields in combat, though she retains the ability to fly and use her magical eye.
She carries a 13mm Type99 Machine-gun into battle along with a magical katana strapped to her back, capable of slicing through giant Neuroi. Her Striker Unit is based on the A6M Zero (in the second season, she receives a new Striker, likely based on the Kyuushuu J7W1 Shinden), and her character is based on Saburo Sakai and Tetsuzō Iwamoto.