Critical response to the character has been favorable. Kory Cerjak of "The Fandom Post" called Kyoko the series' "most interesting character", praising her tragic story arc and strong personality. Cerjak wrote that her sacrifice for Sayaka and character development were "wonderful to watch", and called Lauren Landa's voice acting "fantastic". According to THEM Anime reviewer Tim Jones, Kyoko's "backstory is not only arguably the most developed after Homura, but explains her personality the best as well." Describing her as the "sneering, confident redheaded magical girl", Zac Bertschy of Anime News Network stated that Kyoko represents "hardened cynicism and ruthless self-preservation" that fights for herself as opposed to Sayaka who is "fully dedicated to using her powers only to protect everyone around her", and said that their clash is "crucial" to the story. Bertschy, however, criticized Kyoko's sacrifice for Sayaka as she initially tried to kill Sayaka but then "suddenly" tries to save her according to him, stating that "they didn't spend much time showing us this sudden turn", making it "feels a little cheap." Rebecca Silverman of the same website said her backstory "might have fit better in 1692 Massachusetts" but also said "it helps to explain her attitude." Silverman also noted how Kyoko and Sayaka "serve as mirror characters to each other" as they had similar wishes that ends with similar results. Kyoko's Japanese voice actress, Ai Nonaka, has also been praised. Jones called her the "biggest surprise" for portraying the character's range of emotion and providing "some of the best performances" in the series, and Jacob Churosh of the same website also commended her "wide range of emotions" acting.