Asuna is one of the most popular characters in SAO by virtue of her skills and personality. However, it took some time before she came into her own. Virtually all of the female characters who Kirito meets and interacts with throughout Sword Art Online are incredibly likable in their own ways

Asuna originally did not care about dying in the game before meeting Kirito. That meeting drastically changed Asuna's personality and outlook on life. She soon takes most things Kirito says to heart and looks to him for help, using him as somewhat of a lifeline.

Asuna is a kind and helpful young woman who, similarly to Kirito, cannot abandon another in trouble. She takes the game very seriously and is determined to clear it before Kirito tells her to enjoy SAO a bit. Asuna is also somewhat proud and despite her kind personality, she will not hesitate to get physical with those that challenge her authority or make fun of her abilities, such as cooking. She even challenged Kirito to a duel after an argument over how to handle a Field Boss. She is not afraid to act out on her own and will take matters into her own hands from time to time.

Asuna, in a similar manner to Kirito, is someone who can be controlled and manipulated by her emotions. This is evident during Kirito's final duel with Heathcliff on the 75th Floor, when she resisted her paralysis, jumped in front of Kirito, and took an attack that would have otherwise killed him. She also cannot handle seeing others die in front of her, such as when she recklessly attacked The Gleam Eyes after seeing the Aincrad Liberation Force players getting slaughtered.

In ALO, after being saved by Kirito, Asuna's personality had not changed a bit except that she was not as proud as she was in SAO. Her personality began to develop further still after meeting Yuuki in the events of Mother's Rosario. Seeing how Yuuki still moves forward, despite knowing her death is inevitable, Asuna takes after her and resolves to keep moving forward, no matter what happens.