While Shouko may not be completely deaf (given the hearing aids she possesses in both ears), her hearing loss is drastic enough to the point that she can be considered clinically deaf. Despite this, it has been shown that though she cannot clearly understand individual words, she can hear various pitches of tones in the voices of other people.

Shouko is a very easy going person and is able to quickly forgive many, such as Shouya; her childhood bully. She is somewhat clueless and she doesn't see herself as a special individual that needs to be pitied. She is also hard to anger and slow to cry, as she has endured a long painful life; with her mother aside leaving her grandmother to take care of the Nishimiya sisters. Shouko cares deeply for those around her and rather than blaming the world and people that have hurt her, she blames herself. It has been clearly said that Shouko hates herself and fears herself to be useless. She knows she has been such a burden to Naoka as classmates, and tries to reconnect her ties and help Naoka and all she has 'tainted'.