Yuri is portrayed throughout the majority of the game as being shy, generous, polite, passionate about topics she is interested in, apologetic, very intelligent, mature, and eloquent. Despite her maturity, Yuri does argue with Natsuki over their differing opinions on writing styles. While she tries to avoid the conflict at first, Yuri can be very passionate and stubborn, with her outright cursing in Act 2, though this is most likely due to Monika's tampering. Yuri can be innocently insensitive, as she sometimes comes across as condescending or pretentious without truly meaning to. Once she realizes what she said could be considered insensitive, she almost immediately apologizes, repeatedly saying she didn't mean it. As stated by the protagonist, Yuri likes to think before she says something.

Yuri is the "shrinking violet" (a term to describe a character who prefers to blend in with the scenery than to attract unwanted attention) of the club members because of her constant apologetic nature and shyness to discussions beyond her category of interest, her interests being literature, horror, and general surrealism, which she examines and articulates expertly and encourages others to follow as well. Yuri's love of surrealism seems to be foreshadowing further events of the game, with Yuri's surrealistic eyes and the game's generally horrific nature after Sayori's suicide. Yuri prefers poetry that uses metaphorical symbolism and enjoys collecting unusual ornate knives which are implied she may use to cut herself for not completely specified reasons.

Yuri has trouble making and keeping friends, as she tends to come on too strongly. It is said that she used to be bullied for her appearance and mannerisms, providing another possible explanation as to why she secludes herself to have an introverted lifestyle. She is, however, a generous and giving person, exemplified by her giving a copy of "Portrait of Markov" to the protagonist and for bringing tea to the Literature Club to help sooth the mind and help stay focused during reading. During Monika's Talk, Monika states that one time Yuri innocently pulled out a small bottle of wine and offered it to the club. It seems as though she was unaware of the underage drinking aspect of it, and just genuinely thought providing refreshments would be a nice thing to do.

During Act 2, Monika amplifies Yuri's negative personality traits. This causes her to have sanity slippages that result in an abnormal obsession with the protagonist and her already-existing hobbies becoming more of perverted detailing and self-destruction, to the point where Monika suggests that Yuri cuts herself due to a fetish. Yuri recognizes that something is wrong with her and that her comments and behavior are inappropriate, but is ultimately unable to control her obsessive outbursts. It reaches a point where, after she confesses her love to the protagonist, Yuri stabs herself to death out of over-excitement or rejection (depending on the main character's response).