Ryuko Matoi was the main protagonist of the Kill La Kill anime. Unlike many heroes who might be kind and forgiving to a fault, her flaws are quickly demonstrated at the beginning of the story and expanded upon ever since.
Bizarrely, Matoi has posed a threat to the heroes on more occasions than even some of the series' villains. By analyzing her history, actions, motivation, and personality, we can properly discern whether or not she is as gallant as the anime presents her to be in the many instances Ryuko has been forced to make a difficult choice.
10 Villain - Obsessed With Revenge
Ryuko's blind obsession with revenge was her earliest motivation in the story. She joined Honnoji Academy in order to wring answers from Satsuki Kiryuin, fully willing to take the woman's life after she had (falsely) admitted her role in her father's demise.
It remained a point of fixation for her after Nui Harime had exposed the truth, rendering Matoi easy to provoke and manipulate. Unfortunately for her, the Grand Tailor would never face the excruciating death she deserved since she would sacrifice herself in Ragyo's service to sustain the ultimate Life Fiber.
9 Hero - Looking After Mako
Before Ryuko had been attended the academy, Mako had struggled to make friends. Her family was in poverty, and she owned no uniform or acclaim. As a result, she was among the dregs of Honnoji society.
Once Matoi had come into her life, she found a friend who would protect her from harm and provide her the company she desperately needed. Their bond was mutual - Mako was the only person who was capable of calming Ryuko down once she had been whipped into a frenzy, and in the fullness of time, their relationship would blossom into something beautiful.
8 Villain - Rejecting Senketsu
After Ryuko had discovered that she was partially a Life Fiber, she found it impossible to wear Senketsu thereafter. She rejected her friend as a monster, citing that she would never wear him again because of the "freak" she was.
This was undue toward him, as he had never wronged her throughout the duration of the series. Nonetheless, he would forgive Ryuko instantly after she came around and would later sacrifice his life in order to protect her. Only after his demise had Matoi fully appreciated how much she had been unfair to him.
7 Hero - Enduring Mako's Abus
When Mako was promised a life of hedonism and avarice by Satsuki, she and her family could not resist. It necessitated defeating Ryuko in order for complete her initiation, an action she was more than willing to take.
Despite how viciously Matoi was beaten (and how effortlessly she could have defeated her friend if she had chosen to fight back), Ryuko endured her abuse with stoicism. Only on the cusp of death had Mako realized what she was about to lose and abandoned her misguided venture as a result.
6 Villain - Abusing Mako's Family
Mako's family had a serious problem with spying on Ryuko as she showered. Reasonably, this would make her upset and uncomfortable, especially given that their predatory behavior was relentless.
However, instead of addressing these concerns appropriately, she would respond with physical violence, ranging from standard beatings to throwing them out of buildings several stories tall. Realistically, this should have caused significant harm to them (if not killed them outright) and would have yielded more serious results if their antics were not underplayed as a product of slapstick comedy.
5 Hero - Forgiving Satsuki
Though it may have been difficult, Ryuko was able to bring herself to forgive Satsuki for the egregious trespasses that had been dealt to her. After she realized that the Elite Four were "crazy" people who cared about Kiryuin similarly to her own adoptive family, she found it difficult to maintain her grudge.
Now that they were able to work alongside each other, the two proved an excellent force to combat the rising Life Fiber menace. Should Matoi not have been able to overlook her troubled relationship with her sibling, the entire planet would have fallen as a consequence.
4 Villain - Attacking The Ship
After Ryuko had succumbed under Ragyo's nefarious influence, she turned her weapons toward the Nudist Beach and Honnoji Academy coalition. The damage she would soon inflict was staggering, and she would have eradicated everyone on board if Satsuki had not intervened.
Though much of her descent into evil would have been through Ragyo's direct influence, her personality bled through the vitriol she espoused toward her sister. It makes one wonder how much of her actions could be blamed through the corruption of her mother.
3 Hero - Defying Honnoji Academy
Honnoji Academy's system may have been a fair meritocracy, though all caught within its shadow were expected to conform to its beliefs and structure. Virtually no one was bold enough to defy the established order, save for Ryuko herself.
This proved her courage and integrity, evincing that there are more ways to live than merely beneath Satsuki's shadow. Despite the ramifications she faced for her actions and the squalid conditions she lived in among Mako's family, her individuality was an inspiring beacon for those who weren't yet enslaved to the onerous establishment.
2 Villain - Turning Into A Monster And Nearly Murdering Everyone
When Ryuko had first lost control over Senketsu, it portended a disaster that few could have anticipated or appropriately reacted to. She became a monster that none of the Elite Four could contend with, frightening the Nudist Beach spies and even giving Satsuki herself pause.
Should Mako not have clung to her and desperately begged for her friend to revert, it's possible that Matoi could have murdered innocent people. It was the precipice of her bloodlust and the inevitable result of a life driven by revenge.
1 Hero - Defeating Ragyo
As powerful as Satsuki and her minions may have been, it was ultimately Ryuko who was responsible for Ragyo's downfall. She confronted her in space, infused with the strength of the friends she had made throughout her journey.
Though her scissor blades may not have been potent enough to defeat her, Senketsu was able to absorb her directly since she was made of Life Fibers. It saved the planet from the brink of destruction and released the entire human race from her mother's nefarious clutches. Ryuko may not have been a perfect person, but her heroics have preserved more lives than virtually any other protagonist.