Donella is highly intelligent, cunning, and stoic. She hides her true feelings and can be cruel though secretly she can also be kind or compassionate, even if she doesn't know it. She can trip over her insecurities and is highly observant. She has a long gray braid, scars on her lower right cheek, and dark brown almond eyes. Her cold and rational way of approaching conflicts may make this seem untrue, but she is shown to truly care about her teenage son Hugo.