Initially, Samara appears as a pretty (although withdrawn) young girl with brown eyes. In addition to these features, she had long brown hair and fair skin. She wore a white nightgown.

In her spirit form, Samara is very haunting in appearance, resembling a Japanese onryo, a spirit focused on vengeance. Her hair is now black and soaking wet, hiding her waterlogged and deformed face which has turned somewhat grey in colour with sunken eyes. Her skin has become an unnatural moldy colour.