defence
"Of course. The problems are too big to just leave to you."
Miranda's initial appearance in the game does little to cast her in a favourable light. Her first moments on screen involve punching a knight and chewing him out for what she believes is a poor job of protecting Mille Seseau. She certainly has nothing in common with Shana at first. However shortly after this scene, Miranda relieves the White-Silver Dragoon Spirit. It doesn't really seem to fit with her attitude. She doesn't seem to deserve a spirit previously associated with a pure heroine.
Miranda was beaten as a child by her mother. She never did anything to deserve it. The child probably lived in fear of doing anything as it would be incorrect and she would get beaten for it. She was unable to figure out how to make her mother love her which pained the child. It likely gave her a complex about not wanting to love people because they would hurt her. Miranda's father was no role model either and while he didn't beat her, he wasn't much of a parent to her.
Eventually Miranda's mother couldn't handle living with her father and left with her lover. She was now left alone with a father who couldn't support his daughter and drank away the little money he had. That left Miranda with no family.
Miranda had to build walls around her heart to stop being hurt. Even if her mother beat her, Miranda had loved her mother. Then her mother left and her father ignored her. Everyone she cared about had hurt her. In order to protect herself from that pain, she had to become cold. By pushing people away, Miranda wouldn't get hurt.
Miranda isn't really all piss and vinegar. She's simply protecting herself from being hurt by someone she cares for again. Her entire outward appearance is one big defence mechanism. However Miranda initially went to Deningrad to preach love. Miranda really wanted to make a world where people were happy but her emotions were full of hatred and anger. This anger is evident in most of Miranda's actions. She is an angry woman who is capable of great compansion.
to the point
"It's not like you, Miranda. Don't hesitate."
Miranda is not known to hesitate or avoid a topic. On many occasions Miranda cut to the chase rather than walked around the subject. This often gets noted by various party members during conversation. Haschel has commented twice than Miranda is frank and harsh at times, mostly due to this trait.
She also has a habit of jumping to conclusions. Many times during the game, Miranda makes conclusions about items and events without knowing anything about them. She believed the Dragon Block Staff would be weak given its size and doubted the threat Lloyd posed simply because he was only one man. Miranda learns the error of her assumptions the hard way several times.
reputation
"Don't worry, there is no way our Miranda can lose."
Her outward attitude towards people has also earned her quite a reputation. When battling the Divine Dragon, Wink's knights comment that they cannot believe their Miranda would loose to the Dragon let alone loose at all. Miranda is well known thought the kingdom as a fearsome warrior and her own demeanour likely adds to this appearance.
love
"I don't care! Please let me cry for now, just for now!">
Miranda shows great concern for Queen Theresa and the sacred sisters. When Miranda returned to Deningrad and found it destroyed, she feared for the worst. However when she finds out Queen Theresa is safe, Miranda kneels before her and cries. Theresa is the mother Miranda never had and is one of the few people who see the real side of the First Sacred Sister. She is a loving person protecting herself with a cold exterior.
