Yelan is an extremely stern and serious woman who is deeply respected by her children, especially Syaoran Li, who actually appears to even fear her at times. She is also very strict, evidenced by the fact that Syaoran was intensely nervous about receiving his report card (which he would have to show her), and that he did not even move an inch when she passed by. However, she can be kind and sympathetic, as seen when she helped Sakura Kinomoto to discover that an evil entity was the true reason behind her visit to Hong Kong, and provided her with comfort, advice, and even vital help (breaching a potent energy barrier that Sakura was powerless against). Besides this, she even gave Sakura a soft, maternal kiss on her cheek, indicating that she had developed a tender affection towards Sakura, despite the girl being (at that time) her son's rival on capturing the Clow Cards.
As a direct descendant of Clow Reed, Yelan is an exceptionally powerful and accomplished sorceress/witch. For instance, she was quick to note Sakura Kinomoto's ever increasing powers and Cerberus' presence just in their first meeting.
