I spent so long in the darkness, I'd almost forgotten how beautiful the moonlight is.

*Emily is the titular deuteragonist of Corpse Bride. She is a reanimated corpse who was a talented and wealthy lady in her lifetime, as well as the self-proclaimed bride of the young Victor Van Dort after their encounter in the woods. She was murdered by her ex-fiancé Lord Barkis Bittern and indirectly killed him shortly before gaining her freedom, therefore finally being allowed to enter Heaven.

As a corpse, she's still graceful. Her current only colorful features are her purple lips, in contrast to her monochromatic blue coloring.

After her death, her long, waist-length wavy hair (which was presumably dark colored) and her once pale skin turned blue while her big eyes became wide and circular with black dots as pupils. They have a gaunt, sunken look after her death. There is a hole in her left cheek that shows that her skin is deteriorating and reveals her white teeth. On her right hand she still has nails. Under her left arm is some exposed muscle, although her actual left arm is only bone. Her right ribs are showing due to the hole in her wedding dress. Her right leg is almost completely bone except for the skin that still covers her foot and her ankle, resembling a baggy light blue sock. The tip of her nose is somewhat skeletal.

Emily wears a strapless dirt stained white wedding dress which has a form fitting (likely corseted) bodice that ends in a deep V in the front. The dress belonged to her mother. The dress has a long flowing pleated skirt with a rip up in the middle showing either of her legs. There is light blue filigree on the bottom of the skirt and edging the veil. There are pearls trimming the bottom and top of the bodice. Her tattered veil is attached to a rose crown made of dead blue roses. She also wears tattered fingerless gloves that end to her elbows though her right one appears to be hanging on her wrist. She wears white pumps and white stockings (that have piled at her ankles, due to her skeletal body) to match her wedding dress.

Emily is a kind, somewhat gullible and sweet young, deceased woman who has a kind-hearted nature.

While she’s rather fun-loving and easy-going, Emily can easily feel guilty for others' situations indirectly caused by her and often shows nostalgic moments after arriving to the Land of the Living. She’s also prone to jealousy and being emotional.

Emily is willing to give her whole heart (even literally) to those she cares for, and would even sacrifice her own happiness even after to help them, as evidenced when she stops Victor Van Dort from killing himself, then willingly steps aside and lets Victoria be with him. She‘s usually a kind person, but she was encouraged highly to marry Victor. (despite the fact that he was alive and she was dead). She was very jealous of Victoria and began to lament about being dead as she believed Victor didn’t love her because she wasn’t alive, showing that she gets upset easily. She originally intended to marry Victor, even though it meant she was (unknowingly) stealing Victoria Everglot’s happiness Barkis Bittern stole from her years ago. However, she learns not to use her emotions for selfish reasons, since she saw how depressed Victoria was and saved her from her marriage to Barkis (which would have led to Victoria suffering the same fate as Emily). She then learns that she can’t steal another person’s happiness just so she can achieve her own and ultimately decides to stop her wedding with Victor (the goal she has been trying to achieve for the majority of the film) so he and Victoria can achieve happiness. She takes off her wedding ring, gives it back to Victor, tosses her bouquet and leaves the church. Her purpose being fulfilled, Emily turns into a million butterflies and descends into the moonlight implying that she’s now at peace.*