*Aerith Gainsborough, alternately known with the first name Aeris, is a major recurring character in the Final Fantasy VII series.

Aerith plaits her long light-brown hair with a large pink ribbon; within the ribbon, she keeps the White Materia orb given to her by her mother. Segmented bangs frame Aerith's face and she has emerald green eyes. She is 163 cm tall.

Aerith's typical attire, first seen in Final Fantasy VII, comprises of a shin-length pink dress that buttons up the front and a red bolero jacket. She wears brown boots and has metal bracers on her wrists and around the edges of her jacket sleeves. In subsequent appearances, Aerith's attire is more detailed. Her jacket, button-up in Final Fantasy VII, is zip-up in Advent Children onwards and has zipper pockets and a belt at the bottom. In Advent Children, she wears leather belts in place of metal bands and, in Remake, her original cord necklace is replaced with a flower necklace Aerith necklace from FFVII Remame merchandise with a pearl in the center on a leather ribbon and a trio of bracelets (gold, silver, and bronze) replace the metal bracers.

Aerith is compassionate, upbeat, and joyful, as well as street-smart with a spunky and cocky attitude. Aerith maintains a hopeful and positive outlook in the face of sadness and danger, cheering the others on when she can and always tries to see the good in people. She is nonetheless still able to identify an unequivocal evil in the form of Shinra and Sephiroth. Against such threats, Aerith wishes to help however she can, but is morally opposed to violence and sees it as a last resort. She is not above harboring resentment for those who wrong her, although she puts on a front of cold defiance and conceals her weaknesses when distressed. Aerith loves nature, particularly flowers, and tries to commune with them.

Aerith craves freedom and the ability to make decisions for herself. Raised in the slums of Midgar, she is almost entirely unfazed by the danger of monsters or Shinra. Aerith is familiar with the slums, imparting her knowledge to Cloud,and has grown to love her surroundings for the few flowers that grow, as well as the passions of the denizens, to the point that she wants to stay. In spite of this, Aerith still loves adventure and trying new things, craving one day to ride on an airship.Coupled with Aerith's adventurous nature is her stubbornness, with both Elmyra and Cloud recognizing that they cannot talk her out of something after she has made up her mind, regardless of how much danger she is putting herself in.

In Final Fantasy VII Remake, Aerith appears to have deeper knowledge of unfolding events before they happen, leading Tifa to question her behavior. She emphasizes a wish to live in the moment and cherish the present and believes that the future is a blank page that can be made right. This belief motivates her to ultimately defy the Whispers' fate, despite hesitating due to the potential risks. She hates Sephiroth for his selfish desire to defy destiny without care for the consequences.Aerith acts incensed when insulted over her appearance, though she tends to take Cloud's early rude remarks in stride, even reciprocating with her own good humor. She coldly defies Hojo, though is distressed upon learning of the treatment of her mother's remains. Despite the hardships she endures, Aerith returns to her friends with as much emotional strength as ever before.*