Aerith Gainsborough

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## Relationships

### Partner(s)

Cloud Strife (Boyfriend)
Zack Fair (Former Crush)

### Children

Sora (Son)
Ventus (Son)
Roxas (Son)

## Voice Actors

### Japanese

Maaya Sakamoto
Chihiro Tanaka (Young)

### English

Briana White
Capri Oliver (Young)

**Aerith Gainsborough** (エアリス・ゲインズブール, *Earisu Geinzubūru*) is a major character in the series. Aerith is the last of the Cetra, an ancient race with powerful magical abilities, and so the Shinra Electric Power Company hunts her throughout her life, seeking to exploit her powers. She meets Cloud Strife in Midgar, and the two become close, leading her to join his quest to fight Shinra and hunt down Sephiroth. Aerith is upbeat, carefree, and joyful, being flirtatious towards Cloud and compassionate towards others.

## Description

*A flower peddler living in the Sector 5 slums, Aerith has been under Shinra surveillance all her life because of her unique background. Capable of sensing the planet's life force, she offers magical support to her comrades.*
### Appearance

Aerith is a beautiful young woman with 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.

Aerith wears a shin-length pink dress that buttons up the front and a red bolero jacket. She wears brown boots and metal bracers on her wrists and around the edges of her jacket sleeves.

### Personality

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 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 they cannot talk her out of something after she has made up her mind, regardless of how much danger she is putting herself in.

Aerith is quick to make friends, as can be seen with Cloud, Tifa, Marlene, and Red XIII. Aerith supports them and pushes them forward, though also relies on them to have her back when she is unsure of herself. This can be seen in her close friendship with Tifa, whom Aerith greatly admires for her beauty and fighting skills: Aerith helps put Tifa's mind at ease when she is distressed, while Tifa in turn promises to protect her and help find a way through her struggles. Aerith is flirty to both Zack and Cloud, and with the latter she is able to see through his hardened persona, and gets him to open up a little more. Though Aerith cherishes having Cloud as her bodyguard, she does not appear too reliant on him for physical protection so much as she simply enjoys his company. Aerith has apparent romantic feelings for Cloud, and remarks he reminds her of Zack.

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 tends to take Cloud's early rude remarks in stride, even reciprocating with her own good humor. She coldly defies Hojo though 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.