Aerith Gainsborough/Gameplay

Battle
Aeris is lacking in physical stats, but makes up for it with her high magical stats. When Aeris first joins the party she is in the back row by default and her starting level is decided by the following formula:
 * [average party level -3]

The playable characters in Final Fantasy VII require slightly different amounts of EXP to reach level 99. Aeris requires the most EXP for level 99: 2,484,643.

Equipment
Aeris wields various rods and staves that often have many Materia slots and boost her magic, making her most suitable for wielding Magic and Summon Materia. One of her weapons, the Fairy Tale, can be acquired in Gongaga and has seven Materia slots, the most of any weapon up to that point and for some time after. Earlier, in the Train Graveyard, one can steal the Striking Staff, which has an attack of 32, an unusually high value for that point in the game, making her a useful physical attacker for a period when placed in the front row or given the Long Range Materia. However, as Aeris cannot be used after Disc 1, her combat abilities are limited in comparison to the other party members who can acquire stronger weapons later.

Aeris is the only character in the game whose ultimate weapon, Princess Guard, has normal Materia growth, and seven Materia slots. The weapon functions like Cloud's Yoshiyuki, increasing in attack power proportional to the numbers of KO'd allies.

When Aeris leaves the party at the end of Temple of the Ancients, the player permanently loses the weapon and armor she was equipped with, but gets back her equipped accessory and Materia. It is possible to open the menu after the Demons Gate battle during the scene Cloud lunges at Aeris at the bottom of the pit that used to be the temple, and change her equipment.

Limit Breaks


As a White Mage-like character, Aeris's Limit Breaks revolve around healing and buffing the party, most of them restoring HP and curing status ailments. Aeris's ultimate Limit Break is Great Gospel, which fully heals the party and makes them temporarily invincible. For Aeris to use the technique it has to be taught to her on disc 1.

Date mechanics


The party member who takes Cloud Strife on a date during the party's second plot-related visit to Gold Saucer is decided by a hidden value in the game determined by the player's dialogue and party member choices. Depending on the player's choices, Cloud may go on a date with Aeris, Tifa, Yuffie, or even Barret.

How each character is chosen is based upon a hidden value in the game's code, which cannot be viewed without hacking. Aeris starts with the highest value, at 50, and is thus considered the default date option.

Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-
Aerith is fought as a boss in the Training Mode of Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-.

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-
Healing Wave is a Limit Break used by Zack when Aerith's portrait lines up in the Digital Mind Wave during a modulating phase. It acts similar to Great Gospel, healing Zack of all negative status ailments, granting him invincibility and restoring a large amount of AP, MP and HP, also increasing them beyond their max amounts if enough is healed. Zack can use Healing Wave after meeting with Aerith, since the beginning of chapter 5.