Elizabeth is a spirited, intelligent, and independent-minded character whose beauty attracted Will Turner, James Norrington, Sao Feng, and Captain Jack Sparrow. Only Will Turner's affections were reciprocated. Throughout the three films, she transforms from a young girl to a proper lady and finally into a courageous pirate. Piracy and life at sea always fascinated Elizabeth, but she was often revolted by pirates' aggressive, wild nature, especially Sparrow, who escaped Port Royal at her expense, though she was grateful to him for saving her life. Even after becoming a pirate, Elizabeth retains her refined ways, as well as her loyalty and compassion for loved ones (including Will Turner, her father, and later, Jack Sparrow and James Norrington).
Elizabeth adapted easily to piracy, having natural leadership abilities, learning seamanship quickly, and possessing an innate talent for battle strategy, having devised defensive and offensive maneuvers against her opponents. She learned swordsmanship from William Turner and was capable of defending herself against multiple opponents, fighting with two swords simultaneously. She later uses a Chinese Jian sword and also carried a multitude of other weapons on her person including knives, firearms, and what appears to be a small grenade.
She freely speaks her mind even if it offends others; for example, calling a potentially dangerous enemy, Sao Feng, a coward. During her reign as Pirate King, Elizabeth proved to be a charismatic leader and inspired the other pirate lords to battle Cutler Beckett's fleet. Elizabeth's darker side was shown when she sacrificed Jack Sparrow to the Kraken so she and the crew could escape. However, this act left her so guilt-ridden that it nearly destroyed her relationship with Will Turner, and she later helps rescue Sparrow from Davy Jones' Locker.