Levy McGarden is a mage of the Fairy Tail guild and the leader of the team known as Shadow Gear, which includes her teammates Jet and Droy. She is a petite young woman with shoulder-length blue hair that she typically ties up with a colorful bandana, and she has brown eyes. Levy often wears dresses or tank tops, and when engaged in research or reading, she dons a pair of glasses and ties her hair back to keep it out of her face.

Levy has a cheerful and upbeat personality that allows her to easily get along with her guildmates. She is kind-hearted and notably reluctant to participate in the casual brawls that frequently break out within the guild, as she prefers not to fight just for fun. One of her defining traits is her deep love for reading and books. This passion is the foundation of her close friendship with Lucy Heartfilia, as the two bonded over their mutual appreciation for literature. Levy is the only person whom Lucy has allowed to read her novel, demonstrating a high level of trust between them. Levy is also a very forgiving person, as seen when she reconciled with Gajeel Redfox after he had previously tortured her and her team during the conflict between Fairy Tail and the Phantom Lord guild.

Levy's motivations are rooted in her loyalty to her friends and her desire to see the guild united. She often displays a mature and level-headed perspective, such as when she was the first to abandon the S-Class Promotion Trial in order to encourage her fellow guild members to work together against a common threat. At times, she can also show a competitive streak, as when she rewrote runes to gain an advantage during the trial.

Levy plays a supporting yet significant role in the story of Fairy Tail. She is a reliable member of the guild who participates in major arcs, including the battles against the dark guild Tartaros and the invasion by the Alvarez Empire. After the guild was disbanded for a period, Levy served in the Magic Council's Custody Enforcement Unit before returning to Fairy Tail following the defeat of the cult Avatar.

Levy's most important relationship is with Gajeel Redfox. After initially forgiving him for his past actions against her, the two were partnered during the S-Class Promotion Trial, and their bond deepened over time. Levy and Gajeel eventually entered a romantic relationship, and in the later years, Levy became the mother of Gajeel's child. Levy also shares a strong friendship with Lucy Heartfilia, and she remains close with her Shadow Gear teammates Jet and Droy, who have long harbored affections for her.

Levy's development throughout the series sees her grow from a bookish and somewhat cautious mage into a more confident and resilient warrior. She becomes more capable in combat, learning to use her magic in more flexible and creative ways.

Levy's notable ability is Solid Script, a form of Letter Magic that allows her to write words in the air and make them solid, producing various effects based on the word used. For example, she can create the word Fire to launch a flame attack, use the word Iron to generate metal, which she has used to provide a food source for the Iron Dragon Slayer Gajeel, or write Guard to form a protective barrier. She can also create words like Silent to cancel sound-based attacks, Storm to generate wind, Air to provide a breathing bubble underwater, and Shine to produce a bright light with holy properties. Over time, Levy learns to generate words using her feet as well as her hands, giving her greater versatility in combat.