Emma Verde is a third-year student at Nijigasaki High School. She is an exchange student who originally came from Switzerland, specifically the Italian-speaking region, which is reflected in her use of the word Buono and her surname Verde, the Italian word for green. Before transferring to Nijigasaki, she attended Y.G. International Academy. She was one of the original N-rarity characters introduced in the Love Live! School Idol Festival game before being developed into a main character for Nijigasaki. Her family is quite large, as she has eight younger siblings. To stay connected with them, she receives video letters and spends time chatting with her family on weekends. She lives in the school dormitory, where her roommate is Karin Asaka.

Emma is widely recognized for her gentle, kind, and easygoing nature. She possesses a warm and cheerful demeanor, consistently aiming to be encouraging and to help others smile. Her personality is often described as having a healing quality. Despite her outwardly calm and pleasant disposition, she can become nervous easily. Similar to her classmate Shizuku Osaka, Emma tends to keep her worries to herself, not wanting to burden others with her personal problems. Her love for her home country's mountains and natural beauty has stayed with her in Japan, where she enjoys spending time outdoors.

The primary motivation for Emma to become a school idol is deeply personal. Her dream began when she was alone in Switzerland on a night when a snowstorm hit. While watching television, she saw a performance by Japanese school idols, which made her feel a sense of joy and inspiration. This powerful feeling became her goal: to become an idol herself so that she could, in turn, make others feel happy and bring smiles to their faces. This dream was the driving force that led her to study the Japanese language and eventually move to Japan as an exchange student. Engaging in idol activities has also helped her combat feelings of homesickness, as it allows her to pursue a passion that is entirely her own.

Within the story of the Nijigasaki High School Idol Club, Emma is a supportive and stabilizing presence. She is one of the founding members of the club and is also a member of the subunit QU4RTZ. Her most significant relationship is with her dormmate, Karin Asaka. The two are best friends and share a deep bond. Emma is very perceptive of Karin's feelings and serves as a source of unconditional support, famously telling her that the most important thing is for Karin herself to be happy. Emma also forms a connection with her classmate Kanata Konoe; as fellow older sisters to many younger siblings, they bond over the shared joys and experiences of being the eldest in a large family.

Over time, Emma demonstrates considerable personal growth. Her initial drive to become an idol stems from a somewhat distant inspiration, but her experiences allow her to find her own voice and purpose. She confronts her tendency to keep worries to herself, learning to share her feelings and solidifying her resolve. In her journey, she has a pivotal encounter with an idol named Mai Natsukawa, who performs a song called Aion no Uta. This was the very song Emma heard as a child during the snowstorm that inspired her dream, and this meeting reinforces her dedication to her path as a school idol.

In terms of abilities and notable traits, Emma is physically characterized by her semi-long auburn hair, which she typically wears in two short, low braids. She also has light blue eyes and freckles across her nose. She loves food, with a particular fondness for bread, especially the soft crusts of Japanese bread. She has a notable appetite, once narrowly winning a dumpling-eating contest. In her free time, Emma enjoys quiet hobbies such as embroidery or quilting, as well as more active pursuits like long woodland walks or playing by the river. She also has a pet goat named Neve, which remains in Switzerland.