Riza is a quiet and collected woman with a serious but courteous demeanor. She is viewed by her peers as the model of a perfect soldier; strictly disciplined and extremely rational, and rarely relaxing on the job. As such, she is usually tasked with keeping her colleagues on track. Although from the outside she might seem strict, rigid and even a little mean, Riza is not as distant as she may appear. Those close to her know that there is more to her than her no-nonsense attitude; beneath her professional attitude is a kind soul who understands the difficulty of carrying a heavy burden.Riza is a pale-skinned young woman in her mid-to-late twenties. She wears her mid-back length blonde hair in an updo, fastened with a dark brown barrette. The back of her hair resembles a bird tail, and her bangs, parted to the left, a hawk's wing. Her eyes are light brown in both the manga and 2003 anime, but appear darker in the 2009 anime. She wears her ears pierced with a round, silver, stud earring. Her built is moderately muscular and curvaceous; Arakawa has publicly stated that Riza has broad shoulders from her military training [citation needed].