Ward Shift is Aerith Gainsborough's unique ability in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, replacing her previous ability in Final Fantasy VII Remake, Tempest. Ward Shift allows Aerith to teleport to any ward she set upon the field, allowing her to get to the wards quicker and remove herself from dangerous situations easily. It also helps her movement, as she has very low mobility compared to other party members.

Ward Shift causes teleports Aerith to a deployed Arcane Ward, ATB Ward, or Radiant Ward. These wards can be cast at any party member's location, allowing Aerith to spread them throughout the arena. When the battle has multiple active wards, Aerith will ward-shift to the one the player is directing her toward, or simply to the closest one if the player is not picking a direction. If no ward is currently active, Ward Shift will teleport Aerith a few meters away from her current position based on the direction held.

Ward Shift has a cooldown that can be lowered with Ward Shift Mastery weapon skill. If equipped with Auto-Unique Ability Materia, Aerith will shift wards independently when not in the player's control. Auto-unique ability is best on Aerith if she used for Synergy Materia setups, however, the player will then still need to set up some wards for her to teleport between. The player could also equip her with Auto-Weapon Ability Materia and have wards in her shortcuts so she will do it automatically.

Ward Shift can also help reposition other party members, as Aerith can instantly move them to her with Bodyguard; one strategy is to get Aerith to Arcane Ward to doublecast spells, and then use Bodyguard to bring others into the ward as well so they can join in.

Aerith's primary weaknesses are in her low durability and mobility. This can cause Aerith to be overwhelmed if not protected by other party members, and means her potential is based heavily on her positioning. Ward Shift can somewhat alleviate the problem, as well-placed wards allow her to move around battlefield more effectively albeit it can be interrupted by a fast enough enemy.