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Zeref Dragneel

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“ It's my solemn vow... the suffering I've caused will not repeat in the current era. I will be neutral and isolated, a friend or foe to no one. That said... if the current era should give way to a new one... there's a chance I will take on a far more active role. I had hoped you would destroy me before then... Natsu. „
~ Zeref Dragneel to himself about his allegiance.

Zeref Dragneel, commonly referred to as The Black Wizard, later known as Emperor Spriggan, is the main antagonist of the anime and manga series Fairy Tail. He is considered the strongest mage in existence, as the magic he wields is incredibly deadly, powerful, and destructive. He is a self-hating and reclusive young man who lives in fear of his own power he cannot control. He is later revealed to be the older brother of Natsu Dragneel, the father of August, the husband of Mavis Vermillion, and the creator of Larcade Dragneel.

He is voiced by Akira Ishida in the Japanese version, and Joel McDonald in the English dub.

His Good Ranking[]

What Makes Him Admirable?[]

In general[]

  • In the rumors, Zeref is described as being the most evil mage in history, mastering the black arts and creating demons to threaten all of mankind. However, by the time Zeref is revealed onscreen, it is shown and implied that he is in fact nothing like what people say about him; Zeref, in reality, is actually a very kindhearted, selfless, compassionate, gentle, loving, understanding, and humble individual who never wanted to hurt anyone. He developed self-loathing for all the horrible things he indirectly caused throughout his life and wished to die to atone for everything.
    • Zeref loved his family deeply and cared about his friends (and even cared about innocent lives who were unintentionally harmed by him or were victimized by sinners), wishing he could be his true self without killing anyone. In addition, he loved Mavis Vermillion very much and only wanted to express how much he loves her.
    • Zeref also loved Natsu very much as his brother (even if the latter can often be pretty hard to reason with) and despite wanting to be ended by him, deep down, he only really wanted Natsu to know how much he truly loved him.

Pre-Zero[]

  • From what was shown in flashbacks, Zeref had a healthy relationship with his family and enjoyed spending time and having fun with Natsu.
  • After the loss of his family (with Natsu's body being the only one intact), while Zeref did try to bring Natsu back to life even after his professors told him not to (which ultimately resulted in Ankhseram cursing Zeref for toying with life and death), Zeref's body language implied that it was an honest mistake he did out of love for his brother and his body language and behavior signify that he was just curious and passionate to know the complex meaning of life and death, wanting to know if there was a bigger picture that no one knows, and since his childhood, he never wanted to be a problem to anyone and cared deeply for others, always trying to find the safest way possible. This is further shown from the fact that he immediately developed self-loathing after cursing himself and killing everyone in his academy. He may have made a mistake, but based on how he acted, he tried his best.
  • He unintentionally killed so many innocent lives through his kind nature triggering his curse, feeling painfully remorseful for everything he unintentionally killed.
  • He attempted every method to end his own life to atone for everything he unwillingly caused. One of them was creating demons made to kill him. However, each of them was a failure and they even started wiping out more innocent lives themselves, and the worst part is that Zeref couldn't save anyone from the demons because that would mean valuing their lives and it will only trigger his curse. In fact, some of the heroes in the series are alive now because Zeref didn't try saving their lives (such as Gray).
    • Also, another terrible aspect is that many individuals, not just the villains in the series, began committing atrocious acts in Zeref's name. They spread false stories and misused magic to take innocent lives and disrupt the balance of the world, even making Zeref look more like someone he's not. Zeref witnessed everything and grew disillusioned for what they have done. However, Zeref wanted to see if Natsu will kill him first before making a decision to deal with all the sinners himself.
    • While some say Zeref carelessly let his demons loose (despite revealing he only created the demons to end his own life and never wanted them to hurt anyone), there's no real proof of this, especially since Zeref's mentioned life experiences have never been presented in detail. This was left a mystery arc for viewers to wonder what traumatic experiences Zeref went through, since he mentioned how much horror he saw for so many years (the end of many eras, including horrors similar to Grimoire Heart's actions). In fact, he did actually mention in Tenrou Island Arc that he was disgusted by the rumors and false stories sinners and cult groups use to abuse magic, and the fact that they tried presenting this as authentic in his books (such as the keys to unlock Zeref's "seal" and the R-System being used to "revive" Zeref while killing and enslaving innocent people); essentially, this is implying he was also disgusted by the fact that they took his creations and abused them for their own twisted purposes while framing him when he only tried to end his own life (including the demons he made purely just to end his own life). It's also heavily implied the sinners were the reasons he was unable to help, and it could be way more complex than just simple ways, as people have their ways while using magic, even managing to keep it going for so many years.
      • To further prove the point, we saw Precht (who became the Dark Mage known as Hades) use one of Zeref's demons (Nemesis), and he isn't the only one who did this. During the scene where Zeref confronted Grimoire Heart, he heavily implied through his words that Grimoire Heart wasn't the only one who used his demons for purely twisted actions (and we even saw Erigor and his allies use Lullaby, another one of Zeref's creations); since 400 years ago, the sinners who victimized Zeref stole his dozens of demon books, thus starting the demon attacks and framing Zeref as the mastermind, with the sinners also presenting the rumors and fake stories as authentic in the books, when they're all fake. The worse part is that they tried passing this on to future generations, and Zeref cannot do a single thing to help anyone in need after the books have been scattered around Earthland, because it will only cause bigger problems due to his curse, as that would lead to more deaths than if he did nothing.
  • Eventually, Zeref managed to bring Natsu back to life (even happily telling him that they're brothers) and had him trained Dragon Slayer Magic by Igneel. Eventually, Natsu and the other Dragon Slayers were teleported into the future (where magic is richer) and this was a plan meant for destroying Acnologia, with Zeref also waiting for his death by Natsu.
    • Despite the fact that Zeref originally wanted to resurrect Natsu so that they can live together like brothers, Zeref ultimately chose to sacrifice what he wanted for the safety of everyone in the world.
    • Zeref also used the sinners' actions of tarnishing his name to his advantage, using this to further motivate Natsu into wanting to kill him, basically trying to outsmart the sinners who committed atrocities under his name.
  • Afterwards, Zeref chose to isolate himself from others as much as possible, to protect them from his cursed body. Nevertheless, he still wanders to many areas, given that he's not morally isolated nor detached, so he didn't subvert any outgoing traits he had before, and he still explores the world while putting thought and thinking deep on everything around him.

Zero Arc[]

  • Upon meeting Mavis for the first time, he politely attempts to leave just to keep her safe.
  • When Mavis requested Zeref to teach magic to her and her friends in order to save Magnolia, Zeref was willing to do it while keeping his distance. After his job is done, he leaves them because he doesn't want to be a problem to them, especially because of his curse. Despite leaving so soon, Zeref cherished his time with Mavis and her friends, as for someone forced to isolate himself from others for centuries (even being framed as the mastermind for the sinners' actions), this is something he's lucky to have, since he had a chance to help some people, even if it's not as much as he wanted.
    • Zeref was also responsible for Fairy Tail's existence since him teaching Mavis and her friends magic motivated them into starting a guild, and Mavis was grateful for Zeref's actions leading to this.

Post-Zero[]

  • Upon meeting Mavis again after many years, he revealed to her his name, feeling like they have known each other enough. Mavis was surprised that Zeref was nothing like what the rumors say and that he's such a kind, pure-hearted person. From what was implied on-screen, Zeref and Mavis had a very sweet, wholesome relationship and that they got along so well.
  • When he learned that Mavis used Fairy Law without enough training, he was very concerned and told her the truth that she obtained the same curse as him (since the spell determines one's fate).
  • He tries finding Mavis after telling her about show she obtained the same curse as him, feeling like he should be there for her, even opening up more things about his life.
  • After unintentionally killing Mavis through expressing how much he loved her through a kiss, Zeref felt heartbroken for accidentally killing the one he loves, showing how much he truly loved her with all his heart. He also noticed that Mavis didn't kill him because her love wasn't strong enough, definitely due to how tarnished Zeref's name was, so he didn't blame her for feeling this way about him, which was humble.
    • He even took her back to her friends and left them alone, wanting to avoid making more problems as much as he can.
  • When he found an abandoned August (in which he didn't know he was his son), Zeref named him after the month he met Mavis and took him to the Alverez Empire, giving him a home while still trying his best to control his curse.
  • When he met Irene Belserion and learned about her difficult past (including how uncomfortable she was as a dragon), Zeref used enchantments on her to give her the form of a human. While it didn't completely restore her human form (as it's still Irene as a dragon in a human body), Zeref did the best he could to help her, and eventually gave her a place in the Alverez Empire.
  • While he did subjugate 700+ guilds while creating the Alvarez Empire with the original purpose of starting conflicts and war, this is something Zeref's true self never actually wanted and it only happened because his curse developed a side effect from centuries of trauma, and as a result. it sometimes takes control of his mind and renders him unstable and out-of-control, so Zeref wasn't his true self when he made the empire.
    • Based on the events that happened in the series, it's safe to say Zeref ultimately didn't do the mentioned war in the series, and this is further shown from how the people he accidentally subjugated loved him and viewed him as a noble emperor. Yajeel even mentioned this is the only tyrannical action he did, and even then, Zeref's true self taking responsibility for the empire he accidentally created didn't affect anyone's view towards him negatively, not did it cause bigger problems.
      • It is also possible that the reason Zeref never killed anyone in the empire despite feeling horrified by what he unintentionally did, it's likely because of the complicated nature of the empire's existence and how his split-personality caused this. In spite of this, he is willing to deal and take responsibility with what he had created, and this was shown after he gave Precht Mavis' dead body.
    • Eventually however, Zeref's true self found a purpose for the empire after learning about the existence of Fairy Heart (which is inside Mavis' dead body filled with all the magic injected into her). He mentioned in Tenrou Island Arc that he originally had no intention of doing anything in this era, but if this era is about to end, he will spring into action once more.
  • He stopped some of the Springgan 12 from invading Ishgar and obtaining Fairy Heart when it wasn't the right time yet (off-screen, but mentioned in the Alvarez Empire Arc).
  • While isolating himself in Tenroujima, he watched over Mavis' grave, continuing to feel remorse for everything.

Tenrou Island Arc[]

  • Upon seeing Elfman and Evergreen in Tenrou Island (which he didn't expect, as he knew nothing about the S-Class Mage Promotion Trial), Zeref wanted to keep them away from him, but the curse got triggered and Zeref nearly killed them by accident, with Natsu barely managing to save them.
    • Upon seeing Natsu again after so long, Zeref cried because of how much he missed Natsu, but he's also sad that Natsu wasn't strong enough to kill him (after Natsu angrily and recklessly attempted to hurt him for his unintentional action towards his friends). Zeref was also sad that Natsu doesn't remember him and was conflicted about opening up about their relationship, because it's not easy.
    • After his curse activated a second time through his immense feelings of depression (with Natsu and his friends barely surviving), Zeref tried to hide to protect them, feeling more broken that Natsu couldn't kill him despite his efforts.
  • When Grimoire Heart invaded Tenrou Island, attacked Natsu and his friends, and had a heinous plan to wipe out those they find weak, Zeref was unhappy about this and wanted to do something about it.
    • Zeref attempting to kill Ultear was perfectly understandable, as she did help Grimoire Heart in their evil (including that fact she threatened innocent lives and aided in trying to use Zeref as a weapon to harm more people). It's also possible that he's doing this because she also impersonated him while enslaving and threatening innocent lives in the Tower of Heaven, even framing Jellal for all of her actions.
    • After Natsu and his friends defeated Grimoire Heart, Zeref secretly went in their aircraft, and expressed how disgusted he was by their actions. He also knew that the members of Grimoire Heart even killed many innocent lives based on a false story just to find and use Zeref as a weapon (similar to what many sinners did in the past). As a result, Zeref used his curse on purpose and killed Hades for all the horrible things he has done, including the fact that he awakened Acnologia, avenging the innocent lives they killed too.
      • While it is unknown if Zeref knew that Hades is Precht (Mavis' friend), it was still understandable of Zeref to kill him, as it's clear enough that he and the other members of Grimoire Heart are irredeemable (and Zeref rightfully disbanded Grimoire heart as well). This also ended Precht's descent to madness.
  • He wished that he could have saved Natsu and his friends from Acnologia, though Mavis thankfully saved them and temporarily stopped Acnologia.

Grand Magic Games Arc[]

  • Zeref mentioned that he watched everything in the Grand Magic Games, even implying that he watched over his brother. Zeref would have also been proud of Natsu after seeing how well he did in the games, with the greatest example being how Natsu won against Sting and Rogue.
  • When confronted by Mavis' ghost, Zeref lied to her that he will be a threat to mankind in Ishgar (including innocent ones) for their sins, breaking their bond and making them enemies as a result. While Zeref did this, it was due to the fact that he had to keep his true plan a secret from the Springgan 12 to avoid betrayal in case Mavis and her allies potentially tell them Zeref's true plan during the Alvarez Empire Arc.
    • This shows that while Zeref was disillusioned by the actions of many people, he never subverted his kind, loving nature and this was further implied when his true plan in the Alvarez Empire Arc was finally revealed during his rematch with Natsu.

Tartaros Arc[]

  • While Zeref couldn't physically help Natsu and his friends from Tartaros, he did the best he could by using a holographic image of himself to help Natsu in winning (despite the latter being distrustful towards him).
  • When the fight ended, Zeref appeared in person and killed Mard Geer (and it didn't kill any innocent lives as Mard Geer had been defeated and the situation isn't too conflicting).
    • He also revealed he never wanted Tartaros' attack and that there was a reason he aided Natsu and his allies, and this shouldn't be for pragmatic reasons, as Zeref's plan in the Alvarez Empire Arc was to unwillingly fight against the many guilds in Ishgar to obtain Fairy Heart, so his action of helping Natsu and the others from Tartaros' attack was basically him subtly showing them who he truly is compared to what almost everyone believed.
  • While he verbally threatened Natsu and his friends when they see him, deep down, he didn't mean any of that and only did that to control his curse.

Alvarez Empire Arc[]

  • Zeref chose to suppress his kindhearted nature towards others to control his curse and go on with his plan without struggling as much on what to do in situations, even if it meant looking like the kind of man he was depicted in the rumors (even to Mavis). He forced himself to go against his own will just for others. The sole fact that Zeref was willing to sacrifice his reputation completely for others just shows how selfless he truly is.
  • While Zeref never told any of the Springgan 12 about his true plan of resetting the timeline (instead saying their only plan is an extremist goal of killing Acnologia), it was understandable, because from other people's perspectives, there's barely any chance anyone would accept the idea of resetting a timeline and erasing their current lives, and revealing the truth would lead to more complications and conflicts, and Zeref naturally couldn't have that.
  • Before the invasion of Ishgar started, when Zeref got confronted by Makarov Dreyar (when the latter found him in the Alvarez Empire Arc and eventually ended up alone with him), while the former tried to kill him, it was because he that if he tried sparing his life, it would still kill him either way, since Makarov will not leave him alone after suspecting him as a threat. Plus, Zeref even used this as a chance of getting a rise out of Natsu, and while he's not sure if Natsu's E.N.D. form can really kill him, he still used this as an understandable chance.
  • His plan in the arc was complicated to the maximum. While he did invade Ishgar with the Springgan 12 and initiated a war (even fighting the many guilds who would oppose them), Zeref's situation was way more complicated than that and it's not something similar to most villains who are broken.
    • While Zeref did start a war, it was only because he knew no matter what he does (given his painfully complicated situation), everyone would view him as a threat, especially after how tarnished his image is. Plus, Zeref needed the Springgan 12 because he can never use his curse at full potential, since he never abandoned his morals and kept his true, kindhearted self up until the end. This was shown from the fact that he struggled so much at fending off against even mages much weaker than him, considering that his true plan wasn't what most believed.
    • While nearly everyone believed Zeref's plan was to commit genocide on Ishgar using Fairy Heart in order to destroy Acnologia, the truth is that he wanted to use that power to reset the timeline to stop Acnologia from becoming too powerful to the point where humanity will be easily destroyed by him, with Zeref and Natsu killing him in the past to stop him from beginning his rampage once more. In the process, the spell will undo all the sins many people committed under his name and prevent them from committing more in the future (in which Zeref partially blamed himself for all the innocent lives who suffered by sinners who committed crimes under his name, since him cursing himself indirectly led to that, though this in no way gives any excuse for the sinner's atrocities). In addition, after Zeref resets the timeline, he can finally relive his life before getting cursed and finally have a normal life with his family, and he wouldn't repeat the same mistake of cursing himself (which of course led to him and everyone in the world go through so much suffering). Plus, Zeref can finally be his true self without automatically killing anyone and being able to show Natsu how much he truly loved him as a brother; he will avoid his fate of cursing himself in the past and retain all his memories in the current timeline to know what to do in order to ensure humanity's future while keeping its balance, and he promised this to Mavis, Natsu, and everyone in the world that he couldn't help in the current timeline, but he can help them now that he has a a chance.
      • However, when Natsu tracked Zeref down and the latter was surprised to see that Natsu has a small amount of Igneel's remaining power (which can actually kill Zeref), the black wizard chose to allow himself to die to atone for everything, thinking that his death by Natsu could be an alternate solution to end his suffering in case his plan of obtaining and using Fairy Heart might fail. Even if it meant that Zeref would die being viewed like the evil mage he was depicted in the rumors (even to Mavis), he wouldn't really feel bad about it because of how much he blamed himself for all the devastating things he indirectly caused throughout his life.
        • However, Natsu ultimately failed to kill Zeref because Happy made him miss his final attack (draining all of Igneel's power). This led to Zeref saying to himself that he can't stop now and that he has to continue his goal to obtain Fairy Heart. He was also visibly saddened about this, because he would have preferred his fate to be death (while putting his faith in all the heroes in defeating Acnologia) than having to be forced to do this.
          • Before Natsu and Zeref fought a second time, when Gray is alone and finds Zeref inside the Fairy Tail building, after seeing that Gray's death could actually trigger Natsu's E.N.D. form, Zeref (despite the curse beginning to destabilize his mind another time, as shown from his eye color changing) planned to kill Gray as another chance to try ending his own life.
            • However, it turns out even if Zeref didn't unwillingly kill Gray through the curse's mind contradiction effects, it wouldn't matter because the moment Natsu arrived and prevented Gray from using Iced Shell to lock Zeref in a frozen prison, he chose to behave ruthlessly and had no hesitance attempting to kill Zeref out of underdeveloped resentment, and while Zeref struggled to keep his thoughts as his true self, he opened up he knows E.N.D. really cannot kill him, possibly when Zeref entered Natsu's unconscious state right before their re-encounter. Furthermore, when the reencounter got dragged on for too long due to Natsu physically and emotionally expressing hatred towards his brother (worsening Zeref's condition in the process by provoking the curse), the black wizard's unstable state reacted strongly when Natsu really cannot kill him.
    • Unlike most broken villains in the series or in almost all media (who have good intentions, but they could have used more practical and justified methods to obtain them), Zeref stands apart as he's really just doing the best he could from his circumstances, since he cannot be his true self without hurting others and that he had to struggle with his curse in order to try setting everything right. He's a villain you really shouldn't hate in the story once you elaborate and calculate every detail, because his situation was painfully complicated to the maximum, and he's only trying his best to deal with what he and everyone is going through. His actions were genuinely aimed at benefiting both himself and the world, including Natsu, Mavis, and all the innocent people who suffered for centuries—suffering that he unintentionally caused. He also partly blamed himself for the crimes committed in his name, as his curse indirectly led to that, though the wrongdoers were fully responsible for their own actions. Unlike typical villains who act out of misguided beliefs of what’s best for others, Zeref understood the difference between right and wrong. He was simply trying to correct the mistake of playing with life and death (even if it was just an honest mistake he did out out his wonder towards life and death's complex meaning), which cursed him and affected the world for centuries. Ultimately, he wanted to give humanity a future where he was no longer a threat, allowing them to live in peace.
    • Zeref's motivation (unlike pretty much any other antagonist in the series) was literally his fear and concern for human life, which he always had since the beginning, and the reveal of his true plan showed he never subverted this. After failing every attempt to die (which includes Mavis' insufficient love for him and the fact that E.N.D is a failed experiment to kill him), Zeref resorted to this method, as he worried what will happen if he keeps isolating himself from the world (because of his cursed body), due to his power being linked to his feelings and mental state, and he's afraid what can happen, since anything involving his cursed body (whether the actions of sinners or his sanity breaking down and completely awakening his split personality, which could lead to a fate similar to Future Rogue's timeline). His unstable state could have even destroyed Mavis' body before she could even save him (even immediately killing Natsu even if he at one point had Igneel's power), and he could have absorbed Fairy Heart while destroying all life while not in control of his actions.
  • Even when trying to control his curse, he sometimes tries being his sweet, caring self towards others.
    • When he felt like Natsu can finally kill him with Igneel's dead flames, he opened up about their past to let Natsu know something Zeref wants him to before both of them die, and during this moment, Zeref was being his true self towards Natsu and wanted his little brother to die seeing him as his true self, even if it may be last minute (considering that Zeref just wants to die already with no complications).
    • When Irene tried extracting Fairy Heart from Mavis, Zeref expressed discomfort at the sight of her being in pain, since Zeref loved her with all his heart, and he never stopped feeling this way. Mavis even sees this and Zeref wants her to see how he feels about her, which only increased her curiosity as to why Zeref is showing his true feelings for her despite starting the war.
    • Right before his second fight with Natsu, Zeref sensed Natsu unconscious and used this as a chance to deepen his bond with him, especially since Natsu saw Zeref being his loving self towards him during their first fight and had a fair amount of time wondering what is the truth about Zeref (and for a fair amount of time, Natsu did develop some curiosity).
      • While Natsu did become E.N.D. after Lucy seemingly died (which only traumatized him greatly), he continued being curious in his unconscious state, when he saw Zeref expressing himself and how much he loved him as a brother, and he wants Natsu to learn about his true plan all by himself, as that's more believable. Sadly, despite Zeref's efforts, Natsu subverted his curiosity the moment he sees Zeref in-person again, only becoming more ruthless to the point of being a blind, underdeveloped resentment. While Zeref did fend off against his brother, deep inside, his true self was only heartbroken that Natsu's way of misunderstanding him isn't even understandable anymore.
    • During his second fight with Natsu, while Zeref was struggling to keep his mental state from destabilizing, he desperately tried expressing to Natsu how much he tried in life and that he's sacrificing so much for Natsu and his friends, though Natsu just rejects this unreasonably. Had Natsu not recklessly started their second fight (in which he subverted his curiosity when he saw and dreamt of Zeref being his loving self) while worsening his condition, there wouldn't have been a fight; had Natsu comforted his brother while trying to ask for the truth and answer to Zeref's mysterious nature, Zeref could have calmed in this normal state, and things would have been better.
  • While he did briefly get very frustrated at Natsu (when the latter tried preventing him from entering the portal of Neo Eclipse to reset the timeline), it was understandable why, as Natsu kept forcefully misunderstanding him in a very blind way while foolishly gaslighting him angrily for his tragic past and continuous suffering that's still happening until now (including the fact that Natsu was blatantly relentless in wanting him dead without any remorse) even though the dragon slayer saw enough of how mysterious his older brother was, and even after learning that Zeref's true goal was a sacrifice for the greater good, Natsu never once tried thinking that his brother is only doing this because he's afraid of what his cursed body can potentially do to all of humanity if he stays alive for too long, even if he did nothing while the heroes manage to kill Acnologia in the current timeline (with Natsu instead viewing Zeref as a self-centered psychopath with no redeeming qualities). That being said, shortly before Zeref died with Mavis, he still easily forgave his little brother and loved him very much.
  • While Zeref gave up trying to die for much of the arc, it's only natural and human as he tried all kinds of ways to kill himself (and he revealed shortly before his death that Mavis' insufficient love for him also didn't kill him, and it only reminded Zeref of how it's near impossible to understand someone like him). While you could say that he could have waited for Mavis to eventually love him completely at some point (after the time the Alvarez Empire Arc took place), there's no telling when it might happen and even Zeref wouldn't know how long it would take, and during the time before Mavis loves him completely, more innocent lives could have suffered by him or by sinners during the time Zeref waits, and he has already waited hundreds of years waiting to see if Natsu could kill him to take responsibility for his actions; Zeref no longer wants to be the cause of more problems in the current timeline.
    • It's also worth noting that the reason Mavis eventually developed full faith in him so easily during their death scene was because despite her conflicting feelings about the truth about Zeref, which made it hard for her to calculate everything and think straight (because she has seen his kindness, but also saw him threaten his friends in the Alvarez Empire Arc, and then she eventually learned his true plan during his second fight with Natsu that Zeref was never going to threaten mankind but actually reset the timeline to fix his mistake and ensure a better future for humanity), she immediately realized that Zeref was never in the wrong and only did the best from his circumstances (with Mavis also feeling more guilty after realizing how Zeref's true plan meant that he never wanted to be a threat to anyone and never subverted any sympathy or kindness he once had), it made Mavis love him even more than before because of all the sacrifices he did for her, Natsu, and everyone. It also made Mavis scared of killing him through love after realizing everything, though she eventually accepted what she had to do and felt like she should take responsibility for being partially the cause of everyone's unintentional suffering through lacking faith in Zeref.
  • When Mavis apologized to Zeref for not lacking faith in him (especially after realizing everything and how complicated Zeref's true plan was), Zeref easily forgave her as it's not easy to understand his complicated situation. He also thanked her for finally ending his suffering by loving him with complete faith.
  • Before he died with Mavis, he left his pendant in the living world, hoping Natsu would find it. Although Zeref ultimately failed in his attempt to reset the timeline in order make a better future for all of humanity, he hoped that he could at least let Natsu know how much he truly loved him deep down.
    • It's all the more sad that Natsu only understood him after he died, as he only thought about the curse after Zeref died, when he used it to brutally damage Aldoron, and Natsu began to feel saddened that he only now started to think about what Zeref meant when he said that he can't help anyone in the current timeline, and he's only trying to protect all the innocent people he's concerned about after failing every attempt to die. While Natsu may not be deep-thinking, it didn't really need to take a lot for him to imagine what it's like having a curse like this and being unable to help anyone in the current timeline, and if you fail every attempt to die, you fear what could happen since your power is connected to your feelings and mental state; Natsu just needed to think about the curse, which could easily make him interpret what Zeref was trying to tell him.

100 Year Quest[]

  • Zeref is now living with Mavis in heaven and they are taking care of their kids (August and Larcade). He can finally be his true, loving self without hurting anyone. He also had a wholesome conversation with Natsu and humbly apologized for the things he unwillingly did in the Alvarez Empire Arc (even though Zeref did try his best). He also encouraged Natsu to keep living on.
  • The introduction of Ignia (Igneel's blood-related son and Natsu's foster brother) and Faris (the Earthland version of her) has more of a meaning than just two more purely evil villains in 100 Year Quest.
    • Ignia is supposed to be the exact opposite of who Zeref was and his overall character (which has more of a personal connection to Natsu unlike others) is the embodiment of how Natsu blindly misunderstood Zeref and treated him as nothing but a blatant threat to humanity, even after knowing about his curse (even seeing how much Zeref loved him and wanted to die if he had a chance) and learning his true plan that was extremely complicated (even though Zeref really cannot value anyone because of his curse and his plan is to prevent a potential future where his cursed body can lead to humanity's extinction), and Natsu only started to think about Zeref's curse and feelings after he died, which made him feel saddened that he was too late to understand his brother. Because of all this, Natsu considered Zeref as his only true brother, since Ignia was nothing like his older brother.
    • Faris' personality basically embodied how the world viewed Zeref, being a purely twisted and malevolent soul who had no regard for human life, embracing her black magic for her own twisted purposes. She also plans to destroy all of humanity to have demons take over, compared to how Zeref was only merely framed for the attacks his creations did, when he only tried to end his own life. Faris also actually has an involvement in Acnologia's legacy, planning to continue his reign of destruction, and this contrasts to how Zeref was merely framed because of fake information presented as authentic in the books, in which it influenced Arcadios into thinking this was true.

What Makes Him Inconsistent?[]

  • He is still considered an antagonist of the series, as he's an enemy to the heroes for much of the series, though Zeref was never in the wrong as mentioned above.

Trivia[]

  • He is currently the only Fairy Tail character to be Inconsistently Admirable.
    • Additionally, he is the only Fairy Tail character to be Inconsistently Admirable and Inconsistently Heinous simultaneously.

External Links[]

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