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), it was an honest mistake he did out of love for his brother and he never wanted anyone to get hurt. Also, the fact he developed self-loathing just shows how much he was willing to put others above himself.
• 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 worse 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.
• 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.
• Afterwards, Zeref chose to isolate himself from others as much as possible, to protect them.
• He created the Alvarez Empire and was admired by everyone there because of how kind he is, and thankfully, Zeref doesn't kill anyone because this is something he just did out of boredom, not one of the things he cared most about. However, this also meant that everyone in the Alvarez Empire can live in peace and have a home, and that Zeref did good things for them.

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.
  • Zeref was also responsible for Fairy Tail's existence since him teaching Mavis and her friends magic motivated them into starting a guild.

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 nice 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 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.
• When Mavis was buried in Tenrou Island, Zeref stayed there and watched over her.

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 (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 plan. 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 Zeref. 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.
    • 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 freed Precht from his 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.
• When confronted by Mavis' ghost, Zeref lied to her that he will destroy all of mankind (including innocent ones) for their sins, breaking their bond and making them enemies as a result. While Zeref did this, it was because he knew even Mavis couldn't understand what he really plans to do, meaning he only broke their bond because of how much he cares about her.

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 verbally threatened Natsu and his friends when they see him, but 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.
• When confronted by Makarov Dreyar, while Zeref did purposely attack him as a chance of getting a rise out of Natsu, it was also 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.
• 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.
  • While nearly everyone believed Zeref intended to use Fairy Heart to destroy all life with Fairy Heart, the truth is that he wanted that power to reset the timeline to stop Acnologia from becoming too powerful to the point where humanity will be easily destroyed by him (and there's a very high chance he will end all of human life and it's not guaranteed he would be defeated by any possible method in the present), with Zeref and Natsu killing him in the past to stop him from beginning his rampage once more. In addition, Zeref wants to undo all the sins many people committed under his name and prevent them from committing more in the future, since as long as Zeref's alive, many people will continuously commit atrocities under his name and potentially corrupt the future, and this can happen if Acnologia managed to be killed in the current timeline, but with Zeref still alive, (and 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). 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. Of course, almost no one can really understand him because of how painfully complicated his situation is. To summarize, Zeref just wanted to set things right and wanted humanity to have a better future. However, once he resets the timeline, it would mean that Zeref wouldn't be able to meet Mavis again, but his self-loathing made him believe that Mavis' life would have been better had she never met him, believing that although they may have gotten along really well, he felt like he left a negative impact on her life because of all the bad things he indirectly caused.
    • Before he fully went on with his plan however, He gave Natsu a few more chances to try killing him, especially since Natsu has become stronger as time progressed. Zeref thinks 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.
      • When confronted by Gray before the black wizard fought with Natsu a second time, while Zeref did threaten and plan to kill Gray, it was only to motivate Natsu into wanting to kill him more (and Natsu's grief and rage over Gray's death would unleash his E.N.D. form, which could kill Zeref); Zeref just did this once more to try ending his own life and to stop being an unintentional problem to everyone in the world because of his curse.
      • The sole fact that Zeref was willing to sacrifice his reputation completely for others just shows how selfless he truly is.
  • Unlike most broken villains (who have good intentions, but they could have used more practical 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 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, 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.
• Even when trying to control his curse, he occasionally tries being his sweet, caring self towards others, such as the scenes with him and Mavis.
• When Mavis apologized to Zeref for not having enough faith in him (especially considering that she's the only person who knew more about his suffering than anyone else), Zeref easily forgave her as it's not easy to understand his complicated situation.
• 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, and felt horrible for everything he said and did towards him (including the fact that he angrily disowned him out of ignorance), finally realizing why Zeref did all the things he did in the Alverez Empire Arc and that he did it all for him and everyone. He even eventually promised to view Zeref as his only true brother, since Ignia was no brother to him.
• Despite the way Natsu misunderstood him in a very blind way (including the fact that he was blatantly relentless in wanting him dead), Zeref still easily forgave his little brother and loved him very much.

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.

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[]

• Zeref Dragneel on the Heroes Wiki
• Zeref Dragneel on the Villains Wiki
• Zeref Dragneel on the Fairy Tail Wiki
• Zeref Dragneel on the Inconsistently Heinous Wiki