Zeref Dragneel (in Japanese: ゼレフ・ドラグニル, Zerefu Doraguniru), commonly known by his first name Zeref or title Lord Zeref is the main antagonist of the Fairy Tail franchise. He is considered one of the most powerful and evil Wizards as he possesses incredibly deadly and destructive Magic Power; for such reasons he is also known by the epithet of "The Black Wizard" (in Japanese: 黒魔導士, Kuro Madōshi).

He first appeared as a self-hating youthful recluse who could not control his Powers and was later revealed to be the estranged older brother of Natsu Dragneel and creator of the Etherious, originally created to kill him. He is also the love interest of Mavis Vermillion, who is the co-founder and first Guild Master of the titular organization Fairy Tail, and the illegitimate father of their son, August.

He is also later revealed to be the Emperor of the Alvarez Empire, known to the world as Emperor Spriggan, having subjugated many magical guilds under his command by martial force, and is the master of his personal guard, the Spriggan Twelve. In the sequel/spin-off series Fairy Tail 100 years quest, It is shown that Earthworld Faris became the new Black Wizard after his death

In the anime, he was voiced by Akira Ishida in the Japanese version and Joel McDonald in the English dubbed version; the former also voiced Ryuunosuke Uryuu and Gaara.

Personality[]

Zeref was said to have been the darkest, most evil wizard in the magic world as he mastered the Black Arts of Magic Power and created Demons and other monstrous creatures which continued to wreak havoc well into the present. However, the truth was far from what had been previously described: In reality Zeref was a calm-minded, gentle, sincere, kind, selfless, humble, trustworthy, straightforward, and optimistic person though over the years he found himself in a state of self-loathing where he wished to isolate himself from others and have his own life be taken away. He regretted the sins he committed and thus wanted to die before he found himself committing more horrid crimes.

After killing so many innocent lives unintentionally through his good nature triggering the Curse of Contradiction, Zeref felt painfully traumatized and broken, losing so much happiness in his life. In an attempt to stop hurting more people, he tried to end his own life by creating demons tasked to destroy him, but they all failed and started wiping out more innocent lives, and many villains even started committing many crimes under his name, which led to Zeref becoming the most hated man in the world. What's worse is that Zeref couldn't save the people who were attacked by the demons or the sinners, because it would mean valuing their lives and that will trigger his curse into killing them automatically; this made Zeref feel so much pain and misery, feeling like he has taken away all meaning in his life. Naturally, Zeref felt troubled and wanted his suffering to end. Despite his painfully large amount depression however, Zeref still tried to find a solution to end his own life and eventually found a way to bring back Natsu, getting help from Anna and Layla Heartfilia to take him to a magic-rich era, hoping that Natsu would become strong enough to kill him.

Zeref showed concern for others when he warned them not to come near him knowing they would most likely perish if they did; he once told Mavis he never chose to stay in one place or enter extended contact with living creatures. He was also emotionally fragile and vulnerable when he believed Mavis somehow died after they showed love for each other and realized his younger brother was not ready to eliminate him yet becoming hysterical and/or breaking down in tears on both occasions. Despite Zeref's capability for evil, he was a more tragic character once others knew him personally; this extended to the point that Mavis tried to cheer him up with her illusions.

Zeref cared deeply for his family and friends (even innocent lives who were unintentionally harmed by him or were victimized by sinners), wishing that he could be himself around them without triggering his curse. He loved Natsu very much as a brother (even if the latter can be rather hard to reason with a lot of times) and despite wanting to be ended by him, deep down, he wanted Natsu to know how much he truly cared about him and that he never wanted them to be enemies. He kept a pendant containing them in their childhood to remember him. In the Tenrou Island Arc, after seeing Natsu again after so many years, Zeref was happy to see his little brother, but he's naturally sad that Natsu doesn't remember him (aside from the fact he's sad that Natsu wasn't strong enough to destroy him at the time). In his brief appearance during the middle act of the Tartaros Arc, Zeref aided Natsu in winning the battle against the members of Tartaros through a holographic image (despite the latter being distrustful towards him). After Tartaros was defeated, Zeref appeared in person and verbally threatened Natsu and his friends, but deep down, he didn't mean any of that and only wanted to keep his curse from automatically killing them. When he believed he would die by Natsu's hand, he told him the truth of their relationship and revealed how he waited for him. He was touched when Natsu (who regained his memory of their childhood) finally acknowledged him as a brother in their final battle. Lastly, on his deathbed he had regretted not reconciling with him and left behind his pendant of them together as a memento.

In contrast to Natsu's reckless, impulsive, and airheaded nature, Zeref is more mature, serious, insightful, intelligent, and principled as an individual. Furthermore, he's a diligent student at school who amazed the professors for how smart and hardworking he is. Additionally, he developed strong feelings for Mavis Vermillion, as she's the only one who has been so kind and understanding towards him. When he first met Mavis, Zeref never told her his name because he knew it would scare her away, and he wanted to keep her safe from his curse. After Zeref unwillingly killed many trees in front of Mavis, the latter immediately recognized the kind of magic, which surprised Zeref as she's the first one who knew about his curse. However, Zeref still chose not to tell her his name because it's not easy. When Mavis requested Zeref to teach magic to her and her friends in order to save Magnolia, he accepted and used his high knowledge of magic to guide them, but when he finished teaching them, he chose to leave because he felt like his job was done and that he doesn't want to cause any problems for Mavis and her friends. Years later, Zeref got to see Mavis again and after feeling like they have known each other enough, he eventually told her his name and Mavis was surprised that Zeref wasn't anything like what the rumors depicted him to be, even saying he has gentle eyes.

Zeref had a clear-cut disdain for the "cultists who longed for [his] resurrection" viewing them as "a group of desperate fanatics" with unamusement and spite likely due to seeing those followers (in the loosest sense) as a majority of the negative histories and legacies he left behind before deciding to return and held similar regards, if not lower for the tales about him apparently having kept tabs on the Magic World while inactive as he was visibly appalled with former student and Fairy Tail's second Guild Master Precht Gaebolg and his new Guild Grimoire Heart for taking the stories about how he had already died and the "Keys" to reawaken him by unlocking his "Seal" very seriously to the point of considering it a holy script deeming said legends antiquated fiction and calling it all "a lie that an old fool put stock in".

Zeref, who's normally a very easygoing individual, does have a cold and brutal side within him as he would punish those he believed or already knew beforehand to be evil (to the point where they cannot be redeemed). This was shown when he ruthlessly slaughtered Precht who had become known as Hades and he correctly thought to have willingly performed or authorized a number of unforgivable and horrific atrocities. As a result of the immortality and agelessness enabling his extended lifespan, Zeref developed some disillusion for humankind and its idiosyncrasies of hatred, evil and conflict.

When personally confronted by Mavis' Thought Projection after the Grand Magic Games, he talked about his plans for the world and how he would bring everything crashing down, though he never revealed or fully explained to her his true plan, possibly because he knew that even Mavis couldn't easily believe something like that. While nearly everyone believed that Zeref was a threat to mankind (despite still having an extremist goal to end Acnologia), in reality, what he actually wanted was to reset the timeline to stop Acnologia from becoming too powerful to the point where all of humanity will be easily destroyed by him, with Zeref and Natsu killing him in the past to prevent him from beginning his rampage once more. Additionally, Zeref wants to undo every sin humanity committed under his name and prevent them from making more in the future (Zeref also 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, despite the sinners being fully responsible for their actions). In addition, after Zeref resets the timeline, he can finally relive his life before he got cursed and finally live a normal life with his family, and he wouldn't make the same mistake of cursing himself again (which of course would lead to him and everyone in the world go through tons of misery for centuries). 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, but he never told anyone about his true plan as he knew it's not easy to believe and that almost no one can really understand him. He also never told the Springgan 12 his true plan, most likely because they might go against it and it can cause more conflicts and complications, with Zeref only talking about Acnologia's demise. He did however reveal to Natsu his true plan during their second fight, when the curse briefly took control over Zeref's mind and rendered him temporarily unstable (which made him express himself in a way his true self wouldn't, with his expressions and words coming off as cold and sadistic), leading him to be more honest about it once he regains control. Zeref, in reality, just wanted to set things right and wanted humanity to have a better future, where he will no longer cause any more problems for anyone. However, resetting the timeline 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 without him, thinking 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.

His reputations on the continents of Alakitasia and Ishgar differed as Ishgarians thought of him as an aggressively single-minded tyrannical dictator bent on conquest while Alakitasians spoke of him as a benevolently noble and caring leader. Yajeel stated Zeref would show either or both sides depending on situations; the Black Wizard told Makarov that even though his personas were one and the same he preferred to be what Ishgar believed in. One of his more defining traits was an uncanny knack for (un)consciously seducing others into accepting his ways of thinking in the examples of organizations purely dedicated to serving what they saw as his will.

Before his descent into darkness, Zeref was polite, courteous and formal but also curious, ambitious and rebellious when he continued dangerous research into the truth behind life's existence and absence regardless of the consequences it would've had in the long run; he was rather sentimental and emotionally-attached considering the tremendous lengths he went to get back what he cared the most about. Upon conversion, Zeref displayed great sorrow for the disasters caused by his presence until he buried any emotions under a cold warped shell that turned into the exterior of the person he became known as over the following years; he did this again after losing Mavis by telling himself that falling in love had been a mistake on his part.

In the Alvarez Empire Arc, Zeref chose to suppress his good 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. When confronted by Fairy Tail's third, sixth, eighth and incumbent Guild Master Makarov Dreyar, Zeref purposely assaulted him as a chance of getting a rise out of Natsu (and knowing that if he tried sparing his life, it would still kill him either way). During his plan of invading Ishgar with the Springgan 12 to obtain Fairy Heart, when Natsu attempted to track Zeref down and try to kill him, the latter let him do so, as Zeref wanted to give Natsu another chance to try ending him, out of hope. Zeref thought that his death by Natsu could be an alternate solution to end his suffering in case his invasion plan might fail. Even if it meant that Zeref would die looking 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.

After Natsu failed to destroy him using Igneel's power in their first fight, Zeref said to Invel and to some of his other allies that since Natsu cannot destroy him anymore, they can continue on with their plan. Knowing that every guild in Ishgar would think that Zeref is malevolent no matter what he does, he and the Springgan 12 fought against them to try succeeding their plan. Similarly, during a scene where Gray was alone and confronted Zeref (before Natsu and Zeref's second fight in the arc), Zeref threatened to kill Gray after seeing that it could trigger Natsu's E.N.D. form through grief and rage (and of course, Zeref couldn't value Gray's life either due to his curse), as another chance of trying to end his own life and then no longer being a problem to everyone in the world. Lastly, during Natsu and Zeref's second fight, Zeref tried seeing if Natsu really could kill him, but after seeing that it's no use, Zeref fully went on with his plan of obtaining Fairy Heart. This just shows that Zeref truly was willing to give his life before resorting to his only other method.

After he was defeated for the first (and only) time by Natsu, he looked solemn as Mavis hit him for his actions, expressing that he deserved her hatred for him. Despite what she just said however, Mavis immediately apologized to Zeref for not having enough faith in him. Even after Mavis learned about his full story and difficult life, she initially had some doubt towards Zeref after learning that he's the wizard who has been considered by many as the most evil mage in history, and she even developed conflicting feelings after their encounter that took place after the Grand Magic Games (being unsure of what Zeref's true goals are and if he actually wants to threaten humanity or not, especially since Mavis has seen his kindness as well), leading to Mavis finding it hard to think straight and calculate everything, even when she fought against him for much of the arc and tried protecting everyone in Ishgar from the invasion, and Mavis' plan of expressing her love for him (which she came up with during the middle act of the arc) was something she's not sure will work due to how unsure she was about what is the truth about Zeref. However, Zeref doesn't blame her and instead understood her as it's not easy to fully understand someone in his situation. Ultimately however, Mavis eventually developed full faith in Zeref after fully realizing everything, including his true plan, leading to Mavis realizing that Zeref was never in the wrong and only tried his best in his circumstances. However, when Mavis finally realized what she had to do to end his suffering, she started breaking down sobbing because expressing her love for Zeref would mean that they wouldn't be together. Zeref, on the other hand, felt touched by the fact that Mavis loved him and thanked her for everything, even apologizing to her because he would have to leave her if she expressed her true feelings towards him. However, Mavis eventually accepted the outcome and chose to show her true feelings for Zeref, kissing him. After being loved by Mavis, Zeref felt truly happy, but Mavis requested to die with him. After Zeref accidentally expressed his feelings for Mavis again by saying she has to continue living, he felt a bit guilty killing her a second time, but he's also happy that he gets to spend more time with her after so long. As the both of them finally died in peace, Zeref once again showed remorse for his past and wished he could have made amends with his younger brother and everyone else. Before he ascended to the afterlife, he left his pendant in the living world and wanted Natsu to find it. Although Zeref failed in his attempt to reset the timeline and make a better future for humanity, he hoped that he could at least let Natsu know how much he truly cared about him as his brother. Natsu, on the other hand, was rather stubborn and ignorant towards Zeref's suffering and feelings (even after Mavis revealed to him about the curse and that he cannot show kindness without hurting or killing people) and kept trying to find the worst in his brother, taking every cold thing he does at face value and blindly treating it as though he wanted to be like that. Even after Natsu learned about their past and that Zeref is his brother, he was not the least bit reluctant to have him killed and never once tried understanding why Zeref did all the things he did in the Alverez Empire Arc (and Natsu has seen Zeref expressing his love for him more than once and how much he wanted to sacrifice his own life for humanity's safety, which should have made Natsu wonder about the mystery of his brother), even treating Zeref as though he didn't care about his family when Natsu himself was foolishly disregarding what he's going through, even seeing the curse taking control of Zeref's mind and temporarily rendering him unstable and partially out of control. He also angrily blamed Zeref for not finding any happiness in life and treated him as someone who doesn't understand happiness at all, even though it's painfully obvious that everything that makes him happy dies, yet Natsu kept throwing it in his face even after seeing Zeref visibly suffering in front of him. Even after learning his true plan and good intentions, Natsu kept forcing himself into thinking that Zeref is just pure evil and only caring about himself (even though he really cannot value the lives of others because of his curse). This made Zeref angry at Natsu for accusing him of selfishness, getting the last word by declaring Natsu himself has never experienced what it's like for those who suffered rejection everyday & that his little brother knew nothing. It isn't until after Zeref's death when Natsu realized how complicated his older brother was, even feeling he was absolutely wrong for blindly misunderstanding the only blood-related family member he had left (who suffered way more than anyone else Natsu knew) and being blatantly relentless in hating him and wanting to have him dead (including the fact that he was largely involved in his death), eventually wishing that he was there for him when he was still alive.

From Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest, after Wolfen copied Zeref, inadvertently using the same curse that nearly destroyed Aldoron Natsu declared the Ankhseram Black Magic is what solely made his brother do many horrible things (which he never wanted) & fall into despair before apologizing to him with affection. Natsu also eventually promised to view Zeref as family as well, even viewing him as his only true brother, since Ignia (Igneel's son and Natsu's adoptive brother) was nothing like him.

In the afterlife during Natsu’s near-death experience against the Ghost Dragon Wraith, Zeref is now a loving father and a family man. Furthermore, he can finally be himself around others without killing them.

Appearance[]

Though Zeref appeared to be a young man he was actually just over 400 years old but due to his Cursed immortality he retained a youthful appearance throughout his life. In addition he kept the characteristics he had back then noticeably his short black hair, clean pale skin, big dark eyes and abnormally-sharp canines.

In terms of clothing Zeref wore a high-collared red (black in the anime) and tan robe with gold trimmings and black pants nearly identical to the one initially worn by Rogue Cheney with a white toga draped over his left shoulder and black lace boots on his feet. He also had a pendant around his neck where he kept a childhood picture of him with Natsu. As Emperor Spriggan (in Japanese: 皇帝スプリガン, Kōtei Supurigan), first leader and founder of the Alvarez Empire he donned a regal and formal version of his usual attire consisting of a white toga lined with golden strings and markings at the edges; underneath this he had a black long-sleeve coat with metal cuffs reminiscent of those sported by Gajeel Redfox.

In his years before becoming immortal he normally wore a version of his usual outfit consisting of a white robe, blue toga and wooden sandals.

When emotionally unbalanced or unveiling his true Powers Zeref's irises became dark red with concentric black rings around their pupils giving him a frightening appearance.

After undergoing the Transformation following his use of the Lumen Histoire, or Fairy Heart his hair and clothing turned white with intrinsic designs on his robe and radiant silver wings sprouting from his back.

Powers and Abilities[]

• Magic (魔法, Mahō): Despite being known as among the greatest users of this form of combat and other tasks throughout the universe, true to his namesake Zeref focused on the darker and more taboo aspects of Magic in general, particularly that which manipulated life and death early on.
  • Magic Power (魔力, Maryoku): Zeref held extreme Magic Power as he was considered one of the greatest and most notorious Wizards (魔導士, Madōshi) known and feared by many. His Power was so enormous he could not always hold it in though whether this was always the case remained unknown. Zeref's control over his abilities seemed to come from his emotions as he stated that when caring about the lives of others or the world around him his Magic became uncontrollable and randomly burst outward usually killing (if not severely injuring) all within range but when he no longer cared for anything he gained complete control over his Magic and projected an image of the cold-hearted Zeref spoken of in old stories. Zeref's Magic could be exerted into a purple-black aura capable of easily intimidating Grimoire Heart members Ultear Milkovich, Precht, Rustyrose and Kain Hikaru, each extremely powerful Wizards in their own rights able to get potential S-Class Wizard candidates from Fairy Tail on the ropes with relative ease. As a testament to this he was able to fight Natsu evenly while using Igneel's Power and effortlessly overwhelmed Makarov, only being prevented from killing him by Mest Gryder's interference. According to Jellal Fernandes the only Wizard with equal Power was Athena, the artificial alchemy created being that is also known at the White Witch,, while Acnologia and the Five Dragon Gods were superior to him.
  • Dark Arts (黒い魔法, Kuroi Mahō): Zeref mastered all forms of Black Magic (黒魔術, Kuro Majutsu) at a very early age and brought countless monsters to life.
    • Tower of Heaven (楽園の塔, Rakuen no Tō): More appropriately known as the R-System or Resurrection-System, he sought to use it to bring Natsu back but was forced to abandon the idea at the request of the Mildian Magic Academy's faculty due to the requirement of sheer Magic Power and number of Human sacrifices needed to revive any being. Unfortunately, a series of cults secretly commanded by Grimoire Heart worshiping his name took Zeref's off-limits invention and used slave labor to construct more than one with the intent of reviving the Black Wizard, who they were fooled into thinking was deceased at the time; the last one in existence was destroyed in the present day by the efforts of a small group of Fairy Tail Wizards.
    • Eclipse (エクリプス, Ekuripusu): This was a device in the form of a structure called the Eclipse Gate that utilized Celestial Spirit Magic (星霊魔法, Seirei Mahō) mixed with Zeref's Black Magic to travel through the Gate to any time period possible, though this also required a large amount of Magic Power to function and could be closed by a surplus of the primary Magic it relied upon; it also forced those who used it to bear an aura of Ethernano (エーテルナノ, Ēterunano) particles identical its creator. It sent Anna and the original Dragon Slayers to the year X777; despite Anna's request for the royal family to destroy it a younger Toma failed to comply and merely kept it hidden away. The one-to-seven year-future's Rogue would have this reinforced with Magic Power-resistant Maginium alloy and activated under a blood red full moon per Hisui E. Fiore's orders to bring forth an armada of Dragons 10,000 strong from over 400 years in the past to destroy the world and kill Acnologia. However, Lucy and Yukino managed to close the gate after seven Dragons came through and the construct was demolished along with the rest of Rogue's plans by the combined might of Natsu and Atlas Flame after knocking both Motherglare and Rogue himself into it, sending everything that had recently traveled to the present back to their respective timelines. Unfortunately, Eclipse's reactivation would have a devastating effect on the order of nature in Earth Land and ended up warping the physiologies of the major inhabitants of the Celestial Spirit World.
    • Black Magic Ankhseram (アンクセラムの黒魔法, Ankuseramu no Kuro Mahō): Also known as the Contradictory Curse (矛盾の呪い, Mujun no Noroi), it was a Black Art that allowed Zeref to kill any living thing he desired. This Magic seemed to be uncontrollable at times causing it to come forth randomly and kill anything within a certain radius. However, when Zeref forgot the value of and no longer cared about life in general he could fully control this Magic. Certain Magic Items could protect people from the effects of Ankhseram's Power such as Natsu's scarf, though it turned this particular object completely black after being absorbed much to the Dragon Slayer's dismay. This Magic also appeared, contrary to other forms of Magic Power unable to be learned as Zeref only gained this Death Magic and possible form of Curse Magic (呪いの魔法, Noroi no Mahō) by upsetting the God Ankhseram (アンクセラム, Ankuseramu) who bestowed this on him due to making light of the Magic connections between life, death and living beings. The only side effects were immortality, the inability to physically age or die and the user producing waves of darkness that killed everything around them depending on their feelings.
      • Immortality: Approximately 400 years ago Zeref attained immortality which was a byproduct of being Cursed by the God Ankhseram. In addition he was also physically unaging and undying.
      • Accelerated Healing: Owing to his immortal status if Zeref had at least gone a short amount of time with receiving damage in successive intervals his wounds healed without a trace.
      • Superhuman Durability: Zeref was extraordinarily durable and resilient due to his immortality as he was able to take a direct punch from Natsu and return to his feet completely unfazed. In altercations no attacks while damaging were able to cause him real pain and only when using Igneel's Power was Natsu able to do so. Even then he needed to put all Power behind himself and Zeref still survived.
      • Death Predation (死の捕食, Shi no Hoshoku): This Spell created a dark wave that killed everything in the user's immediate vicinity.
      • Dark Sphere: A Spell that created a dull black sphere which destroyed everything in its path when thrown or directed at targets.
      • Death Pillar: Zeref swiped both of his arms in a circular motion until the bottoms of his hands met. The top hand had the index and middle fingers pointing upwards while the other hand had the little and index fingers pointing downwards. While doing this he was surrounded by a dark wind-like aura. The Spell created a huge vertical explosion and its blast radius was seemingly uncontrollable.
      • Stygian Blast Circle (暗黒爆炎陣, Ankoku Bakuenjin): Zeref gathered dark matter in a Magic Circle (魔法陣, Mahōjin) projected from his palm and struck his target with an attack.
    • Orb Restriction: Zeref was able to use an unknown Black Art to encase an individual in a bubble of raw Black Magic. It was potent enough to render Makarov, a member of the Ten Wizard Saints on the continent of Ishgar completely helpless.
    • Black Tendrils: Zeref was able to emit tendrils of darkness strong enough to keep Natsu at bay for a prolonged period of time.
    • Magic Immobilization : A Black Art of Zeref's that allowed him to freeze time for all except those he specifically chose to remain mobile. After Casting this the surrounding area and those affected appeared in black-and-white whilst the unaffected remained as they were.
    • Law (ロウ, Rō): Although never shown using it Zeref taught this supreme Black Magic to Mavis in order for her to fight; it relied solely on the user's judgement saving what they believed was good and destroying what they thought was evil. Unfortunately the imperfect use of this (which became a precursor to the Deterrent Magic Spells Fairy Law (妖精の法律フェアリーロウ, Fearī Rō) and Grimoire Law (グリモアロウ, Gurimoa Rō)) caused Mavis to share Zeref's Curse and virtual immortality; it should be noted the circumstances were due to Mavis's hasty preparation for Casting it just after learning it.
    • Magic Living (生活魔法, Seikatsu Mahō): Zeref was capable of using this ancient possible form of Lost Magic (失われた魔法ロストマジック, Rosuto Majikku) and type of Forbidden Magic that breathed life into objects. Most if not all of Zeref's creations were sentient and sought to further his desires. As he was their creator Zeref could kill any of them apart from E.N.D. who was made specifically to kill him instead. His Demons were said to have come from the Books of Zeref (ゼレフ書, Zerefu Sho), his library of works.
      • Etherious (ゼレフ書の悪魔エーテリアス, Ēteriasu): Later called Demons (悪魔, Akuma) from the Books of Zeref, they were the Black Wizard's own creations who possessed an immediate desire to "return" to him though upon returning they were to destroy their creator and free him from his torment.
        • Lullaby (ララバイ, Rarabai): An ironically-named flute that Transformed into a giant Demon at will. Whoever heard Lullaby's song (aside from the Caster) would immediately die. Erigor of the Eisenwald Guild hoped to use it to murder the Legal Guild Masters at one of their meetings. As Kageyama ultimately failed to carry out the mission Lullaby turned into its true Demon form to feast upon the Souls of those present. However, Natsu, Gray and Erza were able to defeat the living flute. It was later confiscated and landed in the Council's possession.
        • Deliora (デリオラ, Deriora): Deliora was a monstrous Demon that attacked icy villages in the North, killing many people including Silver and leaving a near-infant Gray orphaned. Deliora was then imprisoned by the Ice Wizard, Ultear's mother and Gray's mentor Ur, though virtually at the cost of her own life due to her use of Iced Shell, a forbidden Ice Magic Spell that turned the Caster themselves into their own ice. Lyon, one of Ur's students and Gray's childhood friend and rival tried to unfreeze it so he could kill the Demon for good and prove himself superior; after years of being imprisoned in Ur's living ice the Demon's life force was greatly reduced, so much in fact that it simply died upon being released.
        • Nemesis (裏魔法・天罰, ネメシス, Nemishisu): This Spell created Demons from rubble and could make an entire army with just a few other random materials. It was used by Precht while battling his former Guild Fairy Tail; he learned it from Volume 4, Verse 20 of one of the Books of Zeref.
        • E.N.D. (イーエヌディー, Ī Enu Dī) or Etherious Natsu Dragneel (エーテリアス・ナツ・ドラグニル, Ēteriasu Natsu Doraguniru): The last and strongest of the Demons. E.N.D. was a fire demon with great power. It possesses the ability to move even when time is frozen and surpasses even a god or Shield of Springgan. Originally his younger brother Natsu whom Zeref resurrected from using preserved body and was said to be able to kill the Black Wizard.
        • Tartaros (冥府の門, タルタロス, Tarutarosu): It was said by former Oración Seis member Erik that almost all of Tartaros's members were solely Demons he created. Zeref calls the Guild his book shelf, in reference to being created from books.
          • Mard Geer Tartaros (マルド・ギール・タルタロス, Marudo Gīru Tarutarosu): Also known as the Underworld King (冥王, Meiō), he was one of the strongest Demons from the Books of Zeref, leader of the Etherious and founder of Tartaros.
          • Kyôka
          • Jackal
        • Bloodman (ブラッドマン, Buraddoman): Otherwise known as the Grim Reaper (死神, Shinigami), he was one of the Spriggan 12 who wielded every Curse (呪法, Juhō) and all the Curse Power (呪力, Juryoku) used by other Etherious, specifically the Nine Demon Gates and their leader.
        • Larcade Dragneel (ラーケイド・ドラグニル, Rākeido Doraguniru): Another one of the most powerful Demons and member of the Spriggan 12 who was a successful "prototype" of E.N.D. and held Zeref as his father. He was given the last name Dragneel as a reward. Zeref even believed he could defeat Acnologia.
  • Magic Eternal : (永久魔法 妖精の心臓フェアリーハート, Towa Mahō: Fearī Hāto): Also known as the Lumen Histoire (光の神話ルーメン・イストワール, Rūmen Isutowāru), this was said to be superior to the Three Great Fairy Magics. Originally Mavis's Lacrima-preserved body, the Magic itself was created and stored within her physical form through Precht's countless attempts to revive her and Ankhseram's Curse reacting to each of them. Makarov's estranged son and Raven Tail's founder and first Guild Master Ivan Dreyar sought to obtain it as well; the latter was presumably excommunicated from Fairy Tail for possessing sensitive information that could've disbanded the Guild if leaked.
    • Divine Magic Power: Having completely absorbed the source of nearly-unlimited Magic Power, Zeref's own Power had become so immense it completely transcended Human comprehension to the point of instantly elevating it to a divine state and was deemed capable of defeating Acnologia.
    • Time Magic (時の魔法, Toki no Mahō): After accessing Fairy Heart's Power Zeref was said to have control over Time itself, shown by reversing the destruction of his body and reforming the debris of a destroyed part of the Fairy Tail Guild hall when attacked by Natsu.
      • Neo Eclipse (ネオ・エクリプス, Neo Ekuripusu): With the Power of Fairy Heart and the Space Between Time (時の狭間, Toki no Hazama), Zeref was able to merge both into one to create this Magic. With it he could relive life again, destroying and erasing the current world while a new one replaced it. Neo Eclipse was in the form of a door (walking through it would induce the Magic) as Zeref merged it with Fairy Tail's Guild hall door.
  • Magic Teleportation (瞬間移動の魔法, Shunkanidō no Mahō): Zeref was able to use this Magic to disappear into a black orb and reappear elsewhere.
  • Fire Magic (火の魔法, Hi no Mahō): Like his brother Zeref was shown to be capable of using this Flame Magic that allowed him to control and manipulate Fire. He used it to burn Mard Geer's Tome.
  • Telepathy (念話, Terepashī): Zeref was shown to be capable of using this Magic, contacting Larcade in order to get him to cease his Power.
  • Enchantment (付加術, Fukajutsu): Zeref was a very capable Enchanter, being the one who morphed Irene's Dragonized form into the physique of a Human as she, despite being an incredible Enchanter could not do it herself.
• Superhuman Senses: Zeref could sense Acnologia approaching Tenrou Island from quite a fair distance as well as talk to Mavis, despite not being able to see or hear her at the time.
• Superhuman Strength: Zeref was strong enough to match an Igneel-powered Natsu blow-for-blow and able to physically overpower him several times during their last fight, kicking him with enough force to send him flying despite his brother blocking the attack and with each of his punches damaging and causing pain to Natsu. While using Fairy Heart he was able to easily pierce Natsu's chest and mortally wound him, only being unable to finish the job due to him being saved by Lucy rewriting the Book of E.N.D.
• Superhuman Speed: Zeref was capable of keeping up with Natsu in Fire Dragon King Mode and easily pacing with and outmaneuvering his brother normally in their final fight, casually parrying any blows and catching him off-guard to land his own share of attacks.
• Hand-to-Hand Combat & Fighting Skills: Zeref proved to be an extremely accomplished hand-to-hand combatant likely, due to millenia of existence allowing him to master not just Magic but all sorts of fighting styles as well. After recovering from witnessing Natsu's Fire Dragon King Mode, he was able to go toe-to-toe against his brother despite having been initially battered by him. In their final confrontation Zeref was able to maintain the upper hand for an extended period of time, deflect most of his blows and return them in kind with Natsu allowing himself to be hit at one point to get a strike in before ultimately outfighting Zeref.
• Charismatic Disposition: From his days as an inexperienced youth Zeref had a natural talent for swaying the minds of all but the most solid-willed and righteous or self-assured people, something actually shared with his brother and only expanded with his reputation in the Magic World for over 400 years.
  • Teaching & Instruction Capabilities: Zeref was a highly capable Magic instructor, being the one who taught Mavis and Fairy Tail's other founding members Precht, Yuri and Warrod Sequen (the latter three of whom were only Treasure Hunters from the Sylph Labyrinth Guild at the time) how to first wield Magic Power, something made more impressive by the high levels of skill these individuals (or their descendants) demonstrated later in life.
  • Leadership Capabilities: As showcased during his tenure as the Alvarez Empire's leader he amassed a large group of devotees whom he all treated as mere pawns so as to not kill them with his Power. Each of his subjects more or less displayed a level of respect for and implicit fear of him when answering directly to his authority, carrying out his orders with almost little-to-no complaints and mostly putting their absolute trust in him, only rarely making the risky choice of attempting to challenge him.

Quotes[]

Trivia[]

• It is unknown whether or not Zeref had recognized Precht as Hades. However, he already seemed to know enough to call him by his new name shortly before killing him.
  • Additionally, the knowledge of someone linked to his past with Mavis (and by extension Natsu) causing bad things to happen in the Magic World could've been the catalyst that spurred Zeref into meeting Grimoire Heart face-to-face.
• As a result of the apathy stemming from his Curse he never truly had the chance to acknowledge anyone, especially Mavis or Natsu as people he cared about. This was especially prominent with his son August, though it should be noted that August willingly took the secret of being Zeref and Mavis' only child to his death. Meanwhile, he always favored Natsu over Larcade causing the latter to be filled with jealousy.
• It is unknown why he never told his subordinates of Natsu being his brother because none of them, except Invel and Larcade were aware.
• Whether Natsu discovered Zeref's pendant is unknown.
• Only a few character are aware of his relationship to Natsu.
  • Igneel.
  • Invel Yura.
  • Happy.
  • Yukino Agira.
  • Kagura Mikazuchi.
  • Lector.
  • Frosche.
  • Sting Eucliffe.
  • Gray Fullbuster.
  • Lucy Heartfilia.
  • Mavis Vermillion.

External Links[]

• Zeref Dragneel on the Heroes Wiki
• Zeref Dragneel on the Fairy Tail Wiki

Navigation[]

Villains
Etherious
Lullaby · Deliora · Mard Geer Tartaros · Kyôka · Jackal · Seilah · Ezel · Franmalth · Lamy · Keyes · Torafuzar · Tempester · Yakdoriga · E.N.D. · Bloodman · Larcade Dragneel
Dragons and Dragon Slayers
Laxus Dreyar · Erik · Acnologia · Zirconis · Future Rogue Cheney · Gajeel Redfox · Atlas Flame · Irene Belserion · God Serena · Animus
Five Dragon Gods
Aldoron (God Seeds: Doom . Gears . Metro . Wolfen). Ignia . Mercphobia . Selene . Viernes . Dogramag
Gods and God Slayers
Zancrow · Ikusa-Tsunagi · Chronos · Ankhseram
Devil Slayers
Silver Fullbuster · Bloodman
Eclipse Celestial Spirits
Eclipse Leo · Eclipse Virgo · Eclipse Aries · Eclipse Aquarius · Eclipse Sagittarius · Eclipse Gemini · Eclipse Ophiuchus · Eclipse Celestial Spirit King · Eclipse Pisces · Eclipse Libra · Eclipse Scorpio · Eclipse Capricorn · Eclipse Taurus · Eclipse Cancer
Dark Guilds, Cults and Other Rival Guilds
Phantom Lord
Geoffrey · Gajeel Redfox · Jose Porla · Aria · Sol · Totomaru · Juvia Lockser · Boze · Sue
Eisenwald
Erigor · Kageyama · Rayule · Karacka · Byard · Fortune Teller · Eisenwald Twins · Eisenwald Chicken · Snarl
Oración Seis
Brain · Midnight · Klodoa · Cobra · Angel · Racer · Hoteye · Meredy
Reborn Oración Seis
Midnight/Brain II · Jackpot · Cobra · Angel · Racer · Erigor · Imitatia · Lapointe
Grimoire Heart
Hades · Bluenote Stinger · Ultear Milkovich · Meredy · Zancrow · Azuma · Capricorn · Rustyrose · Kain Hikaru · Zoldeo · Yomazu · Kawazu
Raven Tail
Ivan Dreyar · Obra · Flare Corona · Kurohebi · Nullpudding
Tartaros
Mard Geer Tartaros · Jiemma · Silver Fullbuster · Kyôka · Jackal · Tempester · Keyes · Seilah · Ezel · Torafuzar · Franmalth · Neo Minerva · Lamy · Yakdoriga · Crawford Seam
Naked Mummy
Gatō · Zatô · Naked Mummy Mage
Death's Head Caucus
Ikaruga · Fukuro · Vidaldus Taka
Succubus Eye
Doriate · Minerva Orland
Avatar
Arlock · Briar · D-6 · Mary · Jerome · Abel · Goumon
Guiltina
Gold Owl
Duke Barbaroa · Athena · Athena II · Rosseau Signario · Enny Signario · God Serena · Sai · Gennai · Kotetsu
Diabolos
Selene · Georg Reisen · Suzaku · Kirin · Haku · Misaki · Kiria · Madmole · Skullion Raider · Nebaru · Reiss
Gagarock
Iwashita
Fire and Flame
Ignia · Bestia · Wed · Enny Signario · Rosseau Signario · Lecka · Brian · Raj · Misfortune
Oracion Sechs
Faris · Gaia · Daemon · Bird · Blade · Gate · Zero
Balam Alliance
Oración Seis
Brain · Midnight · Klodoa · Cobra · Angel · Racer · Hoteye · Meredy
Grimoire Heart
Hades · Bluenote Stinger · Ultear Milkovich · Meredy · Zancrow · Azuma · Capricorn · Rustyrose · Kain Hikaru · Zoldeo · Yomazu · Kawazu
Tartaros
Mard Geer Tartaros · Kyôka · Jackal · Seilah · Ezel · Franmalth · Lamy · Keyes · Torafuzar · Tempester · Yakdoriga · Jiemma · Neo Minerva · Silver Fullbuster · Crawford Seam
Edolas Kingdom
Imperial Government
Faust · Byro
Royal Army
Pantherlily · Erza Knightwalker · Hughes · Sugarboy
Alvarez Empire
Imperial Government
Zeref Dragneel · Yajeel · Invel Yura
Spriggan 12
Ajeel Ramal · August · Bloodman · Brandish μ · Dimaria Yesta · Invel Yura · Irene Belserion · Jacob Lessio · Larcade Dragneel · Neinhart · God Serena · Wall Eehto
Ajeel Squad
Ajeel Ramal · Bakel · Kareem
Brandish Squad
Brandish μ · Marin Hollow
Irene Squad
Irene Belserion · Juliet Sun · Heine Lunasea
Neinhart Squad
Neinhart · Four Heraldry Knights
Stella Kingdom
Imperial Family
Animus
Members
Zash Caine · Red Knife
Three Stars
Doll · Gapri · Swan
Teams
Element 4
Aria · Sol · Totomaru · Juvia Lockser
Team Lyon
Lyon Vastia · Yuka Suzuki · Toby Horhorta · Sherry Blendy · Zalty
Seven Kin of Purgatory
Ultear Milkovich · Meredy · Zancrow · Kain Hikaru · Rustyrose · Azuma · Capricorn/Zoldeo
Nine Demon Gates
Jackal · Seilah · Ezel · Franmalth · Keyes · Torafuzar · Tempester · Kyôka · Silver Fullbuster
Trinity Raven
Ikaruga · Fukuro · Vidaldus Taka
Team Jellal
Jellal Fernandes · Wally Buchanan · Millianna · Shô
Legion Corps
Byro Cracy· Dan Straight · Samuel · Mary Hughes · Sugarboy · Coco · Guttman Kubrick
Thunder God Tribe
Freed Justine · Evergreen · Bickslow
Spriggan 12
Ajeel Ramal · August · Bloodman · Brandish μ · Dimaria Yesta · Invel Yura · Irene Belserion · Jacob Lessio · Larcade Dragneel · Neinhart · God Serena · Wall Eehto
Ajeel Squad
Ajeel Ramal · Bakel · Kareem
Brandish Squad
Brandish μ · Marin Hollow
Irene Squad
Irene Belserion · Juliet Sun · Heine Lunasea
Neinhart Squad
Neinhart · Four Heraldry Knights
Three Stars
Doll · Gapri · Swan
Moonlight Divinities
Yoko · Hakune · Mimi
Others
Alter Face · Bora · Everlue · Informant of Filan · Photographer · Vanish Brothers · Daphne · Buli and Guli · Ankhselam