Zeref is also one of the important characters in Fairy Tail. Known as "Zelef the Dark Mage," he is considered the most vicious figure in the history of the magical world. In the story, he has created black magic and demons, which have been forbidden for 400 years, and is worshiped by cults and believers who continue to worship and believe in black magic. Let's take a closer look at Zeref's true identity and strength.
Zeref's Profile
Source: Fairy Tail ©Mashima Hiro, Kodansha/Fairy Tail Production Committee, TV Tokyo
A dark mage who is said to have been the most vicious in the history of the magical world. In the story, it is said that he created various demons and forbidden techniques 400 years ago, and is worshiped by cults and followers who worship black magic. Its followers, who were plotting a resurrection using one of its forbidden techniques, the R System, built the Tower of Paradise and abducted and enslaved many people. Later, the Tower of Paradise incident occurred when Jellal, who had been transformed by the ghost of Zeref, caused the resurrection. However, the resurrection was thwarted by Erza, who was once one of those slaves, and Natsu and the others who came to her rescue.
What is Ankhseram's black magic?!
Source: Fairy Tail ©Mashima Hiro, Kodansha/Fairy Tail Production Committee, TV Tokyo
Because he has become immortal due to the influence of Ankhseram's black magic, he has actually lived for 400 years. This curse has the power to drain the life of those around him regardless of his will, which is why he calls it "Death Predation." One day, he learns the value of life, and the more he values life, the more he releases the energy of death, stealing the souls of those around him, and he is unable to use magic as he wishes. On the other hand, if he forgets the importance of life, he is able to control his own power and use his original magic. Due to this nature, there is even a widespread legend that "Zeref is sealed away and asleep, and a key is needed to wake him up." Also, due to the influence of the curse, he sometimes has trouble with the contradictions in his thoughts.
What is Zeref's true identity?!
Source: Fairy Tail ©Mashima Hiro, Kodansha/Fairy Tail Production Committee, TV Tokyo
His true identity is Natsu's real brother, Zeref Dragneel. He was once a student at the Mildian Magic Academy, where he was said to be the most talented magician since the academy was founded, even as a child. However, he lost his parents and Natsu in an encounter with a dragon, and Natsu's death prompted him to begin researching life and death. In the process, he created the R System and Eclipse. However, the professors pointed out that this was a "dangerous idea to revive his younger brother Natsu," and he was expelled from the academy. However, during this time, he incurred the wrath of the god Ankhseram, whom the academy worships, and was cursed with the "black magic of Ankhseram," killing the professors and students.
Zeref's Wish
After simultaneously becoming immortal and carrying two thoughts for many years - the guilt of taking so many lives and the fulfillment of being able to do endless research - he finally wished to die, and to achieve this he created Etherious (the demon from the Book of Zeref), but neither of them were enough to kill him, so he used Natsu's body, which he had carefully stored, to revive him as "END" with the meaning of "the end". This is why he called Natsu "the one who will destroy him" and longed to meet him again and kill him.
Zeref and "Fairy Tail"
Source: Fairy Tail ©Mashima Hiro, Kodansha/Fairy Tail Production Committee, TV Tokyo
Also, while collecting herbs for research, he met Igneel and became friends with him, and left Natsu, who was a troublesome child at the time, in his care. Perhaps because of this connection, he learned of the dragons' plan to defeat Acnologia and agreed to it, and with the power of Anna, Lucy's ancestor, he opened the Eclipse, sending the dragons and five orphaned boys and girls to the future. At the same time, in order to oppose Acnologia himself, he founded the Albarus Empire, a super-military magical empire that united 730 guilds from across the Western Continent (Arakitalia).
Zeref and Mavis's Relationship
Source: Fairy Tail ©Mashima Hiro・Kodansha/Fairy Tail Production Committee・TV Tokyo
From there, he traveled around again, but in X686, he met Mavis and the later founding members of "Fairy Tail" in the forest west of Magnolia, and taught them magic at Mavis's request. In X696, he meets Mavis again by chance and realizes that she has been cursed with the dark magic of Ankhseram due to her use of "Wax", and feels that Mavis has the potential to walk alongside him. As a result, he falls in love with Mavis, the only person in the world who accepts him, even though he continues to reject her. However, this becomes the trigger for him to take her life through his Death Predation, and he realizes that "he should never have loved anyone".
Zeref vs. Fairy Tail All-Out Showdown
Source: Fairy Tail ©Mashima Hiro, Kodansha/Fairy Tail Production Committee, TV Tokyo
In X792, one year after the destruction of the "Gate of the Underworld," he returns to the Empire in triumph amid the cheers of the people for the first time in a year, and meets with Makarov, who has come alone to negotiate. He explains the purpose and circumstances behind the creation of Alvarez, and declares that he will annihilate both Acnologia and Ishgar, attempting to break off the negotiations and kill Makarov, but is foiled when Mest appears just in time.
Reveal the Truth
Source: Fairy Tail ©Mashima Hiro, Kodansha/Fairy Tail Production Committee, TV Tokyo
Afterwards, he orders the Spriggan 12 to launch an all-out attack, changing their name to Lumen Histoire, to seize the fairy heart and annihilate Ishgar. Together with Inbel and Yajir, he leads an army of one million men in an invasion from the west of Ishgar, but is confronted directly by Natsu, who arrives. Sensing the possibility of his own annihilation due to the power of the Fire King Dragon left behind by Igneel, he reveals the whole truth to Natsu. Natsu still tries to annihilate him along with himself, and nearly delivers the final blow, but Happy, who refuses to let Natsu annihilate, intervenes and saves the day. Sensing that there is no longer any way to annihilate him after Igneel's powers have disappeared, he makes up his mind, changes into clothing befitting an emperor, and marches his army forward once again.
Confronting Mavis
Source: Fairy Tail © Hiro Mashima, Kodansha / Fairy Tail Production Committee, TV Tokyo
Afterwards, he was placed in the "Fairy Tail" guild by Irene's Universe One, and confronted Mavis who had finally fully revived and awakened from the magic crystal. After taking her into his hands, he waited for Natsu and the others with the assembled Spriggan 12. As many of the 12 head to the front lines, he orders Irene to separate the fairy's heart from Mavis, but when he is caught off guard for a moment and Mavis escapes, he orders Irene to capture her alive.
Zeref VS Gray
Source: Fairy Tail ©Mashima Hiro, Kodansha/Fairy Tail Production Committee, TV Tokyo
After Irene's defeat, Universe One is released and the continent of Fiore returns to its original form, but he remains in Fairy Tail without being transferred and confronts Gray, who was the first to enter the guild. (He had predicted that Laxus or Jellal would be the first to arrive, so it seems he was surprised that Gray showed up.) As a gift from the underworld, he tells Gray about the true purpose of the war that no one knows about and the true power of the fairy heart, and tries to kill Natsu to anger him, but Gray, who chooses to defeat him rather than kill him in order to save Natsu, uses Absolute Freeze with the Vanishing Attribute, putting him in danger of being sealed away. ...But Natsu jumps in just before that, interrupting the Absolute Freeze, and both of them end up safe.
Zeref VS Natsu
Source: Fairy Tail © Hiro Mashima, Kodansha / Fairy Tail Production Committee, TV Tokyo
And so, the brothers clash again to decide the future of mankind, and they fight without backing down. At this time, perhaps due to the influence of the curse, they are in the middle of an important battle, but they are trembling with joy, saying that they are having fun. During the fight, Larcade, who rushed to the scene, puts Natsu to sleep and asks him to finish him off in order to free himself from his brother's curse... but he is enraged that his fight with Natsu has been interrupted, and instead pierces Larcade with magic, abandoning him as a failure and destroying him.
The End of Zeref
During the fight with Natsu, he tells Larcade that his true goal is to start over by resetting time to before he became immortal in Neo Eclipse, and absorbs the fairy heart of Mavis, who appears to persuade him, and the magic of the gap in time found by Anna, Lucy's ancestor, and gains the power of a god that transcends time, transforming into a white, divine form.
Additional Information
Source: Fairy Tail ©Mashima Hiro, Kodansha/Fairy Tail Production Committee, TV Tokyo
He is considered a vicious wizard, but this is only based on his achievements. In reality, he is a gentle person who could not accept the death of his younger brother. Also, as mentioned above, he met the earliest members of Fairy Tail and taught them magic, which is a distant cause of the founding of "Fairy Tail", and in a sense, he can be said to be another founder of "Fairy Tail". By the way, although he is called a black mage, there are not many depictions of him clearly using magic other than the curse of Ankhseram's black magic (only when he executed Master Hades and in his fight with Natsu, but it is unknown what kind of magic it was). Even so, he was able to even face Natsu in the final battle in which he defeated several of the 12, so he has the ability to rule the Alvarez Empire as emperor.
Summary
Zeref's true identity and his relationship with Mavis are often surprising. Also, the battle between Zeref and Natsu is a highlight! Please check it out in the original work or the anime.
