Top 20 Fairy Tail Fights

Written by Shiggins

Magic Mania.

I wanted a perfect top 20 for the summer, and it doesn't get more perfect than this. Not only is it Fairy Tail, which is basically my signature dish, but it's about fighting. And with the world the way it is and my country still being in lockdown, there's nothing I want to do more than kick someone's face in! RAH! Here's the top 20 battles of Fairy Tail! Spoilers be damned!

20. Erza vs Azuma

Well, let's immediately anger people by bringing up the fight that is probably more likely to be in people's top 10, and here it is down at number 20. Remember, this is just a personal opinion... and besides, you got plenty more on this list to be annoyed at me over. So let's get this list started by going into Erza's biggest solo battle during the Tenrou Island arc, as she fought against the villainous Azuma of Grimoire Heart!

Everyone has lost their powers due to the destruction of the large tree, except for Erza, who Azuma seeks a worthy battle from. So the two clash with swords fighting against explosions, while other characters are near death's door and needing Erza to obtain victory soon or it's all over!

The final blow from Erza is fantastic, as is a lot of the choreography, and the tension raised due to the other members struggling without the tree is a very nice touch. For me, the fight is low on the list due to the convenience of Azuma's personality providing the exact scenario needed to create this scenario. If he had been literally any other member of the Guild, this fight wouldn't have even existed or had such a resolution, and that's a fact I can't overlook. It also doesn't help how Erza gets that final blow, as cool as it is, but at least the fight is enjoyable as a spectacle.

19. Natsu and Lucy vs Franmalth

I'm not a fan of Franmalth. In fact, I'd probably go on record to say he really annoyed me, but damn... I can't deny his main fight is actually a lot of fun, which is extremely unexpected when you look at his short design and cowardly-seeming personality. We knew he was a member of the Nine Demon Gates, but surely that's because of his brains or something, right? Nope!

Set during the Tartaros arc, Lucy, Happy and Natsu find themselves finally reuniting just in time to face off against Franmalth inside the Cube that serves as Tartaros' lair. Despite his appearance, the trio find themselves brought to their knees by Franmalth's power to absorb any magic or Celestial Spirit and use them for his own, especially when Franmalth reveals a surprising soul under his possession.

Franmalth's battle lacks original abilities, but it is at least very varied thanks to the usage of Taurus, Aries and even the terrifying combination of Hades' soul with Natsu's fire constantly swapping about. How Franmalth actually got Hades' body in the first place raises a lot of questions, but it does make for a good visual, and I particularly like Lucy's trick to escape his clutches. Now if only we could see a scene of Franmalth actually dying. Forever. And hard.


18. Lucy vs Sherry

Probably an unexpected choice for most of you, but one I stand by making it into the top 20 for it's significance in the grand scheme of things. While I actually quit Fairy Tail once purely because of the Galuna Island arc, I can't deny there's some good stuff in it, since it's the first quest to add Gray to the group and to pit Lucy against a foe that's actually worth bragging about.

Basically, by sheer dumb luck and coincidence, Lucy finds herself battling against Lyon's lackey Sherry Blendy and her unique Doll Magic to stop her and her ugly rat beast from killing an entire village. Trees come to life, Celestial Spirits get possessed (something that would be very frequent after this) and Lucy eventually comes through as the victor.

The main thing that stands out for me is this is Lucy's first real victory, something major for every main character going through development. She has to depend on herself, nobody can back her up or save her, and her enemy isn't a joke like Everlue. So it might not be the most exciting or emotional scene, but it's an important step in every character's journey and has a decent final slam so I'll put it here.

17. Natsu vs Zeref

Welcome to the reason this is a list of 20 instead of 10, and one I fully expect to be a controversial choice. It's the final fight against the best villain of the franchise, so how could it not be super-high!? Well, that might be the reason why. Expectations were up there and this was a fight that needed to deliver a lot. It's good enough to be on the list, yes, but that's about it.

In the Guild hall of Fairy Tail, Zeref and Natsu are finally alone. Every member of the Spriggan 12 has been dealt with, Gray has been stopped from using Iced Shell again, and Zeref's grand plan of time travel is about to come true. The two brothers fight, Zeref' transforms, and a big punch keeps us from getting to experience a time travel arc which is a big shame.

On it's own, the fight is passable. Lots of wild action, an utterly hilarious transformation with an X-Men belt, and everything involving Mavis helps to make this fight memorable enough, but I frankly felt disappointed overall. The setting had been used too many times before, none of the new spells are unique, and it's distractingly odd that a series almost obsessed with teamwork decided to have Natsu battle alone for this. And let me answer your next big question; No, Acnologia is not on this list at all.


16. Erza vs Laxus

Hey, 100 Years Quest actually made it to the list! I wasn't sure if I should include that series or not, but I am reviewing it every week and I do recognise it as the sequel so why shouldn't it be eligible for a Top 20? Especially since it finally gave us a match we'd been wanting to see for a long time and sadly never found a place in the original.

On the back of a giant dragon made of wood, Laxus and many other Fairy Tail members are brainwashed by an evil threat known as the White Wizard. Facing off inside a church, Erza and Laxus duke it out after she gave a horny Jellal the slip and the two S-Class warriors finally have their battle to try and stop an orb from being destroyed.

It was tempting to have Kyria's fight with Erza on the list, but Laxus won out due to the sheer chaos of the scene and the wish fulfillment this fight provided. These two had come close to a fight before, but we'd given up hope that there would ever be a fight beyond playful slapstick between them after Laxus' heelturn, so seeing this savagery and determination was a lot of fun. It's just a shame that Kyria was reduced to stunned observer.


15. Erza vs Kagura vs Minerva

This was a difficult one to place, since I knew it'd have to show up somewhere on the list but where? It's got some great stuff absolutely, but I have a severely bad taste in myself when I remember it because of that ending. So after much deliberation, I have chosen what I believer is the right place for the ultimate threeway battle.

In the finale of the Grand Magic Games tournament, Erza is to confront Sabretooth's malicious Minerva for Mavis' plan to work. Unfortunately, that plan is hijacked by the appearance of Mermaid Heel's Kagura, and now all three of them are locked in a battle to win their Guild the trophy, as well as achieve their own personal goal.

The actual fighting is great, and Minerva absolutely shines during this battle. She tortures, manipulates, schemes, kicks all kinds of arse with her strange magic, and even steals Erza's win! Kagura's swordsmanship makes for a worthy rival against Erza's as well... but then it all comes crashing down. While I can accept Erza helping a young Kagura, since they were from the same village for the backstory to work, I still can't get over Erza's Nakagami Armour spawning out of nowhere to provide her the win. It's one of my least favourite moments in the whole series, and it sours this fight so much I can't place it any higher than this.


14. Natsu and Lucy vs Kain Hikaru

Sometimes, a fight works because of the emotional weight between the hero and the villain, or the dramatic stakes that could mean the end of the world if Goku doesn't throw that Spirit Bomb in time. This is not one of those fights. This fight is ridiculous, goofy, sometimes childish, and I have a very big soft spot for it because of that.

On Tenrou Island, Lucy finds herself alone thanks to Cana's melodrama, and now at the complete mercy of one of the Seven Kin of Purgatory, Kain Hikaru! After some back and forth between the two, Lucy is struggling until she runs across Natsu and the two are together for the first time in this arc! And with their powers combined, Lucy is set on fire!

Kain is one of those characters that works best in small doses, which is good because this is undeniably a small dose. He's utterly ridiculous yet extremely powerful, and his magic provides a lot of opportunities for comedy and threat, like when he becomes fluff or when Happy gets to control Lucy and create a clever finisher that I didn't see coming. The expressions on Lucy's face alone could sell this fight for me.


13. Sting vs Larcade

Did you know one of my most-read FT reviews ever is actually all about the time Larcade activated his Pleasure Magic? Yeah, it's gotten a lot of views... Anyway, let's pretend that's because of how effective Larcade was as a threat, and talk about the fight. I was going to include Kagura in here too, but I think that her fighting Larcade counts as a completely different battle so... It's debatable. Let's play it safe and stick to Sting.

Kagura, Yukino, Angel, Lector and Frosch are all struggling against Larcade, the "son" of Zeref and one of the Spriggan 12, and the Pleasure ability has taken down a lot of people on the battlefield. Finally, Sting arrives and is ready to avenge everyone and take down a major problem in this war. We even get the return of White Shadow Dragon Mode!

Larcade himself has been a thorn in our side since his first appearance, so it's very enjoyable to see him get his shit ruined, especially after hurting Kagura so much, and the unusual abilities of Larcade make for quite surreal images, like Yukino literally nibbling on Kagura in hunger, although the actual pacing of this fight feels stretched out just to fill pages. On the bright side, this does feel like one of the best examples of actual teamwork in the Fairy Tail franchise thanks to the efforts of Sting, Rogue and Kagura doing their best together, so I'm happy to place it here.


12. Natsu and Gray vs Mard Geer

One of many I struggled with but knew it would end up on the list regardless, the final battle of Tartaros might not feature the best villain or be the best of it's own arc but it's got a great final form and a lot of creative use of magic from Gray. Also, it has two giant dragons fighting in the background, which is always a bonus worth mentioning.

Igneel has finally returned and he's going to take on Acnologia, but he has a task for Natsu; Get that book from Mard Geer! Gray joins the fight, full of anger and grief from what happened with Silver and Juvia, and so the duo agree to work together since Sting and Rogue are dealing with their own problem. Mard Geer finally stops acting emotionless, and Natsu and Gray work together exactly how we'd want them to.

Unlike the fight with Zeref, the tension feels appropriately high because the arc has kept the pace at a perfect speed without ever getting boring and so it feels like the right time for Mard Geer to finally go down. I love Mard Geer's big winged form, I love the use of teamwork between Natsu and Gray, and seeing them finally destroy the cocky demon's smug demeanour is more satisfying than it probably should be.


11. Erza vs Erza

If you told me the entire point of the Edolas arc, besides resurrecting Lisanna, was to have this fight take place, then I would believe you. I'm on record for not caring for the Edolas arc, seeing it as a slow-paced arc that really adds very little besides the inclusion of one or two enjoyable faces and the removal of Mystogan, but some of the fights during the second half had a lot of effort going in, which was very welcome. And while Gajeel vs Pantherlily was great, it has to be Erza fighting her own self to become good!

Erza Knightwalker has been the strongest presence of the arc, torturing characters, nearly killing Lucy and hunting down Fairy Tail for the king. Finally, Gajeel manages to bring back the original Fairy Tail members and so Erza immediately goes to face-off against Erza! One Erza has different armours, the other Erza has a transforming weapon, and this fight lasts so long that the trio of Dragon Slayers defeat a giant robot during it!

Natsu's reaction of terror is hilariously appropriate to this visual. Our Erza is scary enough, but Edolas' Erza has short hair and shot Pantherlily! She's a terror and can handle Erza, causing the scenery to be changed from stable ground to freefalling, and eventually resulting in just simple punching and speeching at each other as Edolas around them breaks away before a simple farewell as they've gained respect for each other. It's one of the more satisfying conclusions to an Erza battle out there, and the soundtrack during this is a personal favourite of mine. Erza's so lucky, I wish I could beat myself up.

10. Natsu vs Gajeel

Most people would probably place this a lot higher, which is fair, but I firmly stand here with the belief that each fight is just simply better. That being the case however, it can't be forgotten that the final deathmatch against Natsu and Gajeel was the first great fight of the franchise, and would set the benchmark for every finishing fight to follow. And as is proven by this list, that clearly hasn't happened every time.

Lucy is still in the clutches of Gajeel, the Iron Dragon Slayer of Phantom Lord, and the battle between the two Guilds is still ongoing. Natsu arrives to free her and take down Gajeel, after failing to do so last time, and so the epic battle that has been building up during the entire arc begins!

Like I said, this was the best fight in the series by the time it came out, and a big part of that was due to the prescence of a villain like Gajeel, as well as the clashing of powers and fists. We'd never seen another Dragon Slayer besides Natsu, so it was almost like Natsu was fighting against an evil version of himself, albeit one with better hair. Lots of action, headbutting, Lucy getting involved to help, and Gajeel getting defeated so hard that he literally becomes good later. A classic example of a Shonen battle.


9. Natsu vs Jellal

Despite my infamous dislike of Jellal, even I can't argue that his time as a villain was a highlight for the character and the early arcs of the series. In fact, it's heartbreaking that Jellal literally forgot about this fight for a while because so many readers haven't thanks to some of the "first times" that take place throughout, as well as just an impressive spectacle overall.

On the top of the Tower of Heaven, Erza has failed to make herself kill her childhood friend Jellal, despite his evilness and torture of her friends. Of course, Natsu appears and the two fight it out. It's not an easy fight of course, as Erza is rendered basically useless, but Natsu pulls through thanks to her, the Etherion, and the first death of the series!

The death of Simon is something this fight should be remembered for, as it would shape many decisions in the future of not just Erza, but Jellal and Kagura, and it was quite a surprise to see someone actually die back in this arc. Of course, there are other events in this as well worth noting, like Erza trying to sacrifice herself, the use of Meteor and Grand Chariot, Jellal's cruelty, and the first ever appearance of Dragon Force! Easily Jellal at his second-best (the best-best is Whiteout Jellal).


8. Wendy vs Chelia

When a character goes through actual development, you need a moment that can perfectly display it. And while there is one fight that I think does it a little better (which you'll read soon), this is a damn close second. Wendy Marvell, first introduced in the Oracion Seis arc, really comes into her own when she is placed against her non-evil copy from another Guild. Which is ironic when you think about it.

The Grand Magic Games are in full swing and people are battling it out for the crowd. We had seen glimpses of this new player Chelia and how like Wendy she was, but here we see it in full when the two are to fight. To everyone's surprise, not only is she far superior to her cousin Sherry, but her own powers are basically Wendy's with an upgrade.

What stands out about this fight is the use of magic and personality on display, with both of them seeming like copies of each other but the more we see of Chelia, the more we see how different she is and a welcome influence on Wendy. As for the actual fighting itself, well you get a lot of fun there too. Wendy using her healing magic strategically, the roars exploding against each other and... wait, her name is meant to be Sherria?! No, I'm not calling her that!


7. Elfman vs Bacchus

Not enough people give this fight credit, and I just don't get it. This was amazing, and I almost cheered the first time I read it on the page! Elfman is one of those characters that really gets underserved by the plot, often thrown aside when it's obvious he would dominate everyone and everywhere. So it's fitting he has the same voice as Piccolo.

The Grand Magic Games are going horribly for Fairy Tail, with no actual victories coming from them and Sabretooth dominating. The underdog (ha!) Guild, Quatro Cerberus, have decided to substitute their best mage Bacchus into the games, and a mix-up behind the scenes causes Bacchus to fight Elfman instead of Erza. Despite all the odds against him, Elfman comes out on top!

When this fight started, Bacchus had ensured you were aware of how much of a scumbag he was, from forcing a disgusting bet against Elfman to his treatment of other Fairy Tail members, but thanks to the Chariot event and Erza's words, we knew he was an ultimate badass too, so it looked like Elfman was doomed... but his outstanding victory of endurance caused Bacchus to recognise him as a real man, Fairy Tail to finally begin becoming winners, and Quatro Cerberus to become Quatro Puppy. How can you not love this?


6. Natsu and Gajeel vs Laxus

Remember when we all actually wanted to see Laxus get his ass handed to him? It feels like forever ago, but Laxus was a very unlikeable character before this arc punched him in the teeth. For as is written in the Anime Commandments, the perfect defeat will result in you becoming more likeable. I think Osamu Tezuka probably said that one.

The entirety of Fairy Tail have been taken out thanks to Laxus' bid to take over, with very few exceptions. And those exceptions are heading to take down Laxus now, who has already exposed Mystogan as a Jellal copy and abandoned so many. Gajeel, the wild card and new member, joins Natsu and the fight explodes with lightning, roaring and Fairy Law!

Between his reveal as a Second Generation, his use of Fairy Law revealing his heart, and the temporary loss of his sanity, it's clear that Laxus is the star of this battle, but Natsu and Gajeel are an amazing combination too. Gajeel finally develops as a character, Natsu gets the match he always wanted and Laxus begins his painful climb to become as great as he is today. A crazy fight with higher stakes than expected, and it works best because of how much it fits the personalities we've gotten to know in the past. And don't worry, this isn't the last time you'll see these two together on this list.


5. Lucy vs Tartaros

I wasn't sure if this would count, but then... I decided it should because this is a fight and it is awesome! If there was ever any proof that the "Lucy is useless" meme is bull-hockey, then it's the scene where Lucy is all alone and literally fighting the most terrifying Guild of the whole franchise with nothing but her wit, skills, a whip, and her Celestial Spirit Magic!

The villainous Mard Geer has activated Alegria, a spell that causes the entire Cube to absorb every Fairy Tail member so they can stop beating up his henchmen, but Lucy escapes somehow (and yes, this is the only problem with this fight) and so Mard Geer encourages everyone to attack her. Generic henchmen, Torafuzar, Lamy and my favourite boy Jackal all attack her!

A dangerous environment that is constantly getting more aggressive each passing minute, demons coming one by one and fighting amongst themselves to get Lucy's head, the appearance of several Celestial Spirits at once, the tragic goodbye of Aquarius, the final blow on Jackal, the Celestial King slicing the Cube, Lucy flipping about like she's in a John Wick movie... it's all glorious stuff and fits comfortably in my top 5.


4. Wendy vs Ezel

Earlier we talked about Wendy's development being displayed through her fight with Chelia, but here we see it taken a step further as Wendy goes further than ever before and becomes an amazing fighter under the use of Dragon Force! Fittingly, Ezel is the kind of monster who deserves to be beaten up by a little girl, and in such a dramatic fashion too!

The bomb Face is about to go off, and if it does then everyone fighting in Tartaros will be wiped out by the demons. Wendy and Carla have ran off, but Ezel stands guard to prevent her from getting past. Eventually, Wendy activates the power of Dragon Force and is able to utterly destroy Ezel for getting in her way!

To this day, I'd argue that Wendy's growth might be the very best the series has to offer, and a fight like this displays it perfectly. Wendy used to need to be protected and hide, and now here she is saving the day! Tentacles, swords and arrogance are all Ezel brings, and yet Wendy still comes out as the saviour at the end of the day! ...until the other Face bombs are revealed but still an amazing fight for a great character.


3. Natsu vs Gildarts

Top 3! No regrets! Natsu vs Gildarts is awesome and that's a fact! It features one of the best and most underused characters in the franchise at the top of his game, is one of the few times where Natsu's fight overshadows all the others going on around him, and it actually delivers an important message about fighting that develops Natsu in a way so few other fights do.

The Tenrou Island arc has begun, and Natsu and Happy are a team together. They both have to choose a route to take, and Natsu is hoping he can take on Erza. However, the route he took has instead landed him locked in with the best that Fairy Tail has to offer, the S-Class mage and possibly surrogate father Gildarts.

The fight itself is an example of a one-sided fight done right, where the gap between the two is clear from the get-go, but it's the interaction itself between these two personalities that we're here for, not the power levels. Of course, seeing Natsu clash against Gildarts' Crush Magic is a lot of fun, but when the fight ends by Natsu breaking down and surrendering from seeing the full aura of Gildarts' power, we see some growth in Natsu that elevates this fight over being a fun bout between bros.


2. Natsu and Gajeel vs Sting and Rogue

On paper, well... different paper than the one the pages were drawn on... you'd think I'd hate this fight. The cocky duo of Sting and Rogue, who were built up so heavily in the arc, taken out with ease by Natsu and Gajeel, and one of those two didn't even stick around for most of the fight? It sounds awful, but it really really isn't. In fact, it's surprisingly cathartic.

By this point in the series, the Light and Shadow Dragon Slayers have spent almost all their screentime being cocky and swaggering about as they make fun of Natsu and Gajeel. To their delight, the Grand Magic Games has now given them the chance to team up in a 2 vs 2, but the Fire and Iron Dragon Slayers utterly trounce them, despite their use of Dragon Force and Unison Raid.

Half this fight really is Natsu and Gajeel reacting to the amazing arsenal that these two friends have up their sleeves, like laser beams and transforming into shadows, and it is a satisfying bout to be sure with Natsu's eagerness to fight a highlight, but the emotions from all four members and the audience is what really makes this fight. Fairy Tail have become the champions, the power balance of Sabretooth has been disrupted, and Sting and Rogue are now going to begin their development to become two of the best characters in the series.


1. Fairy Tail vs Hades

When I began making this list, I knew immediately what the top 2 would turn out to be, since there really is none better. While there are a lot of fights in which people team up together, none of them have the same feel of companionship and teamwork displayed by "Team Natsu" taking on the dark adversary, Hades and his insane arsenal of dark magic.

This is the final battle of the Tenrou Island arc, one of Fairy Tail's best. Every other minion of Grimoire Heart, the Dark Guild, have been taken out and all that is left is the leader, Hades, who was a Guildmaster of Fairy Tail before Makarov! And so Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Erza, Wendy, and the trio of cats make their way to take him down.

The action is constantly moving thanks to the range of abilities Hades manages to bring out, from demonic beasts to chains to bullet fingers, and our exhausted heroes needing to do anything they can to combat them with all their amazing powers. The entire arc has drained everyone to their limits, and you can feel the weight on their shoulders as they near the end, all of them managing to actually throw Natsu and his new Fire-Lightning power at Hades by synchronising with each other perfectly, resulting in a dramatic explosion as Hades doesn't even get the chance to consider redemption. And of course, how can one hate a fight which has Laxus arrive as a lightning bolt to headbutt the enemy in anger?


What's your favourite Fairy Tail fight? Got any suggestions? Comment below!

Shiggins:[Admin]
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Born under the stars of the Dark Gods, Shiggins owns the power of the Great Eye and is utterly magnificent in his omniscience. If you dare to discover more about someone as great as him, then go ahead. And to all my friends and family members, YOU are wrong and I should be disappointed! Not the other way round!,. You can find out about him or ask him stuff on ask.fm/shigginsishere or go to his tumblr page http://otakugajeel.tumblr.com/