Acnologia was without a doubt the most powerful force in the world of the Fairy Tail anime. He was known by many names: Black Dragon of the Apocalypse, Dragon of Despair, Arcane Dragon and Dragon King. It was no surprise that he was the final villain.
There was no mention of him until episode 76, titled “Gildarts,” and he didn’t show himself until episode 122 when he laid waste to Tenrou Island. He was a force of nature and no one could single-handedly defeat him – the best tried and failed. It took the combined might of seven incredibly powerful dragon slayers as well as all the magic power on the continent to defeat him.
10 When He Attacked Tenrou Island And Nearly Destroyed It
Fairy Tail had just finished dealing with Grimoire Heart, but they were far from safe as Acnologia soon descended on the island. Gildarts, the most powerful Fairy Tail wizard, urged everyone to run. This came as a surprise, but it was soon clear why he was scared.
Acnologia was so powerful and destructive that even when the very best of Fairy Tail’s wizards gave their all to stop him, they couldn’t even slow him down. In the end, he unleashed a devastating attack that would have wiped out the island and them along with it if it hadn’t been for Fairy Tail’s first master, Mavis, who cast Fairy Law – absolute protection magic.
9 When Zirconis, The Jade Dragon, Spoke Of Acnologia’s Killing Spree
Under the palace in Fiore’s capital city, Crocus, there were many dragon bones lying around. Wendy conjured up a dragon’s spirit from the residual energy there and the dragon Zirconis emerged. He told them how dragon slaying magic came to be and how one man was so powerful that he bathed the countryside in the blood of dragons. Even all the bones around them belonged to his victims. That man’s name was Acnologia.
8 Even Zeref Was Shown To Fear Acnologia
Acnologia’s power was frightening enough to scare even the legendary Black Wizard, Zeref. It was clear to see why Acnologia was so terrifying.
Acnologia was responsible for single-handedly destroying entire nations, and he was the sole victor in the war between dragons four hundred years before the main story. Zeref had known him for centuries and so he know his power all too well. Zeref was even part of the plot to send dragons into the future to defeat Acnologia.
7 The Final War Arc Was Waged Because Zeref Needed A Certain Power To Defeat Acnologia
Zeref wanted to possess Fairy Heart, a form of eternal magic capable of extraordinary things like controlling time or raining down countless etherion blasts. This power would have been enough to finally face down the Black Dragon, and so Zeref and his elite Spriggan 12, along with the entire Alvarez army, invaded Ishgar to claim it. To go to such lengths just to obtain the power required to slay one dragon says a lot.
6 Gildarts Failed His 100 Year Quest Thanks To Acnologia
Completing a century quest would have been a monumental achievement to add to Gildarts’ resume, but unfortunately he came across the Dragon King and returned with some missing body parts. Gildarts, who was known to be the most powerful mage of the Fairy Tail Guild, was no match for Acnologia and wanted nothing to do with the dragon again. He went as far as saying that there wasn’t a man who could beat the dragon.
5 Dragons Banded Together To Defeat Him & Failed
Five of some of the most powerful dragons in existence came up with a plan to defeat Acnologia. They traveled into the future in the bodies of their foster children to an era where there was an abundance of magic power in order to become strong enough to stop him. This was one of the many instances of characters going to extreme measures to ensure they rid the world of what Gildarts stated to be the most evil thing there was.
4 Even Mard Geer Feared Acnologia When He Attacked Tartaros
In the midst of all the confusion in Fairy Tail’s battle with Tartaros, Acnologia joined the fray. It was a daunting prospect to have to face the dragon again after what he did to them at Tenrou Island.
Mard Geer, the Underworld King, was also daunted by his presence, wondering what brought him there and what his presence could mean. The dragon went on a path of mindless destruction and nearly destroyed them all.
3 Acnologia Killed Igneel, The Fire Dragon King
This was possibly one of the most heartbreaking losses in all of Fairy Tail, and it showed just how powerful Acnologia was. Igneel, King of the Fire Dragons, was a mighty dragon equal in size to Acnologia. When they fought, it was clear that Igneel was the only being alive capable of going toe to toe with Acnologia. Their battle was ferocious, but Acnologia managed to win despite Igneel ripping off his left arm. It must be stated, however, that Igneel was greatly weakened and fought with but a fraction of his power.
2 Rogue Traveled From The Future With Other Dragons With The Goal Of Slaying Acnologia
Future Rogue came all the way to open the eclipse gate for a multitude of dragons to pass through. His goal was to fight Acnologia with them, and he even used dragon tamer magic to force them to obey him. This was yet another instance of people trying their hardest to put an end to the reign of the Dragon King. All of this was a sign of what was to come, and fans eagerly awaited the moment when Acnologia would be defeated.
1 When Natsu Defeated Zeref, All That Was Left Was Acnologia
At some point in the series, it seemed that defeating Zeref would be way easier that defeating Acnologia as no one knew where to even begin when it came to fighting the dragon. During the battle against the Alvarez Empire, Zeref was defeated after a harrowing battle with Natsu, but Acnologia was still at large. He soon arrived at Magnolia, and the battle for the fate of humanity ensued.
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