In the world of mages and magic, the dragons of the Fairy Tail’s universe hold a place in the hearts of fans and dragon slayers. The dragons are the most powerful race throughout the series, surrounded by mystery at every turn.
Although dragons are immensely powerful, there are moments where their weaknesses led to the ultimate extinction of their kind.
10 Harsh Reality: They Had To Leave Their Foster Children
After raising their foster children, the dragons decided to leave them behind, leading many characters to believe that they were just a myth. It was later known that they chose to abandon earth in order to prevent their children from turning into dragons themselves, a fate that many dragon slayers suffered.
They sealed themselves, using a secret art, within the bodies of their children which allowed them to stop the process of “Dragonization” in Natsu, Wendy, Gajeel, and even Sting and Rouge. The magic used by the dragons at this point also enabled them to conserve their life force which was reduced to nearly half after a war.
9 Perk: Dragons Have Unmatched Raw Strength
Throughout Fairy Tail, the stories about the strength of dragons became one of the most interesting aspects of the plot. Their raw strength alone is what put them on top of the universe’s magical hierarchy. The fear they instilled within the heart of both humans and each other showcases their innate fighting abilities that go beyond magic power.
Dragons were fighting machines and engaged in constant combat with one another, while also fearlessly taking on enemies that attempted to challenge them. Motherglare is one dragon, in particular, that is known for her combat abilities, landing hits on Atlas Flame, a dragon made completely of fire.
8 Harsh Reality: They Were Viewed As Evil By Most Of Humanity
Dragons were the rulers of the world 400 years ago, prior to the age of the dragon slayers. They saw humans as nothing but a food source, using violence and fear to remain in control. On the Western side of the world, dragons were vile and attacked people for no reason.
The dragons on the East side were impacted by the violence occurring on the West, as they were calm and strove for peace between the races. The differences between the dragons led to good dragons being treated as if they were as violent as the Western dragons, which in the end led to a war between the humans and dragons.
7 Perk: They Have Immense Magical Power
They are extremely powerful, so much so that Dragon Slayer Magic had to be created to combat their strength. The magic created to defeat them later became a lost art because of its destructive abilities. The Dragon King, Igneel, is the most powerful true dragon, even his full strength is still unknown.
Though the viewers experience the power of the dragons by watching the Dragon Slayers in battle, it is said that the dragons themselves are much stronger than their foster children.
6 Harsh Reality: The Dragons Were Constantly In Battle Amongst Themselves
The only true enemy of the dragons was themselves, constantly in battle against one another for power and credibility. Dragons are unaffected by other forms of magic, thus their major weakness is in combat with each other. The dragons were vastly divided between how they felt about humans, the reason for many of the fights.
The battles between the dragons led to the end of the species, even forcing some dragons to travel through space and time to continue their fight in the future, such as Igneel, The Fire Dragon King, Skiadrum, the wind dragon, Grandeeny, the shadow dragon, and many of the other dragons that fostered human children.
5 Perk: Dragons Are Extremely Intelligent
Dragon intelligence is showcased through their knowledge of language. Though they have their own language they were able to learn what the humans spoke, which allowed them to share what they knew about the world.
Their understanding of magic is what allowed them to prevent the extinction of their species after the war between dragons and humans. They also knew that their time was coming to an end and taught their children how to use dragon slayer magic so that they could protect themselves.
4 Harsh Reality: Human Dragons Desire To Destroy The True Dragons
The belief that humans were inferior drove people to create a form of magic that could defeat dragons. Though this magic had many weaknesses it did lead to the ultimate defeat of the dragon race. Irene Belserion and Acnologia were some of the toughest opponents the dragons had to face, even giving Igneel an extremely hard time.
Irene was the first dragon slayer, as she created dragon slayer magic. Though she was originally against fighting and worked to keep peace, the hatred inside her is one of the key reasons that the dragons suffered such grave losses.
3 Perk: Dragons Are Able To Perform Enchantments
Enchantments give the users in Fairy Tail the ability to bind their magic or magical essence to something or someone else, known users include Igneel, Grandeeny, Metalicana, Weisslogia, and Skiadrum. The enchantments enhance what a user imbues their magic power with, increasing the strength of the dragon slayers in this case.
Most enchantments are “High Enchantments,” but the ones that were used to bestow dragon slayer magic to the young dragon slayers are known as “Master Enchantments” attributed to how the dragons apply the technique.
2 Harsh Reality: They Were Defeated By Acnologia
The dragons had to fight off Acnologia twice throughout the series. The fans get to see a jaw-dropping fight where the dragon slayers and dragons take on Acnologia, showcasing their inferior strength to the human-turned-dragon. Igneel makes it known that they will keep fighting and that their struggle is futile. The fact that they never gave up highlights the mental strength of the dragons.
Acnologia held the belief that dragons were the worst race and none of them should be left alive. He trained his dragon slayer magic to the point where not even the strongest dragon, Igneel, was a match for him. The loss resulted in not only the dragon slayers losing their parents once again, but the tragic elimination of the dragon race.
1 Perk: Their Scales Are A Source Of Protection Against All Forms Of Magic
The scales on all dragons are a protective barrier against all forms of magic, though they have one weakness, dragon slayer magic, but it is otherwise undefeatable. The strength of their scales enhances their battle abilities as they can easily take on any enemy in their path.
The viewers got to see the potential of the dragon scales through the dragon slayers. Gageel, Natsu, and Wendy used dragon scales within a few battles, as it provides both offensive and defensive aid, a technique that helped the true dragons greatly.