Fairy Tail: 18 Most Powerful Characters In The Series, Ranked

Key Takeaways

• The power ceiling in the Fairy Tail anime series is constantly being raised, with the introduction of the all-powerful Dragon Gods even stronger than Acnologia.
• The primary antagonist Selene, the Moon Dragon God, is a cunning mage with potent Moon Dragon Slayer Magic, surpassing Acnologia’s strength.
• Ignia, the Fire Dragon God and son of Igneel is the most powerful character in Fairy Tail, with unmatched strength and a fiery rage.

Fairy Tail is a guild bustling with powerful wizards. The guild has faced many foes and made twice as many friends, and as the viewers follow the adventures of Natsu and the others, they bear witness to some of the greatest forces of Ishgar’s, and Earthland’s, arcane power.

Fairy Tail as an anime centers on the concept of found family and friendship and the power derived from the meaningful cultivation of these ideals and feelings. The wizards on this list are those concepts made manifest and have been ranked thusly.

Updated December 8, 2024, by Ahmed Rehan Nasir: The world of Fairy Tail is laced with wizards and dragons that boast powers of an incomprehensible nature. While the original series had already raised the power ceiling rather high, Fairy Tail’s 100 Years Quest sequel has further raised the bar with the introduction of the all-powerful Dragon Gods. Touted to be even stronger than the Black Dragon Acnologia, the Dragon Gods are stronger than anything seen before in Fairy Tail. This list has been updated to reflect the current power of the previous and newly introduced characters in Fairy Tail.

18 Wendy Marvell

The Sky Maiden

Even though she sits at the bottom of this list, Wendy Marvell’s powers are as limitless as the skies she represents. One would be remiss if they ignored how truly flexible and ready to adapt Wendy’s powers are.

She can use her various Sky Dragon Slaying spells to attack, enchant, heal, and support. Despite her young age, she has mastered a lot of different high-level spells and can execute them at a near-prodigious level. In addition to that, her ability to activate Dragon Force at will assure her a spot on this list.

17 Mavis Vermillion

Good Things, Small Packages

There are few characters that are smarter than Mavis Vermillion, the First Guild Master of the Fairy Tail guild. Although possessing the countenance, body, and seemingly the behaviorisms of a child, she is one of the strongest characters in the series.

Owing to her ability to think hyper-analytically and chart near-perfect outcomes in combat, she was named “The Fairy Tactician”. Makarov tells the guild that she earned this title due to her deep understanding of human psychology, relationships, and emotions.

16 Gray Fullbuster

No character is cooler than Gray Fullbuster, a powerful ice wizard from Fairy Tail. Beneath his rather frosty exterior lies a great deal of power instilled within him by his mentor, Ur, and his father, Silver Fullbuster.

Being one of the central characters in the anime series, Gray benefits from a lot of limelight to show off his ice prowess. The finesse and smoothness with which he uses his creative maker magic, and the rare form of magic called Ice Devil Slaying, makes him one of the most unique and powerful wizards in Fiore.

15 Mirajane Strauss

Don’t Press The Sibling Button

Mirajane Strauss is a powerful S-class takeover mage from Fairy Tail. Introduced to the viewer at first as an amiable and warm figure who seemed the most “normal” of a bunch of otherwise strange and quirky characters, she is anything but.

During the Battle of Fairy Tail arc, when her younger brother, Elfman, was at the mercy of Freed’s runic enchantments, Mirajane’s mysterious and dangerous powers are finally unleashed after a few seasons worth of mystery, and the pay-off is as satisfying as it sounds. She is termed “The She-Devil” for the nature of her ruthless power and earns her place in this list.

14 Erza Scarlet

The Strongest Female Wizard

When talking about strength and power, Erza Scarlet is a common name that pops up in the fan base. She is no doubt the strongest female wizard in Fairy Tail, but she is also one of the most resilient fighters in Ishgar.

The Knight holds the unanimous respect and adoration of her guild mates, and her fighting prowess easily impresses anyone she meets. It may be a pretty safe bet to say that she is the most powerful female warrior and wizard in the kingdom.

13 Jura Neekis

An Example of Fortitude

Jura Neekis is one of the Ten Wizard Saints, a title given to the wizards who stand at the absolute pinnacle of power. Jura’s magic appears to be mainly defensive, but the way he uses it is incredibly versatile.

In his fight against Brain, he shows the viewer what his title is worth and why he stands on par with Makarov. Apart from his tremendously high quality of magic power, he serves himself by being incredibly disciplined and humble, making his Iron Rock power look that much more impressive.

12 Makarov Dreyar

Fairy Tail’s Guild Master

Another entry from the Ten Wizard Saints is the guild master of Fairy Tail, Makarov Dreyar. Makarov is a force to be reckoned with, and his status as both Wizard Saint and guild master proves it manifold.

Whether it is power required to wield Fairy Law, one of the three grand Fairy Spells, or the power required to quieten Natsu’s many outbursts, this old man possesses it all, and thus figures in this list.

11 Warrod Sequen

Power In Supporting

Apart from being one of the founding members of the Fairy Tail guild, Warrod Sequen is also a Wizard Saint, just like Iron Rock Jura. In spite of belonging to the same list of legendarily powerful wizards, Warrod is on a different level altogether.

Due to his long life, understanding of magical power, and his peculiar appearance, he was known as one of the Four Gods of Ishgar. His demeanor is gentle and rather humorous at times, but his power is a testament to how truly terrifying support magic can be. Although his fighting days are beyond him, he is still regarded as one of the strongest wizards in all of Fiore.

10 Larcade Dragneel

The White Dragneel

Larcade was the third-strongest member of the Spriggan 12, who served as Zeref’s personal guard. He was a demon created by Zeref, given the Dragneel name because he was the strongest demon. He was quite jealous of Natsu because Zeref clearly loved him more.

Larcade is an expert hand-to-hand fighter with incredible durability, strength, and magic power. Specializing in Light Magic, he utilizes an ability called Pleasure, which allows him to cause pleasure and pain in those he targets. With Famished Soul, he strikes an enemy with severe hunger that can cause hallucinations, and R.I.P. causes sudden drowsiness.

9 Irene Belserion

The Scarlet Despair

Irene is Scarlet’s mother, and she is the strongest female member of the Spriggan 12. She is known as the Scarlet Despair because of her immense power. She created Dragon Slayer Magic, which is a testament to her magical knowledge and skill.

Irene was classified as a High Enchanter, which is justifiable since she can alter the world’s landscapes, climates, and Terra Firma. She can also manipulate the atmosphere, objects, and people. Universe One, a type of World Reconstruction Magic, is Irene’s go-to ability, which can completely change geography. She can also transform into a dragon.

8 Laxus Dreyar

Redefining Lightning

The pinnacle of power is embodied by Laxus Dreyar himself, the grandson of Master Makarov. The lightning dragon slayer, though powerful, was not always as trustworthy as he ended up being.

Going through one of the most rewarding character journeys in the series, Laxus’ redemption comes with great timeliness, as it is parallel to some of the best displays of his power. One of the best moments of Grand Magic Games arc is when he defeats Iron Rock Jura. Although he is barely standing, he is able to eke out a victory over a supremely strong Wizard Saint.

7 Gildarts Clive

The Ace Of Fairy Tail

Due to his appearance, there is a running joke that Gildarts is basically Shanks from One Piece. It doesn’t help that he and Shanks are both among the strongest characters in their respective series. He was one of Fairy Tail’s top S-Class Mages, and he went on to become its 5th Guild Master.

Gildarts is a master hand-to-hand fighter and wields immense magic power. His Crush ability is an extremely powerful Caster Magic that allows him to smash anything he comes into contact with. It can even smash Magic, meaning he can nullify other spells.

6 Natsu Dragneel

Flames Of Emotions

While this may appear as a more obvious and perhaps a biased choice, Natsu, or rather E.N.D. (Etherious Natsu Dragneel), is a book created by Zeref to kill himself, an essentially unkillable and powerful mage who specialized in fire.

Not only is Natsu an impeccably strong wizard, he is a wild card with an unbreakable will and a headstrong attitude. He doesn’t know the meaning of the word “quit.” That indomitable will, combined with his demonic and draconic powers, make him one of the strongest characters in the series.

5 Zeref

The Most Evil Mage Of All Time

Zeref is Natsu’s older brother and only becomes a villain because he wants to bring his brother back to life. He was considered the strongest, most evil Mage of all time, and he earned that recognition because of his Black Magic mastery. He could create demons and could use its full power when he no longer cared about other living beings.

Ankhseram Black Magic allowed Zeref to kill anything he wanted, by creating a death wave or a powerful orb. He could freeze time with Immobilization Magic and was capable of telepathy and teleportation. He was also cursed with immortality and could heal injuries quickly.

4 Acnologia

The Dragon King

The Fairy Tail series is built around Acnologia, a Dragon Slayer with cataclysmic power. He lost a great deal to dragons and vowed to slay every dragon in existence. He overused his Dragon Slayer Magic and bathed in dragon blood. This is why he was able to transform into a dragon.

Acnologia is the one who cost Gildarts his left arm and leg, and even someone as strong as Zeref couldn’t take him on without the help of the Fairy’s Heart. He could rain down stars of destruction, and his Dragon’s Roar was strong enough to wipe out an entire island, leaving a permanent crater in the ocean.

3 Aldoron

The Wood Dragon God

Known as the largest dragon in the entire world, Aldoron is a behemoth sealed within the continent of Guiltina. With a size large enough to host five cities on his body, Aldoron is incredibly powerful, and his strength is further boosted through the life force of the inhabitants of Drasil.

Aldoron’s power is further divided into five God Seeds, which are vestiges of the Dragon God’s power. Each God Seed possesses a unique power, whether it’s mimicking their opponents’ greatest fear or summoning impenetrable golems of wood. However, Aldoron’s divided power became his own downfall, as his God Seeds were eventually killed off by the Fairy Tail guild.

2 Selene

The Moon Dragon God

Dubbed the Moon Dragon God, Selene is a mage of many secrets and mysteries. As a Dragon God, Selene holds complete control over Moon Dragon Slayer Magic, a type of lost art that allows her to jump through dimensions, coupled with using celestial bodies such as the moon and the stars. Her magic is akin to Heavenly Body Magic, albeit in a much more potent form.

Selene is said to have surpassed Acnologia’s strength long ago, similar to the other Five Dragon Gods. Her cunning nature and intellect have allowed her to use the White Mage as her puppet as part of her ploy to defeat the other Dragon Gods. As the primary antagonist of the 100 Years Quest sequel, Selene is arguably one of the strongest characters in Fairy Tail, second only to the Fire Dragon God.

1 Ignia

The Fire Dragon God

Ignia lives up to the title of being the most powerful character in Fairy Tail, and his unrivaled strength and godly lineage further back this claim. As the son of the Fire Dragon King Igneel, Ignia naturally boasts a scorching flame that burns brighter and hotter than all others.

His strength is further exacerbated by his blinding rage and obsession with destruction and chaos. Even a sliver of his borrowed flame was capable of burning through the Water Dragon God’s water magic, a feat that is a testament to his unmatched power. Ignia currently stands as the final antagonist in the Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest sequel, though his role in the narrative could potentially change down the line.