As touched on a few times in this blog, I am a very big fan of Fairy Tail. It was one of the first anime that I ever watched, and it was the first in the Shonen genre. The Shonen genre is a very interesting genre, in that whatever show you watch first in that genre tends to be your favorite, and subsequent installments usually lose their luster. Regardless, despite it’s occasional storytelling stumblings, character contrivances, and more death fake-outs than you can shake a stick at, I will always love Fairy Tail. Here’s my ranking of all of the arcs in the show, from least favorite to most favorite.
17) Avatar (Episodes 280-284)
Show of hands: who even knows what this arc is by name alone? No one? Exactly. Look, I understand that we needed some sort of threat to get the gang back together after the one-year time skip, but the dark guild Avatar provides perhaps the least threatening and least developed group of baddies in the whole show. Jerome and Briar are funny, but everyone else goes down in the blink of an eye without contributing a thing. There’s no emotional stakes, or even a satisfyingly epic conclusion. It has a logical point for existing, but it is extremely forgettable.
16) Eisenwald/Lullaby (Episodes 5-8)
Every Shonen has to start somewhere, and Fairy Tail kicks off with a 4-episode arc all about taking down a minor dark guild, Eisenwald, and preventing them from using a special flute that plays a murderous melody. It doesn’t do anything amazing with the four episodes it has, nor does it do anything bad either. It has a few funny scenes, a great fight scene between Natsu and Erigor, and that classic surprisingly emotional ending scene. It’s the essence of Fairy Tail boiled down to just four little episodes.
15) Sun Village (Episodes 227-233)
This arc suffers from a lot of problems of the Avatar arc, in that it mainly exists as a way to set up the Tartaros arc to follow. Thus, there isn’t much special this arc was able to do on its own. Another arc that definitely isn’t bad, but isn’t very special, and is pretty forgettable in the grand scheme of things. Seeing the main cast as children is funny, the character development for Flare is unexpected but very appreciated, Minerva is always a pleasure (even when you wanna smack that condescending smirk off her face), and I’ll never complain about more screen time for Gray.
14) Eclipse Celestial Spirits (Episodes 204-218)
I can’t deny it: For all intents and purposes, this arc isn’t very good. While the previous entries on this list were inoffensive or forgettable at worst, this arc has moments that are genuinely bad. But, the thing is, this arc also has many more moments that are genuinely great. There’s Lucy’s always endearing and heartfelt relationship with Aquarius and Virgo, the humorous trivia show between Levy and Capricorn, the entertaining villain performance by Ophiuchus, a solidly emotional closing scene, and the absolutely bonkers absurd Yu-Gi-Oh parody with Cana and Scorpio. Plus, it’s just a neat concept to see the Celestial Spirits with polar opposite personalities and designs. The openings and endings for this arc are stellar too.
13) Daphne (Episodes 69-72)
For the only other 4-episode arc in the show, the Daphne arc really packs a tightly written punch into its short runtime. As mentioned previously, more Gray screen time is always a plus, and there’s some pretty decent character drama between him, Natsu, and Juvia. Natsu gets some much needed character development, the final fight scene is both goofy and exciting, less-featured characters get a chance to shine, and Gray and Juvia take their relationship to the next-level with the first usage of the magical fusion attack, Unison Raid. Daphne is also a pretty entertaining villain with a surprisingly touching resolution to her character right as she’s taken down.
12) Fairy Tail Zero (Episodes 266-275)
This arc primarily succeeds because it is such a breath of fresh air. Not only does it come right after a very dark, violent, and emotional arc, but it just has a distinct feeling of awe and adventure that just makes the proceedings happy and carefree. This isn’t to say the arc doesn’t have it’s dark moments (the first episode is particularly brutal), but the arc is just overall fun. The core cast is great, getting to learn more about the lore of the Fairy Tail guild and its founding members is awesome, and the shocking twist that leads into the emotional ending is one for the history books, and almost demands an immediate re-watch of this arc to spot all of the foreshadowing.
11) Phantom Lord (Episodes 21-29)
This is the first of the four big arcs of Season One to show up on the list, which should really go to show just how incredible Fairy Tail‘s first season is. On the whole, this is a fairly simple arc, but one that is entertaining from start to finish. The stakes are high as viewers are treated to their first Guild-vs-Guild conflict, and the action scenes presented throughout are fast-paced and exciting. We get introduced to both Juvia and Gajeel in this arc, which is a huge plus. On top of that, the arc is firmly rooted in Lucy’s backstory and characterization, which leads to several interesting developments.
10) Tartaros (Episodes 234-265)
Tartaros was much-hyped by the Fairy Tail fandom in the months leading up to its release, and though the final product couldn’t wholly deliver, this is still a very good arc overall. There’s low points, to be sure, but some of the high spots are extremely high. The arc has a shockingly explosive beginning (get it?), and it doesn’t let up on the dire stakes and high-intensity conflict from there. Gray and Juvia receive some incredible character development, Lucy and Aquarius share a tremendously emotional farewell, villains like Kyoka, Jackal, and Silver really shine, and the unique character themes introduced for the soundtrack of this arc are some jamming tunes!
9) Alvarez Empire (Episodes 285-328)
It’s never easy for a gigantic, conclusive arc to wrap up every little lingering thread in a Shonen anime, but Fairy Tail‘s grand finale certainly gives a solid effort. The philosophy for this arc was to basically throw every single thing at the wall with reckless abandon and hope it all sticks. If a character can cameo, they do. If a crazy set piece fight scene can happen, it does. Does it all work? No. But the moments that do (Erza and Irene’s showdown, Kagura being awesome not once but twice, just the entire existence of Brandish, DiMaria, and August, Gildarts and Cana coming together in a big team-up fight, Zeref and Mavis’ sorrowful final scene) really work wonders.
8) Edolas (Episodes 76-95)
A parallel world isn’t exactly a novel concept, but the unique ways in which this arc plays with that idea really help it to stand out. A major contributing factor is that Edolas isn’t just a simple gimmick, but a world fleshed out with its own history, backstory, culture, society, and motivations. Seeing a parallel version of classic Fairy Tail characters is a treat, and the arc also shows viewers some of the bleakest, direst straits our main cast has ever been in. We get a few unique connections between the two worlds and their respective characters, a really heartfelt final scene (a Fairy Tail staple), and one of the best showdowns in the entire show with Erza-vs-Erza (coincidentally, one of the best songs on the soundtrack, too). Also, who could forget “Rock City Boy”? This is a classic arc.
7) Battle of Fairy Tail (Episodes 41-48)
The closing arc of Fairy Tail‘s first season is just one heavy hitting and memorable moment after another. Picking up immediately after the previous arc, barely giving our heroes a chance to breathe. Juvia proving her loyalty to her new friends by sacrificing herself for Cana. Mirajane unleashing her full demonic power for the first time. Natsu and Gajeel teaming up to take down Laxus. Mystogan being revealed as a mirror copy of Jellal (which is excellently confusing foreshadowing for the Edolas arc). The tearful banishment of Laxus from the guild during the festival parade. While the main story of this arc might be simple, the highlights just don’t let up.
6) Oracion Seis (Episodes 52-68)
This is the arc that signaled Fairy Tail moving into the territory of longer arcs, and it delivers a suitably epic good-vs-evil clash to satisfy that longer runtime. The Oracion Seis are the most well-developed, threatening, and interesting villain group in the series. Wendy and Carla join the main cast, and are both incredible characters. Lyon makes his grand return, proving himself again as one of the show’s best side characters. Jellal also makes his return, leading to some incredible scenes with Erza. The fights are very creative, and Natsu’s final power-up victory feels earned instead of being a cop-out. All of that, of course, pales in comparison to the finale episode of the arc, which is the singular most heartbreaking episode in the series.
5) Galuna Island (Episodes 11-18)
The first arc after the initial introduction to this show and its main cast, Galuna Island dives deep into the mind and backstory of my favorite main character in the show, Gray. By that logic, I can admit I’m slightly biased towards this arc, but I still think it is an extremely strong arc. Lyon is Fairy Tail‘s first major threat, and he proves himself considerably. Lucy has a great showdown with Sherry, and Erza continues to be a hilarious force of nature in these early days of the show. Above all, Gray’s traumatic history is wonderfully explored, leading to some incredible moments of depth, introspection, and sacrifice. It all culminates in this show’s best fight, Gray-vs-Lyon. This was the arc that 100% sold me on Fairy Tail, and turned me into a diehard fan.
4) Tower of Heaven (Episodes 33-41)
For as awesome as longer arcs can be, there’s something to be praised about a tightly written and fast-paced smaller arc, and the Tower of Heaven storyline knocks it out of the park. Framed around Erza’s tragically horrific backstory, this arc presents a clearly defined villain with an extremely brilliant plan, establishes the stakes early with a dramatic kidnapping, and balances both the action set pieces and the poignant emotional moments (including a very touching, thought-provoking final scene). Of course, the highlight of the arc is the death of Erza’s old friend, Simon (which has tremendous repercussions down the line), and the insane duel between Natsu and Jellal that follows.
3) Tenrou Island (Episodes 97-124)
Viewers are used to seeing their favorite Shonen heroes win against the villains time and time again…so what happens when they don’t? This arc toys with this idea in its second act.
The first act is an entertaining trial challenge where the members of Fairy Tail compete against themselves on a lush tropical island. The second act marks the sudden attack of Grimoire Heart, a dark guild that initially wipes the floor with the Fairy Tail wizards, necessitating a desperate counterattack in act three. There are a ton of awesome moments in this arc, including Gray-vs-Ultear, Juvia-vs-Meldy, Gildarts showing up to save the day and reuniting with his daughter, Team Natsu taking down Hades after an extremely long battle and the sudden arrival of Laxus, and the first appearance of Zeref, Mavis, and Acnologia.
And, of course, the seven-year time skip that marks the end of the arc would dramatically shift the status quo of Fairy Tail moving forward…
2) Key of the Starry Sky (Episodes 128-150)
The controversial pick to end all controversial picks (and this IS The Contrarian Corner, after all), I absolutely adore this arc. It has its flaws, sure, and I won’t try to pretend they don’t exist (the less said about a certain trio of posterior-shaking criminals, the better). Regardless, this arc does some amazing things as it swings for the fences, presenting an arc wholly unique in identity.
The biggest positive about this arc is its focus on emotion and character development first, and action second. Out of wide number of dramatic battles in this arc, the vast majority are handled with words and not fists, demonstrating a shocking and very welcome amount of care. Across the board, this arc shows a vast increase in writing quality, producing some incredible moments, like Mirajane-vs-Racer, Cobra and his relationship with Kinana, Gray-vs-Angel, Mirajane unveiling her stronger demon form against Mary, Coco learning to trust Lucy, and so much more. There’s a healthy amount of mystery and political intrigue in this arc as well, with so many characters existing in an exciting morally-grey area.
This isn’t even to mention that the featured character of this arc, Michelle (who will someday get her own full article), is probably the best one-arc character in the entire show. She’s awesome.
1) Grand Magic Games (Episodes 151-200)
In nearly every single aspect, the Grand Magic Games arc feels as if it was written specifically for me, basically bribing its way onto the top spot on this list. I have a list of my five favorite characters in this show, and all five of them have a major role in this arc. The fight scenes play out exactly as I would’ve written them to. Emotional moments hit with the perfect weight that I love, there’s some crazy plot twists and reveals, and a whole bevy of side characters who get their chance to shine (I love when minor players get a spotlight).
This arc is basically split into two parts. The first part is the tournament, giving us such highlights as the nefarious and extremely hateable Raven Tail, the condescending but highly skilled Sabertooth, Lucy-vs-Flare, Elfman-vs-Bacchus, Wendy-vs-Chelia, Erza taking down 100 monsters by herself, Cana obliterating the competition with Fairy Glitter, Natsu and Gajeel’s edge-of-your-seat showdown with Sting and Rogue, Kagura being consistently awesome, Erza-vs-Kagura-vs-Minerva, and so much more. The tournament closes with Sting’s tear-jerking revelation, and a much-deserved victory for Fairy Tail.
And then a bunch of dragons show up, and also time travel? Admittedly, this arc goes nuts during its second half, and it does logically break down a bit the more you think about it, but the plethora of awesome moments it brings with it more than justifies the craziness, in my eyes. All of the Dragon Slayers teaming up, a bunch of dark, violent tragedies, Ultear making the ultimate sacrifice, and even more on top of that. It all ends with a cathartic final party and a surprise heartbreaking story beat with Gray, as the curtain closes on Fairy Tail‘s longest, and best, arc.
But hey, that’s just my opinion!
The Contrarian Corner 