Being a long-running shonen anime, Fairy Tail features an enticing lineup of unique and captivating characters, with each one being equally important to the anime’s premise. However, one character that stands out from the crowd is Erza Scarlet, a level-headed yet battle-hardy wizard. Being one of the main ancillary characters in the series, a lot has been revealed about the mage’s character, aspirations, pursuits, and most importantly – her past.
Known throughout the Kingdom of Fiore due to her magical prowess, Erza Scarlet has been dubbed as ‘Titania’ – a name that strikes fear into any belligerent mind. With such an esteemed reputation and overarching capabilities, it comes as a surprise to many that behind this dependable and strong-willed character lies a tragic past, one that is imbued with trauma and loss.
Rosemary Village
Erza’s heart-rending past begins from the time of her birth, as her mother abandons her at Rosemary Village. She spends most part of her childhood in the village, alongside Simon and Kagura. However, her time here is cut-short when the village gets invaded by a Zeref-following cult.
The cult’s followers decimate the village, killing most of the elders and taking away as many minors as they could find. Erza almost escapes their clutches but is then caught as she tries to save Kagura. The cult enslaves her and takes her to an unknown island, using Erza and the other children as slave labor – marking the beginning of Erza’s hellish past.
Enslavement at the Tower of Heaven
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This is where most of Erza’s misery takes place, as the dark cult’s agenda was to use the enslaved children to construct the Tower of Heaven – a forbidden magical structure that has the power to resurrect a deceased person. The cult had aimed to use the tower’s power to revive Zeref, the series' infamous dark wizard.
A few of the show’s recurring characters were also imprisoned in the Tower of Heaven, such as Milliana, Jellal, Sho, and Simon. The cult forced the slaves to work under inhumane conditions, administering harsh penalties on those that did not comply or worked inefficiently. For those that defied their orders, a disciplinary chamber was employed, which left those that entered the room in an unrecognizable state.
Despite working under such harsh conditions, Erza still managed to form a close bond with the other children and Uncle Rob, a wizard from the Fairy Tail guild. Rob took Erza under his wings and looked after her, telling her stories about the guild and his magic-filled adventures. Even though the time they spent together was cut short, it is evident that he had left a long-lasting impression on young Erza.
Jellal Fernandes
During her enslavement at the Tower of Heaven, Erza met a kind, young boy named Jellal Fernandes. The two shared a special bond, as evident from the fact that Erza permanently retained the name ‘Scarlet’, which was given to her by Jellal. During the children’s plan for escaping, which was later foiled by the cult members, Jellal willingly gave himself up when the dark mages decided to take Erza to the torture room.
In the disciplinary chamber, Erza was put through unprecedented torment, which also led to her losing her right eye. Jellal couldn't bear the thought of the torture Erza would be put through, resulting in him risking his life to rescue her. Even though the rescue was successful, Jellal himself was caught by the dark mages and was made to suffer in the disciplinary chamber. During the same time, a dark shadow took over Jellal, which he claimed was the spirit of Zeref, twisting the boy into a malicious threat.
The Final Revolt
After sitting in frustration for hours, Erza finally takes a bold step and stages a revolt, convincing all the slaves to fight for their freedom. Initially, the rebellion seems to be in their favor, but the tables soon turn when the dark mages arrive at the scene, forcing most of the slaves to retreat in fear.
The fight also saw the demise of Rob, who sacrifices himself while protecting Erza from a mage’s attack. Witnessing the death of someone close awakened Erza’s slumbering power, allowing her to utilize the weapons lying around her with telekinesis and finishing off all the mages with them.
After concluding the revolt, Erza looks for Jellal, but finding him leaves her in disbelief as the boy is no longer himself. Possessed by the spirit of Zeref, Jellal turns into a follower of the dark wizard, becoming hell-bent on finishing the Tower of Heaven. He lets Erza escape but warns her never to disclose anything about the dark project to anyone, threatening her with the death of her friends.
The Fairy Tail Guild
After reaching the Kingdom of Fiore, Erza makes her way towards the Fairy Tail guild, the same guild that Rob had told her about. Makarov, the guild’s master, takes her into the guild and raises her like his own. Despite being reserved and closed off in the beginning, she finally starts opening up to the guild members, especially Gray and Natsu.
Erza’s past is one of the most tragic backstories in the series, and despite going through such life-crippling events, she comes out even stronger, with a promise to always protect those near to her. Even though these traumatic events shaped her personality, Erza’s progression throughout Fairy Tail has proven that she is certainly not defined by her past, instead becoming the beacon of hope for the guild in the darkest of hours.