'Fairy Tail' Didn't Intend For One Heroine To Become So Popular

The world of Fairy Tail is one with lots of mages, but those who belong to Natsu' guild are the ones who shine. The series doesn't shy away from its love of mages like Lucy and Erza, but it seems like Hiro Mashima didn't intend for one of his heroine's to grow so big. Fans definitely aren't complaining though.

After all, what would Fairy Tail be without Mavis?

During a recent appearance at New York Comic Con, Mashima opened up about the secrets of Fairy Tail. The creator told fans during a panel that he never expected Mavis to become so popular amongst fans, and Mashima brought her back to the series because of that demand.

"I didn't expect Mavis to be a popular character amongst the fans, but she turned out to be really popular amongst the fanbase!"

— Kodansha Comics (@KodanshaUSA) October 5, 2017

"I didn't expect Mavis to be a popular character amongst the fans, but she turned out to be really popular amongst the fanbase," the artist shared with his fans.

According to Mashima, Mavis was only meant to make a very brief appearance in Fairy Tail. The creator chose to bring the girl back to the story when fans let him know they loved the first Fairy Tail guild master.

If you are not familiar with Mavis, then you have quite a bit to catch up on. The girl was introduced back in episode 112 of Fairy Tail before she made her physical debut in 122. Mavis is the co-founder of the Fairy Tail guild and acted as the group's first master. The series first delved into Mavis and her backstory during the Tenrou Island arc, but her full past was explained in the anime spin-off Fairy Tail Zero a few years back.

If you are not familiar with Fairy Tail, then it is about time you familiarized yourself with the story. The series follows a guild of young, powerful wizards who call Fairy Tail family. Set in a fictional Earth, a boy named Natsu teams up with an unlikely friend Lucy Heartfilia as the latter dreams of becoming a powerful wizard. To date, there are more than 250 episodes of the acclaimed series, and fans can expect more to come in the new year.

To date, several million copies of Fairy Tail have been sold worldwide. Published by Del Ray in the west, there are over 35 million volumes of the manga in circulation at the moment. Kodansha Comics is now overseeing the release of Fairy Tail projects in the U.S. and other western territories, and the licensing return has helped the publisher amass popularity. Other series like Attack on Titan have also helped bolster Kodansha's visibility outside of Japan, so fans can expect the company to continue pushing out new content as it becomes available.