'Fairy Tail' Creator Opens Up About Zeref’s Unique Origins

When it comes to Fairy Tail, there is one bad guy who fans cannot ignore. Zeref became the go-to baddie of the series, and fans were all for hating the character before his shocking backstory came to light. Now, the creator of Fairy Tail is opening up about the villain, and Hiro Mashima has a lot to say about Zeref.

Recently, the artist came to the U.S. to celebrate the end of his Fairy Tail manga at New York Comic Con. It was there Mashima did an interview with Barnes & Noble, and the artist told the site he wanted Zeref to be a very contradictory person.

"I didn't really want to go for a typical bad guy," Mashima explained. "I combined all the elements and references that I have been cultivating in myself and inserted them into this character, and it turned into this highly complex character called Zeref. Honestly, he is full of contradictions."

If you are not familiar with Zeref's backstory, then you have a bit to catch up on. The character was introduced as an older mage, but Zeref began his life in a darker place. His entire family was killed, and that may shock fans since Zeref is a Dragneel. The boy watched his younger brother Natsu get killed by dragons, and Zeref learned magic at the Mildian Academy that helped him resurrect his sibling. The hero was then cursed with the Curse of Contradiction, and Zeref left his newly revived brother in the care of Igneel.

As fans know, Natsu and Zeref came head-to-head throughout Fairy Tail. The older brother became known as one of the most evil mages to ever practice magic, and Natsu does not agree Zeref's desire to cull humanity. The pair have a fundamentally messed up relationship, but it appears that Mashima intended to create such a wonky dynamic all along.

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.