Jellal Fernandes

"It's your words that gave me courage. They became my light that would guide me towards the right path again."

- Jellal Fernandes Jellal Fernandes is a redeemed major antagonist in the anime/manga series Fairy Tail and a childhood friend of Erza Scarlet. Before he lost his own memory, he was a Dark Mage who desperately sought to revive Zeref via the R-System. Jellal served as the main antagonist of the Tower of Heaven arc and is currently a member of Crime Sorcière.

He is voiced by Daisuke Namikawa in the Japanese version of the anime and Robert McCollum in the English version.

Appearance
Jellal is a young man whose most prominent features are his blue hair and a red tattoo above and under his right eye, which he has had since his childhood.

As his Siegrain alter-ego, he dressed himself in elegant yet simple robes; consisting of a long white tunic with black stripes across the edges and on the upper part of the arms, a decorated collar, large straps connected to decorated buckles closing the inducement on the front over a dark shirt, and matching pants and shoes. He also sported a ring on his right middle finger, and usually had the medallion attesting his status as one of the Ten Wizard Saints around his neck, hidden by his jacket's collar.

Jellal himself is seen in much darker clothing, with his attire consisting of a whitish blue shirt under a hooded dark blue coat with light blue edges, two strings with shield-shaped pendants hanging down from the hood and a prominent golden symbol on the left part of the chest, reminiscent of Fairy Tail's mark, plus simple, loose, dark pants tucked inside laced boots.

Under these clothes is a special fighting suit for melee combat, designed for his Meteor spell, revealing his toned and muscular body. In the manga, this takes the form of a skin-tight outfit. Said outfit is dark around the torso and mid-arm regions of Jellal's body, whilst the rest, such as his shoulders, forearm, and thighs down, is light in color. On his shoulder and hips, Jellal has small protrusions on his outfit, which, each, come with the three holes, serving the purpose of aiding him in his aerodynamic efforts. The rest of the suit is decorated by groups of three thin lines over the arms and legs, with a double set adorning the chest. In this attire, a metal necklace with a small pendant, highly reminiscent of the Wizard Saint's one worn by his Siegrain counterpart is visible around Jellal's neck. In the anime, however, his fighting suit is portrayed as a simple skin-tight sleeveless purple shirt paired with extremely loose blue cargo pants (tucked inside simple boots), which is held up by a light bluish belt, and gloves.

Later, after his revival, he is seen taking the clothes of a defeated Naked Mummy member to cover his partially torn fighting attire (in the anime, the clothes were instead Erigor's). This new attire consists of a long black coat decorated by golden trimmings, white bands around his arms, two red medal-like ornaments on each side of his chest, a tight-fitting shirt reminiscent of the one in his old attire, and loose gray pants held up by a belt; the pants are tucked inside the boots.

Seven years later, while his physical appearance is virtually unchanged, save for his now longer, scragglier hair, his attire now consists of a dark coat, very similar to the one he stole from the Naked Mummy member, only with heart like designs running down the sleeves and sides of the coat. Beneath this, Jellal wears plated armor, which covers his abdomen, and dark pants bearing the symbol of Crime Sorcière. Over the top of all this, Jellal sports a dark, high-collared cloak.

During the Grand Magic Games, when disguised as his Edolas counterpart, Mystogan, Jellal wears the same attire that he wore during his time in Earth Land, and even opts to use the former S-Class Mage's staves as his own.

Personality
When he was young, Jellal was a very kind boy, and cared deeply for his friends. He was always cheerful and optimistic, despite his disposition as a slave. After a failed escape attempt, he readily accepted punishment in Erza's stead, and never once lost his faith in the thought of being free.

Later, as he was manipulated by what he thought to be Zeref's ghost, he drastically changed: Jellal became obsessed with the idea of building a new R-Systemand treated the slaves much better — to the extent that they didn't even think they were still slaves. But through this method of treatment, they did more work, which was Jellal's ultimate reason for treating them as such in the first place.He sees his actions as a game, even if said game results in the loss of lives, his very own included.

After he was revived by Wendy Marvell, he suffered from amnesia and seemed to be somewhat afraid of the world. Though not remembering his own identity, he remembered the names Erza and Natsu Dragneel's names, respectively. As he learned of his sins, Jellal wished to die, as he believed it to be his only form of atonement, but Erza convinced that through living, he can find a way to make up for his past horrid deeds. Following these instances, even when arrested by the Knights and knowing he would be given the death penalty, Jellal remained calm and even happy, just as he did when he was a child. Mavis Vermilion even commented that Jellal possesses the same "heart" as those in Fairy Tail, in spite of the fact that he isn't an actual member.

Seven years later, after regaining his memories and having returned to his original personality, Jellal is now a calm, mature, intelligent, and kind individual. He has shown a cheerful side, as he often smiles when pleased, or when his friends are happy. While as "Mystogan", he makes sure he acts quiet and aloof, so as to not arouse suspicion to the fact that Fairy Tail is housing an escaped convict. However, Jellal's regret towards his past deeds have caused him to feel the need to atone for his sins, which he did, as he created Crime Sorcière: an Independent Guild dedicated to the destruction of Dark Guilds. Despite this, he still feels he deserves punishment, as he told Ultear and Meredy that "punishment" is the theme of their guild. It is this guilt that keeps Jellal from expressing his love for Erza, which she reciprocates, as he believes he doesn't deserve her.

Despite his rather serious nature, Jellal does have a comedic side, as in his fight with Jura Neekis, where (a direct result of Ultear sabotaging his battle with the Wizard Saint, he has fits of hysterical laughter, as well as reacting strongly to the sensation of peppers he had in his mouth. Later, when he walked back to his teammates, Jellal felt ashamed, and stated that he had no words to describe his feelings of shame and embarrassment.

Macao Arc
Sitting around a table with the rest of the Magic Council, Jellal, backed by with his fellow Council member Ultear Milkovich, disagrees with the rest of the Council by showing leniency toward Fairy Tail, much to the annoyance of the other Sages present.

Lullaby Arc
Siegrain and Ultear discuss, with the Council, how Fairy Tail — the one guild the Council is annoyed with — manages to show up and save everyone from Lullaby's terror. Despite Siegrain's arguments that the Council should appreciate Fairy Tail's actions, they continue to be frustrated by Fairy Tail's reckless behavior.Meanwhile, Erza and Natsu's fight is interrupted due to Erza being arrested by the Council for the destruction caused by her, Natsu and Gray's battle against Lullaby. Before she is brought before the Council, she meets Siegrain outside the court, where he reminds her not to mention "that". He then joins the others Council members in prosecuting her, however, the trial is revealed to be a farce, and is instead just a formality to remind the world of the Council's power. When Natsu interrupts the proceedings by "impersonating" as Erza, Siegrain smiles at his actions. Following this incident, Siegrain begins to take interest in Natsu's abilities.

Tower of Heaven Arc
ellal, in the Tower of Heaven, is being attended to by his intermediate with the Trinity Raven Guild, Vidaldus Taka and sends Shô, Simon, Wally and Millianna to capture Erza in order to use her as a sacrifice for Zeref's resurrection. The group accomplishes this, however, Erza manages to break free of her restraints and starts fighting with Jellal's underlings.

In the meantime, Siegrain is seen with the other Council members at a Council meeting, discussing the Tower of Heaven. The Council knows that a mysterious man, Jellal, is the builder of the forbidden tower, however, they are unaware of any other significant information about him. Siegrain, having called his fellow Councilors weaklings, tells them that the tower is too dangerous, and proposes that the Council use Etherion to destroy Jellal's creation. With the help of Ultear, Siegrain manages to get most of the Councilors on his side, resulting in his need of only one final vote to ensure the firing of Etherion. At the tower, after Natsu defeats Wally and Millianna, Jellal goes to his chessboard (adorned with pieces that represent all the people in his "game") and knocks the two underlings' pieces over, symbolizing their defeat. He is aware that Simon and Shô have betrayed him, however, Jellal is untroubled, and instead orders the impatient Vidaldus and the rest of Trinity Raven to make their move in his "game".

Jellal then uses Magic to communicate with everyone in the tower, telling them it’s time to begin the "Heaven's Game", stating that the objective of said "game" is to prevent him from using Erza as a sacrifice for Zeref's revival by defeating the Trinity Raven. He then informs everyone that Etherion will soon strike, and destroy, the tower, giving them an unspecified time limit to reach the top of the tower.

Back at the Council's meeting, as a final push to get the last vote he needs, Siegrain tells the Council that Jellal is trying to use the tower to bring back the Dark Mage Zeref, stunning the Council and causing Siegrain's proposition to win, with Yajima remaining the only one against firing Etherion. When asked if he is ready to accept all of the consequences that go with the firing of Etherion, Siegrain replies for Yajima to "wait and see".Jellal continues to knock down pieces on his chess board as the battles in the tower come to an end, until Erza defeats Ikaruga and reaches him. As Erza prepares to fight him, Jellal states that, regardless of his own loss or victory, she will be a sacrifice for Zeref. Jellal then announces that there is seven minutes left until Etherion hits, and invites Erza to take full advantage of said minutes, attacking her with his Darkness Magic upon finishing his thought. Erza manages to overpower all of Jellal's attacks and slice him with her sword, bringing him to the ground; Erza then gets on top of Jellal and points her sword at his throat. She tells her former friend that he has failed at completing the R-System, as the tower does not have the Magic Power required to perform the resurrection: at least 2.7 Billion Edeas.

As Erza claims she'll just force Jellal to wait for Etherion's fall to destroy them both, Jellal claims that that isn't such a bad idea, as his body is possessed by Zeref, and he is nothing more than Zeref's tool, unable to be saved by anyone. Erza refuses his invitation to kill him, and the two hug each other, waiting for the satellite beam to help them atone for both of their "sins". Etherion hits the tower, completely destroying the outer structure, but leaving everyone inside it unharmed. Surprised to be alive after the blast, Erza looks around and notices that the true inner structure of the tower is, in fact, a gigantic absorption Lacrima. Jellal laughs maniacally, claiming to have succeeded in his goal, and explains that Etherion provided the tower with the required 2.7 Billion Edeas necessary to bring Zeref back to life.

In Era, everyone is stunned to see the tower still standing, and an angry Yajima questions Siegrain, who, without answering, immediately disappears. He soon reappears in the Tower Of Heaven, where Erza and Jellal are. The both of them then proceed to say that Siegrain and Jellal are one and the same.

After the two merge back together, Jellal's Magic Power is fully restored. Jellal and Erza start fighting again, this time with Erza being dominated by Jellal's restored power. Jellal's Bind Snake spell spreads on Erza's body, restraining her and preventing her from moving. Erza is then forced into the R-System crystal to be sacrificed, however, Natsu suddenly appears and pulls her out. Erza warns Natsu to leave her, as Jellal is too strong, but he refuses and knocks her out. He then prepares to fight Jellal, who gladly accepts the challenge.

Despite being repeatedly struck by Natsu's Fire Dragon Slayer Magic Spells, Jellal remains unharmed and belittles Natsu's abilities. He then proceeds to utilize his Heavenly Body Magic, delivering blows unto Natsu with remarkable speed. However, Natsu rises, having heard Jellal comment on the leakage of Magic Power wrought from damage done to the tower.

Natsu's arrogance and further damage done to the tower greatly infuriates Jellal, who, in his fury, prepares to cast one of his strongest spells. Erza, awake and aware of the spell's power, defends Natsu with her body. Paying Erza no mind, Jellal launches his Altairis towards them, however, Simon appears and shields the two with his body, much like Erza had intended for herself, and dies as a result. Jellal then proceeds to berate Simon for his action, calling it foolish and useless. Such an action prompts Natsu to angrily hit Jellal; Natsu walks over and eats some of the broken pieces of Etherion-infused Lacrima. Natsu eventually, much to Jellal's disbelief, manages to resonate with the Etherion, and enters Dragon Force, resulting in Jellal being on the receiving end of a brutal counterattack.

Jellal briefly escapes him with Meteor, but continues to be outclassed by Natsu's newfound strength. He refuses to be defeated and, as they keep exchanging words, Jellal begins to cast Abyss Break, a spell that can destroy the tower. Before he can launch the spell though, he feels the aftershock of the wound dealt by Erza, and his Magic fails. This gives Natsu an opening, and, covered in a draconic aura, Natsu punches Jellal into the Tower, destroying much of it, which simultaneously leaves it unable to contain the 2.7 billion Edeas of Magic Power stored within.

Unable to contain the Magic Power, the Tower of Heaven vanishes into thin air. On the beach, after Erza is rescued by Natsu, Erza looks out at the sea and hears Jellal's voice, which says that she has become strong. Erza is surprised and claims it to be impossible; however, a slight smile can be seen on her face. It is revealed that Jellal, freed from the control of Zeref, is most likely the one who saved Erza and Natsu by fusing with the Etherion and guiding its Magic up in the sky. He is later seen floating, unconscious, in a massive river of Lacrima, which appear to be the remains of Tower of Heaven after the explosion, and his presumed sacrifice to save Erza and Natsu's lives.

Abilities
Heavenly Body Magic (天体魔法 Tentai Mahō): It is a powerful Magic based around astronomical objects, such as meteors, stars and black holes. Jellal generates and manipulates the energy of stars from his body and uses it against his enemy. Jellal has shown tremendous mastery over this particular form of Magic.

Thought Projection (思念体 Shinentai): Jellal is capable of creating a Thought Projection of himself, and is very skilled at doing so, having been able to fool the Magic Council into believing that his projection was actually a separate being from him, and managing to grant it membership to both the Magic Council and the Ten Wizard Saints. His projection is also able to don an attire different from Jellal's own.

Darkness Magic (闇の魔法 Yami no Mahō): Jellal, due to his "possession" at the hands of "Zeref", is an expert in the usage of Darkness Magic. He was shown using almost exclusively this form of Magic for all of his fight with Erza, in which he proved himself capable of creating the ghostly entities characteristic of this form of Magic, using them to both hit and immobilize the woman with great skill. In addition, as a child, he could employ Darkness Magic in other, more unusual ways.

Trivia

 * In the manga, during his fight with Erza in the Tower of Heaven arc, Jellal's attire is especially designed to withstand disintegration whilst he is using his Meteor spell. Though in the anime, he appears to be wearing a skin-tight sleeveless black shirt with cargo pants instead.
 * During the Tower of Heaven arc, Jellal's coat possesses a design or mark that looks similar to the Fairy Tail symbol backwards.
 * In the anime version of the Oración Seis arc, Jellal takes his cloak from Erigor, rather than a member of Naked Mummy.
 * Jellal's Heavenly Body Magic seal is the same as Lucy's Urano Metria Magic seal.
 * Jellal was the one who gave Erza her last name: Scarlet.