The action-packed anime series Fairy Tail was everyone's favorite as the world building was outstanding. Most of the characters had fascinating backstories and every fan could find someone to love. Many viewers had their favorites from the Fairy Tail Guild, but there were other heroes and even antagonists who captivated fans.

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The main villain in the series was Acnologia, a wicked Dragon Slayer of mass destruction who proved to be a tough opposition even for the strongest mages like Natsu and Erza. While he was quite cruel and merciless, many viewers appreciated and took a liking to how complex his character was.

10 Hiro Mashima Changed His Character

acnologia fairy tail dragon form

Acnologia was a very interesting character and fans learned more and more about him over the seasons. Where he came from and his motivation were huge details everyone was waiting anxiously to finally learn about him. What fans did know was that he could turn into a dragon thanks to his dark past which made him the strongest opposition for Natsu. However, many fans were unaware that Hiro Mashima actually had different plans for Acnologia. He was initially supposed to be an actual dragon, but Mashima later changed the character to be a human.

9 He Was Over 400 Years Old

Agnologia smirking fairy tail

Many characters in the series turned out to be much older than they appeared to be. He was more than four hundred years old, and over the years, he became extremely strong. Interestingly, Acnologia had a career as a doctor before becoming a Dragon Slayer, which showed how different he was before everything went wrong.

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Over the four hundred years, he accumulated a lot of experience and became one of the strongest characters in the Fairy Tail Universe.

8 He Destroyed A Whole Country

Acnologia, Fairy Tail

The terrible villain had shown how powerful he was several times. There was a good reason for everyone to fear him because only a few survived facing him. In the manga, there was a discussion about what terrible deeds he had pulled off over the years. His name still kept humans in paralyzing fear as there was a story circulating about Acnologia destroying an entire country. It's no wonder why everyone feared his name, as someone so powerful and cruel would definitely wipe out a large group of people or even villages without much trouble.

7 He Wasn't The True Dragon King

Igneel flying up as a dragon in Fairy Tail

The Tartaros Arc brought some of the most striking scenes in the series. Many fans were waiting for the epic clash between Igneel and Acnologia. It turned out to be a fascinating fight, and it took a lot of effort for both sides to inflict damage on the other. Although the villain eventually came out victorious, most fans questioned whether Acnologia deserved the True Dragon King title. Igneel wasn’t at full capacity in the fight as he was protecting Natsu at all times. His attention and powers were divided, and yet for a while, he seemed to be able to beat Acnologia.

6 He Killed Igneel

Igneel and young Natsu Bonding in Fairy Tail

Although it seemed Natsu’s foster father was able to beat Acnologia, the fight ended with a tragedy. Fans were shocked by the turn of events because everyone loved Igneel. He could rip off one of Acnologia’s arms, but the Black Dragon managed to tear him in half. It was definitely among the most epic fights in Fairy Tail, but many fans thought it wasn’t a fair fight. Igneel was dearly missed since many fans grew fond of him over the years.

5 He Was A Dragon Slayer

Acnologia, Fairy Tail

Acnologia was over four hundred years old which meant he was one of the first Dragon Slayers. He had a quite tragic story of becoming the most feared hunters in the world. He used to be close to dragons and even looked after them, but when his family was killed by one of those creatures, he swore to kill every one of them. Acnologia didn’t rest throughout those 400 years and managed to annihilate over a thousand dragons.

Thanks to the many kills and bathing in dragon blood, Acnologia could turn into a dragon himself and gained extraordinary powers.

4 He Wanted To Kill All Dragon Slayers

Natsu Dragneel in Zeref Fight In Fairy Tail

Acnologia possessed inhuman strength and unmatchable powers, but as time passed he realized that dragons weren’t the only threat to his life. Dragon Slayers could eventually become as strong as he was and Acnologia did whatever he could to prevent that from happening. Since he was considered evil, everyone worked to become stronger and eventually kill Acnologia.

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Naturally, that didn’t make his life easier, since he got more attention and even more people wanted to kill him.

3 He Was The Strongest Dragon

Acnologia, Fairy Tail

Fans were debating whether Acnologia was indeed the strongest, and the anime and the manga proved that he was at least among the strongest. He had slain all the strong dragons on the planet, so he became incomparable to all others. Acnologia was such a powerful villain that he became feared by all Fairy Tail characters except one--Natsu.

Thanks to all the power he possessed as a human and as a dragon, Acnologia was most definitely the strongest dragon after Igneel died.

2 He Could Consume Magic

Acnologia, Fairy Tail

Consuming magic was an exceptional skill, which proved to be crucial to Acnologia becoming the strongest dragon. He could consume all sorts of magic and auras to recharge his energy. With this ability, Acnologia could keep on attacking his opponents and even defend against magical strikes. Fans found it to be an amazing skill that made Acnologia nearly impossible to beat.

1 He Was Killed by Natsu

natsu dragneel in fire

The battle between Natsu and Acnologia was often mentioned as the most epic fight in Natsu's career. While Acnologia was incredibly powerful, Natsu proved to be a tough match for him. Natsu was training for that legendary moment and even if it wasn’t easy, the main protagonist managed to overcome the strongest dragon in the world. A number of fans found Acnologia’s last moments very dramatic as he acknowledged his defeat and passed on the Dragon King title to Natsu.

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