A lot of characters had their moments in the Fairy Tail anime, one of whom was Erza Scarlet. She was first introduced as a fearsome warrior whom everyone in the Fairy Tail Guild feared and respected for good reason. She's a resilient and skilled fighter who uses multiple armors and weapons in battle.
There were times, however, when Erza had a really difficult time overcoming her opponents and she had to persevere until she pushed through. Erza has been pushed to the brink more than once, but her indomitable spirit always shines through and she finds a way.
10 Erza Vs Ikaruga Was A Rather Tricky Battle For Erza
During the Tower of Heaven arc, Erza was challenged by the warrior Ikaruga. Ikaruga's sword technique was flawless and she could strike her target with deadly precision. Erza used multiple powerful armors, all to no avail. To win, Erza had to become a samurai herself by using a sword that can only be wielded by shedding all armor. With this sword in hand, she was able to move more swiftly and she beat Ikaruga at her own game.
9 Erza Vs 100 Beasts Was A Glorious Moment
During the Grand Magic Games, Erza represented her guild in a competition known as Pandemonium. Erza challenged every beast in the castle and proceeded to prove her strength by defeating them all. Though she won the fight, it was no walk in the park for her; she made it look easy, but those beasts were tough opponents and nearly made Erza falter. Her fighting spirit kept her going until she pulled through and overcame this obstacle.
8 Erza Vs Cobra Was A Tougher Battle Than She Expected
Being a Dragon Slayer, Cobra possessed great magic power and abilities making him a challenging opponent for anyone. He had a rather curious ability of hearing peoples' thoughts and reacting to their moves before they made them. Erza had a difficult time fighting him because of this ability.
They continued to fight until Erza did something Cobra never saw coming. She grabbed one of her weapons on pure instinct, without thinking - much to Cobra's shock. With this, Erza was able to turn the tide of the battle in her favor and defeat Cobra.
7 Erza Vs Kagura & Minerva Was A True Test Of Erza's Willpower
During the finals of the Grand Magic Games, Erza was confronted by Kagura, and Minerva joined the fray soon after. For the sake of her guild, Erza had to defeat them both, which proved to be a rather daunting task for her. She succeeded in defeating Kagura, but Minerva gave her a tougher time due to the fact that she was more merciless and cunning. This battle forced Erza to release her Second Origin, which gave her the power to defeat Minerva and come through once again for her guild.
6 Erza Vs Midnight Forced Erza To Think Outside The Box
During the first Oracion Seis arc, Erza and Jellal battled the wizard known as Midnight. Jellal was terribly weakened and could barely move, so Erza took it upon herself to defeat Midnight. Midnight's power was a mystery and Erza had to think hard to figure out how it worked. Once she did that, the rest was easy as she very quickly defeated Midnight, who became engulfed in despair over his loss.
5 Erza Vs Erza Proved That She's A Tough Fighter In Any World
Everyone on Earth has a counterpart in the alternate world known as Edolas. Here, Erza was confronted by the Edolas version of herself. This fight proved that it doesn't matter what world it is, so far as it has an Erza in it, she's bound to be a strong fighter. The two fought each other relentlessly with neither one of them willing to let up. Eventually, they were both exhausted and decided to cease their pointless fighting. At the end, they both had great respect for each other's strength.
4 Erza Vs Kyoka Showed The Strength Of The Demons Of Tartaros
Erza fought the Demon Gate Kyoka in order to prevent the activation of weapons known as Face. These weapons had the ability to wipe out all magic in the world, which would be a disaster to all wizards alive.
Kyoka's power was quite bizarre: it amplified her target's senses to the point where even a slight breeze would induce excruciating pain. Erza had to endure it and press on, but she got aid from Minerva, a foe turned friend, who helped her kill Kyoka as the fight was becoming too much for Erza to handle.
3 Erza Vs Azuma Was An All-Out Battle For The Future Of The Guild
On Tenrou Island, the members of the Fairy Tail Guild were attacked by wizards from the dark guild known as Grimoire Heart. During their battles, the wizard known as Azuma brought down Tenrou Tree and robbed the Fairy Tail wizards of their magic power. Erza was the only one who had power to fight, just because Azuma wanted to have a worthwhile battle with her. Erza fought her best, but Azuma was no pushover. He gave Erza the fight of her life, but as usual, Erza's will to save her friends helped her find the power to overcome this foe.
2 Erza Vs Ajeel Was Proof Of Erza's Battle Strategy
During the Magnolia defense battle, Erza challenged Spriggan 12 member Ajeel. His magic was so overwhelming that he covered the entire city of Magnolia in a sand storm. Within the storm, he was able to attack Erza who couldn't even see where he was. After much suffering, she used her quick thinking to change into a shining armor, which allowed her guild mate manning a Jupiter cannon to see her location through the storm and land a direct hit on Ajeel, giving Erza the chance to finish him off.
1 Erza Vs Irene Belserion Was Erza's Toughest Battle Of The Series
Of all the foes Erza has faced, Irene proved to be by far the most deadly. As a top member of the Spriggan 12, Irene possessed unbelievable power. Erza fought alongside the Sky Dragon Slayer, Wendy, but it wasn't long before it turned into a one-on-one fight between Erza and Irene.
Erza saw firsthand the power of Irene's Enchantment Magic and was nearly helpless when Irene summoned a gigantic meteor to Earth. With no choice but to fight, Erza proceeded to use her full power to destroy the meteorite that would have obliterated her comrades.