All kinds of fun and colorful characters populate the story of Fairy Tail, and that even includes the most anime-sounding ideas of all: a colorful, talking cat with angel wings. This describes the blue cat known as Happy, the longtime friend of Natsu and the others. He's a proper Fairy Tail member, not just a pet.
Happy has been in this show since the beginning, and he's been there for every major story arc, always by Natsu's side. In many ways, Happy is a vital part of the show and a great person (in a cat sense), but in other ways, he has some drawbacks or personal failings, both big and small. How does Happy the flying cat measure up?
10 STRENGTH: Loving Family
One of the major themes in Fairy Tail is the value of a tight-knit group of loyal friends who are more like family than anything. Happy the cat had the benefit of being born (actually hatching) into this family and living there his whole life.
From his very first day, Happy was surrounded by adoring friends and family in the Fairy Tail guild, and it was Natsu and Lisanna Strauss who acted as his foster parents of sorts. Happy couldn't have asked for more.
9 WEAKNESS: Fixating On Fish
Happy loves to eat fish big and small, but sometimes, his fondness for fish will sometimes get him in trouble. Or at least, he'll end up annoying the people around him because he keeps trying to make everything about fish.
This isn't the worst thing Happy could do, but he could stand to try other meats too, and he'd be a little easier to feed if he was more open to other kinds of food. And he'd get in less trouble if he didn't keep chasing after fish despite the dangers of the open road.
8 STRENGTH: Flight
Even as a kitten, Happy was able to fly, and that's more than regular cats in Fiore can boast. He is an Exceed, a magical cat from the land of Edolas, and that means he can grow angel wings and fly on them.
That gives Exceeds like Happy a serious edge, since they can avoid danger by taking to the skies or scout the terrain up ahead to find danger long before it strikes. Having a bird's eye view comes with some undeniable perks, and Happy knows it.
7 WEAKNESS: Barging Into Lucy's Home
This is something that Happy does with his best friend, Natsu. Although they do have their own house, they think it's much more fun to visit Lucy Heartfilia at her apartment and just barge right in, no questions asked. Lucy can't stand it.
It may be funny, but it's also pretty iffy how Happy keeps following Natsu's lead in barging in like that, and he clearly has no better sense of boundaries or restraint than Natsu does. One of these days, he ought to try knocking for once.
6 STRENGTH: Surprising Grit
Happy isn't much a fighter, whereas Panther Lily is a brawny Exceed with great strength and a sword to match. But still, Happy's meager combat power won't stop him from putting up a brave front, and it's inspiring to see.
Happy stood up for Carla when they were both cornered in Edolas, and Happy didn't care if he was outgunned a thousand to one. He did what any proper Fairy Tail member would do and stood up to his enemies because it was the right thing to do.
5 WEAKNESS: Mishearing Things
This little problem is more for comic relief than anything. Despite having some big, pointy cat ears, Happy sometimes has trouble hearing exactly what other people are saying, and he tends to get the wrong idea. He mixes up figures of speech or trips over homophones here and there.
The original Japanese dialogue and text make use of homophones and double meanings common to that language, and the translations do what they can to bring Happy's goofy misunderstandings to life for other audiences. For Happy, words are a real puzzle sometimes.
4 STRENGTH: Carrying People
Happy is strong enough to soar long distances on those wings of his, but he can bring along a passenger, too. More than once, Happy has been like a living jetpack for Natsu, carrying his human friend all over the place while carrying their combined weight.
This means Natsu can share Happy's bird's eye view when scouting, and Natsu might see something that Happy didn't. It's also very helpful for evacuating someone from a bad situation or allowing the passenger to fire their magic from up high.
3 WEAKNESS: Annoying People
Sometimes, Happy gives Carla the Exceed a little more attention than she wants, though their relationship improved over time. Meanwhile, Happy is the type to constantly goof off and make silly comments, and he can get under people's skin from time to time.
Erza Scarlet once had a serious moment with Jellal on a moonlit beach, and the moment Jellal left, Happy teased Erza with a broken heart drawing in the sand, and he tried not to laugh. Erza simply punted him away in irritation.
2 STRENGTH: Innocent Appearance
No matter what he's up to, Happy always looks like an adorable blue cat, and people love it when he starts talking and making innocent-sounding comments. It's easy for him to charm people who've never met a talking cat before.
Happy doesn't often exploit this fact, but in theory, he could pose as an ordinary wandering cat and eavesdrop on villains such as a dark guild's members or street thugs. Who would ever suspect a cat of being a spy working for Fairy Tail?
1 WEAKNESS: Low Combat Strength
It's mentioned before, and there's no way around it: Happy can't throw a punch. It's true that he is brave and loyal like the other Fairy Tail members, from Natsu and the huge Elfman Strauss to Erza herself. But he can't back it up very much.
Happy is better off as a scout and a personal transport, or just comic relief and emotional support. Even the strongest Exceed, Panther Lily, is at best an average member of Fairy Tail. Happy can't even compare to Panther Lily, let alone the S-class wizards like Laxus the Lightning Dragon Slayer.