Ultear is one of the few villains in Fairy Tail that had a great deal of depth to her, naturally leading to her becoming a hero in the second half of the series. Her backstory was tragic, and something you could relate to. No one wants to feel like they were abandoned. Fans can also understand why she'd want to go back to a time where she was happy.
Unfortunately, as with a few of the bad guys turned good guys in the series, her redemption feels unfulfilled. Beyond just that, the depths of her magic don't have the hard fast rules that others do. This opens up quite a few confusing details about her character that don't make much sense.
10 Being Forgiven
There's no denying that her story was a sad one and that she was a victim of circumstance, doing what she did for a goal that could be empathized with.
That said, it shouldn't wash away all of the horrific things that she did, the same ending up true of her fellow Crime Sorciere member, Jellal. They both managed to be forgiven far too quickly for the things they'd done, never truly undergoing an arc that made the turn feel earned.
9 Having Too Much Magic In Her
It set the course for what she became and was the biggest event her life, yet, the fact she had too much magic for her body to handle never made much sense. How was something like that possible with the array of heavy-hitting mages that littered the lands?
Mavis is one example of a younger character with immense power. It always felt like a conjured event to explain why she became evil and why she harbored such a grudge towards Gray.
8 Infiltrating Magic Council
It may be giving the council too much credited in vetting its members, but you'd think they'd be able to avoid traitors among their ranks, especially when fans consider the level of power and sway they held over the guilds of Ishgar.
It isn't so much that someone as manipulative and, at times charismatic as Ultear could pose as a member, it's that she did it all while working with Jellal, her own dark guild, and putting into motion the freeing of Deliora.
7 Ur Part Of The Water
The whole sequence, while moving, was incredibly confusing and just a tad bit hokey. Ultear realizing that her mother loved her was a fitting one, especially when her true motives of going back to a time of happiness were revealed.
Having that moment be because Ur's body melted into the water felt entirely unnecessary. She didn't need to hear her mother's voice to come to terms with the fact her mother still loved her.
6 Failed Suicide
More than about anyone else in the series, Ultear felt she wasn't worthy of forgiveness, trying to keep Meredy's hands clean by stabbing herself in the stomach. It was an intense and pretty dark moment in the series, one that felt like it was going to come to pass as she was finally going to join her mother in death.
Only for Meredy to save and forgive her, managing to save Ultear's life in the process. It solidified their bond, but it felt like the damage from stabbing herself was completely wiped away.
5 Second Origin
Everything about the spell felt like it was pulled out of nowhere, a means of helping catch the core Fairy Tail members up to the rest of the world after having disappeared for seven years. Even with her abilities being so tied to time, it makes no sense how she could evolve a person's magical container without, in turn aging the body some.
The fact there seemed to be no form of a drawback to the ability beyond a brief spurt of pain makes fans wonder why it was never used before that point.
4 Surviving Last Ages
The way the spell had been talked up, it was made out to be one that would kill the user after it's used. When Ultear's body ends up burning up afterward, it seems like that's going to be the case.
Instead, it's revealed that she's just been aged immensely rather than dying. It's one of those situations where the heroes of Fairy Tail rarely if ever died, and even those that do are often brought back in one form or another, such as what happens with Makarov.
3 Role In Taking Down Dimaria
Thankfully, Ultear's role in the Alvarez arc is minimized due to her age, only truly rearing her head during the battle between Dimaria and the Sky Sisters (Wendy & Sherria) due to Dimaria's use of Age Seal.
Had she just been there to offer words of encouragement, it wouldn't have been too big a deal. It's that she was able to offer aide that's an issue and not just any help either, she helps Sherria unlock Third Origin, giving her the temporary power boost needed to defeat one of the Spriggan 12.
2 Ability To Corrupt
Ultear had a way with words that let others think she was on their side, allowing her to manipulate a great many people, including her guild leader.
Her powers went beyond words, possessing possession magic that was utilized on Jellal, polluting his thoughts and shifting them towards evil. She let herself appear as Zeref, serving as a means of controlling him and always making sure that he did her bidding. The thing that doesn't make sense is why she never used this on more people as its uses seem limitless.
1 Ice-Make Magic
More so than any mage in Fairy Tail, the range of magic Ultear knowns is immense. Usually, mages focus only on one type, such as Gray with ice make. Ultear, meanwhile, knows about five or six different types of magic, from time-related spells to transformation to even being capable of ice make herself.
With her hatred of her mother and how young she was when she became ill, it's a wonder when she was able to learn the magic and why. While her end goal was to go back to a time of happiness, she still very much hated her mother for much of her life.