Fairy Tail is a long-running and popular shonen action series featuring an ensemble cast of colorful characters, from Natsu Dragneel the fire dragon slayer to his friends Lucy, Gajeel, Gray and far more. Natsu is also close friends with Erza Scarlet, an S-rank wizard who is among the Fairy Tail guild's very best fighters.
Erza Scarlet had a rough childhood, but once she was accepted into the Fairy Tail guild, her true strength and talents blossomed, and she is now a true powerhouse in battle. Erza boasts incredible strength, durability, swords, and armor suits, not to mention indomitable will and absolute faith in all her friends. She is a mighty wizard, but a few characters still rank above her in strength. Who are they?
10 STRONGER THAN ERZA: Mirajane Strauss Slightly Surpasses Erza's Might
Erza and Mirajane have been rivals for years on end, but recently, their rivalry became much friendlier than it used to be. The two girls are among the best in the Fairy Tail guild, and they wield complete different types of magic. Erza has swords, while Mirajane's own body is her best weapon.
Mirajane Strauss uses demonic Take Over magic, and she has only grown stronger as the series went on. She is slightly but definitely stronger than Erza is, and she is even capable of flight and can use her tail as a fifth limb in melee combat, among many other techniques and spells of hers.
9 WEAKER THAN ERZA: Juviaa Lockser Falls Short Compared To Erza
Juvia Lockser once belonged to the Phantom Lord Guild, but she switched sides after that guild lost to Fairy Tail early in the Fairy Tail series. Juvia is all about water, and she can even turn her own body into water to resist physical attacks. She can also heat water to boiling point.
Juvia can use an impressive variety of aquatic spells, and she can even perform Unison Raids with Lucy. Ultimately, though, she can't compare to Erza, and she and Lisanna badly lost to Erza early in the Tenrou Island story arc.
8 STRONGER THAN ERZA: Laxus Dreyar Is Barely Stronger
The gap between Erza and Laxus Dreyar is a narrow one, and in theory, either of them could win if they fought seriously, depending on circumstances. Still, Laxus has a few advantages of Erza, such as his status as the lightning dragon slayer. He can use Dragon Force, while Erza cannot.
Laxus can also move like a lightning bolt, which makes him faster than Erza, and his durability is very slightly greater than Erza's own. They once battled seriously in the 100 Years Quest sequel manga, and in the end, Erza fell just before Laxus did.
7 WEAKER THAN ERZA: Sting Eucliffe Would Be Afraid Of Erza
Sting Eucliffe belongs to the Sabertooth guild, and he ranks among that guild's best fighters, along with his ally and friend Rogue Cheney. Sting and Rogue are strongest when they fight together to blend their light and dark magic, and alone, they aren't quite as potent.
Sting is a formidable wizard, but he and Rogue together lost to Natsu and Gajeel in the Grand Magic Games tournament, and it's safe to say that Erza is stronger than either Natsu or Gajeel. So, Sting is certainly less powerful than Erza is.
6 STRONGER THAN ERZA: August Can Cast Any Spell
August is a member of the Spriggan 12, the elite wizard unit of Zeref Dragneel. Even among these incredible fighters, August is a real powerhouse, and he is known for using magic of any kind in battle to get the edge. He's a generalist, rather than a specialist, making him incredibly flexible.
That sheer flexibility, combined with his massive stores of magic, makes it clear that August is stronger than Erza, and if they were to fight, Erza would realize just how outclassed she is. Retreat is her only option.
5 WEAKER THAN ERZA: Ikaruga Lacks Erza's Endurance & Flexibility
Ikaruga is a villainous swordmaster, and until she faced Erza Scarlet, she had never lost a single sword duel, and it soon became clear why. Ikaruga boasts remarkable speed and precision as a warrior, and she can break magical armor like Erza's with little effort. She can also make fire with her sword.
Ikaruga might have defeated Erza if it weren't for Erza's superior endurance, strength, and willpower, which all gave her the edge. Although Ikaruga is fearsome, she's slightly weaker than Erza overall, especially since she lacks the flexibility of Erza's collection of armored suits.
4 STRONGER THAN ERZA: Irene Belserion Is Scarier Than Her Daughter
Some anime characters eventually surpass their parents, but others never do. Certain anime parents are much stronger than their sons and daughters, often because they've had more time to learn and practice their fighting style. Or they were simply born with superior talent.
Irene Belserion of the Spriggan 12 is stronger than her daughter, and their relationship is a difficult one, to say the least. Irene is a human and a dragon, and she can alter the entire landscape with Universe One. She can also enchant herself and perform devastating melee attacks, and even fire ultra-destructive blasts from her mouth.
3 WEAKER THAN ERZA: Lyon Vastia's Ice Is Fairly Impressive
Lyon Vastia can use ice magic in battle, just like Gray Fullbuster, though he never acquired Ice Devil Slayer magic, which is what sets the two of them apart. Lyon is somewhat friendly to the Fairy Tail guild, but he is most loyal to his Lamia Scale guild and its interests.
Lyon's ice magic is just as flexible as Gray's, and it rewards creative thinking in battle. While Lyon can make powerful weapons and animals out of ice, Erza is still the stronger wizard between them in most regards, and she can defeat foes that would have Lyon running for his life.
2 STRONGER THAN ERZA: Gildarts Clive Is Fairy Tail's Best
Gildarts Clive is often seen as the Fairy Tail guild's strongest wizard, and it's easy to see why. He once survived a fight with the dreaded Acnologia, albeit with major injuries, and he has strength and endurance beyond anything Erza, Mirajane or Natsu have.
Gildarts also has more experience in battle than Erza, being older than her, and his overwhelming Crush magic is even more potent than Erza's collection of swords. He once took on August with his daughter Cana Alberona and survived, which says a lot.
1 WEAKER THAN ERZA: Elfman Strauss Ranks Below Erza
Elfman Strauss is a brute-force fighter like Gildarts, but he can't compare to Gildarts or Erza in overall power, though it's not for lack of trying. Elfman can use Take Over magic to assume beastly forms and gain immense power, and he narrowly defeated Bacchus Groh in their GMG tournament match.
Elfman is a formidable wizard, but not even he can compare to Erza's vast strength and endurance, and he lacks her offensive firepower, too. Erza's countless swords allow her to demolish the enemy in ways Elfman can only dream of.