Elfman Strauss

Elfman Strauss (エルフマン・ストラウス Erufuman Sutorausu) is a Mage of the Fairy Tail Guild and the brother of Mirajane Strauss and Lisanna Strauss.

Appearance
Elfman is a large, muscular man with tan colored skin, whose height causes him to tower over most of his fellow guild members. His long white hair is kept styled upwards in long, wavy spikes, his dark eyes possess no visible eyebrows and his rectangular, elongated face has a stitched scar running down its right side, crossing his right eye. His black Fairy Tail stamp is located on the left part of his neck. In his younger years, Elfman didn't have the scar on his right eye and his hair was shorter, with its style being reminiscent of a somehow messy bowl cut. After three months of training in the mountains with his sisters and Cana, not only have Elfman's hair and sideburns grown longer, but he has also grown much more muscular physically.

Most of Elfman’s attires have a Japanese look to them. His usual outfit resembles that worn by fictional, Japanese high-school hooligans: it consists of a dark blue jacket with purplish blue inners, held closed on the front by a line of large buttons, with similar buttons on the sleeves’ back and the zip located on the high collar left open. The back of his jacket is adorned by large, light kanjis, which read “The greatest" (一番), and the jacket itself seems to be worn over a light red shirt, sometimes seemingly replaced by an A-shirt covered in many vertical lines. Elfman's outfit is completed by loose pants matching his jacket, held up by a simple belt, and traditional Japanese geta sandals, held in place by bands colored the same as his jacket’s inners. At the beginning of the Tenrou Island arc, Elfman, while retaining his sandals, switched to a light kimono shirt with elbow-long sleeves, mostly covered in dark, elongated spots and held closed around the waist by a similarly dark sash, and loose dark pants reaching down below his knees. Shortly afterwards, while on the ship leading the S-Class Candidates to Tenrou Island, he wore a dark fundoshi with the front covered by a large cloth adorned by a white kanji, and he later donned dark pants alongside his standard sandals while remaining bare-chested. Elfman's outfit rarely remains intact: employing his Take Over Beast Arm prompts the sleeve of Elfman's right arm to be torn to pieces, leaving his arm bare, and his pants tend to get shorter, torn edges as a result of his Beast Soul: Full-Body Take Over changing the structure of his legs; when he makes use of it, his pants also gain extremely spiky higher edges. When he was younger, Elfman donned a more elegant, Western-looking attire, consisting of a black suit over a white shirt, with a red papillon around the neck, and polished dark shoes.

Personality
Some time ago, Elfman was notably shy and weak, with his only real talent being for cooking. This caring nature of his, which was under-appreciated by many members at the time, became quite useful for his younger sister Lisanna and Natsu though, as he looked after Happy's egg before it hatched. After Lisanna's supposed death, Elfman's personality changed drastically. He sought to become stronger in order to protect his sister, Mirajane.

He considers himself the strong-willed and proud powerhouse of Fairy Tail. He is very self-conscious about his manliness and always uses the word "man" as a self-proclaimed image of himself and as a guide for others to follow. He also scowled at Jet and Droy of Team Shadow Gear for putting Levy in danger during their mission and also -on their part- failing to show pride as men.

Despite his huge ego, he is always very kind, loving and protective of his sisters Mirajane and Lisanna, going to great lengths to protect them from any sort of danger, even threatening S-Class Mages or people who may even be stronger than himself, such as Bacchus. As a child, when he lost his parakeet he searched for it for a whole week, but found a different one.

History
Sometime in his early years, Elfman's parents died. After his older sister, Mirajane, defeated a Demon that terrorized their village and took on its form, Elfman was forced out of the village along with his two siblings. They later joined the Fairy Tail Guild and quickly fit in with the excitable guild. Due to Mirajane's self-imposed isolation, however, Elfman and Lisanna took to learning Take Over Magic as well from Makarov, so that their older sibling would no longer feel alone. Catching Mirajane in the streets just as she was about to leave them, Elfman promised that they would protect each other with their powers, convincing his sister to stay. He was around 12 years old at the time. When he was younger, he was quiet, shy and kind. During this time, out of all his siblings, Elfman was the only one who couldn't do a Full-Body Take Over, something which depressed him greatly, as he was supposed to "be a man". During this time, Elfman helped Natsu and Lisanna raise an egg they found.

In the year X782, Elfman was deeply scarred by an incident where his younger sister, Lisanna, was supposedly killed by him when she tried to stop his rampage after he attempted to use Beast Soul: Full-Body Take Over. During his rampage, Elfman hit Lisanna with great force, throwing her a great distance. It is said that due to this, Elfman's heart was locked shut, despite his use of the spell to protect his sisters.

Macao arc
Elfman is first seen towering over Lucy, complaining about the noise that the guild is causing, as well as stating that they should use their fists to fight and show their manhood. He then joins in with the rest of the guild as they brawl, but is instantly smashed by both Gray and Natsu. When everyone tried to use their Magic, the master arrives to stop the fight. Elfman is then scolded by Makarov Dreyar for his performance on a job, where he assaulted the VIP that he was supposed to be escorting.

Galuna Island arc
When Lucy talks about Erza and Natsu fighting, she points out that they are two members of Fairy Tail's "strongest team". When Gray asks her where she heard that they were the strongest team, Mirajane admits it was her and cries, claiming that she was just so excited. Elfman comments as well, stating that he admires Erza and Natsu's strength, but that there are much stronger people in Fairy Tail, listing himself as an example. Either way, Elfman agrees that the battle between Natsu and Erza will be interesting, and as he watches the two fight, he states that it is a good match.

After Erza is arrested, Elfman sits with the rest of the guild worrying over her fate. He, Loke and Max wonder why the Magic Council is arresting somebody this time around, as the members of Fairy Tail have done many other things in the past and always gotten away with it. After Macao is revealed to have disguised himself as Natsu so that Natsu could go and save Erza, Elfman gets angry at him, predicting Natsu will cause a huge ruckus at the Magic Council. Makarov soon settles everybody by telling them to calm down and wait to hear what happens.

When Erza returns, Elfman instigates another fight between her and Natsu. After Natsu loses quickly, he falls asleep with the rest of the guild (except Makarov) due to Mystogan's arrival.

Phantom Lord arc
When Fairy Tail assaults Phantom Lord, Elfman is seen taking out a few of their members (while talking about being a man) as well as fighting with Gajeel before Natsu interrupts. He was also later seen trying to comfort Lucy along with Gray, Natsu and Happy. He, along with Gray, intervenes with Natsu's fight against one of the Element Four -also stating that Natsu shouldn't get sick on vehicles, but make them sick instead. While searching Phantom Mk. 2, Elfman runs into Sol, a member of the Element 4, and is nearly beaten. He decides that he has to do a Full-Body Take Over in order to win, but remembers his sister Lisanna and fails to perform the transformation.

While fighting, Mirajane is attacked and taken hostage as a result of pretending to be Lucy. Elfman, enraged at seeing her captured and determined to become strong enough to protect his sister, attempts and succeeds, in executing a Full-Body Take Over, easily overpowering Sol. After defeating Sol, Elfman makes his way towards Mirajane, freeing her and apologizing to her for once again taking on the form that killed his sister. However, Mirajane comforts him and soon figures out how to stop the Abyss Break. They later catch up to Gray -who has just defeated Juvia Lockser- and explain the details of the Abyss Break to him, with the three planning to take out the remaining Element Four members. However, they are then joined by Erza, who just defeated Aria, with Elfman not believing how she managed to fight in such an injured state. Master Jose then arrives, complimenting them before taking Elfman and Gray out instantly. The two later regain consciousness when Master Makarov arrives, and are told to retreat. Elfman is later seen celebrating the guild's victory over Phantom Lord.

Battle of Fairy Tail arc
When the reporter for the Weekly Sorcerer, Jason comes, he asks Elfman what manly means to him, with Elfman replying that "it's manly". Lucy gets upset that Jason is writing down stupid answers like Elfman's, instead of paying attention to her.

At the Harvest Festival's "Miss Fairy Tail Contest", Elfman watches his sister transform her head into Gajeel's, and is shocked by her performance. After Evergreen arrives and petrifies seven female members of the guild -including Mirajane- in a scheme set up by Laxus Dreyar, Elfman becomes determined to save his sister and runs out into Magnolia Town with the rest of the guild to find Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe.

As he is searching, Elfman eventually runs into Evergreen. Elfman charges towards her, claiming that Evergreen should act like a man and not take hostages. Evergreen lifts her glasses to petrify him, but Elfman is able to quickly close his eyes and avoid the spell. However, because of this, he gets attacked by Evergreen and crashes into a flower stand. Elfman then uses Full-Body Take Over and demands Evergreen revert Mirajane and the other women back to normal, blindfolding himself at the same time so he won't turn into stone by looking into Evergreen's eyes. Evergreen mocks his idea at first, but is then a bit surprised after she dodges some of Elfman's accurate punches. She realizes Elfman's beastly sense of smell and uses Fairy Bomb: Gremlin to defeat him, proceeding to petrify him with her Stone Eyes. Elfman is later freed from his rocky prison due to Evergreen's defeat at the hands of Erza Scarlet and is then carried by Mirajane, who is now also safe.

As they walk, Cana Alberona smashes through a nearby wall, shouting at Freed Justine to take back what he said about Juvia being a "Phantom Girl". Cana is then subsequently defeated by Freed. Elfman, angered by the sight, limps towards Freed, telling him to stop attacking his guild-mates. After a brief conversation with Mirajane, Freed uses Dark Écriture: Pain on Elfman, putting Elfman through a sensation of physical torment. Freed then proceeds to use Dark Écriture: Fear and finally Dark Écriture: Suffering with Elfman reacting in obvious agony. When Freed then moves to finish Elfman off with Dark Écriture: Death, Mirajane, realizing she was about to lose another sibling, achieves Satan Soul and takes over the battle.

After the defeat of Freed, Elfman is seen next to Cana, carrying Juvia. He is then seen in the Fantasia Parade doing his Full-Body Take Over on a float with Mirajane.

Oración Seis arc
Elfman is seen amongst the guild members receiving a lecture and commenting on the Dark Guilds. When Team Natsu returns to Fairy Tail, Natsu fills Elfman in on his big fight against Cobra, much to Elfman's frustration, as he can't understand how a snake can fly if it's not even a man.

Daphne arc
Note: Events in this arc occur only in the anime and do not constitute canon material.

Edolas arc
Elfman lectures Jet and Droy about how they should be stronger and departs with Mirajane to go to the church, as it is the anniversary of their sister Lisanna's death. After the Anima strikes, Elfman is turned into Lacrima and transported to Edolas. Later, he is brought back from Edolas with the rest of Magnolia, thanks to Mystogan.

Following the events in Edolas, Mirajane and Elfman continue on to the graveyard and offer their prayers to their sister. After some time, Elfman says that they should be leaving, but Mirajane wants to stay a little bit longer. Suddenly, they hear a voice calling out to them and turn around to see Lisanna running towards them. Rendered speechless and unable to believe their eyes, the two become filled with joy as they reunite with their long-lost sister with a hug.

Tenrou Island arc
Following everyone's return to the guild, the rest of the guild members are exceedingly happy about the return of Lisanna. After hearing some of the guild members commenting on Lisanna's cute appearance, Elfman tries to keep everyone away from his sister.

Shortly after, Elfman enters another of Fairy Tail's usual brawls and fights so much that he falls asleep alongside his sisters, Jet and Droy. The next day, when the master announces Fairy Tail's usual S-Class Mage Promotion Trial, Elfman is picked as one of the selected candidates. Elfman reacts greatly and says that this is the perfect opportunity to be a man above all men.

After the ceremony, Elfman talks with team Natsu and others about the contest and gets angry that Lisanna has agreed to team up with Juvia instead of him. But Lisanna tells Elfman that someone else has been wanting to partner up with him. Elfman then sees Evergreen, who apparently wants to partner with him because Freed Justine chose Bickslow and not her.

As the participants head towards the island on a ship, Elfman is barely tolerating the summer season's hot weather. Shortly after the boat comes within sight of the island, the master arrives to explain the rules of the first trial. He explains that there are eight paths to take on the island. They will end in a battle between two of the teams, a battle with a S-Class Mage, or the "quiet path", which results in no battle. As the first trial starts, everyone is still on the boat, and Freed sets up a rune barrier that prevents anyone from leaving the boat for five minutes. Evergreen counters this by rewriting the rune barrier, saying that because she has been with Freed for such a long time, she knows how to rewrite runes of this caliber. This allows Elfman and Evergreen to bypass the rune barrier and head toward the island without any problems.

Evergreen and Elfman choose route A and Elfman finds out that he will have to face his own sister, Mirajane. Both Elfman and Evergreen freak out, as Mirajane claims that she doesn't plan to go easy on them and has already entered her Satan Soul form, ready to fight.

Elfman and Evergreen manage to beat Mirajane by telling her that they are engaged before knocking her out in her moment of shock. Elfman is then shown to be heavily injured, so Evergreen has to help him walk; they are the last to clear the first trial and their appearance somewhat surprises everyone, who assumed they would lose. After Natsu announces his challenge of seeing who becomes the S-Class Mage, Elfman just smiles and says that as a man, he will gladly accept.

When the second trial to find Mavis Vermilion's grave begins, Elfman and Evergreen run into one of the pig-like wild animals on the island. While Elfman and Evergreen are running, Elfman tells her where to go, which upsets her. As they continue running, Elfman spews out more stuff about how men shouldn't run away, and Evergreen yells at him to stop talking. Right when the animal is about to trample them, Elfman grabs Evergreen and pushes him and her out of harm's way. They roll down through a cave and back out into the wild, with Elfman's body on top of Evergreen's. She pushes him off and reminds him that they just pretended to be engaged to beat Mirajane in the last trial and not to start thinking she actually likes him. Suddenly, the Killing Mage runs into them while they are arguing.

The mysterious Mage is surprised that there are other people on the island, and Evergreen and Elfman wonder how the man got onto the island, as they know that he isn't in the guild. Elfman starts charging towards the man, but before he can get too close the boy tells him to stop and not to come near him. He agrees to leave them alone, but suddenly he feels the "death praying" coming. A gray circle that kills anything in it starts to form around him and approaches Evergreen and Elfman. Just when they are about to be hit by the wave, Natsu comes and pushes them down onto the ground, saving their lives. Natsu shouts to the boy, asking him who he is. After Happy arrives and they all get up, everyone notices that the trees around them have died due to the boy's Magic. The boy then tells Natsu that he has gotten strong, but after Natsu hits him, he realizes Natsu is still not able to "break him". When he senses another wave of death approaching, the boy shouts for everyone to leave. After it passes, the boy is gone. Evergreen expresses her concern for the exam, but Natsu and Elfman insist that they should carry on as it's the S-Class Mage Promotion Trial, so they move on with the exam, with Evergreen still not taking orders from Elfman. Later on, Evergreen and Elfman receive the warning from Erza that the trial is on hold and that they are about to take part in battle against an enemy.

Numerous Grimoire Heart Guild members then emerge from bubbles in the sky and prepare to fight the two. Elfman shouts that a man does not excuse intruders, and Evergreen notes all of them as pests. Nonetheless, the two easily dispatch all of the enemy in their immediate vicinity. Rustyrose then arrives and, because of his weird personality and hand motions, Elfman questions if he is a man, to which Evergreen replies that Rustyrose is just an "idiot".

Rustyrose begins their fight by summoning a giant armored creature which he calls Belcusas the Thunderclap, which then begins attacking the pair. Elfman protects Evergreen from an attack by the creature, telling her to petrify Rustyrose. She replies that she can't because he's wearing glasses and the two begin arguing after Elfman calls her useless. Elfman then continues engaging Belcusas, telling Evergreen to defeat Rustyrose. However, Rustyrose transforms his arm into a claw and cuts her down. Distracted, Elfman is brought down by Belcusas. On the ground, the pair then listens as Rustyrose explains that once Grimoire Heart has acquired Zeref and made him King, they will all live in a world where non-Magic users are nonexistent. Rustyrose then uses his Magic to display an image of Zeref, and Elfman and Evergreen are shocked to realize that Zeref is the boy they ran into earlier.

As Elfman starts getting back up, he gets angry at what Rustyrose just said, saying that non-Mages make up 90% of the living world and that the support people provide for each other is what allows the world to exist. He then argues with Rustyrose, talking about how the trust between people allows for guilds to be formed and Rustyrose laughs at this and talks about the horror of Zeref. Enraged, Elfman charges Rustyrose, but gets slashed by his claw. As Rustyrose attacks again, Elfman catches his claw with his left arm and uses his Take Over Magic to transform his own right arm into a replica of the claw. He then attempts to hit Rustyrose with it, but the claw is deflected by Rustyrose's Golden Shield. However, during the attack, Elfman also manages to take Rustyrose's glasses and promptly crushes them, allowing for Evergreen to move in and petrify the Dark Mage.

However, Rustyrose then cuts down Elfman and Evergreen once more and it is seen that he is still wearing glasses. Rustyrose explains that his Magic allows him to materialize anything he wants and that he has never been beaten in his life. He says the name of his Lost Magic is the Arc of Embodiment. Rustyrose then uses Tower of Dingir, a spell that creates a tower from the ground which immobilizes Elfman and Evergreen and lifts them both upward. About to be defeated, Evergreen apologizes to Elfman, as she believes that if she wasn't his partner, he would not be in this situation, but Elfman simply smiles and thanks her for the help she gave him so far. The tower then explodes, defeating the duo.

A heavily wounded Elfman later arrives at Fairy Tail's base camp carrying Evergreen. He starts getting frustrated and states that he is pathetic as a man, since he not only lost, but was also unable to protect his sister and his partner. He also admits to the enemy being strong and that they have no hope of winning against them. However, Levy stands up and says that if the enemy is a strong group, then Fairy Tail should unite, put aside the differences they had during the trial, and fight to win against the enemy. Elfman is later seen resting alongside Evergreen, Mirajane and Gajeel, having succumbed to his wounds.

When Freed, Bickslow, Lisanna, Panther Lily and Levy are caught by Rustyrose in his Tower of Dingir, Bickslow uses his Figure Eyes to take control of Elfman, who attacks Rustyrose and releases Bickslow and the others from Rustyrose's Magic, resulting in Rustyrose's defeat at the hands of Freed and Lisanna.

After Natsu defeats Hades, Elfman comes along with other injured Fairy Tail Mages, scaring off the remaining Grimoire Heart Mages who were going to attack Natsu and the others. After Makarov yells at Laxus, who had returned to help defeat Hades, Elfman is surprised at how relentless the master can be sometimes. Mirajane just smiles and wonders if Laxus will remain exiled now. Back at camp, Elfman gets angry at Evergreen when she accuses him of doing "bad things" to her while they were partnered. Later, Makarov tells the contestants that the S-Class Trial will be put on hold due to the recent events. Elfman, along with other contestants and Gajeel, are shocked, but Elfman admits later that even men have their limits.

After the Dragon Acnologia starts its rampage on Tenrou Island, Elfman runs towards the ship to escape with the rest of the guild, crying as Makarov fights the Dragon to save everyone else. Elfman then returns with the guild and fights Acnologia after Makarov falls. Eventually the Dragon flies into the air and prepares its final attack to destroy the island. As all of the Fairy Tail members hold hands, Acnologia finally destroys Tenrou Island with its Dragon's Roar.

X791 arc
Elfman, along with the rest of the Team Tenrou, is later found by Bisca, Alzack, Jet, Droy, Max, Warren and the Trimens from Blue Pegasus. He watches as Mavis reveals that she was the one who saved them and then disappears. He, along with the other returning members, returns to Fairy Tail and is welcomed back by Romeo.

Key of the Starry Sky arc
Note: Events in this arc occur only in the anime and do not constitute canon material.

Grand Magic Games arc
Later, after the guild decides to join the Grand Magic Games, Elfman, together with his team mates, Mirajane, Lisanna and Cana, hikes out to the mountains to train himself and enhance his power. After training, Lisanna and Elfman arrive at Crocus, where the Grand Magic Games begin. After Wendy Marvell doesn't show up in time to be a part of the Games, Elfman decides to participate in her place and assists Team Natsu with getting through the Sky Labyrinth.

Elfman then proceeds to volunteer to take part in the Grand Magic Games' opening game, Hidden. However, the rest of his team declines his offer, all of them thinking that, due to the name of the game, their participant needs stealth, something that Elfman doesn't have due to his huge body. After Gray and Juvia come last in the Hidden event, Lucy loses in her battle match and Jellal loses in his, Elfman, along with the rest of the Fairy Tail Guild, heads to a local bar to celebrate their first day despite their current position.

As the second day of battles commences, Elfman watches from the stands. As Bacchus is called out to the field, Elfman — along with many others — are shocked to hear his name called to go up against Quatro Cerberus' S-Class Mage. As Elfman enters the arena, he listens on curiously as Bacchus tries to strike a deal with him. However, upon hearing that the deal includes Bacchus defiling his sisters, Elfman tells Bacchus that, as a man, there are things that can never be forgiven and — with that being one of them — he will tear him apart.

The two begin their battle, but Elfman cannot land an attack on Bacchus, who eventually starts talking about how he'll spend his night with Mirajane and Lisanna after he wins. This angers Elfman and causes him to transform into his Beast Soul: Weretiger. He repeatedly tries to attack Bacchus but still can't land a blow, as Bacchus quickly and gracefully avoids his attacks. After enduring quite a bit, Elfman gets up, having decided his wager in their bet: if he wins the match, Quatro Cerberus will have to change their name to Quatro Puppy for the rest of the Games. As Bacchus is about to attack with his Drunk-Chop Hanging Fist, Elfman transforms into Beast Soul: Lizardman to rebound some of his attacks. Elfman continues to use this form for the rest of their battle, stating that it is a battle between Bacchus' hands and his body — whichever breaks first will determine the winner. Their match eventually concludes with Bacchus collapsing, utterly defeated. This gives Elfman the win and Team Fairy Tail A an additional 10 points.

Elfman is then shown recovering from his battle, being visited by several of his guild-mates. His team-mates compliment him, but he tells them not to, as they sound somewhat depressing. Elfman then tells Wendy to take his place for the rest of the Games. Porlyusica asks everyone to leave so that he can rest, though the Thunder God Tribe stays behind to protect the area from intruders. As they leave, Bickslow makes a suggestive comment about Elfman and Evergreen, causing the two to yell at him.

At the end of the Third Day's Events, Elfman wakes up, still in the infirmary, and suddenly notices that Evergreen is next to him, resting in his bed. He's surprised by her presence, but then realizes that she was watching over him all this time. Elfman, feeling pleasant, then looks at her again and surprisingly exclaims "Woman".

On the evening of the third day, Elfman sneaks out of the infirmary with Evergreen and heads to Ryuzetsu Land. Upon seeing the rest of the guild members there, Elfman implores Evergreen to hide as he doesn't want them to know they both came alone, soon arguing with Evergreen about their arrival being her idea. A while later, Gray and Lyon fight and freeze the pool, with Natsu deciding to get rid of the ice by using his own Magic. Elfman is sent flying when Natsu employs more power than necessary and ends up face down in the rubble, next to an unconscious Evergreen.

After the fourth day's Naval Battle event, Elfman still lies injured in the infirmary and listens as the two Fairy Tail teams discuss their forced combination. When the newly formed Team Fairy Tail later steps out to compete, Elfman smiles from his bed, stating that he is counting on them.

During the starting battle of the fourth day, Elfman, along the rest of the guild members, is shocked as it is revealed that the rabbit from Blue Pegasus is Nichiya. Elfman wishes the best of luck to his guild mates, Natsu and Gajeel, before the battle of the Dragon Slayers begins. He, with Lucy, Porlyusica, Wendy and Carla, watches as Sting says that he can fight Natsu and Gajeel alone. Later, Elfman, with Wendy, watches anxiously to see the outcome of Natsu's battle. Elfman is filled with joy when Natsu defeats Sabertooth's Sting and Rogue, placing Team Fairy Tail at the top with forty-five points.

At the beginning of the final day of the games, Team Fairy Tail, the top ranked team, enters the arena while Elfman watches from the crowd with the rest of Fairy Tail. With his arm tightly wrapped around Max, Elfman cheers for the team and specifically calls out to Gray to prove himself a man. However, worried as he is when he sees that Fairy Tail's contestants have not moved at all since the beginning of the event, he shouts at them to hurry up and move. It is soon revealed that this is all a complicated battle strategy created by Mavis. As she explains her plan and calculates the possibilities of her team members encountering Rufus Lore, Elfman admits that he has no idea what the first Fairy Tail Master is talking about. As Gray proceeds to fight Rufus Lore for the second time, Elfman listens to Mavis saying that she had foreseen this fight too, but is surprised to hear that she does not know the outcome of it yet. As the extent of Rufus' abilities is revealed, Elfman shouts in frustration that Rufus' Magic is too unfair. Later, when Gray is declared winner, Elfman and the rest of the guild cheer for the victory. Later, Elfman watches as Lisanna asks if Natsu and the others are fine, to which Makarov replies that they can only trust them and wait for them.

Elfman is in shock to hear Mavis say that Erza will confront Minerva from Sabertooth, but is told to console her by Makarov when Mavis' strategy is incorrect as Kagura Mikazuchi is the one Erza encounters. Before the battle begins, Elfman questions his friends confidence in Erza, taking her powerful opponents in to account. Just before the three women clash Elfman watches anxiously for the outcome of the battle. As Erza fights against Kagura alone, Elfman watches in shock with the rest of Fairy Tail as Kagura unsheathes her blade and blood spreads across the battlefield.

Elfman, later, witnesses Orga's defeat at the hands of Jura as Laxus' battle continues. As Laxus' battle quickly ends, with Laxus defeating the Wizard Saint, Elfman turns his attention to Erza's battle. He is taken back by the intensity of Erza's new armor, watching as Minerva falls to her defeat. Seconds after, Sting calls out to all of the Fairy Tail Mages; luring them in as the crowd watches in suspense. Nonetheless, he is soon filled with joy as Sting surrenders and Fairy Tail is named the strongest guild in Fiore. Hugging Levy and Lisanna, Elfman joins the celebration. With the rest of his guild celebrating in the stands, Elfman remains alongside them, smiling as they cheer.

Elfman, along with the members of many other Guilds, is summoned by the King and is told of the impending invasion at the hands of the Dragons. Standing behind Lisanna, Elfman intently listens in on her conversation with Evergreen regarding their Guild's defeat at defeat against Acnologia. Upon the King's request that the Guilds join forces to stop the Dragons, Elfman joins in on the raucous declaration of acceptance. As the guilds prepare for the potential battle, Elfman acknowledges an alarming noise emitting from the castle. Suddenly, a wave-like assault originating from the location of the Eclipse Gate shreds through Crocus, catching Elfman and the rest of Fairy Tail by surprise. Later, Elfman and the rest of Fairy Tail encounter the Dragon, Atlas Flame, who releases a Dragon's Roar and disperses the Fairy Tail members. After the assault Fairy Tail had received, the guild members regroup, and Elfman looks on, stating that this Dragon is no different from Acnologia.

As the fighting continues, Elfman and Lisanna look to the sky as one of the Dragons releases a bombardment of eggs from its belly, which land and hatch into small lizard-like creatures. Upon hearing Laxus state that he will take on Atlas Flame whilst they deal with the smaller beasts, Elfman moves out with his friends to attack. Thanks to the other Mages of Fairy Tail, the Eclipse Gate is destroyed. As a result, the Dragons, as well as Motherglare's minions, start to disappear, resulting in Elfman cheering alongside his younger sister for the victory.

A few days after the end of the Grand Magic Games, Elfman is among the many Mages invited to the Royal Palace for a banquet to celebrate the successful protection of their country; while there, he greets Yukino Agria, Lucy, Wendy and his sisters as they arrive before sitting down to eat, proclaiming that if you're a man, then you must eat like one. Not long after, when Sting Eucliffe and Kagura Mikazuchi fight over which guild Yukino is to join, Elfman and his friends chime in, declaring that Yukino is to join Fairy Tail instead; this leads to the other guilds declaring the same thing, thereby starting a brawl in the grand dining hall. During the course of said fight, Elfman knocks the heads of Hibiki Lates and Ren Akatsuki together. He, however, stops when Arcadios commands them to (as the King is set to make an appearance), but is left utterly flabbergasted when Natsu reveals himself in the King's stead, wearing the man's crown and clothes.

With the banquet having ended, Fairy Tail returns to Magnolia and are met with enormous acclaim; arriving with Lisanna on his shoulders, Elfman joyously shouts that they finally won their respect back, but such a thing embarrasses Lisanna, who tells him to stop. Then, when Natsu removes the Grand Magic Games trophy from his sack, Elfman cheers even louder than before right alongside his guildmates.

Eclipse Celestial Spirits arc
Note: Events in this arc occur only in the anime and do not constitute canon material.

Sun Village arc
Elfman later sits at a table in the main guildhall and makes fun of Natsu and Gray for their inability to work together on a mission.

Tartaros arc
While at the guild one day, Elfman stares down Warren Rocko, whom he believes made googly eyes at Lisanna. During Evergreen's encounter with a Tartaros member, she makes a remark towards Laxus being a "man's man", provoking Elfman, whom is elsewhere, to sneeze. After Yajima, Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe are brought back to Fairy Tail heavily wounded, Elfman looks on while shivering as Porlyusica declares that they may not recover from their sustained injuries. After Freed is falsely told that Laxus' sacrifice prevented further damage, Elfman looks on in regret. Looking down at Evergreen, who is visibly under discomfort in the infirmary, Elfman vows to seek revenge against Tartaros. Afterwards, Elfman and his guildmates look on as Makarov delivers a bold declaration to defeat Tartaros and avenge their injured peers.

Elfman and Lisanna head out together to the home of one of the ex-Council members, Yuri hoping to take the man into Fairy Tail custody and protect him from Tartaros. However, the two arrive to find the man already dead. As Elfman asks Lisanna to prepare a communication Lacrima so that they can report back to the guild, he ponders how the man was killed, as he has no visible marks on his body. Suddenly, to Elfman's surprise, Yuri opens his eyes and bolts upright, pointing to Lisanna and smashing the Lacrima she's holding; he then flops back to the ground, lifeless once more. The duo question what happened, but are interrupted by Seilah of the Nine Demon Gates, who has been sitting behind them the entire time. The woman stands and begins to approach them, and Elfman calls for Lisanna to be careful, only to realize his hand is clenched around his sisters neck, choking her. Becoming frightened as Lisanna struggles and he can't find the will to loosen his fist, Elfman screams at Seilah, asking her to stop whatever she is doing: Seilah merely replies that mercy is not something found in a Demon's story. As he is still choking Lisanna, who seems to have fallen unconscious, Elfman begs Seilah, pleading for her to stop controlling him. She then says that when a human asks a demon for something, it usually means that they sell their soul, and then asks if he is doing just that.

Taken under her control as a result, Elfman is ordered to return to Fairy Tail with a special Lacrima and plant it. Asking what it is, he is told that it is an ultra-concentrated ether light sphere which is approximately 500 times stronger than Jupiter. As he hears that it will destroy the guild, he refuses to plant the device but is told that he will do so regardless thanks to her Macro.

As the members of Fairy Tail discuss their next course of action, Elfman returns to the guild, relieving the worried members, but, unbeknownst to them, as a slave of Seilah. Asked what happened, he sullenly reveals that Lisanna was captured and that they failed to save the councilor they were sent after. As Elfman begins feeling sorry over the ordeal, he is berated by Cana for returning to the guild rather than having gone after them. As he claims that he lost sight of them, Cana grows even angrier and continues until she is told to stop. As a result, Elfman leaves to rest while thinking about his orders, knowing he has to destroy Fairy Tail to save his sister. After the last seal is broken, Elfman follows Seilah's orders and activates the Lacrima that will supposedly destroy the guild, while tearfully professing his love for his little sister.

Elfman watches the glowing Lacrima as tears continue to descend down his cheeks. Just then, Cana enters the room where he is located and admits that she believes his behavior is odd, quickly glancing at the Lacrima in Elfman's hands. Elfman jumps towards her and knocks her down, telling Cana to stay out of his way. Momentarily, he murmurs that Fairy Tail must perish as Cana struggles to call for help. Seconds later, the bomb goes off, destroying the entire building.

Elfman and the rest of the guild manage to survive though, as Cana uses some quick thinking and her Magic Card to trap the crazed Elfman and the entire guild into a deck of cards, which she gives to Happy, Panther Lily and Carla. Following her instructions, the Exceed fly from the guildhall just as it explodes and head straight towards Cube, which is floating over Magnolia. As the Exceed arrive on the bottom face of the floating island, Cana releases everyone from the cards, with Elfman dazed and confused at what is going on. Being questioned by Cana, Elfman reveals that he is no longer under Seilah's control and begins to cry thinking about what he almost did. Not choosing to pity him, Cana states that he needs to stand up and keep moving, as they are going to breach Tartaros and rescue his sisters. Howbeit, Elfman continues to lecture himself over his actions, leading Cana to inform him that if he has time to puzzle over his dilemma, he should also be fighting along his guild. Just then, Elfman snaps out of his thoughts and claims that Cana is right, admitting that he shall take responsibility for his actions. He picks himself up and begins to fight alongside his comrades until Erza pierces a hole thought Cube; creating great tremor.

Elfman looks on as Erza lands under Cube, notifying the Guild of Natsu and Lisanna's whereabouts. After requesting that they still need to save Mirajane and Elfman, Elfman himself acknowledges his presence and jumps straight into the newly created hole through Cube, bellowing that they will save his older sister. Summoned to Mirajane's location thanks to his older sister taking control of Seilah's Macro ability, Elfman plummets into Hell's Core and lands on top of the Demon, using the strength of his Beast Soul form to smash Seilah into the ground below and incapacitate her.

Having defeated the Demon, Elfman and his sisters proceed to try and locate their guildmates, soon finding Jet, Droy and Warren and using the latter's Telepathy to inform the rest of the guild that they are safe. However, as they communicate the good message, their Magic is hijacked by Mard Geer, who uses it to greet them all and bid them goodbye, as he is casting the Curse Alegria. Soon after, Cube begins to twist and deform, the building melting away and sucking all of the Fairy Tail Mages along with it. Failing to escape the trap, Elfman and the rest of the Fairy Tail Guild are swallowed and frozen solid, stuck and unmoving as part of the new Tartaros guild building. Elfman, still holding his sisters, is later released from Alegria by the Celestial Spirit King and wonders what happened. Shortly thereafter, he helps Lisanna and the others fight Lamy and her clones in order to allow Mirajane to follow after Seilah. Albeit, his attention turns to Acnologia, who arrives to their location and annihilates whatever stands in his path. Elfman, however, continues to fight Lamy, eventually defeating the last one as Lucy arrives. Shortly after Lucy, Wendy also enters their location alongside Doranbolt; claiming that Face still remains.

A while later, Makarov connects with Elfman and the others via telepathy, informing them that they, too, have a trump card of their own: Lumen Histoire. Makarov instructs all of the Fairy Tail Mages, including Doranbolt, to return to the guild's basement. Elfman refuses, claiming that he will stay behind. Eventually, the returning Dragons destroy all the Face bombs around the continent and regroup near the befuddled Mages, Elfman standing next to his sisters as the Dragons commend them for their efforts and reveal that their time on Earth Land will soon come to an end. He later watches as the Dragons ascend into the skies and bid farewell, claiming that they will always watch over the humans. A week later at the ruins of the guild, Elfman continues to feel sorry for his actions, but Lisanna tries to comfort him.

Avatar arc
After receiving a letter from Lucy, Elfman, along with his sisters, shows up in Magnolia Town to meet with his former guildmates. He is very happy to see Lucy and calls their reunion a "manly reunion."

Alvarez Empire arc
During Fairy Tail's reconstruction effort, Elfman comes up to Natsu after the latter hears of how Elfman spent the last year training, and offers him a chance to test his mettle. Their brawl escalates after Natsu retaliates against Elfman by punching him into Gray; Gray kicks Elfman in the back of the head, which sparks a full-scale guild brawl. Sitting down, Elfman begins to shed happy tears at his friends' re-acceptance of him, now being finally free of the guilt of destroying their guild's building a year ago. However, their brawl is cut short by an intimidating Erza, who angrily declares that everyone is to go back to rebuilding.

After Gajeel assembles a "B-team" to rescue Makarov from the Alvarez Empire, Elfman asks if Gajeel is sure Laxus is there as they all approach a new area. Gajeel states that his intel says Laxus and his lackeys are there, while Elfman corrects him by saying these so-called lackeys are the Thunder God Tribe. Cana laughs at Elfman, stating he only came along for Evergreen's sake. Later, they all head to the Pegasus Village hot springs to relax; where they meet up with Ichiya, who tells them that Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe have joined Blue Pegasus, surprising Elfman. Ichiya then accidentally flashes Elfman, causing him to retaliate by punching the Pegasus ace in horror. Elfman keels over in shock, attempting to forget what he just saw.

After Elfman and the B-team raucously burst into Blue Pegasus and successfully retrieve Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe, they take Ichiya's Christina and fly towards Natsu's and the others location. Having arrived in time, Laxus saves the group from Ajeel attack. As Gajeel and Levy carries out info to the group, Elfman shouts they should let him talk too, but Lisanna blatantly shuts him up. Mest then teleports his group inside the airship, before Laxus deals a final lightning blow to Ajeel. As they all leave the location, Elfman jokingly asks if everyone is okay. He then, along with his comrades, watch as Makarov breaks into tears over Fairy Tail being the best family he could ask for. Following Makarov's return back to the guild, Makarov states he will have to be the master until he dies, prompting Elfman to call him a real man. After Erza states you can't have Star Mango in Fiore, Elfman questions if it has a manly taste. When Makarov finishes a speech and Natsu riles everyone up, Elfman states he will protect the guild in the upcoming war. After Mavis reveals the true nature of Fairy Heart, Elfman questions if Alvarez is attacking to get their hands on it. When the topic of Zeref's immortality is brought up, Natsu mentions that his right arm is something that can do the job, but he refuses to tell what it is, causing Elfman to attack him. Shortly after, Elfman listens as Makarov goes over all the information he gathered about the Alvarez Empire. Out on the streets, Elfman looks to the skies as Alvarez begins their attack from above.

Later, sensing that Alvarez has broken through Freed's Jutsu Shiki barrier, Elfman and his siblings run to the source of the infiltration. Arriving just as Gray and Juvia are fighting, Elfman barges in, knocking out a few opponents while offering his help. As Mira then activates her Satan Soul: Mirajane Seilah, Juvia and Gray are in shock and Lisanna explains Seilah would have died otherwise as Elfman says Mira is just too nice sometimes. After Mira causes all the opponents to sleep, she says those that are left will have to be dealt with the old fashioned way, causing Elfman to exclaim how manly that is. After Erza deals a devastating wound Ajeel, the latter summons a sandstorm over the entire Magnolia, capturing Elfman as well, impairing his vision. However, the calamity is soon ended as Bisca manages to locate and save Erza from Ajeel, after which Erza attacks her foe with Nakagami Starlight.

As the sandstorm dissipates, Elfman and the others notice five mechanical beings standing before them. Elfman tries to attack one, but due to the robot's speed, he is unable to land a hit. His comrades face similar trouble as they one by one realize that their foe is specifically designed to exploit their weaknesses. As Elfman and the others wonder how this is possible, Wall Eehto explains that exploiting his opponent's weaknesses is the ability of his Magic, Weakness. However, Elfman and the others determine that to defeat the robots all they have to do is switch opponents, so Elfman takes on the robot facing Mirajane that looks like him and easily defeats it. He also contacts Evergreen and the others and tells them to do the same. Suddenly, the victorious group is surprised by a large explosion. Realizing that Kardia Cathedral is the source of the blast, Elfman anxiously exclaims Evergreen's name.

Soon after their victory in their first confrontation against the Empire, the Fairy Tail Mages gather in the Guild building and decide to reinforce their allied Guilds, Elfman being sent to the north to fight alongside Sabertooth and Blue Pegasus. At that moment, everybody realizes that Natsu has headed out with Happy to face Zeref, but Elfman is surprised to see Erza planning to follow their original strategy. The forces heading to assist the north later mobilize; however, they set up camp that night to rest, where Elfman sleeps next to his sisters. Upon arriving at the battlefield the next day, Elfman notes Blue Pegasus' and Sabertooth's absence, but prepares to aid his guildmates nonetheless. However, the Fairy Tail members are greeted by a gruesome sight as the approaching enemy army carries the unconscious forms of their absent allies, the two Guild having been completely wiped out. Elfman immediately engages the Empire's forces, and, unfazed by the sudden change in weather, backs up Gajeel in obtaining revenge for their allies, proceeding to rampage through the enemy's forces in his beast forms. Suddenly, he notices a bright light covering the battlefield, and ends up in an unknown location, acknowledging Zera's message when she telepathically requests all Fairy Tail Mages to gather at their Guild to guard Mavis.

As Elfman explains that only Fairy Tail members can hear the message and leads his companions, Frosch, Lector and Yukino, towards Fairy Tail, they run into Sorano. The revelation that she is Yukino's elder sister and the ensuing exchange between the siblings leaves Elfman and the other confused yet moved. They later reunite with their allies near Fairy Tail's Guild building, now under the Empire's control, and aid in the attempt to storm it. Stalled by God Serena's Historia, Elfman is astounded by the Dragon Slayer's versatility, but his attention is soon diverted towards Ajeel as he teams up with his younger sister to take down the Desert King.

Magic and Abilities
Take Over (接収, テイクオーバー, Teiku Ōbā): Elfman, alongside his sisters Mirajane and Lisanna, is known for the accomplished use of Take Over, a form of Magic which, as the name implies, allows the user to take over the appearance and abilities of beings they really "know". It is their use of such Magic which made the three of them known as the "Take Over Siblings". Elfman's form of Take Over Magic is called Beast Soul (獣王の魂 (ビーストソウル) Bīsuto Sōru), which allows him to record and seal a monster's body part he has touched into his right arm, gaining the ability to subsequently transform his arm into that of the creature. Transformations seem to take place by tearing Elfman's clothes off and covering his bare arm (or his entire body) with many flat, square-shaped plates, which subsequently disappear, revealing the summoned part. When he first revealed his power to Mirajane, Elfman displayed poor control of his transformations, suddenly changing his arm from the leg of a bear, to that of a giraffe; though also proving that even at a young age he had the strength to Take Over simple beasts.


 * Partial Take Over: Initially, Elfman, unlike his sisters, could only utilize Beast Arm (ビーストアーム Bīsuto Āmu), which exclusively transforms his right arm, something which made him uncomfortable. However, Elfman's unique way of using Beast Soul seems to be somehow renowned, as several members of Phantom Lord were shown recognizing and acknowledging him through his use of it, and this is the reason behind his epithet "Beast Arm Elfman" (ビーストアームのエルフマン Bīsuto Āmu no Erufuman).
 * Beast Arm: Reptile: Elfman transforms his arm into that of a reptilian beast's arm, covered in scales and sporting sharp claws. It has enough power to send several people flying at once and to successfully grab and stop Gajeel Redfox's Iron Dragon's Club from a close range. (Unnamed)


 * Beast Soul: Bear (くま Kuma): Elfman transforms his arm into that of a furry black beast's arm with sharp claws. It's very big and possesses great throwing power, as it was able to grab Totomaru while the latter was encased in ice and send him flying through the roof, tens and tens of meters up in the sky, in one throw, making him disappear from sight. This was the first spell he had shown Mirajane upon learning Take Over.


 * Beast Arm: Black Bull (黒牛 Kokugyū): Elfman transforms his arm into that of a large black beast's arm, which is dark in color and sports prominent muscles. It presumably increases Elfman's punching power or his strength, making him more formidable in melee, as shown from him activating it at the beginning of his battle with Sol and then trying to assault his foe with punches; however, its specific effects and added qualities are unknown.


 * Beast Arm: Iron Bull (鉄牛 Tetsugyū): Elfman transforms his arm into that of a large beast's arm composed of metal, which is somehow similar to a gauntlet, sporting plates and different lines of bolts. Much like Beast Arm: Black Bull, it presumably increases his punching power, making his punches stronger due to its large mass and the heavy material which it is composed of; it was first used during the battle with Sol, after Black Bull, with its particular effects being unknown.


 * Beast Arm: Stone Bull: Elfman turns his arm into that of a beast's arm composed of stone, presumably increasing his attack power. The plates covering his arm in such form are reminiscent of those he summons to initiate his Take Over transformations. (Unnamed)


 * Beast Arm: Jet Black Sword (漆黒の剣 Shukkoku no Tsurugi): After being pierced by Rustyrose's Jet Black Sword, Elfman used his Take Over Magic on him, gaining the ability to transform his arm into a large one composed of metal plates and sharp claws, identical to Rustyrose's spell. This grants Elfman great cutting power and was described by Rustyrose as being capable of cutting through anything. However, Rustyrose's own Golden Shield was capable of stopping the claws' slash.


 * Full-Body Take Over: His first attempt to do so resulted in a catastrophe, with Elfman losing his will to the creature he tried to completely take over, running wild and seemingly causing the death of his sister Lisanna, something which prevented him from attempting to use Full-Body Take Over ever since. However, when his sister Mirajane found herself in danger during the confrontation between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord, Elfman managed to achieve controlled Full-Body Take Over, surpassing the seeming limits of this Magic to save his sibling.


 * Beast Soul (獣王の魂, ビーストソウル, Bīsuto Sōru): This is one of Elfman’s most powerful spells, whose first attempt seemingly brought to Lisanna's death and which was eventually mastered during his fight with Sol, Beast Soul allows Elfman to completely take over the appearance and abilities of a powerful, beastly creature known as “The Beast”, described by Mirajane as “the King of monsters”. In said state, Elfman’s size increases exponentially, with his arms growing longer, larger and sprouting sharp claws, and he becomes covered in thick fur, with his abdomen and pectorals prominent in the middle. His hair takes on a mane-like appearance, his ears and canine teeth become pointed, and he grows a pair of striped horns pointing upwards, starting from a plate on his forehead. During his first controlled use of said spell, Elfman’s legs, much smaller in comparison to his large arms and torso, grew dark hooves, and he also gained a pair of protrusions sprouting from his shoulders, similar in appearance to his horns; when it was used again during the Battle of Fairy Tail arc, however, Elfman’s feet bore resemblance to a large bird’s, with dark claws, and the protrusions on his shoulder weren't visible anymore. He was shown again with his horn-like protrusions on the shoulders during his and Evergreen's fight with Rustyrose. In both forms, however, the only piece of Elfman’s attire which remains on are his pants, which get shorter as a result of his transformation and sprout extremely prominent and spiky upper edges.
 * Enhanced Speed: Despite his larger size, Elfman’s speed is increased drastically in such state, as shown when he charged at the agile Sol and rapidly defeated him with a barrage of fists while spinning rapidly on himself, without giving the opponent a single chance to react, whereas before he couldn’t land a blow on him. Elfman can also rapidly move around by jumping, and climb on vertical surfaces through the use of his claws with great agility and speed.
 * Enhanced Strength: This form further boosts Elfman's already great physical might, so much that he was capable of releasing Mirajane from the grip of Phantom Lord’s gigantic Super Mage Giant Phantom MK II without much trouble, and of stopping Belcusas' enormous fist with a single arm. After three months of training, this form's strength has increased to the point of easily incapacitating Seilah in her enhanced state, a feat that Mirajane was unable to accomplish despite using her strongest Satan Soul.
 * Enhanced Smell: In this state, Elfman’s sense of smell is greatly increased, being comparable to a beasts, as he was capable of chasing the flying Evergreen around while blindfolded, in order to avoid her Stone Eyes being used on him.


 * Beast Soul: Weretiger (ワータイガー Wā Taigā): Elfman transforms his entire body into that of a Weretiger, a very massive, anthropomorphous creature, possessing distinctive traits characterizing a great variety of felines. In such form, he still stands on his rear legs, which, however, gain a structure similar to those of a feline, with his toes sprouting sharp, dark claws, not unlike those appearing on his fingers. He retains a toned and muscular physique, which, aside from the front part of Elfman's torso and the back parts of his legs, is largely covered in a series of dark spots; these, in spite of the Take Over's name, are more reminiscent of a leopard's than a tiger's. He also gains a long, messy and dark mane similar to a lion's topping his head, which sprouts a large, dark feline nose and large fauces lined up with sharp teeth. Thick, light fur grows on his lower face. Strangely enough, his ears remain human in placement and appearance, though they become elongated and extremely pointy. A mildly long, spotted feline tail ending in a dark tuft sprouts from his lower back. His Fairy Tail mark is no longer visible. Elfman's outfit also changes, with whatever type of shirt he might be wearing disappearing to leave his chest bare and with his pants being replaced by a dark, baggy pair reaching down below his knees, possessing light edges and light belts crossing on his thighs. His feline feet are bare. The word Weretiger is a pun on the mythological Werewolf.
 * Enhanced Speed: According to Mirajane, Beast Soul: Weretiger is a speed-type Take Over, and thus allows Elfman to move faster when he employs it. It's currently unknown to what degree this form boosts his speed; however, an S-Class Mage specializing in martial arts like Bacchus was shown capable of effortlessly avoiding Elfman's melee attacks even in such state.


 * Beast Soul: Lizardman (リザードマン Rizādo Man): Elfman transforms his entire body into that of a Lizardman, a large, anthropomorphous reptilian creature. His muscular figure is almost completely covered in scales, some of which, lined up, are shown to be particularly large, protruding and sharp. The only parts seemingly left bare are the front section of his torso and the palm of his hands. His fingers grow sharp, dark claws, similar to the ones sprouting from his toes, which become much more massive and stocky, also changing in placement, and thus making Elfman's feet similar to a reptile's rear legs. His hair is replaced by a long, messy and spiky light mane topping the top part of his head and extending to his middle back; Elfman's head itself gains reptilian features, becoming more stubby, losing a visible nose and gaining a large, protruding plate in correspondence to his forehead, topping his eyes. His Fairy Tail stamp is still visible on the flat scales covering the left part of his neck. Elfman's clothing is replaced by a pair of mildly loose, dark pants going down below his knees, held up by a belt completely composed of square studs and sporting rectangular metal plates covered in round holes on his thighs' front parts, held there by chains.
 * Scales: The scales covering Elfman's body in such state are extremely resistant greatly boosting his defense, and their jagged outlines make attacking him unarmed dangerous: even if the opponent was to be strong enough to break the scales, their limbs would be damaged from doing so, and the effort required to break the scales itself is incredible. This Take Over form amazed Erza Scarlet and, most importantly, allowed Elfman to defeat someone as powerful as Bacchus, who was left exhausted after striking him with a barrage of blows.


 * Beast Soul: Belcusas (ベルクーセス Berukūsesu): Elfman transforms his body to that of Belcusas the Thunderclap, an enormous, heavily-armored and physically powerful creature that Rustyrose imagined into existence to fight on his behalf.


 * Beast Soul: Ape (エイプ Eipu): Elfman transforms his body into that of a large ape many times the size of a normal human. In this form Elfman possesses incredulous strength, as with a simple swing from his fists, he's capable of mowing down a small horde of enemies.


 * Beast Soul: Sand Beast (砂獣, サンドビースト, Sando Bīsuto): Elfman transforms his body into that of a Sand Beast. While in this form, he claimed to be highly resistant to sand and has shown the ability to absorb sand itself.

Enhanced Durability: Elfman possesses great constitution and durability. He was shown undergoing a barrage of magical and physical attacks from Sol without giving up or losing the will to fight, even when he was sent crashing through a wall by Sol's strongest spell. During his fight with Rustyrose, Elfman further demonstrated his durability, enduring many slashes from the Dark Mage's Jet Black Sword and even managing to grab onto it and hold it still while it was piercing his body; he was also able to stand and walk after being struck by the massive explosion generated by Rustyrose's Tower of Dingir, which caused a pair of sharp sticks to pierce his chest and even carry the similarly injured Evergreen alongside him; in addition, he was one of the first heavily injured Fairy Tail members shown awake and capable of standing after their respective battles, something which led to Rustyrose's defeat.

Enhanced Strength: As evident of his massive size and muscular build, Elfman possesses a high degree of physical strength: even without the use of his Beast Arms, he's shown to be capable of lifting four humans by himself, holding two under each of his arm, without effort and to run freely while doing so. He is also able to send several people flying high up in the air through simple punches even without the aid of his Magic.

Enhanced Reflexes: Despite his large size, Elfman has displayed great reflexes and deceptively high speed, having been capable of evading most of Gajeel's close-range attacks during their brief confrontation, even when the latter assaulted him from different directions with the branches of his Iron Dragon's Club, a move which struck several people who were standing quite away from the two of them, but which Elfman, who was right in front of Gajeel, managed to avoid without fail.

Enhanced Endurance: Elfman has been noted to possess a very large amount of stamina: while clad in his Lizardman form, he was shown able to undergo a long and exhausting barrage of unarmed blows from Bacchus, a S-Class Mage from the Quatro Cerberus guild specializing in hand-to-hand combat, whose strength is said to rival Erza Scarlet's, and remain the only one standing afterwards. Erza herself described Elfman's stamina as being likely unrivaled within Fairy Tail.

Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Elfman is a melee specialist, with hand-to-hand combat, paired with his various Beast Arms, being the main element of his fighting style. He was shown making short work of different Phantom Lord members, defeating some of them with fast and accurate punches and others through sheer physical strength, and could also engage in close-range combat with Gajeel Redfox, being eventually struck just due to distraction. During the preliminary phase of the Grand Magic Games, Elfman was shown capable of easily dispatching several opponents in unarmed combat even without the aid of his Take Over, using both strong punches and simple grips to overwhelm his foes.

Equipment
Artificial Keys:
 * Celestial Spirit Banishment Key (former): Banishes the Golden Bull, Taurus.

Fairy Academy: Yankee-kun and Yankee-chan
During class, Elfman tells fellow student Lucy that he won't allow any man to date Mirajane unless they are stronger than himself.

Natsu and the Dragon Egg
During the year X778, as Mirajane taunts Erza, Elfman looks on timidly as they are about to fight. Upon seeing Lisanna cast a Take Over spell, Elfman appears visibly distressed, and, as Cana asks him why he appears to be disappointed, he states that both his siblings are able to cast Full Body Take Over spells while he cannot.

As Natsu appears to be worn out from looking for his egg, Elfman walks in apologizing and reveals to have had the egg the whole time. He states that his intentions were not to steal the egg but to nurture it as he thought Natsu and Lisanna may have required help, so he kept the egg warm during the night, as it gets cold during that time. After returning the egg, it begins to hatch, and as Elfman and the rest of the members look on, a blue cat emerges from the egg and all the members of the guild rejoice.

Rainbow Sakura
Along with the rest of the Fairy Tail Guild, Elfman participates in Hanami, a traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of cherry blossoms.

Whose Clothes Are These?
During the chaotic session of attire exchange amongst the guild members, Elfman is astonished as he wears Freed's attire. After Freed questions him if he has a problem with his clothing, Elfman simply states that they would be better on their rightful owner.

Welcome to Fairy Hills!!
Elfman and the other men of Fairy Tail clean the pool behind the guild. While cleaning the pool, Elfman and the others notice a peeping hole which leads to an underground room under the pool. When they get down there they notice and periscope attached to the pool. Elfman and the others then take turns looking through the periscope and Natsu, Gray and Gajeel wreak havoc when they witness a naked Makarov swimming in the pool. The three then destroy the room due to the terrible sight, and Elfman, along with the other male Mages, collapses in the destroyed pool, while Mirajane scolds Makarov for his actions.

Fairy Academy - Yankee-kun and Yankee-chan!
Lucy transfers to Fairy Academy, where Elfman is in her class. When Lucy admires Mirajane, Elfman mistakes it for Lucy wanting to date his sister. During lunch break, Elfman spends his time eating with the rest of the male students. The next day, Elfman reads the letter that Courage Academy left on Makarov, Wakaba and Macao pinned to a tree, challenging Fairy Academy to a fight. Later that day, when Courage Academy shows up at Fairy Academy with Mirajane as their hostage, Elfman starts to lose control from his anger. After Mirajane is saved, the school goes back to normal the next day and Elfman, along with the other students, listens to the principal's speech.

Memory Days
A young Elfman appears in the third OVA, Memory Days. He, along with Lisanna, tries to discourage Mirajane from trying to fight Erza and later plays a game with Cana.

The Exciting Ryuzetsu Land
Elfman, alongside Evergreen, hides behind a rock at the Ryuzetsu Land resort after realizing that the rest of his Guild mates are at the resort as well. The two worry about being caught and ridden to shame for coming together and continue on to quarrel over whose idea it was to come to the resort.

Moving away from their previous hiding spot and into a new one, Elfman and Evergreen realize that the rest of their Guild members are also at the resort. As Elfman peers out from the corner of a rock, he witnesses Mirajane pulling Jenny's swimsuit bottoms off, warranting Elfman to strike a perverted expression across his face, which in turn, visibly agitates Evergreen and commences another quarrel between the two. Later, Elfman and Evergreen ride down a slide together, which leads to Elfman being petrified by Evergreen in order to negate the suspicion of them coming to the park together.

Fairy Tail Portable Guild
Elfman appears as a playable character in the first Fairy Tail Video Game, Fairy Tail Portable Guild, and is playable from the beginning of the game. He has no element, but has a purple Take Over crest, and he possesses the following Spells in the game:


 * Beast Arm: Black Bull: Cost 1 MP, Default Technique
 * Beast Arm: Iron Bull: Cost 2 MP, Elfman has to be at lv15 to purchase it in the shop.
 * Beast Arm-Ringyuu: Cost 3 MP, Elfman has to be at lv25 to purchase it in the shop.
 * Beast Soul: Full-Body Take Over: Cost 4 MP, Elfman has to be at lv35 to purchase it in the shop.
 * Beast Soul: Lizardman: Cost 4 MP, Elfman has to be at lv45 to purchase it in the shop

Fairy Tail Portable Guild 2
Elfman Strauss is a playable character in the sequel to Fairy Tail Portable Guild, Fairy Tail Portable Guild 2. He is unlocked through quests.

Fairy Tail Gekitotsu! Kardia Daiseidou
In the video-game Fairy Tail Gekitotsu! Kardia Daiseidou, Elfman Strauss is a playable character. In this game, Elfman Strauss possess the following moves:
 * Main:
 * Sub 1:
 * Sub 2: Beast Hand (ビーストハンド Bīsuto Hando)
 * Sub 3:
 * Super: Beast Soul (獣王の魂 Bīsuto Sōru)

Trivia

 * Elfman didn't have his scar when he took on the S-Rank mission with his sisters. However, after the job was finished, he had a bandage over his eye. His Full-Body Beast Soul Take-Over also shows the beast having a scar in the same place.
 * In Elfman's Sorcerer Interview, the best quality of Fairy Tail, according to Elfman, is that there are a lot of strong men in the guild. He wishes to become a man among men in the future. He has a good relationship with his older sister, Mirajane. Elfman, like his older sister, did not wish to comment on the most difficult job he had ever taken.


 * In Volume 32's extra content, Mashima provided the battle statistics for 31 of the 40 X791 contestants in the Grand Magic Games. The stats, however, were provided not from Mashima's point-of-view as the author but from the view point of Sorcerer Magazine reporter Jason. Which explains why some stats are missing and why others may be inaccurate. According to Jason from the Sorcerer Magazine, during his participation in the Grand Magic Games of X791, Elfman's stats are:

Quotes

 * (To Phantom Lord Guild members) "Man! Man! If you're a man! Then you are a man!"
 * (To Mirajane Strauss) "I'd swore that I never see your tears again,nee-chan... So why are you crying...?!!!! Who was it who made you cry?!!!!!"
 * (To Rustyrose) "I'm fine being trash! But I won't let you call my allies trash! As a man, I won't allow it!"