Episode 76

Gildarts is the 76th episode of the Fairy Tail anime. It first aired on April 23, 2011.

Gildarts Clive arrives in Magnolia Town and returns to Fairy Tail with the news that he failed the hundred-year quest. He later informs Natsu of the reason why he failed: he met a cruel black dragon that instantly defeated him. Despite Gildarts' warnings, Natsu is determined to see this dragon sometime.

Synopsis
A young Natsu Dragneel is in a forest looking for Lisanna. He trips and hears a scream. Suddenly, he wakes up from the dream and also wakes up an annoyed Lucy Heartfilia. Lucy ended up sleeping on the floor when Natsu and Happy suddenly arrived at her house to have an unannounced sleepover, taking her bed in the process. Natsu explains that he sleeps best on her bed and asks for breakfast. Lucy asks him about the dream but Natsu acts like he didn’t hear her and starts to look for breakfast.

Later, at the guild, while Lucy converses with Wendy Marvell and Carla, bells ring to announce the arrival of Fairy Tail's strongest Mage, Gildarts, who just returned from a hundred-year quest. Above Magnolia, flying microphones tell everyone that Magnolia is to activate the Gildarts Shift and order everyone to go to their designated places. Back at the guild, everyone hears the announcement. The whole city moves and shifts its position so that a clear and straight path leads to Fairy Tail. Gildarts finally walks in and asks Mirajane where Fairy Tail is. Mirajane explains that they are in Fairy Tail and who she is. Gildarts suddenly remembers her and comments on the guild being new when Natsu suddenly jumps from the stairs and challenges him to a fight. Gildarts catches him in one hand and throws him to the ceiling, ending the “fight”.

Gildarts begins to catch up with everyone and tells the master that he failed the job, much to everyone’s surprise. Gildarts apologizes to Makarov for failing, but Makarov brushes it off and tells him that he is just happy that Gildarts made it back alive, believing he is the first person to take on the quest and do so. Gildarts seems happy with himself and leaves to rest. He tells Natsu to come to his house later, since he brought home some souvenirs and uses his Magic to blast through a wall. Everyone is surprised with his actions and even more surprised when Natsu mimics him and punches through the wall. Lucy asks Happy about Natsu and Gildarts relationship. Happy tells her that Gildarts has taken a liking to Natsu and begins to recount a story from when he was just a little cat.

Natsu, Happy and Lisanna were fishing by a pond. Happy told Natsu to catch him a big fish but Natsu only managed to catch tiny fish. As the three cooked their fish, Happy and Lisanna tease Natsu about them being a family. A little while later, Lisanna tells Natsu about some big footprints she found near the East Forest, thinking they could be from the dragon Natsu was looking for. Even though the sun is beginning to set, the two decided to go into the forest with Happy. They arrived site of the footprints but realize that the footprint belong to a Gorian, a forest Vulcan. A heart-broken Natsu, Lisanna and Happy decide to return home. Natsu is walking so fast that Lisanna is having a hard time catching up. Suddenly, the fog thickens and Natsu and Happy realized that Lisanna is no longer following them, but was captured by a Gorian that they once defeated.

The Gorian tells Natsu to kneel down and apologize and he will give Lisanna back. Natsu does what he asks but the Gorian begins to stomp on him and is about to kill him with a giant boulder when Gildarts appears to stop him. Gildarts used his Magic to disassemble the boulder and orders the Gorian to put down Lisanna and leave the forest. Natsu begins to apologize but Gildarts cuts him off and tells him that he did the right thing and to be proud. The four head home and Gildarts asks Natsu to play catch with him the the following day. The next day, the two play catch and talk about Natsu finding Igneel. Lisanna and Happy are watching the two and commented that they are like father and son.

In the present, Natsu and Happy arrive at Gildarts' house. Gildarts asks him about Lisanna. Natsu replies that Lisanna is dead and attempts to leave, but Gildarts stops him and tells him that he met a black dragon on Mt. Zonia and that it was the reason he failed the job. Natsu tries to leave again, saying that he will find the black dragon and ask it where Igneel is, but Gildarts tells him that it is likely traveling around the continent, or perhaps the world. When Natsu was still willing to go, Gildarts shows him the damages the dragon caused. Gildarts' left arm, left leg and some of his internal organs were destroyed when the dragon attacked him. He continues to say that the dragon is an enemy to humanity and that a human can’t defeat it, but Natsu shouts out that only Dragon Slayers can defeat dragons and runs off. Happy tries to follow him, but Gildarts stops him and says that he should give Natsu support.

In the guild, Makarov notes that there are three Dragon Slayers in his guild and that fate is already making its move...

Fights

 * None

Abilities used

 * Hand-to-Hand Combat
 * Immense Strength

Manga & Anime Differences

 * The anime adds a scene in which Natsu wakes up from a bad dream about Lisanna, with Lucy questioning him about it and yelling at him because he is in her bed and forced her to sleep on the floor.
 * Lucy's clothes differ between the two media.
 * When Lucy and Wendy are talking about the Fairy Tail Girls Dormitory in the anime, the dormitory is shown. It is not seen in the manga.
 * In the manga, it is a random and unidentifiable Mage who runs into the guild and tells everyone that Gildarts is approaching. In the anime, it is Max and Warren who run in.
 * The anime changed the events surrounding Lucy talking about Gildarts:
 * Manga: Wendy asks Lucy who Gildarts is and Lucy replies that he is the strongest member of Fairy Tail, but that she has never met him and doesn't know much about him. Mirajane then appears and tells both Lucy and Wendy about Gildarts and century quests.
 * Anime: Lucy questions to herself who Gildarts is when Mirajane appears behind her and informs her of who he is. Erza also participates in informing Lucy, talking about how strong Gildarts is compared to her.
 * Wendy and Carla are also shown alongside Lucy as being shocked at the "Gildarts Shift".
 * Gildarts' entrance to the Fairy Tail guild is extended in the anime.
 * When Gildarts asks Natsu to stop by at his house in the manga, Natsu is still stuck in the roof where he was thrown earlier. In the anime, he has climbed down from the roof and is on the floor.
 * In the anime, Natsu tries to copy Gildarts by smashing his way through a wall.
 * There was an added clip in the anime of Lucy questioning Natsu and Gildarts' relationship.
 * The anime added a long flashback scene of Natsu, Lisanna and Happy as children, with added clips such as: Natsu, Lisanna and Happy fishing by a pond; the trio sitting in their hideout; the trio searching the forest for Igneel; Lisanna being captured by a forest Vulcan; Gildarts saving Lisanna; Natsu and Gildarts playing catch; the trio playing games, picking mushrooms and fishing, and Gildarts watching the trio fall asleep after a long days play.
 * There is an added clip in the anime of Gildarts having a flashback about a younger Lisanna.
 * When Gildarts asks Happy to support Natsu in the anime, Happy is flying. In the manga, Happy is standing on the ground.
 * When Makarov contemplates having three Dragon Slayers in the guild, in the manga he is sitting on a counter in the guild. In the anime, he is sitting on the guild's balcony.