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 an extremely tall, massive and heavily muscular man with tan skin, who towers 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.

He considers himself the strong willed, and pride powerhouse of Fairy Tail. He always uses the word "man" as a self proclaimed image of himself, and as perhaps an odd 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.

Elfman is very loving and protective of his sisters Mirajane and Lisanna, going to great lengths to prevent them from harm -to the point of threatening people like Bacchus.

Despite his huge ego, he is always very kind. When he lost his parakeet as a child, he searched for it for a whole week, but found a different one.

History
Sometime in his younger years, Elfman's parents died. He, along with his two siblings, joined the Fairy Tail Guild. 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 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 for pretending to be Lucy. Elfman, enraged at seeing her captured and determined to become strong enough to protect his sister, attempts and succeeds in a Full-Body Take Over, and easily overpowers 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 member. However, they are then joined by Erza, who just defeated Aria, with Elfman not believing how she managed to fight in such a 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.

Fighting Festival arc
When the reporter for the Weekly Sorcercer, 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 tourment. 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 getting a lecture and commenting on the Dark Guilds. When Team Natsu returns to Fairy Tail, Natsu tells Elfman about 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 then 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. Immediately left speechless, they can't believe their eyes, but then become filled with joy when they reunite 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 Wizard 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, and 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 Wizard 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-wizards 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, Pantherlily 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 Breath.

X791 arc
Elfman, along with the rest of the Tenrou Team, is later found by Bisca, Alzack, Jet, Droy, Max, Warren and the Trimens from Blue Pegasus. He watches as Mavis Vermilion 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 he 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 then looks at her again, feeling pleasant, and surprisingly exclaims "Woman".

On the evening of the third day, Elfman sneaks out of the infirmary with Evergreen and heads to Ryuuzetsu 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, Polyursica, 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 Lohr, Elfman admits that he has no idea what the first Fairy Tail Master is talking about. As Gray proceeds to fight Rufus Lohr 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.

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, 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.


 * Partial Take Over: Initially, Elfman, unlike his sisters, could only 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 reptilan 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 Arm: Bear Arm: 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. (Unnamed)




 * 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 (獣の腕・石牛 Jū no Ude : Ishigyū): 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.


 * 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 (ビーストソウル Bīsuto Sōru): 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 such 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 such 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 Fighting Festival arc, however, Elfman’s feet bore resemblance to a large bird’s, with dark claws, and he 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 the Thunderclap's enormous fist with a single arm.
 * 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 (ビーストソル・ワータイガー Bīsuto Soru: 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 ' 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 (ビーストソル・リザードマン Bīsuto Soru: 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 (ビーストソル・ベルクーセス Bīsuto Soru: Berukūsesu):The user transforms their 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.

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 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.

Cooking Specialist: In his younger years, Elfman was described by Lisanna as being a good cook, preparing food alongside Mirajane for the three of them.

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.

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: Beast Arm: Iron Bull
 * Sub 1: Beast Arm: Black Bull
 * Sub 2: Beast Hand
 * Sub 3: Shoulder Attack
 * Super: Beast Soul

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 don't care if you call me trash!!! But as a man, I won't forgive you for calling my allies trash!!!"