Jellal Fernandes

For Jellal Fernandes's Edolas counterpart, see Mystogan.

Jellal Fernandes (ジェラール・フェルナンデス Jerāru Ferunandesu) is a childhood friend of Erza Scarlet. Before he lost his memory, he was a Dark Mage who tried desperately to revive Zeref by using the R-System. Jellal served as the main antagonist of the Tower of Heaven arc.

Appearance
Jellal is a young man whose most prominent features are his blue hair and a strange reddish marking/tattoo across his right eye, which he had since his childhood.

As his Siegrain alter-ego, he dressed himself in elegant yet simple robes, consisting of a white, long tunic, with black stripes across the edges and on the upper part of the arms, a decorated collar and large straps connected to decorated buckles closing the inducement on the front, over a dark shirt, and matching pants and shoes. He also sported a ring on his right hand's middle finger, and usually had the medallion attesting his membership of the Ten Wizard Saints around his neck hidden by his jacket's collar.

Jellal himself is seen in more darkish clothes, with his attire consisting of a whitish blue shirt under a hooded dark blue coat with light blue edges, two strings with shield-shaped pendants hanging down from the hood and a prominent golden symbol on the left part of the chest, somehow reminiscent of Fairy Tail's stamp, plus simple loose dark pants tucked inside laced boots. Under these clothes is a special fighting suit for melee combat designed for his Meteor spell, revealing his toned-up body: in the manga, this takes the form of a decorated close-fitting dark outfit, with a leather-like material composing gloves and boots and covering his shoulders and the upper part of his legs, provided with sets of three holes each, possibly for aerodynamics, and decorated by groups of three thin lines over the arms and legs, with a double set adorning the chest. In this attire, a metal necklace with a small pendant highly reminiscent of the Wizard Saint's one worn by his Siegrain counterpart is visible around Jellal's neck. In the anime, however, his fighting suit was simply portrayed as a skin-tight sleeveless purple shirt paired with extremely loose blue cargo pants, tucked inside simple boots and held up by a light bluish belt, and gloves. Later, after his revival during the Oración Seis arc, he is seen taking the clothes of a defeated Naked Mummy member to cover his partially torn fighting attire (in the anime, the clothes were instead Erigor’s). This new attire consists of a long black coat decorated by golden trimmings, white bands around his arms and two red medals-like ornaments on each side of his chest, a tight-fitting shirt reminiscent of the one in his old attire, and loose grey pants held up by a belt and tucked inside boots.

Personality
Originally, he was a very kind boy, deeply caring for his friends. He was always cheerful and optimistic even in times of slavery. He most likely lost his parents just like other slaves. He was ready to be punished instead of Erza and never lost his faith in freedom.

Later, as he was manipulated by what he thought was Zeref, he drastically changed. He became insane with the idea of building a new R-System. He treated the slaves much better - to an extent that they didn't even think they were still slaves. But through this way, they did more work. He sees his actions as a game even if this will cost lives, including his own.

After he was revived by Wendy Marvell, he suffered from amnesia and he seemed to be somewhat scared of the world. Though not remembering his own identity, he remembered the names of Erza and Natsu Dragneel. As he learned of his sins, he wished to die as penance but a scolding from Erza convinced him to instead live to atone for his actions. To the moment of his arrest after the defeat of Oración Seis, he has apparently returned to his first, former kind personality.

History
As a child Jellal was forced to help build the R-system tower together with other slaves such as Erza, Shô, Simon, Wally and Millianna, acting as the leading figure of their group.

There, after a failed escape attempt and the reclusion that followed it, he was possessed by what he believed was the legendary Dark Mage Zeref, supplanting his former kind personality with a more violent one, which made him almost completely insane. He exiled Erza from the island and took control of the construction of the Tower of Heaven, in order to resurrect Zeref and thus create a world of "true freedom". He bombed the ship that was supposed to take the slaves off the island, and told them it was Erza who had done it after going mad with her newly acquired Magical power. Believing him that she had truly escaped on her own and thus betrayed them, the slaves helped him build the tower for the next 8 years as a way of showing their gratitude for saving them from certain death.

Meanwhile, Jellal had worked his way into the Magic Council using a psychic projection of himself named "Siegrain". Apparently Siegrain ran into Erza, who thought it was Jellal, but managed to prevent her from attacking him by telling her he was Jellal's twin brother.

Macao arc
Jellal is introduced under the alias of Siegrain, a young member of the Magic Council. With his "underling" Ultear he typically disagrees with the rest of the Council, by showing leniency to the Fairy Tail Guild much to the annoyance of those on the Council.

Lullaby arc
Seigrain discusses to the council on how Fairy Tail, the one guild each of them is annoyed with, manage to show up and save everyone from Lullaby's terror. Through that, Ultear added that they defeated Eisenwald with only 5 men, to which most of the Council member have to face as a fact. Seigrain continued that if the Masters could've been killed by the Lullaby, things between them could've been worse resulting to some of them maybe even get fired. One of the Council members yells that if he is really going to bring up the matter of responsibility towards them, added by Michello that they're already tearing their hair out from their reckless behavior. Seigrain ended that they should show appreciation and stop complaining. Meanwhile, Erza's and Natsu's fight was interrupted due to Erza being arrested by the Magic Council for Team Natsu's battle against Eisenwald Guild. Before she is brought before the council, she meets Seigrain outside the court, who reminded her not to mention "that" (though what that is, is never addressed). He then joins the others in prosecuting her, although the arrest is just a formality to assure the world of the Council's power. When Natsu interrupts the proceedings by dressing up as Erza and impersonating her, all Siegrain can do was smile at his actions. He then shows interest at Natsu's capabilities and powers after this incident.

Galuna Island arc
He also shows up at the end of this arc, having been the one who set the whole events in motion by sending Ultear, under the disguise of Zalty, to use Lyon Bastia and revive the demon Deliora so he can control it. However Deliora was long since dead, causing the mission to be a failure. He talks to Ultear and compliments her on her mother's talent, something Ultear doesn't seem to care about. Jellal then looks at her and tells her how interesting Natsu's performance is.

Tower of Heaven arc
Jellal, in the Tower of Heaven, is being attended by his intermediate with the Trinity Raven guild, Vidaldus Taka, and is the one sending offscren Shô, Simon, Wally and Millianna to capture Erza, in order to use her as a sacrifice for Zeref's resurrection: a capture the group manages to accomplish, taking a captive Erza back to the tower, where, however, she manages to break free of her restraints and starts fighting with Jellal's lower underlings.

In the meantime, Siegrain is seen with the other Council members at the Council meeting discussing the R-System, or, as Siegrain tells them, the Tower of Heaven. The Council knows that a mysterious man, Jellal, is the builder of the forbidden tower. However, they are unaware of any other significant information about him. Siegrain just stares at his partner, Ultear. In the Tower, Jellal is seen laughing out loudly, having been informed of Erza's escape, and wondering if he'll be the winner of something he refers to as the "Paradise Game", with Vidaldus warning him that the Council's movements are also a cause of concern. Back at the Council's meeting itself, Siegrain, having called his fellow councilors weaklings, tells them the tower is too dangerous, and proposes to use the Etherion to destroy Jellal's creation.

At the Tower of Heaven, the real Jellal is confronted by Vidaldus, who asks him why he just let the intruders - Natsu Dragneel, Lucy Heartfilia, Happy, Gray Fullbuster, and Juvia Lockser - get into the tower. Jellal simply replies everything is a game and that they all cleared a level. Vidaldus then reminds Jellal they have to hurry with the ceremony so the council won’t find out what they’re doing, but Jellal tells him not to worry, claiming that it can't be stopped anymore. Back at the council, Siegrain continues to persuade his fellow councilors to use the Etherion. With the help of Ultear they manage to get most of the members on their side and need one more vote.

At the tower again, after Natsu defeats Wally and Milliana, Jellal goes to his chess board made of pieces that represent all the people in his “game” and knocks the two underlings' pieces over, symbolizing their defeat. He then tells Vidaldus that Simon and Shô have betrayed them but he’s okay with it since that’s how a game should be. Vidaldus just tells Jellal to hurry up with the ceremony. He gives Vidaldus the job of doing it instead: Vidaldus awakens his true form, as his allies, Fukuro and Ikaruga, appear alongside him. Jellal tells them it’s their turn to move.

Jellal then uses Magic to communicate with everyone in the tower, telling them it’s time to begin the "Paradise Game", which he goes on to explain. He states the rules are to try to prevent him from using Erza to resurrect Zeref, and that they must get past Trinity Raven to get to him. He then informs everyone that the Etherion will also hit them soon and destroy the tower, so they have an unknown amount of time, and either way, nobody will win, and everyone will die.

When Vidaldus manages to turn Juvia onto his side during his confrontation with her and Lucy, he knocks over her piece and thinks Lucy is next to go. When Lucy and Juvia use Unison Raid, a completely shocked Jellal knocks over Vidaldus’s piece. He talks to himself on how he heard stories of people who tried to use that move their whole life and never achieved it, and then resolves to "advance a piece on the board" himself, as well: back at the Council's meeting, as a final push to get a vote, Siegrain tells the Council that Jellal is trying to use the tower to bring back the Dark Mage, Zeref. The Council is all stunned and asks Siegrain to tell them everything he knows. Siegrain gets the vote, with Shitou Yajima remaining the only one against firing Etherion: he asks Siegrain if he’s ready to accept the consequences of firing it. Siegrain says he is, but Yajima then gets very angry and asks him if he’s ready to accept all the death he will be causing, to which Siegrain replies to wait and see. Back to the Paradise Game, after Natsu's apparent defeat at Fukuro's hands, Jellal knocks his piece over, and wonders how Erza's friends will win with one of their strongest pieces gone.

At Era, Ultear walks up to Siegrain and asks him if he is happy that his plan is finally going to be achieved after eight years. He replies by asking if Ultear is afraid but she isn’t and says she always trusted him. Siegrain realizes this is only because her life is not on the line. Siegrain then tells her that if the Etherion were to fail then he would die. Yajima, who is eavesdropping on their conversation, overhears this and wonders what its significance is.

In the Tower of Heaven, Jellal is seen putting Natsu's piece back up and knocking Fukuro's down, due to Gray having defeated him and pulled Natsu out of his stomach, and telling to himself that there are twenty-five minutes left before Etherion is fired, and that he should be saying goodbye to Siegrain too. Later, as Jellal knocks over Ikaruga's piece after her defeat, Erza makes it to the part of the Tower he is in. While Jellal claims that the game is over, Erza asks him if playing with people’s lives is fun, to which Jellal replies that it is, stating that both life and death intensify every motion, and that life itself is the dullest thing there is. He then formally welcomes Erza, stating that it has been a long time since they last met. He then asks her the reason which prompted to remain and not escape the Tower while she could, and Erza responds by saying that she will free her friends. Jellal claims that her friends are now useless, due to the Tower having been completed, and Erza wonders if he is bluffing about the Etherion falling down, which would likely destroy the Tower, but Jellal claims he is not. As Erza readies to fight him, Jellal states that either way she will be a sacrifice for Zeref. Jellal announces there are seven minutes left until the Etherion strikes, and invites Erza to take full advantage of them. He then attacks Erza with his Darkness Magic. Erza manages to dodge or cut Jellal's spells; Jellal then attacks her again making her fly out the side of the tower. She manages to get back up by jumping on the crumbling rocks. As she swings her sword around, she asks why Jellal is damaging his tower so carelessly. Jellal doesn't seem to care about what he calls merely "decorations", but Erza does because her friends spent years making it. Jellal uses his Darkness Magic again hitting Erza and entangling her in his ghostly apparitions; but she manages to break out of it, she slices Jellal and brings him to the ground, pointing her sword at his throat. She then tells Jellal he failed at completing the R-System because the Tower has no Magic to resurrect, despite his claim that she, as the sacrifice, is enough for it. There needs to be 2.7 Billion Edeas in order for the tower to activate. As Erza claims she'll just force him to wait for Etherion's fall (which is set to happen in three minutes, according to a pleased Jellal) to destroy them both, Jellal claims that wouldn't be a bad idea. Trying to make her give up, he explains how his body was possessed by Zeref, and how he is nothing more than a doll doing his bidding's. He claims it was all over before it had even begun and that nobody could save him. Back at Era, the Etherion finishes charging, and all the Council members pray, with Siegrain being expressionless and Yajima angry. At the Tower, Jellal says he knew he could not finish the R-System, but Zeref would not stop him. He then asks Erza to strike him down. She refuses, saying that they'll die in every case, and the two hug each other, waiting for the satellite beam to atone for their "sins". Etherion hits the tower, completely destroying the outer structure, but leaving everyone inside it unharmed. Surprised to be alive after the blast, Erza looks around and notices there is lacrima everywhere, the true inner structure of the Tower being, in fact, a gigantic absorption lacrima. Jellal laughs out loudly, claiming to have succeeded in his goal, and explains that the Etherion provided the tower with the required 2.7 Billion Edeas necessary to bring Zeref back to life. In Era, everyone is stunned to see the Tower still standing, and an angry Yajima angrily questions Siegrain, who, without answering, immediately disappears to reappear in the Tower Of Heaven, where his real body, Jellal, is. The both of them proceed to say that Siegrain and Jellal are one person.

Jellal explains to a shocked Erza that Siegrain was just a psychic projection. Jellal made "Siegrain" join the Magic Council to cause them to fire Etherion, in order to grant the Tower of Heaven enough power to make use of R-System. After the two merge back together, Jellal's full Magical power returns to him. Jellal and Erza start fighting and exchanging words again, with Jellal mocking Erza, and with an angry Titania being overpowered by Jellal's restored power. Just then Jellal's Bind Snake spell spreads on Erza's body, restraining her and preventing her from moving: Jellal put it on her when she hugged him. Erza is then forced in the R-System crystal preparing to be sacrificed, with Jellal laughing out loudly and stating that Zeref will soon be resurrected. However, Natsu suddenly appears and pulls Erza out. After being comically tickled by Natsu due to the impossibility to move her body, Erza tells him to leave, warning him that Jellal is too strong, but Natsu instead punches Erza, causing her to faint, and prompting Jellal to ask whether he enjoys helpless allies. Natsu replies by saying that Erza is supposed to be strong and scary, and that he'll fight for her so that she can wake up in her normal state. He then readies to fight Jellal, who gladly accepts the challenge.

Natsu rushes towards Jellal, who dodges his first attack, but is subsequently impaled by his foot and is pummeled by Natsu, who uses Salamander's Wing and Salamander’s Claw, ending the combo with Fire Dragon’s Roar. Jellal emerges from the barrage of attacks with his clothes torn, revealing his battle suit underneath, and asks if that’s the extent of Natsu’s power. He states his disappointment at Dragon Slayer Magic, which he wanted to test, prompting Natsu to rush towards him. Jellal then states that, for interrupting his ceremony, he'll crash Natsu with his Heavenly Body Magic, and uses his Meteor spell to fly behind Natsu and attack him several times.

Natsu tries to use his nose to predict Jellal’s movements, but fails, with Jellal attacking him several more times, declaring that he won't allow Natsu to land a single blow on him, and using his Grand Chariot spell on him, causing a huge blast which damages the lacrima tower. Jellal compliments the heavily-injured Natsu, who's lying on the ground, for being still in one piece after receiving an attack damaging as a true meteor. He claims that he might have overdone it, seeing how he caused damage to the tower, which is already losing some Magic power. He then nears an unconscious and helpless Erza to complete the ritual, but is interrupted by the injured and lying Natsu, who is throwing small lacrima stones at him with difficulty. One of them manages to gently touch his chest, which prompts Natsu to say that he landed a blow on him. Natsu then slowly gets up and claims that destruction is Fairy Tail's specialty, saying that he will destroy the tower to prevent him from using it and that, now reinvigorated, he has never felt better in his entire life; something which angers Jellal. Jellal claims he will finish off Natsu in an instant, and starts attacking him again. After failing to injure Natsu for several times under a reawekened Erza's eyes, Natsu asks Jellal if he is holding back because he doesn’t want his tower destroyed. This angers him even further, and he hits Natsu with one of his spells. Natsu bounces back and uses Salamander’s Grand Flame, damaging the tower. This greatly enrages Jellal, who in turn prepares to cast one of his strongest spells, drawing all of the surrounding shadows towards him, and screaming out for Natsu to fall into endless darkness. Erza, aware of the attack's power, gets in front of Natsu with her arms stretched open, asking Jellal if he would hit the sacrificial victim. Jellal calmly continues to cast the spell, claiming that it doesn't matter who the sacrifice is, now that there is so much damage. He then launches his Altairis spell. However, nor Natsu nor Erza suffer any damage: in front of them stands Simon, who used his body to protect them, taking the full power of the attack on himself. As Jellal calmly expresses surprise about "that little bug still crawling around", Simon falls to the ground, with Erza running towards him and trying to help him. As he thinks about his unconfessed love for Erza, Simon dies smiling. Erza screams out in sadness, and Jellal starts badmouthing Simon's death, calling it foolish and useless. Natsu suddenly appears before him and angrily hits him with great strength, subsequently starting to eat the lacrima composing the tower itself, under Jellal's shocked eyes. The Etherion-empowered lacrima grants Natsu a massive amount of power, but feels heavy repercussions from it, with Jellal believing him to be finished, killed by his own simplicity. However, Natsu manages to absorb Etherion, entering Dragon Force mode, and starts pummeling Jellal with powerful attacks, blaming him for making Erza cry, and stating his willingness to fulfill the promised he made Simon, to protect Erza.

As this is happening, Jellal screams for Natsu to shut up, briefly escaping him with Meteor but being rapidly hit again, and rants how he cannot be defeated, because he0s the chosen one who will bring freedom alongside Zeref. As they keep exchanging words, Jellal begins to cast Abyss Break, which surprises Erza, because it will destroy the tower. Jellal, continuing to prepare the spell, claims that he will have a new one built in only five years, but before he can launch it, he feels the aftershock of a slash Erza gave him during their fight, and his Magic fails. This gives Natsu an opening, and as he charges at Jellal’s chest enveloped in an aura resembling a dragon, he screams for him to get free of Zeref's control and regain his former self. He then finishes Jellal off by sending him smashing to the ground with in an huge blast, which leads the tower to crumble, not being able to contain the Magical power anymore.

After the tower explodes and Erza is saved by Natsu, while she's talking with Shô, Wally and Millianna on the beach, she looks out at the sea and hears Jellal voice saying she’s gotten strong. Erza is surprised and claims it to be impossible; however, a slight smile can be seen on her face. It is revealed that Jellal, freed from the control of Zeref, was most likely the one who saved Erza and Natsu, by fusing with the Etherion and guiding its Magic up in the sky.

In the aftermath, Ultear reveals that she had been the one manipulating Jellal as if she were Zeref the entire time, rather than the other way around, having infiltrated his mind during his time as a slave in the Tower of Heaven, and that his attempt to revive Zeref was futile, because the Dark Mage was never dead in the first place, instead momentarily lying in slumber.

In the anime, Jellal was seen floating, unconscious, in a massive river of lacrima, which appeared to be the remains of Tower of Heaven after the explosion, and his presumed sacrifice to save Erza and Natsu's lives.

Oración Seis arc
Later Jellal, apparently in a death like state because of the Etherion, ends up by unknown means in the hands of the Dark Guild Oración Seis, whose leader, Brain, is an old acquaintance of his. Jellal is first seen again in a cross-shaped coffin wrapped up in chains, as Brain makes Racer bring him to Wendy Marvell. Wendy mistakes Jellal for his Edolas counterpart, Mystogan, who once saved her life. Because of this, and having witnessed Brain injuring Jellal's unconscious body to prompt her to hurry, Wendy submits to Brain's plans for her to restore him, as Brain believes Jellal can lead the Oración Seis to the Nirvana Magic they're after. Having been given five minutes to think it over, Wendy decides to do so, and Natsu arrives just in time to see him restored and awakened. As soon as he sees him, Natsu goes on the attack but is instantly blown away by a Magic spell from Jellal. When Brain compliments him on his power, Jellal turns and knocks him down to a lower level of the base before silently leaving. Having moved quite away in the forest from Oración Seis' hideout, and having taken some clothes from a defeated Naked Mummy member (in the anime, he instead took them from Erigor), Jellal mutters Erza's name.

He is next seen being stalked by Cobra, who was given orders by Brain to follow him because is heading for Nirvana. Cobra ends up at a large tree and when Jellal touches it, it causes a large pillar of black light to appear, and a large tower to sprout from the ground, this being Nirvana's true form. Natsu starts to rush towards the place, willing to prevent Jellal from meeting Erza again and causing her to suffer. It is later revealed that Nirvana is a powerful Magic capable of changing the alignments of those caught between good and evil, and quickly begins to affect those who are on the borderline. Later, Erza manages to reach his position, and it is revealed that Jellal has become amnesiac due to the Etherion event. The only thing he can seem to remember is Erza's name, and he pleads with her to tell him who that person is, as Erza's eyes fill with tears.

As Erza tries to approach him, Jellal warns her to say away and blasts her with a spell. Erza, however, doesn't give up, tells Jellal that she is Erza, and proceeds to explain him who he is and what he did to his comrades, angrily stating that if he doesn't remember such evild deeds she'll strike her sword in his heart to force him to. Jellal breaks down in tears, disgusted by what kind of person he was.

Suddenly, Cobra appears, questioning Jellal on how he managed to retrieve Nirvana, to which Jellal replies he saw it in his dreams and was prompted to activate it. He then proceed to say that its activation was only planned for him to destroy such dangerous Magic, which can't fall in the hands of someone else, and reveals the self-destruction Magic he casted around Nirvana to destroy it. Ignoring Cobra, who asks for the spell's cancellation code, he tells Erza that her name feels kind, bright and warm. He then says that he'll take away Erza's possible hate for him, which would destroy her freedom, with his own life, having also put the spell on himself to end his miserable life, and free Erza from the pain he has caused her and her comrades. As he collapses to the ground, telling her that she's free, Erza tearfully runs towards him. Erza cries out that he can't allow Jellal to die without remembering those he forced to suffer, as it's his duty to live and make ammend for his sins, or as she says "LIVE AND STRUGGLE!!!". Jellal calmly notes that Erza is crying, and praises her kindness, to which Titania cries out for him to pull himself together. Just then, Brain appears, and, having been informed by Cobra about the situation, calmly tells Jellal that it was he who invented the technique and taught it to him, subsequently nullifying it without the need of cancellation code. Noting the self-destruction spell on Jellal's body, and having been informed by Cobra of his memory loss, Brain laughs out loudly, mocking Jellal, and unleashes Nirvana in all of its power, with its true form of a gargantuan walking town with six legs being revealed.

Jellal and Erza manage to grab onto one of Nirvana's legs and to stand on it. There, Erza persuades Jellal to nullify the self-destruction spell and to live, despite Jellal saying that he failed to destroy Nirvana and that everything is over. She points at the remaining members of Light Team, who are struggling to reach the top of the moving Nirvana, and claims that it's not over, with all of them being connected by hope. Erza then encourages Jellal to live on with a smile on her face. Jellal smiles in return, taking Erza's hand as the two prepare to climb up the gigantic stone leg. Jellal and Erza are among the ones hearing Natsu's dragon cry, the one which allows him to defeat Cobra. They both hear the explosion caused by Brain's explosive trap, from which Erza's friends are defended by Jura Nekis. Then Midnight appears, claiming that Brain has the tendency to steal all of his preys and that they are the only ones left. Jellal asks Erza to move out the way so he can confront Midnight. However, as Wendy searchs desperately around for him and Erza looks up in disbelief, he is easily taken out offscren by Midnight, since the Self-Destruction Spell that he casted took most of his Magical energy and weakened him severely. Midnight mocks him, asking him if he forgot how to use Magic alongside his memory, and then approaches Erza to fight her.

He cries out for Erza to escape, claiming that Midnight is too strong for her to fight. He's seen laying on the ground and calling out Erza's name several times as she gets injured and immobilized by Midnight's Reflector Magic, with all of her attacks failing to hit the opponent. When Midnight proceeds to explain the power of his Magic, Jellal calls it strong with a grimace on his face. When Erza is struck again and seemingly defeated, he comments on Midnight's incredible strength. He is shocked to hear Midnight mentioning the Cait Shelter Guild as Nirvana's target. Midnight proceeds to explain that the Mages from that Guild are the descendants of Nirvana's creators, the Nirvit, and tells him that's why Oración Seis has to destroy them, to prevent them from sealing it again. Jellal expresses disgust at their goal to throw the Nirvit, known as neutral, into war, by having them kill each other with Nirvana, but is fiercely reminded by Midnight that he himself is an evil man. Jellal tries to deny, but is told by Midnight thet he is the one to blame for ruining many lives, killing and harming his own friends, hurting even Erza. Midnight then holds out his hand at Jellal, saying that he would make a perfect Oración Seis. However, Erza, raising up on her feet again, and with a new set of clothes equipped, states that she knows of the light dwelling within Jellal, which prompts him to crack a smile and silently call Erza's words "the light giving him courage". She then resumes her fight with Midnight, displaying great speed and managing to work out the three weaknesses behind his Magic in a very short time, something which amazes Jellal. An injured Midnight proceeds to tell the two that, as his codename implies, his power reaches its peak at midnight. He then transforms into a massive dark monster before the eyes of the two, subsequently attacking Erza with a powerful blast and stabbing both her and Jellal. Jellal cries out Erza's name, seeing her on the verge of death. However, an unharmed Erza is then seen slashing Midnight before an unharmed Jellal's astonished eyes, revealing the previous as a mere visual illusion caused by Midnight's Magic, which couldn't affect Erza due to her artificial eye. Jellal is seen amazed by Erza's improvement.

After the fight is over, Wendy reaches the two, but Jellal doesn't recognize her, with Erza explaining that he lost his memory, and Jellal asking if he knew Wendy in the past. When an angry Carla asks him wheter he has a plan to destroy Nirvana, he claims that he hasn't, due to his Self-Destruction Spell having been nullified. When Nirvana's blast on Cait Shelter fails due to the Christina airship attacking one of its legs, Jellal is seen holding to the ground to avoid falling and wandering what's happening.

Jellal and the others are then informed by Hibiki Laytis about a way to destroy Nirvana: to eliminate all of the six lacrima crystals empowering it, each one located in a different leg, at once. Hibiki uses his Archive Magic to communicate with them, inviting them to choose for a crystal to destroy: as Jellal readies to tell the others that he'll take the sixth one, Erza does it for him, informing him that Natsu doesn't know of his "redemption" yet, and that he should be quiet for now.

As they ready to destroy the crystals, Erza mentions that Natsu probably chose the first knowing, thanks to his enhanced smell, that Brain's alternate and most powerful personality, Zero, would probably be there. Hearing Natsu's name, Jellal is shocked. Questioned by Erza about this, he tells her that is nothing, but utters Natsu's name with a face reminiscent of his old, evil self.

. Jellal then, instead of reaching the sixth crystal as promised, goes to the first one, where Natsu is fighting against Zero and receiving heavy damage without managing to strike the opponent, and interrupts the fight by blasting Natsu, an evil expression on his face. Zero, with a pleased look on his face, asks Jellal wheter he got his memories back, to which Jellal nods. Natsu angrily charges at him, only to be stopped by a fire spell from Jellal. Natsu states that fire won't work on him, to which Jellal replies he knows, declaring with a sincere smile to have remembered the ray of hope known as Natsu, a statement which surprises both Natsu and Zero, as Jellal goes on to say that fire can amplify Dragon Slayer Magic's power. When Zero argues that Jellal didn't get all of his memories back, he explains that all he can remember is Natsu, and states that Nirvana will stopped no matter what Zero does. He lets an astonished Natsu know that he lost his memories, and says that, despite having inflicted deep scars upon Natsu and Erza in the past, he now wants to be of help, stopping Nirvana and saving Wendy's Guild. An enraged Natsu runs up to him and punches him in the face, claiming that he's lying. Jellal asks him to accept his flame, but Natsu grab him by his collar and tells him that he'll never forget how he made Erza cry. Zero, annoyed, sends a Dark Capriccio flying against both of them. Jellal, remembering Simon's sacrifice, steps in front of Natsu and takes all the damage of the attack upon himself, subsequently falling to the ground. He says Natsu can kill him anytime, since he's so worn out, but asks him to accept the power to defeat Zero, creating golden flames on his hand, something which surprises Natsu. It is then revealed that, before reaching Natsu, Jellal, refusing to let Wendy heal his injuries, instead asked her wheter she could heal Natsu, and, having been told by an angry Carla that Wendy had already overused her healing Magic, he resolved to heal him himself. He asked Wendy to destroy the sixth crystal in his place, and, seeing her waver, he told her that she could do it, by eating the "heaven" to enhance her power as a Dragon Slayer.

Jellal offers his Flame of Rebuke to Natsu, saying that he won't ask for his forgiveness, but that he does want him to accept the power he offers, stating that he'll believe in the man Erza believes in. Natsu finally accepts, taking Jellal's stretched hand and absorbing the flames. Jellal asks Natsu to finish Zero off, and Natsu thanks him for the meal, saying that he received it. As Jellal falls unconscious, Natsu proceeds to finally strike Zero and to repel one of his attacks, entering Dragon Force mode thanks to Jellal's flames.

Thanks to Jellal's boost, Natsu manages to defeat Zero, smashing him against the lacrima crystal, destroying it in the very same moment his friends destroy theirs, and thus destroying Nirvana itself. An awakened and pleased Jellal looks at Natsu, thinking that Natsu really was beyong his own expectations. As Natsu is on the verge of falling down due to Nirvana falling to pieces, Jellal screams out his name. Both of them are saved by Hoteye, who uses his Liquid Ground Magic to carry them to safety in the forest, where the others are. Gray and Lucy wonder who he is, and Erza responds that he is Jellal, which leaves them blank. She states he isn't the old Jellal they knew, and Wendy tries to tell them that he lost his memories and that he is a good person, but they still question his trust. Jellal turns down a thanks from Erza, and is then seen sitting with her, not far from the rest of Light Team. He admits that he's afraid to regain his memories when asked what he plans to do. Erza comforts him by saying that she's there with him, stating that, even if they were to start eating each other again, she won't abandon the "him" sitting there with her.

As she's about to say more, the whole group realizes to have been surrounded by a barrier spell, thanks to Ichiya Wanderlei Kotobuki's attempt to move a bit away. Suddendly, the glade is stormed by the 4th Custody Enforcement Unit of the new Magic Council, led by Lahar, who claims to be there to arrest the Oración Seis Hoteye. After Hoteye, having learnt from Erza that his brother Wally Buchanan is happily travelling around the land, turns himself in, Lahar proceed to claim that he is not done and that the true criminal there is Jellal, guily of infiltrating and destroying the Council, and firing Etherion. He orders him to turn himself in, or he'l have him executed on place. As Natsu and Wendy try to protest, he continues to say that Jellal is dangerous and should never be allowed to walk free again, prompting Erza to lower her head in sadness.

Jellal is then put under arrest for federal treason. Wendy pleads with the soldiers to wait, stating that Jellal has lost his memory, to which Lahar replies saying that isn't cause for pardon. As the barrier is released and Wendy tries to protest further, Jellal says that it's alright, and that he has no intention of resisting. She apologizes for not remembering her, to which Carla replies that he apparently was the one saving her in the past. Jellal says he's glad to at least have saved someone in the past. He then thanks Erza for everything, and approaches Lahar, who asks him wheter he has something else to say, stating that his sentence will most likely be either death penalty or life-long imprisonment, meaning that he'll never met his friends again. Erza is shaking, thinking that she can't let Jellal go, now that he has "awakened from his bad dream". Natsu looks at her, while Lucy and Wendy complain about Jellal's arrest. Natsu is then seen rushing against the soldiers to take Jellal back, claiming that he's one of them, under the astonished eyes of Erza, Wendy and the concerned one, who asks Natsu to stop. However, Natsu keeps fighting, and is soon joined by Gray, Jura, Ichiya, Lucy, Happy and Wendy, all fighting against the injust arrest; Natsu screams for an upset Jellal to come with them, stating that he has to stay at Erza's side for her sake, and that he's one of them. Lahar orders his underlings to arrest everyone from casusing the commotion. An upset Erza then cries out for the others to stop, apologizing for the commotion and saying she'll take full responsibility for it on herself. Under the surprised eyes of her friends, she says with difficulty that they can take Jellal away, to which he smiles and sighs in relief.

As he leaves, he remembers her last name, "Scarlet", which he picked when they were young. To that, all can Erza do is shiver as he is slowly being taken away by the Magic Council. Jellal bids her farewell and disappears behind the doors of the Council's carriage. Afterwards, a flashback is shown explaining the origins of Erza's last name: it was Jellal who gave it to her due to Erza not having one, back then when they were slaves, due to the beautiful colour of her hair. This happens as Erza sits away from the rest of the group, tearfully mourning Jellal's loss.

Tenrou Island arc
Jellal is later seen in one of the Council's prison cell, when Erza is at the brink of defeat by Azuma on Tenrou Island, he whispers Erza's name to himself, seemingly somehow aware of the event. When one of the guards hears Jellal muttering, he respectfully calls him by his former name, the other one, Nadal, scolds him, telling him that Jellal is the one who destroyed the old council. When the first guard wonders whether Jellal was casting a spell, Nadal replies that the cell was built with magic sealing stone, preventing the one inside from using Magic. To test this, he starts to torture Jellal for a bit with his Magic staff, wondering if Jellal is hungry and stating that he'll only give him food if he begs, otherwise, he'll leave Jellal without food for an entire week. Jellal ignores him, and instead asks Erza not to lose, something which shocks both guards. Erza was somehow able to feel his voice, and this granted her enough strength to stand back on her feet and continue the fight, with some flashbacks of him appearing before her. When Erza finally manages to defeat Azuma, Jellal is seen sensing that and smiling.

X791 arc
While in jail, Jellal's memories returned. He is then saved from being executed by Meredy and Ultear and the three fugitive Mages form their own independent guild, Crime Sorcière, dedicated to driving away the evil in the world caused by Dark Guilds and Zeref. Over the years, the three Mages manage to destroy multiple Dark Guilds.

In the year x791, five days before the beginning of the Grand Magic Games, Jellal, Ultear and Meredy send a message to the members of Team Natsu via pigeon, inviting them to go to a suspension bridge in the West Woods. When the group arrived at the other end of the bridge, Ultear uses her Arc of Time to rebuild the bridge, making it possible for the group to cross it. Once the group crossed, the three members of Crime Sorcière reveal themselves and ask the Fairy Tail Mages to investigate a strange Magical force surrounding the Magic Games. In return, Ultear offers to enhance their Magical power by using her Arc of Time to evolve their Magical containers to be able to tap into their Second Origin.

Magic and Abilities
Heavenly Body Magic (天体魔法 Tentai Mahō): It is a powerful Magic based around astronomical objects, such as meteors, stars and black holes. User generates and manipulates the energy of stars from his body and uses it against enemy. Jellal has shown tremendous mastery over this form of Magic.


 * Meteor (流星 Ryūsei): Jellal's body is surrounded by Magic, allowing him to move through the air at incredible speeds. Even if someone could detect his trajectory, it is near impossible to catch him. With his speed, Jellal assaults his opponents with quick but powerful melee attacks. Jellal wears a special suit under his robes to better utilize this type of Magic.


 * Grand Chariot (七星剣 Shichiseiken lit. Seven Star Sword): Jellal summons seven pillars of light from the sky and strikes the enemy with all of them at once. According to Jellal, this spell's destruction capability rivals a meteor.


 * Altairis (暗黒の楽園 Ankoku no Rakuen lit. Dark Paradise): Jellal crosses his arms above his head to begin casting the spell. As he prepares to fire the spell, all nearby shadows are drawn towards him. Jellal then unleashes a black orb with small white lights, similar to the night sky. The orb appears to be incredibly dense, and may hold a tremendous amount of gravity to crush its opponents. Its power is said to be comparable to the power of an actual meteor. This spell was used when Simon saved Erza.


 * Heavenly Beams: This is an unnamed spell in which Jellal releases several powerful beams from his hands towards his opponent.


 * Heavenly Blast: An unnamed spell in which Jellal closes his fist, except for two fingers and swipes them backwards. A big sphere of Heavenly Magic appears and rushes towards the target.


 * Heaven Palm: An unnamed spell in which Jellal grabs his arm with his other hand, and straightens his palm. A ball of Heavenly Magic appears in his palm, which then is shot at the target to push it as an invisible wall.


 * Heaven Breakdown: An unnamed spell in which Jellal swipes his hand and the ground in front of him breaks, making everything on top of it fall.


 * Heavenly Arrows: An unnamed spell in which Jellal swiping his hands releases several Arrows of light towards his target.

Thought Projection (思念体 Shinentai): Jellal is capable of creating a Thought Projection of himself, and is very skilled with it, having been able to fool the Magic Council into believing that his projection was actually a separate being from him, and managing to grant it membership of both the Council and the Ten Wizard Saints. His projection is also able to don an attire different from his owner’s.

Darkness Magic (闇の魔法 Yami no Mahō): Jellal, due to his seeming "possession" at Zeref's hands, is an expert in the use of Darkness Magic. He was shown using almost exclusively this form of Magic for all of his fight with Erza, in which he proved himself capable of creating the ghostly entities characteristic of this form of Magic, using them to hit and immobilize the woman with great skill. In addition, as a child, he could employ Darkness Magic in other, more unusual ways.


 * Dark Force: Jellal's first use of Magic as a child, he has proven himself capable of moving a target around in any desired manner. By moving his hand in the direction he wants it to move, he blows the target away as if he were giving them a smack from a short distance. This will seemingly produce an invisible, powerful blunt attack to strike the target; an attack which, in the manga, is strong enough to kill opponents, with their blood spilling out. (Unnamed)


 * Dark Grab: Jellal moves his hands towards the opponent, far away from him. This will prompt a pair of strong, dark-coloured arms to appear from a nearby surface and grab the opponent, immobilizing or choking them according to the movements performed by Jellal himself, who, after grabbing the target, is seemingly capable of controlling the spell with a single hand. In the anime, the spell instead takes the form of a large amount of red glyphs, which surround the opponent, swirling around them and then grabbing them. Such glyphs can also be used to lift the target in the air and near them to Jellal. (Unnamed)


 * Darkness Cage: Jellal creates a sphere of Darkness Magic in his hand in the form of ghosts that revolve around the center. He then shoots it at the target, releasing several ghosts that wrap around the target, restraining its movement. In the anime, Jellal instead crushes a different-looking sphere in his hand, summoning several small masses of Darkness Magic which then grow and come together to create a sphere around the target, restraining its movement and dealing pain. (Unnamed)


 * Dark Vanish: A spell in which the target, instead of being struck from the outside like with Dark Force, seemingly implodes from the inside, or is in any case vanished through unknown means, leaving only the clothes behind. (Unnamed, Anime Only)


 * Dark Ray: Jellal shoots a powerful ray of darkness from his hand towards the enemy. This spell was strong enough to nearly throw Erza down from the Tower of Heaven. (Unnamed, Anime Only)

Fire Magic (火の魔法 Hi no Mahō): Despite having been shown employing it only once, Jellal has proven himself masterful in the use of fire-based spells.


 * Flame of Rebuke (咎の炎 Toga no Honoo): This spell, when released, creates golden flames on Jellal's palm, which he gave for Natsu to consume in order to defeat Zero. By eating them, Dragon Force was activated, and Natsu described the feeling of consuming them as "like eating Etherion", implying the spell to be incredibly powerful.

Abyss Break (深淵休憩 Shin'en Kyūkei): An extremely powerful spell which employs the four main elements to attack the opponents.

Bind Snake (拘束の蛇 Kōsoku no Hebi): This spell appears in the form of a snake tattoo. The snake winds its way around the target's body, tightening and restricting movement. He used this on Erza to immobilize her for the sacrifice to revive Zeref.

Self-Destruction Spell (自律崩壊魔法陣 Jiritsu Hōkai Mahōjin): An extremely complex spell which Jellal used in an attempt to destroy Nirvana and commit suicide. Without knowledge of its cancellation code, it cannot be dispelled. However, the spell's creator and the one who taught it to Jellal, Brain, was able to dispell this Magic without any code.

Erza Scarlet
Jellal and Erza were friends in their days of slavery, AND he was the one who gave her her last name. Jellal cared deeply for her, to the point of changing places with her when she was about to admit to a crime that she didn't commit. However, when Erza went to save him, he, having been brainwashed already, attacked her and exiled her from the Tower of Heaven, making everyone think she had betrayed them.

Eight years later, Jellal tries to sacrifice her to "revive" Zeref and claimed that he loved her once as he forcefully pushed her towards the Lacrima crystal. Fortunately, he was stopped by Natsu. After his defeat, Erza hears his voice saying she had become strong. At the end, Erza told Lucy that what she thought that maybe, in a way possible, Jellal was responsible for stopping the tower from destroying both her and Natsu since at that moment Natsu had defeated him, he was freed from The Spirit of Zeref and returned to his old, kind self. And so, he fused with Etherion in Erza's place and guided the Magic up to the sky.

After being revived by Wendy, the only thing Jellal can remember is Erza's name, the rest of his memories in which have vanished. After defeating Nirvana, Jellal and Erza talked in private and Jellal confesses his fears of the darkness inside him to resurface, but Erza says that even though that happens she will be there for him.

Ultear Milkovich
Ultear was Seigrain's (Jellal's thought projection) partner in infiltrating the Magic Council in order to commence their plan in "reviving" the dark Mage, Zeref. She was the one who help manipulate the Council to use Etherion in order supply the Tower of Heaven with 2.7 Billion Edeas and create the R-System. While Seigrain reunited with Jellal to make his Magical capacity return to normal, she was left behind to destroy the Council's Head Quarters and throw them into turmoil. Later on, it was seen that she was the "Spirit of Zeref" who deceived and brainwashed Jellal when he was still a child back in the Tower of Heaven and was only using him to get one of the keys to unseal the Dark Mage Zeref, knowing he wasn't dead in the first place.

Natsu Dragneel
When Jellal was with the council he got somewhat amused by Natsu's action during Erza's fake trial and he showed somewhat an interest in him. During Tower of Heaven arc, Natsu saw Jellal as an enemy and fought in order to protect Erza from him. Then when Natsu defeated him, it resulted in Jellal being released from "Zeref's control". After losing his memory in Oración Seis arc, Jellal starts to remember Natsu's name as a "light of hope", and, despite Natsu's initial protests, he helps him out in his confrontation with Zero, allowing him to otbtain victory. At the end of the arc, when the Council arrived to arrest Jellal, Natsu, who then started to see him as an ally, was the first one who tried to interfere in his arrest order by saying that he was one of them.

Trivia

 * During his fight with Erza in the Tower of Heaven arc, in the manga his attire is especially design to withstand disintegration while using his Meteor spell. Though in the anime, he appears to be wearing a skin-tight sleeveless black shirt with cargo pants.
 * Lucy's list of perfect boyfriends.jpgg the Tower of Heaven arc, on his coat was a design or mark that looks similar to the Fairy Tail symbol backwards.
 * In the anime version of the Oración Seis arc, Jellal takes his cloak from Erigor, rather than a member of Naked Mummy
 * Jellal's Heavenly Body Magic seal is the same as Lucy's Uranometria Magic seal.
 * Jellal as Siegrain was in Lucy's "Perfect Boyfriend" list, right on top of Loke.

Quotes

 * (To Erza Scarlet) "Erza... Freedom is not a thing that exists in this world."
 * (To Erza Scarlet) "That's your precious "freedom"! Go on and live while carrying the lives of your nakama upon your back, Erza!" 
 * (To Erza Scarlet) "Life and death are the very basis of all things; they intensify every emotion. Or, to put it in a rather different way, there is nothing quite so dull as "life"."
 * (To Erza Scarlet) "This is my sin for giving in to my own weaknesses. My heart just couldn't keep up with the gigantic gap between dreams and reality."
 * (To Natsu Dragneel) "You are even more irrational than the rumors say. Did you enjoy striking one of your own nakama who couldn't even move?"
 * (To Erza Scarlet) "Erza... I can feel kindness from that name... I can feel kindness, cheerfulness and warmth... I'm sure you'll continue to hate me, but I can't help that. It's only natural. But hatred will steal the freedom from your heart. It will eat away at you from within. I can't go that far. I can't go before you! You will be free from Jellal. I will take your hatred and sadness... with me... You are... free!"
 * (To himself about Erza Scarlet) "It's your words that gave me courage. It became my light that would guide me towards the right path again."
 * (To Erza Scarlet) "Such beautiful scarlet hair....Why don't we call you 'Erza Scarlet'? It's the color of your hair, that way, I won't forget it!"
 * (To Natsu Dragneel) "You're Natsu... Our only hope."

Major Battles

 * Erza Scarlet vs. Jellal Fernandes
 * Natsu Dragneel vs. Jellal Fernandes
 * Jellal Fernandes vs. Midnight
 * Natsu Dragneel & Jellal Fernandes vs. Zero