User blog comment:IamJakuhoRaikoben/Chapter 373: Life or Death?, Review./@comment-24467372-20140228132656/@comment-7418318-20140228141639

I think Lucy is one of the best characters in all of Fairy Tail.

She's been a mage for something around one year and has already surpassed others who've been mages for five or more times that much. And where other people get convenient enemies, Lucy always seems to get the worst possible opponent out of the current selection and still manages to hold her own more often than not.

Granted she's now allowed to show off often and is more commonly used as damsel in distress and fan service provider, but that is a problem of her role, rather than her character.

And she also the most "normal" person in Fairy Tail and thus a lot easier to relate to than weirdos like Natsu, Erza or Gray.