The Ultimate Guide to Fairy Tail: Unleashing the Mysteries of the Dragon King Festival

The Dragon King Festival, a defining event in Fairy Tail, shaped the entire world and gave rise to one of the most powerful forms of magic. It has always been shrouded in secrecy, with its true events and reasons kept hidden from the audience.

Occurring nearly 400 years prior to the show's timeline, the Dragon King Festival is mentioned throughout the series but fully explained only in the latter half. Delving into the intricacies of the event and its aftermath, it illuminates pressing questions and weaves the plot together, revealing the true story to fans.

The Reason Behind the War

Over 400 years ago, in the land of Alakitasia, Dragons were revered as a superior race, possessing godlike powers. Human beings were deemed insignificant compared to these mighty creatures and were treated accordingly. However, a new breed of Dragons emerged, desiring to live harmoniously with humans and establish an era of peace. This controversial philosophy sparked opposition, leading to a fierce conflict between the two factions.

The Dragons aligned with humans primarily hailed from the nation of Dragnof, a land in Ishgar where humans and dragons had coexisted peacefully under the rule of Queen Irene. The Dragons of Alakitasia strongly detested Dragnof due to its acceptance of this coexistence. Eventually, the anti-human Dragons devised a war strategy and launched an invasion on Dragnof in a bid to eradicate its ideals of peace and collaboration.

The Beginning of the Dragon King Festival

Taking charge of the anti-human faction, Dragon Zirconis seized control and successfully persuaded the entire Dragonkind community to launch an invasion against Ishgar. However, on the opposing side, the powerful Dragon Belserion strongly advocated for peaceful coexistence and even formed a friendship with Irene, willingly following her commands. Irene's exemplary leadership over the Dragons had earned her the prestigious title of 'Queen of Dragons.'

In an effort to combat the anti-human movement, Irene rallied the dragons under the leadership of the valiant Dragon Belserion. Unfortunately, the overwhelming number of anti-human Dragons and internal betrayals inflicted by members of the kingdom left Irene's forces completely overwhelmed and on the brink of defeat. Faced with no alternative, Irene devised a crucial plan to bestow human beings with the enchanting power of Dragon magic, thus empowering them to stand alongside their noble Dragon companions in battle.

This gave rise to the notion of Dragon Slayer Magic, a formidable form of magic that any human could possess. Before long, the pro-human forces emerged victorious over the anti-human Dragons, altering the course of the battle in favor of the Kingdom. However, Irene underestimated the repercussions of imbuing humans with this incredibly potent magic, leading to a series of unexpected traffic affairs.

Side-effects of Dragon Slayer Magic

The infusion of human beings with enchantment led to the emergence of three distinct kinds of side effects, which eventually led to tragic outcomes for Dragon Slayers. Certain Dragon Slayers encountered motion sickness as a result of their bodies being unable to adapt to their newfound dragonian senses. In contrast, others faced a much graver consequence as they succumbed to corruption brought about by the overwhelming power they had acquired.

However, every Dragon Slayer's destiny was sealed with the third side-effect: the Dragon Seed residing within them would eventually trigger an unstoppable metamorphosis, leading to their transformation into an actual Dragon. The Dragon Slayers would then embark on a relentless rampage, showing no discrimination towards friend or foe, ruthlessly slaying anyone who crossed their path. One of such Dragon Slayers was Acnologia, who swiftly decimated the entire population of Dragons, leaving none in existence.

The Aftermath of the Dragon King Festival

Driven by the corruption of the Dragonian powers and fueled by his own deep-seated hatred for Dragons, Acnologia embarked on a merciless mission to exterminate every single one of these majestic creatures. Regardless of their allegiances to either the pro- or anti-human movements, he showed no mercy, indiscriminately slaughtering all with a chilling disregard. The blood of his countless victims stained his hands, earning him the notorious title of 'Dragon King.' As time marched on, Dragons slowly faded into the realm of myth on Earthland, leaving humanity to adapt to a world no longer haunted by the looming threat of these colossal beings.

The process of Dragnization ultimately transformed Acnologia into a completely black Dragon, making him the sole winner of the Dragon King Festival and the last remaining Dragon on Earthland. While the event was known as the Dragon King Festival in Ishgar, Alakatasia referred to it as Ragnarök, meaning 'Doom of the Gods' in reference to the catastrophic event in Norse mythology that witnessed the destruction of numerous gods. As Dragons were seen as god-like creatures in Alakatasia, the term Ragnarök accurately represents the downfall of these divine beings and their terrifying descent from grace.