Unveiling the Secrets of Fairy Tail: The Epic Tale of the Eclipse Gate
The Eclipse Gate: A pivotal creation by Zeref, the gate has profoundly influenced Fairy Tail's narrative, making it an indispensable element in the series
Highlights
The Eclipse Gate is a powerful magic item in Fairy Tail that can send people to different timelines and was created by the Dark Wizard Zeref.
The Eclipse Gate plays a vital role in the series' premise and is integral to the 400 Year Plan, a mission focused on the salvation of humanity and dragons.
Activation of the Eclipse Gate necessitates the use of Celestial Spirit Magic in conjunction with either a solar or lunar eclipse. Furthermore, it holds significant significance within the Grand Magic Games arc as it paves the way for the arrival of ancient Dragons.
The world of Fairy Tail is filled with extraordinary magical abilities that surpass mortal boundaries, some even capable of manipulating time and space. Among these enchantments, the Eclipse Gate stands out as a remarkable artifact that possesses unimaginable capabilities, allowing individuals to travel across different timelines. Its defiance of natural laws can be traced back to the notorious Dark Wizard Zeref.
Given the unparalleled power of the Eclipse Gate, it naturally assumes a crucial role in the series. Its significance is further reinforced by the revelation of the 400 Year Plan, which unveils how this magical artifact played a pivotal role in safeguarding both humanity and dragons.
What Is the Eclipse Gate?
Birthed from the dark scripture known as the Books of Zeref, the Eclipse Gate is a formidable magical artifact that grants the ability to journey through time, both past and future. However, activating this device is no small task, as it requires the rare usage of Celestial Spirit Magic, a spatial magic mastered by only a select few mages. In addition, the Eclipse Gate can only be triggered during a solar or lunar eclipse, rendering it useless and powerless otherwise.
Having been crafted by Zeref over 400 years prior to the current timeline of Fairy Tail, the Eclipse Gate is an ancient contraption with a rich history. Originally intended to allow Zeref to travel back in time and spare his beloved younger brother, Natsu Dragneel, from a tragic fate, Zeref later abandoned this plan in favor of alternative methods to bring his brother back to life.
The Eclipse Project
The Grand Magic Games arc introduced the Eclipse Gate, a magic device that played a central role in a conspiracy involving multiple parties. The gate was part of the Eclipse Project, a secret plan devised by the Princess of Fiore to save the country from destruction. The plan involved draining magic power from the contestants of the Grand Magic Games to activate the Eclipse Gate. Lucy and Yukino, being the only two users of Celestial Spirit Magic in the games, also became involved in the plan.
The situation becomes even more chaotic when two characters from the future arrive in the current timeline, each with their own motives. Lucy Heartfilia from the future encourages Hisui to open the gate and use it as a weapon against the impending Dragon invasion, unaware that the opening of the gate is actually what attracts the invading Dragons.
Since the plan had already been set in motion, the Eclipse Gate opens and releases Dragons from a bygone era 400 years ago. The subsequent events that unfold leave no room for doubt regarding the true purpose of the Dragons' emergence and dispel the misconception that the gate also serves as a cannon. Yukino and Lucy ultimately seal the Eclipse Gate using their Zodiac Keys, although the irreversible damage caused by the gate remains. As the conflict culminates with the destruction of the Eclipse Gate, the time paradox propels future Lucy and Rogue back to their original timeline, yet they manage to retain their memories intact.
The 400 Years Plan
In its earlier days, the Eclipse Gate bore no malevolent intentions; instead, it held a noble and altruistic objective that had the power to rescue the entirety of mankind. Roughly four centuries prior to the events depicted in the series, Zeref strategized a daring scheme alongside the surviving benevolent Dragons sympathetic to humans and a practitioner of Celestial Spirit Magic, all in a desperate attempt to salvage the fate of both mankind and dragon-kind.
Zeref and Anna Heartfilia collaborated in order to defeat the Dragon King Acnologia. Their plan involved sending the remaining pro-human Dragons to the future, housing their dormant souls within their foster children. By doing so, the Dragons would have the opportunity to recover their damaged souls in a time abundant with Ethernano. The aim of the plan was for Anna's family to preserve the secrets of the 400 Year Plan. Eventually, a descendant with knowledge of Celestial Spirit Magic would open the gate from the future, allowing Anna and the Dragon Slayers to cross over.
On July 7th X777, Layla Heartfilia successfully opened the Eclipse Gate, fulfilling Zeref and Anna's 400 Year Plan. As Toma E. Fiore, the ruler of the Kingdom of Fiore, became involved in this entire ordeal, Layla requested that he destroy the Eclipse Gate. Unfortunately, Toma disregarded Layla's wish and left the Eclipse Gate intact, as evidenced by its later use during the Grand Magic Games.
Fairy Tail is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
