aka if Mags gets to put her paws on Jellal (metaphorically).
I know some of you know, Jellal’s characterization has been a big issue, not only for me but for other ppl in the fandom. I know there is hate towards him and let’s be honest, is not entirely unjustified.
If you gonna bring back a character from the dead, make sure that character makes its prolongued stay count for something. If not, save yourself the grief. And as much as it pains me to say this (like ohmygod, I… urgh!) Jellal was better off dead than getting the shitty treatment his character got. Paraphrasing a friend, he got the potential to have a poweful story on redemption, a journey worthy to be told but instead we got the most pandering, bland one. Waste!
It hurts one as a fan but at the same, the posibilities makes you salivate (or at least me)
So I started writing a list of things I so would love to fix about him, which I divided by arcs, parting from the famous Seven Years that the Fairy Tail core guild members disappeared.
Let’s keep in mind this is my humble POV, if you want to add something, feel free.
To being with, those seven years will count, not only in terms of character development but maturity too. A 26 years old Jellal living as a fugitive will leave its mark. From a 19 year old teenager who got to be at the peak of the magic world to an adult who hit rock botton and had to claw his way back. However, this gonna be bordering seinen and shonen kids, so not too much darkness, kay?.
Will keep the bit about Jellal recovering his memory in jail and him using that time to piece together the person he once was, realizing sadly that he would never be the same.
He will learn about Erza and Fairy Tail most likely died in Tenrou, falling into despair and closing into himself. Is at that time that Ultear appears to free him and most likely saving him in the moment he needed it most.
Jellal and Ultear gonna have a hard time to fix all the shit in between the two. Trust has to be gained and she will have to work hard for it.
Jellal will be free from jail by Ultear but as I said, things don’t go smoothly. Jellal at first goes with what she tells him because he is emotionally and physically too weak. Erza’s and Fairy tail “death” is still fresh and he is trying to adapt to the sudden vortex of changes he has been thrown into; learning how to think by himself and have true freedom or as much as you can have when you are still under the care of the person that manipulated you for 8 years, because Ultear may have changed her views but some habits are hard to kill. So at some point Jellal decides to take his own path and figures out things for himself because even if he owes her his freedom and his life there is a lot of hurt, deceit and mistrust between them to go on together peacefully.
Of course Ultear feels like a big failure but can’t help to get where he is coming from and to let him go. She will realize she still can’t get rid of her need to control him (in the form of overprotectiveness, and the insidious conviction of believing she knows what’s good for him) which will send her into further depression and almost made her give up if it wasn’t for Meredy and the fact that the girl needs her. So she forces herself to keep going for her and seek her own answers like Jellal has done for himself (his first act of independence which later on will become a source of pride instead of a source of sadness).
Erza and Fairy tail’s dissappearance is the big elephant in the room they avoid to address till the year before Fairy tail came back.
Jellal goes through trial and error to learn how to finally live by himself after 8 years of manipulation. Despite the overhelming feelings, his personality remains in the way he is determined to find his own answers as how to live after everything that has happened.
He will meet people in the way, and this people will help him to shape who he is, the people of his present but also the people of his past.
He is gonna travel all the continent and at some point he will cross to Arakitashia continent, to Alvarez kingdom in his path to find himself.
Since he is a highly intelligent man, he also would want to learn more about magic. So that won’t be forgotten, he will put those brains of his to work. It will be key in the arcs to come.
Do you remember that Kid Jellal was a leader and someone brave who wanted to help people gain freedom?. Welp, that won’t be thrown under the bus. He was kind and determined, so those traits will show through his need to help those in need.
Since he is a wizard saint level mage, he is wanted all across the Ishgar continent. His status as one makes him very dangerous at the eyes of the Magic Council and they fear him as much considering he became a Wizard Saint with just a though projection. His reward is the highest one in all history of Fiore.
At some point he crossed paths with Wally and Sho. It’s a rollecoaster, it took time but Jellal apologized properly and they started their first steps to health. Still a long way to go.
He finds out where Kagura is. He keeps his distance because he is not ready yet (he knows it because his first though is to offer his life to her and he is hanging to his life for his promise to Erza and Ultear) So, is not the moment but he knows he has to confront her some day.
He starts communication with Ultear after three years since he was freed by her (the 4th of the seven years). Since then they keep their communications in code.
He will join Meredy and Ultear at the 5th year of the 7, he had been communicating with Ultear for a whole year now.
Is at this point that Jellal has gotten his own answer. Which does not means everything is resolved, but that he now can give his first steps to the right direction and can look at Ultear in the eyes.
Is at the six year they stablish Crime Sorciere.Their goal is to “destroy” dark guilds and give a chance to start anew to those who want to be free from the darkness within their hearts (this is a shonen xD).
Later on Jellal and co infiltrated Era’s dungeons and stablished contact with Oracion Seis, making use of his hability as a politician during his years at the council along Ultear, they convice them to join their cause. They accept almost peacefuly (we’ll get some minor fight over it but nothing serious). - I have to thank @sassyhazelowl for this one.
Crime Sorciere name and reputation will spread across Fiore for the amount of dark guilds being destroyed by them. Crime Sorciere offers the fallen guilds these options: they can join them, seek a better honest life or go to jail.
Minor Notes about Ultear (She is fascinating, period)
Ultear is second after Jellal with a high reward on her head.
Jella’s departure hurt her a lot and almost gave up but Meredy’s constant presence helped her to hang to her sanity and will to live on.
She comes with the idea to create Crime Sorciere to seek redemption in her many talks with Jellal through lacrima. Throught those talks they shape their future guild.
She also moved through all the Ishgar continent but never left it. Thanks to her habilities of transformation (which she thaught to Meredy) she managed to keep a step ahead from their pursuers.
She was thorough training Meredy, so no weak pink girl here. She travels with two powerhouses, so she can kick ass… hard.
Meredy is her ray of light, period.
It’s Jellal who tatooed her back with the new guild mark.
Both don’t talk about how the Grimoire Heart guild mark was erased. Not even Meredy knows, just Jellal and Ultear.
