#character accountability

Undefined Sin, Hollow Repentance 

One of the most significant flaws in Jellal’s arc — and by extension Jerza — is the lack of true accountability for what happened at the Tower of Heaven. While it acknowledged that Jellal was manipulated, the story fails to give him meaningful ownership of his choices.

Instead of presenting a clear answer, the narrative constantly shifts:

Was he brainwashed? Was he manipulated entirely? Was he a mindless puppet? Or was his descent inevitable? 

These contradictions muddy one of the most crucial turning points in his life. Ambiguity can be an interesting narrative device, but when the story itself refuses to define what went wrong, it can be harmful — preventing any meaningful amends.

This is the fundamental problem: Jellal’s “sin” is never clearly defined.

Is it the destruction caused by the Tower of Heaven? His actions under Ultear’s influence? Or is it simply the vague trauma of his past? There is no clear narrative commitment. And because of this, his repentance becomes a symbolic gesture rather than a substantial reckoning.

Atonement without a named wrongdoing is hollow.

It’s difficult — if not impossible — to atone for a sin the story itself refuses to name.

As a result, Jellal’s arc often feels like a repetitive motif of guilt: cycling through self-punishment without catharsis. His post-Tower story strives for redemption, but lacks the defining factor that would make it solid: accountability.

Without knowing what to be better for, how is Jellal meant to know how to be better?

If the expectation is that he should have “resisted manipulation,” that’s an unfair critique — it places blame on his victimhood rather than his choices.

Yet the narrative never fully absolves him either.

Jellal himself clings to the idea of redemption, while the reactions of those around him — and his own guilt — suggest some level of personal responsibility.

This tension is never solved.

I want to say though, the problem isn’t that Jellal became a villain under tragic and unjust circumstances — that part is understandable, even human in its flaw. 

But it lies in the fact that the story fears letting him own that descent — as if doing so would stain him irreparably.

But here’s the thing:

If Jellal had been allowed to confront and accept that he did make choices — no matter how tragic, twisted or influenced they were — his redemption would carry real weight. His journey wouldn’t be reduced to passive guilt or an endless loop of forgiveness, but rather would transform into a path of active self understanding and meaningful healing.

His behaviours —  his struggles with guilt, his reluctance to join Fairy Tail, his leadership of Crime Sorcière — would all feel more valid, more resonant, if framed through the lens of someone fighting to reclaim his agency after choosing wrong.

Though if there is still doubt as to why Jellal’s redemption isn’t truly valid and why the narrative is hurting him, I continue explaining this in the next subsections of part 1.

Redemption Without Ownership Falls Flat 

To understand why his redemption arc struggles to resonate, we need to examine what true redemption demands — and what’s missing in Jellal’s case.

The word ‘redemption’ by meaning, refers to being saved from afflicted error, sin or evil. But evil or sin here does not exist as a passive entity — it implies an active choice. Hence, redemption is the absolution of evil born from personal choice, no matter the extent.

That being said, since redemption means to amend for a sin committed by oneself, it’s self-explanatory what a redemption arc is meant to be:

An arc to absolve of the evil committed from one’s person.

An active, accountable decision.

It’s the very defining point of the arc.

The defining point of the act.

So, if a redemption arc is missing this very core — missing ownership and accountability — it inevitably lacks substance.

This is precisely the narrative issue with Jellal.

His story currently positions him as someone who was manipulated, yet still expects his effort to redeem others (e.g. recruiting Oración Seis) to be taken seriously.

This disconnect not only weakens his arc, but also feels tone-deaf.

Had the story depicted him taking responsibility for his own past, these actions would resonate as genuine attempts to atone. His leadership wouldn’t feel hypocritical — it would be rooted in self-awareness and personal growth.

Jellal’s desire to change would no longer be merely symbolic, but practical — based on an understanding of what he did wrong, and why it matters.

The Lost Potential of Jellal’s Redemption Arc 

As it stands, the current narrative of Jellal’s redemption stifles his emotional growth, leaving you to wonder just how much potential was lost in the process.

By sidestepping accountability, the story denies both Jellal—and the audience—a more complex and rewarding arc. Had he been given the space to truly reckon with his past—through honest self-reflection, meaningful conversation with Erza, or confronting his choices with others—his growth would feel earned rather than assumed.

This lack of reckoning also undermines his leadership within Crime Sorcière. A Jellal who openly admits his failures would be far more compelling as a guide for others seeking redemption, creating a powerful parallel between his journey and theirs. Instead, we’re left with a passive redemption arc: forgiveness comes easily, but self-realisation never fully lands.

That said, this issue isn’t unique to Jellal. It reflects a broader flaw in Fairy Tail’s treatment of redemption arcs—where instead of showing the emotional journey and inner transformation, we’re given a few symbolic phrases, repeated motifs, maybe some tears… and are told they’ve changed.

Healing Requires Accountability 

At its heart, both Jellal’s future and the essence of Jerza are meant to embody healing — not just forgiveness, but true emotional restoration. Yet the story itself keeps Jellal from fully committing to that path.

Healing is impossible without self-awareness. Jellal cannot truly heal if he doesn’t understand what he is healing from. A redemption built solely on external forgiveness — being loved by Erza, being pities or excused by allies — traps him in a stagnant loop. It soothes the surface, but leaves the root untouched.

To break free, Jellal would need to confront the reality that his actions, however manipulated, inflicted real harm. Owning that does not erase his suffering — it gives it purpose. Only through accountability can he process his guilt and move forward in a way that feels meaningful, both to himself and the audience.

On that note, I’ve always questioned the need to assign binary roles to people—as either villains or victims. You can be both and to be frank—most people are. People are dimensional, no choice is flat or usually existing due to a sole alignment. Just because you are hurt does not mean you can’t hurt others, and just because you have hurt others does not mean you can’t be hurting yourself. Usually one is the product of the other, they don’t exist isolatedly.

Why must one part of the narrative be erased for the other to be considered valid? They are not contradictory, they are complimentary.

Whilst it is an unfavorable narrative, to heal yourself from these wounds and tendencies and many other underlying issues, it’s about recognising the full picture:

‘That because I hurt, I hurt others.’ Or ‘because others are hurting, it does not mean that my pain doesn’t exist’. 

Healing is not about boxing someone into a ‘villain or victim’ role, it’s about understanding what happened— understanding the truth — so you can grow from it.

But Jellal is suspended from that.

Had the narrative allowed him this reckoning, his healing arc would’ve carried emotional weight. Instead of circling the same passive guilt, we would see a journey of active self-repair — one that mirrors the very themes Jerza is meant to stand for: growth, endurance, and the hard, unglamorous work of healing.

What Accountability Would Change (Accountability ≠ Condemnation)

I will be clear so all I’ve said so far isn’t misconstrued: 

I'm not saying that Jellal should be condemned. 

I am not advocating for him to suffer further or spiral deeper into self flagellation. 

I am saying he should’ve been allowed to own his actions.

Even if he was manipulated, he still made choices. 

And those choices would have been the foundation of:

A more powerful redemption arc, grounded in growth, not just guilt 

A more complex portrayal of trauma, where his pain doesn’t erase his responsibility 

A clearer emotional journey for Erza, where her forgiveness isn’t blind—it’s conscious, earned and layered. (Will go more into this in Part 2 and onwards)

A more believable relationship, built not on romantic absolution, but emotional truth. (Will go into this more further in the post)

Really Jellal didn’t need to be punished to the extent he has been, because what is punishment meant to mean when there is no understanding? 

It is not noble, it is martyrdom. It is narrative sadism.

He did not need pain. 

He needed clarity.

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Though much of this discussion has centered on Jellal, it's important to return to what was stated at the very beginning: this conversation is just as much about Erza. Her emotional agency, her catharsis, and her rightful space to heal are all directly impacted by how the narrative handles — or avoids — Jellal’s accountability.

Jellal’s incomplete redemption isn’t an isolated flaw. His lack of accountability creates ripple effects that directly shape Erza’s arc. What should have been a story of shared healing becomes imbalanced, shifting her from an equal partner to an emotional caretaker.

Jerza was never meant to be a story of one-sided redemption. Both characters carry deep wounds from their past, and their relationship holds the potential for mutual restoration. But healing demands truth. Without it, Erza’s forgiveness risks becoming hollow, her strength misrepresented, and their bond reduced to mere symbolism.

In short, the narrative’s refusal to let Jellal fully own his sins doesn’t just weaken his arc — it actively diminishes hers.

This is where we turn our focus next.

Exploring how Jellal’s lack of accountability undermines Erza’s emotional agency, deprives her of catharsis and disrupts the integrity of Jerza’s bond.

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Part 2: How The Lack of His Accountability Hurts Erza Too 

“This isn’t just about Jellal — it’s about what this avoidance does to Erza as well.”

The choice to take away Jellal’s accountability from his crimes may seem beneficial to his relationship and history with Erza on the surface but it actually creates many deeper underlying issues, not just for him but also for her, which I’ll explain below in detail.

First off let’s begin with the most obvious one:

Denying Erza’s Emotional Agency 

Erza is known for her strength — not just physical, but emotional. Her resilience, her independence, her capacity to endure have always been central to who she is. But when it comes to Jellal, the narrative quietly strips her of that very agency.

I’ll go into why I say this.

Jellal’s lack of accountability doesn’t just limit his own arc — it confines Erza’s too. Without him ever fully naming or owning what he did, Erza is forced into a passive emotional role. She is left to shoulder the burden of forgiveness without the space to confront, process or speak of her pain.

Some people may argue that is not the case as she brings up his sins in regards to how he hurt others — the most notable being the death of Simon — however this is not about her. It’s always about others before herself.

Others were wronged, but she was wronged too no matter what the specifics are of what happened.

Yet this is never addressed.

The story offers her no moment of reckoning. No space to breakdown (and I do not mean in private).

Erza is expected to forgive without clarity, to move forward without truth — as though emotional restraint is a sign of strength and boundless forgiveness is an honour.

But strength is not silence.

And forgiveness without voice is not healing.

By never letting Erza express the full scope of what Jellal’s actions meant to her, the narrative reduces her emotional journey to quiet endurance. She becomes a vessel for someone else’s redemption — not an emotionally autonomous person, but an emotional caretaker.

She forgives but never processes.

She endures but never speaks.

Not on her behalf.

Not on her healing.

That is not resilience.

That is erasure.

Shifting the Burden of Healing onto Erza 

When the story refuses to hold Jellal accountable, it quietly shifts the weight of his healing onto Erza’s forgiveness. Even if unintentional, the unspoken implication becomes clear:

“If Erza forgives him, he will heal.”

But healing isn’t something one person can give to another through affection alone.

And yet, this is the dynamic the narrative creates — turning Erza’s love into a tool, a means of fixing Jellal, rather than allowing their bond to be a shared emotional journey.

This imbalance diminishes the both of them.

For Jellal, it reduces redemption to external validation — a point I have argued before — that makes it seem being forgiven is the same as growing. 

In Erza’s case, it forces her into a role where her love becomes transactional: a balm for his guilt, a stepping stone for his recovery, while her own pain remains untouched.

It paints a relationship where Erza is expected to carry his emotional weight, to give endlessly, while receiving none of the emotional honesty or reckoning she deserves in return.

This then isn’t a story of mutual healing.

It’s a cycle — where Erza’s strength is mistaken for infinite emotional labour.

And that dynamic is not only unhealthy — it contradicts the very heart of what Jerza could have been.

Forgiveness Without Accountability is Performative

Forgiveness without accountability isn’t healing — it’s performance.

I know this is a rather loaded statement, but let me explain myself and why I align myself with this view.

When Erza forgives Jellal without him ever truly naming his wrongdoings, her forgiveness becomes symbolic rather than sincere. It reads less like a personal act of closure and more like a narrative shortcut — a gesture meant to resolve tension without ever engaging with it.

True forgiveness isn’t passive.

It is built on recognition of harm, the courage to confront it, and a mutual understanding of what needs to change. Without those elements, forgiveness floats — untethered from emotional truth, detached from consequence.

This is the problem at the heart of Jerza’s dynamic.

Erza forgives, but nothing changes. Jellal doesn’t grow. 

The pain isn’t processed. The pain isn’t discussed.

Their relationship stalls because it cannot evolve without that essential reckoning.

In current form, Jellal’s redemption remains surface-level, and Erza’s forgiveness lacks emotional depth — not because she is weak, but because the narrative refuses to give her the full story she deserves to respond to.

Of course some may argue that the act isn’t performative/lacking depth, but rather born from mercy. Because yes you can forgive someone even if they don’t ask for it or give you closure the way you deserve/need. 

The act is mature, which I will agree to a degree. But when mercy becomes a blockage to emotional growth and does not end with completion but confusion, it reads more like an attempt to close the wound prematurely rather than closing it with intention.

Which is what it seems like in Erza’s case.

She forgives and she says is past it, but nothing has been processed. Nothing has been understood or brought to conclusion.

Maybe this is due to the fact she may not be ready to face that which she has spent so long burying, which is fully understandable, but then what does that mean for her internally? Has she truly gotten over, or is she hoping the longer she doesn’t speak about it, the quicker she can forget the pain and hope this dark chapter stays closed once and for all?

Also, the thing with choosing mercy over confrontation means you have already accepted things as they are—you have accepted this as the truth so there is no need to reach for the one that actually defined reality. 

It is closure in a way, but it’s one sided. 

Imbalanced. 

Erza may not want the truth, or be ready for it, but it will do more good for her and Jellal rather than avoidance.

Because forgiveness cannot mean anything when it is given in silence. It cannot mean anything when it is born from suppression.

It has to come with truth. It has to come with understanding.

Erza as a “Moral Guide” — But Never a Survivor

Within the story, Erza is often framed as Jellal’s moral compass — the one who reminds him of right and wrong, who urges him to atone, who pulls him back towards the light. But this role, whilst noble on the surface, comes at a quiet and personal cost.

Erza guides him. She forgives him. She believes in his potential for redemption.

But the story never gives her the same space to confront what his actions did to her.

Her pain — the betrayal, the loss, the scars left behind — is rarely voiced.

It remains implied, unspoken, left for the audience to fill in.

Even more so the narrative never allows her to acknowledge that Jellal too, was a victim. That his descent wasn’t born of malice alone, but manipulation and vulnerability. She feels guilt for not being there in time, but that is not the same as seeing how things turned the way they did.

This omission robs their dynamic of nuance.

It flattens Erza’s role into that of a caretaker — the strong one, the guide, the giver — while her own wounds stay unexplored.

She is never given the space to ask herself:

What does my forgiveness mean for me? What does it cost?

She is just expected to have mercy because that’s what her name demands. Righteousness and nobility she may not even understand is at the extent of herself. Because it’s not about her, but what she is meant to represent.

This imbalance stifles Erza’s emotional arc.

Rather than being portrayed as a survivor working through her own trauma, she becomes a facilitator for Jellal’s redemption — giving endlessly, but receiving no emotional clarity in return.

In reducing her to a moral guide, the story forgets that Erza is not just a symbol of strength. 

She is a person who was hurt. A survivor whose story deserves to be told on her own terms, not suppressed for another’s to progress.

Without Accountability, Erza is Robbed of Catharsis 

When the story frames Jellal as a pure victim, Erza is left with no one to confront. No one to rage at. No space to process her pain. Instead of healing she suppresses. Instead of reckoning, she endures.

But this is not Jellal’s fault as a character.

This is a failing of the narrative itself  — a refusal to let the story follow through on the emotional weight it created.

By shielding Jellal from accountability, the writing inadvertently denies Erza the emotional catharsis her arc demands. She is never given the chance to express the full spectrum of her emotions  — to cry, to yell, to grieve, to forgive on her own terms. 

The moments where she should have been allowed to reclaim her voice are instead softened, skipped or silenced.

But in the same breath, injecting in Erza’s emotional process does not actually do anything for Jellal’s redemption arc or their story, because the very narrative denies her that right to begin with.

Meaning:

Her pain cannot be tethered to his redemption if his arc erases responsibility for it. 

You can’t heal what isn’t named. You can’t accuse or forgive what has already been excused.

Giving Jellal accountability, even partially, would not diminish him.

It would give Erza someone to speak to, to push against, to find her own closure with.

It would let her forgiveness be an active choice, not a quiet inevitability.

Because as of now the story treats Erza’s strength as silent endurance. 

But real strength is found in voicing pain, not burying it.

This wouldn’t make her weaker. It would make her human. 

It would enrich her arc, giving depth to her strength  — not reducing it, but redefining it as something felt, not just performed.

In short:

Giving Jellal accountability allows Erza to speak. To rebuild. To become stronger  — not colder.

And that is what the story has never allowed her to do.

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I guess the takeaway I am trying to give from this section is that Jerza’s imbalance is not about Jellal’s villainy nor Erza being weak. 

It’s about the failure of the narrative to let them face it.

I think it’s clear now by this section that accountability doesn’t actually divide Jerza — but it’s the bridge to mutual growth. 

By allowing Jellal to own his actions, Erza’s voice is given back and their bond can evolve from one of imbalance to understanding, resolution and genuine partnership. 

Because then they will be able to truly meet each other instead of having to keep guessing in the dark.

✦•

So over the course of Part 2, we’ve explored how Jellal’s missing accountability isn’t just his flaw to bear — it has a direct and damaging impact on Erza’s emotional journey as well.

By refusing to let Jellal truly own his actions, the narrative denies Erza the space to process, confront and heal from her own wounds. What could have been a story of shared healing becomes a lopsided dynamic, where Erza’s role is reduced to caretaker, her forgiveness becomes performative, and her pain remains unheard.

Let me reiterate once again, this isn’t a failing of Erza as a character — it’s a failing of the writing, which consistently sidelines her emotional autonomy in service of a redemption arc that never quite delivers.

True and complete healing requires accountability on both sides.

Until Jellal is allowed to face his sins with honesty, Erza’s journey will remain incomplete.

Having now covered how the lack of accountability weakens both Jellal and Erza’s arcs, we bring the focus back onto Jellal and move onto the next piece of the puzzle:

The Problem with “Jellal as a Victim”.

✦ Continue on to Part II: → Victimhood, Idealization & Jerza’s Fracture