Highlights
- Tartaros is the strongest dark guild in Fairy Tail and aims to revive E.N.D. and eliminate all magic in the continent.
- Tartaros is located in a floating cube that serves as both a defensive fortress and an offensive weapon.
- The Nine Demon Gates, powerful members of Tartaros, pose a significant threat due to their destructive abilities and sinister powers.
Fairy Tail is populated by a number of dark guilds that span across its villainous landscape, spreading corruption and terror across Fiore. The distinction between dark guilds and regular guilds is rooted in the Magic Council’s recognition, with the former operating unrecognized and disobeying the council’s rules. Among these villainous factions is Tartaros, a dark guild populated solely by demon-kind.
The members of Tartaros are Etherious, a term used for beings that belong to the Books of Zeref. Due to the guild’s demonic composition, it’s safe to say that Tartaros is the strongest dark guild in the entirety of Fairy Tail. With the sinister goal of reviving E.N.D. and ridding the continent of all magic, Tartaros has cemented itself as the true force behind the Balam Alliance and a major player in the series’ villainy.
The Purpose Behind Tartaros’ Formation
Tartaros was founded by an Etherious named Mard Geer Tartaros. Over his immortal lifespan, Mard Geer stumbled upon the tome of E.N.D, Zeref’s strongest Etherious creation. Believing that E.N.D. had been sealed inside that tome, Mard Geer laid the foundation of a dark guild and united most of Zeref’s demonic creations under its umbrella. He named E.N.D. as the guild’s master, and propagated the notion of following the will of E.N.D. and reviving him.
Mard Geer intended to utilize the Magic Council’s weapon called ‘Face,’ a device capable of ridding the entire continent of Ishgar of its magic contents. By wiping out magic entirely, Tartaros could gather Curse Power, a type of magic used by demons, and use it to revive the guild’s sealed master. With E.N.D. revived, Tartaros would eventually return to Zeref, although thir plan was merely a false premise spread by Mard Geer as he intended to slay Zeref instead.
The Guild’s Fortress: Cube
The Magic Council has never been able to pinpoint Tartaros’ exact coordinates or the site of its headquarters, a feat that can be attributed to the dark guild’s novel location. The headquarters of the guild rests on a gigantic floating cube that remains in perpetual motion. The exact workings of Cube were never revealed, though it's likely that this satellite-like floating cube is powered by Curse Power.
While Cube may serve as Tartaros’ biggest defense, it also doubles as an offensive weapon by taking on a demon-like shape and transforming into Plutogrim. The entire floating mass releases gooey projectiles that trap any human touched by the substance. Once trapped inside this substance, the target is left in a permanent stasis. Fairy Tail almost lost to Tartaros solely due to Plutogrim’s sinister power, although the Celestial Spirit King was able to undo this magic and free the guild.
The Nine Demon Gates
The strength of Tartaros lies in its main members, also known as the Nine Demon Gates. The Demon Gates are all Etherious (except Silver Fullbuster) and belong to the Books of Zeref. Zeref refers to the guild as his “bookshelf” due to this very reason, as every single member is essentially a creation of his ominous books.
Tartaros’ true strength also lies in the Nine Demon Gates, as each Etherious on its own is enough to take down entire guilds and nations. A few of these demons were more prominent due to their destructive capabilities, such as Jackal who single-handedly killed off the entire Magic Council. Silver Fullbuster is also noted to be exceptionally strong as he was able to freeze the entirety of the Sun Village with his Ice Devil Slayer Magic.
Other members such as Kyoka and Keyes also boast sinister powers, with the latter capable of bringing back the dead with his Necromancy. Seilah is another major threat as she possesses the power to latch her will onto any object or person, gaining absolute control of her target. The strongest of all demons is Mard Geer Tartaros himself, capable of using Memento Mori, a curse that envelops the victim in eternal darkness.
The Demise of Tartaros
Fairy Tail’s war with Tartaros was merely a setup for the actual fight between Acnologia and the Dragons to take place, sidelining the initial battle against Mard Geer and the Nine Demon Gates entirely. Since the Dragons’ arrival shifted the narrative to a different direction, Tartaros itself became a trivial name in the entire ordeal.
Mard Geer and the rest of the demons were defeated by the Fairy Tail guild, ending the existence of the Balam Alliance by defeating the last standing member. After the fighting subsided, Mirajane visited the dark guild’s headquarters and devoured the soul of every single demon, incorporating them into her arsenal for her Takeover Magic. With their souls devoured, every last remnant of Tartaros was officially wiped out.
Fairy Tail is available to stream on Crunchyroll.