Highlights
- The Tower of Heaven is a forbidden magic item created by Zeref and constructed by a cult of dark mages through cruel means.
- It has the power to resurrect the dead but requires a human sacrifice and an immense amount of magic power to activate.
- The Tower of Heaven is inspired by the myth of the Tower of Babel, and its construction and destructive consequences mirror those of the myth.
Fairy Tail's premise is laden with ominous events and unholy elements, many of which surround the main characters and their backstories. The Tower of Heaven is one such defining aspect of the series, as its revelation set a slightly graver tone for the rest of the series. Entwined with the past of many characters, the Tower of Heaven is a forbidden magic item capable of inconceivable feats. Akin to every other taboo magic, the Tower of Heaven is a creation of Zeref, though his followers took it upon themselves to oversee its completion.
With the power to alter the laws of nature itself, the Tower of Heaven is a heinous device created for the purpose of resurrecting those that have long passed. Constructing it was a long and traumatic process, and its long-drawn effects were quite prominent on every character involved.
What Is the Tower of Heaven?
Known by many names, the Tower of Heaven is a product of the dark wizard Zeref's countless years of research. Though the idea was originally proposed by Zeref, it was his loyal followers that brought his invention to fruition. A cult of dark mages was responsible for constructing the tower, albeit through heinous and atrocious means. The cult kidnapped hordes of adults and children from towns throughout the Kingdom of Fiore, and forcefully conscripted them as slave-labor.
The tower's workings are just as wicked as its means of construction, as the primary purpose of the R-System is to bring a deceased person back to life. However, using the R-System has one grave prerequisite – a human sacrifice. By absorbing the sacrifice in an Ether Lacrima, the Tower of Heaven reconfigures the sacrifice's body and turns them into the deceased person intended to be brought back.
The Tower of Heaven also requires an immense amount of magic power to start up the R-System, almost 2.7 Billion Edeas. Producing such a colossal amount of power is impossible for even an entire army of mages. Instead, the R-System was charged by tricking the Magic Council into firing the Etherion Cannon on the tower’s location, fulfilling the last prerequisite to initiate the system.
Who Constructed the Tower of Heaven?
The Tower of Heaven introduced to the audience is actually the 8th tower, as seven previous renditions of the same project were shut down by the Magic Council over its heinous nature. The 8th tower, located on an island south of Fiore, remained undiscovered by the Magic Council, and the cultist group ensured it would be duly completed. After a slave revolt led by Erza Scarlet, Jellal Fernandes became the new overseer of the Tower of Heaven. Jellal was a former slave at the tower, though he was brainwashed by Ultear into thinking he had witnessed Zeref's spirit.
Several years later, Jellal was finally able to complete the construction of the Tower of Heaven, with only one last requirement left – a sacrifice. Erza was chosen as the sacrifice, and she was even kidnapped and brought back to the Tower of Heaven. With the timely intervention of the rest of her guildmates, however, Erza was saved from Jellal's clutches and the Tower of Heaven was shut down for good.
What Is the Purpose of the R-System?
While the dark cult and Jellal utilized the R-System to resurrect Zeref, its initial purpose was entirely different. Zeref proposed the idea of this device during his time at the Mildian Magic Academy, and the purpose of his involvement in the black arts was to bring back his deceased brother, Natsu Dragneel. Despite the magic academy's ban on such magic, Zeref was able to record this information in the demonic scripture known as the Books of Zeref.
Through these books, the dark cult was able to retrieve information on how to construct this item, though their purpose strayed completely from what it was initially intended for. However, Ultear was the real mastermind behind the tower’s construction, a member of the dark guild Grimoire Heart at that time. Since the guild knew Zeref was already alive, their purpose of constructing the Tower of Heaven was to simply distract the Magic Council from their real plans.
Mythological Influence
The Tower of Heaven seems to be directly inspired from the Tower of Babel, a myth that describes the construction of a tower so high that it could reach the heavens. However, its construction displeased God, resulting in divine punishment inflicted on those that took part in building the tower.
The Tower of Heaven is akin to this myth in shape and structure, though the meanings behind the two differ entirely. Still, the Magic Council's ban on its construction and the use of the Etherion Cannon is similar to God's wrath that struck the people of Babylon, making the two similar in other ways.
Fairy Tail is available to stream on Crunchyroll.