The legendary dark mage Zeref is a human wizard known throughout history as the strongest and most malevolent mage to ever exist. Living over four centuries ago, his legacy endures today through other dark wizards and guilds who revere Zeref's power. Many dark guilds were established with the goal of reviving Zeref and aiding him in world domination. Not only was he immensely powerful, but also a genius who relentlessly pursued new magic despite being the most potent mage alive.
Zeref is credited with creating tens of thousands of demons using his living magic, creatures that continue to wreak havoc on Earth. Besides living magic, Zeref was proficient in death magic. It was later revealed that Zeref achieved immortality and has lived for more than 400 years. However, this immortality came with a curse: an uncontrollable ability to kill anything around him. To avoid harming others, he isolated himself on Tenrou Island.
Tartaros, one of the three dark guilds in the Balam Alliance, consists entirely of demons from Zeref’s books. Although E.N.D, supposedly the strongest of Zeref's demons, is considered the leader, he has yet to be summoned. Thus, Mard Geer, the ruler of the underworld, acts as the guild master. Mard Geer disclosed that Zeref created these demons, known as Etherious, hoping they would eventually end his immortal life.
At some point, Zeref founded the Alvarez Empire, uniting all 730 magic guilds of Alakitasia by force. As Emperor Spriggan, he is revered by his citizens as both benevolent and formidable. He formed an elite group of the empire's most powerful mages, called the Spriggan 12.
Four hundred years ago, Zeref's parents and younger brother were killed by dragons. Seeking to resurrect his brother, Zeref studied at Mildian Magic Academy, focusing on the connections between life, death, and magic. Against the warnings of his superiors about Ankhseram's wrath, he developed the R-System and Eclipse Gate. His quest led to Ankhseram cursing him with immortality and the curse of contradiction—causing those around him to die if he valued their lives too much. This curse drove him to create countless demons in hopes of finding a way to die.
Over time, the curse took its toll on Zeref’s mind, leading to a split personality. One side remained kind-hearted, while the other believed humans no longer deserved to live due to their repeated mistakes. During his long existence, Zeref encountered Fairy Tail's first master, Mavis. They grew fond of each other, with Mavis denying Zeref's self-proclaimed monstrosity. When Mavis fell under the same curse, Zeref tried to comfort her, and they decided to live together to find a cure. Their love blossomed, but during their first kiss, the curse activated, killing Mavis. Devastated, Zeref embarked on a quest to find death once again.
Eventually, Zeref found a way to revive his younger brother, inadvertently creating a demon named E.N.D, or Etherious Natsu Dragneel, capable of ending his life as desired.
