Since the original manga run of Fairy Tail ended in 2017, and the anime wrapped up earlier this year, fans might be left wondering what comes next. The series's ending left plenty of room for sequels, but as with many anime series, it can be difficult to determine the official statement on what (and when) things are happening.

First some clarification—there is a distinction betweenFairy Tail: Next Generation, the fanfiction by Katie The Terrible, and the conceptual "next generation" of Fairy Tail. The current status, general direction, and implications of both will be addressed in this article since they could be easily confused.

10/10 Fairy Tail: Next Generation Isn't Canon

Might as well get this out of the way first—as a fanfiction, theFairy Tail: Next Generation series can't be considered an official part of the story. Though the current volumes boast cover artwork with an uncanny similarity to the original series, it seems there are presently no ties between the fanfiction's author andFairy Tail series creator Hiro Mashima. As the internet lights up with buzz about spinoffs, this ongoing series is igniting plenty of questions about what is and isn't canon. Although it's not out of the question, it's largely unprecedented for an unassociated fanfiction to be officially adopted into the canon.

9/10 Fan Ships Are Abundant In The Fanfiction

natsu lucy nearly about to kiss fairy tail

Since the plot revolves around a new generation of Fairy Tail guild members (AKA the children of the main characters), many of the relationships that were set up in the original series needed to be resolved. Prominent among the couples formalized in the fanfiction are Natsu and Lucy, whose relationship was an essential through-line of the original series from start to finish. The story's pairings also include Gray and Juvia, Erza and Jellal, Happy and Carla, and Gajeel and Levy. No huge surprises here, since the original series made it pretty clear these folks would end up together, but it is somewhat cathartic to finally see the payoff, canon or not.

8/10 Fanfiction Introduces New Cast Of Characters

Taking place years after the events of Fairy Tail, the story introduces Liddan and Nashi, the children of Natsu and Lucy. They are joined by Gideon and Sylvie, children of Gray and Juvia; Laurie, son of Gajeel and Levy; and Malcon, the son of Happy and Carla. The fanfiction also introduces some characters outside of the lineages fan already know, including Marigold Pollen, a new protagonist in the Fairy Tail guild.

Much like the beginning of the original series, the fanfiction's cast start to meet up, spend time together, and slowly learn each other's origins. Also in fashion with the original series, as more allies are introduced, a team of baddies show up to harass Fairy Tail—this time, going by the Deadly Sins.

7/10 The Original Creator Drew Some Concept Art For Fans

Since the fanfiction mentioned earlier covers an unexplored period of the Fairy Tail story—at least a decade after the events of the original run—there isn't a ton of information to confirm or deny the possibility of the events being canon. However, Hiro Mashima shared some sketches from New York Comic Con on Twitter in 2017 that could both lend credence to, and break from, fan theories. The sketches show concepts for Natsu and Lucy's daughter and Juvia and Gray's son. Unfortunately, Mashima also confirmed that the characters he drew were largely for the sake of fans and shouldn't be considered canon.

6/10 Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest

fairy tail 100 years quest cover Cropped

If Fairy Tail: Next Generation isn't the future of the series, then what is? As fans of the manga likely know already, Mashima began a spinoff sequel series in 2018 titled Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest. At present, four volumes of the series have been released in Japan, and it is licensed by Kodansha USA for an English release.Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest is still storyboarded by Mashima, and original illustrator Atsuo Ueda also returned for the project. The series is ongoing, although there is no indication how long it will run. Depending on where the story goes, fans could be in for either one quest or a huge revival of the series.

5/10 The Official Spinoff Takes Place One Year After Fairy Tail Ends

fairy tail 100 years quest

Fairy Tail ended with an obvious set-up for at least one sequel. A year after their battle with Zeref and Acnologia, Natsu and the gang agree to take on a quest left unfinished for one hundred years. On the continent of Guiltina, they discover the mission will require the sealing of the Five Dragon Gods, a group of remaining dragons that, as usual, pose a massive threat to the world. In addition, a girl named Touka joins Fairy Tail. She seeks to seize the power of the dragons because of the evil alter ego within her, the White Mage, sparking conflict with Natsu's team.

4/10 No Plans For Anime Yet

Fans of the anime will likely be bummed to hear that there are no current plans to adaptFairy Tail: 100 Years Quest into anime form. Given the massive success and long tenure of the original anime series, it seems a sure bet that at some point the anime will return, but for now there is no official announcement.

It may be just a matter of time, given that the Fairy Tail anime started about three years after the manga. Furthermore,100 Years Questisn't being released on a regular schedule, so it's possible the writers are waiting for enough material to build up before starting the anime.

3/10 No Official Word On The "Next Generation"

So if the official sequel series takes place relatively soon afterFairy Tail's conclusion, where does that leave this "next generation" of Fairy Tail characters and stories. Well, for now, nowhere and anywhere. Mashima has clearly given some thought to the future of Fairy Tail, but with100 Years Questas his main focus, it may be quite a long time before anything official is said about the future of the series. Then again, the original series had several significant time jumps, so it wouldn't be unprecedented for100 Years Questto give at least a glimpse into the next generation.

2/10 Official Manga Is Ongoing

If all this "no word yet" and "unconfirmed" stuff has you concerned, don't worry—there's still plenty ofFairy Tail to go around. As previously mentioned, there are currently four compiled volumes of Fairy Tail:100 Years Questavailable from Kodansha. Additionally, there are nine published chapters that have yet to be compiled into volume form. If that still isn't enoughFairy Tail,fans can also look forward to the RPG game in development at Gust, coming to PS4, Switch, and PC in 2020. In the meantime,Fairy Tail: Next Generationis also ongoing, in case fanfiction is your speed.

1/10 Anime Cast Interested In Continuing Series

As previously discussed, there aren't any formal plans to continue theFairy Tailanime. But that doesn't mean the people involved with it are ready to be done. ComicBook.com reported in July that, when speaking to Todd Haberkorn, he indicated that he was hopeful the sequel series would get an anime treatment. Haberkorn was the English voice of Natsu throughout the original Fairy Tail series. Between Haberkorn and the fans' interest, there is certainly an audience out there, should the anime continue. It's possible that with enough fan support, the show may come back to stay.

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