Chapters: N/A, Episodes: 204-226
Short Summary
A filler arc set after the Grand Magic Games Arc. Opening the Eclipse Gate in the previous arc seems to have unforseen side effects in the Celestial Spirit world, turning the personalities of the spirits hostile who seek "true freedom" from their owners. It's up to Fairy Tail to find out what's causing this change and how to reverse it.Main Summary
This arc has the following tropes
- Ascended Extra: Princess Hisui. She is confirmed to be a Celestial Spirit Mage.
- Butterfly of Doom: The events of this arc became possible as a direct result of the Eclipse Project.
- Calvin Ball: Cana's card game against Scorpio essentially devolves into this with Scorpio coming up with a new rule every turn. Cana turns this against him as she picks up she can do the same thing with her cards.
- Continuity Nod: Several to the Key of the Starry Heavens filler arc and other previous arcs.
- The opening montage of Episode 205 features a Zentopian Church, the dessert above the Sacred Graveyard, and the Archeological Society. The beach, Lucy and co. went to train at prior to the Grand Magic Games also makes an appearance. Erza also wears the construction outfit she donned back when the Guildhall was being rebuilt in the first season.
- The Library of Sorcery shows up in Episode 206 and Natsu dons the Celestial Spirit clothing he wore during the Oracion Seis arc.
- Michelle is used for a trivia question in Levy vs Capricorn completion, based the on fact that Lucy originally named the doll Gonzales.
- Several versions of Gray, wearing various outfits from throughout the series including his Julius play costume, his Fairy Tail Team A outfit, and his Fantasia Parade garb, appear when Eclipse Cancer cuts open his heart.
- All of Lucy's silver key spirits including Lyra and Crux make appearances. Katja's Nikora Niko also makes a cameo.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Played for Laughs...at first. Ophiuchus beats Natsu, Wendy, Happy, and Carla in completely comical way in their first meeting. However, their second battle is treated much more seriously.
- Eldritch Abomination: The Eclipse Spirit Beast. It's an enormous, featureless creature which can vacuum up nearby objects and people like a black hole, turn people into constellations, and appears to contain an entire galaxy in its stomach.
- Evil Costume Switch: All of the Gold Key Celestial Spirits have been given redesigns. Some making them look closer to their namesake.
- Face–Heel Turn: The Gold Key Celestial Spirits somehow undergo this, though why isn't known. Only that it has something to do with the Eclipse Gate. Oddly the Silver Key Spirits are unaffected.
- Foreshadowing: Lucy and Aquarius' flashback to when Lucy was a child, and Aquarius was taking care of her. Given what happens in the Tartarus arc...
- Go-Go Enslavement: Virgo intends to enslave and torture Lucy. She uses her powers to turn Lucy's outfit into a bikini.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Happens to most of the spirits in their battles with Fairy Tail when their opponents use their own moves/gimmicks against them.
- Hypocritical Humor: After Fairy Tail has defeated most the Eclipse Spirits, Elfman gloats he was the first one to defeat one of them. Erza hears him as she's meeting up with the others and comments it wasn't a race...then proceeds to give Elfman a Death Glare. Mirajane and Cana call her out on this and tell her to let Elfman have his glory.
- Kick the Dog: Aries' counterpart, of all the spirits, taunts a dehydrated Juvia by pouring water right in front of her.
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: At the end of the arc, all the Gold Key spirits are returned to normal with no clue what transpired. Even the Spirit King doesn't remember anything.
- The Man Behind the Man: Ophiuchus is actually a Dragon with an Agenda, and was manipulating the other spirits for the benefit of the Celestial Spirit King.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Fairy Tail manage to defeat near all the spirits but find out that closing their gates turn them back into constellations and the whole events were being manipulated by Ophiuchus so that they may power the Eclipse Celestial Spirit King. The reason the Gold Key spirits were so desperate to free themselves from their contacts was to get away from the Celestial Spirit King before that happened.
- Poor Communication Kills: The heroes keep asking the Gold Key spirits why they're so hostile them and so desperate for freedom. But constantly keep getting told they wouldn't understand. Turns out if they had bothered to tell them, a lot of trouble could've been avoided from the get go.
- Samus Is a Girl: Turns out Ophiuchus is a female. Who knew?
- Ship Tease: Between Levy and Gajeel. During the quiz contest with Eclipse Capricorn, Levy is asked who she likes, and while her answer is not heard, she seems to say Gajeel's name.
- Shout-Out:
- At the start of Ep 205, you can see the back of a figure that looks suspiciously like Luffy. The english dub even had his/Erza’s voice actor Colleen Clinkenbeard provide the moaning sound in his voice note
- A twofold one in 208, as Cana and Scorpio fight using a card game. When Cana asks what the rules are, Scorpio states he is the rules.
- In Ep 211, when Cancer gives Gray the power to dance, Gray ends up channeling Michael Jackson, specifically his moves from Smooth Criminal right down to the fedora hat.
- Tickle Torture: Eclipse Virgo does this to Lucy in order to break her.
- Xanatos Gambit: The ritual was a hoax to begin with, planted by the Eclipse Celestial Beast to get the gold key celestial spirits in one place so he can absorb them. All activating it would've done would've just made the zodiac spirits suffer before turning them back into constellations. So it was lose-lose for them either way.
- Your Days Are Numbered: The group find out that if the 12 Gold Key Spirits complete a certain ritual, it'll indeed server their ties from their owners but also kill them as well within twelve days. However when Lucy tries to tell them this, Leo reveals they already know but don't care.
