Death in Fairy Tail is something that came very later on in the series, and Hiro Mashima was very careful in making almost each and every one of those partings impactful. Following the concept of redemption for a very long time, there were hardly any deaths that lasted. However, with time, that concept also developed into heartbreaking demise one after another.
One character was given the same treatment. No matter how many times it felt that it would the last fans would see of him, a grand return would be awaiting him. Despite his age and ailments, there was one way or another for him to find the strength to cling on. The person responsible for keeping him alive for so long was not Hiro Mashima much to anyone’s surprise.
Makarov as a character wasn’t as liked by the Fairy Tail mangaka as compared to his voice actor.
Makarov’s Fate Changed in Fairy Tail
As was the thought of many fans, Makarov was initially thought to be killed during the Tenrou Island arc in Fairy Tail. Hiro Mashima had intended for the same and fans too felt his end to be nigh. In an interview via Livedoor, the mangaka revealed that his plan had been going in full swing, leading to the 7-year time skip that pushes the story forward ultimately, albeit without the inclusion of Makarov.
“There are many, but the one that stands out in my memory is Makarov.” He added, “Originally, Makarov was scheduled to die in the Tenrou Island arcs. I thought that his death would move the entire work forward to the next generation, and that was something I had clearly decided on from a long time ago.”
By the time he had decided on Makarov’s ending, he had yet to get a chance to talk with Shinpachi Tsuji. This was a decision a long time in the making and nothing was supposed to derail that path for Mashima.
That was until the mangaka had his first conversation with the voice artist behind the famous guild master.
Hiro Mashima is Hugely Impacted by Shinpachi Tsuji
Fans of the series now know that Makarov does meet his ultimate death way down the road during the Alvarez Empire arc, however, that is a long stretch from his initially intended demise. Upon talking with Shinpachi Tsuji, Hiro Mashima came to like the voice actor so much that the very thought of not having to meet him became a nightmare.
“It’s a very direct and personal reason. If Makarov were to die here, I wouldn’t have a chance to talk to Mr. Tsuji during the dubbing or the launch, so I couldn’t wait anymore. So I thought of a way to not kill him, and ended up surviving until the end.”
The Fairy Tail author instead tried brainstorming ideas about how to keep Makarov alive and relevant to the story until he got an opportunity to meet Tsuji. This kept going on and on until the very end, right before the 100-year quest arc.
His adoration for Tsuji became his driving force in making Makarov’s significance in the story continue to grow.
Fairy Tail is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
