Fairy Tail (2014) Ep. 59: "Tartaros Chapter, Prologue: The Nine Demon Gates"

Alternative: Episode 59 of the Original Series ("Recollections of Jellal")

The arrival of Jackal and his explosive power sets a violent precedent for the rest of the season.

It drops the lighthearted "guild fun" for a gritty, serious prologue involving the brutal massacre of the Magic Council.

It features Wendy’s backstory with "Jellal" and Lucy’s hard-fought victory against Angel.

This episode is widely praised for shifting the show into a significantly darker, higher-stakes tone.