Gray Fullbuster (Ash)

"Time is like ice. No matter how slowly, it will become warm and melt one day, moving forward with the sea."

- Ashy

Gray Fullbuster (グレイ・フルバスター, Gurei Furubasutā) is a and   hailing from. He is a mage of distinctive prowess, even among the elite of Fairy Tail and is currently a Candidate. He is currently assigned on a in  alongside Juvia Lockser regarding the rise of a suspicious criminal faction and has allied with Desperados to take them down more effectively.

Appearance
Gray is a youthful individual whom, despite his comrades' lively appearances, looks somewhat bland when put in comparison. This is made most apparent by his rather dejected expression on most occasions, likely a consequence of past endeavours he's undergone. Albeit, in recent times, he bears a much more lighthearted facial expression, indicating that he has finally overcome the traumas of his past. When discussing physical features, Gray's most defining characteristic is his physical stature and build. He is noted for being impressively muscular despite his age, with a relatively broad build and notable definition across the entirety of his body. His torso is distinctively toned, with defined biceps, triceps, abdomen and pectorals; his right pectoral is also the location of his mark. In contrast, his facial features and other physical features make him appear like a classical, specifically his black hair and eyes. His hair is spiked and brushed away from his forehead, save for the few strands that go down his forehead. In addition, he has a sharp jawline, thin lips and sharp nose, accentuating his overall look significantly. Finally, due to the number of life-threatening situations he's been in, he has two significant scars. One of these is on his head and was gained during the events at, while the other is on his abdomen during his fight with at. It should be noted that, when making full use of his Ice Devil Slayer Magic, Gray's markings stretch from his arm all the way to covering half of his chest and his eyes appear to turn a bright crimson. Although, given that he can control this output, it is assumed he can be even more powerful should he wish. When affiliated with, he seemed to have his hair a lot more spiked than normal; how he achieved this is unknown.

Gray's clothes vary depending on the situation. However, his most distinctive clothing choices are constants: a chain with a cross shape similar to 's insignia, a dark blue bracelet on his right wrist and a silver-buckled belt with a cross on its center. He appears to be very fond of dark pants and long coats. Though it isn't known why he prefers the latter, as he constantly strips them off. Though in a twist of irony, he rarely loses his clothes.

Personality
Gray's personality is one that, quite simply, has been overshadowed by everybody else's because it does not lie at an extreme end of any spectrum. His closest friend is considered to be an excessive hot-head who cares for his comrades immensely, while his brief sister-figure,  had a ruthless disdain for humanity until the end of her life; Gray is stuck in the middle of most things. Because of this, and his rather simplistic magic and combat style, he has been overshadowed by others for the majority of his career as a mage; he had no unique features. However, Gray can be considered quite a complex individual nonetheless, and has been molded from the grueling experiences of his past, most of which he hasn't recovered from.

Generally, Gray can be seen as a rather laid-back young man with notoriously dirty habits - particularly his stripping one. His unconscious stripping stems from his training with as a young boy, to which his body effortlessly adapted to even the coldest climates. As such, when not engaging in an issue of importance, he tends to strip unconsciously. This is a running source of humor, particularly considering that he quite easily strips down to his underwear, and on the odd occasion, is completely nude. In these situations, Gray is easily riled up, and generally picks fights with Natsu, who provokes him without any thought behind it. Running from this adaptation to the cold, Gray doesn't particularly enjoy the heat - freezing everything he finds hot - making it difficult to work with him, especially in summer. Otherwise, Gray is a rather rude, and blunt person, showing no qualms to argue with others based on the merit that they have even mildly insulted them, showing no tolerance when his dignity is targeted - ironic, really.

However, this is simply the aspect of his personality that is shown to others on most occasion. Gray is a much darker individual than what would meet the eye. Given the experiences he has had with people being lost in his life, Gray is quite pessimistic whenever it comes to the relationships he has with other people. He has lost the sense of directness that he could adopt when he was younger, instead distancing himself from other people so-as-to not be hurt by their — what he believes to be — inevitable parting. Consequently, Gray is very fool-hardy when it comes to such situations, having resorted to nearly using on three occasions, a true indication to the level of precedence he gives to the life of others.

One of Gray's most significant traits, stemming from his internal darkness, would be his lack of ethical and moral concern when it comes to his objectives. Regardless of the means he must take, he will eventually complete his goal. This is wholeheartedly demonstrated through his battles, where he doesn't abide by the ideals of or even, using any means possible — including deception — to win. Moreover, he has also translated this lack of concern to, what appears to be, a remarkable acting ability. This was made clear through his temporary affiliation to only to enable  to defeat her cybernetic  permanently, despite everyone in  going against him. Likewise, he did so seamlessly with his mission to blend in with, even leaving Juvia in the dark, while successfully fooling individuals like that his emotions for the  were genuine.

That being said, Gray also possesses a notable victory complex, absolutely despising the idea of his humiliation and loss, especially in front of his comrades. This appears to stem from his own personal losses; the idea that a loss indicates weakness is one that is unacceptable for the man, thus leading him to seek vengeance at all costs. This burning desire for victory comes across as something akin to a miracle-worker. As with all users of magic, it is not simply Gray's magical power that determines the outcome of a battle, but rather, his emotions and willpower. Within this state of heightened desire, Gray undoubtedly possesses incredibly powerful emotions that strongly resonate with the power of his magic, much like his comrades within. However, it is undoubted that his defining characteristic when in this particular state is his anger, which is kept internalized as he continues to blame himself for his losses. And yet, his magic grows ever-stronger, triumphing over his enemies with the pride of 's disciple and of a mage.

The most distinctive aspect of Gray's identity lies deep within the roots of his past. Specifically, the destruction of his home by, the death of  and then his. Deliora is a figure within Gray's life that defines his current attitudes towards existence. The thought of Deliora has never once left the back of Gray's mind and, as a result, he is constantly traumatized by any similarities to the said Demon. This was made clear when he saw Deliora's corpse years after the events, to which all of his previous memories rushed to him. Moreover, this same trauma afflicted him during the fight against,  and his Etherious transformation, where he screamed and panicked until the visage of Ultear seemingly pacified him. Finally, the rawest display of fury that Gray has for Deliora could easily be seen in his conflict with Silver, whose pretense of being Deliora sent Gray into a mad frenzy, albeit even this was — to some extent — an act.

Following the events that involved, Gray had completely broken down. His father, temporarily revived for him to see, would ultimately pass from this world at the hands of a close friend, all the while passing him a duty that no son should need to inherit. Yet, with the companionship of others, Gray seems to have overcome his that plagued him for years on end. Now, when conversing with others, he abandons his distant attitude and is capable of expressing his emotions wholeheartedly, a trait that he once believed to be a sign of weakness. In saying that, he still retains his calm, casual persona around others — a punkish young man who has a dirty stripping habit.

Besides having overcome his past with Deliora, Gray also has a newfound motivation to keep moving forward. His current goal is to eradicate the known as. Even without knowledge of the Etherious' true identity, he believes that by taking upon this responsibility he can give his father's soul peace. Unlike what Gray would normally have done in this situation, which is to abandon his comrades, Gray understands the importance of his comrades and will only take the path that won't dishonor his father, demonstrating a level of morality unseen previously. This was made apparent by his comments regarding, whom Gray often referred to as "low-lives", for the nature of their goals was completely opposite to what Gray believed as just, even if it should bring E.N.D within arm's reach.

History

 * Please refer to here if you wish to read Gray's history prior to the beginning of canon events.

Magic and Abilities
Gray Fullbuster, as a, possesses distinctive prowess even among the standards of. What he lacks within raw power, he makes up for his versatility, cunning and ingenuity. Across the board, Gray is balanced in terms of magical and physical prowess. However, with his acquisition of Ice Devil Slayer Magic, in addition to personal training, Gray completely overrode his previous limitations. His individual power is enough to contend with the likes of and  — the former of which was effortlessly defeated by his newfound abilities. Likewise, he manages to retain a similar level of ability with his, seamlessly defeating the likes of and dozens of  cult members despite their overwhelming advantage in numbers. He is so powerful that, on his own admission, he can match in a contest of power. Given that the said defeated  in only a single hit, this feat speaks volumes of his ability. In fact, his prowess was such that he was forced to hold back against the likes of Slithering Serpent's elite mage Eddy, for fear that the outcome of the battle would cause unwanted attention.

Natural Abilities
Keen Intellect:

Enhanced Durability:

Enhanced Agility:

Enhanced Strength: