Fairy Tail is an anime that introduced many powerhouse characters to the shonen scene, starting with Natsu Dragneel, a classic shonen protagonist. Natsu is the Fire Dragon Slayer, and he has a fierce competitive side to match his flames. One of his unofficial rivals is the Lightning Dragon Slayer, none other than Laxus Dreyar. So, what would happen if they did battle?
Both of them are dragon slayers, meaning their magic works best on dragons, but they have already fought once before, and they could do it again. If no one was around to interfere with the fight, then both Natsu and Laxus could go all out and use the true depths of their power, and in the end, only one dragon slayer can stay standing.
Natsu Dragneel's Skills & Power: Fire And E.N.D.
Natsu is the one who introduced Lucy Heartfilia to the Fairy Tail guild and ever since, he's proven that the "power of friendship" is a major driving force for him. Natsu isn't aiming to become the guild master or prove himself #1 to the world; he only wants to impress and protect his guildmates and friends from harm, and look out for their wellbeing. It's a selfless motivation, and it sets him apart from Izuku Midoriya, who aims to become the new symbol of peace, or Naruto Uzumaki, who strove to become Hokage (and later did it). This can stoke Natsu's drive during battle and push him well past his limits.
As for his abilities, Natsu can use his flaming magic to create powerful blasts of fire from his mouth, such as Fire Dragon's Roar, or he can execute devastating flame punches up close. He can even perform the Crimson Lotus: Phoenix Blade move to blast his opponent into the air, envelop himself in flames, and then headbutt his opponent with focused, piercing power. It may be Natsu's strongest fire-based move of all, though he can also use Purgatory Dragon Fire to perform an explosive flame punch. He may also use Dragon Force to reach his strongest state, and rival a real dragon in power.
Natsu is no ordinary human; he is also the reborn demon brother of Zeref Dragneel, also known as Etherious Natsu Dragneel, or E.N.D. This Curse power alters Natsu's physical appearance, and he gains incredible power that rivals even the Gods in strength. Most noteworthy is the fact that Natsu can control his own actions and thoughts while using this power. He and Gray Fullbuster nearly killed each other in their duel when Natsu used this Curse power and Gray used his Ice Devil Slayer magic (until Erza Scarlet stopped them both with her own strength).
Laxus Dreyar's Skills & Powers: The Artificial Dragon Slayer
Laxus Dreyar is also a Dragon Slayer, but he didn't come from the past like Natsu, Gajeel Redfox and Wendy Marvell did. Instead, he had a magical lacrima implanted in him, making him an artificial Dragon Slayer with remarkable power. Physically, Laxus boasts incredible endurance, which is on par with that of Erza Scarlet, and he can outlast even a Demon Book of Zeref this way. Laxus can match Natsu in hand to hand combat, and he has a great deal of physical strength as well (which is augmented by his magic).
Instead of fire, Laxus is all about lightning, and he can even turn into a lightning bolt himself to move around the battlefield at high speed and strike his enemies. In addition, he can perform an electrical Dragon's Roar spell, which damages and stuns his enemies upon impact. With the Raging Bolt spell, Laxus calls down a mighty thunderbolt on his opponent, not unlike the MCU's Thor calling down lightning from the heavens when he raises Mjolnir. Lightning Dragon's Jaw is among Laxus' best moves, and with it, he can strike his opponent with both hands while charging himself with electricity, like a dragon's jaw snapping shut. This move deals incredible damage to the target and scatters electrical power across the battlefield to hit secondary targets, too.
Like Natsu, Laxus can use Dragon Force to augment his power and assume a slightly draconian form, and he can use the Fairy Law spell, like Makarov and Mavis Vermillion can. This move can strike an opponent dead within its massive area of effect.
Natsu Vs. Laxus - Who Would Win?
Natsu and Laxus are equal in a number of ways, meaning they will strike even as the duel gets underway. Their Dragon Roar abilities are similar in power and in size, and up close, Natsu and Laxus are a close match in hand to hand combat. Laxus might have a slight edge since his electrical power will stun Natsu when it hits him directly, but that's not enough to finish Natsu. This is when more power would be needed.
They will both use their Dragon Force forms, and resume the fight on a bigger scale. Natsu can try to use the Phoenix Blade move to strike a major blow on Laxus, but Laxus can avoid it when he morphs into a lightning bolt to evade it. They are still trading evenly, but Natsu has another edge: his Curse magic. With it, he can push himself to new heights and land major damage on Laxus, and Natsu's fierce determination to prove himself worthy of his friends can outclass any motivation that Laxus may have (Laxus isn't quite as sentimental). Ultimately, Natsu will triumph.
