Completely Random Thoughts #2 (Continued): Acnologia Prequel Movie Headcanon Ideas (Edited)
After my last post about an Acnologia Prequel movie, I decided to go a typical tumblr poster route and bullet-pointed a list of ideas that I would personally use if I were to make this movie. The following will have slight retcons to them, so don’t be too alarmed if there is something that would change something in canon. If anyone else has any ideas for this concept, please share them. I’d love to hear what any of you have.
- To start with, the movie’s artstyle would be something closer to Phoenix Priestess compared to Dragon Cry. I have nothing against the Dragon Cry artstyle, in fact I think it looks fantastic, but I just personally prefer how Acnologia looks in the regular anime compared to Dragon Cry.
- The movie would begin with the birth of a baby Acnologia, who would be given the name “Hajimari”, which is the Japanese word for “beginning”. While initially supposed to represent the start of a new life, this name would foreshadow Acnologia’s role as the “bringer of a new era”.
- Growing up in the Hidden Land of Montes Secreta, we learn many things about Hajimari’s childhood. We learn that his father is the local medic for the village, with his wife being one of his former patients. They are both non-magical folk, as is everyone in Montes Secreta.
- In fact, Hajimari is the only resident of the entire village to have Magic, having developed the power to use healing magic. A trait which would eventually be admired by Hajimari’s young brother.
- Hajimari actually first developed his magic power during a chance encounter with the guardian of Montes Secreta, Acnologia I. While many Dragons inhabited the village, Acnologia I served as the primary guardian and protected the humans against any threat. After a notably fierce battle, a young Hajimari would find an injured Acnologia I and helped heal his wounds with his new-found Magic.
- After this event, the boy and Dragon would become close friends. Acnologia I becoming a sort of teacher to Hajimari as he taught him Dragon culture while Hajimari served to help keep the Dragon company and helped heal wounds he attained in battles to protect the village.
- As Hajimari grows into an adult, he experiences many developments. He becomes an admirer of Dragons, gains a young brother who looks up to him, and gains the title of “Doctor”. However, he also grows anxious about how weak his actual magic is. After failing to save someone even with his healing magic, Hajimari grew less confident of his ability to help anyone. A complex he confides with his close friend, Acnologia I.
- At this time, Acnologia I has heard the tales of wizards gaining a “Dragon-Killing” Magic and goes off to investigate the rumors. Unlike the series, however, we see what happens when Acnologia I encounters a group of Dragon Slayers who have grown mad with power. After being nearly killed by the rogue wizards, Acnologia I returns and converses with the Dragons of Montes Secreta, telling them of the kind of monsters that humans could become.
- The results are the slaughtering of the people of Montes Secreta by the very Dragons that once protected them. Among the destruction, Hajimari loses the family he once held so dear. He witnesses his parents consumed by the flames and his kid brother dies in his arms, his magic not being powerful enough to save him.
- And then the story goes as you know it, Hajimari is the lone survivor of the rampage. Looking over the destruction, he grows a hatred and lust to kill the beings he once oh so admired. For that, he needed the power to slay Dragons. As such, he heads to Ishgar to attain the power he seeks, to make all Dragons bleed.
- After a long journey, he finally makes it to Dragnof. While he’s disgusted at the idea of co-existence with Dragons, and even more so when learning he has to be taught by one, he bears with it in order to achieve his goal. While the Dragons are initially weary of the mysterious traveler, the queen of Dragnov Irene makes the decision to allow his teaching of Dragon Slayer Magic, having felt pity after hearing the tale of his tragedy. However she remained unaware of the growing darkness within Hajimari’s heart.
- To the surprise of many, Hajimari become the first and only human capable of learning a rare form of Dragon Magic known as “Spirit Dragon Slayer Magic”. A Slayer with the power to harness their own spirit in order to inflict damage to a Dragon’s very soul, hurting them in ways no other Slayer could. This magic would also allow Hajimari to consume the souls of the Dragons he killed, a tidbit that would eventually lead to him developing multiple Magic Types at a time, unknown to everyone by Hajimari.
- As the years go on, Hajimari makes a name for himself as one of the most powerful and one of the most aggressive Dragon Slayers working for co-existance. Bidding his time for when he can truly drive Dragons to extinction, he bites his tongue and continues to work with Irene’s cause. However, this form of lifestyle leaves Hajimari unfulfilled, feeling like he isn’t doing enough to avenge all of his fallen loved ones.
- Yet one day, while on a mission from Irene, Hajimari kills a Dragon chasing a girl, a young child named “Rei”. After unintentionally saving her, she begins to follow Hajimari, much to his annoyance. Admiring his strength, Rei essentially becomes a fangirl for Hajimari.
- Eventually, Hajimari begins to form a friendship with Rei, since she reminds him of how his young brother used to look up to him. They form a bond as they share their stories, revealing that Rei too experienced Dragons slaughtering her family. While some of his fellow Dragon Slayers (and even a few Dragons) would mock the “fearsome” Hajimari for taking in a kid, he didn’t care as he now had someone to protect and look after…for now.
- Everything would change, however, when Rei tragically loses her life to an ambush from a Dragon, Hajimari being too late to save her. Exploding in rage, Hajimari’s anger amplifies his magic to the point where he activates his Dragon Force for the first time and savagely rips apart the Dragon.
- After this tragedy, Hajimari begins his true descent into madness. Becoming even more savage in his rage to exterminate Dragons and all who dare support them, no longer caring about the orders of Irene and going rogue. In this period of time is when Hajimari loses his memories, gains the title “Acnologia”, and becomes a full “Arcane Dragon Slayer” along with gaining his Dragonized Form.
- The entire climax would revolve around Acnologia at his peak initiating the Dragon King Festival, with the onlookers including Irene, Anna Heartfillia, and Zeref. The movie ending on a shot of Acnologia atop a mountain of Dragon corpses and roaring towards the heavens proclaiming, “I AM ACNOLOGIA, THE DRAGON KING!!!”
- Originally I didn’t want to make Acnologia a “Spirit Dragon Slayer” since I thought that’d be too out of place, but the appearance of a Ghost Dragon Slayer in 100 Year Quest proved me otherwise. So whelp.
- I wrestled a bit with the idea of making Rei be Sonya from Dragon Cry, adding more meaning to the Post Credit Scene. I decided against it since it would require too much retconning to actually work (Although I guess Sonya’s death would affect Acnologia slightly more after losing both his sibling and Rei in this scenario).
- Something that would definitely be in the movie would be the bitter reunion of Hajimari and Acnologia I. I’m currently on and off at thinking of having Acnologia I actually being the one who kills Rei and begins Hajimari’s savage rampage. The meeting would expectedly end with the gruesome death of Acnologia I, who would reflect on his past choices and die in shame of the kind of monster that he helped create.
But yeah, that’s what I got so far for my Acnologia Prequel Movie idea. Please, let me know what you think of it.
