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Servants (サーヴァント, ?) are Heroic Spirits summoned by the Holy Grail for the purpose of competing under Masters in the Holy Grail War.

Contents

NatureEdit

Servants are Heroic Spirits made into special familiars that are bound to the Master. Pure Heroic Spirits can only be summoned by the World, and summoning even one is considered to be a miraculous occurrence. Even the Holy Grail lacks the power to summon a true Heroic Spirit, so the process is facilitated by summoning the into one of seven vessels prepared beforehand. These vessels, classes, are classified based on their primary roles. Heroic Spirits can be summoned into any "class" that reflects the abilities they had in life. While they generally appear as they were in their prime, those with some kind of curse or strong attachment to their appearance can even be summoned in the form they had just before death.[1]

Although too powerful to be controlled by humans, the prospect of having a wish granted by the Holy Grail serves as incentive cooperate with a Master. There are also those like Lancer who lack an actual wish, instead simply wishing to battle other heroes freely. They also require their master as an anchor to the world, so killing their Master would go against their purpose. Masters also possess three Command Spells with which to force a Servant to obey their orders.

The Servant system was designed to summon only the souls of "true" heroes - benevolent, honorable, and selfless protectors of humanity and justice. Due to the corruption of the Holy Grail in the third Holy Grail War, evil spirits can be summoned. These entities can still be considered to be Heroic Spirits if they were widely worshipped, respected, or feared in life.

Spiritual bodyEdit

“Spiritual Body” is a word that describes an existence with spiritual properties. In other words, a shape is constructed without relying on components with physical properties. On the other hand, “Material Body” means something that is identical in structure as our flesh bodies. A Material Body, just like us, cannot walk through walls, and will hurt and become wounded when beaten with an iron baton. However, a Spirit Body is capable of completely disregarding such physical interference. Attacking a Spiritual Body with a baton or sword (unless they are magical items) will only hit empty space.

When Servants materialise, they acquire Material Bodies in this world. They can also switch to Spiritual Bodies through their will. Spiritual Bodies have the advantages such as low mana consumption, and difficult to be detected by enemies. One of the properties of a Spiritual Body is that it is unaffected by physical interference, but conversely it is difficult for a Spiritual Body to affect a Material Body. As a result, Servants Materialise when engaging in combat.

Although both are Material Bodies, the composition of Servants and Humans are drastically different. Naturally, it is impossible to transplant a portion of a Servant’s Material Body to a human. However, Shirou Emiya was able to successfully transplant Archer’s left arm to replace his own lost left arm. How is this possible? It is because Shirou and Archer – Heroic Spirit Emiya are the same person.

Servants can revert to spirit form when not in battle at will, to reduce the burden on their Masters. In this form they can pass through inorganic substances that aren't dense with mana; they are also invisible to the naked eye (except for the Master they connected with) and most forms of scrying in this state, facilitating the concealment of their identity. When Lancer invaded the Emiya mansion, he used his spirit form to infiltrate the house. He subsequently reverted to physical form to drop from the ceiling into the living room. They cannot be affected by normal interference when dematerialized, but need to materialize for battle. As Human Spirits are they able to consume the souls and minds of people and convert them into energy. Their basic abilities do not change from such nourishment, but they become tougher as their magical energy capacity increases.

When a Heroic Spirit emerges into this world, he first acquires a Spiritual Core. The Heroic Spirit then materialises as the body envelopes this Spiritual Core. In order to defeat a Heroic Spirit, one must inflict damage to the Spiritual Core. The Spiritual Core gradually diminishes as a result of massive magical energy expenditure or sustaining bodily damage. Under these adverse conditions, the Heroic Spirit’s expenditure of magical energy will escalate, and should damaged be inflicted through powerful magical energy, curse, or Noble Phantasm, the Spiritual Core will be destroyed, and the Heroic Spirit will no long be able to remain materialised. The heart and head are connected directly to the Spiritual Core, thus they are the weaknesses of Heroic Spirits. Sustaining damage at these locations will significantly weaken the Spiritual Core.[2]

SummoningEdit

CB319F2E0B33107E3320ACC851CB790A
Magic circle used to summon a Servant
Kiritsugu90Added by Kiritsugu90
2011-10-035
The catalysts to summon Archer, Saber and Rider in the fourth war
Kiritsugu90Added by Kiritsugu90

There are several factors that determine which Heroic Spirit the Master will summon. Performing a summoning ritual to interfere with the Greater Grail causes it to borrow the information of the main body of the Greater Grail in the Throne of Heroes. The information, the soul of highest purity of the Heroic Spirit, is taken into the container of the Class and becomes a created "copy", so to speak, of the Heroic Spirit, a Servant.

It is possible for the Grail to simply select a Servant for the Master by choosing a Heroic Spirit with good affinity with them, but they can also designate the Heroic Spirit during the summoning ritual by preparing a catalyst with ties to the Servant that they desire. If they choose a catalyst for multiple Heroic Spirits like the gates of Troy, the symbol of the Trojan War, the Heroic Spirit among the candidates that has good affinity with the Master will be chosen.[3] The magus must choose whether to go for good compatibility, possibly loosing the gamble with a poor Servant, or to draw a specific Servant of their choice with a catalyst and possibly be ruined by bad compatibility.

While the rituals are generally specific, their main goal is to act as a precaution to create a bond with a perfect, reliable Servant. They really only require a summoning circle, even if unskilled, and a catalyst can bypass the need of chanting a spell. Doing so can create aberrations like Gilles de Rais being placed into a normally unsuitable class or King Arthur having a bad connection with her Master that does not allow her to receive prana through normal methods. The Grail of Fuyuki requires seven Servants, so it will pick from anyone appropriate until it has all seven in cases where more capable magi have not summoned Servants already.[4]

Examples of catalysts include:

When summoned, Servants are imparted with knowledge of technology, culture, science, and terms of the era they were summoned into, as well as skill in languages. Rider displays the ability to speak English to his Master, Waver Velvet, and also speak Japanese to Taiga Fujimura, allowing him to easily translate between the two.[5] This is largely to prevent Servants from periods significantly before the era of a Grail War in question from suffering crippling culture shock which would otherwise prevent them from fulfilling their duties, and also enable them to blend in with that era's society. It is not all-encompassing, so concepts may have to still be explained to them. Saber does not understand the idea of dating until it is framed into the similar method of courting of her time.

Without such knowledge, a Servant's potential would be crippled. This knowledge does not just cover history but all aspects of "modern" life during the Grail War in question, to the point that Servants can find things that would have been unthinkable in their lifetimes to be mundane or even worthy of scorn. They are not granted knowledge on other Heroes through the Grail, but rather from knowledge gain within the Throne of Heroes. Saber, not being a proper Heroic Spirit, is able to identify those who are older like Cú Chulainn, but cannot identify the legends of newer Heroic Spirits like Gilles de Rais even after being told of him.[6]

Irisviel von Einzbern figured that Saber would be surprised upon flying in a plane, but she does not have much of an opinion after receiving knowledge of it and the possible ability to fly one with her Riding. While not given enough information to actually drive vehicles, her ability is able to manage such through intuition even if she does not actually recognize what each separate control of a vehicle will actually perform what action. Rider does note surprise at the knowledge of the true state of the world being a sphere, and he has enough familiarity to use modern money, order a specialty t-shirt through the postal service, and buy and play a video games console.

BattleEdit

Battles between Servants can be called a process of gradually shaving off the magical energy that forms the their bodies. Attacks that consume a great amount of magical energy will inflict a massive amount of damage on the opponent, but it will also weaken the attacker in the process. In order to inflict a great amount of damage with minimum expenditure of magical energy, it is necessary for them to collect intelligence regarding the enemy and assault their weakness. The greatest weapon is their Noble Phantasm, and a battle between Servants can often be called a battle between Noble Phantasms.

The true name of a Servant is something vital to battle, as it can reveal much about them. It can reveal certain traits about their abilities, allowing for specific countermeasures, and there are many famous heroes that had met untimely deaths in life. Those killed by poison will be more susceptible to it, those shot down by arrows will be weak against them, and those with weak spots will be severely disadvantaged. There are also things like the traits of a dragon being weak against dragon-slaying weapons, and even without such a specific countermeasure, releasing that information to the other Masters can allow for other countermeasures.

Famous heroes like King Arthur and Siegfried are very likely to have their identities found out more easily than others. Simply glancing upon Excalibur is enough for any Heroic Spirit to know her name, while someone like Gilgamesh is able to show off his Noble Phantasms without many being able to guess. Others need to utilize their Noble Phantasms before they reveal themselves, but it may require deductive reasoning even then. There are those without specific weaknesses whose true names will bring no trouble if revealed like Astolfo.

Their strength can be likened to the attack power of one "fighter", too overpowering for a single person to stand against. It would still take them many times to refuel in order to destroy a city. Their main strength is their inability to be harmed by regular weapons, meaning that even though there are numerous destructive modern weapons, Servants are among the most powerful. Just as a fighter can load a nuclear warhead, each Servant has the own Noble Phantams, and the ones with ridiculously powerful ones are the main reason for likening them to a fighter.[7]

Beings other than Servant able to combat Servants are few in modern times. Matched up against Servants with extremely average Noble Phantasms, those of B rank with the ability being represented by numbers, Arcueid Brunestud would always generally win against a single Servant due to her overwhelming strength, but would likely fall if two were to fight her at once. The members of the Twenty Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors, Kouma Kishima, and Aoko Aozaki can fight directly, while Ciel and the Shiki Ryougi's third personality can keep up in a defensive fight that can still be called a fight. Ryougi's normal personality and Shiki Tohno have no chance of matching Servants.[8][9] Humans utilizing ten Command Spells would also be able to damage Servants.[10]

Against Dead Apostle Ancestors, both are types of beings that live in mystery, so such battles would come down to "having the means of killing the other guy somehow." Servants will generally hold a slight advantage, barring compatibility issues, and the Knight classes, Saber, Archer, and Lancer will all be able to have solid fights. While Saber's Excalibur is extremely effective against those who overwhelm by material quantity and alienness, there are those capable of surviving being hit by Excalibur-class attacks through pure endurance. At the same time, those same ones with extreme endurance would have a tough time with Lancer's Gae Bolg.[11] ORT, to which Earth's rules don't apply, and Primate Murder can be called in a league of their own above both Ancestors and Servants.[12]

ClassificationEdit

Classes
Seven standard classes
EGGSAdded by EGGS

Heroic Spirits summoned by the Holy Grail are place into one of seven categories. The seven standard classes are Saber, Lancer, Archer, Rider, Caster, Assassin, and Berserker. According to Rin, servant classes are changed between each war, so other classes, such as Avenger created by the Einzberns in the Third Holy Grail War, can also be summoned. The Three Knight classes are the only Servants who will definitely be summoned according to the framework of the Holy Grail War, allowing for variation in the rest of the classes. More than one version of the same class cannot be summoned, even if all the Masters were to use the variation in the summoning chant to get a Berserker-class Servant.[13]

  • Saber: Servants placed within this class are agile and powerful melee warriors. It is commonly assumed to be the best class overall, with high ratings in all categories. It is one of the three Knight classes, together with Lancer and Archer and also possesses the Riding skill like the Rider class.
  • Lancer: Servants placed within this class are very agile and skilled with long-range melee weapons, such as spears, lances, etc. It is one of the three Knight classes, together with Archer and Saber.
  • Archer: Servants placed within this class are usually proficient with projectiles and can survive longer without a Master nearby, thanks to their special ability Independent Action; the strongest Archers can be difficult to control at times, in fact, due to their near-total independence from their "Masters". It is one of the three Knight classes, together with Lancer and Saber.
  • Rider: Servants placed within this class place emphasis upon speed and powerful Noble Phantasms, which often include their mounts. Their special skill is Riding, which allows them to fully utilize abilities of their mounts (which can range from simple horses to mechanical vehicles to divine or supernatural creatures.).
  • Caster: Servants placed within this class are adept in magecraft and have a special ability akin to Reality Marble, called Territory Creation, which alters or creates space around them to enhance their sorcery.
  • Assassin: Servants placed within this class are always, as a rule, one of the 19 Hassan i Sabbah, the leaders of the clan of the Hashshashins who passed their name down (although this rule does not hold absolutely true in the Fate/Extra reality). The Assassin in Fate/stay night summoned by Caster is an exception, an aberration in the system, as he was summoned by another Servant. This rule comes from how the word "assassin" itself finds its etymological roots in that clan. The Assassins' special ability is Presence Concealment, which allows them to remain undetected. Offset by their stealth is their weak combat skills. Due to this, Assassins often target Masters instead of Servants.
  • Berserker: Servants placed within this class are always heroes who have gone berserk in their lifetime. This trait allows them to use the special ability Mad Enhancement, which trades their consciousness (i.e. sanity) for a large power boost. Most Masters are incapable of controlling their Servant once Mad Enhancement has been activated, which eventually results in their death.
  • Avenger: It is not one of the seven normal classes, and it has only been used once as a unique container for Angra Mainyu in the Third Holy Grail War.
  • Saver: This is an irregular class in the Holy Grail War of the Moon Cell in Fate/Extra. The only case is of the class is Saver.  Saver is a "messiah" type Servant, and was carefully selected by the Automaton from the collective records of the Holy Grail War.
  • Funny Vamp: Funny Vamp (ファニーヴァンプ, Translated as "Temptress" in the English localization?) is the class granted to Arcueid Brunestud by the Moon Cell should she participate as a Servant. While she takes on the Berserker class instead, Funny Vamp reflects her whimsical nature and her status as a creature that drains blood, physical energy and money from men.
  • Ruler: Servants placed in this class govern the Holy Grail War of Fate/Apocrypha. Joan of Arc is placed in this class. Under the special Ruler class, she is a special Heroic Spirit summoned by the Holy Grail itself to act as the administrator of the Holy Grail War and has the ability to use Command Spells, which are normally only usable by Masters, to command the Servants.
  • Beast: This class is a special container for the 666th Beast in Fate/Prototype.
  • Monster: Monster is not a Servant classification, but rather the title given to the irregular being, Shiki Ryougi, who appears within the Holy Grail War of the Moon Cell.

Container ParametersEdit

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Parameter distribution diagrams.
FallaciesAdded by Fallacies

Unmodified by the strengths and weaknesses of specific Heroic Spirits, the containers of the seven standard Servant classes of the Fuyuki Grail War possess known base parameters.[14] Heroic Spirits are not affected when summoned, so they may have statistics higher or lower than those of the class container.

Container Str End Agi Man Luk
Saber A B B C D
Archer C C C E E
Lancer B C A D E
Rider D D B C E
Caster E E C A B
Berserker C D D E E
Assassin D D B E B

Known ServantsEdit

Holy Grail WarEdit

For more detail about Fuyuki's Holy Grail War, see Holy Grail War.

Some details of the Third Grail War are mentioned in Fate/hollow ataraxia. The events of the Fourth Grail War are described in Fate/Zero. The events of the Fifth Grail War are detailed in Fate/stay night and Fate/hollow ataraxia.

Even though the setting is in Japan, there are so few Japanese Heroic Spirits summoned in the Fuyuki Holy Grail even if they have geographical boost advantage because the Holy Grail is a western Christian concept.[15]

War Servant Identity Master
First Holy Grail War Assassin Hassan-i Sabbah Unknown
Second Holy Grail War Assassin Hassan-i Sabbah Unknown
Third Holy Grail War Assassin Hassan-i Sabbah Unknown Puppet user
Third Holy Grail War Avenger Angra Mainyu Einzbern
Third Holy Grail War Saber - Good alignment Unknown Edelfelt sister
Third Holy Grail War Saber - Evil alignment Unknown Edelfelt sister
Fourth Holy Grail War Archer Gilgamesh Tokiomi Tohsaka
Kirei Kotomine
Fourth Holy Grail War Assassin Hassan-i Sabbah Kirei Kotomine
Fourth Holy Grail War Berserker Lancelot Kariya Matou
Fourth Holy Grail War Caster Gilles de Rais Ryuunosuke Uryuu
Fourth Holy Grail War Lancer Diarmuid Ua Duibhne Kayneth El-Melloi
Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri
Fourth Holy Grail War Rider Alexander the Great Waver Velvet
Fourth Holy Grail War Saber King Arthur Kiritsugu Emiya
Fifth Holy Grail War Archer EMIYA Rin Tohsaka
Fifth Holy Grail War Assassin Sasaki Kojirō
(self-proclaimed)
Caster
Fifth Holy Grail War Avenger Angra Mainyu Bazett McRemitz
Sakura Matou
Fifth Holy Grail War Berserker Heracles Illyasviel von Einzbern
Sakura Matou
Fifth Holy Grail War Caster Medea Unnamed magus (Original Master)
Souichirou Kuzuki
Fifth Holy Grail War Archer Gilgamesh Kirei Kotomine
Shinji Matou
Caren Hortensia
Fifth Holy Grail War Lancer Cúchulainn Kirei Kotomine
Bazett McRemitz
Caren Hortensia
Fifth Holy Grail War Rider Medusa Shinji Matou
Sakura Matou
Fifth Holy Grail War Saber King Arthur Shirou Emiya
Rin Tohsaka
Caster
Fifth Holy Grail War Saber Alter King Arthur Sakura Matou
Fifth Holy Grail War True Assassin Hassan-i Sabbah Zouken Matou

Fate/ExtraEdit

The events of the Grail War of the Moon Cell are detailed in Fate/Extra and Fate/Extra CCC.

War Servant Identity Master
Fate/Extra CCC Alter Ego (Meltlilith) Several goddesses BB
Fate/Extra CCC Alter Ego (Passionlip) Several goddesses BB
Fate/Extra
Fate/Extra CCC
Archer No Name Hakuno Kishinami
Fate/Extra
Fate/Extra CCC
Archer Robin Hood Dan Blackmore
BB
Fate/Extra Assassin
Berserker
Li Shu Wen Julius B. Harwey
Fate/Extra Berserker Arcueid Brunestud Monji Gatoh
Fate/Extra Berserker Lu Bu Rani VIII
Fate/Extra CCC Caster Hans Christian Andersen Kiara Sesshouin
Fate/Extra
Fate/Extra CCC
Caster Nursery Rhyme Alice
BB
Fate/Extra
Fate/Extra CCC
Caster Tamamo-no-Mae Hakuno Kishinami
Twice H. Pieceman
Fate/Extra CCC Gilgamesh (No class) Gilgamesh Hakuno Kishinami
Fate/Extra
Fate/Extra CCC
Lancer Cú Chulainn Rin Tohsaka (Extra)
Kirei Kotomine (CCC)
Fate/Extra CCC Lancer
Berserker
Elizabeth Bathory Lanrukun
Rin Tohsaka
Rani VIII
Meltlilith
Shinji Matou
Hakuno Kishinami
Fate/Extra Lancer Vlad III the Impaler Lanrukun
Fate/Extra CCC Launcher Karna Jinako Karigiri
Fate/Extra CCC Mooncancer (BB) Several goddesses None
Fate/Extra Rider Francis Drake Shinji Matou
Fate/Extra
Fate/Extra CCC
Saber Gawain Leonardo B. Harwey
Fate/Extra
Fate/Extra CCC
Saber Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus Hakuno Kishinami
Fate/Extra Savior Vairocana Twice H. Pieceman

Fate/ApocryphaEdit

The events of the Grail War are detailed in Fate/Apocrypha.

Faction Servant Identity Master
Red Archer Atalanta Unknown
Black Archer Chiron Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia
Black Assassin Jack the Ripper Sagara Hyouma
Reika Rikudou
Red Assassin Semiramis Shirou Kotomine
Black Berserker Frankenstein's monster Caules Forvedge Yggdmillennia
RedBerserker Spartacus Unknown
RedCaster Shakespeare Unknown
Black Caster Solomon ibn Gabirol Roche Flyn Yggdmillennia
Red Lancer Karna Unknown
Black Lancer Vlad III the Impaler Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia
Red Rider Achilles Unknown
Black Rider Astolfo Selenik Icecol Yggdmillennia
N/A Ruler Joan of Arc N/A
Red Saber Mordred Kairi Sisigou
Black Saber Sigurd Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia

Servants for the canceled game Fate/Apocrypha project.

Servant Identity
Archer David
Berserker Kintarō
Lancer Saitō Musashibō Benkei
Rider Saint George

Fate/PrototypeEdit

The events of the Grail War of Fukutoshin are detailed in Fate/Prototype.

Servant Identity Master
Archer Gilgamesh Unnamed magus
Assassin Sasaki Kojirō Unknown
Beast 666th Beast Manaka Sajyou
Berserker Heracles Sancraid Phahn
Caster Medea Unknown
Lancer Cú Chulainn Misaya Reiroukan
Rider Perseus Unnamed boy
Saber King Arthur Ayaka Sajyou

Fate/strange fakeEdit

The events of the Grail War of Snowfield are detailed in Fate/strange fake.

Servant Identity Master
Archer Gilgamesh Unnamed magus (Original Master)
Teene Cherke
Assassin Former Hassan-i Sabbah candidate Jester Calture
Berserker Jack the Ripper Flat Eskardos
Caster Alexander Dumas Police Chief
Lancer Enkidu Wolf
Rider Huang Di Tsubaki Kuruoka
Rider Pale Rider Tsubaki Kuruoka

ReferencesEdit

  1. Q. Concerning the Servants' appearance, do they take the form they had just before death, or the form they had during the prime of their lives?
    A. Generally speaking, they take the appearance they had in their prime. However, if there's some kind of strong curse, or the Servant in question has an attachment to it, then their form from just before death can also appear.(Q.サーヴァントの姿って、死ぬ直前の姿?それとも全盛期の姿?
    A.基本的に全盛期の姿です。何かの強い呪い、ないし本人の執着があるのなら死ぬ直前の姿で現れることもあ りますが。)
  2. Fate/complete material III : World material
    Q: Can the spiritual core of a Servant be thought of as a vital area that, if destroyed, would cause instantaneous death, like a human’s heart or brain?
    A: The heart and brain are certainly vital organs. Though they are different from the spiritual core, they can be considered organs directly connected to the core. When the spiritual core is weakened through mana consumption or damage to the physical body, powerful mana, spells, and Noble Phantasms can no longer be materialized, and the Servant will disappear.
  3. Fate/complete material III - Servant Summoning
  4. Fate/Zero - "To begin with, the Grail of Fuyuki itself requires seven Servants. It isn't the capable ones who summon Servants and try to become Masters. The Grail will pick appropriate persons until the count reaches seven. The summoning of a Servant is also fundamental for the Grail. The hard work magi put into the ritual is only a precaution to create a bond with a perfect, reliable Servant. Even with an unskilled summoning circle and without chanting the spell, if a human has a catalyst, the requirements for the Grail can be met..."
  5. The Outsiders’ Performance
  6. Fate/Zero - "As Saber - that is, Arturia - is an incomplete Heroic Spirit, she would not possess the knowledge that surpasses time and space one gains when one has reached the Throne of Heroes. Therefore, she is not aware of that tale tainted by insanity, the legend of "Bluebeard", Baron Gilles de Rais."
  7. Fate/complete material II - There were many Command Spells on his arm. In fact, at one point there was this idea to present the effect of the Command Spells consumed to defeat Zouken in Fate/Stay Night with all the bells and whistles. With about ten Command Spells, even a human being can damage a Heroic Spirit. Ultimately I did not get the chance to do so. Mmm, True Assassin was not as reliable as I thought he would be (sweat drop)."
  8. Q.「Fate/Zero」では、「召喚の際にある一文を呪文に組み込むことで英霊がバーサーカーになる」という記述があり ました。ということは、すべてのマスターが呪文にこの一文を組み込んだら、バーサーカーだらけの聖杯戦争が はじまるんでしょうか?
    A.そうですね。基本的に絶対枠としているのは3騎士だけなので、思いっきり特殊なマスターが集まれば世に も奇妙な聖杯戦争がはじまるでしょう。でも、同じクラスの重複召喚はできません。
  9. TECH GIAN February 2004 issue - page 157
  10. Fate/complete material III:
    Q: Even though the setting is Japan, why are there so few Japanese Heroic Spirits? Is it because the Holy Grail is a Western (Christian) concept?
    A: Exactly.

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