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Darius IIIWP (ダレイオス三世WP, Dareiosu Sansei?), Class Name Rider (ライダー, Raidā?), is a Rider-class Servant who appears in the Fuyuki Singularity of Fate/Grand Order: First Order.
Profile[]
Identity[]
Darius III was a valorous king of Ancient Persia. A character from the 4th Century BC. Known as the last emperor of the Achaemenid DynastyWP.[1][2] A "worthy rival" of Iskandar, the King of Conquerors of Macedonia, whom he faced in combat many times.[2]
History[]
Door of Babylon (バビロンへの扉, Babiron e no Tobira?)
Darius III was born in a branch of the royal family descended from the great ancestor Darius IWP, known as a king with excellent discernment and superior governing ability. Darius I was a wise king among wise kings who built the military roads that connected the cities and established the post-station system, fomenting the commercial and cultural exchanges, and who filled the state coffers by making the tax collection from the provinces more efficient with his satrapWP system and his new tax system. And with respecting the provincial rules, he showed great tolerance by giving freedom to the conquered peoples to practice their beliefs and customs; and at the same time, he prevented military insurrections by monitoring the satraps and the provinces with his inspectors, the "Eyes of the King" and the "Ears of the King". Indeed, the First was a benevolent king who didn't bind the people, but instead loved the cultures and exchanges, and made the country wealthy.[1] Darius I has opened the "Door of Babylon" without hesitation, thus his descendants gained some measure of wealth. And thus, they were embroiled in a great many wars.[3]
As an adult, Darius III obtained the position of satrap (a governor-general) and took his post as the governor of a province. And then, suddenly, he became the new king. He was supported as the new king by the eunuch BagoasWP, who had killed in succession Artaxerxes IIIWP and his son and the king ArsesWP. The man also wanted to be like Darius I. There was a single reason that made him, born in a mere branch of the royal family, decide to take upon the name of that great king and become Darius III. Even if he had obtained the throne at the end of a bloody and tragic conspiracy, he aspired to become a great king, loved by his people and the land. However, he couldn't become a benevolent king due to his own choice. Now as king Darius III, he immediately purged the treacherous Bagoas. And just as he was about to bring order to the state system, his destiny arrived.[1]
That was the invasion of the awe-inspiring great king, the King of Conquerors of Macedonia, Iskandar. Compared with this great king, that treacherous retainer that once had violated the country like he owned the place amounted to nothing. Darius III compares the traitor Bagoas and Iskandar differently. The difference between a scoundrel that plunders the country and abuses the people and somebody that doesn't is evident. Iskandar, Alexander the Great; at the very least, he was not a villain. There was no doubt that he was suitable to be a great king around whom the conquered kings and generals and people gather and become retainers under. He chose himself as a war king, a wall against that great king, a "worthy rival" of Iskandar. Darius III never bowed his head in front of his "worthy opponent" Iskandar, even as he ruled the conquered people in a way reminiscing that of Darius I. He neither considered to become a wing of the glorious Machedonian army like the other kings.[1]
He chose to fight. Darius III stood up against the fierce attack of the Macedonian army and of the king Iskandar, his real destined opponent. He became determined to become not a benevolent king, but a War King. Leading a massive army several times larger than the looming Macedonian army, he clashed once and again with a fierceness surpassing that of mere interceptions, and even after being defeated, he always came back to obstruct King Iskandar's way without losing his bravery even after being defeated once and again and again.[1]
Darius III's land was eventually conquered by Iskandar. Upon sitting on his throne, Iskandar could not have his feet reach even Darius III's footstool and had to swap it out with a table.[4]
Appearance[]
Rider resembles his Berserker counterpart, although Rider is more light-skinned and has a white head wrap that covers his head without obstructing his horns. While his iris color is gold, unlike his Berserker counterpart, the rest of his eyes are normal.
Personality[]
Not much is shown about his original personality, but once he became Blackened, he is implied to have lost his sanity and became vicious.
Role[]
Fate/Grand Order[]
Rider was one of the seven servants summoned to fight in the Holy Grail War, until the Holy Grail War suddenly became a singularity. Rider was then defeated by Saber Alter, who made the first move after the singularity, and then was revived and Blackened along with the other servants. He was killed by Caster before the arrival of Mash Kyrielight, Ritsuka Fujimaru, and Olga Marie Animusphere in the Fuyuki Singularity.
Abilities[]
Not much is shown about Rider's abilities, but is implied that he can mount a mythical beast or a human construct, hence his class name.
Development[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Fate/Grand Order material II - Darius III, p.140-155, translated by Mazyrian at Beast's Lair.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 This reference needs to be fixed. Use "FGOSP2" instead of "Grand Order".
- ↑
- ↑ Fate/Zero - Volume 3 - Act 9: -90:56:26, p.068