Lancer (Fate/Grand Order - Scáthach)

Lancer (ランサー) is a Lancer-class Servant able to be summoned by the Protagonist in the Grand Orders of Fate/Grand Order.

Identity
"Perhaps... I wanted to be killed by your hands. I give up. Better die before that happens. If only you were born a little earlier... Young, so young."

- Scáthach to Cú Chulainn

Lancer's True Name is Sukasaha (スカサハ), a warrior-queen from the 's. Acting as both the queen and gatekeeper of the Land of Shadows (影の国), a haunted ground overflowing with countless ghosts, her power was great enough to rule the foreign territory and close its gate to ward off the dead. Throughout her battling, she eventually ceased being human and started to be closed off from the world, unable to die as a human. She was known to be a woman "strong like a monster" who many sought out for apprenticeship. At the age of sixteen, Cú Chulainn traveled to the Land of Shadows in search of fame, and she became his mentor, guiding him in the "secrets of leaping", teaching him runic magecraft, and granting him his favorite demonic spear, Gáe Bolg.

With her serving as the master of many pupils at the same time, Cú Chulainn was close to his fellow pupil Ferdiad, his equal in arms, and both competed for the right to posses Gáe Bolg. During this period, they went to war with Aife of the neighboring country, and although Scáthach argued with Cú Chulainn over not letting him into battle, Cú Chulainn, Ferdiad, and she eventually "caused hell together." Cú Chulainn captured Aife alive and became involved with her afterward, earning Scáthach's punishment. Upon Cú Chulainn eventually receiving Gáe Bolg, she lamented over her inability to be killed by him since she had already ceased being able to die, wishing that he had been born earlier. Although still young and having arrived to the Land of Shadows by the shortest route, he could only apologize while lamenting the fate of the woman he loved. Cú Chulainn and Ferdiad eventually left the Land of Shadows on the same day, and Scáthach did not see them off due to having already passed down all her teachings to him. Using her foresight, she was able to predict her beloved pupil's final moments. She later taught Cú Chulainn and Aife's son, Connla, as well.

Due to her nature, the Land of Shadows itself eventually became completely sundered from the mortal world, fully becoming a land of the dead. Still existing until modern times and unable to become a Heroic Spirit on the Throne of Heroes, Scáthach had not ventured outside of the Land of Shadows for two thousand years. Unable to die, she could only wait until the time World and its outside finally disappear.

Personality
Lancer is said to be a proud woman who served no one, a member of the ruling class from birth who possesses the traits of a monarch. She holds the ideal of "reigning as a queen that bestows happiness to the people" as self-evident, understanding better than all others that she, who is overflowing with talent, is different from the mediocre. It has been said her manner of being and her red-colored eyes are close to a certain individual that existed in Tokyo during the 20th Century.

Lancer is a great teacher who, in the same way as possessing an understanding about herself, possesses a keen eye for seeing the character and traits of others, able to tell if someone is "mediocre" or superb. Among her students, it can be said Cú Chulainn was a rare individual possessing "prodigious qualities" making him worthy of her guidance. Cú Chulainn says that "her warlust would be enough to make that Tohsaka girl run away on her bare feet."

Unable to die a normal death, Lancer greatly wished that Cú Chulainn would have been the one to kill her. She feels if the Holy Grail is truly an almighty wish granter that she hopes to be able to grant it to someone capable of killing her, especially if that person is Cú Chulainn himself.

Other appearances
In Fate/GUDAGUDA Order, Scáthach is called Tits Tight master (おっぱいタイツ師匠). She is also called Thunder Thigh Teacher (サンダー太もも教師) by Prototype Cū Chulainn.

In Fate/hollow ataraxia, Scáthach is mentioned in Lancer's flashback. She is referred as the witch of the Land of Shadows.

Scáthach is mentioned to be one of the ten Servants who can be summoned by the Player in Fate/strange fake.

Abilities
"Shall I show that, if you reach the extremes of a spear blow, it is possible to kill even gods."

- Lancer

Lancer is known as a prodigy in both spearmanship and runic magecraft, a powerful individual who "turned half-way into a Divine Spirit" after a long period of time. No longer human, she was an elite warrior, expert in magecraft, and slayer of people, wraiths, and gods. As the result of being a human standing too close to the realm of the gods, she incurred the "reward" of ascension to a plane that is neither part of the current world or the next, left behind in the outside of the world. Guarding the Land of Shadows, she fights off the dead, including powerful beings such as near-gods, with only the power of a human body. As a consequence of this state, Lancer is no longer able to die as a person, neither beautifully or even hideously. She can only continue to exist until the world and the outside of the world finally disappear. Due to Incineration of the World during the Grand Orders, the Land of Shadows has vanished, so she is able to be summoned as a Heroic Spirit despite not normally being applicable for the Throne of Heroes.

She possesses the skill Wisdom of the Haunted Ground, the intellect of the abyss obtained from killing gods and being left behind in the outside of the world. She can display a proficiency level of B~A rank in almost all skills except those of those belonging solely to other heroes. Those she recognizes as "true heroes" can also be taught such skills. She often makes use of Clairvoyance for foresight in battle, and used it during the time of the Ulster Cycle to predict the future.

Creation and Conception
Hirokazu Koyama is the character designer for Lancer.