Saber (Fate/strange fake)

Saber (セイバー) is the Saber-class Servant. He is summoned on the first day of the False Holy Grail War of Fate/strange fake.

Identity
Saber's True Name is Richādo Issei, the Lionheart. His bravery earned him the name “Lionheart” and even the enemy general praised him as the “greatest knight”.

In the past, he, and the leading Hassan-i-Sabbah at the time fought together against a Dead Apostle during the. He is known as the "Wandering King", not because he was always headed off to a battlefield or on his way back from one, but because he was the king who wandered over the border between history and myth, the last king with one foot in an age when faeries and runes were still out in the open.

Appearance
Saber appears in his late teen to his early twenties. He has golden-blond hair with several streaks of red hair. He wears a set of white knight armor and a crimson mantle, reminiscent of an "old Western aristocracy or royalty". His eyes were described as shining like a beast.

Personality
Saber often shows an overly cheerful nature, even when put in situations like interrogation or skepticism, easily able to keep his cool in such situations. In his youth, and possibly into his later years, he'd been given the nickname "Oc e No (Yes and No)", due to his reputation for terseness. He also shows regrets to actions he takes, such as heavily damaging the Opera House in his battle with Assassin, requesting to know how much it will cost, in material and manpower, to repair. However, when serious, he has displayed a rather charismatic and somewhat ruthless side, declaring that not eliminating the Interrogation Officers by force is the bare minimum amount of respect he shows them for their station. He enjoys granting the wishes of the common people as best he can, save in situations like being connected to Ayaka and receiving mana from her in order to materialize.

Saber is very calm even on serious matters, calmly discussing about Pierre Basile, a man who had killed Saber in life. He would speak to Pierre as if to an old friend, stating he "learned his lesson" from being shot when looking at the treasures of the round table.

He doesn't seem too concerned with being discrete in concealing his Servant Status, going so far as to turn into Spirit Form in front of the Police Officers and appear on the news to claim his amends for the Opera House. When speaking to the multitude of people, he refers to himself by plural pronouns, such as "We" and "Our". He is also rather mischievous, entering Ayaka's Cell and declaring he doesn't need to obey her orders if she is not his master, deciding he can bother her as much as he wants and will be taking personal care of her. Evidently, he has also been told he's extreme in everything he does, after giving Ayaka some examples on how her situation could be much worse.

He displays very high reverence towards King Arthur, referring to her as the Ancestor of His Chivalry and the Founding King of his native land, stating that failing to preserve his honor would make him unfit to face her again, whom he loves and respects. His mother had told him stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table which can also equate to his admiration for the King of Knights.

In his youth he was described as a lover of music which had transferred into the Holy Grail War, as he naturally was inclined to play the guitar. His love for music goes as far as wishing to bring modern music back to the throne of heroes.

He has no wish for the grail. Saber stated while normally servants have wishes, he does not know what his would be.

Fate/strange fake
The Saber-class does not exist in the False Holy Grail War ritual. However, with Faldeus machination to turn the false war into the true holy grail war, he successfully changed the course of the ritual and the summoning of the Saber-class signals the true path of the holy grail war. Originally Cashura intended to summon King Arthur with his catalyst. Before he could complete the summoning, he was murdered by Assassin. With the incomplete summoning, the opera stage was enveloped with light and multiple figures appear. All but Saber disappeared when the light fades. Saber recognizes that Assassin is one of the old men of the mountain. He engages her in battle and he comments that this is the first time he's seen someone more nimble than Loxley. Eventually Saber uses Excalibur, which destroyed parts of the opera house. He ask Ayaka Sajyou whether she is his master, and to his surprise Ayaka rejected the formal contract. Saber disappears feeling dejected. When the police arrive, they noticed the corpse of Cashura and the ruined opera house. Saber reappears again and confesses he did it, even going so far as to prove that he did it by using a weaker version of Excalibur on a falling piece of rubble that would have hit the policemen. Saber was eventually handcuffed by the police. Before he was taken away to the police headquarters, he was broadcast on local television and he says he will make amends for the opera house destruction.

With both Ayaka and Saber taken to police Headquarters, Assassin targets Saber. However, she was intercepted by Orlando Reeve's Clan Calatin force. Ayaka and Saber make use of this commotion to escape. After escaping they'd be lead to an underground punk hang out where Richard demonstrated his proficiency with an electric guitar despite never using such an instrument prior, playing a tune which drew everyone's attention. After receiving a change of clothes and a brief back and forth of questions from Ayaka, he revealed his True Name. Shortly after exiting the hang out Saber searches for an ally and heads into the woods where he comes across Lancer and proposes the alliance. Lancer decides to test his strength through a duel which Richard did not dissapoint, as well as demonstrate using Excalibur with a mere stick. After the duel, he explains that while escaping the police station he saw what he described as a blood sucking monster and wishes to return the grail war to its proper form after dealing with such a threat. Soon approached Assassin who overheard the conversation, knowing Sabers identity as well as the story of his team up with Saladin and a Hassan during life to stop a dead apostle. He then allies with Lancer and Assassin to stop the mentioned menace.

Other appearances
Richard was mentioned in the Camelot Singularity in Fate/Grand Order. Romani Archaman thought Richard was the Lion King, Romani commanded Ritsuka Fujimaru and Mash Kyrielight to ally with Richard and his Crusaders. It is presumed that he perished along with his Crusaders, when the Lion King's knights destroyed them.

Abilities
Saber wields an ornamental Sword that lacks even a trace of magical energy, both it and its scabbard bearing striking similarities to Excalibur and Avalon, though crimson in color rather than blue. He possesses two Noble Phantasms, Excalibur and an unnamed Noble Phantasm. During his encounter with Lancer, Saber had displayed body strengthening magic which had increased his agility above Assassin's and Lancer's base stat. It was in this encounter that Saber revealed he did not need his sword to use Excalibur. Saber was also able to destroy Lancer's bounded field in the forest upon approach. Both feats are most likely attributed to his Unnamed Noble Phantasm as he had stated he is not too familiar with Magecraft.