Lancer (Fate/Grand Order - Benkei)

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
Lancer is Musashibō Benkei, the Warrior Monk (荒法師), who was the legendary warrior monk that served Minamoto no Yoshitsune, whose exploits are documented in the, Heike Monogatari and numerous other accounts. As a loyal and widely beloved retainer, he possessed both resourcefulness and bravery, with knowledge of Kabuki and, widely beloved.

This Heroic Spirit, is actually a completely different individual named Hitachibou Kaison, whose existence has little evidence. Originally, Hitachibou served Yoshitsune alongside the real Musashibou Benkei, having a brief mention in the Gikeiki where they shared joy and sorrow. Ultimately nothing more than a supporting role, in their final battle at Koromogawa no Tate (衣川の合戦), he abandoned his comrades instantly in fear for his own life. Motivated by guilt and shame at his cowardice, he attained a limited immortality with study of esoteric Buddhist practices, and assumed the identity of Benkei for the remainder of his years, spreading the legend of Benkei's ideal heroism and unyielding loyalty. It is in part by Hitachibou's efforts that Benkei attained status as a Heroic Spirit. He is said to have served to influence Yoshitsune's tale in an unexpected manner in the Gikeiki, said to have taken the stage as the narrator who survived the battle of Koromogawa to pass down Yoshitsune's legend in many places. The shameful Kaison is said to have taken the impressive duty to go beyond his shame and live in disgrace, wandering around.

Personality
Incidentally, his imitation of Benkei is imperfect, and occasionally hints at his true personality through facetious and jesting.

Capsule Servant
In Capsule Servant, Lancer is one of the many available servants.

Skills
Exorcism of Apparitions (怨霊調伏): A

With an invocation of nine characters - the Rin Pyou Tou Sha Kai Jin Retsu Zai Zen (臨兵闘者皆陣列在前) - curses of evil origin may be defended against and nullified. If successful, an opponent's use of magecraft may be sealed; and in certain circumstances, appropriated by the Servant as part of his own repertoire in limited capacity. Musashibou Benkei possessed a similar technique as a monk (described in a passage of The Subscription List), and the Servant has imitated said ability with his own skills as an actor.

To Stand Firm (仁王立さ): B

Noble Phantasms
The Pilgrimage of the Five Hundred Arhat (五百羅漢補陀落渡海)

Five hundred - those who embark upon a pilgrimage to the Pure Land of the West in an effort to attain Enlightenment in life in a practice known as Fudarakutokai (補陀落渡海) - are summoned, streaming forth in a holy procession. All those who stand within their path that fail a resistance roll are dragged with them, ultimately dematerializing to the Void with the procession. Amen.

Creation and Conception
Lancer was designed by and character designed by Katsuya Terada for the canceled Fate/Apocrypha online game project and not included in the final version. He was collected along with the other thirteen initial Servant designs in Fate/complete material IV Extra material. The project was revived in novel format afterwards, but he was cut along with David, Saint George, and Sakata Kintoki, in favor of Vlad III and Karna. Benkei's design has been reused elsewhere.

He is illustrated by Shinjirou in Fate/Grand Order.

Discarded Skills
Attendant of Iron (くろがねの傅): N/A

With proximity of presence alone, the Servant is capable of reinforcing his Master's physical attributes. The original Musashibou Benkei possessed six black birthmarks, said to have appeared because his mother ingested metal (kurogane) during her pregnancy. Itsuki, in the Shinto tradition, was a title ascribed to servants of a god; Yoshitsune, a beautiful child, is regarded to have possessed the aspect of a godling, and Benkei was his faithful servant. The ability "Kurogane no Itsuki" may have been designed to mimic this pattern.

Hakushi no Kanjinchō (白紙の勧進帳): N/A

A counterfeit decree with effect equivalent to a Command Seal expenditure originating from an opponent's Master, which orders that "no Noble Phantasms may be used" within a given engagement. If successful, even if the targeted Servant is unfooled by apparent origin of the decree, it must be obeyed. A mental interference technique with a probability of negated each turn with a successful roll of a resistance check on the part of the opponent. However, in the condition that the influence of the skill is removed, reapplication becomes possible.

Discarded Noble Phantasms
Eighth Implement (八ツ道具)

An opponent's Noble Phantasm may be temporarily claimed as the 8th of the Servant's, and manipulated with some proficiency even if its usage is unfamiliar. A weapon claimed in this manner will be returned to the opponent of its origin after a certain number of turns, but may be launched as a projectile to deal damage upon return. Rather than owing to some inability on the Servant's part to permanently maintain an eighth implement, he opts to relinquish an implement upon satisfaction of his curiosity in its use.

Benkei Butsu (Buddha) (弁慶仏)

Slicing the space about him with a long blade, the servant manifests multiple replicas of Benkei, equivalent in attributes to his base level of strength -- and capable of walling off the original from an opponent's attack. A single deployment of the Noble Phantasm creates one to seven replicas at random, and the results cannot be determined by the servant. The Servant's own attributes are temporarily boosted by a function of the number of replicas that remain manifest and undestroyed.