Berserker of "Red" ("赤"のバーサーカー, "Aka" no Bāsākā?) is the Berserker-class Servant of the Red Faction in the Great Holy Grail War of Fate/Apocrypha. It is unknown which of the five puppet Masters of the Red Faction first summoned him, and unlike the rest who eventually become the Servants of Shirou Kotomine, he remains without a Master when captured by the Black Faction.
Profile
Identity
Berserker's identity is Spartacus, the Gladiator (剣闘士 スパルタクス, Kentōshi Suparutakusu?), a ThracianWP gladiator captured by Romans who became a symbol of rebellion. He was affiliated with a gladiator training camp in the CampaniaWP region, but escaped with seventy-eight of his comrades in 73 B.C. He managed to repulse an assault force of nearly three thousand dispatched by the Romans, leading to him being known as a hero who inspired armed uprisings by slaves in many places. His army grew to seven thousand men, and they kept defeating the Roman army without losing a single battle. They were unable to cross the Alps and instead decided to head to the island of Sicily. They hired pirates to make the voyage, but were betrayed and attacked by the Roman Legions. It is believed his body was scarred beyond recognition after he fell in that battle.[2] Being his first and only loss, he remained a shining beacon of hope to the undertrodden slaves.
Personality
Berserker hated all oppressors in life, and he fought the masters to protect the weak, care for them, and heal them. His will to fight was set aflame by those with power, and more than anything, fought them to stand in defiance. He never questions his faith that it is a strength of humanity to endure anything. He only ever acts according to one single thought: "to revolt against the oppressor and to protect the oppressed." Following the most virtuous option, he will choose the path of suffering. He will not strike an enemy in numerical inferiority, and he will only fight back an enemy stronger than him. He strikes back after stopping the enemy's attack, and turns the table back to grasp victory only at the last minute.[2]
Due to his unique rank of Mad Enhancement, he can speak things like "Those who are bound are strong! For until the time when they are set free, anger and sadness will continue to be accumulated", but he cannot actually communicate with others. Always fixated with thoughts of "always making the most difficult choices", he never listens to others. He is uncontrollable, and it is impossible to come to a mutual understanding of intentions with him.[2] Rather than disobeying commands, he cannot truly understand them in the first place. He can recognize others and respond to their words, but only in the context that his current course of action is the correct one.
He is entranced by battle, showing a wide grin as he strikes his opponents and takes their blows from start to finish. Rather than showing any such measure of sanity as anger against his enemies, he fights, kills, and crushes all with an expression of ecstasy that is nightmarish to his opponents. This unnerves both his opponents and onlookers, even causing those with diluted emotions to become infected by his madness and flee. Seeming like a Heroic Spirit unable to be anything than a Berserker, the constant smile during his battle leaves both Archer of Red and Lancer of Red with a chill down their spines.
He has no motive to seek the Holy Grail; his dearest wish is just to proceed to fields of battle. For him, who only aspires to rescue the oppressed and rebel against the oppressor, the battlefield is a place where there is only the weak and the strong and also a place full of the everlasting pain and trials that he desires.[2]
Appearance
Berserker is described as "pure muscle", the only words that can truly do him justice. At over two meters tall, those who look upon him will be drawn to his extraordinary mass and find a sense of hopelessness as they look up to try to gauge the height of the giant of a man. He has pale skin covered in innumerable scars to show the immense amount of training and battle it has weathered, and he is covered in leather straps tightly coiling about his body and face. He smiles through all of it, as if enjoying the act and asking if "is this all that constricts me?" He can be considered very frightening when his scar-riddled face remains composed and smiling regardless of whether he is being struck or striking his opponent.[2]
Development
Berserker was designed by Gen Urobuchi and illustrated by Katsuya Terada for the original canceled online game project.
Role
Fate/Apocrypha
Upon being summoned, he is noted to frequently rampage, searching for an "adversary for his rebellion." While they had planned to use him in a more coordinated strike, Caster of Red, "feeling pity" for Berserker, reveals to him the location of Yggdmillennia's headquarters in Trifas. He begins his march straight there despite the Red Faction's arguments, taking the most direct route. Shirou Kotomine decides not to stop him because even a Command Spell would only delay the inevitable. Shirou must follow in his wake to deal with any trouble Berserker causes to the public, and he sends Archer of Red to support him for the moment. As he has no chance of breaking through seven Servants on his own, she is to attempt to stop him, even though such an action is futile, or to support his actions until it becomes too dangerous. The Black Faction takes notice, planning to capture the lone Berserker as a pawn for themselves.
Berserker does not dematerialize due to not possessing logical thinking, instead taking up a slow march that leaves him seen a number of times. Taking two days to reach Trifas, he is pursued by Archer for much of it, and he simply laughs off her attempts to persuade him, as it is a matter of course to him to seek out "their oppressors." Although she hopes her experience in dealing with wild beasts can be put to use, she decides to instead support him like ordered rather than having him turn upon herself. Rider of Red soon joins them, explaining to Archer that their role is to support him as rearguard as long as it is reasonable to gather information on the enemy. Berserker continues on without taking notice, and they continue following his slow, unwavering stride.
After the sun sets three hours later, he is impeded by the Black Faction's homunculi and golems, numbering over one hundred. Rider and Archer stay back to watch the battle because the enemies are nothing that requires assistance. He tells the "wretched puppets of the oppressor" that they will find peace by his blade and fist, and in a one-sided slaughter, he decimates them after taking their blows, his grinning face prominent as he rips them apart with his sword and his bare hands. He looks over the destruction and carnage. nods his head in satisfaction, and returns to his march. Rider and Archer are unnerved by his ecstasy in battle, believing that it shows he his one who could be nothing but a Berserker. Upon encountering the Black Servants, Rider and Archer join in the battle.
Abilities
Berserker appears at first glance to have a low rank of Mad Enhancement due to his ability to speak, but he is actually an irregularity far from the normal understanding of a Berserker. While he can reason parts of the words of others, he cannot actually understand them or truly communicate. He is an uncontrollable Berserker with ranked-up parameters and loss of most reason.[2] Once he has set his objective, he will not change his mind at all, and even a single Command Spell will only apply weight to him. It requires two to completely stop him from acting, but it is still only delaying the inevitable.
His strength requires a mighty Noble Phantasm to kill him. The leather around his waist and between his legs are not protection in the least and he has nothing covering his pectorals, but it can be said that his flesh is not something meant to be contained within armor. The immensity of his mass makes it unnecessary to protect, shown by the countless scars that make it obvious that not one of those wounds had truly "pierced" him in life. Like taking a paring knife to a ball of metal, his body is a steel mass that may be cut, even drawing blood, but goes no further. With arms the "size of crocodiles" and legs that trudge with the force of mammoths, it is clear that his body's toughness is virtually armor in itself.
Berserker fights with his sword, fists, and grappling techniques. He can be thought of as a walking disaster in battle, every slash and punch leaving corpses behind him. Taking no measure to avoid attacks and even seeming to leap into their paths, he takes all strikes while only growing more battle-lusted by the second. He throws enemies, cleaves them with his sword in wide, powerful arcs, suplexs multiple enemies at once, and tears his enemies limb from limb. Pain heightens his combat focus and allows him to tap into his full potential with his Crying Warmonger Noble Phantasm. Without injury, he cannot fight at full strength due to the fundamental practice of his tactics being "one must first conquer the pain inflicted by the enemy to attain absolute victory." His The Honor of the Battered skill allows for his injuries to be healed at a quarter of the cost normally required by magecraft.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3
Fate/Apocrypha - Volume 2: Berserker of "Red" profile - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9
[] Fate/complete material IV: Extra material - Fate/Apocrypha - Spartacus, p.336-337 Spartacus
The Gladiator
He is a Roman gladiator. He never questions his faith that it is a strength of humanity to endure anything. He only ever acts according to one single thought. To revolt against the oppressor, and to protect the oppressed. Following the most virtuous option, he will chose the path of suffering. He will not strike an enemy in numerical inferiority, and he will only fight back an enemy stronger than him. He strikes back after stopping the enemy's attack, and turns the table back to grasp victory only at the last minute. It is very frightening when a scar-riddled face remains composed and smiling regardless of whether you strike him or he strikes you.
- Class：Berserker
- Source：Historical fact
- Location：Europe
- Alignment：True Neutral
- Gender：Male
- Height：Upward of 220cm
- Weight：160kg
- Armament: Sword
Illustrations: Katsuya Terada
Creator: Gen Urobuchi (Nitroplus)
Legend
A ThracianWP gladiator captured by Romans, he was affiliated with a gladiator training camp in the Campania region. But in 73 B.C., he deserted along with 78 companions. The Romans dispatched a troupe of 3,000 men to pursue them, but Spartacus ambushed them. This victory encouraged servants all around to revolt, and the rebel army grew to 7,000 men. Heading North, the rebel army kept defeating the Roman army, but failed to cross the Alps, and headed to the island of Sicily instead, hiring pirates; but the pirates betrayed them, and they were attacked by the Romans. Spartacus died in that battle. It is believed his body was scarred beyond recognition.
Status
- STR: A
- CON: EX
- AGI: D
- MGI: E
- LCK: D
- Noble Phantasm: C
Skills
- The Honor of the Battered
In the instance that Spartacus' injuries are repaired by means of magecraft, the required magical energy cost is quartered. In truth, the pain inflicted heightens his combat focus, allowing him to tap into his full potential; by corollary, if he is not injured, he cannot fight at full strength. The notion that "one must first conquer the pain inflicted by the enemy to attain absolute victory" is a fundamental premise of Spartacus' tactics.
- Mad Enhancement
Rank-Up parameters, but robs most of reason. Even while under Mad Enhancement, Spartacus can normally speak things such as "Those who are bound are strong! For until the time when they are set free, anger and sadness will continue to be accumulated." However, because he is fixated with thoughts of "always making the most difficult choices", he never listen what people have to say. In practice, it is impossible to come to a mutual understanding of intentions with him. Spartacus is indeed an uncontrollable Berserker.
Noble Phantasm
- The Howl of the Wounded Beast
A permanently active-type of Noble Phantasm. It is possible to convert part of the damage inflicted by the enemy into magical energy and accumulate it in the body. The efficiency of this conversion into magical energy raises the more Spartacus physical strength decreases. The magical energy that was accumulated in the body like this can be used to boost Spartacus' abilities. If he is damaged to the point of being on the verge of death, possibly an enormous amount of magical energy enough to destroy everything before Spartacus' eyes will be saved up.
Since he unified the rebel army that was just a simple gathering and attained successive victories over the powerful Roman Army, it is thought that his popularity and abilities as a war commander were excellent. But before all that, the main reason why he collected popularity was due being a hero that "always won by reversal", symbolized by this Noble Phantasm. For the soldiers of the rebel army, the more hopeless the progress of battle was, the more certain the victory beyond that became. He himself is not aware of this, but this reversal strategy conforms with the principles of showmanship and made him extraordinarily popular as a gladiator. He certainly has no motive to seek the Holy Grail; his dearest wish is just to proceed to fields of battle. Because for Spartacus, who only aspires to rescue the oppressed and rebel against the oppressor, the battlefield is a place where there is only the weak and the strong and also a place full of the everlasting pain and trials that he desires.剣闘士
スパルタクス
ローマの剣闘士。すべてを耐え忍んだ果ての人間の強さがあると信じて疑わない。彼の行動理念はただひとつ。加虐者に反骨し、被害者を救済すること。そのための最善の選択として、より苦難の多い道を選ぶ。劣勢にある敵は攻撃せず、自分より優位な敵にのみ牙を剥く。それも敵の攻撃を受け止めたうえので反撃を選ぶため、勝利の形は土壇場での一発逆転になる。傷だらけの顔は殴るときも殴られるときも悠然と微笑んでおり、とても恐い。
- クラス：バーサーカー
- 出典：史実
- 地域：欧州
- 属性：中立・中庸
- 性別：男
- 身長：２２０ｃｍ台後半
- 体重：１６０ｋｇ台
- 武装：剣
イラスト：寺田克也
設定制作：虚淵玄（ニトロプラス）
伝説
ローマに捕えられたトラキア人の剣闘士奴隷で、カンパニアの剣闘士養成所に属していた。しかし紀元前73年、78人の仲間と共に脱走計画を実行する。ローマはこれに対し3000人の追っ手をかけるも、スパルタクスを中心に奇襲をかけられ敗退。この勝利を聞いた各地の奴隷が蜂起し、反乱軍は70000人にまで膨れ上がった。反乱軍は次々にローマ軍を打ち破りながら北上するが、アルプス越えを断念。
次にシチリア島を目指すも、海峡の輸送を依頼していた海賊に裏切られ、ついにローマ軍に包囲された。この戦いでスパルタクスは戦死。死体は誰か分からないほどに斬り刻まれていたという。
筋力値
- 筋力：A
- 耐久：EX
- 敏捷：D
- 魔力：E
- 幸運：D
- 宝具：C
固有スキル
- 被虐の誉れ
サーヴァントとしてのスパルタクスの肉体を魔術的な手法で治療する場合、それに要する魔力の消費量は通常の1/4で済む。
彼の闘志は痛めつけられるほどに燃え上がり、秘めた力のすべてを引き出すに至る。むしろ彼は、痛めつけられないと本気になれないのだ。
"敵が与えうる苦痛のすべてを耐えて凌駕することで、その敵を完全に凌駕し勝利する"というのが、スパルタクスの必勝の戦術である。
- 狂化
パラメーターをランクアップさせるが、理性の大半を奪われる。
狂化を受けてもスパルタクスは「縛られた者こそが強い。いつか解き放たれる時まで、怒りと悲しみを蓄えておけるからね」などと普通に喋る。
ただし彼は"常に最も困難な選択をする"という思考で固定されており、誰の言うことも聞き入れない。実質的に彼との意思の疎通は不可能なのだ。スパルタクスは、やはり制御不能なバーサーカーなのである。
宝具
- 疵獣の咆哮
常時発動型の宝具。敵から負わされたダメージの一部を魔力に変換し、体内に蓄積できる。 この魔力の変換効率は、スパルタクスの体力が減少するほどに上昇する。 こうして体内に溜められた魔力は、スパルタクスの能力をブーストするために使用可能である。 もし瀕死まで痛めつけられていれば、スパルタクスは眼前のすべてを破壊して余りあるほどに膨大な魔力を溜め込んでいることだろう。 彼は寄せ集まったにすぎない反乱軍をよくまとめ、強力なローマ軍に連戦連勝したことから、その人望や戦闘指揮能力は卓越したものであったと考えられる。 だがそれ以上に彼が人望を集めた要因は、この宝具に象徴された"必ず逆転によって勝利する"英雄だったということだ。 反乱軍の兵士にとって戦況が絶望的であればあるほど、その先にある勝利は確かなものだったのである。 この逆転戦法は、彼自身は意識していないがショーマンシップに則ったものであり、剣闘士としての人気も非常に高いものだった。 彼に聖杯を求める確かな動機はなく、ただ戦いの場に赴くことだけを悲願する。 被虐者を救済し、加虐者に反逆することだけを志すスパルタクスにとって、戦場こそ弱き者と強き者しかいない場所であり、彼が求めてやまない苦痛と試練に満ちあふれている場所だからだ。
- Class：Berserker