Illyasviel von Einzbern (イリヤスフィール・フォン・アインツベルン, Iriyasufīru fon Aintsuberun?), often referred to as Illya,[3] is the Master of Berserker in the Fifth Holy Grail War of Fate/stay night. She is the daughter of Kiritsugu Emiya and Irisviel von Einzbern, both whom participated in the Fourth Holy Grail War, and the adoptive older sister of Shirou Emiya.
Profile
Background
The Einzbern, one of three families of sorcerers involved in the Holy Grail War (the others being the Tohsaka and the Makiri/Matou), were responsible for creation of the vessel which the souls of the defeated Servants would go into, while the Makiri created the system of Masters and Servants and the Tohsaka supplied the land which became Fuyuki City. As such, Illya was prepared by her family to act as a living vessel for the Grail.
Early Years
Illya playing with Kiritsugu for the last time before the Grail War
Illyasviel is a homunculus, an artificial human given life by applying sorcery to sperm cells, originally created and raised by the Einzbern family.[4] During the Heaven's Feel scenario, it is insinuated that the sperm used to create her was donated by Kiritsugu Emiya, a fact that is confirmed in Fate/hollow ataraxia and Fate/Zero. She is the biological daughter of Kiritsugu Emiya and Irisviel von Einzbern, Irisviel was gifted a working womb so she gave natural birth to Illya. In the Fate/Zero Drama CD, she was born out of love between Kiritsugu and Irisviel. She will be Kiritsugu's reason for living when he comes back from the war. She is actually slightly older than Shirou, her childlike appearance being a result of a distorted growth rate. Because the head of the family Jubstacheit von Einzbern anticipated the possibility that Kiritsugu and Irisviel would fail to win the Fourth Holy Grail War, he allowed Illyasviel to be born with modifications to allow her to become the Holy Grail should a Fifth Holy Grail War occur.
Before the Fifth Grail War
Illya summoning Berserker for the first time before the Grail War
her father abandoning her after Fourth Holy Grail War, became angry with Kiritsugu, and consequently, Shirou.
The Einzberns then trained Illya harshly in order to groom her as the next vessel for the Grail and as a Master who would finally bring the Grail to the Einzbern family.
Two months before the Fifth Grail war, Jubstacheit von Einzbern threw Illya into the wilderness. Illya was able to summon the Heracles with a slab of rock from a temple as a catalyst. The Einzbern cheated by gathering materials from the Greater Grail which allowed Illya to successfully summon a Servant a full 2 months in advance. Even old man Acht was surprised by this result.[5] Berserker protected Illya from a pack of wolves and the two bonded together.
Appearance
Much like the other Einzbern homunculi, Illyasviel has crimson eyes and long white hair. Similar to her mother, Irisviel, Illya also bears a genetic resemblance to her ancestor, Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern, who was responsible for the formation of the core of the Holy Grail. She wears a collared, purple long-sleeved shirt with a light purple scarf to match, a long white skirt and purple boots.
Though Illya was born through natural means, her body has been heavily modified before and after her birth to maximize the magical circuits in her body, making her the ultimate homunculus and a refined vessel for the Holy Grail. As a result of the modifications to her body, her physical body develops slowly and her father, Kiritsugu Emiya, correctly assesses that her physical body will not develop secondary sexual characteristics. By the time she is eight years old, Kiritsugu notes that his Walther rifle is heavier than Illya is. A decade later, when Illya meets Shirou Emiya, she still looks as though she's a young girl rather than a young woman.
Personality
Illya is cheerful and outgoing, upbeat and generally exhibits a positive attitude. Possessing a friendly demeanor, she is easy to talk to and tends to be playful and mischievous. Deep inside, however, Illya is lonely as she has no friends her own age to play with and is often stuck inside the Einzbern castle honing her magecraft. She asks those she feels comfortable around to call her "Illya".
Illya's personal interest in Shirou is conflicted due to the fact that Kiritsugu, whom she loved as her father, remained in Japan as Shirou's adoptive father after betraying her family by destroying the long-sought Grail. She feels that Kiritsugu abandoned her for Shirou, and is jealous of Shirou for that. When she first meets Shirou, she considers him as something of an older brother. Though he is distrustful of her at first, he comes to like Illya, seeing her as a little sister. However at the same time, she also feels very close to Shirou for his relationship with Kiritsugu. As such, she becomes very affectionate and clingy towards him (like a younger sibling would) when Berserker is defeated, much to Saber and Rin's annoyance.
It can be said that Illya gets her outward personality from her mother. Like her mother, she is kind and has the qualities of a child. However, she also has a measure of her father in her, as she can be callous and kill others without remorse.
Role
Fate/Zero
Illya in the Fate/Zero anime
She has a minor role in Fate/Zero, she first appeared in the beginning when she was born. As she grows up, she was very fond of her father which surprises Saber as Saber thought Kiritsugu was a cold person. Kiritsugu while carrying her realizes that she stopped growing. Before he leaves for the war, Kiritsugu promises to return to Illya, who promises to wait until he returns.
Illya does not remain far from Kiritsugu and Irisviel's thoughts during the war. During a brief moment of respite, Kiritsugu expresses his despair to his wife and his desire to take their daughter and flee. However, Irisviel assures him that he must continue. During the final days of the war, Irisviel's consciousness is consumed by the Grail, Irisviel requests Kiritsugu bring Illya to Japan and to make their daughter happy. However, as Irisviel becomes the Grail, she witnesses a vision of Illya fearing her own fate of becoming the Grail one day. Kiritsugu's own vision in the Grail eventually shows him destroying everyone he wants to protect, including all his loved ones, until he is finally forced to murder Illya.
Though Kiritsugu survives the Fourth Grail War, his choice to destroy the Grail rather than realize the Third Magic is perceived as a betrayal by the Einzbern. He makes multiple attempts to retrieve Illya, but he is prevented from succeeding by Jubstacheit refusing to open the bounded barrier around the Einzbern castle. With his deteriorating body, he could not find the entrance of the bounded field and he died regretting the thought of not being able to save her. Illya never knew that her father had repeatedly tried to save her and she was groomed to despise Kiritsugu for his betrayal.
Fate/stay night
Illya in the Fate/stay night anime
Illya travels to Japan to participate in the Fifth Holy Grail War as the master of Berserker. During the initial stages of the war, she lives in the Einzbern Castle on the outskirts of Fuyuki City, accompanied only by her Servant and two maids Leysritt and Sella.[6]
The reason Saber never mentioned Illya in the Fifth Holy Grail War was that she had never asked Irisviel about her daughter’s name, and Illya’s appearance seemed physically too young for her to be Irisviel’s daughter. So, she viewed Illya as an Einzbern homunculus completely unrelated to Irisviel.[4]
Fate
Illya in the Fate/stay night anime
In the Fate route, Illya initially appears as an enemy to Shirou Emiya. Unbeknownst to Shirou, his adopted father had been the Master for the previous War, representing the Einzbern family. Kiritsugu's decision to destroy the Holy Grail had been regarded as a betrayal and is the apparent reason for why Illya has decided to specifically target Shirou. After Saber is weakened after her fight against Rider, Shirou is captured by Illya, who gives him the proposition to become her servant, which he refuses. Frustrated with his response, she orders Berserker to attack Rin, Saber and Archer, who had come to save Shirou.
Archer sacrifices himself in order to allow Rin, Saber, and Shirou to escape, by staying behind to fight Berserker despite knowing he is outmatched. He manages to take six of Berserker's twelve lives (five in the anime) before he is ultimately defeated. In order to replenish Saber's mana, Shirou gives a part of his magical circuit to her in Réalta Nua and they go fight against Illya and Berserker. Berserker is defeated by Saber and Shirou after the latter traces Caliburn, Saber's original sword. Without the protection of her Servant, Illya joins Shirou's household. She lives peacefully with Shirou and winds up being by Taiga. Notably, she is somewhat attached to Shirou, and believing Taiga to be an annoyance, she is often at odds with her. However, according to Zouken Matou, she has less than a year to live due to being an Einzbern homunculi.
Unlimited Blade Works
Illya's death in Unlimited Blade Works
In the Unlimited Blade Works route, she has a lesser role. She introduces herself as a Master to Shirou and Rin, but since the most dangerous servant in the route is Caster, she doesn't attack them. In order to defeat Caster, Shirou and Rin decide to form an alliance with Illya. However, they arrive too late at her castle and Illya is defeated and killed by Gilgamesh after the latter rips her heart out of her body. Before dying, her past together with Berserker is fully expanded, revealing that after Kiritsugu left her, Illya went through a cruel training by the Einzberns so she could be able to control Berserker and be their representative in the Grail War.
Heaven's Feel
During Heaven's Feel, Illya does the same thing that she did in Fate: upon realizing that Kiritsugu is dead, she decides to take revenge on Shirou. She attacks Rin and Shirou by surprise and Shirou gets injured after protecting Saber. When they meet again in the park, she forms a friendly relationship with Shirou and they chat frequently in the park. She tells him about her past and about the Dress of Heaven. She also appears to be aware of the relationship between Shirou and Archer.
Illya is later attacked by Zouken Matou after Berserker is defeated by Saber Alter and corrupted into becoming one of Sakura Matou's Servants. Once Berserker is destroyed, Illya reveals the truth regarding Heaven's Feel, the Holy Grail, and Angra Mainyu, the corruption in the Grail. Together with Rin, they work together to replicate the Jeweled Sword of Zelretch, which Rin intends to wield against Sakura, who has become a second vessel for the corrupted contents of the Grail. Illya remains behind while Shirou and Rin confront Sakura, extracting a promise that they will return alive.
During Shirou's battle with Saber Alter, Illya locates the Dress of Heaven, a Mystic Code passed down by the Einzberns[7]. Realizing that even if Shirou manages to defeat and retrieve Sakura it would be insufficient to save everyone from the Grail's destructive power, Illya intends to utilize the Dress of Heaven to protect Shirou.
If the affection score for her is high enough, it results in Sakura's True Ending (if the affection score is low, she regretfully kills Shirou resulting in a Bad End). Illya wearing the Dress of Heaven appears in front of Zouken Matou and asks him why he must keep himself alive. Meanwhile Shirou cancelled the connection between Sakura and Angra Mainyu, so she starts retrieving the defeated Servants' soul. And she stops Shirou who is about to sacrifice himself to destroy the Greater Grail. Illya reveals to Shirou that she is his older sister and tells him that her duty is to protect him because of it. By the use of the Dress of Heaven, she materializes his soul incompletely[7] and gives him a portion of her body as his soul's temporary container[8]. Now then she closes Gates of Heaven as a Grail.
Manga
In the manga version of Fate/stay night (which follows the Fate and Unlimited Blade Works scenarios), the events involving her character follow the Fate route. After kidnapping Shirou, losing Berserker and ultimately being defeated by Shirou and Saber, she ends up living happily at Shirou's house.
Fate/hollow ataraxia
Illya in Fate/Hollow Ataraxia
Illya plays a small role throughout the four day loop. She tends to show up wherever she pleases, but usually seeks out Shirou to do things. On the third day of one of the loops, Shirou attempts to visit the Einzbern Manor in the woods, but is stopped by Illya and Berserker. In a future loop after that encounter, she sets up a "castle siege" utilizing her Servant and Homunculi maids to make reaching her castle a "grand experience". After conquering the "siege", Shirou is able to visit the manor without issue in subsequent loops. Illya talks to Shirou about her history with Kiritsugu and Irisviel before the Fourth Grail War. During the assault of the dog-shadows, Illya and Berserker are also involved in the fight to exterminate them, much like the other Servants.
Fate/Unlimited Codes
Fate/tiger colosseum series
Capsule Servant
Shirou's ending in Celebloomers ending.
Other appearances
Illya has a number of small roles in Carnival Phantasm, often as a commentator in the parody versions of the Holy Grail War with Kirei Kotomine.
Illya is the main character of the Magical Girl spin-off, Fate/kaleid liner PRISMA☆ILLYA.
Abilities
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Illya has unsurpassed potential as a Master amongst all Masters past and present. 70% of her body is composed of Magic Circuits[9]. They are also her Command Spell and show themselves as a red pattern all over her body when she generates magical energy.[10] The power of her Command Spell is strong enough to control Berserker who can disobey normal Command Spells[11]. Her Command Spell is carved all over her body, and the number of her Magic Circuits overwhelms that of a typical magus. These factors and many more make her almost a vessel that exists to win the Holy Grail War[11]. Illya has an unlimited supply of mana, thus allowing her to control Berserker without too much difficulty. Still, she suppresses the rank of Mad Enhancements to make it easy to control him when out of combat[12].
Using single strands of her hair, she can create high-performance bird familiars, called "Zelle" (German for "cell"), similar to the wire construct wielded by her mother. They are autonomous beings that defend her and pursue targets automatically, strong enough to defend against Rin's Gandr shots, fast enough to dodge them, and shown to be able to fire small blasts of magical energy capable of easily shooting through them. They each generate a considerable amount of magical energy, and Rin compares each to a "miniature magus." She can easily create up to four without any issue, and she can change their shape into swords, called "Degen" (German for ÉpéeWP), for greater attack power.[13]
Vessel of the Grail
In Fate/Zero, the process of the Grail's creation was detailed. As each servant dies, its energy would flow into her artificial body. When six servants die, her body would be destroyed and give birth to the Holy Grail. Thus, by having Homunculus participate in the war, the Einzbern master would never be able to make a wish even when they win. The Einzbern family is fixated on victory alone because they are the family that came up with the Holy Grail War, but never won a single war.
As a vessel of the Grail, Illya's body can only take up to 4 servants and if she absorbs the fifth servant, she wouldn't function as a human any longer.[6]
Being the vessel of the Grail, Illya is able to wear the Dress of Heaven. The garment allows for the materialization of the soul and is the pinnacle of the Third Magic the Einzbern family seeks to recover through the Holy Grail Wars. She dons the Dress of Heaven during the Heaven's Feel scenario, albeit in an incomplete form of the Third Magic, to assist Shirou in completing their father's mission to stop Angra Mainyu and obliterate the Holy Grail.
Development
Creation and Conception
Originally Illya was planned to be one of the heroines, however if that were made then the release date of Fate/Stay Night would be delayed by another half a year.[11] Her route would have been part of Sakura story. Rather than only choosing to become Sakura's hero or fulfill his ideals as an Ally of Justice on the ninth day of Heaven's Feel, Shirou would have also had an option to become Illya's hero instead. However due to the length, they thought to release Saber and Rin as Fate/stay night and Sakura and Illya in a separate release titled "Fate/other night", but they thought it would have been too expensive. Illya's route was instead combined with Heaven's Feel because they decided to include Sakura's route in Fate/stay night.
Reception
- In the first Popularity polls of Fate/stay night in 2004, Illya was ranked 5th.
- In the second Popularity polls of Fate/stay night in 2006, Illya was ranked 8th.
- In the Type-Moon's 10th Anniversary Character Poll, Illya was ranked 17th.
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10
[] Fate/complete material II: Character Material - Characters: Illyasviel von Einzbern, p.054-063 Illyasviel von Einzbern
Character Data 007
Affiliation: Einzbern
Gender: Female
Height: 133cm
Weight: 34kg
Three sizes: B61/W47/H62
Image Color: Silver
Talents: None in particular
Likes: Snow, Shirou with an apron
Dislike: Cold places, cats
Worst enemy: Sakura Matou
Origin: Germany
Nasu Kinoko & Takeuchi Takashi Discussion
>The catalyst for Illya's birth
Nasu: Illya came about when Takeuchi said he wanted to "do old Fate". When we sat down to talk about it, he said he wanted Berserker's Master to be a Lolita-type girl. The "Lolita beauty and the beast", he called it.
Takeuchi: It's such a great combo for a bishojo game.
Nasu: The pairing was definitely great for a bishojo game, so after some discussion, we decided to give it a try and designed Illya to be a Lolita character.
Takeuchi: The concept of a little girl accompanied by a giant guardian also has a typical mainstream appeal as well.
Nasu: So that conversation was how Illya came about.
Takeuchi: Illya's concept didn't change much from the initial design.
Nasu: I personally liked our first draft of Illya the best, I believe we realised her image while looking at these pieces of early concept art. (Said while indicating the drafts in "Fate/side material")
Takeuchi: She still had a touch of the "big sis" flavour to her at that stage.
Nasu: Yeah, we made her seem a bit younger for the final version.
>Regarding Illya's character design
Takeuchi: Illya was wearing black stockings in her original draft, but when we chose black stockings to be part of Saber's casual outfit, we changed Illya's look.
Nasu: A surprising number of people thought Saber was wearing knee socks.
Takeuchi: They're proper pantyhose. You can see them quite clearly in one of the event illustrations.
Nasu: Do you recall the "Fate" fighting game? Saber was initially wearing knee socks in that game, but when Takeuchi saw that, he burst into a rage and declared that Saber should be wearing pantyhose, not knee socks. Needless to say, I wasn't particularly surprised that he'd point out a problem in Saber's outfit before making any comments about the actual gameplay or sprite motions. (laughs)
Takeuchi: Anyway, we decided to leave Illya barefooted due to this stocking conflict, and I think that was the right way to go because it made her seem that much more childlike. The other main concern regarding her character design was that we wanted her to have a certain air of elegance. A lot of people have told me that Illya is one of the more difficult characters to draw, and I chalk that up to the little detailed we used to make her more unique. These details include things like the gap in her bangs just above her right eye and the face that I used solid lines around her pupils. I added these details because they helped make Illya stand out from the crowd and have the impression that she was different from normal people.
>Illya's feelings about arriving in Kiritsugu's hometown
Nasu: She was excited, to be sure... but whether that excitement had to do with her arriving in a place that she had built up in her mind or the fact that her vengeance was finally at hand, even she did not know. I imagine it was something akin to the way a boxer feels when he is going up against a champion that he has always adored and respected, yet knows he must defeat. All she knows is that the feelings are strong and undeniable, yet their true source remains a mystery.
Takeuchi: By the way, is the head of the Einzbern family (Old Man Acht) still alive?
Nasu: I reckon he is, yes. He's basically a living fossil.
>Explaining Illya
Nasu: In terms of her character, Illya straddles the line between the "big sister" and "little sister" roles. Her words and actions tend to come off as childish, but sometimes she scolds Shirou like a big sister might. We were really careful not to reveal the fact that Illya is technically Shirou's older sister until the very end.
Takeuchi: Playing through the game again after finding out about the familial relationship between Shirou and Illya makes some scenes more interesting because you notice the "big sis" moments that we snuck in there.
Nasu: I also hope that everyone got the fact that snow is supposed to be Illya's theme or symbol.
Takeuchi: We had designed Illya to be a heroine to some degree, so I guess you could say she started off with some wifely attributes, but those kind of faded away as her character evolved. Looking back on it now, however, I think it was better for Illya's character that way.
Nasu: Yeah, Illya's not really the wife type... she's more of a daughter if anything. The love you feel for her is the kind that makes you want to protect her.
Takeuchi: If the three heroines were to be Shirou's wives, Illya would definitely be his little sister. She would be the most cherished little sister ever, no doubt. It's mentioned in the game that Illya doesn't get to have a normal lifespan, and I found a dojinshi that delved into that aspect of the story. In my opinion, the way Illya was portrayed in that dojinshi is probably her most accurate portrayal to date.
Nasu: Speaking of dojin work... Whose call was it to put Illya in bloomer shorts for the Tiger Dojo?
Takeuchi: The bonus Type-Moon booklet that Tech Gian released featured all three heroines on the cover wearing bloomer shorts. When I asked the editor in charge what we should do with the back cover, they told me there was only one thing to do... Illya in bloomer shorts. The "stay night" story didn't really offer any opportunities to dress her in bloomer shorts, so I wasn't too sure about it... (laughs)
Nasu: But you were pleasantly surprised by the results?
Takeuchi: Very much so. (laughs)
Nasu: We really didn't attempt any of that obvious erotica in "stay night", so I recall feeling a bit embarrassed when wee created the Tiger Dojo. I was a tad uncertain about it, but I persuaded myself by saying it was part of the Tiger Dojo setup.
Takeuchi: So you say, I remember how much you complained about the "Lolita in bloomers".
Nasu: That was just my way of hiding my embarrassment. I just had to think of her as an enigma of sorts. She was a mystery to everyone, so there was no need to feel embarrassed about anything when it came to her!
Takeuchi: A Lolita bloomer enigma... what a terribly sad enigma indeed.
Nasu: Should we feel bad that we're concluding our talk on Illya with a talk about those damn bloomer shorts? Regardless, I can't deny that I think Illya looks really cute in her shorts, I think that was a definite jackpot.
Takeuchi: Well sometimes the smallest decision can have the biggest impact. They do say knowing the difference between decisions that will and those that won't is the key to success.イリヤスフィール・フォン・アインツベルン - アインツベルン家の代表として第五次聖杯 戦争に参加したマスターの少女。強大な力と 引き換えに理性を失くしたバーサーカーをサ ーヴァントとする。彼女のマスターとしてのカ は聖杯戦争史上最高と目されており、狂化さ れた破格の英雄ヘラクレスを聖杯による魔力 供給が始まる2ヵ月前に召喚し、維持してきた ことからも、その高い能力が窺いしれる。 これほどの力を持つ彼女だが、実は人間で はなくホムンクルス。とはいえ精液を提供し た父と、子宮を提供した母が存在する点は人 間と変わりない。父は衛宮切嗣であり、士郎 は義理の弟(年齢は士郎より上!?)となる。第 五次聖杯戦争の聖杯として、倒されたサーヴ ァントの魂を回収する役割を与えられていた。 無邪気で天真爛漫だが、同時に倫理観が 薄く、殺人に抵抗がない。ナチュラルに天使 で、ナチュラルに悪魔。自分と母を捨てた切 嗣を恨んでおり、士郎には複雑な思いを抱く。 その愛憎からか、物語中では士郎を「お兄ち ゃん」と呼び慕うと同時に、バッドエンドでは 何度も何度も彼を殺すことになる。
Character Data ００７
所属：アインツベルン
性別：女性
身長：１３３ｃｍ
体重：３４ｋｇ
スリーサイズ：Ｂ６１／Ｗ４７／Ｈ６２
イメージカラー：銀
特技：特になし
好きな物：雪、シロウのエプロン姿
苦手な物：寒いところ、猫
天敵：桜
出身：ドイツ
奈須 きのこ&武内崇 • キャラクター別対談
イリヤ誕生のキッカケ
奈須： - ↑ 2.0 2.1 Fate/Zero Anime Visual Guide I - Illyasviel von Einzbern entry, p.035
- ↑ Both "Ilya" and "Illya" are official spellings of her nickname. "Ilya" is used on the TYPE-MOON's official website and in the fan translation of the game, but "Illya" tends to be used elsewhere, especially in merchandise.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1
[] Fate/Zero material - Encyclopedia: Illyasviel von Einzbern [Person's name], p.091 Illyasviel von Einzbern [Person's name]
The daughter of Irisviel and Kiritsugu, and one of the heroines of the future Fifth Holy Grail War – this isn’t a lie! Illya’s route exists in everyone’s hearts!
The original story of Fate had events hinting at this, but in Zero her shocking age issue is very quickly revealed.
Incidentally, the reason Saber didn’t speak her feelings during the Fifth War was because she had never asked Iri about her daughter’s name, and Illya’s appearance seemed far too young for her to be Iri’s daughter (after 10 years, the child that used to sit on Kiritsugu’s shoulders should already have developed a voluptuous body, that was the reasoning). So, she viewed Illya as an Einzbern homunculus completely unrelated to Iri – it’s definitely not a lame excuse.イリヤスフィール・フォン・アインツベルン【人名】
アイリスフィールと衛宮切嗣の娘であり、後の第五次聖杯戦争におけるヒロインの一人。――嘘じゃないよ！イリヤルートは皆の心の中にあるんだよ！
Fate本編においてもそれとなく思わせぶりな記述はあったものの、Zeroにおいてその衝撃の年齢設定が至極あっさりと露見した。
ちなみに第五次においてセイバーがイリヤに対し容赦なかったのは、アイリから娘の名前をちゃんと聞いていなかったことと、イリヤの外見年齢がアイリの娘にしては幼すぎること（あれから10年経ってんなら切嗣に肩車されてた子供はムチムチバディになってる筈っしょ、という推察）から、イリヤをアイリとは無縁のアインツベルン謹製ホムンクルスと認識したためである。――苦しいとか言っちゃ駄目なんだからツ。 - ↑
[] Fate/complete material III: World material - FAQ with Nasu: Holy Grail War, p.131
Q: Was Berserker summoned without the aid of the Greater Grail, using Illya’s uncommonly high mana capacity?Q: I thought that Servants can materialize in physical form because of the Holy Grail, but how was Berserker summoned 2 months before the Greater Grail was active? Was he summoned without the aid of the Greater Grail, using Illya’s uncommonly high mana capacity?
A: It was due to the ease of requesting material gathered at the Greater Grail, and some cheating, characteristic of the Einzbern. Although, Old Man Acht did not expect Illya to successfully summon a Servant a full 2 months in advance - ↑ 6.0 6.1
[] Fate/complete material III: World material - FAQ with Nasu: Holy Grail War, p.131
Q: What is Illya’s capacity as a Grail?Q: What is Illya’s capacity as a Grail? Hypothetically, if the Einzbern won the War, Illya absorbed the other 6 Servants besides Berserker, and had some shred of human will left, could she still don the Dress of Heaven and initiate the Grail ritual?
A: That’s what Liz and Sella are for. Illya can only take up to 4 - I would think that absorbing a fifth Servant wouldn’t allow her to function as a human any longer. - ↑ 7.0 7.1
[] Fate/side material - Encyclopedia: Dress of Heaven [Armament], p.067 [T] Dress of Heaven [Armament]
A magical artifact passed down by the Einzberns.
As the heart that governs the Great Holy Grail, it is imbued with sorcery that can materialize the soul for just a few seconds.
Though the dress is pure white, it is actually made of gold. It is inlaid with seven "rings" said to control creation, and the souls of others.
The seven holes in the dress are the seven transformed rings, and they are designed to light up one by one every time a Servant's soul is harvested.
Since any human who touches the dress will be turned to gold, its management must be handled by elementals, demi-humans, or homunculi.天のドレス【武装】
アインツベルンに伝わる魔術兵装。
大聖杯を製御する心臓にして、魂を数秒だけ物質化させる魔術を帯びている。
純白のドレスだが、材質は黄金。万物・他人の魂を支配するといわれる“指輪"を七つはめ込んでいる。
七つの孔は指輪が変形したもので、サーヴァントの 魂が収納される度に一つずつ光を帯びていく仕掛け。
人間が触ると黄金になってしまう為、運営は精霊や小人、ホムンクルスでなければならない。 - ↑
[] Fate/complete material III: World material - FAQ with Nasu: General Questions about Fate, p.130-131
Q: At the end of Sakura Route, the shape of the Shirou resurrected by the Third Magic was not human, correct?Q: At the end of Sakura Route, the shape of the Shirou resurrected by the Third Magic was not human, correct? If his shape was not human, how did they know which object was Shirou?
A: Rider used Rin's pendant as a landmark. As to the state that Shirou was in, I will leave it up to your imagination. Since Shirou was reconstructed from a portion of Illya's body, in terms of size, you would not expect him to be the same as the original. That was my thought process. - ↑ Unlimited Blade Works anime episode 15
- ↑
[] Fate/complete material III: World material - FAQ with Nasu: Command Spells, p.132
Q: In Saber’s route, there was a scene where Illya was frightened by Gil’s appearance, and her Command Seal was described as “glowing.” Is this because Illya’s Command Seals are different than those of other Masters? Are the Seals her Thaumaturgical Crest or something?Q: In Saber’s route, there was a scene where Illya was frightened by Gil’s appearance, and her Command Seal was described as “glowing.” Is this because Illya’s Command Seals are different than those of other Masters? Are the Seals her Thaumaturgical Crest or something?
A: Illya’s Command Seals are also her Magic Circuits, so the generation of mana causes it to appear as if she is activating her Seals. - ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "fsm" defined multiple times with different content - ↑
[] Fate/complete material III: World Material - The Servants of the Fifth Holy Grail War: Berserker, p.036-037 [T] Hercules
Class: Berserker
Master: Illyasviel von Einzbern
Alignment: Chaotic Mad
Sex: Male
Height: 253cm
Weight: 311kg
Weapon: Axe-Sword
STR: A+
CON: A
AGI: A
MGI: A
LCK: B
Noble Phantasm: A
Legend
A demigod hero of Greek Mythology, he was born between the King of Gods Zeus and a human girl. He received the violent hatred of Zeus' wife Hera because of his origins and was tormented by the goddess at every turn. However, he entirely overcame the difficulties he had been given, and was enshrined as a god in the end.
Heracles had an extremely violent temperament as an infant, and grew up as a shepherd in order to obtain a gentle heart. Having grown into a fine adult, Heracles was recognized for several feats, and gained two children as well as the right of succession to the throne. However, Hera made Heracles go temporarily insane and he killed his wife and children, ending up in the role of a slave to the king to atone for his sins. Here the jealous king gave him a challenge, the famous Twelve Labors. The Labors were all things that a human could not achieve but Heracles completed them safely, and at the same time he was freed from slavery, he received an immortal body.
However, the adventures of Heracles and Hera's hatred did not end there. Hera's numerous artifices resulted in Heracles' poisoning by his own wife from his second marriage. In his final moments, Heracles cremated himself, surrendering to Zeus's judgment. The gods after consulting recognize Heracles' feats, and he was recruited as a god like his father, becoming a constellation.
Tactics
An excellent warrior, he possesses the qualifications corresponding to six classes excluding Caster. Other than specializing with the bow, he has mastered every weapon. However, all that is talk about times when he is not Berserker. Heracles as a Berserker has lost his rationality, and exists only to utterly defeat the enemy from the front as directed by Illya. Naturally, there is no such thing as detailed tactics, leaving it to physical ability and brandishing an axe-sword to strike. Astonishingly, with just that, it is a fact that he demonstrates hand-to-hand combat abilities superior to every Servant. Without breaking to even think about defense, he leaves it to his Noble Phantasm "God Hand."
Class Abilities
Mad Enhancements: B
The Class Skill that characterizes Berserker, it reinforces ability at the cost of reason. As Heracles' possesses the skill at Rank B, in compensation for losing most of his sanity, the levels of all his abilities rise. Heracles beat his harp instructor to death when he was a child, and had many episodes when he killed people in his rage without even hearing them speak. It seems that for Heracles, Berserker that receives "Mad Enhancement" was an easy class to adapt to. Focusing on controllability when out of combat, the rank of "Mad Enhancement" is suppressed by Illya.
Being close to the strongest Heroic Spirit, even restricted to simple direct melee as consequence of Mad Enhancement, Heracles was undoubtedly the strongest among the Servants. However, because of Mad Enhancement, a variety of sword techniques and skills, and a part of his Noble Phantasms was lost. Having his emotions also sealed off and not able to perform any personally motivated actions, only the reason within his core was not lost, having occasions when he felt something like the will to protect Illya.
Personal Abilities
Battle Continuation: A
A skill that allows for the continuation of combat after sustaining mortal wounds. It will also reduce mortality rate from injury. Cú Chulainn’s Battle Continuation represents “never give up no matter what”, while Hercules’ represents the ability to survive. The Noble Phantasm that allows for resurrection after death, God Hand, has exceptional compatibility with the “will not die easily” skill Battle Continuation.
The best result is achieved when a resilient body is combined with this skill.
Eye of the Mind (False): B
A danger avoidance ability based on Intuition/Sixth Sense, gained through many ordeals and adventures. Even though Hercules’ sanity was lost due to Mad Enhancement, this skill remained effective as it is nearly an instinct. When crossing swords with a seasoned swordsman like Artoria, he would not fall for half-hearted feints. It is such a troublesome ability for Hercules’ opponents.
Although monstrous in size, Hercules has the highest rank in Agility. As a result, it is very difficult to corner him.
Bravery: A+
With his brave and daring spirit, Herakles is able to neutralise mental interference such as suppression, confusion and charm. However, under the influence of Mad Enhancement, this skill is unable to take effect. While operating correctly, Bravery also increases the damage inflicted upon the opponent during melee combat. This skill allowed Herakles to defeat several monsters empty-handed.
Even the brave warrior’s heart was painted over by the insanity of Mad Enhancement.
Divinity: A
Being a mixed-race child of the King of Gods Zeus and a human, and becoming a god after death, Herakles naturally possessed the highest level of the Divinity skill. However, this matter became a disaster, ending with his complete entrapment in Gilgamesh's Noble Phantasm "Chains of Heaven" that grows in strength proportionate to the enemy's Divinity.
Noble Phantasm
God Hand: Twelve Labors
Rank: B
Type: Anti-Unit
Range: -
Maximum Targets:
A blessing of Gods, as well as a curse. It is a Noble Phantasm given to Heracles, representing immortality. This Noble Phantasm does not have an overt external manifestation such as a weapon or armour, but if you hazard to put a shape to it, the body itself can be called the Noble Phantasm. God Hand turns one’s body into a tough suit of armour and nullifies all attacks Rank B or lower, regardless the attack being physical or magical. It also has the effect of automatic resurrection after death. Because the resurrection effect has 11 uses, Heracles cannot perish unless killed 12 times. In addition, due to Illya’s immense magical energy, given enough time, the lives lost can also be regenerated.
Resurrection as well as attack-nullification. Besides these two effects, God Hand also possesses a third effect: rendering an attack that it has experienced before useless. Regardless how powerful is the Noble Phantasm that defeated Heracles, it would be completely nullified after he resurrects.
Nine Lives: The Shooting Hundred Heads
Rank: -
Type: -
Range: -
Maximum Targets: -
Among Hercules’Noble Phantasms, he trusted this one the most. It was the Noble Phantasm which Hercules used to slay the immortal nine-headed serpent Hydra once upon a time, taking the form of bow and arrow. After killing the Hydra, Hercules could even utilise techniques that emulate the ability of this Noble Phantasm when wielding other weapons. In essence, it is “a high speed attack consisting of nine consecutive strikes, as swift as if the attacks are overlapping”. Even when delivered via sword, spear, or axe, this technique still boasts power on the level of Noble Phantasms. Also, just like Cú Chulainn’s demonic spear Gae Bolg has a technique called “Gae Bolg – Piercing Death Thorn”, Hercules’ technique shares the “Nine Lives – Shooting of Hundred Heads” name with the Noble Phantasm.
Shirou projected this secret sword technique while projecting Hercules’ Axe Sword, thus annihilating the Blackened Hercules. While summoned as a Berserker, Hercules could not use Nine Lives. - ↑ Unlimited Blade Works anime episode 3