Rider (ライダー, Raidā?) is a Rider-class Servant able to be summoned by Ritsuka Fujimaru in the Grand Orders of Fate/Grand Order.
Profile
Identity
Rider's True Name is Ushiwakamaru (牛若丸?), who is better known with her adult name Minamoto no YoshitsuneWP (源義経WP?). It would be no exaggeration to say that Ushiwakamaru (Minamoto no Yoshitsune) is the most famous military commander in Japanese history. Probably only someone like Oda Nobunaga possesses a popularity that rivals hers... However, there are many obscure points in regards to history, and especially the early half of her life from before raising an army is wrapped in mystery.[2]
It has been told that at eleven years-old, while she was under the care of the Kurama TempleWP, Ushiwakamaru met with the onmyouji Kiichi Hogen (some theories say that he was also the Kurama TenguWP) and was awarded with the arts of war.[2]
Although she was blessed with talent and charisma, Ushiwakamaru was abandoned by her brother Minamoto no YoritomoWP, and was defeated together with her attendant Musashibou Benkei.[2]
Legend
Perhaps this ill-fated commander is probably a being so famous, there is no one in Japan who does not know her name.[1][2] That recognition is also frequently apparent in the proverb called the "Sympathy for a Tragic Hero." Namely, a tragic military commander who, while was overflowing with charisma and holds an innate disposition of a genius, was driven off in defeat at the end of a confrontation with Yoritomo, her older brother who was jealous of this prominent figure's nature————apart from that matter of whether it was distinctly right or wrong... This Ushiwakamaru is unmistakably a monster.[1]
In any case, Ushiwakamaru cannot read the hearts of men. She cannot understand this matter, perplexed at her own human being.[1]
"Love, what is it?" Ushiwakamaru inquires. She was left under the care of a temple when she was very young, and she was raised up while as someone unaware of a father's love, a mother's love, a proper parents' love, as well as a love spun from a significant other. If there is only one fact, Ushiwakamaru was a samurai. A samurai serves the lord and swears allegiance to the lord. Concerning her, that was the only truth, and with the exception of that, everything else didn't matter. Separated from her parents when she was very young, she was disciplined by a Tengu deep in the mountains; subsequently, she was not able to nurture her "humanity". That is the way of a faithful dog... Close to a pure beast, she fights for the sake of her master instead of herself. For the cause of being praised, Ushiwakamaru triumphed. She won thoroughly. That is, she removed all ostentation from herself because that is none other than a choice for a way to slaughter her enemies quite efficiently. Yoritomo was afraid of that, and Ushiwakamaru's circumstances did not make her popularity rise. It may not be discovered that her fangs could turn towards her allies to tear off their attractive yet deceptive outward appearances... They were afraid of her inhuman nature that did not truly fit in with the relationship of gaining profit by having power.[1]
After he destroyed the Taira clanWP, Yoritomo immediately began to obliterate Ushiwakamaru. Her social position has not yet settled within their clan, and if he does not destroy her, he will always become anxious about the future. At any rate, Yoshitsune doesn't understand politics. She doesn't understand the hearts of men. If that kin, similar to an antiquated beast, exists, then Yoritomo cannot make the era he is aiming for. It was rumored in the public streets that Yoritomo killed his younger brother at the end of a power struggle. Ushiwakamaru consented. That synposis is correct. Regardless of what intentions Yoritomo had, and regardless of what Ushiwakamaru was feeling, with this state of affairs around her, it was reasonable for Ushiwakamaru to dispose herself, and...[1]
Since the Taira no longer existed, Ushiwakamaru was Yoritomo's next political opponent. Also, as far as Hojo MasakoWP, her older brother's wife, is concerned, the likes of Minamoto no Yoshitsune is probably unneeded. Thus, she will behave as if she was her older brother's enemy, doing nothing but fight and die in battle, all in accordance with what her older brother desires. Although Ushiwakamaru thought as such, her subordinates persuaded her, and she decided to escape to OshuWP. And yet, Yoritomo persistently chased her. He saw her not as family, but as an inhuman monster, and chased after her.[1]
————"That's strange. This is somewhat unreasonable."
————"Though, it was human beings that preferred emotions rather than gains and losses."
————"I only wanted my older brother to praise me, but I was lacking something."
————"I am sorry, I could not change up to my last moments————"[1]
Although Ushiwakamaru was defeated at Oshu, her name was carved into the history of Japan. Without understanding the essence of anyone.[1]
Appearance
Ushiwakamaru is a young girl clad in armor.[3]
Personality
Ushiwakamaru is a genius swordsman that wholeheartedly adores her older brother, Minamoto no Yoritomo.[3] She respected him as a samurai and loved him for being her brother. Although she tries not to be boastful, she says that he was the most exemplary older brother in the world.[4]
Ushiwakamaru likes to have fun. When she was a child, she was rather mischievous since she spent her days playing pranks on adults as a hobby and causing trouble for the monks, all while laughing out loud. Though she is not like that any more as she conducts herself properly to the best of her ability.[4]
For some reason, Ushiwakamaru has some level of acrophobia as she hates high places and never wants to be anywhere high.
She was constantly persecuted by those around her in life due to her exceedingly great talent.[3] While there is no doubt that she was an excellent tactician, Yoshitsune lacked something vital.[2] That is fear towards the battlefield; she never thought battles were frightening.[2][4] All throughout life, she was incompatible with the other military commanders. That Yorimoto even held killing intent towards Yoshitsune was probably something that she never came to understand in her entire life. For, since she was a genius, having concern towards abilities was something that did not exist in her.[2] But no matter how many times she is betrayed, she still wants to fight for someone's sake.[4]
A beautiful swordsman who is disciplined, scolding even her Master for any sloppy habits.[1][4] Despite her beautiful figure, showing an appearance like a flower blooming in the midnight, Ushiwakamaru is without self-assertion. She sometimes speaks as necessary, but she does not have a talkative disposition that can express a beautiful voice that would draw 10,000 people in to listen to it in ecstasy. Also, she does not boast her outstanding arts of war, instead proving it with nothing but results and at the scene of battle. It is possible to say that this person is a paragon of knighthood that discerns propriety and speaks with actions before words... and, someone simply seen as a genuine fighting machine.[1]
Because her character is straightforward and not a falsehood, all the established things Ushiwakamaru undertakes completely becomes the "shortest, fastest straight line" towards the goal. When ordinary people do this, they usually fail and reflect on their failure, and subsequently from that, they consider... and polish a variety of plans... The problem is, Ushiwakamaru is a super genius. Because she does not fail at these things, she has grown to as she is now with this unmanageable nature.[1]
In battle, Ushiwakamaru is cold-hearted, cool-headed and the personification of the most suitable hand, but ordinarily, she is a young girl who earnestly wishes "to become her older brother's power, to become the head's strength, and to want to help this splendid figure." To address this in a few words, "a faithful dog with a broken brake." She is faithful, bright and friendly, but somewhere, she is missing a screw... no, it becomes unclear of its whereabouts.[1]
Her talents sublimated up to its utmost limits and her extraordinary loyalty becomes intertwined, and a person (Master) that notices "this unthinkable genius who, without thinking, is just unreasonably becoming emotionally attached to me for no real reason" won't understand why and might harbor fear at that characteristic. On the other hand, how Ushiwakamaru treats her subordinates is surely demonic. "Die so you can make an easy place for me to fight. That is your role."[1]
Ushiwakamaru is a girl who really loves her brother and is making great efforts as a girl who really loves her Master. That cool behavior that does not get agitated by anything... from there is a ferocity one step short of an unleashed Berserker's, and anyone would be bewildered at that.[1]
If the Master is vexed about "If that enemy's ship is usable...", Ushiwakamaru will head towards the ship visibly like a gale while saying "Master, please leave the decisions to me!" A few minutes later, she would inform the Master about the ship and say "Master, this way to the ship!" However, except for the sailors operating the ship, everybody will be completely dealing with the scene of carnage called "being bound for the netherworld."[1]
Ushiwakamaru is a cool-headed subordinate, but she too is a person that draws from the blood of the Minamoto clanWP, a clan of which has the origin of the word "ruler" in the past. She is only a faithful dog towards the Master, and will display a sadistic and cold-hearted side to anyone except the Master.[1]
Naturally, much like with her brother, Ushiwakamaru will serve her Master with all her heart, fighting until her's or her Master's final moments.[4]
Ushiwakamaru's wish for the Holy Grail is to be with her older brother. It would truly make her happy.[4]
Relationships
- Musashibou Benkei
- "The man calls himself Benkei... and I understand the gist of it, but it is extremely bold of him to do so. I'll mess with him for fun. Then I can kill him behind the temple when I'm bored of him."[1]
- Jing Ke / Martha
- Artoria Alter categorizes these three as the "disappointing trio". They may act like they have common sense, but since they're really just weirdos, they fit together well. "When I speak my mind, most people seem to be stunned, but Jing Ke and Martha keep on going like nothing strange happened. I've never met someone so easy to talk with!"[1]
- Minamoto no Yorimitsu
- Shyly happy to have her as an anscestor and to get to know her. Feels like she's a mother. Vaguely feels that "their roots are similar."[1]
Role
Fate/Grand Order
GUDAGUDA Honnouji
She appears in this Singularity under the name Imagawa Yoshitune. After setting up camp, she tells Musashibou Sessai (who she repeatedly almost calls Benkei) to prepare a banquet in two seconds. When Sessai tells her to be on guard due to their camp's dangerous location, Imagawa tells him not to worry due to their Mini-Nobu army. Later, she and Sessai see the Chaldea group approaching them as they're running from Matsudaira Arash's Stella. Then, both she and Sessai are struck by Stella as they were too busy wondering what it was after Sessai answered her that he didn't set up any fireworks for the banquet. Before she disappears, Imagawa laments that her army is destroyed and her dream to resurrect the Kamakura Shogunate is gone.
Santa Alter for Roughly a Week
When Julius Caesar came to Jing Ke's hideout, he is mistaken for Santa Claus, and makes Ushiwakamaru, Saint Martha, and Jing Ke sign a contract that forced them to buy expensive presents with their own money. But when Caesar discovered that they don't have enough money, he confiscates their possessions.
Later, Ushiwakamaru complains about how people should send presents to each other anytime not just on Christmas, and then recalls how her lord and brother were disturbed when she brought them heads as gifts. Then, when Santa Alter asks for Jing Ke (calling her Jean Kay), Ushiwakamaru begins to tell her, but she is interrupted when Jing Ke arrives drunk. She is apologizes for Jing Ke's drunkeness and explains that it's the result of her drinking for ten days to recover from an incident. But when Santa Alter reveals herself to be Santa Claus, she attacks her along with Martha and Jing Ke. After Santa Alter defeats them, Ushiwakamaru relays to her relays to her about their incident with the other Santa. She is then given her present, a ship, which she says she'll board at night and take over it after killing the captain.
Onigashima: Demonic Fairy Tale
Babylonia: The Absolute Frontline in the War Against the Demonic Beasts
Gilgamesh summons Ushiwakamaru along with Benkei. Ushiwakamaru, along with Benkei and Leonidas, accompanies Ritsuka Fujimaru and Mash Kyrielight in Babylonia. When Mash and Ritsuka struggled to escape from Gorgon - the demonic form of Medusa possessed by Tiamat, she stands her ground in order to buy time for the pair to escape. Though she fought gallantly and managed to deal some damage to Gorgon, Ushiwakamaru was eventually defeated and killed.
Ushiwakamaru's soul is later corrupted and she is raised as an undead to fight off Ritsuka and Mash when they try to defeat Tiamat.
Salomon: The Grand Time Temple
Ushiwakamaru is amongst the "Babylonia" Singularity Servants assisting Chaldea against the Demon Gods Pillars.[5]
Interlude
In her interlude Love is Not Free, Ushiwakamaru with Ritsuka and Mash is accidentally rayshifted to an island due to stabilization issues. Traversing through a forest, she and Mash figure that they ended up on a deserted island, but both of them soon sense enemies. Ambushing and slaying the Lamia they sensed, the group exit the forest to another coastline. After Romani Archaman tells the group that it will take longer for him to stabilize the Rayshift system, Ushiwakamaru asks Ritsuka to tell her a story about themselves. Little after Ritsuka tells their story, she asks if she's useful to them, to which Ritsuka answers that she is. Glad to hear Ritsuka's answer, Ushiwakamaru tells them how she was misunderstand by others, including her brother, until her death. Comparing Ritsuka to Ise Yoshimori, Ushiwakamaru states how they take time to speak with their Servants personally. After Ushiwakamura expresses her gratitude to Ritsuka, Mash contacts Romani about the Rayshift, but he tells the group that they need to remove the instability in the area before he can rayshift them back. After Mash guesses that a nearby ship is the source of the instability, Ushiwakamaru jumps to the ship to bring it to shore, but she is soon attacked by the ship's undead crew. Managing to bring the ship to shore, she and the others manage to kill the undead crew, but their vengeful spirits, the source of the instability, raise to attack the group. After slaying the spirit to stabilizes the area, Ushiwakamaru expresses her disappointment that Ritsuka couldn't see her fight, then she asks for them to pat her on the head.
Abilities
Ushiwakamaru is a genius swordsman and an excellent tactician.[2][3] Her mount is a white horse called Tayuuguro (太夫黒, Tayūguro?).[2]
Tengu's Art of War (天狗の兵法, Tengu no Heihō?) is a Skill derived from the anecdote of Ushiwakamaru having learned the arts of war from a TenguWP - an existence beyond humans. Provides bonuses to close-combat power such as swordsmanship, archery and spearmanship, as well as Skills such as Military Tactics and Magic Resistance.[1][2]
Ushiwakamaru has an overflowing Charisma, where although she is in a form that not everyone likes, there is a strange charm to her that attracts people the closer they get to her.[1]
Ushiwakamaru's Noble Phantasm is Shana-oh's Wandering Tales, the embodiment of numerous legends that were born after Ushiwakamaru became Minamoto no Yoshitsune and traveled to Oshu. This Noble Phantasm comprises five secret techniques, including Jumping the Eight Ships at Dan-no-ura.[1]
Forms and Alternate Versions
Berserker
- Main article: Berserker
Blackened by the Chaos Tide of Tiamat, Ushiwakamaru is corrupted and converted into the Berserker Class.
Swimsuit
Development
Creation and Conception
Mineji Sakamoto is the character illustrator for Ushiwakamaru.[1][2] Yuuichirou Higashide and Nasu Kinoko are the scenario writers for her character.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 1.29 1.30 1.31 1.32 1.33 1.34 1.35 1.36 1.37 1.38 1.39 1.40 1.41 Fate/Grand Order material I - Ushiwakamaru, p.242-253, translated by canaki at Beast's Lair.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 This reference needs to be fixed. Use "FGOSP1" instead of "Grand Order".</poem>}}
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Fate/Grand Order Site - Rider: A young girl clad in armor. A genius swordsman that wholeheartedly adores her older brother. Due to her exceedingly great talent, she was constantly persecuted by her surroundings.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Fate/Grand Order - Ushiwakamaru (Rider): Dialogues
- ↑ Fate/Grand Order - Salomon: The Grand Time Temple - Act 08: VII / Health Office Sabnock