Of the eight servants that appear in "Fate/stay night," Berserker is said to be the most difficult to control, but he shares a bond with his master, Illyasviel. Although Berserker falls in the middle of the story, there are some tear-jerking episodes involving Illyasviel, so let's introduce his charm. We will focus on the bond between Illyasviel and Berserker, one of the strongest enemies, and how he acts and falls.
Berserker appears as Illyasviel's servant
Eight servants appear in the Holy Grail War, but this time we will introduce Illyasviel's servant, Berserker, who appears in "Fate/stay night." Compared to Illyasviel, a petite girl reminiscent of a snow fairy, Berserker, the berserker servant, is a giant well over 2 meters tall. Not only does he have the strength to swing the rock sword with ease, but he is also agile and capable of tricky movements, so it is not uncommon for him to cause trouble to other servants. Let's take a closer look at how Berserker is portrayed in "Fate/stay night".
The strongest servant in the Fifth Holy Grail War?
In the Fifth Holy Grail War, Berserker is considered the strongest servant, and one of the reasons for this is that he is considered unbeatable in hand-to-hand combat. The Berserker class has a unique skill called Sadistic transformation, which allows them to lose their sanity but at the cost of increasing their abilities, resulting in an overwhelmingly destructive blow. Sadistic transformation makes it difficult for their master to control them, but summoned Berserkers have such high rank as Heroic Spirits that they become untouchable monsters.
Strong bond with Illyasviel
In the Fifth Holy Grail War, it was Illyasviel who summoned the Berserker Servant, and since she had been undergoing magical conditioning since she was in the womb, she was able to successfully control the difficult-to-tame Berserker. Also, when Illyasviel was attacked by wolves in the Blizzard Forest where the grudge was present during her childhood, Berserker appeared to rescue her, and she began to trust him, coming to believe that he was "the strongest in the world."
Even though Berserker has also become violent, he still tries to protect Illyasviel, which shows that there is a special bond between the two.
Berserker's real name is Heracles, the great hero of Greek mythology
Summoned in the Fifth Holy Grail War, Berserker's real name is the great hero of Greek mythology, Heracles, and he has been blessed by God with a strong body. Due to the life that Heracles has lived, ordinary attacks are not able to defeat or even injure him, so it is no wonder that he is called the strongest Servant. What are the characteristics of the Noble Phantasm that Heracles possesses? Let's introduce the ones that appeared in the story.
What kind of hero was Heracles?
Hercules is the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and is considered the greatest hero of Greek mythology, half-god, half-human.
Not only is he excellent in mind, technique, and body, but he also has the skill to use any weapon, and Heracles also completed the 12 difficult tasks given to him by the priestess of Apollo. All of the 12 difficult tasks were difficult, but he completed them using not only his skill but also his wisdom, and Heracles has left behind many legends since then.
Continuously active Noble Phantasm "Twelve Trials (God Hand)"
Hercules possesses the constantly active Noble Phantasm "Twelve Trials (God Hand)," which allows him to nullify any attack below B rank. In addition, he can automatically revive up to 11 times, and once he has been killed, he cannot be killed again, so in order to defeat him, it is necessary to kill him multiple times with A rank or higher and 12 types of attacks, or a powerful blow. However, the amount of magical power consumed is enormous, and it is doubtful whether an ordinary magician would be able to revive Hercules once. However, Illyasviel, who made a contract with Hercules in the Fifth Holy Grail War, has enough magical power to automatically revive Hercules, as her true identity is the Holy Grail itself.
Qualities that qualify as a class other than Caster
In the Fifth Holy Grail War, the hero Hercules is summoned as a Berserker, but it is said that he has the qualities to be any class of servant other than Caster. The reason he was summoned as a Berserker is because the Einzbern family prioritized following orders, and the axe-sword was the catalyst for his summoning. Hercules' suitable class is Archer, and he fights using not only the "Twelve Trials" but also his versatile Noble Phantasm "Nine Lives", which can change shape depending on the situation and target. In fact, in "Fate/stay night", Emiya Shirou projects an axe-sword and fights against the blackened Berserker, using "Nine Lives Bladeworks", which cuts nine vital points at the same time.
How did Berserker fight in each route?
There are three stories in "Fate/staty night", and as the story unfolds differently depending on the route, the opponents you face also change greatly.
So, how does Berserker fight in each route, and how does he fall in the end?
Let's take a look at Berserker's exploits in each route.
Saber Route
In the middle of the story, Berserker is depicted as the biggest enemy standing in front of Emiya Shirou and his friends, and Tohsaka Rin has Archer stand up as a decoy to save the kidnapped Shirou. He succeeds in killing Archer, but in the end he loses six lives, and at Illyasviel's command, he faces Saber in a series of battles. As a result, Emiya Shirou, who was rescued, projects Saber's sword, Caliburn, and fights, successfully taking Berserker's seventh life.
As a result, Berserker disappears, but just before that, he regains his senses and praises Emiya Shirou and the others.
Rin Route
Illyasviel and Emiya Shirou have arranged to meet at Einzbern Castle, when Gilgamesh, the ninth Servant, bursts in.
When Gilgamesh kills her servant, Homunculus, Illyasviel becomes enraged and makes Berserker fight, but she is no match for the overwhelming number of Noble Phantasms he possesses. Just when it seemed like Gilgamesh had won with ease, Hercules tried to land a powerful blow at the last moment, but was defeated. Gilgamesh also ripped out the heart of Illyasviel, the master of the Holy Grail, and the Holy Grail War between the two of them came to an end.
Sakura Route
In Fate/stay night Heaven's Feel, which depicts the Sakura route, Berserker is defeated in a battle with Saber Alter and is consumed by the mud controlled by Sakura Matou, turning black. With Sakura Matou as his new master, the blackened Berserker is sent out as a hunting dog to pursue Kiritsugu Emiya and Illyasviel, but the strong stone that protects Illyasviel is not eroded. In the battle with Emiya Shirou, he takes heavy damage from "I'll Shoot a Hundred Heads", but still pushes him to the brink of death. However, he stops attacking when he sees an illusion of Illyasviel, and is killed by the final blow.
Pay attention to the strong bond between Illyasviel and Berserker!
Even though Berserker has become violent, he has a strong bond with his master, Illyasviel, which is evident in the story after "Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works". Perhaps it's because his true name is Hercules, a highly prestigious Heroic Spirit, or perhaps it's because of his past with Illyasviel, but the mutual trust they show is one of the best in Fate/stay night.
You can't take your eyes off Berserker's extraordinary strength, but if you focus on his bond with Illyasviel, tears will naturally well up in your eyes.
