Archer, who appears as Rin Tohsaka's servant, plays an important role in the story of "Fate/stay night," and none of his actions or words should be missed.
As a Heroic Spirit summoned as a Servant, he harbors many secrets, and countless fans have become instantly captivated after learning about his past.
We'll introduce you to Archer, what kind of Servant he is, as well as his true name and details of his past, so be sure to read until the end.
What kind of Servant is Archer?
The Archer class is one of the three most prestigious knight classes among summoned Servants, and is an archer. However, the Archer class that appears in "Fate/stay night" prefers close combat over bows.
He's portrayed as a conceited, sarcastic realist, but also has a kind-hearted personality.
He's also a large man, and in the story he's a man who lets his actions speak for themselves, which is why he was highly popular in a popularity poll conducted by Type-Moon, the creators of the original game.
We'll be introducing Archer in this article, including his true identity and his reasons for participating in the Holy Grail War, and we hope it will give you an opportunity to learn more about him.
Archer's true identity is Emiya, a heroic spirit from the future.
Archer, who appears in the Fifth Holy Grail War, is a traditional archer, but prefers hand-to-hand combat, primarily using a pair of swords, "Kansho and Bakuya."
Of course, there are scenes where he supports Saber's battles with long-range bow sniping, but what is distinctive about Archer's combat is that the overwhelming majority of his battles are fought with swords.
His true identity is the Heroic Spirit "Emiya" summoned from the future, and he is Emiya Shirou himself, who became a Heroic Spirit by paying the price of a miracle in order to become a champion of justice.
He was summoned by Tohsaka Rin because when Emiya Shirou was killed by a Servant early in the story, Tohsaka Rin still kept the jeweled pendant used to revive him, and this became the catalyst.
An Archer strong enough to face opponents without a Noble Phantasm
Archer Emiya enters the Holy Grail War without a Noble Phantasm, putting him at a great disadvantage when fighting other Servants. However, his unique barrier, "Unlimited Blade Works," is powerful enough to overcome this disadvantage.
He uses duplicate Noble Phantasms in battle. While their performance is inferior to that of the originals, his inherent "enhancement" magic and skills make up for it, allowing him to overwhelm his opponents with comparable performance.
Duplicate Noble Phantasms featured in the series include "Caladbolg" (Spiral Sword) and "Lor-Aias" (Seven Rings Covering the Fiery Heavens), boasting absolute defense. He consistently took the initiative in his battle against Gilgamesh.
How powerful is Archer's combat ability?
Archer is one of the most prestigious knights among Servants. However, his combat prowess is captivating, as he lacks a Noble Phantasm and relies solely on his unique barrier to deal with opponents.
However, Archer has never used his full power in the series, often strategically overlooking opponents or being at a disadvantage due to his Master's absence.
However, it can be said that his potential is very high, as he was able to block Lancer's Noble Phantasm, "Gae Bolg (Piercing Death Thorn Spear)," and even Gilgamesh respects him.
If the conditions were right, we might have seen Archer fighting at full strength, but since his Master, Tohsaka Rin, has a tendency to make mistakes at crucial moments, this will never come true.
What is Archer's past? What kind of life has Emiya lived?
Each Servant participates in the Holy Grail War with their own goals. In Archer's case, he was summoned to the time of his former self, Shirou Emiya, and so he seeks the "paradox of self-destruction."
What led him to such a bold goal?
There are several differences between the story's protagonist, Emiya Shirou, and Archer, such as skin and hair color, which are caused by the magic of the unique barrier.
What exactly happened in Archer's past? We'll take a look at the life he has lived as told throughout the story.
Archer, who trains and travels between battlefields to become a champion of justice.
In a certain future world, Shirou Emiya makes a contract with Alaya's deterrent power to save the lives of people who were destined to die. As a result, he becomes a Heroic Spirit.
Emiya Shirou was able to become a Heroic Spirit because he had undergone rigorous training and repeated battles in order to become a champion of justice, and because he had remained true to his ideals even through all that.
However, after becoming a Heroic Spirit and being given the role of a guardian, he was forced to commit unwanted massacres over and over again, which gradually eroded his ideals and beliefs, and he fell into despair.
In the midst of this, the Heroic Spirit Emiya was summoned to the era in which Emiya Shirou lived, but at the same time, he thought that if he killed Emiya Shirou and erased his own existence, he would also be freed from his own suffering, and so he plotted to kill him whenever he found an opportunity.
Archer's Life's Surprising End
What kind of life did Emiya, who was still roaming the battlefield, lead in the end?
His life came to a surprisingly abrupt end, as the person he had saved betrayed him and he lost his life easily.
But even so, Emiya never hated anyone, nor did he feel any regret.
Afterwards, even after becoming a Heroic Spirit, he tried to continue helping strangers and remaining a champion of justice, but this ultimately led him to despair over his own beliefs.
Archer's Behavior in the Fifth Holy Grail War
Archer aimed for the contradiction of killing himself, but despite numerous chances, he never brought himself to kill him.
This was because he prioritized bringing the Holy Grail War to the best possible conclusion, but he also conspicuously behaved in ways that contradicted his goals, such as giving advice and assistance to Emiya Shirou, whom he is supposed to view as an enemy.
However, in "Fate/stay night [UBW]," there is a scene where he crosses swords with Emiya Shirou directly, and Emiya Shirou challenges Archer to a fight after learning his true identity.
As a result, Archer senses Emiya Shirou's strong will and conviction, and while he admits defeat to him, he also comes to accept his own existence.
Archer's End in the Fifth Holy Grail War
In the battle between Shirou Emiya and Gilgamesh in "Fate/stay night [UBW]," Archer delivered the final blow, putting an end to the battle.
Later, Tohsaka Rin witnesses Archer's disappearance, his expression beaming with joy as he asks her to support Emiya Shirou.
True to Archer's words, Tohsaka Rin is shown taking Emiya Shirou to London to support him, staying by his side to ensure he doesn't go down the wrong path.
What about Archer outside of UBW?
In the Saber route, Archer sacrifices himself to save Shirou Emiya and Rin Tohsaka from Berserker, the strongest Servant.
At that time, Archer gave Emiya Shirou advice, and his words were engraved in Emiya Shirou's mind, ultimately leading to his victory in the Holy Grail War.
Also, in Sakura's route, Archer is pierced by the "black shadow," the source of the incident, and Emiya Shirou is seriously injured, losing his left arm.
Both were on the brink of death, but Archer tried to keep Emiya Shirou alive by offering his left arm to him.
Normally this would be impossible, but for Archer and Emiya Shirou it was possible, and Emiya Shirou, who inherited Archer's will, rose up once again to save Matou Sakura.
Pay attention to Archer's feelings as he gives advice to Emiya Shirou, his enemy!
Archer's arrogant side is strongly emphasized, as he is hostile towards Shirou Emiya and makes sarcastic remarks towards his master, Rin Tohsaka, but the emotions depicted in each story are very different.
Archer's life and goals are particularly detailed in "Fate/stay night [UBW]," and the events leading up to his ultimate defeat by Emiya Shirou and his acceptance of his own existence show that Archer himself maintained strong beliefs.
Archer tried to erase his own existence due to the contradiction of killing himself, but carefully observing the changes in his emotions and feelings may make "Fate/stay night" even more interesting.
