"Fate/Zero" depicts the Fourth Holy Grail War, which took place 10 years before the events of "Fate/stay night," and its protagonist is Emiya Kiritsugu.
He is closely connected to characters from "Fate/stay night" such as Emiya Shirou and Illyasviel, so today we'll introduce you to what kind of character Emiya Kiritsugu is.
By learning how he played a role and fought in the Fourth Holy Grail War, you'll be able to understand the impact he had on Emiya Shirou and Illyasviel, so be sure to check it out.
Who is Emiya Kiritsugu, the protagonist of the Fourth Holy Grail War?
The protagonist of "Fate/Zero" is Kiritsugu Emiya, and the story unfolds during the Fourth Holy Grail War, which took place 10 years before "Fate/stay night."
Accepting a request from the prestigious Einzbern family, Kiritsugu Emiya summons a Saber Servant and, together with his wife Irisviel and servant Maiya Kuu, throws himself into battle.
Kiritsugu Emiya's wish for "world peace" is one he hopes to fulfill using the Holy Grail's all-powerful power. Let's take a closer look at what kind of character he is.
A former assassin known as the "Magician Killer"
Kiritsugu Emiya is the sixth generation of a distinguished family of magicians. As a mercenary, he has used his various wisdom and strategies to assassinate countless magicians.
For this reason, he has earned the nickname "Magician Killer," and in the Fourth Holy Grail War, he fights not only with magic but also with firearms and other modern weapons.
In addition to firearms, he is skilled in the use of explosives such as knives and claymores, making him an enemy of other magicians who abhor modern weaponry.
What is Emiya Kiritsugu's personality like? Introducing his portrayal!
Although a magician, Emiya Kiritsugu uses magic only occasionally, and generally relies on modern weapons such as firearms in combat.
In the story of "Fate/Zero," Emiya Kiritsugu's thoughts and personality are vividly portrayed as he fights through the Holy Grail War, but what kind of personality does he have?
A man willing to sacrifice the few for the many
Emiya Kiritsugu's past includes a father who continued his research despite the many tragedies and calamities he caused. After killing his father, he became obsessed with the idea that "by killing one person, he saved many who might otherwise have died."
From then on, Emiya Kiritsugu adopted the motto of "sacrificing the few for the many." However, his humanistic values of love and friendship also led him to become plagued by feelings of loneliness.
He also appears to become discouraged and want to run away with his wife and child
Emiya Kiritsugu marries Irisviel and gives birth to her, but he begins to fear losing them both.
Irisviel took to the battlefield as Saber's substitute master, while Emiya Kiritsugu himself acted as a figure manipulating and attacking from behind the scenes.
However, during the battle, past trauma was resurrected, and Emiya Kiritsugu began to show signs of being a father rather than a former assassin, confessing to Irisviel that he wanted to take Irisviel and run away with her as a family.
Emiya Kiritsugu as a Magician
Emiya Kiritsugu generally fights using modern weapons rather than magic, but due to the many powerful magicians and servants in the Holy Grail War, there are times when he uses magic himself to fight back.
Kiritsugu Emiya uses two types of magic: "Time Alter," which allows him to accelerate or decelerate the flow of time, and "Origin Bullets," magic bullets created by grinding down his own 12th rib.
Let's take a closer look at the firearms and magic he uses in combat.
A rationalist who uses modern weapons despite being a magician
In the world of "Fate/Zero," firearms are generally shunned by magicians, but Emiya Kiritsugu, despite being a magician, is comfortable using them.
The firearms he uses are the "Walther WA2000" and the "Calico M950A." He also uses knives in hand-to-hand combat and fights by setting explosives such as claymores in advance.
He uses "Time Control," which accelerates the flow of time for himself.
Emiya Kiritsugu summoned the Saber Servant, and through his contract with her, he is able to use time control beyond its limits thanks to the healing power of "Avalon," a faraway utopia.
However, due to the significant recoil caused by using "Time Control," he usually tries to limit his movements to 2x or 3x speed.
In the climax of "Fate/Zero," he faces off against Kotomine Kirei, but even when he uses "Time Control" to speed up his movements by 4x, he is overwhelmed by his opponent's fighting techniques.
His trump card is the "Origin Bullet," an anti-magician bullet.
The "Origin Bullet" is created by crushing his own 12th rib, and when hit, it causes the opponent to utter a combination of Emiya Kiritsugu's attributes: "Severance" and "Binding."
When shot with an Origin Bullet, the wound quickly "bonds" together, turning into something resembling an old wound until it no longer bleeds, and the "bonded" parts lose all function.
However, Origin Bullets are special bullets designed to be used against magicians, and are only effective when the opponent is interfering with stronger magic.
For this reason, a major feature of Origin Bullets is that they are shaped like large-caliber rifle bullets, making physical defense impossible and forcing the opponent to deploy magical defense.
Who is Emiya Kiritsugu as portrayed in "Fate/Zero"?
Emiya Kiritsugu participated in the Fourth Holy Grail War as a hired servant of the Einzbern family, and successfully summoned a Saber-class Servant.
In "Fate/Zero," which depicts the outcome of the Fourth Holy Grail War, what kind of achievements and behavior will Emiya Kiritsugu be portrayed in?
Let's take a look at Kiritsugu Emiya's performance in the Fourth Holy Grail War.
Does he have a bad relationship with Saber, whom he summoned?
Kiritsugu Emiya successfully summons the Saber Servant, but he barely interacts with her, let alone converses with her. He decides to have Irisviel act as her substitute master and use her as a decoy.
Because Kiritsugu Emiya possesses the Command Spells, he can only give orders to Saber when he uses them, and he completely ignores anything Saber says.
This is largely due to Kiritsugu Emiya's contempt for fighting and his intense aversion to the existence of "heroes" who affirm war and drive people to the battlefield.
As a result, he recognizes that he is incompatible with Saber, whom he summoned, and is depicted as disliking Saber, who finds value in the battlefield.
Destroying the Holy Grail with a Command Spell
At the climax of "Fate/Zero," Kiritsugu Emiya is consumed by the mud that overflows from the Holy Grail, and is forced to converse with "All Evil in the World (Anrimayu)."
Upon realizing that the Holy Grail cannot grant his wish, Kiritsugu Emiya uses a Command Spell to command Saber to destroy the Holy Grail.
As a result, the mud from the Holy Grail overflows into Fuyuki City, the site of the battle, causing a major fire.
What was Kiritsugu Emiya doing after the end of the Holy Grail War?
Fate/Zero ultimately ends with Emiya Kiritsugu's destruction of the Holy Grail, but it also tragically results in a devastating fire in Fuyuki City.
Following the conclusion of the Fourth Holy Grail War, let's take a look at how Emiya Kiritsugu spent the rest of his life and how he met his end.
Saving and Raising Emiya Shirou During a Catastrophe
After the destruction of the Holy Grail, Kiritsugu Emiya attempted to rescue lives in Fuyuki City, where a major fire had broken out. He somehow managed to find Shirou and shed tears of joy.
He then adopted Shirou and lived with him in Fuyuki City. He told Shirou that he had once aspired to be a champion of justice.
Upon hearing his words, Shirou offered to take on his dream, and Emiya Kiritsugu said he felt "relieved" as he passed away.
Went on an Expedition to Rescue Illyasviel
After the Fourth Holy Grail War, Kiritsugu Emiya used his final magic to seal the Holy Grail War and prevent it from ever happening again.
While he took Shirou in and raised him, he also took various actions during that time, such as pretending to go on a journey to rescue Illyasviel.
However, he was unable to rescue Illyasviel, and as he was consumed by the curse of "all the evil in the world," he came to realize that his death was near due to exhaustion.
In the end, he passed away peacefully, talking of his dreams with Shirou by his side.
Summary
This article introduces Kiritsugu Emiya, the protagonist of "Fate/Zero."
Although he only appears briefly in the main story, "Fate/stay night," he is deeply connected to Shirou Emiya and Illyasviel, and more importantly, he is the catalyst for Shirou Emiya's summoning of Saber.
Knowing the life of Emiya Kiritsugu, who is closely connected to Emiya Shirou and the other characters in "Fate/stay night," will change the way you see the story of the series, so be sure to check out the story of "Fate/Zero" as well.
