"Fate/Zero" depicts the Fourth Holy Grail War, which took place 10 years before the main story, "Fate/stay night," and features eight Masters and eight Servants. Today, we'll be introducing the Lancer Servant, including his true identity and how he's portrayed in the story.
Lancer Summoned by Kayneth, the Clock Tower Magician
"Fate/Zero," which depicts the events of the Fourth Holy Grail War, features characters from "Fate/stay Night," such as Kiritsugu Emiya, Shirou Emiya's foster father, and Saber. It features familiar characters from "The Last Samurai" and is a prequel to the main story. This time, we'll be focusing on Lancer, a servant summoned by one of the masters, Kayneth. First, let's take a quick look at what kind of servant Lancer is, and give a brief profile of his words, actions, and behavior as depicted in the story.
A Heroic Spirit Loyal to Chivalry
Lancer, who appears in "Fate/Zero," is a Heroic Spirit who is loyal to chivalry and values honorable battles. He is depicted as having a mutual connection with knights like Saber. In fact, it is said that even in life he respected and served the Knights in hunting, suggesting he was a character who valued loyalty. However, he was unable to resist his fate, and was ultimately killed by his master out of jealousy. In the Holy Grail War, he threw himself into the battle to fulfill his wish to "fulfill his loyalty to his master and achieve the honor of victory."
Does he not trust his master, Kayneth?
Lancer seeks to realize the dreams he was unable to fulfill due to past events, but his master, Kayneth, shows no sign of trusting him. This is because Kayneth has known Lancer's life from his upbringing to his final moments, and he always commands him with suspicion. Additionally, Kayneth had planned to summon Rider with a different relic, but when it was stolen he had to summon Lancer at the last minute, and it may be that this unexpected miscalculation is why he has not yet come to trust him deeply.
What is the true identity of Lancer in "Fate/Zero"?
Lancer, who appears in "Fate/Zero," is depicted as a handsome man with a teardrop mole under his right eye, but what is his true identity? He's a knight among knights, valuing loyalty. Let's delve deeper into his true identity through his true name and the Noble Phantasm he possesses.
His real name is Diarmuid O'Dinah from Celtic mythology
Lancer, who appears in "Fate/Zero," is known for his real name, Diarmuid O'Dinah. He is the leading warrior of the Order of Fianna, a group that appears in the Fenian Cycle of Celtic mythology. Nicknamed "The Shining Face," this warrior wields two spears, and the mole under his right eye is said to be cursed with the ability to attract members of the opposite sex. Diarmuid O'Dinah is a Heroic Spirit with an anecdote about him who, due to this mole, was forced to betray his master by his feat-deserving fiancée, and after much agonizing, chose to respond to his love.
Crimson Spear "Gay Jarg (Red Rose of Demon-Repelling)"
Lancer possesses two Noble Phantasms. The crimson spear "Gay Jarg (Red Rose of Demon-Repelling)" has the ability to negate magical effects on targets it touches. As a result, it can rob weapons and magic woven with magical power like Saber's, and magically enhanced weapons like Berserker's, leaving the opponent to respond with physical defenses. It's also known as the "Noble Phantasm Killer," but since it only works "while the blades are touching," in the story it only temporarily loosens Saber's "Wind King Barrier."
Yellow Spear "Gay Bow of Death"
The yellow spear "Gay Bow of Death" is a Noble Phantasm capable of inflicting irreparable wounds on the opponent. The only way to deactivate it is to destroy the spear itself or defeat Diarmuid. This Noble Phantasm is better suited to long-term battles than short-term ones, and if the opponent is not a Servant, you can expect fatal effects such as death by bleeding over time. Furthermore, since its wielder, Diarmuid, is invulnerable to the "Deathly Yellow Rose," it can be said to be an extremely easy-to-use Noble Phantasm.
Is Lancer from "Fate/Zero" not getting along with his Master?
Lancer appears in the Fourth Holy Grail War as a prominent warrior loyal to the code of chivalry, but in the story of "Fate/Zero," he serves his Master, Kayneth, with devotion. In other battle scenes, he also identifies Saber as a worthy opponent and targets her, but his Master was not prepared to fight her fair and square. Lancer and Kayneth often have conflicting intentions, but let's take a closer look at their relationship.
Lancer: Untrustworthy but Devoted
The summoner, Kayneth, eventually summons Lancer, but upon learning that his real name is Diarmuid O'Dyna, he finds it difficult to trust him due to events in his life. Above all, he is unable to understand Diarmuid's desire for the Holy Grail War, and ends up participating in the war with a sense of suspicion. On the other hand, Lancer only sees Servants as "beings who exist primarily to fulfill loyalty," so his failure to understand Kayneth's inner thoughts could also be cited as a problem.
He charms Kayneth's fiancée
Diarmuid, the Lancer Servant from "Fate/Zero," charms Kayneth's fiancée, Sola Nuazare Sophiali, with his enchanting appearance. Diarmuid imposed a covenant on himself that stated he would "never refuse a woman's orders," and during his lifetime he was consumed with the jealousy of the great hero Finn MacCool. He also charmed the women who were by his master's side during the Fourth Holy Grail War, but in "Fate/Zero," Solau is depicted as deliberately falling under Diarmuid's charm, and in the end, he is portrayed as being deeply disappointed at not being able to "make Lancer love him."
What is Lancer in battle?
"Fate/Zero" depicts the events of the Fourth Holy Grail War, and one of its greatest draws is the conflicts between servants that break out across the country. So, how did Lancer behave, act, and fight during the Holy Grail War? Let's take a look at how Lancer, a warrior loyal to the code of chivalry, acted to fulfill the honor of dedicating his victory to his master, Kayneth.
Lancer Sees Saber as a Worthwhile Opponent
The opening scene of "Fate/Zero" depicts a duel between Lancer and Saber. While the battle is temporarily interrupted, Lancer comes to see her as a worthy opponent. As they crossed swords, Saber's own chivalry began to burn brighter, and she too wished to settle the score with Lancer in a fair and honorable manner. However, neither of their Masters, Kayneth nor Emiya Kiritsugu, were willing to face off against each other as Servants, and sadly, their wishes were never realized.
In the end, he finds himself experiencing the same situation as he did in life.
A few days after their first battle in the opening scene, Lancer and Saber cross swords again, but during their second battle, a battle between Masters is also taking place in the background. The battle between the Servants ended in an unresolved one, but Emiya Kiritsugu took Kayneth's fiancée, Sola, hostage and threatened Kayneth with using a Command Spell to make Lancer commit suicide. The two knights rebel at this disruption to their battle, but Kayneth follows his orders and makes Lancer commit suicide. Lancer still resents not being able to die as a knight in this life, as he did in life, and he disappears with a terrifying expression on his face, wailing and cursing.
Summary
We've introduced Lancer, a character from "Fate/Zero." His early appearance and crossing swords with Saber are impressive. However, he is a tragic servant who ultimately was unable to retire as a knight and was not allowed to die in battle. In "Fate/stay night," there is a jinx that the Lancer class is not blessed with good luck and masters, and it seems that he is one of them.
