The assassin 'Magus Killer' Emiya Kiritsgu has for years targeted Magi who stray from the path of the Mage's Association in return for bounties. As of now, he has been employed of the Einzbern family to win the Holy Grail War for them - for the sake his wife Irisviel, their daughter Illyasviel and Kiritsugu's own dream of a peaceful world he will utilise any means available to him and use anything - even those around him - as a tool to win the War. When he summons the more idealistic Saber (Artoria Pendragon) they repeatedly clash over the ethics of his methods.
As a part of his efforts to win the War, Kiritsugu has employed the use of Maiya Hisau, who had once rescued as a child. Despite a sexual relationship betwee the two of them he has no illusions of any actual connection between the two and she never shows any outward signs of emotions at all.
She is an inavulable source of help for him as well as supplying him with neccesary tools such as his weapons.
Of particular note are a specific gun and bullets.
The bullets in particular of more use than just being shot from a particularly powerful gun.
As dark and cynical as Kiritsugu may be he is not some sort of machine. As much as he may try to pretend to be uncaring, he still is a loving husband to 'Iri' and father to 'Illya' - even if he feels he does not deserve this love to be returned.
He now says you cannot save everyone - to save one you must sacrifice another.
Just what could have changed such an idealistic young boy into the 'Magus Killer'?
How has become so accustomed to the use of people as tools?
And can such a man really achieve a peaceful world?
The Servant of Kiritsugu, summoned via her scabbard Avalon as a catylist.
The legendary King Arthur of Britain - clearly a little less male than how the legends described her. The very image of knightly chivalry.
It is her chivalry that divides her from Kiritsugu and the source of her emnity towards his methods as being too far. A clear case of morality vs pragmatism.
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Maybe this, outside of Kiritsugu's desire stay out of the limelight, is part of the reason why it has been decided for Irisviel to play the public role of Saber's Master. As Irisviel is far more respectful of her rules and desires. Although, Saber doesn't seem to be the most fond of the sheltered Homunculus' driving skills.
Regardless, the two are quite close, at least when compared to her relationship with Kiritsugu - and it was Irisviel who gave her the suit she wears when out in public.
Injured on her left-hand by Lancer's spear - which prevents all healing from occuring - she has developed something of a rivalry with him and wishes to settle their score in a duel between two Knights.
Berserker seems to target her for unknown reasons, Caster is obsessed with her and her fellow kings Rider and Archer have taken some interest in just being a King means to her - she seems very popular with her fellow Servants. Or in othet words, many Servants from oppoising teams have a fixation on her.
Kiritsugu's wife - a homunculus created by the Einzbern family - and the decoy Master of Saber.
Having never left the Einzbern's castle in all her short life, Irisivel is finally exploring the world she wants to help Kiritsugu save with all the excitement of a young girl.
Due to this sheltered upbringing she is illsuited for combat so relies on indirect means, such as the creation of birds out of wires using her alchemy to fight for her.
Additionally, as a Homunculus designed to be a vessal for the Grail, she is quite fragile and is designed for her body to breakdown over the course of the war to become the Grail proper.
For that reason Saber's scabbard, Avalon, that gives her constant regeneration has been given to Irisviel without Saber's knowledge to prevent her from succumbing before the war's end.
In her short 9 years on Earth, Irisviel has married and fathered a child, Illyasviel who she loves dearly. For Kiritsugu's dream and for the sake of Illya, Irisviel will gladly lay down her life.
A Student at the Mage School known as the Clock Tower, studying under Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald (Lord El-Melloi).
Coming from an undistinguished lineage with a lacking Magic Circuit, Waver wrote a thesis about how knowledge and skill could make up for lack of inherited talent. Lord El-Melloi brutally rejected it as a delusion.
When given the task of delivering Lord El-Melloi's post, he stole the catalyst Lord El-Melloi was planning to use in the Grail War and decided to win the war himself - to prove his thesis to the world practically.
Waver then flew to Japan, where he brainwashed a couple into thinking he was their grandson and summoned his Servant.
He almost wet himself the moment he first saw him.
For an immature student who runs to a war in another country to chance to prove himself at the first chance available, he summoned the ideal headstrong and naive servant in Iskandar. However, he is twice as cowardly as he is headstrong. So the bravado of Iskandar should feel to him like the ramblings of an idiot. And in terms of personality, the mess of self-doubts that is Waver could not be more different than the almost unbelievable self-confidence of Iskandar.
As a result, this odd couple of a coward and a hero-king often find themselves butting heads as the mountain of a Servant pushes his tiny little Master around.
It seems that even his Servant can't quite understand Waver Velvet.
Or maybe his Servant understands what he needs more than him.
Well over his head, stuck with the brashest Servant of them and with far less idea what he's doing than he'll let on - this boy has basically no chance of coming out the victor.
The Servant of Waver, summoned via his mantle (stolen from Lord El-Melloi) as a catylist.
Another name for King Alexdander the Great of Macedonia. Was originally going to be summoned by Lord El-Mellioi before Waver stole the cataylist.
He is a Rider due to his use of his Gordius Wheel Chariot, pulled by two divine bulls, gifts allegedly given by Gordius to Iskandar's his alleged divine father Zeus. It is this connection to Zeus that causes lightning to strike around them.
Between the years 334 and 323BC the Macedonian King Alexander III (known as Alexander the Great) of Macedon conquered his way through the Balkans, Persian Empire and even India to expand the Macedonian empire before dying young. Claimed to be the son Zeus by some, Alexander burnt bright and fast in an era where that was the norm.
Unlike his cowardly and insecure Master, Iskander is maybe too brave, self-secure and earnest.
The man's single-minded goal of noble conquest and adventure is too much for his Master, and a topic of confusion or amusement from his enemies. So confident is he in his goals that he'll willingly reveal his true name in front of his enemies right at the start and invite them to join with him in his efforts - all while he forces his Master to sit there with him in his chariot.
As well as his naivity, Iskandar's warrior spirit is another source of headaches for Waver. What other Servant considers Bill Clinton to be their enemy to face in this war? At least videogames provide a way for "Alex" to indulge himself relatively harmlessly.
Unlike the dour Waver, Iskandar is perpetually in a good mood, even taking the fact that his territorial extent was so small in the grand-schemes as proof there was more land for him to quarter. Wearing his emotions on his sleeve, Iskandar is a king who leads his people from the front and laughed and cried side-by-side with his soldiers - he is not just so different from the seemingly anti-social Waver but the stoic and isolated Artoria.
He might be just as much a kid as Waver, honeslty.
Despite all this, he might just be the one non-brainwashed person in Waver Velvet's life to come close to treating him with affection.
As different as they may be, they are both men with goals out of their reach.
The Master of Berserker, an old friend of Tokiomi's wife Aoi and Sakura's uncle by adoption.
Years ago he severed all ties with his family due to his disgust of them.
With his brother - Byakuya - and nephew - Shinji - ungifted in magic, that shouuld have been the end of the Matou family's future as Magi. However, the family patriarch and Kariya's father Matou Zouken had Tohsaka Sakura adopted into the family as Byakuya's daughter.
When Sakura was given to the Matou, Zouken put her through torture by throwing her into the pit of parastic crest worms kept in the basement as a twisted form of 'training' for future use.
Upon learning of this from his old friend and Sakura's mother, Aoi, Kariya would return to the Matou family and agreed to fight in the War in exchange for Sakura's freedom.
As Kariya was a subpar Magus, the Crest Worms were directrly placed into his body by Zouken which while serving as a sort of artifical Magic Circle, ate away at it and are slowly killing him. Additionally, he was given an altered summoning ritual that would increase his Servant's power in exchange for driving it mad as Berserker class servant.
Deep down however, under all of Kariya's trappings as a good samitarian - is the basic fact that he despises and envies Tohsaka Tokiomi.
Just how seriously will he take this personal animosity?
Will his concern for Sakura and desire to save Sakura or hatred for Tokiomi win out?
Full of parastic worms, burning out their mana fueling Berserker and driven only by hatred for Tokiomi and a desire to save Sakura, Kariya is struggling against all odds simply to stay alive.
How could a man two-steps away from ever hope to win the Grail War?
A mysterious Black Knight with the ability to turn any weapon he touches with his hands into his own.
He is consumed with his rage and hatred for Saber as well as despair and guilt stemming from self-hatred.
His obsession with Saber is so strong that he will ignore orders just to face her.
And his hatred for himself is just as violent.
He is just as much a drain on Kariya as the parasites in his body and part of what is killing him.
Who is he?
Why does he hate Saber?
What does he feel guilt over for?
And will he drag Kariya down over Saber before Sakura can be saved?
A seral killer who targets children - he summoned Caster by complete chance and due to their shared interests. A completely deranged individual with no connection to the rest of the Grail War.
While the others all compete for victory, Ryunosuke is only here to have a good time with his new friend in the only way he knows how.
A man like him has no interest in the Grail it would first appear, but just what would a freak like him use it for?
