TV-Series
Description
Caster of Black is a Servant summoned by the Yggdmillennia faction in the Great Holy Grail War. His true identity is the philosopher and poet Solomon ibn Gabirol, an eleventh-century figure from Malaga, Spain, who is more commonly known by the name Avicebron. He is recognized not as a warrior or king, but as a foundational hero of thaumaturgy, having developed the mystical system of Kabbalah and played a key role in transmitting Greco-Arabic and Jewish philosophy to European circles, thus influencing the course of the Renaissance. To avoid confusion with the more famous King Solomon of the Old Testament, he chooses to be called by the name Avicebron.
In terms of appearance, Avicebron is an enigmatic figure who always wears a featureless mask without openings for eyes or a mouth, paired with a full-body suit and a flowing blue mantle. This mask makes it impossible for others to read his emotions, as it hides any expression of fear, joy, or sadness. His personality reflects the difficult life he led. Having suffered from poor health and a serious skin disease, he was known to be pessimistic, withdrawn, and reluctant to engage with other people. While he is capable of holding a conversation, he typically does so without displaying any emotion, often responding to direct address with only a silent nod. This reclusive nature is so pronounced that he admits to wearing his mask because even making eye contact with others troubles him. He is noted to be eccentric and a difficult type of Servant to handle, as his obsessive dedication to his craft can lead him to coldly trample over anyone who gets in the way of his goals.
The core of Avicebron's motivation lies not in winning the Holy Grail for a personal wish, but in completing his ultimate creation: the Noble Phantasm known as Golem Keter Malkuth. Unlike other creators of artificial life such as Victor Frankenstein, who acted for personal glory, Avicebron's goal is more abstract and ideological. He seeks to create a primordial giant, an "original man" or "Adam," to serve as a guiding ark that would lead his people to a true paradise and end their historical suffering. To him, the Holy Grail War itself is merely a means to gather the time, resources, and, most importantly, a suitable core material to bring this golem to life. Once the golem is activated, the outcome of the war becomes irrelevant to him.
Within the Black Faction, Avicebron is summoned by a young magus named Roche Frain Yggdmillennia, a prodigy and enthusiast of golemcraft who looks up to him as a respected teacher or master, addressing him with the honorific sensei. The two share a strong working relationship, spending the two months before the war constructing a factory to mass-produce golems as the faction's main infantry force. Avicebron is impressed by Roche's passion and talent, noting that if the boy had lived in his era, he would have made a fine pupil. However, his inability to interact with children makes him feel uncomfortable and baffled by Roche's open adoration and idolization. While he appreciates that the Yggdmillennia family has preserved the mysteries of golem-making, he sees Roche as an ideal Master only for the time being, hinting at his own ulterior plans.
Throughout the story, Avicebron maintains a cautious and strategic presence. He manufactures golems to defend the Castle of Yggdmillennia, uses them to capture and imprison the powerful Berserker of Red, Spartacus, and later becomes the Berserker's proxy Master. His most crucial role, however, involves the homunculus created by the Black Faction. When this homunculus, later named Sieg, escapes and gains the heart of Saber of Red, Avicebron identifies him as the perfect core for his Golem Keter Malkuth. He later defects from the Black Faction to join the Red Faction's true master, Shirou Kotomine, on the condition that his own Master, Roche, will be kept safe.
Avicebron's character reaches its tragic climax when he betrays and murders Roche, using the boy's body as the core to finally activate his completed Noble Phantasm. This act is not depicted as one of malice but as the logical endpoint of his obsession; in his mind, his own life has no value, and the value of anyone else diminishes to zero the moment they can serve as fuel for his creation. He is ultimately defeated and killed during the ensuing battle, accepting his destruction as a simple consequence of his choice. Despite his seeming lack of emotion, this betrayal leaves a profound mark on his spirit. In other incarnations, such as in the world of Fate/Grand Order, Avicebron retains the memory of murdering his young master and expresses deep remorse, viewing his own sacrifice to power a golem as a form of penance for his past crime.
Regarding his abilities, Avicebron is a quintessential Caster-class Servant. His primary skill is the creation of golems of various sizes and purposes, ranging from simple soldiers to more complex constructs. His golems can be used for combat, manual labor, or even for scouting and surveillance. A key advantage of his methods is that once his workshop is established, his golems can be ordered to build more golems, effectively creating a self-replicating army that requires no additional labor costs. His ultimate Noble Phantasm, Golem Keter Malkuth, is a colossal giant that represents the pinnacle of his life's work. Its creation requires an enormous amount of time, magical energy, and a living human soul or similarly potent core to function as its heart. Avicebron's own personality is careful, analytical, and hyper-focused; he knows his physical weakness and compensates by dedicating twice the effort of other Servants to preparation and strategy.
In terms of appearance, Avicebron is an enigmatic figure who always wears a featureless mask without openings for eyes or a mouth, paired with a full-body suit and a flowing blue mantle. This mask makes it impossible for others to read his emotions, as it hides any expression of fear, joy, or sadness. His personality reflects the difficult life he led. Having suffered from poor health and a serious skin disease, he was known to be pessimistic, withdrawn, and reluctant to engage with other people. While he is capable of holding a conversation, he typically does so without displaying any emotion, often responding to direct address with only a silent nod. This reclusive nature is so pronounced that he admits to wearing his mask because even making eye contact with others troubles him. He is noted to be eccentric and a difficult type of Servant to handle, as his obsessive dedication to his craft can lead him to coldly trample over anyone who gets in the way of his goals.
The core of Avicebron's motivation lies not in winning the Holy Grail for a personal wish, but in completing his ultimate creation: the Noble Phantasm known as Golem Keter Malkuth. Unlike other creators of artificial life such as Victor Frankenstein, who acted for personal glory, Avicebron's goal is more abstract and ideological. He seeks to create a primordial giant, an "original man" or "Adam," to serve as a guiding ark that would lead his people to a true paradise and end their historical suffering. To him, the Holy Grail War itself is merely a means to gather the time, resources, and, most importantly, a suitable core material to bring this golem to life. Once the golem is activated, the outcome of the war becomes irrelevant to him.
Within the Black Faction, Avicebron is summoned by a young magus named Roche Frain Yggdmillennia, a prodigy and enthusiast of golemcraft who looks up to him as a respected teacher or master, addressing him with the honorific sensei. The two share a strong working relationship, spending the two months before the war constructing a factory to mass-produce golems as the faction's main infantry force. Avicebron is impressed by Roche's passion and talent, noting that if the boy had lived in his era, he would have made a fine pupil. However, his inability to interact with children makes him feel uncomfortable and baffled by Roche's open adoration and idolization. While he appreciates that the Yggdmillennia family has preserved the mysteries of golem-making, he sees Roche as an ideal Master only for the time being, hinting at his own ulterior plans.
Throughout the story, Avicebron maintains a cautious and strategic presence. He manufactures golems to defend the Castle of Yggdmillennia, uses them to capture and imprison the powerful Berserker of Red, Spartacus, and later becomes the Berserker's proxy Master. His most crucial role, however, involves the homunculus created by the Black Faction. When this homunculus, later named Sieg, escapes and gains the heart of Saber of Red, Avicebron identifies him as the perfect core for his Golem Keter Malkuth. He later defects from the Black Faction to join the Red Faction's true master, Shirou Kotomine, on the condition that his own Master, Roche, will be kept safe.
Avicebron's character reaches its tragic climax when he betrays and murders Roche, using the boy's body as the core to finally activate his completed Noble Phantasm. This act is not depicted as one of malice but as the logical endpoint of his obsession; in his mind, his own life has no value, and the value of anyone else diminishes to zero the moment they can serve as fuel for his creation. He is ultimately defeated and killed during the ensuing battle, accepting his destruction as a simple consequence of his choice. Despite his seeming lack of emotion, this betrayal leaves a profound mark on his spirit. In other incarnations, such as in the world of Fate/Grand Order, Avicebron retains the memory of murdering his young master and expresses deep remorse, viewing his own sacrifice to power a golem as a form of penance for his past crime.
Regarding his abilities, Avicebron is a quintessential Caster-class Servant. His primary skill is the creation of golems of various sizes and purposes, ranging from simple soldiers to more complex constructs. His golems can be used for combat, manual labor, or even for scouting and surveillance. A key advantage of his methods is that once his workshop is established, his golems can be ordered to build more golems, effectively creating a self-replicating army that requires no additional labor costs. His ultimate Noble Phantasm, Golem Keter Malkuth, is a colossal giant that represents the pinnacle of his life's work. Its creation requires an enormous amount of time, magical energy, and a living human soul or similarly potent core to function as its heart. Avicebron's own personality is careful, analytical, and hyper-focused; he knows his physical weakness and compensates by dedicating twice the effort of other Servants to preparation and strategy.