TV-Series
Description
Gilgamesh is a central antagonist in the visual novel and anime Fate/stay night, known as the Archer-class servant in the Fifth Holy Grail War. His true identity is that of the ancient King of Uruk, a historical and legendary figure from Mesopotamian mythology and the protagonist of the Epic of Gilgamesh, often cited as the world's oldest surviving work of literature. He is commonly referred to as the King of Heroes, a title signifying not that he was a heroic king, but that he is the original hero and the model upon which all other hero myths are based. Possessing a unique nature of being two-thirds divine and one-third human, he was originally created by the gods as a "wedge" or a tool to bind humanity and keep their growing power in check.
In Fate/stay night, Gilgamesh is presented as a being of immense power and overwhelming arrogance. Having lived ten years in the modern world after being incarnated into a physical body during the previous Holy Grail War, he has gained a deep, albeit disdainful, understanding of contemporary human society. His personality is defined by his absolute and unshakable belief in his own supremacy. He holds a profound disdain for nearly everyone he meets, whom he commonly refers to as mongrels or杂种, a term reflecting his belief that modern humanity is a pale and worthless imitation of the people of his own age. This arrogance is not born from insecurity but from a genuine and well-founded recognition of his own unparalleled power and status as the original collector of all the world's treasures.
His motivations are rooted in his perspective as a king. He is bored by the stagnation he perceives in the modern world and seeks entertainment and distraction. His primary goal in the Fifth Holy Grail War is not to use the Grail to grant a wish, as he already possesses everything he could ever want. Instead, he sees the Grail as his own property, as he believes all treasures originate from his vault, and aims to claim it as a matter of principle. However, his deeper and more significant motivation is to "cull" humanity. He views the majority of modern people as unnecessary, worthless beings who have forgotten how to strive and struggle, and he believes that only a great catastrophe can purge the weak and leave behind a population worthy of being ruled by a king such as himself.
In the story of Fate/stay night, Gilgamesh serves as a major obstacle for the protagonists. Having already been incarnated, he does not require a master for survival, but he maintains a partnership with Kirei Kotomine, the corrupted priest overseeing the war. This alliance is one of mutual amusement and shared philosophy, as Gilgamesh was instrumental in helping Kirei discover his own twisted nature and find joy in the suffering of others. Gilgamesh has several key relationships that define his actions. His fixation on Saber, the spirit of King Arthur, is one of the most prominent. He is not motivated by love but by a possessive desire to claim her as his own possession, believing her beauty, strength, and unyielding spirit make her a worthy trophy. This desire is one of his primary drives throughout several story paths, especially the Fate route. He also holds a degree of acknowledgment for other powerful figures, such as Alexander the Great from the prequel Fate/Zero, but generally interacts with other servants with contempt, seeing them as fakers and thieves of his treasures.
A defining aspect of Gilgamesh's character is his resistance to development, or rather, his refusal to change. He is so completely assured of his own correctness that he never questions his actions or beliefs. However, there are nuances to his seemingly one-dimensional arrogance. He has moments of surprising insight and can offer genuinely wise council when he deigns to. He understands human nature on a fundamental level, even as he rejects its current state. He has a deep-seated hatred for the gods who created him and for the concept of immortality, which he once sought but ultimately rejected, finding meaning in his own mortal life. While he is brutal and cruel, he can also display a twisted form of generosity, praising strength and effort even in his enemies. In certain routes, his overconfidence becomes his downfall, as he underestimates opponents he deems inferior, leading to his defeat at the hands of the protagonist, Shirou Emiya, within the latter's reality marble.
As a servant, Gilgamesh possesses an extraordinary array of abilities that reflect his status as the original hero. His most famous and frequently used Noble Phantasm is Gate of Babylon, a key-shaped sword that opens a portal to his treasury, which holds the prototypes of every other Noble Phantasm in existence. In combat, he typically opens numerous portals in the air around him, from which he launches a barrage of legendary weapons as projectiles with incredible speed and force. He rarely considers his opponents worthy of drawing his most powerful treasure, Ea, a sword that pre-dates the concept of swords themselves. Ea is an anti-world Noble Phantasm that unleashes a devastating, reality-altering attack known as Enuma Elish, which can destroy entire landscapes and even reality marbles. He also wields Enkidu, often called the Chains of Heaven, a Noble Phantasm that binds its target with greater strength the higher their divinity, making it a near-unbeatable weapon against other servant-class heroes, many of whom possess divine blood.
His base abilities as a servant are also exceptionally high. While his parameters for strength, endurance, and agility can vary depending on his master, his magical energy, luck, and Noble Phantasm rank are consistently among the highest possible. He possesses a high rank in the Independent Action skill, allowing him to remain in the world without a master and even to persist for a decade after a Holy Grail War has concluded, which is how he remains present in Fate/stay night. His Collector skill, represented as Golden Rule, ensures he can never have problems with material wealth, while his Charisma at rank A+ is so potent that it is considered a form of magical curse or blessing, inspiring unparalleled loyalty in those who follow him. Despite having a low rank in Magic Resistance due to his own lack of inherent anti-magic abilities, his golden armor provides more than sufficient protection against most magical attacks. Ultimately, Gilgamesh stands as a formidable and memorable figure: a golden king whose arrogance is matched only by his power, whose cruelty is tempered by a strange form of wisdom, and whose presence dominates every scene he graces in the Fifth Holy Grail War.
In Fate/stay night, Gilgamesh is presented as a being of immense power and overwhelming arrogance. Having lived ten years in the modern world after being incarnated into a physical body during the previous Holy Grail War, he has gained a deep, albeit disdainful, understanding of contemporary human society. His personality is defined by his absolute and unshakable belief in his own supremacy. He holds a profound disdain for nearly everyone he meets, whom he commonly refers to as mongrels or杂种, a term reflecting his belief that modern humanity is a pale and worthless imitation of the people of his own age. This arrogance is not born from insecurity but from a genuine and well-founded recognition of his own unparalleled power and status as the original collector of all the world's treasures.
His motivations are rooted in his perspective as a king. He is bored by the stagnation he perceives in the modern world and seeks entertainment and distraction. His primary goal in the Fifth Holy Grail War is not to use the Grail to grant a wish, as he already possesses everything he could ever want. Instead, he sees the Grail as his own property, as he believes all treasures originate from his vault, and aims to claim it as a matter of principle. However, his deeper and more significant motivation is to "cull" humanity. He views the majority of modern people as unnecessary, worthless beings who have forgotten how to strive and struggle, and he believes that only a great catastrophe can purge the weak and leave behind a population worthy of being ruled by a king such as himself.
In the story of Fate/stay night, Gilgamesh serves as a major obstacle for the protagonists. Having already been incarnated, he does not require a master for survival, but he maintains a partnership with Kirei Kotomine, the corrupted priest overseeing the war. This alliance is one of mutual amusement and shared philosophy, as Gilgamesh was instrumental in helping Kirei discover his own twisted nature and find joy in the suffering of others. Gilgamesh has several key relationships that define his actions. His fixation on Saber, the spirit of King Arthur, is one of the most prominent. He is not motivated by love but by a possessive desire to claim her as his own possession, believing her beauty, strength, and unyielding spirit make her a worthy trophy. This desire is one of his primary drives throughout several story paths, especially the Fate route. He also holds a degree of acknowledgment for other powerful figures, such as Alexander the Great from the prequel Fate/Zero, but generally interacts with other servants with contempt, seeing them as fakers and thieves of his treasures.
A defining aspect of Gilgamesh's character is his resistance to development, or rather, his refusal to change. He is so completely assured of his own correctness that he never questions his actions or beliefs. However, there are nuances to his seemingly one-dimensional arrogance. He has moments of surprising insight and can offer genuinely wise council when he deigns to. He understands human nature on a fundamental level, even as he rejects its current state. He has a deep-seated hatred for the gods who created him and for the concept of immortality, which he once sought but ultimately rejected, finding meaning in his own mortal life. While he is brutal and cruel, he can also display a twisted form of generosity, praising strength and effort even in his enemies. In certain routes, his overconfidence becomes his downfall, as he underestimates opponents he deems inferior, leading to his defeat at the hands of the protagonist, Shirou Emiya, within the latter's reality marble.
As a servant, Gilgamesh possesses an extraordinary array of abilities that reflect his status as the original hero. His most famous and frequently used Noble Phantasm is Gate of Babylon, a key-shaped sword that opens a portal to his treasury, which holds the prototypes of every other Noble Phantasm in existence. In combat, he typically opens numerous portals in the air around him, from which he launches a barrage of legendary weapons as projectiles with incredible speed and force. He rarely considers his opponents worthy of drawing his most powerful treasure, Ea, a sword that pre-dates the concept of swords themselves. Ea is an anti-world Noble Phantasm that unleashes a devastating, reality-altering attack known as Enuma Elish, which can destroy entire landscapes and even reality marbles. He also wields Enkidu, often called the Chains of Heaven, a Noble Phantasm that binds its target with greater strength the higher their divinity, making it a near-unbeatable weapon against other servant-class heroes, many of whom possess divine blood.
His base abilities as a servant are also exceptionally high. While his parameters for strength, endurance, and agility can vary depending on his master, his magical energy, luck, and Noble Phantasm rank are consistently among the highest possible. He possesses a high rank in the Independent Action skill, allowing him to remain in the world without a master and even to persist for a decade after a Holy Grail War has concluded, which is how he remains present in Fate/stay night. His Collector skill, represented as Golden Rule, ensures he can never have problems with material wealth, while his Charisma at rank A+ is so potent that it is considered a form of magical curse or blessing, inspiring unparalleled loyalty in those who follow him. Despite having a low rank in Magic Resistance due to his own lack of inherent anti-magic abilities, his golden armor provides more than sufficient protection against most magical attacks. Ultimately, Gilgamesh stands as a formidable and memorable figure: a golden king whose arrogance is matched only by his power, whose cruelty is tempered by a strange form of wisdom, and whose presence dominates every scene he graces in the Fifth Holy Grail War.