Kirei Kotomine

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

In Fate/Stay Night, which takes place in 2004, Kirei is depicted as the selected overseer of the Holy Grail War; which is a battle between two groups of mages known as Masters and Servants. He serves Tokiomi Tohsaka, who is the father of Rin Tohsaka. He also appears in Fate/Extra and Fate/Grand Order, among others. In an interview with Alain Mendez and Mitsuru Uehira of Anime News Network, Japanese writer Gen Urobuchi had stated that Kirei's height in the original Fate/Stay Night visual novel was revised for Fate/Zero. Urobuchi regarded Kirei as the "last boss" of Fate/Stay Night. While Nasu had said that his strength came from his tenacity and numerous Command Seals. Urobuchi expressed that he got a headache from trying to come up with ideas for Kirei in the final climactic battle between him and Kiritsugu. He also explained that he had difficulties when writing about Kirei's Bajiquan.

In Their Own Story

In the Type-Moon 10th Anniversary Character Poll that was taken in 2012, Kirei had ranked at number eight. While in a Manga Tokyo poll from 2018, he was voted as the seventh most popular Fate character behind Illyasviel von Einzbern and Gilgamesh. Reception of Kirei and Kiritsugu Emiya's relationship, however, was mixed. With Carlo Santos of Anime News Network saying that it came across as "flat" compared to the other character's relationships. Theron Martin of the same website noted that Kirei's gradual development over the course of Fate/Zero had gone "a long way" towards explaining his behavior in Fate/Stay Night, which he felt made the relationship between Rin and Sakura Tohsaka clearer. Japanator's Elliot Gay had noted his role as a "foil" to Kiritsugu's plans. Aiden Foote of THEM Anime Reviews found their relationship to be one of the highlights of the series. While Richard Eisenbeis at Kotaku had said the series should've had a backstory for Kirei. In a July 2015 poll, his rivalry with Kiritsugu was voted as the 11th best in the anime series.

Reader's Guide

In Japanese, Kirei was voiced by the Japanese voice actor Jouji Nakata, while in the series' English dub, Kirei was voiced by Crispin Freeman. In an interview, Nakata noted that the scene in Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel I. presage flower where Kirei ate mapo tofu at a Chinese restaurant "had an impact on fans of the original work" who "loved" the character. In "From waifus to whales: The evolution of discourse in a mobile game-based competitive community of practice", Kotomine is as dark figure who deliberately becomes a more comical character when eating a tofu in such a hot temperatures that causes the character accidentally remove his clothes while taking the meal. This is also supported by the performance of his voice actor Jouji Nakata. In "Desire and the Flexible Grail: The Japanese Fate Franchise and Evolving Notions of Arthurian Power" Kotomine is seen an archetype of Christian priest from fiction who initially shows himself as a kind man by devoting himself to the priest and often attempting to bond with the heroine Rin Tohaksa. However, the revelation of the Holy Grail War conflict between mages expands on the character who is a servant in the conflict and reavels a darker side. In "El rey de los héroes: Gilgamesh en los anime y mangas del universo Fate", scholars from Universidade de Lisboa noted that Kotomine is corrupted by Gilgamesh across Fate/Zero as a result of teaching his morals and become allies in future installments even if Gilgamesh's characterization changes in related Fate works.

Did You Know?

• Kirei was conceived by Kinoko Nasu as the overarching antagonist of the Fate franchise.
• In the Type-Moon 10th Anniversary Character Poll in 2012, Kirei ranked at number eight.
• In a Manga Tokyo poll from 2018, he was voted the seventh most popular Fate character.
• Kirei's rivalry with Kiritsugu was voted the 11th best in anime in a July 2015 poll.
• The scene in Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel I. presage flower where Kirei ate mapo tofu at a Chinese restaurant had an impact on fans of the original work.