Noble Phantasm

Lore & Background

The source material for Fate/Stay Night describes Servants as having special combat abilities classified as Noble Phantasms. These abilities are inherent to the Servants summoned in the Holy Grail War. The visual novel features an extensive cast of characters created by Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi of Type-Moon, with some classified as Servants with these special combat abilities. The Servants include figures like Saber, whose true identity is Artoria Pendragon, the King of Knights who sought the Holy Grail to prevent the events that doomed her homeland. Other Servants mentioned include Gilgamesh and Alexander the Great, who appear in the prequel Fate/Zero. The source does not provide specific details about how Noble Phantasms function, their activation methods, or their power systems beyond this classification.

In Their Own Story

In the Fate/Stay Night visual novel, Servants wield their Noble Phantasms during the Holy Grail War. Saber, the main heroine of the Fate route, is an honorable swordsman whose true identity is the King of Knights Artoria Pendragon. She previously served as Kiritsugu Emiya's servant during the Fourth Holy Grail War. During that war, Kiritsugu arranged for Saber to serve as Irisviel's bodyguard due to their incompatible methods. Saber later becomes Shirou Emiya's Servant for the Fifth Holy Grail War, losing her memory in the process. The source does not describe specific battles or moments where Noble Phantasms are activated, but notes that Saber acts coldly and suppresses her emotions to focus on her goals, and is frustrated by Shirou's protective tendencies which she believes will jeopardize their chances of winning the Holy Grail War.

Reader's Guide

The source material indicates that Servants in Fate/Stay Night possess Noble Phantasms as special combat abilities. These abilities are part of what classifies certain characters as Servants in the Holy Grail War. The visual novel features Servants from various historical and legendary backgrounds, such as Saber (King Arthur as a young woman), Gilgamesh, and Alexander the Great. The source does not provide information about how to activate, use, or counter Noble Phantasms, nor does it describe any ranking system, power sources, or classification methods for these abilities. What is known is that they are integral to the combat system of the Holy Grail War and are tied to the identity and legend of each Servant.

Did You Know?

• The source states that Saber's true identity is the King of Knights Artoria Pendragon, who sought the Holy Grail to prevent the events that doomed her homeland.
• According to the source, Saber was previously Kiritsugu Emiya's servant during the Fourth Holy Grail War before becoming Shirou's Servant for the Fifth Holy Grail War.
• The source notes that Kiritsugu refused to speak directly to Saber after her summoning, initially believed to be because he thought her being a woman made her inadequate.
• Irisviel suggested that Kiritsugu's anger towards Saber came from his inability to accept the decisions Saber made in life, yet he could not justify why he believed she was wrong.
• The source mentions that Saber loses her memory in the process of becoming Shirou's Servant for the Fifth Holy Grail War.