Strongest Characters In The Fate Anime

Highlights

• Fate series not for kids. Holy Grail War showcases powerful Servants from history with unique abilities.
• Artoria Pendragon and Gilgamesh among top Heroic Spirits. Strongest Servants possess unique Noble Phantasms.
• Various Heroic Spirits like Chiron, Mordred, and Lancelot showcase powerful abilities and combat skills.

There are plenty of anime that can be watched with kids, but the Fate series is not one of them. The series focuses on a competition called the Holy Grail War, which is a battle royal involving seven Servants who each get summoned by a human Magus. These Servants are attached to a specific Class, and they are all Heroic Spirits who have left their marks on history.

The series began in 2004 with the release of the Fate/stay night visual novel, and it has since spawned numerous timelines spread across games, anime, movies, and manga. Each war has Servants who are powerful in their own way, but there are certain characters who stand above all the rest in terms of overall strength.

Updated on March 17, 2024, by George Voutiritsas: Fans of the Fate series have seen a number of Holy Grail Wars, and each one is known for its impressive battle sequences. Artoria Pendragon and Gilgamesh are the two most recognizable Heroic Spirits in the series, and they earned that status partly because they are both extremely powerful. Gilgamesh is by far the strongest Heroic Spirit who has ever been summoned, and Artoria is arguably in the top five, but there are a number of other Heroes who also deserve to be considered among the series’ elite Servants, and therefore they’ve been added to this list. It is no coincidence that the strongest Servants in Fate all possess one or more useful Noble Phantasms.

27 Avicebron – The Spanish Philosopher Who Specialized In Thaumaturgy

Most Of His Power Came From His Golems

• Appears In: Fate/Apocrypha, Fate/Grand Order
• Caster-Class Servant
• Masters: Roche Frain Yggdmillennia & Ritsuka Fujimaru

Avicebron was a philosopher and poet, but he also delved into the art of thaumaturgy, which allowed him to be summoned as the Black Faction’s Caster-Class Servant in Fate/Apocrypha. He also becomes the master of the Red Faction’s Berserker for a time.

Avicebron’s body is physically weak, which is to be expected, since he dealt with several illnesses when he was alive. That being said, his magecraft is quite powerful. Thanks to his thaumaturgy skills, he can create a small army of golems for battle. His Noble Phantasm is called Golem Keter Malkuth – which is based on Adam, the primordial human. This golem is more than 3,000 feet tall, and it can withstand attacks from other Servants.

26 Jack The Ripper – The 19th Century Serial Killer

A Young Heroic Spirit That Cannot Contend With Gods

• Appears In: Fate/Apocrypha, Fate/Grand Order, Fate/strange Fake
• Assassin-Class Servant
• Masters: Reika Rikudou & Ritsuka Fujimaru

Jack the Ripper is a notorious serial killer who was active in 19th Century London. In Record of Ragnarok, Jack is depicted as a middle-aged man, but in the Fate franchise, Jack is a collection of wraiths born from the souls of discarded unborn babies. The main form used by these souls is that of a young girl with a scarred face and white hair.

Jack has only been a Heroic Spirit for roughly 120 years, so she is not as strong as God-tier spirits with centuries of fame behind them. She uses various knives in combat, and she can replenish herself by feeding on human souls. Jack can create a mist of sulfuric acid with one Noble Phantasm that is meant to target non-Servants. Her main Noble Phantasm re-enacts Jack’s iconic murders. In terms of actual combat ability, Jack was able to cause a Saber-Class Servant like Mordred some trouble.

25 Astolfo – The Legendary Paladin

His Noble Phantasms Are His Only Source Of Power, And They’re Not Even His

• Appears In: Fate/Apocrypha, Fate/Grand Order
• Rider-Class Servant
• Masters: Celenike Icecolle Yggdmillennia & Ritsuka Fujimaru

Astolfo is the Rider-class Servant of the Black Faction, and he is the son of a king who became one of the Twelve Paladins of Charlemagne. As an adventurer, Astolfo created many legends around the world, but he made plenty of mistakes too, and he was a ladies’ man.

In terms of strength, Astolfo was the weakest of the Paladins, and he would not be considered a real threat if it were not for the Noble Phantasms he borrowed during his adventures. His hunting horn strikes fear into others, and it can turn certain individuals into dust. He can use Achilles’ shield for defense, and a book that can shatter any magecraft that has been recorded within it.

24 Frankenstein – The Artificial Being Created In Mary Shelley’s Novel

Her Electrical Attacks Are Strong, But She Damages Her Own Body With Them

• Appears In: Fate/Apocrypha, Fate/Grand Order
• Berserker-Class Servant
• Masters: Caules Forvedge Yggdmillennia & Ritsuka Fujimaru

There have been many iterations of Frankenstein over the decades, and Fate/Apocrypha introduced a new take on the famous monster. Victor Frankenstein wished to recreate Adam & Eve, and he focused on Eve first. She was a failed experiment, who managed to repair herself over time.

She served as the Berserker-class Servant of the Black Faction, and the Mad Enchantment limited her communication skills to simple nods. She can turn Magical energy into bio-electricity, and she can convert certain attacks into electricity. She can produce a unique shout that causes certain targets to panic and have breathing issues. Frankenstein can accumulate damage to increase her electrical output, but she will damage her own body if the charge is too great.

23 Francis Drake – The Famous Sea Explorer Who Sailed The World

Uses Ships For Defense & Offense

• Appears In: Fate/EXTRA & Fate/Grand Order
• Rider-Class Servant
• Master: Matou Shinji

Francis Drake is a famous English explorer who sailed around the known world. Drake was a man, but in the Fate franchise, he materializes as a crimson-haired woman, and she serves as a Rider-class Servant. Unlike other Riders, Drake is not much of a melee fighter, and she uses a pair of flintlock pistols that become useless if she runs out of mana.

Her Noble Phantasm is called Golden Wild Hunt, and it summons her ship, the Golden Hind. It also summons a fleet of ships. The Golden Hind is a great defensive tool, but the fleet can bombard enemies with beams. Drake can annihilate certain Heroes with this power, but stronger Heroes can easily destroy all of her ships.

22 Chiron – The Mythical Centaur That Taught Other Heroes

His Strongest Attack Lacks Power, But It Can Kill In One Shot With Enough Time

• Appears In: Fate/Apocrypha
• Archer-Class Servant
• Master: Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia

There are a handful of anime characters that even God of War’s Kratos cannot beat, but Chiron is not one of them because he is based on the famous centaur from Greek mythology. Chiron is one of the Archer-class Servants in Fate/Apocrypha, and he is capable of firing precise arrows that travel faster than the speed of sound.

He can fire up to three arrows at once, with each containing as much destructive magical energy as possible. His Noble Phantasm is Antares Snipe, which fires a literal shooting star at his opponent. This attack can track its target, but its destructive power is limited, which is why he needs to guarantee a one-shot kill.

21 Gawain – A Knight Of The Round Table Who Substituted For King Arthur

His Sword Uses The Power Of The Sun

• Appears In: Fate/EXTRA & Fate/Grand Order: Divine Realm of the Round Table
• Saber-Class Servant
• Master: Leonardo B. Harwey

Gawain is a member of the Knights of the Round Table, and he often served as King Arthur’s substitute. Arthur represented the night, but Gawain represented the day, and his powers certainly reflected that. He is a Saber-class servant, and he wields Excalibur Galatine – the sister sword of Excalibur.

The sword serves as Gawain’s Noble Phantasm, and its power increases by absorbing the power of the sun. As a result, Gawain can unleash a wave of radiation that can wipe out an entire army. Excalibur Galatine is not that strong during the night, but Gawain has the ability to instantly switch night to day so his sword can give him an advantage.

20 Lancelot – The Strongest Knight Of The Round Table

He Can Turn Any Object Into A Weapon

• Appears In: Fate/Zero
• Berserker-Class Servant
• Master: Kariya Matou

Fate/Zero may not be recognized as one of the best anime from the 2010s, but it certainly deserves to be in the conversation. The Berserker-class Servant in this iteration of the Holy Grail War was Lancelot, the strongest knight of King Arthur’s Round Table.

Lancelot has three Noble Phantasms, including one that engulfs his body in a black fog that obscures his identity and abilities. The second allows him to turn anything in his hands into a weapon, including weapons generated by other servants. He can also create a Divine Construct which is almost as powerful as Excalibur.

19 Diarmuid Ua Duibhne – The Irish Demi-God & First Spear Of The Knights Of Fianna

One Of His Spears Cuts Through Mana While The Other Creates Wounds That Cannot Be Healed

• Appears In: Fate/Zero, Fate/Grand Order
• Lancer-Class Servant
• Masters: Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald & Ritsuka Fujimaru

Fate/Zero introduced fans to Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, a demigod from Irish mythology. For the most part, Diarmuid fought on equal ground against Saber, and unlike other Lancer-Class Servants, he used two spears in battle.

Diarmuid’s spears are his Noble Phantasms, and Gae Buidhe is arguably the more troublesome one because any wounds it inflicts cannot be healed. Gae Dearg is capable of piercing through mana, which means that most magical defenses are useless against it. He keeps both spears tightly wrapped, and he needs to unwrap them in order to use their abilities.

18 Mordred – Camelot’s Treacherous Knight

A Talented Knight Who Gets A Lot Of Her Strength From Her Sword

• Appears In: Fate/Apocrypha, Fate/Grand Order
• Saber-Class Servant
• Master: Kairi Sisigou

Mordred is the Saber-Class Servant who fought for the Red Faction, and despite being female, she was raised as King Arthur’s secret male heir. She was a beloved and honorable knight, but she became known as the Knight of Treachery when she caused a rebellion in Camelot.

She is a prideful and boastful individual and her swordsmanship rivals that of Arturia’s. She possesses heavy armor that could deflect Chiron’s arrows, and she wields Clarent, a magical sword that amplifies magical energy. She can use it to create red lightning, which she can fire at her opponents. By removing her helm, she can use all of Clarent’s power without any limitations. If it were not for Clarent, Mordred’s strength, mana, agility, and endurance would all be a full rank lower.

17 Alexander The Great – The Legendary Macedonian King

He Fights With An Entire Army At His Back

• Appears In: Fate/Zero
• Rider-Class Servant
• Masters: Waver Velvet & Ritsuka Fujimaru

Alexander the Great is one of the most well-known figures in history, and he was summoned as the Rider-Class Servant in Fate/Zero. Thanks to all of his great deeds, Alexander is considered to be a Top Servant, and he wields the Sword of the Kupriotes, which he uses to invoke his Noble Phantasms.

One Noble Phantasm summons a chariot with a pair of armored bulls. These bulls can deal significant damage, and the lightning produced by the chariot is said to be from Zeus himself. His second Noble Phantasm is his true trump card, as it is capable of going up against Gilgamesh’s Gate of Babylon. Ionioi Hetairoi creates an endless desert where tens of thousands of soldiers appear to fight alongside their beloved king. With this army, Alexander can destroy a Caster or Assassin-class Servant, but it can not stand up against divine opponents.

16 Medea – The Ancient Greek Princess Who Became A Witch

Her Magic Power Is Incredible, But She Cannot Win A Melee Fight

• Appears In: Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works Anime & Movie, Fate/Grand Order
• Caster-Class Servant
• Masters: Atrum Galliasta, Souichirou Kuzuki, & Ritsuka Fujimaru

Medea is the Caster-class Servant summoned during the 5th Holy Grail War, and she used her skill in magecraft to become the Master of Assassin. In Greek mythology, she was known as a witch, and she became a cruel and cold-hearted woman because her life was filled with betrayal.

Since Medea lived during the Age of Gods, her magecraft is incredible, to the point that no living magus can keep up with her. She has a number of offensive spells at her disposal, including Rain of Light, which creates numerous beams of light that can destroy a Heroic Spirit with a direct hit. Her ceremonial dagger is an Anti-Magecraft Noble Phantasm which dispels and destroys magecraft. She may be a gifted, dagger-wielding mage, but Medea is effectively useless when it comes to melee combat.

15 Sasaki Kojirou – The Legendary Nameless Swordsman

Arguably The Most Skilled Swordsman In History

• Appears In: Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works Anime & Movie, Fate/Grand Order, Fate/Requiem
• Assassin-Class Servant & Saber-Class Servant
• Masters: Medea, Ritsuka Fujimaru & Makki

Sasaki Kojirou is the name used by the nameless swordsman who first appeared in Fate/Stay Night. He was an Assassin-Class Servant who was summoned by Medea – so he could not use his full power. He could also be summoned as a nameless Saber-Class Servant. Sasaki is a composed individual, and he is honorable in battle.

When it comes to magic and overall physical strength, Sasaski is very weak, but he is still considered the most skilled swordsman in history. Even in his weakened state, he was able to repel other Heroic Servants like Emiya, King Arthur, and Hercules without losing any ground. His ultimate technique cannot be considered a Noble Phantasm, because it uses no magic. Instead, Sasaki uses all of his swordsmanship and swordplay skills that he has learned over the course of his life to deliver deadly strikes.

14 Emiya – A Heroic Version Of Shirou Emiya From A Different Timeline

A Skilled Archer & Melee Fighter

• Appears In: Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works Anime & Movie, Fate/Grand Order
• Archer-Class Servant
• Masters: Rin Tosaka & Ritsuka Fujimaru

The Fate series has given fans several protagonists, but Shirou Emiya and Artoria Pendragon are still the most iconic. Shiro is a Magus who was taught Projection magecraft, and he can use an advanced form known as tracing, which allows him to copy an object and its history/power.

It is revealed that in an alternate timeline, Shirou becomes the Heroic Spirit known as EMIYA, who serves as Archer in the 5th Holy Grail War. His visual acuity and kinetic vision improve, so that he can fire long-range shots with perfect accuracy. He does not possess a Noble Phantasm of his own, but thanks to his Reality Marble, he can basically copy any Noble Phantasm he has seen.

13 Atalanta – The Famous Huntress From Greek Mythology

Her Bow Fires Deadly Magical Arrows & She Can Gain The Power Of A Ruler-Class Servant

• Appears In: Fate/Apocrypha
• Archer-Class Servant
• Masters: Rottweil Berzinsky & Shirou Kotomine

Atalanta is a Greek heroine and huntress, which explains why she was the Red Faction’s Archer in Fate/Apocrypha. Her weapon of choice is Auropolos: Bow of Heaven, a celestial bow that was given to her by the Gods. When she draws her bow to its limit, she can release an arrow that travels at the speed of sound.

She can use two Noble Phantasms, including Phoebus Catastrophe-which allows her to call down a rain of arrows that will damage every enemy in sight. Her second Noble Phantasm is cursed, and it is called, Agrius Metamorphosis. This ability gives her the power of a monstrous beast, and she becomes as powerful as a Ruler-Class Servant.

12 Hercules – The Legendary Greek Demi-God

A Crazed Warrior With The Power Of Resurrection

• Appears In: Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works Anime & Movie
• Berserker-Class Servant
• Master: Illyasviel von Einzbern

There are two versions of the 5th Holy Grail War, and Hercules is the Berserker-class Servant in both of them. He is regarded as the greatest Hero in Greek mythology, and his incredible physical strength can be attributed to his Demi-God status.

This Servant is incredibly tall and statue-like, and he charges into battle while wielding a massive axe-sword. Hercules is a rank A servant who has mastered every weapon, and by sacrificing most of his sanity, his strength and endurance become truly superhuman. His Noble Phantasm is truly troublesome, as it allows him to resurrect 11 times before he finally dies, and his master is capable of replenishing those lives over time.

11 Vlad III – The Impaler Who Became Count Dracula

His Vampire Form Can Fight Multiple Heroic Spirits At Once

• Appears In: Fate/Apocrypha
• Lancer-Class Servant
• Master: Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia

Castlevania is one of the best anime series on Netflix, and the only thing it has in common with the Fate series is Dracula. The legendary vampire appears in Fate/Apocrypha as Vlad III, the Lancer of the Black Faction, and he is at his strongest when he is in Transylvania.

Vlad is strong enough to take on Heroes who are considered Gods, and his main Noble Phantasm allows him to produce up to 20,000 pikes over a 1-kilometer range. These pikes can take out an army and even “Gods” have to avoid them. When he becomes Dracula, all of his physical abilities get amplified, and he gains an incredible healing factor. It took multiple servants to take this vampire down.

10 Merlin – The Great Mage From The Arthurian Legends

A Top-Ranking Caster Who Sometimes Fumbles

• Appears In: Fate/Apocrypha, Fate/Grand Order & Fate/strange Fake
• Caster-Class Servant
• Master: Ritsuka Fujimaru

According to the Arthurian Legends, Merlin was a magus who advised King Arthur. He is a righteous person who views the world in an objective manner – but he is sometimes mistaken for a con-man. He is considered one of the strongest mages in history. Merlin is in fact one of only two Heroic Spirts who qualify as a Grand Caster.

Merlin is a powerful mage, but he has admitted that magecraft is not his forte because he often fumbles incantations. That being said, he can teleport himself and others to safety at any time. He can also transform specific attacks into flowers. Merlin can use his magic to block a Lancer-Class Servant’s spear, and he can repel spells cast by humans. His Garden of Avalon Noble Phantasm is essentially an eternal prison where only hope resides.

9 King Arthur – Britain’s Legendary Hero

Master Swordsman Who Can Destroy Anything With Excalibur

• Appears In: Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works Anime & Movie, Fate/Zero, Fate/Apocrypha
• Saber-Class Servant
• Masters: Kiritsugu Emiya & Shirou Emiya

Fate/Zero has one of the best anime openings of all time, and it gives a lot of character development to the series’ most recognizable Hero, King Arthur. Arthur appears as Artoria Pendragon and thanks to the legendary Excalibur, she is arguably the strongest Saber-class Servant.

Arthur’s armor can nullify any non-S-rank magical attack, but her sword is the true source of her power. Her first Noble Phantasm conceals Excalibur as invisible air, an act that gives her an incredible advantage in hand-to-hand combat. Her second Noble Phantasm reveals Excalibur, and she can fire a powerful beam of light from its tip. This beam destroys anything in its path.

8 Achilles – The Famous Hero Of The Trojan War

Most Of His Body Becomes Immortal & His Shield Can Block Almost Anything

• Appears In: Fate/Apocrypha
• Rider-Class Servant
• Masters: Cabik Pentel & Shirou Kotomine

Achilles is the Rider-class Servant for the Red Faction in Fate/Apocrypha, and he qualified as a Heroic Spirit because of the fame he amassed during the Trojan Wars. He was blessed by Gods and trained by Chiron, and he is also regarded as one of the fastest Heroes in history. His skill with a lance is virtually unmatched, and he possesses several Noble Phantasms, including one that turns every part of his body immortal.

His heel is not protected by this ability though. His lance creates an arena that exists outside of time, and it forces his opponent to fight him in a one-on-one battle. His trump card is a shield that can block nearly any attack.