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Fate/zero
Cover of Fate/zero
フェイト/ゼロ (Feito/zero)
Genre	Action, Fantasy, Thriller
Light novel
Author	Nitroplus
Publisher	TYPE-MOON
Original run	2006 – 2007
Volumes	4
Anime and Manga Portal

Fate/zero (フェイト/ゼロ, Feito/zero^?) is a prequel to Type-Moon's visual novel Fate/stay night. It is a light novel by Gen Urobuchi, illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi.Although there is very little information about it a fan made visual novel was also made. The first volume was released on December 12, 2006, and is a collaboration between TYPE-MOON and fellow developer Nitroplus. The second volume was released on March 31, 2007. The third volume was released on July 27, 2007. The fourth and final volume was released on December 29, 2007, along with the Fate/zero Original Image Soundtrack "Return to Zero". Four sets of Drama CD are scheduled to be released in 2008.

Story

The storyline of Fate/zero takes place 10 years prior to the events of Fate/stay night, detailing the events of the 4th Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City ^[1]. It includes the following characters:

Humans

• Kiritsugu Emiya (衛宮切嗣, Emiya Kiritsugu^?), Master of Saber, unconfident and unhappy, adopts a strategy of exploiting a magus' weak point using technology. A coldblooded assassin skilled in hunting magicians. Entered the Einzbern family to realize his lifelong wish: to obtain the Holy Grail.
• Kirei Kotomine (言峰綺礼, Kotomine Kirei^?), Master of Archer, works for Tokiomi and does everything he is asked to do to the best of his ability, but lacks fulfillment, which he sees mirrored in Kiritsugu, whom he feels a compulsive hatred for.
• Tokiomi Tōsaka (遠坂時臣, Tōsaka Tokiomi^?), father of Rin Tōsaka and Sakura Matō, Master of Archer, arrogant and manipulative, arranges for Kirei Kotomine to be his "pupil". Thinks highly of Kotomine and has him serve him.
• Aoi Tōsaka (遠坂葵, Tōsaka Aoi^?), mother of Rin Tōsaka and Sakura Matō. Childhood friend of Kariya Matō.
• Irisviel von Einzbern (アイリスフィール・フォン・アインツベルン, Airisufīru fon Aintsuberun^?), heroine of the story, the mother of Illyasviel von Einzbern and Kiritsugu's wife. A homunculus prototype created by the Einzbern family with the idea to give birth to an ultimate homunculus.
• Ryūnosuke Uryū (雨生龍之介, Uryū Ryūnosuke^?), Master of Caster, sociopathic serial killer who summons Caster after murdering a family and using their blood as a component in the summoning ritual. He does not seek the Holy Grail, but follows Caster in order to find new thrilling ways to kill people and relieve his boredom.
• Maiya Hisau (久宇舞弥, Hisau Maiya^?), assistant to Kiritsugu Emiya. She is cold and professional, which makes it easier for Kiritsugu to act as he needs to. Armed with a Steyr AUG.
• Waver Velvet (ウェイバー・ベルベット, Ueiba Berubetto^?) Master of Rider, future Lord El-Melloi II. Steals his teacher's artifact and uses it to summon Rider. Plans to use the Grail to force the Magus Association to recognize his genius.
• Kariya Matō (間桐雁夜, Matō Kariya^?), uncle of Shinji Matō, Master of Berserker, makes a deal with Zōken Matō that he will win the Grail War in exchange for Sakura Matō's freedom. He is the only member of Matō family who truly loves Sakura, and is upset that Tokiomi allowed his younger daughter to be adopted by Zōken.
• Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi (ケイネス・エルメロイ・アーチボルト, Keinesu Erumeroi Achiboruto^?) Master of Lancer, a nobleman from the Magus Association and genius magus. His artifact is stolen by Waver Velvet, but he manages to summon Lancer anyway. While he holds the command spells for Lancer, the energy to materialize the Servant is maintained by Sola-Ui.
• Risei Kotomine (言峰璃正, Kotomine Risei^?), Kirei Kotomine's 80 year old father, a priest in the Church, the regulator of the 4th Holy Grail War. He is a friend of Tokiomi Tōsaka and actively supports him. While he is proud of his son, who has demonstrated himself to be a perfect heir, Risei fails to understand Kirei in any sense.
• Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri (ソラウ・ヌァザレ・ソフィアリ, Sorau Nuazare Sofiari^?) the daughter of the head of the spiritual evocation division. She is engaged to Kayneth as a result of a strategic marriage arrangement and the decision of her family to entrust their crest to her brother instead. However, she is coldhearted and does not reciprocate Kayneth's love for her.

Servants
Servants participating in the Fourth Holy Grail War and their true identities:

• Saber: Arturia Pendragon, the same character from Fate/stay night. Known as the King of Knights. She maintains a high code of honour.
• Archer: Gilgamesh, a rogue servant in Fate/stay night, the King of Heroes. He dislikes the presence of Saber and Rider in particular since they were kings like he was. Much to Tokiomi's displeasure, Gilgamesh has difficulty acting covertly or regaining his temper when his considerable pride is wounded.
• Lancer: Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, a Servant with two Noble Phantasms: Gae Buidhe - Golden Rose of Mortality and Gae Dearg - Crimson Rose of Exorcism, which can counter Saber and Berserker's abilities. As a knight, he holds a strong sense of honour in battle and loyalty to his master.
• Rider: Iskander, the King of Conquerors, who desires to defeat Saber and Lancer in particular. Has several Noble Phantasms, the first of which is Gordius Wheel - Wheel of Heaven's Authority, which summons an ox-drawn chariot when Iskander slices the air with his sword. His eccentric and overbearing personality along with his incredible abilities creates difficulties for his master and their opponents.
• Caster: Bluebeard, a Servant who derives pleasure from first providing his victims a moment of relief before terrorizing them and then killing them. Expresses an interest in Saber because he has mistaken her for Jeanne D'Arc, with whom Bluebeard has an infatuation.
• Berserker: Lancelot of the Lake (previously known as the Black Knight), a Servant who possesses the ability to use practically any object as a Noble Phantasm, allowing him to match Gilgamesh in combat. His madness has reduced him to mindless, though dangerously skilled, fighter. Despite his insanity, he is still able to instinctively recognize Saber.
• Assassin: The Assassins related to True Assassin from Fate/stay night; Assassin is actually composed of several entities rather than just one. They act as reconnaissance agents for Tokiomi and Kirei after Gilgamesh "kills" one of them.

Minor characters

• Rin Tōsaka (遠坂凛, Tōsaka Rin^?), the daughter of Tokiomi and Aoi Tōsaka. Despite her young age, she is capable of using elementary magic. She is devoted to her father and hopes to be entrusted with the family's magical crest.
• Sakura Matō (間桐桜, Matō Sakura^?), Rin's younger sister, who was adopted by the Matō family one year prior to the start of Fourth Holy Grail War. Her physical appearance has already changed considerably since her adoption as a result of Zōken's "training" for her to become the next Matō master for the Fifth Holy Grail War.
• Illyasviel von Einzbern, the daughter of Irisviel von Einzbern and Kiritsugu Emiya, born eight years before the Fourth Holy Grail War begins.
• Jubstacheit von Einzbern, the eighth head of the Einzbern family, known as "Acht". Nearly two centuries old, he has led the Einzbern family since they changed their course of action from seeking the Holy Grail to attempting to obtain it through the Holy Grail Wars. He presents Kiritsugu Emiya with Avalon as the catalyst to summon Saber. When Kiritsugu effectively betrays the Einzberns by destroying the Grail, Jubstacheit focuses on training Ilya to become a Master in the next war and prevents Kiritsugu from ever seeing his daughter again.
• Zōken Matō (間桐 臓硯, Matō Zōken^?), the ancient head of the Matō family, Kariya's "uncle" and Sakura's adoptive "grandfather". He intends to use Sakura to obtain the Holy Grail in the next war, but agrees to return her to the Tōsaka family should Kariya manage to acquire the Grail in the fourth war.
• Byakuya Matō (間桐鶴野, Matō Byakuya^?), Kariya's older brother, the father of Shinji Matō. With Zoken, he oversees Sakura's magical training to become the family's heir. Because he can do nothing to ensure the Holy Grail is won by the Matō family, he frequently drinks. Kiritsugu eventually kills him.
• Glen and Martha Mackenzie, an elderly Canadian couple who live in Japan; their son, daughter-in-law, and grandson were unable to adapt to Japan and have returned to Canada. They provide lodgings for Waver Velvet and Rider.
• Noritaka Emiya (衛宮矩賢, Emiya Noritaka^?), Kiritsugu's father, a fifth-generation mage and researcher on a Pacific island. His work involved developing a medicine to become a Dead Apostle and when a war breaks out between the Church and Mages Association, Noritaka attempts to flee with his son. Unable to forgive his father for his actions, a young Kiritsugu shoots him.
• Shirley, Noritaka's assistant, who admired Noritaka's work and looked forward to succeeding him. When she drank a potion under development out of curiosity, Sharley is unfortunately transformed into a vampire and dies.
• Natalia Kaminski, a freelance mercenary who sold information concerning Noritaka and his research on vampires. She rescues a young Kiritsugu and takes him as her apprentice. During her last mission, she is able to successfully kill a Dead Apostle, but dies when Kiritsugu shoots down the plane she is on to prevent the infected passengers from infecting others when the plane landed. Kiritsugu's last words to her reveal that he viewed her as his mother.
• Shirō Emiya (衛宮 士郎, Emiya Shirō^?), Kiritsugu's adopted son who was saved after the Fourth Holy Grail War. Shirō inherited Kiritsugu's dream to become a hero of Justice.

References

External links

• TYPE-MOON's Official Homepage for the Fate/stay night Game (Japanese)
• TYPE-MOON's and Nitroplus' Official Homepage for Fate/zero (Japanese)