Best Fate/Stay Night Characters

The Top Ten
1 Saber Saber is a fictional character from the Japanese visual novel and anime series Fate/stay night by Type-Moon and its prequel, Fate/Zero, by Type-Moon and nitroplus. She is the the Saber-class Servant of Kiritsugu Emiya during the Fourth Holy Grail War in Fate/Zero and the Saber-class Servant of Shirou... read more

Saber truly earns her name as the King of Knights. She's strong, noble, loyal, kind, beautiful, and stands her ground for her own ideals and dreams.

2 Archer Archer is a fictional character from the Japanese visual novel and anime series Fate/stay night by Type-Moon. He is the Archer-class servant of Rin Tohsaka during the Fifth Holy Grail War in Fate/stay night.

I am the bone
of my sword.
Steel is my body
And fire is my blood.
I have created over
A thousand blades.
Unknown to death
Nor known to life.
Have withstood pain to create many weapons.
Yet, those hands will never hold anything.
And so as I pray
Unlimited Blade Works.

Most interesting character, in all his incarnations. It's frustrating that the main character is just him but younger. I'd rather know more about a battle hardened Shirou with lots of life experience.

Badass, awesome design and character concept, and complex identity. Really challenges many people's views on who is really the good character, especially in the UBW route.

3 Rin Tōsaka Rin Tohsaka is a fictional character from the Japanese visual novel and anime series Fate/stay night by Type-Moon. She is the main heroine of the Unlimited Blade Works route.

Other than being the typical (yet amazing) tsundere, Rin's intelligence really makes me appreciate her. In my opinion, best love interest of the 3 because the love story doesn't feel forced and is pretty subtle, making it overall believable because, in the end, this is a war, and winning the war should overpower any love story. Overall very lovable.

Her role in episode 10 of Fate/Zero showed her how brave and tough she was, even at a young age. I can't wait to see how the rest of Fate/Zero turns out.

4 Shirō Emiya Shirou Emiya is a fictional character from the Japanese visual novel and anime series Fate/stay night by Type-Moon.

Shirou is easily the strongest character in the Visual Novel in my opinion. His development through each of the routes lead to an overall understanding of his character and the vn's themes of heroism. He's the man who fought for his ideals, with the impossible dream of uniting with his love. He's the man who continued to fight for his ideal even after seeing where the path would lead him, and fully understand the hypocrisy of said ideals. He's the man who gave up on his ideals, his naive dream, in hope of saving the women he loved. He's the man who's story will forever echo in my heart.

5 Kiritsugu Emiya Kiritsugu Emiya is a fictional character from the Japanese visual novel and anime series Fate/stay night by Type-Moon and its prequel, Fate/Zero, by Type-Moon and nitroplus. He is only mentioned and seen in flashbacks in Fate/stay Night, but is one of the main protagonists of Fate/Zero.

Kiritsugu is without a doute the best main character in all the fate anime series. He holds more per personality than any of the other main protagonist. He it's more ruthless, but good and sympathetic than Most anime characters. At the end he was betrayed by his vary ideas, but trying to make up for at the end became a better man. All The while using logic and skill to win fights, wall Sharing the spotlight with his allies.
All the almost every other main protagonist in fate doesn't have this.
Shirou is a less dynamic and relatable personality than kirisugu. Shirou has the same believes, but choose actions that put himself and others in danger. Heck shirou only makes it out a live do to luck and plot armor. Shirou remains practically the same character from beginning to end, but forces his idea down everyone's throat. However, never lets them practice the idea being hero of justice, like himself no matter the situation as long as he's around.
So if all my reason have a Grain of salt to them, should the Mage killer be A better character and higher ranking on this list than shirou?

6 Kirei Kotomine Kirei Kotomine is a fictional character from the Japanese visual novel and anime series Fate/stay night by Type-Moon. He is the main antagonist of Fate/Zero and the general main antagonist of Fate/stay night. In Fate/stay night, he plays an important role in the unfolding events in all three routes,... read more

Gotta say, Kirei Kotomine makes for quite an awesome villain. In Fate/Zero, I loved how his character motivation was complex and not just straightforward and how his character would shift from being a neutral character to a badass Black Key-wielding antagonist.

Without a doubt the most complex and likable antagonist in fate stay night. He is the toughest master and the most ruthless.

7 Illyasviel von Einzbern Illyasviel von Einzbern is a fictional character from the Japanese visual novel and anime series Fate/stay night by Type-Moon. She is also the main protagonist of an alternate universe spin-off of the Fate/stay night visual novel by Type-Moon called Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya.

Illya is one easily best girl of all time for me with no competition. Nothing has ever made me cry as much, or really at all, than the end of Heaven's Feel because of her. It's really hard to go into why I love her character without spoilers for HF

She's one of the few characters in the series who has her backstory explored. And her strong bond with Berserker is touching as well.

8 Gilgamesh Gilgamesh is a fictional character from the Japanese visual novel and anime series Fate/stay night by Type-Moon. He is the Archer-class servant of Tokiomi Tohsaka and a secondary antagonist during the Fourth Holy Grail War in Fate/Zero. He reprises his role as a secondary antagonist during the Fifth... read more

Gate of Babylon. Also known as, the best Noble Phantasm in my opinion ever. Gilgamesh is a jerk, but he's an awesome, badass jerk.

9 Sakura Matō Sakura Matou is a fictional character from the Japanese visual novel and anime series Fate/stay night by Type-Moon. She is the main heroine of the Heaven's Feel route.

Fate/stay night anime-only viewers might get confused on her route (Heaven's Feel). Be sure to watch Fate/Zero.

There's an upcoming movie trilogy called Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel where Sakura Matou is the main heroine.

10 Lancer Lancer is a fictional character from the Japanese visual novel and anime series Fate/stay night by Type-Moon. Lancer can refer to two different Lancer-class servants: Diarmuid Ua Duibhne from Fate/Zero and Cú Chulainn from Fate/stay night.

Definitely one of the most underrated characters. Qualifies for berserker, caster, and lancer class, showing how much his power varies. His role in UBW really redeemed him as a character. There's a reason he is a heroic spirit: he saves lives.

At first, I thought he was just going to be a stereotypical bad guy, but when I watched Season 2 of Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works, he turned out to be a likable and compassionate hero.

The Hound of Ulster fought both Saber and Archer on the same night, and manage to kick both their asses before being ordered to retreat. With a good master (more like if she didn't get killed), Cú could have won. If only he didn't die so much...

The Contenders
11 Rider Rider is a fictional character from the Japanese visual novel and anime series Fate/stay night by Type-Moon. Rider can refer to two different Rider-class servants: Iskandar from Fate/Zero and Medusa from Fate/stay night.

It's too bad she doesn't have much of a role in the Unlimited Blade Works route of Fate/Stay Night. I am heavily anticipating her more active role in the upcoming anime movie adaptation of the Heaven's Feel route.

12 Taiga Fujimura Taiga Fujimura is a fictional character from the Japanese visual novel and anime series Fate/stay night by Type-Moon.
13 Souichirou Kuzuki
14 Caster Caster is a fictional character from the Japanese visual novel and anime series Fate/stay night by Type-Moon. Caster can refer to two different Caster-class servants: Gilles de Rais from Fate/Zero and Medea from Fate/stay night.

She's one of the best and most complex antagonists in Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works.

15 Assassin

He's a very skilled and cool samurai shrouded in mysteries. If only he wasn't confined to being a gatekeeper, I would have loved to see more of him in Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works.

16 Berserker Berserker is a fictional character from the Japanese visual novel and anime series Fate/stay night by Type-Moon. Berserker can refer to two different Berserker-class servants: Lancelot from Fate/Zero and Heracles from Fate/stay night.

When he saved Illyasviel from those wolves that one snowy day, it was not because of Illyasviel's command, but rather of his own free will. He may look scary on the outside, but on the inside, he is actually kind and willing to protect his master.

17 Leysritt
18 Sella
19 Shinji Matou
20 Enkidu
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