Best Fate/Stay Night Characters

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.

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.

Not only is he an awesome badass, but it will truly shock you when you find out his true identity...

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.

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.

Possibly the best character so far for Fate. Indeed, Archer takes the spotlight for being better since he is much older, more polished, and mature compared to the young Emiya Shirou. But his commitment toward his ideal remains, even after witnessing his older self's hell. Yep, hell. I always like this phrase: "I can save thousands of lives, but I can't save a single life." This phrase totally fits Archer and Kiritsugu. But still, even after witnessing Archer's hell, Shirou refuses to give up his ideals of becoming a hero of justice. Now, this Shirou is much more than ready to face his future fate than Archer. Archer left the world with a lot of regret, but Emiya has no regret because having regret means that all your efforts and those before you will be in vain. That's all I can say for Emiya Shirou.

Shiro Emiya is way more interesting than Rin, but I guess he gets less love for not being a waifu. Now, I really don't get Shiro fans hating Archer or vice versa. Um, they are the same person. Or at least they were/could have been. I mean yes, Archer is more mature and Shiro is more idealistic, but by the end of all routes Archer goes back to being more idealistic himself. I really don't get liking one and hating the other.

I really want to change the current image of him to the one with him standing boldly in a yellow sky. The current one makes him look like an idiot. I actually like him, so I want to change the image as soon as possible.

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 ...more

As a child, he once wanted to be a hero of justice who could save everyone. However, as he grew up, he realized that saving the life of one means sacrificing the life of another. Like Saber, although his ideals contrast with her ideals, he stands strong for them.

Though he had no presence in fate/stay night, his role in fate/zero makes him one of the best characters. His complicated backstory, his morals, and his decisions make him seem like both an ass and a hero. In my opinion, outranks Shirou.

Shiro Is a clumsy, boring, and generic typical cliche protagonist. Wish Kiritsugu wasn't dead in this one

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.