Cú Chulainn (Lancer)
JAPANESE NAME:
ランサー
ALSO KNOWN AS:
Sétanta
Blue Spearman of the Wind
Child of Light
Hound of Culann
PORTRAYALS
JAPANESE VA:
Nobutoshi Canna
ENGLISH VA:
Tony Oliver
APPEARANCES
PRIMARY FRANCHISE:
Fate
APPEARS IN:
All Around Type-Moon
Capsule Servant
Carnival Phantasm
Chibichuki!
Fate/Ace Royal
Fate/EXTELLA / Link
Fate/EXTRA / Last Encore / CCC
Fate/Grand Order
Fate/hollow ataraxia
Fate/kaleid liner PRISMA☆ILLYA
Fate/stay night
Fate/tiger colosseum / Upper
Fate/unlimited codes
Today's Menu for Emiya Family
CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES:
Servant, Human, Magus
GENDER:
Male[5][7]
HEIGHT:
185cm[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
WEIGHT:
70kg (F/sn)[1][4][7]
72kg (F/GO)[2][3]
75kg (F/EX)[5][6][8]
BLOOD TYPE:
Unknown[6][8]
BIRTHDAY:
Unknown[6][8]
PERSONAL INFORMATION
ADDRESSES SELF AS:
Ore (オレ?)[2]
LIKES:
Women with strong will, irrational promises[4][6][8]
DISLIKES:
Devious methods, betrayal[4][6][8]
TALENTS:
Fishing, diving, mountain climbing[4][6][8]
NATURAL ENEMY:
Gilgamesh, Archer[4]
Julius, Leo[6]Gilgamesh[8] (F/EX)
IMAGE COLOR:
Blue[4][6][8]
MAGECRAFT
MAGECRAFT:
Rune
AFFILIATIONS
ORGANIZATION:
Knights of the Red Branch
FAMILY MEMBERS
FATHER:
Lugh
Fergus mac Róich (Foster)
MOTHER:
Deichtine
UNCLE(S):
Conchobar mac Nessa (Maternal Uncle)
SPOUSE(S):
Emer (Wife)
SON(S):
Connla
MORE
SERVANT STATS
TRUE NAME:
Cú Chulainn
TYPE:
Heroic Spirit
SOURCE:
Ulster Cycle[3]
REGION:
Ireland,[2][3][4] Europe[9]
ALIGNMENT:
Lawful Neutral[1][2][3][5][7]
HIDDEN
ATTRIBUTE:
Heaven
ARMAMENTS:
Armor, Spear[1]
QUALIFIED SERVANT CLASSES
NORMAL CLASSES:
FGO Lancer.png FGO Caster.png FGO Berserker.png
MASTER: KIREI KOTOMINE
WAR:
Fifth Holy Grail War
SERIES:
Fate/stay night
PARAMETER
STRENGTH:
ENDURANCE:
AGILITY:
B[1]
C[1]
A[1]
MANA:
LUCK:
NP:
C[1]
E[1]
B[1]
CLASS SKILLS
Magic Resistance
C[1]
PERSONAL SKILLS
Battle Continuation
A[1]
Disengage
C[1]
Divinity
B[1]
Rune
B[1]
Protection from Arrows
B[1]
NOBLE PHANTASM
Gáe Bolg: Barbed Spear that Pierces with Death
Anti-Unit[1]
B[1]
Gáe Bolg: Soaring Spear that Strikes with Death
Anti-Army[1]
B+[1]
MORE
MASTER: RITSUKA FUJIMARU
WAR:
Grand Order
SERIES:
Fate/Grand Order
PARAMETER
STRENGTH:
ENDURANCE:
AGILITY:
B[2][3]
C[2][3]
A[2][3]
MANA:
LUCK:
NP:
C[2][3]
E[2][3]
B[2][3]
CLASS SKILLS
Magic Resistance
C[2][3]
Divinity
B[2][3]
PERSONAL SKILLS
Battle Continuation
A[2][3]
Disengage
C[2][3]
Protection from Arrows
B[2][3]
Ath nGabla
A
NOBLE PHANTASM
Gáe Bolg
Anti-Unit[2][3]
B[2][3]→B+
MORE
MASTER: RIN TOHSAKA
WAR:
Moon Holy Grail War
SERIES:
Fate/EXTRA
PARAMETER
STRENGTH:
ENDURANCE:
AGILITY:
B[5][10]
A[5][10]
A[5][10]
MANA:
LUCK:
NP:
C[5][10]
E[5]/D[10]
B[5]
CLASS SKILLS
Magic Resistance
C[5][10]
PERSONAL SKILLS
Battle Continuation
A→C[5][10]
Divinity
B[5][10]
NOBLE PHANTASM
Gáe Bolg
Anti-Unit[5]
B[5]
MORE
MASTER: HAKUNO KISHINAMI
WAR:
Moon Holy Grail War
SERIES:
Fate/EXTELLA
PARAMETER
STRENGTH:
ENDURANCE:
AGILITY:
B[7]
A[7]
A[7]
MANA:
LUCK:
NP:
C[7]
E[7]
B[7]
CLASS SKILLS
Magic Resistance
C[7]
PERSONAL SKILLS
Battle Continuation
A→C[7]
Divinity
B[7]
NOBLE PHANTASM
Gáe Bolg
Anti-Army[7]
B+[7]
MORE
Cú Chulainn (クー・フーリン), Class Name Lancer (ランサー, Ransā?), is the Lancer-class Servant of Bazett Fraga McRemitz in the Fifth Holy Grail War of Fate/stay night. He becomes the Servant of Kirei Kotomine after Kirei fatally wounds Bazett, and remains under his command for the duration of the War. Caren Hortensia acts as his Master during the events of Fate/hollow ataraxia.
He is the Servant of Rin Tohsaka in the Moon Cell Holy Grail War of Fate/EXTRA. While he is always featured in the story, he is only fought as an enemy in the Rani route, while another Lancer is fought in the Rin route.
He is one of the Servants of Ritsuka Fujimaru of Grand Orders conflicts of Fate/Grand Order.
Profile
Identity
The Child of Light (光の御子, Hikari no miko?), a hero from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He was a demigod, the offspring of a mortal woman, Deichtine, the younger sister of King Conchobar mac Nessa, and the deity, Lugh, the god who governed over the sun and a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the gods of Irish mythology. Deichtine, the daughter of a druid, Conchobar's father, and Maga, the widow of Ross the Red, disappeared in the Land of the Young without marrying anyone. There, he bore Sétanta (セタンタ, Setanta?), the child of the sun god.[1][10]
Hound of Culann
Ireland.jpg
Erin
Sétanta was born in Ireland when it was still a land named after its abundant greenery, Erin, meaning "green" in Gaelic. Receiving great divinity from his father, who possessed every skill such as knowledge, techniques, and magic, he exhibited superior talent from birth and boasted supernatural ability that separated him from ordinary people from a young age. The land was split into five countries, and he was sent with his uncle, Fergus mac Róich, to King Conchobar's army under the Northern kingdom of Ulster. He was to have a life that would follow the destiny to "one day become a shield of Ulster."
He took up the name Cú Chulainn after accidentally killing the guard dog protecting the house of master blacksmith Culann. The guard dog was well-known to have the strength of ten men.[1] The King was to take Sétanta with him after receiving an invitation to Culann's home, but Sétanta was in the middle of a hurling match with his friends. He would have lost the match had he withdrawn at that point, so he said, "I'll catch up after I win, so go right ahead." The King was humored the reply, and, allowing him to come late, went to the house first. Tragedy began after one of Culann's servants accidentally closed the gate.
Arriving late, Sétanta was attacked by "Culann's savage dog", well known as having the strength of ten men. He alone strangled it to death with his bare hands, and the people inside gathered at the gate after hearing the commotion. Upon learning that Sétanta defeated the guard dog, they were full of shock and admiration. There was some sadness in Culann's eyes at losing his prized guard dog, so Sétanta, ashamed of his actions told him "Does this dog have children? If he does, could you allow me to take care of them? I will raise them to be guard dogs just as strong as their father. Until then, I will be your guard dog."[1][3][9][10]
Culann, impressed with the boy's offer responded to him with assurance that "I have no need of that. I will be the one to raise the dogs that will protect my manor. You, on the other hand, must train yourself. After all, you will one day be the guard dog of all of Ulster." All of the warriors at the scene nodded in agreement. Consequently, all began to call the boy "Culann's savage dog", Cú Chulainn in Irish Gaelic. The name praises not only his strength for killing the famous savage dog unarmed in his first battle and first time taking a life, but also for his character that thought of the owner of the lost dog even as a child.
He was still an apprentice warrior at the time, one in the training group for children wishing to become Knights of the Red Branch. He was around twelve or thirteen, though he claims it was just the adrenaline rush that allowed him to perform the feat. Honoring the noble declaration, he took up a Geis that says he must never eat dog. It was prophesied that "this child will live as a hero" at a young age, and it could be said that he was predestined to become a hero due to his divine parentage.[1] After his name changed, the group of apprentices gathered around a druid, Cathbad, asking in an uproar which of them would become famed warriors.
Cathbad was powerful, with his divinations being strong enough to "determine the future" rather than simply "see the future." Not knowing how to handle the situation, he decided that he would tell it to only those who would take up arms on that day. The divination was bad enough that none of them attempted to go through the rites of warriorhood, though Cú Chulainn was fishing while leaning against a hazel tree due to his disinterest. He went through the rites of warriorhood on that same day, and received the prophecy that said "in exchange for glorious deeds of valor, his life would be short." He readily accepted such a fate, smiling and laughing.[1]
Land of Shadows
LoS.jpg
Scáthach's castle
King Conchobar was enraged at him for becoming a warrior at his young age, causing Cú Chulainn's temper to also flare up. He smashed the spears of the castle and wrecked a chariot, responding with "Now try telling me one more time that I'm not strong enough to be a warrior." He was accepted into the Red Branch, but he claims there was not much in the title. He could do as he wished as long as he was not disloyal, allowing him to pick a fight with another land and then have a party the same night and forget all about it. There were many people causing trouble within the knights, so he would keep any eye on his own country more often than others.
He was often fighting as a warrior, and he fell in love with a princess, Emer, the daughter of King Forgall Monach, at first sight. He was enamored enough that he went to her castle to kidnap her, but she complained about not wanting to be with some nameless child. Only sixteen at the time, he went on a journey in search of fame. He journeyed to the "Land of Shadows" upon hearing of a powerful sorceress named Scáthach who had many warriors searching to be her apprentices.[1][10] There were many warriors under her, and one, Ferdiad, a warrior of the neighboring country of Connacht, was his equal in competing for the demonic spear, Gáe Bolg.
They passed the vow of brotherhood, and though he has three priceless friends, Ferdiad held a special place in his heart as an older brother. With his incredible magic and unrivaled demonic spearmanship, he acquired the secrets of leaping, Gáe Bolg, and the original runes from her at the age of sixteen. She had said at the time he received the spear, "Perhaps, I wanted to be killed by your hands", while smiling with a serene voice like a prayer. She had been given a fate where even death was no longer in her hands. She then said, "I give up. Better die before that happens", laughing her same hearty laugh of which he had grown so fond.
Though he had arrived at the castle by the shortest route, she reflected, saying "If only you were born a little earlier... Young, still young..." He could only plan to leave as a lone man lamenting the woman he loved. He stayed there for a long time, feeling at home with his teacher and good rival. Aífe, a lord of a neighboring country and in some versions of the legend, Scáthach's sister, started a war with them, and Scáthach did not allow him to take the battlefield. After arguing, he was eventually allowed to fight alongside them, and managed to capture Aífe after a duel.
While they were hated enemies, he realized that he found her appealing, so he pursued her and was beaten by Scáthach for it. They eventually parted ways, and he asked that if she bore his child to name him Connla and send him to Ulster. He was to be given three vows to follow: "To not answer his name when asked", "To not change course", and "To not back down from a fight", the worst possible rules that could be given to his son. He and Ferdiad left the Land of Shadows on the same day, and he did not see Scáthach when they left because she had passed down everything to him and had nothing more to tell him.
He and Ferdiad each asked "How about coming to my country?" as they left the castle, each laughing at the realization that neither would budge from their position. He returned to Ulster, starting dramatic battles and becoming known throughout Ireland in an instant. With exploits unrepeatable by anyone else, he came for the princess as promised. He was opposed by King Forgall and his troops, but he annihilated them and also achieved victory for Ulster's knights. These battles mark the youth of Cú Chulainn, and his subsequent battles bear a heavy shadow.
War with Connacht
ConnachtWar.jpg
The war with Connacht
The neighboring country of Connacht eventually took up arms against Ulster. Queen Medb, part of a long line of warmongering ruling queens, was the type of person who hated to give up, so she marched forces after a number of events transpired around her. She invaded irrationally simply to steal Donn Cuailnge, Ulster's golden bull, simply to beat her husband in a comparison contest. It started with Fergus defecting after the king had killed Fergus' sons out of lusting for young women. The pride of the Red Branch Knights began to serve Connacht out of hatred for Ulster's King, and that influenced Medb's aggressiveness.
There was also the factor of the curse affecting the people of Ulster that rendered men around the country too feeble to fight whenever they were invaded. Due to being born in a fairy mound rather than truly being born of Ulster, he was unaffected by the curse, allowing him to make part of his brilliant war record during the battles. He supported the weaker Ulster against her forces, an allied army of three countries. He spent every day slaying Medb's forces, and it eventually came to the point where they came to an agreement to change the war to a one-on-one fight as they began to lose.
Accepting several geas that would make him accept even his own ruin, one of which consisted of "fighting just one warrior a day", he forced the opposing country to take up geas unfavorable to them as well. It was set that they could only advance while he dueled one of their soldiers in the fords of the Ulster gorge. It was either lose five thousand men in one day, or only slightly advance at the cost of a single man, so Medb reluctantly agreed to it and started his series of duels. It began with Cú Chulainn's rune of vows, Ath nGabla, guaranteeing one-on-one combat with honor at stake.
Medb broke the conditions of the treaty and advanced. It was still a public vow, so it was only one unit that would not be noticed. It was still the best way of holding them back, but he had to deal with a number of issues. He had to fight a number of fine warriors and beings like the Calatin Clan monster, and he had to deal with other issues. He is ashamed that he had to sleep for an entire day due to fatigue at one point, so the training group of the Red Branch had to save him and was slaughtered because of it. He blamed himself for their deaths.
Morrigan, the goddess who governed death and destruction, also appeared before him to offer her protection. He declined and she was insulted, so she transformed into many animals to go after his life. He was able to repel every attack, and he even went as far as treating the wounded Morrigan. She came to admire that nobility from the bottom of her heart, deciding to support him without his knowledge. She did not want to destroy his pride, so she decided not to help him when he was in his greatest perils and simply observed the way of a hero.
The fords were a land of death, and the conclusion to the war was likely the greatest of living hells in his life. It eventually came down to the strongest of the warriors of Connacht, the one man he never wanted to fight, Ferdiad. Their battle was not of Ferdiad's own will, but rather a scheme laid down by Queen Medb. Both had to serve their lords, so one life had to be discard to defend honor far more worthless than their friendship. They were equal in battle, resulting in the cornered Cú Chulainn having to utilize Gáe Bolg to pierce the heart of the man he loved as a brother.
Taking Ferdiad's life was the first time the demonic spear had seen battle since leaving the Land of Shadows, and it was released on his most precious friend. Holding his fallen brother in his arms, Ferdiad said his final farewell to Cú Chulainn, "Gáe Bolg is a glory given to only the most gifted of warriors. In that brilliant hall of learning, you were our pride." The battle ended with the defeat of Connacht, allowing the recuperated warriors of Ulster to pursue their army and add a great blow to the defeat. He had managed to hold out against them for seven years, and finally succeeded in making them retreat.
Final days
Though he captured Medb, he returned her to Connacht, not killing her or shaming her, but instead treating her as a Queen. Though it was not something he had planned, he never once killed a lord or a woman. He did not like killing women on the battlefield, and loving or hating them made no difference.[10] There were no major battles after that point other than a strange young man coming down to the coast to stir up trouble. He beat any warrior who would speak to him, so the King declared that "Only Cú Chulain can beat this boy."
Other than before his own death, that event marked the only time his wife stopped him, crying that "you mustn't go." There was nothing he could do to avoid a royal order, so the two met in battle at the coast. He was a strong opponent that forced him to utilize Gáe Bolg. The warrior said "She didn't teach me that" before dying, revealing his tutelage under Scáthach. It was then that it was revealed that his name had been Connla, Cú Chulain's son. That marked the end of his golden years, as though he had become invincible, the sun still set for him.
Queen Medb had perceived her release as the greatest insult, vowing vengeance against him. As Celtic warriors had the custom of making geas, with those warriors who broke them being cursed, she utilized those of Cú Chulain against him.[10] She assembled warriors from the lands with grudges against him, and cornered him with many plots. He was forced to break his geas one by one, resulting in him losing his abilities. Ulster was once again beset by sickness, so he challenged the army of Medb single-handedly. Acting as the shield of Ulster and committing many deeds of valor, he had a life unexpectedly short in comparison to that valor.
He fell into scores of traps during the battle, and, battling furiously, he was eventually brutally killed and died pierced by his own magical spear.[1] He would not allow himself to die lying down, and tied himself to up to a post.[10] He saw an otter drinking the blood that had spilled into the river, and he died standing while laughing at its greediness. There landed a crow on the shoulder of his standing corpse in his death, said to have been the incarnation of Morrigan who continued to give him her unrequited love.[1] Poetry and statues praising Cú Chulainn still remain to this day in Ireland.
Appearance
Fate Hollow Ataraxia Lancer Earring.JPG
Cú Chulainn earring.
Cú Chulainn is a blue-haired, red-eyed man whose primary outfit is a deep ultramarine full body tights covered in Runic protections, grey metalic pauldrons, and a metal plate over his lowest abdominal section. He wears his hair in a rattail that reaches his mid-back. He also wears a pair of silver earrings. Lancer gives off the impression of a beast, even carrying a bestial smell.
In Fate/hollow ataraxia, Lancer usually wears a yellow Hawaiian shirt and black pants when he's not working one of his part-time jobs. In Today's Menu for Emiya Family, Lancer's casual outfit consists of a white T-shirt, black pants and a black jacket. Shirou found it a mystery that Lancer could wear an apron and look good in it.
In the Fate/EXTRA series, Lancer's outfit covers his entire body with light blue lined design, with some black sections, grey metalic pauldrons like his original design, and a light flame design on his left arm.
FGO LC Cu Chulainn April Fool 2016.png
Lancer's April Fools' Day in Fate/Grand Order, illustrated by Riyo.
LancerCuChulainnStage2.jpg
Lancer Stage 2 in Fate/Grand Order, illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi.
LAncerCuChuGOStage4.png
Lancer Stage 4 in Fate/Grand Order, illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi.
LAncerCuChuGOStage3.png
Lancer Stage 3 in Fate/Grand Order, illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi.
Cu Chulainn's Young Lancer.png
Lancer's Young Lance outfit in Fate/EXTELLA.
FGOCECulainnScathach.png
Land of Shadow's Crimson Lotus (紅蓮なり影の国, Guren Nari Kage no Kuni?) in Fate/Grand Order, illustrated by Nekotawawa.
Lancer studio deen character sheet.png
Studio Deen's character sheet of Lancer in Fate/stay night.
Lancer Carnival Phantasm Character Sheet.png
Lerche's character sheet of Lancer in Carnival Phantasm.
Lancer Takashi Takeuchi character select.png
Lancer character select image in Fate/Unlimited Codes, illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi.
LancerTC1.png
Lancer in Fate/tiger colosseum, illustrated by Yukio Hirai.
Cu2CC.png
Lancer in Chibichuki!, illustrated by Hanabana Tsubomi.
LancerCuChulainnStage1.jpg
Lancer Stage 1 in Fate/Grand Order, illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi.
LancerCuChulainnStage3.jpg
Lancer Stage 3 in Fate/Grand Order, illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi.
LancerCuChuGOStage1.png
Lancer Stage 1 in Fate/Grand Order, illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi.
LancerCuChuGOStage2.png
Lancer Stage 2 in Fate/Grand Order, illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi.
Cu Chulainn Extella.png
Lancer in Fate/EXTELLA, illustrated by Arco Wada.
KissYourHand.png
Kiss Your Hand (キス・ユア・ハンド?) in Fate/Grand Order, illustrated by Rihito Takarai.
Leisurely Strolling.png
Leisurely Strolling (足どりは軽やかに?) in Fate/Grand Order, illustrated by Shirabi.
Lancer Ryuji Higurashi cut in2.png
Lancer versus cut in image in Fate/Unlimited Codes, illustrated by Ryuji Higurashi.
LancerTC2.png
Lancer casual costume in Fate/tiger colosseum, illustrated by Yukio Hirai.
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Personality
Lancer is a fierce, but balanced warrior who enjoys combating a worthy opponent, but at his core he believes in justice and is easy to get along with. He is an agreeable youth acting out the role of one gentle in disposition yet strong in body.[11] He has a playful attitude and takes a very carefree approach to life, but is quick to work himself into a frenzy during a heated battle. He was known as a brave, compassionate, and likeable young man in the legends. He mercilessly killed his enemies on the battlefield, but he respected faith and had the nobility to never once break a promise he had made.
He enjoys fishing, hunting, and hitting on cute girls. He is a proud warrior, someone who can't abandon a fight just because he's losing. He's ready to fight until the end, for the sake of his fighting will and also for his Master. He easily loses his cool, especially to insults calling him a dog.
He's not interested in killing innocent people, though he still strictly follows the rules of the war to kill bystanders like Shirou. He's very keen on his mission and somehow professional in his "work". He's noble and he can't really stand people who're joking with him or simply betraying his trust. He's also easily touched by others problems and if he chooses to protect someone, he will do his best till the very end. He really enjoys dating women or simply to spend his time in relaxing hobbies like fishing.
He regretted nothing in his life, though it was one full of wrong turns. There may have been disappointment, but he does not regret his life one bit. His spear only took away the lives of his loved ones, his close friend and son, but its only regret was that it had been meant to murder a single woman that he was unable to kill. Though it is impossible to swap one's life for another, he thinks saving Bazett from the looping world may allow him to leave the regrets of his youth behind. He only has a complaint about his fate as he tries to save her, that he never has any luck with good women.
Relationships
Alternate Cu Chulainn
Cu Chulainn likes to mock his Caster counterpart for being a "spearless me." He also believes he is superior to both Caster and Alter Cu.
Archimedes
As a long-time veteran of SE.RA.PH's Holy Grail Wars, he is acquainted with Archimedes from past encounters. Although it seems like they wouldn't get along -- Cu Chulainn being something of a jock-type to Archimedes' studious-type -- the two have a good relationship. As a warrior, Cu Chulainn recognizes and respects Archimedes' ruthless side. Due to the nature of their relationship, if he were to discover that Archimedes had plotted against humanity, Cu Chulainn would accept it with a passing remark like, "Oh...yeah. He'd probably do something like that."[12]
EMIYA
Cu Chulainn despises EMIYA for being a fake hero who does not take pride in his achievements, and thus doesn't deserve to fight on the front lines like a warrior. Part of his motivation for helping Shirou in the Unlimited Blade Works (route) was out of spite towards EMIYA. In Fate/hollow ataraxia, the two spend considerable time together almost like friends. The Cu Chulainn of Fate/EXTRA is also acquaintances with No Name.
Kirei Kotomine
Cu Chulainn had been forced to serve as Kirei's Servant upon the murder of his original Master. Under the control of several Command Spells, Lancer had no choice but to obediently follow orders - even ones he did not agree with. At least two instances occur where Lancer openly defied Kirei: one time, he chose to fight Gilgamesh instead of killing Shirou, and another instance, he killed Kirei in order to save Rin.
Medb
Medb is responsible for Cu Chulainn's death but he does not appear to hold a grudge against her. He is more unhappy with failing to save a bunch of kids who fought against her in his stead, thus leading to their deaths.
Rin Tohsaka
Cu Chulainn admires Rin and enjoys teasing her whenever he can. In the Unlimited Blade Works route, Cu Chulainn is tasked by Kotomine to keep her safe, a task he openly enjoys until he discovers Kotomine wants Rin kept alive so he can kill her later. Cu Chulainn immediately rescues Rin from both Kotomine and Shinji. He also expresses a desire for her to become his Master. This wish is fulfilled in Fate/EXTRA, in which Cu Chulainn is the Servant of another Rin Tohsaka.
Scáthach
Cu Chulainn respects his teacher, Scáthach, as demonstrated in his max bond quote in Fate/Grand Order. He also feels inferior to her and will tell his Master that he is not needed with Scáthach around, given that she can now wield three Gáe Bolg.
Role
Fate/Stay Night
Fsn Lancer in anime.jpg
Lancer in the Fate/stay night UBW anime
Lancer was originally summoned by Bazett Fraga McRemitz, an Irish representative of the Mage's Association. She used Cú Chulainn's rune stone earrings as the catalyst and he responded to the summoning solely because he wanted to engage in a valiant fight to the death but this simple wish was never granted to him.[11] However, Kirei Kotomine betrayed Bazett and severed her left arm to obtain her Command Spell, leaving her almost dead. He then used her stolen Command Seals to gain the allegiance of Lancer and enter into the 5th Holy Grail War. Despite his wishes to avenge his fallen master, Lancer was forced to bend to Kotomine's will. Lancer is disgruntled at having to serve a Master who uses such cowardly tactics, but he is forced to obey Kirei's wishes.
Kirei chooses to employ a passive strategy regarding Lancer. He has Lancer go out on reconnaissance, and scout the locations and identities of other Masters and gauge how dangerous their Servants are. During his fight with Archer, Lancer noticed that Shirou Emiya had witnessed his entire battle. Believing Shirou to be an ordinary human, to preserve the secrecy of the Holy Grail War, Lancer silences Shirou by stabbing him through his heart.
Later, Lancer realizes that Shirou has recovered from his mortal wound, so he tracks and corners the young mage within the shed of his home estate. Before Lancer is able to strike a mortal blow, Shirou is rescued by the recently summoned Servant, Saber, who then engages Lancer in combat. Outmatched, Lancer flees the scene just before the arrival of Archer and his Master.
After this, for the majority of the story, Lancer is generally inactive.
Fate
In Fate, Shirou is lured to Kotomine's church, and once again wounded by Lancer. Saber eventually arrives to rescue Shirou. After events unfold, Kotomine reveals his other Servant, Gilgamesh, the Archer from the previous war. Kotomine orders both of them to kill Saber and Shirou, and leaves. Lancer, disgusted by Kotomine keeping Gilgamesh's existence a secret from him, and by Gilgamesh himself, decides to rebel against Kotomine. Though he claims he is doing it out of hatred for Gilgamesh and Kotomine, and not to help them, Lancer chooses to fight Gilgamesh and thereby aids Shirou and Saber in escaping. He survives against Gilgamesh for half a day, but is ultimately defeated.
In the anime version of the Fate route, Gilgamesh quickly binds Lancer using the Chains of Heaven and kills him using Caladbolg.
Unlimited Blade Works
In Unlimited Blade Works, after being driven out of his church by Caster, and faking his death, Kotomine orders Lancer to cooperate with Shirou and Rin. Lancer helps them with their plan to defeat Caster by fighting Archer to distract him, so that Rin and Shirou are able to enter the church. Ostensibly defeating Archer, but choosing not to conclude their battle, he later reappears to offer his aid again to Shirou and Saber after Rin is captured. Upon rescuing Rin, Kotomine suddenly appears and orders Lancer to kill Rin. In addition to his previous disgust with Kotomine, Lancer has come to admire Rin, and therefore refuses his order. In response to this, Kotomine uses a Command Seal to force Lancer to commit suicide. Lancer manages to get back up and survive long enough to kill Kotomine, stop Shinji from harassing Rin, free Rin from her restraints and set the Einzbern castle on fire.
Heaven's Feel
In Heaven's Feel, upon sensing a disturbance at the Ryuudou Temple, Lancer investigates it as per his orders by Kotomine to scout the competition. He discovers and engages in battle with True Assassin, but during the battle, he is attacked and killed while his heart is consumed by the True Assassin; then his body is absorbed by the black shadow of Avenger and Sakura Matou.
In Fate/stay night - Heaven's Feel I. presage flower, he becomes the third Servant after Assassin and Caster respectively to be killed by True Assassin and absorbed into the Shadow.
Fate/Hollow Ataraxia
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Bazett and Lancer
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Lancer witnessing the whole battle.
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Lancer fishing.
In Fate/hollow ataraxia, Lancer's role is expanded far beyond Fate/stay night. He is normally spotted fishing at the Fuyuki docks, but he is frequently seen wandering the city or at his part-time job as a grocer. He is quite amiable, chatting with many of the former Holy Grail War participants, and is well liked. Nearly every female character in the game is subject to a pick-up attempt (or in Shirou's words, "harassment"). These attempts tend to work out well, thanks to not downplaying his Servant qualities. However, in the end things generally turn out differently, leaving Lancer annoyed and/or embarrassed and the girl(s) in question safe from the grasp of the Blue Panther. He makes no attempt to combat the Shadow Wolf Beasts during the Fuyuki eclipse, instead quietly presiding over Avenger's ascent into Heaven's Feel from a distance.
Fate/Unlimited Codes
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Opening
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Ending
In Fate/Unlimited Codes, he is known as the Blue Spearman of the Wind (疾風の蒼き槍兵, Shuppu no Aokisouhei?).
In his story Lancer rushed back to protect Bazett but he finds her murdered by Kirei. Kirei has stolen Bazett's command spells and became Lancer's new Master. Lancer was disgusted with the idea of working together with Kirei and suggested him to use a Command Spell to force him to submit to him.
He encounters Caster at Ryuudou temple, Caster observed Lancer earlier and she can tell that Lancer is displeased with his new master Kirei. She suggested to work together so she can break Lancer's contract with Kirei. Lancer rejected the idea because of his loyalty of a knight, he claims that by changing sides, it is hard to maintain respect of others. Caster insults lancer by calling him the "Hound of Culan" and the battle starts. Before Lancer kills Caster, they had a deal and Caster used Rule Breaker to cancel the contract.
His final opponent is Kotomine. Kotomine was confused about how his command spells are not working on Lancer. Lancer revealed the truth to Kotomine about his reason for him to continue the Holy Grail War without a master, to avenge Bazett who believed in Lancer and his abilities. Kotomine finds this absurd for doing this for a dead woman and he can tell Lancer that he's going to fade away soon. Lancer confirms that his body can stay for a few minutes and killing him will only take that amount of time. Lancer doesn't have a wish for the Holy Grail and revenge is all he needs and kills Kotomine. In the end, he starts to fade and recounts his time in the Holy Grail War. He admits that Kotomine is strong and regrets not fighting alongside Bazett in the war but he is content with avenging her death. He announce he doesn't have a wish for the Holy Grail and he's happy enough to fight in flesh once more. He thanks Bazett for summoning him before fading away.
ExpandFate/unlimited codes - Lancer command list
Fate/tiger colosseum series
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Lancer's Ending
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Assassin's Ending
Fate/Grand Order
GUDAGUDA Honnouji
Cù Chulain appears in the singularity under the name Shimazu Setanta, wondering why he's teamed up with Chousokabe Emichika and Mouri Medinari. Calling the situation a pain, Shimazu senses Ritsuka's group coming, and asks Mouri if she has a plan. He agrees with her plan to lure the group, but he's irritated that he's only there with a childhood name. After Mouri tells Chousokabe to ambush the group when Shimazu lures them, he asks what she is going to do. Hearing Mouri's answer that she won't be fighting, Shimazu merely answers that he wants to get started. Encountering the group, he lures them to where Chousokabe is able ambush them with his arrows. Delighted by the success of her plan, Mouri tells Shimazu that she'll buy him some bread later, but he complains that he wants something with yakisoba in it. He then tells the group that they were careless since the ambush was obvious when he ran away earlier. However, when Shimuza says his given name along with his allies, he and the others are defeated by an enraged Okita after she donned her Coat of Oaths. After he is defeated, Shimuza apologizes to his mentor before disappearing.
Interlude
The Taboo
Cú Chulain is brought to a forest in Britannia to kill a demonic boar, which he believes someone more suited should kill. He agrees to take on the task, then after killing stray homoculi, he tracks down the boar. However, the group discovers that the boar had already been killed by a chimera. After killing the chimera, the group discovers a poorly concealed mage's workshop, which was the source of the homunculi and the chimera. Cù Chulain then cooks the remains of the boar and the chimera, but he leaves when he believes that a dog was used to create the chimera.
Fate/EXTRA
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Rin and Lancer
He is the Servant of Rin Tohsaka, and he is fought as an opponent during the Rani VIII route.
He is first encountered in the Elimination Round against Berserker. When the battle turns in favor for Lancer and Rin, Rani VIII decides to commit kamikaze by overloading her magic circuits and explode the whole arena. Lancer is impressed with her commitment but Rin orders Lancer to impale her heart before she explodes. Hakuno Kishinami teleports to the arena thanks to a Command Spell. In the Rin route, as Rani was about to explode, Lancer sacrifices himself to save Hakuno and Rin. In the Rani route, as Hakuno's Servant fights against Berserker, Lancer uses Gáe Bolg to impale Rani's heart.
Rin and Lancer would be Hakuno's opponent in the sixth round, however, they hacked the notice board so that Hakuno wouldn't know the opponent. In the arena, an unknown enemy later revealed to be Lancer was following Hakuno and the Servant with killing intention till Lancer retreated to avoid cofrontation. The next day, Lancer once again tries to kill Hakuno by luring them to the arena and use a combination of his Runes and his Noble Phantasm to kill them from a distance at the school. However Rin stop him and a large detonation was found in the arena entrance. In the second level, Rin uploads Lancer's data into an effigy. Once Rani transfer the Anti-Lancer Firewall Bypass, the effigy is easier to defeat. By defeating it, they learnt both the class and noble phantasm of Lancer. After the elimination battle with Hakuno, Lancer apologizes to Rin for failing her, though Rin blames herself for being a weaker master.
In the manga adaption, he fought against Lancer in the preliminaries round. When Hakuno ask Rin for help, Alice and Caster sent both of the master and servant to a different environment. Alice and Caster summons Jabberwock to fight, Saber and Lancer temporary join forces. No matter how much they damage Jabberwock, it regenerates causing them to think of retreat. Rin uses one of her Command Spells to force Lancer out of his limits to break a hole in the barrier to escape.
Last Encore
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Lancer vs Berserker
Lancer is first mentioned, albeit not by name, when his Master Rin Tohsaka informs Hakuno and Saber that she is a former Master who has "lost her Servant", meaning Lancer. Despite this, Rin still possesses her Command Spells, leaving Lancer's fate ambiguous.
It isn't until Hakuno and Saber finally reach the sixth floor where Rin and Rani are that they discover Lancer had died in a mutual kill with Berserker long ago, right before the Moon Cell shut down, leaving no winner for the sixth floor.
Rin, or copies of Rin, were subsequently turned into a Demi-Servant that possessed Lancer's power and could use Gae Bolg.
Fate/EXTRA CCC
Lancer is one of the bonus bosses of the game, paired with Kotomine as his master.
Fate/EXTELLA
Cú Chulainn returns as a selectable playable character for Hakuno Kishinami. He is in Nero Claudius's party along with Nero, No Name, Gawain and Li Shuwen.
Flame Poem
Cú Chulainn is introduced by Nero as one of her generals. He recognizes Hakuno from the Holy Grail War, and asks they rely on each other despite formerly being enemies. When Nero orders him and others to return to their posts, he asks her why Hakuno sits on the throne even though she wears the Regalia. Satisfied with her answer, Cú Chulainn leaves asking Hakuno to call him if they need anything. He later helps repel the invasion of Mare Aurum. Next day, he joins in conquering Mare Mellum.
A couple days later, as Nero prepares to wage war against Altera, Cú Chulainn warns her to be overly confident given Altera's strength. He explains he briefly fought Altera, but retreated when he realizes how powerful she was. He reports that while Hakuno and Nero were resting from their victory over Tamamo no Mae, Altera's forces conquered 80% of SE.RA.PH in half a day. He continues that he and the other generals sealed off the remaining 20% from the rest to prevent Altera's forces from invading Mare Aurum. He also reports that Iskandar is one of Altera's generals.
When Hakuno and Nero prepare for their final battle against Altera, Cú Chulainn states he'll fight whatever enemy Nero commands him to.
Orchid Words
Cú Chulainn aids Nero and Nameless in conquering Mare Mellum against Tamamo's army, but they're ultimately defeated.
Dawn
Cú Chulainn is ordered by Nero to fight Altera in Mare Mellum in order to weaken her. He later aids in defending Mare Aurum, but he's defeated.
Golden Poem
Cú Chulainn repeats his introduction from the first timeline but omits any mention of the Grail War. When Nero reveals Velber and Archimedes are the true enemy, he says it doesn't make sense to waste time fighting Tamamo's forces. He also knows though that they would conquer Nero's territories rather than negotiate, which Li Shuwen and Gawain agree with. He is impressed by the Regalia's seach function's ability to identify the enemy Servants, but he also knows it make the battle any easier.
After Nero and Tamamo ally with each other, Cú Chulainn and Li Shuwen scouted out Altera's forces. During the meeting between the generals, he isn't concerned about the lack of Attack Programs on their side since he and others can easily destroy any enemy programs. He talks about how he and Li Shuwen scouted Altera's forces, and reports Top Servants are among Altera's forces. He agrees with Nameless that the Altera's forces are protecting something in the Zero Dark if they have a base there. He also finds it strange they didn't reveal themselves until Nero and Tamamo stopped being enemies. Late into the meeting, Cú Chulainn demands to know what Hakuno's plan is since negotiation isn't possible. He later joins in defeating Altera's forces in Mare Origio.
The next day, Cú Chulainn takes part in assaulting Mare Carer. He is last seen fighting Velber corrupted Attack Programs alongside Li Shuwen. The two stop though when the programs cease to function with the Ark of the Star's destruction. Cú Chulainn is disappointed the fighting stopped though, as it was just getting good. Though he understands how he feels, Li Shuwen tells Cú Chulainn to not complain since Nero has been victorious.
Side Story
In his side story, Cú Chulainn is eager to charge into battle for the fun of it. In his first mission, he is assisted by Nameless, much to his own disgust. He is further disgusted by Elizabeth Báthory's singing, and is in complete disbelief that she was actually singing and not intentionally grating his ears. After defeating Elizabeth and recapturing Nero's territories, Cú Chulainn reprimands Elizabeth harshly and gives her a bit of advice on what singing really is.
In the next battle, Cú Chulainn excitedly enters the battlefield with Nameless at his side again. He successfully disables Medusa's Blood Fort Andromeda and defeats Medusa herself, but he chooses to spare her because he doesn't like hitting women. He promises that he will spear Medusa in the heart if they cross paths on the battlefield again. When Medusa asks why Cú Chulainn chose to side with Nero, he admits that it's partly because Tamamo-no-Mae reminds him of Medb.
After the revelation of a "Force of Destruction" threatening the stability of the whole of SE.RA.PH, Cú Chulainn expresses eagerness to find out what kind of Servants the Force possesses. He tells Nameless that he himself is the best choice for taking part against this new enemy and Nameless, surprisingly, agrees. This disturbs Cú Chulainn somewhat, who expected a sarcastic comment. The lack of one prompts him to realize that the situation is really dire. However, he succeeds in defeating Jeanne d'Arc and reclaiming the territories she had taken.
Cú Chulainn tries to get Jeanne to speak afterwards but Jeanne remains silent. Gilgamesh then shows up to reprimand Jeanne for losing to the "mongrel." He gets offended by the nickname, and starts exchanging insults with Gilgamesh. His side story ends with him and Gilgamesh initiating a battle off-screen.
Fate/KOHA-ACE
Within Fate/KOHA-ACE, Lancer is one of the summoned Heroic Spirit Soldiers summoned by the German Third Reich. He is a test soldier operated by an unnamed soldier. Hunting down Akiha and Kohaku, he is killed by the newly summoned Saber while monologuing. In the adaptation Fate/type Redline, he is replaced by Lancer.
Carnival Phantasm
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GaeBolCar
Lancer has prevalent role in the Fate segments of Carnival Phantasm and also acts as part of a running gag involving his death. He is constantly "killed" within a segment in each episode aside from the second. While he dies without mention during Tsukihime segments, characters comment on it during the Fate segments with "Lancer died!" (ランサーが死んだ!?), "You bastards!" (この人でなし!?, "You are not human!") in a reference to Kenny McCormick's similar constant deaths in South Park. He has an episode based on the concept called "Final Dead Lancer", parodying the Final Destination film series, where he manages to avoid his deaths from the previous episodes. He ends up being retroactively killed in the events from the second episode, and he's revived from his grave at the end of the episode as a horror movie reference. He drives a GaeBolCar (ゲイボルカー?). He is also able to be used as a thrown weapon by Berserker.
Today's Menu for Emiya Family
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Lancer is a recurring character in Today's Menu for Emiya Family and first appears in Episode 2, peddling fish as a part-time job. Inspired by talks of Shirou's amazing cooking from Rider and Sakura Matou, Lancer convinces Shirou to let him come over for dinner that day. Lancer surprises Shirou and Saber when he arrives at the house, bringing with him a bag of booze. Taiga arrives soon after and Lancer joyfully greets her with a secret handshake. After dinner, Lancer helps Shirou clean the dishes.
Lancer appears again in Episode 7 alongside Archer. The two take part in a volleyball match against Shirou and Saber and easily defeat the pair by going all out on them, ignoring the fact that Shirou isn't a Servant.
Lancer appears briefly in Episode 9 when Shirou and Caster come to buy some fish. To their annoyance, Lancer makes the assumption that Shirou is Caster's "young giglio" and refuses to believe that Caster actually plans to cook food herself.
In Episode 10, Lancer helps a flower shop deliver flowers to Homurahara Academy for Ayako Mitsuzuri. Issei is not amused and gets into a fight with Ayako, who is promptly cheered up by Lancer.
In Episode 11, Lancer has a new part-time as a waiter at a cafe but requires a temporary cook, so he convinces Archer to help him out. A prior attempt to ask for Shirou's assistance failed, and offering to ask Shirou again is what convinces Archer to help Lancer, despite Archer's promise to meet Rin at the park soon. Lancer repeatedly praises Archer for his cooking skills and later tells Rin what Archer is doing. The episode ends with a scene of Lancer closing the cafe.
In Episode 13, Lancer briefly appears as a fish salesman as he watches the snow fall.
Capsule Servant
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Rin and Bazett ending.
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Shirou and Jeanne ending.
All Around TYPE-MOON
Lancer appears as a waiter in the manga series All Around Type-Moon, working at Ahnenerbe under its manager, George. Because the manga is set inside the restaurant, Lancer appears in several chapters.
Other appearances
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Type-Moon April Fools' Day 2015
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In Type-Moon's April Fools' Day 2009, moon.cinemas.jp is a fake movie theater site listing a number of parody films:
He was featured in Fishing fetish Sanpei (釣りフェチ三平, Tsuri fechi Sanpei?).
He was featured in Dog Fate -DooGSDAY- (いぬふぇいと ―DooGSDAY―, Inu fu ~eito ― DooGSDAY ―?).
He was featured in the animated film Papillon Shin-chan ~I call for sleepiness! Spicy shaggy Kingdom~ (パピヨンしんちゃん〜眠気を呼ぶ!激辛モジャモジャ王国〜, Papiyon Shin-chan ~nemuke o yobu! Gekikara mojamoja ōkoku~?), a parody film of Crayon Shin-chan.
In Type-Moon's April Fools' Day 2015, Lancer is in a group called YARIO and is part of the Imperial Roma talent agency, his class is Farm idol unit (牧歌的アイドルニット, Bokukateki aidorunitto?).
Abilities
As a demigod whose father was an almighty god who possessed every skill such as knowledge, techniques and magic, and whose mother was Deichtine, the younger sister of King Conchobar, Cú Chulainn exhibited superior talent from birth. Boasting supernatural ability that separated him from ordinary people from a young age, in time, the grown Cú Chulainn was accepted as a member of the famous Akaeda Knights. His actions after that rendered him unmatched.[1] Having seen in him a worthy student and disciple, Scáthach later taught him all that she knew about martial arts and the more powerful aspects of thaumaturgy.[10] In his training in the Land of Shadows, he was taught incredible magic and unrivaled demonic spearmanship and received the original Runes and the terrible magic spear Gaé Bolg.[1]
Other than Lancer, Cú Chulainn also qualifies for the Berserker and Caster classes. He had gone berserk several times in life, however, there is no doubt that the Lancer class suits him best.[11] He also takes great pride in having the ability and knowledge enough to qualify for the Caster Class due to his knowledge on Runes.[1][13] Thanks to not just being a reckless warrior, he can see through Medusa's Blood Fort Andromeda from just a glance, consider the situation, and make a decision not to destroy it. He is able to tell the quality of a Bounded Field and decide it does not belong to Caster due to not being at the same level as her Bounded Fields.[1] As a Lancer, he possesses supreme agility, as well as excellent close combat skills. Although they tend to be less flashy than the other classes, they are a very reliable type of Servant.[11]
Cú obtains no geographical boosts from the cultural sphere around Japan,[14] since those of Celtic mythology are not well known in that country.[15] However, if the stage of the Holy Grail War were anywhere but Japan, he would be a shining existence on par with Heracles and King Arthur.[11] In western Europe, he would receive a general boost in power similar to other European Heroic Spirits, and he would display a much sharper increase in power in Ireland.[16] There, he is a great hero that surpasses in fame even King Arthur,[15] due to poetry and statues praising him still remain to this day.[1] He is without a doubt one of the greatest heroes of that country.[10] While Diarmuid Ua Duibhne is stronger than him in terms of pure firepower due to his Master giving him a greater mana supply, should both of them fight in Ireland, Cú Chulainn would gain an edge over him.[14]
Combat
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Lancer's continuous thrusts pushing back Archer.
Lancer fights with a two-meter spear, allowing him to only need to attack when an opponent enters his range. Such a distance as three meters between him and the opponent matters little, so while it is easier to thrust at an approaching enemy instead of moving out, he will still quickly close the distance between an opponent instead. All of his thrusts are enough to be called a final blow to strike the opponent down. The main strength of the weapon is in its swings rather than thrusting as its shape would indicate. Its wide swing utilizes its long range to not allow the enemy to dodge by stepping back. Partial retreat from a strike will not allow for escape, attempting a counterattack would result in receiving a slashed stomach, and simply going forward will result in a smashed rib from the long shaft of the lance. Thrusts are still dangerous, but it is possible to avoid an attack that targets a specific point once it has been seen through to allow for the strike to be redirected to create an opening.
He fights with intensity, and it would normally be that closing in on an opponent in such a matter would be suicidal with such a long weapon. Lances are effective against swords because there is no effective way of parrying them with a sword. Strong rebuffs from a sword only results in a counterattack, while weak rebuffs do not create any openings. The most important part of a battle between the two is defeating the enemy while they are at the wrong range. Spearmen normally use their length and freedom of range to win a battle, and discarding such an advantage by closing in should mean defeat. Such by the book tactics mean little to him, as his ability with the lance shows no vulnerabilities due to not having to follow the general rule on lances. His strikes that are fast enough that even the afterimages are blurred allow him to easily remove any possible openings, and he can constantly increase the speed of his thrusts and make continuous attacks without allowing the slightest pause in between.
Cú Chulainn specializes in survival, and his capable of returning alive no matter how hopeless the situation.[11] He usually prefers to fight with his full power as a warrior. However, contrary to his legendary battle prowess, his fighting in the Fifth Holy Grail War is extremely limited.[1] Thus, this time luck wasn't on his side.[11] Due to the Command Spell of his Master Kirei Kotomine "Fight with everyone, then withdraw," he was commanded to involuntarily perform reconnaissance missions.[1] Fighting several Servants to a draw, he will never start a fight on his own. Even if he gains a full chance to kill an opponent, he is to merely observe and is given no authority to attack. Even in the middle of his first battle with EMIYA, he showed decisive action by leaving the battle to kill Shirou Emiya whom he recognized to have witnessed it. The withdrawal was also very skilled, giving the appearance of realizing that the situation was unfavorable.[1] He can only go all out against an opponent during their second encounter due to the Command Spell, so his first true "battle without any binds" is against Archer. Without anything binding him, his strikes are much faster and harder to see than in the previous battle. The only way Archer is able to keep up with him in direct combat compared to the previous fight is due to the experience of previously fighting him.
Lancer is able to easily put distance between him and his opponent at any point in a battle, and using his lance to vault thirty meters is not a difficult feat, Lancer's speed is extraordinary. Archer claims his speed is extraordinary among even the fastest heroes that would normally be chosen as Lancer. He far surpasses all of them, not even three in the world being at his level, and he is the only one with such "beast-like agility." In fact, both Medusa and him boast the most outstanding speed in the Fifth Holy Grail War. In average speed, Rider is faster, being able to move like a bullet and race around the battle field. Lancer on the other hand, surpasses her in immediate maximum output, as he is able to counter attacks with a lance with the speed of gods, while standing still. If the two of them were to fight each other, Medusa would display greater versatility thanks to having several different types of Noble Phantasms, however, having protective ability from Rune Magecraft, he'd be able to counter her Mystic Eyes. Being an expert monster exterminator, one who has a monster alignment such as Medusa would find a battle against him rather tough,[17] although not impossible. As implied in Hollow Ataraxia, Cú hinted that they had fought before and that he was now afraid of her because of it. Stating that "She's dangerous, she is. Not an ounce of mercy for her enemies." He even declared his fear for her Noble Phantasm Bellerophon calling it "A missile!" with Child-Gil adding "With a nuclear warhead to boot."
Skills
Class Skills
Magic Resistance (C Rank): Cú Chulainn holds a Magic Resistance of Rank C. Aria of two verses and below are cancelled.[1][2][7][10] Although this skill is ineffective against High Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals,[1][2][7][10] thanks to possessing A rank Agility, utilizing large-scale magecraft while confronting a Servant with such superior speed is nearly impossible. The skill required to successfully hit him with such invoked magecraft is considerable, so it can be said that he has a "necessary and sufficient" rank of Magic Resistance in terms of close combat.[1]
Personal Skills
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Battle Continuation
Battle Continuation (A Rank): Legend tells that the dying Cú Chulainn tied himself to a tree before taking his last breath. For he who possesses such a legend, the dying struggle is particularly fierce.[1] When it comes to defense, his excellent agility and great experience make him an "impregnable wall", allowing him to be confident in fighting both Archer and Saber at once if the goal is occupying them.[18] He doesn't know when to give up.[2][3] This is not a method to preserve one's own dominance, but simply the karma that induces the pride of Celt warriors who does not stop fighting until their last breath.[2] It's possible for him to fight even on the verge of death, surviving as long as his injury is not decisively lethal.[2][3][7][10] Even in a hopeless battle, Cú Chulainn was still able to demonstrate astonishing tenacity, delaying Gilgamesh for half a day. Against EMIYA who dextrously fended off his spear thrusts, Cú Chulainn countered with an unyielding fighting spirit.[1] He counters his opponents with an unyielding fighting spirit, and unlike Saber who will fade away instantly from a decisive strike to the heart from Fragarach, he is able to last for a period of time afterward. Even without an active heart or Master, he is able to hold his rapidly fading form through the use of his "dirty survival tricks." After being forced to stab himself in the heart in Unlimited Blade Works, he has enough energy to get up, remove the spear from his chest, retaliate against Kirei, free Rin, ward off Shinji, and utilize the Ansuz Rune to burn his body along with the entire room. It is noted that he is definitively dying the entire time, and the simple act of standing up in the first place is amazing in itself. Although this skill is usually ranked A, in the Moon Cell, it is temporarily decreased due to his Master boosting his Endurance at the expense of this ability.[7][10]
Disengage (C Rank): Lancer possesses the ability to withdraw from the battlefield in the midst of combat.[1][2][3] It also returns disadvantageous battle to the turn it began (turn 1) and skill conditions to its initial values.[2] Due to simultaneously having this skill along with Battle Continuation, Cú Chulainn displays better his real worth in skirmishes than in one-on-one duels. However, since he likes duels vso much, this fact does not really stand out.[3] It is only when having been commanded to go on reconnaissance missions by his Master Kirei Kotomine, that this ability was fully demonstrated. From the start, Cú Chulainn excelled in seeing through battle situations, and had the responsibility to wage war and withdraw repeatedly from all the Servants.[1]
Divinity (B Rank): This skill defines whether or not a servant possesses Divine Spirit aptitude.[2][10] The higher it is, the more one is a mixed race of a physical divine spirit.[2] Demigods are fairly common amongst the Legendary Souls drawn from human mythology, although few of them are considered more than second-tier heroes by their adherents. Cú Chulainn, however, inherited the blood of the Absolute One, the main god of his nation's pantheon of immortal beings.[10] His father was Lugh, the god who governed over the sun, a member of the Danann divine family in Celtic Mythology.[1][2] At his ranking, this ability allows one to break through and defend against otherwise invincible skills, such as Enlightenment of the Sacred Fig and Protection of the Faith.[7][10]
Rune Magecraft (B Rank): As depicted in his legend, obtained 18 Original Runes, Norse Runes, after studying magecraft under Scáthach in the Land of Shadows.[1] The Runes are a form of thaumaturgy unique to Northern Europe. The foundation of this craft is the engraving of words of power into stone to induce various mystical events.[11] Having learned an ability that is believed to have been lost to time,[11] Cú naturally boasts skill and knowledge to qualify for the Caster class.[1] Although he is a nearly first-rate master, since he himself sees them as a hindrance he doesn't usually employ them in combat.[3] He appropriately utilizes them to respond to different situations. One such rune, one with the purpose of searching, helps support his elusive actions during the Holy Grail War.[1] Holding the Ansuz rune allows him to set a blaze to reduce an entire room to ashes, causing a continuing conflagration that seeps into the rest of the Einzbern Castle and causes it to crumble. He can use them as a counter measure against Mystic Eyes, even those as potent as Mystic Eyes of Petrification.[17] He inscribes his armor with runic protections, and he is able to set up a powerful Bounded Field in an instant by carving all of his runes onto the ground. It is able to block a great Noble Phantasm, but it is unable to stop the encroachment of the Shadow.
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Ath nGabla
Another use of multiple Runes is Ath nGabla (アトゴウラ, Ato Goura?), a seal formed by pointing his spear at the ground and carving four runes, Algiz, Nauthiz, Ansuz, and Ingwaz, in four corners around him. It is a curse of one-on-one combat passed down to the Knights of the Red Branch, and it does not carry any inherent magical energy. It is an arena formed from four branches, guaranteeing one-on-one combat with honor at stake. Warriors having set the seal no longer have retreat as an option, and all warriors who see the seal are not allowed to refuse combat.
Protection from Arrows (B Rank): Cu Chulainn was born with the special ability to deal with projectiles. It's said that it's possible for him to avoid any long range attack as long as he has made visual confirmation of his opponent.[1][2] He can deal with most projectiles even in conditions where the opponent cannot be visually seen, as shown in his battle against Hassan of the Cursed Arm, where he cancelled the throwing swords hurled from the darkness.[1] He reads the course of the projectile attack by using the sound of cutting air and the enemy's murderous intent. He easily repels all of True Assassin's Dirks despite having precision rivaling that of Archer able to accurately fire between Lancer's swings, and even those that cannot be perceived coming from the darkness and those that come while he is surrounded by obstacles are easily repelled with a slight swing of his lance. As long as the attack is a thrown type, he can avoid even Noble Phantasms,[1] but he can't gain the effects of this protection with respect to wide range attack types where the attack range of the weapon explodes on impact, or a direct attack by a weapon that has simply long reach.[1][2]
Noble Phantasms
Lancer gae bolg.jpg
Lancer holding Gae Bolg.
Lancer's weapon is the Gáe Bolg, the spear of causation which carries a curse that reverses causality. The wounds inflicted by the spear cannot be healed as the curse of the spear renders them incapable of altering their fate, as long as the spear remains in the world. The weapon has two main techniques which can be classified as separate Noble Phantasms, the first of which reverses causality to always strike the heart, and the second of which unleashes the full potential of the curse to strike the enemy by hurling the spear with overwhelming power.[17] Cú Chulainn would never be able to harm Heracles due to God Hand nullifying all attacks ranked B or lower. However, by using his Runes in conjunction with his Noble Phantasm he'd be able to increase its rank to A temporarily, allowing him to fight against Berserker's God Hand. It would be a very disadvantageous fight, but it would still be "one with some chances."[19]
Due to Gae Bolg being a Noble Phantasm with a conceptual effect, it could kill Arcueid Brunestud even though she is superior to Lancer in pure numbers.[20]
If he were to be summoned in Ireland, he would have had potential access to a castle Noble Phantasm, a rare fortress Noble Phantasm that can only be used in Ireland, a chariot, a Blessing of Wakefulness (不眠の加護?), and the like due to being in the land where his legend took place.[21][22]
Gameplay
In the Extra series, he possesses the following skills:
Red Bough Wheel (赤枝の車輪, Akaeda no Sharin?) - A skill used upon himself. It absorb enemy MP when using BREAK. The effect would only last for 3 turns.
Spear play - Hammering Assault (槍術・初の槌しょのつち, Sōjutsu - ShonotsuchiShonotsuchi?) - physical damage and paralysis on enemy. The effect would only last for 3 turns. He will use this Skill on the 1st move.
Spear play - Median Lance (槍術・中つ槍なかつやり, Soujutsu - NakatsuyariNakatsuyari?) - Inflicts physical damage on an enemy. He will use this Skill on the 1st or 3rd move.
Ath nGabla: Shoal of Four Branches ( 四枝の浅瀬アトゴウラ, Shieda no AsaseAto Goura?, localized as "Shoal of Extremities") is a Rune technique that revives him. This effect which greatly boosts his strength and defense are permanent and would last till the end of battle, unless negated. The effect which would revive him will only last until his first death, unless negated.
Development
He is a tragic Servant, who embodies the cynical notion that "wishes don't come true".[11]
Reception
In the first Popularity polls of Fate/stay night in 2004, Lancer was ranked 8th and the third most voted male character.
In the second Popularity polls of Fate/stay night in 2006, Lancer was ranked 6th and the second most voted male character.
In the Type-Moon's 10th Anniversary Character Poll, Lancer from Fate/stay night was ranked 20th and the seventh most voted male character. Lancer from Fate/EXTRA was ranked 156th. Lancer from Fate/hollow ataraxia was ranked 232nd.