Heracles (Berserker)
JAPANESE NAME:
ヘラクレス
ALSO KNOWN AS:
Raging Destroyer
PORTRAYALS
JAPANESE VA:
Tadahisa Saizen
ENGLISH VA:
Michael McConnohie
APPEARANCES
PRIMARY FRANCHISE:
Fate
APPEARS IN:
Capsule Servant
Carnival Phantasm
Chibichuki!
Fate/Ace Royal
Fate/Grand Order
Fate/hollow ataraxia
Fate/kaleid liner PRISMA☆ILLYA
Fate/stay night
Fate/tiger colosseum / Upper
Fate/unlimited codes
CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES:
Servant, Heroic Spirit, Human
GENDER:
Male[1][2]
HEIGHT:
253cm[1][2]
WEIGHT:
311kg[1][2]
BLOOD TYPE:
Unknown
PERSONAL INFORMATION
LIKES:
— (Nothing, since he is mad enhanced)[1]
DISLIKES:
— (Nothing, since he is mad enhanced)[1]
TALENTS:
— (Nothing, since he is mad enhanced)[1]
NATURAL ENEMY:
Gilgamesh[1]
IMAGE COLOR:
Lead[1]
AFFILIATIONS
ORGANIZATION:
Argonauts
FAMILY MEMBERS
FATHER:
Zeus (also maternal great-great-grandfather)
UNCLE(S):
Poseidon (paternal uncle)
Chiron (paternal uncle)
Hades (paternal uncle)
BROTHER(S):
Perseus (paternal half-brother and maternal great-grandfather)
Apollo (paternal half-brother)
Aeacus (paternal half-brother)
Alexander the Great (Alleged paternal half-brother)
Ares (paternal half-brother)
Hephaestus (paternal half-brother)
Castor (paternal half-brother)
SISTER(S):
Artemis (paternal half-sister)
Athena (paternal half-sister)
Iphicles (twin sister)
Pollux (paternal half-sister)
COUSIN(S):
Poseidon's Scions
Orion (paternal cousin)
Triton (paternal cousin)
Chrysaor (paternal cousin?)
Pegasus (paternal cousin?)
SPOUSE(S):
Megara (First Wife)
Deianira (Third Wife)
multiple others
SON(S):
1 from Megara
NEPHEW(S):
Romulus (paternal nephew from Ares)
Remus (paternal nephew from Ares)
NIECE(S):
Hippolyta (paternal niece from Ares)
Penthesilea (paternal niece from Ares)
DESCENDANT(S):
Leonidas (alleged descendant)
MORE
SERVANT STATS
TRUE NAME:
Heracles
TYPE:
Heroic Spirit
SOURCE:
Greek Mythology
REGION:
Greece[1]
ALIGNMENT:
Chaotic Mad[2]
HIDDEN
ATTRIBUTE:
Heaven
ARMAMENTS:
Axe-Sword[2]
QUALIFIED SERVANT CLASSES
NORMAL CLASSES:
FGO Berserker.png FGO Archer.png FGO Saber.png FGO Lancer.png FGO Rider.png FGO Assassin.png
MASTER: ILLYASVIEL VON EINZBERN
WAR:
Fifth Holy Grail War
SERIES:
Fate/stay night
PARAMETER
STRENGTH:
ENDURANCE:
AGILITY:
A+[2]
A[2]
A[2]
MANA:
LUCK:
NP:
A[2]
B[2]
A[2]
CLASS SKILLS
Mad Enhancement
B[2]
PERSONAL SKILLS
Battle Continuation
A[2]
Valor
A+[2]
Divinity
A[2]
Mind's Eye (Fake)
B[2]
NOBLE PHANTASM
God Hand
Anti-Unit[2]
B[2]
Nine Lives
—
—
MORE
MASTER: RITSUKA FUJIMARU
WAR:
Grand Order
SERIES:
Fate/Grand Order
PARAMETER
STRENGTH:
ENDURANCE:
AGILITY:
A+
A
A
MANA:
LUCK:
NP:
A
B
A
CLASS SKILLS
Mad Enhancement
B
Divinity
A
PERSONAL SKILLS
Battle Continuation → Indomitable
A
Valor
A+
Mind's Eye (Fake)
B
NOBLE PHANTASM
Nine Lives
Unknown
C~A+
God Hand
Anti-Unit
B
MORE
Heracles (ヘラクレス, Herakuresu?, Hercules), Class Name Berserker (バーサーカー, Bāsākā?), is the Berserker-class Servant of Illyasviel von Einzbern in the Fifth Holy Grail War of Fate/stay night. He is one of the Servants of Ritsuka Fujimaru of the Grand Order conflicts of Fate/Grand Order.
Profile
Identity
Heracles.png
Heracles in life
The greatest hero in Greek mythology. He was a demi-god born from Zeus, the king of the gods, and a human woman (who herself, was the granddaughter of Perseus, a demigod son of Zeus). While he had superior talent in all areas, he had a number of personality issues. He beat his lyre instructor, Linus to death after he reprimanded Heracles for making errors and then caned him with rods, so his mortal father Amphitryon (who himself, was a grandson of Perseus) sent him to tend his cowherds. He thus became a splendid man who accomplished several great deeds that caused the King of Thebes to grant Heracles his daughter, Megara. They had two children, and he earned the right to succeed the king.
He was both young and strong and it seemed that there was no match for him among humans. His future seemed bright, having married the king's daughter and bearing two children, but Zeus's wife, Hera, detested the child born between Zeus and a human. She meddled with his fate at every opportunity, and she started by sending madness to him that caused him to kill his family. Troubled by the sins he had committed, he received a sign that he should atone by becoming the slave of Eurystheus, the man who took away his promised position as king.
Eurystheus, jealous of the strong hero, gave him many difficult tasks, and claimed that Heracles would remain his slave until they were completed. These difficult labors were tasks impossible to complete with normal human skills that later came to be known as the famous Twelve Labors of Heracles. The number of labors originally chosen by the gods was ten, but Eurystheus added two more labors after denying the fulfillment of two of them. Heracles managed to complete even those tasks, so he was granted not only his freedom, but he also received an immortal body as proof of his great accomplishments.
This marked the beginning of the great hero Heracles, the greatest hero in Greece, who singlehandedly achieved great deeds equaling those of the Trojan War and the Argo Expedition. Despite that, Hera's hatred was endless, so the rest of his life was again full of madness. While he should have been immortal, he was killed by poison by one of his wives. Though he was a great hero equally matched with the sun god even as a human, he was slowly killed by Hera's persistent jealousy. He burned his own body, still contaminated with poison at the time of his death, and he entrusted himself to Zeus' judgment. The gods approved of his great deeds in a conference, prepared a seat in Olympus after his death, and acknowledged him as a god.
Appearance
Berserker is a colossal, statue-like man who is described as a "black giant." He gives off the impression of a monster, instantly marked as the Berserker-class Servant by Rin Tohsaka, in both appearance and presence. He is one of the few entities that can impart fear unto Shirou Emiya, freezing him in place. Had he not been summoned as a berserker, he would no longer have the projections on his arms, his muscles would become slightly softer, and his face would show more humanity since he would no longer be under the influence of Mad Enhancement, however, he would still retain his large size.[3]
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{{WPlink|Studio Deen}}'s character sheet of Berserker in Fate/stay night.
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Berserker character select image in Fate/Unlimited Codes, illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi.
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Berserker in Fate/tiger colosseum, illustrated by Yukio Hirai.
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Berserker stage 4 in Fate/Grand Order.
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{{WPlink|Lerche (studio)|Lerche}}'s character sheet of Berserker in Carnival Phantasm
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Berserker versus cut in Fate/Unlimited Codes, illustrated by Ryuji Higurashi.
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Berserker in Capsule Servant.
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Berserker and Illya in Chibichuki!, illustrated by Hanabana Tsubomi.
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Heracles using his Hydra bow in life in Fate/Apocrypha.
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Berserker in Dominate Grail War, illustrated by okojo.
Personality
Due to his Mad Enhancement, Berserker is completely void of thought for most of the story. His emotions have been sealed off, making it impossible to perform any actions with personal motivation, and the only thing not lost is the reason within the core of his being that not even the bondage of the Command Spells can overwhelm.[4] This side is shown in the occasions when he is shown feeling something like the will to protect Ilya.[2] He faces even hopeless fights with his iron will, advancing to keep Ilya from facing death. He can display general thoughts based on his instincts that Ilya can interpret, and she responds as if having a normal conversation. Archer notes that he is one of the Servants completely satisfied with their Master.
He enjoys battle, and he would have grieved that his match with Archer "deserved better" had he been a normal Servant. He displays a brief sense of rationality while thinking this, wishing to have matched sword techniques with Archer to his heart's content and passed a satisfying time. He speaks briefly, free of Mad Enhancement, before his death during the Fate route, asking about Caliburn and commenting on its surprising strength. He puts no emotion into his dying words, and simply crumbles away like sand.
For Heracles, who had gone berserk numerous times in legend, having beat his harp instructor to death when he was a child and many other episodes killing people in rage without even hearing them speak, the Berserker Class is quite familiar and easy in which to adapt.[2] After being Blackened by the Holy Grail in Heaven's Feel, he was able to halt the last strike of his Axe Sword before he died. He was able to do so due to the strength of his heart; a heart which suffered the pain of going berserk since his early days as a hero. He is identified as the most manly character in the story of Fate.[4]
Role
Fate/Stay Night
Illya Berserker.jpg
Ilya acknowledging Berserker
Berserker is initially summoned by Ilya in the Einzbern family castle two months before the start of the Holy Grail War. He is specifically summoned as Berserker, utilizing a slab of stone from a temple for a catalyst. Choosing him for his vast strength and choosing the class to have a puppet unable to betray them like Kiritsugu in the previous war, they begin to prepare Ilya and Berserker as the strongest Master and Servant pair. Lacking any support from the Grail, Ilya is forced to provide the entirety of his energy, keeping her in constant pain.
Part of their training involves abandoning them in the Einzbern wasteyard, where only Berserker can keep them alive. He attacks any enemies, and she bears the pain of his movements draining her life away. The process slowly becomes special to him without his knowing. She hates whining, so she insults him instead, scorning his ugliness and cursing his existence. His existence causes her to suffer, so she hates him and keeps him in constant madness as a form of revenge. He knows it is only her desperate opposition, a way to hide the fact that she is fated to have nothing.
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Berserker in the Fate/stay night anime
The burden on her begins to lessen as the Grail begins to show signs of appearing. After a particularly desperate battle where his body is severely torn from fending off wolves, where she began to scream for his sake rather than her own and endure the pain of his movement for his sake, she acknowledges him with the words: "You're strong, Berserker." He is covered in the blood of the beasts and she is covered in her own blood, and seeing her resting on him while crying tears of anguish, he realizes that he is the only one she has talked to in the entire castle.
After arriving in Fuyuki, Ilya and Berserker engage Lancer at some undetermined point. Lancer then leaves the battle unfinished in accordance with the command from his Master, Kirei Kotomine. They also attempt to storm Ryuudou Temple to slay Caster, but Berserker is forced back by Assassin and Caster's magecraft weighing him down.
Fate
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Saber and Berserker battle for the second time.
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Berserker grabs Rin
Shirou, Saber, and Rin encounter Ilya and Berserker for the first time when preparing to head home after leaving the church. Ilya quickly has him attack after a brief introduction, and he meets Saber in battle. He easily overwhelms her with his power and speed, and she is left on the defensive the entire fight. Rin tries to damage him with her magecraft after Saber is thrown back by a brutal strike, but God Hand prevents it from doing any damage. As Berserker continues his rush, he lands a major blow that she cannot block.
He simply stands still afterward, awaiting Ilya's orders. Confident in his strength, she casually reveals his identity as Heracles. She commands him to deal the final blow and cut off her head, but Shirou pushes Saber out of the way and has a large chunk taken from his stomach. Ilya retreats afterward, disinterested in fighting any longer and confused by his actions. Ilya later appears before Shirou without Berserker during the day, and she has her Servant kill Shinji Matou after the defeat of Rider. She kidnaps Shirou afterward due to her interest in him.
Berserker is sent to attack Saber, Rin and Archer when they arrive to rescue Shirou, but Archer stays behind to face him. While the others get away, Archer and Berserker battle, resulting in Berserker being grievously wounded after being killed six (five in the anime) times and Archer defeated. Ilya's shock at an unknown hero being able to accomplish such a feat keeps her from acting until morning, and although Berserker believes even Excalibur cannot defeat him, he cautions her that he should still face Saber at full strength. It would take three days to fully heal, so Ilya reprimands him and tells him that five lives will be enough.
Finally acting, the two proceed after their targets and quickly find them. Ilya has Berserker utilize his full strength, and he once again meets Saber in combat. She faces him head-on, but quickly reaches the limits of her dwindling energy. Shirou tries to support her with an arrow, but Berserker continues to push her back without even taking notice. Saber finally manages to push him back, giving Rin a chance to use ice magecraft from a jewel. It manages to hurt him, but he destroys most of the ice, giving him an opportunity to grab her. Berserker is unable to crush Rin due to reinforcing herself with jewels on her stomach, and she unleashes four jewels at once to destroy his head.
Displaying the resurrection of God Hand, he resumes his grip on her after his head is restored. Saber and Shirou attack him, but they are unable to even cause him to loosen his grip, let alone harm him. Shirou projects Caliburn in desperation, allowing him to sever Berserker's arm. Berserker attacks him ferociously afterward, but another projected Caliburn is able to block the strikes. He is soon overwhelmed, but Saber also grabs onto the sword and utilizes it to smash through the Axe-sword, slash into Berserker's body (impaling the chest in the anime), and release a light that kills him seven times over.
Defeated and freed from his madness as he crumbles into sand, Berserker comments on the sword, noting that it was indeed simply an illusion brought forth by Shirou. As his chest splits open, he says that such an illusion should not be underestimated because of the unexpected damage it caused him. His existence then disperses into the air.
Unlimited Blade Works
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Berserker and Saber battle in the graveyard
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Berserker resisting Enkidu with all his might
The first encounter with Berserker differs due to Archer not being injured at the time. Archer supports Saber by firing arrows at Berserker while she fights him at close range, but they are unable to pierce Berserker's skin. She is pushed back even with further support from Rin, and she is blown away by a powerful strike as part of a plan to overpower him. The fight moves towards the graveyard due to that, where she manages to get an advantage over Berserker by utilizing the gravestones as cover. While chopping through the gravestones is trivial for him, it provides the slight advantage she needs to overpower him.
The fight continues until Saber gets a chance to perform a decisive strike, but Archer fires Caladbolg II, planning to hit both Servants if possible. Berserker realizes the danger it poses to him, and he intercepts it before it can hit him. It causes a massive conflagration in the graveyard, but Berserker emerges unscratched. Ilya is surprised by this interesting turn of events, so she decides to retreat because fighting them is no longer a boring chore that she wishes to get out of the way. She does not care about Saber, but finds Archer's ability to possibly damage Berserker interesting.
Many days later, after Caster has taken Saber and Archer, Rin and Shirou decide to look towards Ilya and Berserker for an alliance, believing that Heracles knowing Medea from the Argo Expedition would make him her worst enemy. They instead find Berserker battling Gilgamesh under the orders of Shinji Matou, Berserker making a desperate death charge with no hope of winning. He can only charge through the torrent of weapons from the Gate of Babylon because Ilya may die otherwise, expending his lives while slowly making his way towards his opponent.
It is evident to all, even himself in his maddened state, that he holds no chance of victory, but he still walks forward while ignoring the stream of weapons piercing his body. Gilgamesh eventually grows bored and plans to finish him off, but Berserker surprises him by continuing to advance even after that simply through willpower. It is a battle where Berserker will win upon reaching his enemy, killing him before he is killed by him. Approaching the enemy before his life ends, it is a battle where the one to accomplish their goal is the one to win.
Gilgamesh makes use of Enkidu, after Berserker has died ten times and is about to strike after a particularly desperate charge. Though it should be impossible, Berserker resists even the binding force from the chains, and even Gilgamesh acknowledges that it will not be enough. Ilya tries to get him to retreat through the power of a Command Spell, but the chains keep him bound despite that. Gilgamesh makes the seemingly final strike, piercing Berserker with twenty-two weapons while still bound. As he dies, Berserker remembers his and Ilya's first two months together, seeing her tears for the first time since then as she runs towards him.
After Ilya is blinded and stabbed through a lung, Berserker summons his strength to break the chains as she continues to crawl towards him even in that state. Gilgamesh simply pierces his heart with Gae Bolg, and the attack truly kills him. Though he is out of power and should instantly fall, his remaining will allows him to comfort Ilya in her final moments. Fighting all the laws destroying him, he watches her call out for him, standing strong as if to say he must remain invincible for her until the very end. She eventually reaches him and takes comfort in that he has not been defeated yet and that he is strong like always. She peacefully sleeps in comfort as Berserker fades away, and Gilgamesh rips out her heart.
Heaven's Feel
Berserker.jpg
Blackened Berserker
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Shirou facing Berserker
The first encounter with Berserker is the same as that of the Fate route. During the time Shirou spends bonding with Ilya, she mentions that he sleeps most of the day and awakes at night, and she does not take him with her when they are not participating in battle. Shirou and Rin attempt to find Ilya after the truth behind Sakura Matou and Zouken Matou is discovered, believing Zouken to be too dangerous an opponent to let Ilya fight without any warning. They are too late, and the Shadow appears before the Einzbern Castle. Berserker, even without reason, is able to instinctively tell that the Shadow is not an opponent he can beat due to its advantage over Servants, so he tells Ilya to run.
Ilya is more afraid of losing her Servant to the command of the Shadow than actual defeat, so she attempts to flee with him. They are intercepted by Zouken and True Assassin, but Assassin has no chance to even fight before Berserker's intimidating presence causes him to back down. The Shadow and Saber Alter eventually arrive, bringing about a situation where Berserker must fight in order to protect Ilya, even against her orders to retreat. Saber is able to fight Berserker directly, and her advantage increases as the Shadow begins to cover his body and restrain his limbs. Though Ilya pleads for him to run, he continues battling in order to protect her.
He goes as far as ripping the Shadow from his legs and chest, but such a thing should not be possible. He is forced to rip his own flesh apart deep enough to show bone in order to remove it, and then proceeds to the final clash with Saber. Utilizing Excalibur Morgan, she meets his charge and overwhelms him, leaving him defeated for the Shadow to absorb. Due to Sakura gaining more control over the Shadow as she becomes more attuned to it, she does not absorb Berserker, trapping him within her like Saber. He is not cleanly blackened like her, instead emerging covered in mud and with the wounds from Saber untouched.
Berserker no longer has any of his little sense remaining, and he no longer has senses left within his eyes, nose, or mouth. He cannot see, leaving him to rage towards the target blindly, and he cannot even recognize Ilya. He is a monster only capable of destruction, and he is let loose on Shirou and Kirei Kotomine as they attempt to rescue Ilya. They are able to keep ahead of him due to his blindness because he is impeded by every tree he crashes through. Kotomine splits from them to engage Assassin, while Shirou and Ilya are left without a way to escape after Berserker catches up with them.
Shirou manages to avoid a fatal blow by strengthening a Black Key, but he is thrown far away due to Berserker's strike. Ilya is astonished by his form, his red eyes only emitting hostility, and fruitlessly attempts to get him to recognize her. Berserker immediately strikes down at her, and Shirou is forced to project his Axe-sword to save her in time without being overwhelmed. It proves to be an inferior copy, shattering instantly under Berserker's strength. They manage to get enough time to retreat, and Shirou makes a resolution to utilize Archer's arm to combat him. Shirou engages him from thirty meters away, reproducing the Axe-sword with Berserker's strength to keep from being overwhelmed by it.
Berserker recognizes him as a threat, charging at the opponent in his mind, Berserker thinks he's still fighting the battle with Saber, he charges to protect IIlya despite being blind, insane and having a rotting body. Shirou utilizes Nine Lives Blade Works to deliver eight massive strikes that destroy an eighth of his body, but it still doesn't stop his charge. Shirou is unable to land the final strike before Berserker's strike, but Ilya gets him to halt his strike at the last moment by appearing before him, giving Shirou the opportunity to land the final blow and have Berserker crumble to dust without further resistance. His red eyes, focus on Ilya, telling Shirou to protect her as they fade away.
Fate/hollow ataraxia
Fate Hollow Ataraxia 107.JPG
Illya and Berserker facing against the shades.
Fate/Unlimited Codes
In Fate/Unlimited Codes, he is known as the Raging Destroyer (怒涛の破壊者, Dotō no Hakaisha?).
BerserkerUCopening.jpg
Opening
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Ending
As he is summoned by Illya, Berserker's sanity is taken away and even he is uncertain of his real identity. All Berserker has is pure rage, except for one tranquil place in his heart whenever he sees Illya. The voice of Illya helps Berserker to remember his regrets and lamentation for not being able to protect his loved one. He desires to protect her, and his resolve is that of a hero who floats in the depths of madness.
Berserker and Illya later confront Shirou and Saber, and Berserker is blinded by Saber's silver radiance. He remembers fighting against this type of enemy before, and considers her to be a dangerous enemy. In addition, Illya is frightened of Saber, so he instinctively fights Saber and wins.
His final opponent is Gilgamesh. Illya is surprised to see that an eighth servant exists. Berserker knows Gilgamesh to be the most evil and the most powerful enemy he will face, and he can tell from Gilgamesh's eyes that he seeks Illya's death. He can tell that Gilgamesh isn't a normal enemy, and that he will have to prove his worth as a hero to surpass Gilgamesh. Berserker reacts to Gilgamesh's murderous intent, and enters battle. When the battle is over, his body is etched with countless wounds and it became hard to tell if it is his own blood or the enemy's. Illya touches Berserker and praises his strength, her voice reaching his heart, and Berserker knows that this is the end. A gentle warmth and peace console his bestial heart. He feels relief, a feeling that a hero has not enjoyed for a very long time. Illya thanks Berserker and says her farewell to him, using all her Command Spells to order Berserker to commit suicide by crushing his own heart. As he dies, he witnesses Illya wearing the Dress of Heaven, and laments as his consciousness fades: "So beautiful".
ExpandFate/unlimited codes - Berserker command list
Fate/tiger colosseum series
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Berserker Ending
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Illya Upper Ending
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Iri Ending
In his story in Fate/tiger colosseum, Berserker unexpectedly regains sanity from the power of Holy Tiger Grail. He has a personality of a gentlemen which often shocks other characters. He is often seen carrying a rose in his hand. In his ending, Berserker wished to become Illya's butler and retained his sanity.
Fate/kaleid liner PRISMA☆ILLYA
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Berserker (anime)
When manifested, he has the same appearance as he normally does in the Berserker class. He does not have his axe-sword, instead only using his fists to fight and God Hand to revive. As he continues to battle, his elbow protrusions begin to grow into a number of spikes and similar protrusions begin to grow on his body. Miyu is completely overwhelmed by Berserker after she manages to kill him once with Gae Bolg. Installing the Saber Class Card is able to allow her to fight him back and strike with Excalibur, but it proves ineffective in fully killing him. Illya arrives before Berserker can finish Miyu off, and while Rin and Luvia briefly hold him down, Miyu and Illya use Kaleid Install with the Saber Class Card to finish him off.
Fate/Grand Order
Prologue Singularity: Fuyuki
Heracles is defeated by Artoria Alter and turned into a Shadow Servant. He is regarded as very dangerous by Cú Chulainn, as even Artoria Alter had problems with defeating him. However, he doesn't openly attack others and keeps to himself. Due to the threat he poses, the Ritsuka's party choose to not to go after him, leaving him alone.
Third Singularity: Okeanos
Heracles is summoned along with his fellow Argonauts: Jason, Medea, and Atalanta.[5] Even though he joins Jason's search for the Ark, he instinctively knows that sacrificing a god to it will result in the era's destruction.
Later, when the Argonauts meet up with Hector, Heracles and Medea board the Golden Hind to kill Ritsuka's party on Jason's order. The group kill Heracles, but he resurrects thanks to God Hand. Jason orders him to kill the group, but he goes after Euryale instead. Asterios protects her from him. When Heracles ignores his orders to not kill her, Jason orders Hector to use his Noble Phantasm. After Hector's spear impales the two Berserkers, Jason orders Heracles to capture Euryale once he resurrects. However, Asterios uses the spear to keep hold of Heracles. He then plunges him and himself into the ocean while fading away.[6]
Heracles resurrects by the time the Argonauts locate Ritsuka's party on an island. He ignores Jason's order to kill Artemis, Atalanta, and David (who were attacking Jason with their Noble Phantasms) to go after Euryale instead. Ritsuka's party lures him to the Ark, but he keeps his distance from it. They push him into the Ark after defeating him in battle, draining him of his magical energy unto his death.[7]
Subspecies Singularity II: Agartha
Main article: Megalos
When the Agartha Singularity manifested, Heracles disappeared from Chaldea and ended up in the Singularity.[8][9] His Saint Graph was modified by Scheherazade and he was changed into a form later called Megalos.[10]
Götterdämmerung: Eternal Ice-Flame Century
Due to the deep connections he shares with the host body of Sitonai, Heracles manifests as a guardian in her dreams. He is the final obstacle that Ritsuka needs to overcome to speak with Sitonai, who had accidentally caused them to lose their sense of self when she forced a contract with them. Heracles puts up a ferocious battle, only withdrawing when Sitonai asks him to let Ritsuka pass, and he fades away from the dream.
He later appears at Village 23 in the physical world under Sitonai's command, just in time to block Surtr's Loptr Laegjarn from striking the earth. Backed up by Ortlinde's White Swan Mystic Code, Divine Shields summoned by Scáthach-Skadi and additional runes provided by Sigurd and Brynhildr, Heracles is able to buy enough time until Napoleon overloads his Noble Phantasm and destroys Surtr's head, delaying the king of giants' next blow. Heracles is subsequently missing for the following battles, presumably having once again faded away.
Lostbelt No. 5: Atlantis
Before Chaldea's arrival, Heracles was summoned by the Counter Force alongside Jason and the Argonauts to help Chaldea once they have arrived. However, in a desperate attempt to protect his comrades, Heracles endured the attacks from Lostbelt Artemis. Even with the backings of defense buffs from Casters, it only took two shots from Lostbelt Artemis's Noble Phantasm to destroy all twelve lives and kill him.
Interlude
Oath of Heracles
In France, Ritsuka, Mash, and Heracles rescue a nearby village from wild beasts. Afterwards, the group notice a scared girl, who Heracles runs towards. Initially worried that he was going after the girl, the group notice that he was going after to kill a beast that was behind the girl. After Mash has the girl run off to safety, the group soon become surrounded by enemies, which are soon slain by the group. Returning to Chaldea, Romani reveals Heracles didn't attack the girl from before due his Madness Enhancement being weak since it was lowered so not to consume so much Magical Energy. Ritsuka believes HHeracles wouldn't have attacked the girl if he were truly mad, though Romani his doubts it.
The 13th Labor
Heracles, Ritsuka and Mash rayshift to the cavern of the Greater Grail due an odd response that Romani detected, which he suspects being remnants of the Singularity or a dimensional disturbance. However, the response turns out to be a trap left by Lev Lainur Flauros causing the group to fight enemies for three days and nights. Angry that they fell for Lev's trap, Romani further reveals that the exit is blocked by enemies, and that the group is trapped inside a magical dimension. He tells them that they need to restore Heracles' Madness Enchancement in order to have a chance of escaping. Romani continues that they need a large source of Magical Energy, and warns Ritsuka and Mash that tragedy always happened when Heracles went mad in life. Though Mash is against such a plan, Ritsuka decides to go with it, and asks Romani how to proceed. Romani tells Ritsuka to add the line for Madness Enhancement to the original summoning chant. But, a dragon appears before the group, which forces Ritsuka to speak the line for Madness Enhancement to restore Heracles' own Madness Enhancement. However, after slaying the dragon, Heracles continues his rampage, but he is stopped when Ritsuka faints from magical energy depletion. Despite this, he slays all the remaining monsters in order for the group to escape.
Today's Menu for Emiya Family
Berserker makes his debut in the 12th episode of Today's Menu for Emiya Family. He is tasked by Illya to retrieve a tree from outside to use for Christmas decorations, and upon his return, Illya offers him a poorly made cookie she made and a professionally made cookie Sakura made. To Illya's delight, he eats her cookie first. Unlike the other characters featured in the episode, Berserker does not get to enjoy the episode's featured meal cooked by Shirou.
Other appearances
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Berser-Car
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Heraclas with Chiron's students in Fate/Apocrypha.
He appears as Berser-Car (バーサーCar, Bāsā-Car?) in various parody stories like Ilya's Castle in Fate/hollow ataraxia and Carnival Phantasm.
In the latter, Berserker is the central character of Episode 5. Sent on his first errand by Illya who has requested batteries, Berserker unwittingly wins the 5th Holy Grail War by defeating the other Servants, and through a one-sided friendship with Lancer, Berserker is able to use Lancer as a Noble Phantasm (Boomelancer) to defeat Archer. He fails to obtain the correct batteries, however.
In chapter 52 of the Fate/Apocrypha manga adaptation, Heracles appears in Achilles' flashback when he remembers other students of Chiron.
Abilities
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Berserker in battle
Heracles is an exceptional Heroic Spirit, considered to be the most famous of all Heroic Spirits by Illya and close to the strongest of them.[2] Among the many great heroes of Greek legend, he boasts fame and power that ranks next if not above Achilles'.[11] He can be said to be on par with Cú Chulainn and King Arthur when all are summoned in Europe, and unlike the other two who would obtain the height of their abilities in their home countries' Cultural Spheres, his own fame is such that he will display excellent strength throughout all of western Europe and Greece.[12][13][14] As such, he is said to undoubtedly be an A-rank Servant who can be assumed to have mostly A-rank abilities from reputation alone, likely the strongest in the Holy Grail War in regards to fame.[15] Illya believes there should only be one or two others in existence capable of matching him.[16] Being stout of heart, body, and mind, he is an excellent warrior who has mastered all weapons.[2][4] He displays qualifications corresponding to six classes, Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Assassin, and Berserker, only lacking the necessary knowledge and skills in magecraft to be Caster.[2] As an Archer Class Servant he'd be able to demonstrate his true power the most, thanks to it being a pretty comfortable class to someone who overcame many trials with knowledge and resourcefulness and having specialized with the bow.[17]
As a Berserker Class servant, the level of all his abilities has been raised in compensation for losing most of his sanity, but it also has the effect of sealing a variety of sword techniques and skills, including part of his Noble Phantasms.[2] While other classes may have allowed for more Skills and Noble Phantasms, the Einzberns wanted him to have more power, and as they had been constantly betrayed, felt it was best to have a "loyal dog that'd do only what they told it to do." Heracles as a regular Heroic Spirit would have many advantages in his own right, but the possibility of cooperative friction between the Master and the heroic part of him is too strong for them to take that chance.[18] Although having lost much of the technical prowess and being limited to simple direct melee, he can undoubtedly be called the strongest amongst the Servants summoned for the Holy Grail War.[2] Even Saber believes she would have a hard fight at her full power and claims that it may be impossible for any Servant to overcome his strength.[19] However, his strength has some clear limitations. As seen in the Norse Lostbelt when he was momentarily summoned by Sitonai, the amalgamation of three Divine Spirit, he struggles to block Surtr's Loptr Laegjarn. Even with the back up of Scáthach-Skadi who used her Primordial Runes to simultaneously summon a large number of Divine Iron Shields, Ortlinde's White Swan Mystic Code, and Sigurd's and Brynhildr's runes are unable to reinforce Heracles enough to block Surtr's sword. The difference between the numbers of the power of each side is so absurd, that even if Mash had joined them it would only have given them a minuscule boost. They simply lacked anything to turn the tide in their favor in a frontal clash.[20]
He would have the ability to cancel the control of Command Spells in the case of a normal Master, but Ilya is able to control him due to her Command Spells being special as the person acting as the Holy Grail.[4] She still focuses on her ability to control him outside of combat, so she suppresses the rank of Mad Enhancement.[2] She even does so in combat against opponents that she believes inferior, specifically strengthening him only as necessary. The original version of Fate/stay night had it so that she had not utilized the raised parameters of Mad Enhancement at all, but it was changed within Realta Nua having him truly become wild in his fighting.[21]
Skills
Class Skills
Mad Enhancement (B Rank): The Class Skill that characterizes Berserker, it reinforces ability at the cost of reason. As Heracles' possesses the skill at Rank B, in compensation for losing most of his sanity, the levels of all his abilities rise. Heracles beat his harp instructor to death when he was a child, and had many episodes when he killed people in his rage without even hearing them speak. It seems that for Heracles, Berserker that receives "Mad Enhancement" was an easy class to adapt to. Focusing on controllability when out of combat, the rank of "Mad Enhancement" is suppressed by Illya.[2] Nevertheless, he's considered he became an untouchable monster thanks to this skill.[4] Originally, the Skill Mad Enhancement is something used to forcibly strengthen a weak Servant. With a Heroic Spirit on Heracles' level, even only Mad Enhancing him consumes a vast amount of magic energy. He would not be able to stay manifested unless the rank of the Mad Enhancement is made lower compared to the other Berserker and the magic energy consumption is restrained. That being said, Heracles being summoned as Berserker yet still behaving with a slight reasoning ability intact is by no means only due to the rank of Mad Enhancement being low. Being the world's foremost hero, he possesses a strong reason that does not get swallowed up by the Class' special characteristic of Mad Enhancement. While he is a Berserker, he still maintain a calm eye for strategy. In any case, with him already having a high status of a Heroic Spirit to begin with, being Mad Enhanced would unmistakably turn him into a monster beyond control.[22]
Personal Skills
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Berserker willing to charge any threat head-on in order to defeat the opponent.
Battle Continuation (A Rank): A skill that allows for the continuation of combat after sustaining mortal wounds. It will also reduce the mortality rate from injury. Cú Chulainn's Battle Continuation represents "never give up no matter what", while Hercules' represents the ability to survive. The best result is achieved when a resilient body is combined with this skill.[2]
Valor (A+ Rank): With his brave and daring spirit, Heracles is able to neutralize mental interference such as suppression, confusion, and charm. However, under the influence of Mad Enhancement, this skill is unable to take effect. While operating correctly, Valor also increases the damage inflicted upon the opponent during melee combat. This skill allowed Herakles to defeat several monsters empty-handed.[2]
Divinity (A Rank): Being a mixed-race child of the King of Gods Zeus and a human, and becoming a god after death thanks to his great deeds, Heracles naturally possessed the highest level of the Divinity skill.[2] It is theorized that due to Heracles having the blood of the gods, one would need a divine mystery of the same level to even affect him.[19] This skill ultimately proves to be fatal when faced with the complete entrapment of the Chains of Heaven, Enkidu, more dangerous to him even than the powerful Excalibur, but his strength and determination allow him to overcome even those binds.[2][23]
Mind's Eye (Fake) (B Rank): A danger avoidance ability based on Intuition/Sixth Sense, gained through many ordeals and adventures. Even though Berserker' sanity was lost due to Mad Enhancement, this skill remained effective due to it being nearly an instinct. When crossing swords with a seasoned swordsman like Artoria, he would not fall for half-hearted feints. It is such a troublesome ability for his opponents.[2]
Combat
Berserker possesses none of the rationality or concepts like notions of detailed tactics of his normal very adept and skilled self. He is an existence that can only utterly defeat the enemy from the front as directed by Ilya while leaving everything to his physical ability and brandishing his weapon to strike. Even in this state, he still manages to demonstrate hand-to-hand combat abilities superior to every Servant.[2] Although he lacks technique, his abilities are so beyond normal standards in power and speed that there is no room for the idea in the first place. "Technique" in battle is something invented by humans to compensate for their natural weaknesses, so such is unnecessary for he who possesses none.[24] Despite his monstrous size, he has the highest rank of Agility, so cornering him in battle is difficult. With the Noble Phantasm God Hand providing great defense against attacks, he is able to fight without even thinking of defense.[2] However, due to his lack of motor skills, it is possible to use the terrain to gain an advantage over him. Using gravestones as cover, Saber is able to use the brief intervals where he is forced to slice through them to strike at him without worry of directly intercepting the blows. The gravestones are only a slight hindrance to him, but are still enough to allow for a decisive turn in the battle. Upon being Blackened, Shirou and Kirei Kotomine are able to outdistance him due to his blindness forcing him to take a straight path even through trees.
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Berserker's Axe-sword
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Heracles' axe
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Ascension
His main weapon isn't a Noble Phantasm, but rather a simple Nameless Axe-Sword (無銘·斧剣, Mumei Onoken?) made of rock. It was originally carved from the foundations of a temple and was used as a catalyst for summoning him. He brandishes it with ease due to his extreme strength, and he causes large amounts of destruction with each swing. He is able to easily push back even strong opponents who are capable of blocking his strikes, and he is able to fling Saber dozens of feet away even when she manages to properly block his stronger strikes. It is a brutish weapon more like a rock than an axe, and it can only be considered a weapon due to his extreme strength that allows him to wield it, suiting him perfectly despite being unconventional. It works on the same principle as prehistoric flint weapons unearthed in Northern Europe in that stone weapons broke easily because they were inherently brittle, had low lethality, and did not see widespread use, but Berserker compensates for the shortcomings with the sheer mass of the stone.[25] Under the Ascension system, the Axe-Sword gains several protrusions, and then he instead gains a proper, golden axe. Each of his attacks is a fatal blow that needs to be blocked or dodged. Despite his large body and sword, he is easily able to overwhelm Saber under Shirou with speed exceeding her own.
Noble Phantasms
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First Labour: Nemean Lion
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Third Labour: Ceryneian Hind
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Fifth Labour: Augean stables
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Seventh Labour: Cretan Bull
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Ninth Labour: Belt of Hippolyta
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Twelfth Labour: Cerberus
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Second Labour: Lernaean Hydra
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Fourth Labour: Erymanthian Boar
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Sixth Labour: Stymphalian birds
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Eight Labour: Mares of Diomedes
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Tenth Labour: Cattle of Geryon
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Eleventh Labour: Golden Apples of the Hesperides
Heracles' Noble Phantasm is God Hand, which represents the immortality he received after death thanks to completing the Twelve Labours. With this ability, God Hand turns one's body into a tough suit of armour and nullifies all attacks Ranked B or lower, regardless of the type or power of the attack. It also has the effect of automatic resurrection after death. Because the resurrection effect has 11 uses, Heracles cannot perish unless killed 12 times. Due to having Ilya as a Master, he is able to also regenerate lost lives over time.[2] Thanks to this Noble Phantasm, Heracles is able to charge without even breaking to think about defense, ignoring various attacks that are unable to harm him even when aimed at vital spots like his temples. He is still instinctively able to tell that a dangerous attack is incoming. He ignores Archer's Caladbolg II at first after having shrugged of his earlier attacks but immediately intercepts it after sensing the danger to him. Powerful attacks such as Excalibur or Caliburn can take multiple of his lives with a single strike.
Surprisingly, God Hand has exceptional compatibility with the "will not die easily" skill Battle Continuation.[2] His willpower is such that he can even temporarily sustain himself after going through his stored lives and even the energy sustaining him, pushing past the powers trying to eliminate him, the laws of magic that constructed him, the regulations of the World that attempt to destroy inconsistencies, and even his own body that is crumbling away like sand. Though his mind is dead, his willpower that should no longer exist supports his invincible body until it finally fades away.
Regardless of how powerful is the Noble Phantasm that defeated Heracles, it would be completely nullified after he resurrects.[2] However, Saber Alter is able to overcome his resistance by increasing the power of her attacks with her Mana Burst skill to the point where each of them looks like a Noble Phantasm. As such, she easily corners and overwhelms Heracles even in a direct battle activating the True Name of her Noble Phantasm until the very end of their fight when her lips are shown muted.[26]
As a Heroic Spirit, Heracles' most trusted Noble Phantasm is Nine Lives, however, it cannot be used in the Berserker class due to a lack of motor skills.[2] It is still ingrained into his technique and history, allowing Shirou to project the Axe-Sword and technique to utilize Nine Lives Blade Works. Rin Tohsaka also mentions that one Noble Phantasm she thinks he would likely normally carry would be the Bow of Hydra (ヒドラの弓, Hidora no Yumi?).[27] Qualifying for the Saber class with ease, he would best be able to display his "glorious, exquisite swordplay" and Nine Lives.[4][28]
Development
Berserker's original role in Fate/Prototype was similar to his final design in Fate/stay night, but he didn't appear in the animated short. There were a number of changes throughout the design process. His Master was originally Sancraid Phahn, a murderous maniac sent by the Church, but Takeuchi suggested a young girl instead. They were originally experimenting with his design to make him seem "inhuman", and the elbow spikes are a remnant of that process. Rider originally recognized him as Heracles at first glance due to their shared background in Greek mythology. She would have rammed him to death once or twice with Bellerophon before being killed.
The original concept of God Hand held the ability "will not lose for 11 battles" (11回の戦闘までは絶対に負けない, 11-kai no sentō made wa zettai ni makenai?), so that he would be able to easily defeat the six other Servants and still have victories left over. Against Gilgamesh's Noble Phantasm at the time, which was "will absolutely survive", the two concepts of the abilities clashed and the paradoxical situation had to be resolved. Berserker eventually died even though he won, while Gilgamesh lost but survived.[1] After designing Ilya as his Master, they originally planned on having them both share lives. As long as Berserker lived, she was immortal and unable to be killed even if other Servants tried to avoid Berserker to strike at his Master. The idea was scrapped after they thought it was too strong.[1]