Artoria

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Artoria Pendragon (阿尔托莉雅)
Alias(es)	Saber; King Arthur; King of Knights; Lily
Species/Race	Human; manifested as a Heroic Spirit during the Fourth Holy Grail War 11 292
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Emiya–Einzbern faction during the Fourth Holy Grail War; later Chaldea
Occupation/Role	King of Britannia; Saber-class Servant; protector of Human Order
Status	Alive; after returning to her era, she chose to travel rather than remain King Arthur 105 106 292
First Appearance	Chapter 11

Appearance

Artoria is a petite, exceptionally beautiful woman with golden hair, emerald eyes, and an aura shaped by countless battles. During the Fourth Holy Grail War, she appears in a blue dress and is described as looking roughly sixteen or seventeen despite her regal bearing. 11 19

• Golden hair with a prominent upright ahoge. 19
• Emerald-green eyes. 11
• Petite build and youthful appearance. 11 19
• Wears blue-and-white clothing; later fights in armor while wielding the Holy Lance. 11 276
• Possesses red-dragon factors that accelerate her recovery from injuries. 74

Personality

Artoria is serious, disciplined, and guided by a knight’s instinct to protect others. At the King’s Banquet, she defines her path through devotion to her people, protection, and justice; even after betrayal and disaster, she directs her hatred inward rather than toward those who wronged her. 58

Her chivalry initially makes her reluctant to fight Rovey, whom she considers a human magus rather than a worthy Servant opponent. She also holds back when she believes an attack need only incapacitate rather than kill. 69 71

During the Holy Grail War, Artoria is trapped by guilt over Britannia’s fall and seeks to use the Grail to undo history. Rovey’s harsh intervention forces her to confront the limits of that wish, the desires of her knights, and the difference between her identity as a king and her original desire to be a knight. 59 74 75 She ultimately accepts a new life, choosing travel and personal experience over trying to rewrite her past. 76 106

Later, Artoria is more open with her affection and can be jealous or possessive regarding Rovey, demanding that he give her an answer about their relationship. 256 292

Abilities & Skills

Swordsmanship and Battle Instinct

Artoria is a battle-hardened knight whose innate intuition and combat experience allow her to read attacks and respond under pressure. 72

• Uses the concealed wind-bladed sword style associated with Saber. 22
• Her martial skill is sufficient to contend with major Heroic Spirits, though Berserker Lancelot and Scáthach overwhelm her in direct technical exchanges. 29 42
• Can recognize familiar sword techniques and the lingering will placed in the Sword in the Stone. 71 72
• Her mental state can compromise her performance; Rovey exploits her unresolved past and Merlin’s interference to create openings. 72 73

Red Dragon Physiology

Artoria is identified as the Red Dragon of Britannia, granting her formidable physical ability and recovery. 73

• Dragon factors rapidly heal many of her facial injuries after battle. 74
• Her physical strength is great enough to destroy a D-rank Noble Phantasm with a single clash. 69
• Her strength is hindered when her mana supply is inadequate and when Avalon is withheld from her. 29 64

Magic Resistance

Artoria possesses A-rank Magic Resistance, allowing her to endure or negate significant magecraft. 73

• Destroys Rovey’s four summoned angels despite his magical enhancements. 73
• Her resistance does not prevent psychological distraction, restraints on her mana supply, or the tactical exploitation of her emotions. 73 75 101

Sword of Promised Victory

Artoria’s holy sword, also called Excalibur, is her principal Noble Phantasm and decisive offensive weapon. 23 73

• Releases overwhelming magical power when ordinary swordsmanship is insufficient. 30 73
• An Excalibur strike annihilates Rovey’s summoned angels and severely wounds him, though Avalon rapidly heals him. 73
• She uses the holy sword while guarding the exit against All the World’s Evil rather than immediately pursuing the Grail. 101

Holy Lance

After returning to her own time, Artoria receives the Holy Lance from Bedivere. It is a holy artifact connected to the surface and interior of the world and serves as an anchor of the stars. 105

• The Holy Lance and Holy Sword together repair Artoria’s critically wounded body. 105
• Artoria later employs it as her primary weapon in Chaldea’s Singularities. 274 276
• She does not fully assimilate with the lance, leaving its power restricted by seals and making it less effective for her than the Lion King’s fully released version. 244 249
• She lends her weapons to Mash to confront Lancelot. 256

Avalon

Avalon is Artoria’s sword sheath and a miraculous defensive treasure. She entrusts it to Rovey after the Fourth Holy Grail War. 104 138

• Greatly improves Artoria’s strength when available. 64
• Can purify curses and restraints; Kiritsugu’s possession of it would have risked weakening his control through Command Seals. 64
• Rapidly heals Rovey after he receives a direct Excalibur attack. 73
• Rovey later returns Avalon to Artoria before her conflict with Quetzalcoatl. 334

Equipment

• Sword of Promised Victory / Excalibur — Artoria’s holy sword and principal Noble Phantasm. 23 73
• Invisible wind-bladed sword technique — conceals the sword’s form and extends its cutting reach through wind. 22
• Holy Lance — star-linked holy artifact retrieved from Bedivere after Artoria returns to Britannia. 105
• Avalon — Artoria’s sword sheath; entrusted to Rovey after the Grail War and later returned to her. 104 334

History

Fourth Holy Grail War

Artoria is summoned as Saber by Emiya Kiritsugu. While she readily follows operational plans and treats Irisviel as the visible Master, Kiritsugu immediately recognizes that their values and methods are fundamentally incompatible. 11

She clashes with Fionn mac Cumhaill, who identifies both her Saber class and her true name as King Arthur. Fionn’s water manipulation, healing, and spear technique suppress her, forcing her to rely on her Noble Phantasm to break the stalemate. 22 23 29 30 Artoria also faces Berserker, eventually recognizing the mad black knight as her former knight Lancelot. 28

Kiritsugu later uses a Command Seal to force Artoria into an attack on Kenneth. Even while strengthened by the Seal and supported by Assassins, Artoria realizes that Scáthach remains the superior combatant. 42

King’s Banquet and Rovey’s Intervention

At the King’s Banquet, Artoria defends a king’s duty to protect the people and expresses her intention to use the Grail to change Britannia’s fate. Iskandar and the other Heroic Spirits challenge her view, while Rovey’s questions force her to consider whether she has truly heard the wishes of her knights. 58 59

Rovey later fights Artoria personally, using the Sword in the Stone, Merlin’s enhancements, summoned angels, Avalon, and psychological pressure to undermine her certainty. Though Artoria’s swordsmanship remains superior, she is distracted by memories of her younger self, Lily, and is eventually defeated. 71 72 73

Afterward, Rovey confronts her desire for a gentle, peaceful end for Britannia and argues that trying to erase her reign would not truly honor her people or knights. Artoria begins to abandon her fixation on reversing history and resolves to begin the latter half of her life anew. 74 75 76

Return to Britannia

Artoria remains to guard against All the World’s Evil rather than claim the Grail. When the war ends, she gives Avalon to Rovey and dissipates as Saber. 101 104 105

Her spirit returns to Britannia, where she awakens near the end of her life and reunites with Bedivere. Receiving the Holy Lance, she recovers from her fatal wounds and tells him about her experiences in the Holy Grail War. 105 Rather than remain a king or seek godhood, she chooses to travel with Bedivere—later called Lucius—and eventually record their experiences in Britannia. 106

Chaldea and Camelot

Artoria remains alive and assists Chaldea across numerous Singularities, including the Fuyuki Singularity and five major early Singularities. She serves as a decisive frontline force with the Holy Lance while waiting for Rovey to reunite with her. 291 292 423

In the Camelot Singularity, she confronts the Lion King, a Holy-Lance-empowered Artoria counterpart whose divine nature and cold detachment stand in contrast to Artoria’s retained humanity. 204 209 245 Artoria rejects the Lion King’s idealized illusion of Camelot, choosing reality even when the illusion offers the peaceful life and relationship she longs for. 280 281 285

Counterparts

Counterpart	Description
Lily	Artoria’s earlier, innocent self: a knight who wished to help others before kingship and responsibility consumed her life. The Sword in the Stone evokes this image during her battle with Rovey. 72 74
Lion King	A distinct parallel-world Artoria counterpart empowered by sustained use of the Holy Lance and brought close to divinity. She is colder, more silent, and treats her actions as unquestionably righteous. 204 209 245
Black Lancer Artoria	A dark, god-led Artoria manifestation wielding a corrupted-looking Holy Lance. She later develops emotions and shows strong feelings toward Rovey. 285 321 323

Relationships

• Emiya Kiritsugu — Her Master in the Fourth Holy Grail War. Their incompatible values and poor communication leave Artoria isolated; he uses a Command Seal to force her cooperation, and their contract is later severed. 11 42 75 101
• Irisviel von Einzbern — Artoria’s companion and the public-facing decoy Master. Artoria is protective of Irisviel, but sending her away from the battlefield contributes to her capture by Touko. 19 30
• Rovey — Initially an enemy who defeats and psychologically challenges her, then becomes her mentor, trusted companion, and sworn friend. Artoria entrusts Avalon to him; after their reunion, she demands clarity about their relationship and proposes to him. 75 104 138 256 292
• Merlin — Artoria’s legendary guide and sword instructor. His magic supports Rovey during the duel that forces Artoria to confront her past, though she later warns Rovey not to become like him. 42 72 104
• Bedivere / Lucius — Her loyal knight and later traveling companion. He reunites with Artoria after Britannia’s fall, returns the Holy Lance to her, and accompanies her on her new journey. 105 106
• Lancelot — Her former knight, summoned as Berserker. His madness obscures his identity, but his familiarity with Artoria’s attack patterns reveals their past connection. 28 45
• Mordred — Artoria’s rebellious knight daughter. Their relationship remains strained by rebellion, loyalty, and Mordred’s unresolved motives. 236 238
• Scáthach — A rival Servant who respects Artoria’s warrior spirit and repeatedly seeks a chance to fight her. 19 42

Trivia

• Fionn mac Cumhaill exposes Artoria’s identity as King Arthur and is surprised to learn that the legendary king is a woman. 22 23
• Artoria mistakes Rovey for Merlin because he carries traces of Merlin’s incubus aura. 58 61
• In Chaldea, Artoria is known for an enormous appetite and can perform the physical labor of more than a dozen ordinary men. 292 423