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Servant
Fate: Endless Horizon
Biodata
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Servant (從者) |
| Species/Race | Materialized soul / spiritual entity; some Servants are living humans rather than conventional spiritual beings 2 |
| Affiliation | Holy Grail War factions; contracted Masters |
| Occupation/Role | Supernatural combatant summoned to fight for a Master in a Holy Grail War |
| First Appearance | Chapter 2 |
Nature
Servants are beings whose existence is explained through the Third Magic's materialization of the soul: effectively “ghosts” that can be seen and touched 2. Their spiritual nature allows them to pass through physical attacks when dematerialized, as Shirou does against Mordred's charge 52.
Many Servants are heroes recorded in history or legend, including Chiron, Siegfried, Vlad III, and Avicebron. However, the category is not limited to famous heroes: Emiya Shirou manifests despite identifying himself as a modern magus with neither legends nor heroic status 51 58.
Some Servants are exceptions to the usual spiritual-body model and are living humans, including Saber, Scáthach, and Merlin 2.
Summoning and Contracts
A Servant's manifestation requires a Holy Grail, a Master, and a summoning circle; the Grail itself performs the actual summoning, so an incantation is not strictly necessary 217. A catalyst or Saint Relic can influence the result, though Caules summons Shirou with himself as the medium rather than a prepared relic 50.
| Contract Mechanic | Details |
|---|---|
| Mana supply | Masters provide the mana needed for their Servants to maintain themselves and use powerful abilities. Great separation between the pair strains this supply 124. |
| Command Spells | Command Spells can force actions and supply large amounts of mana, but reckless use may endanger a Servant, as when Siegfried is compelled to activate Balmung beyond his available mana 67 116. |
| Dream sharing | Masters and Servants may experience one another's memories during sleep unless either party resists. Berserkers with excessive Mad Enhancement cannot do so 76. |
| Loss of Master | A Servant can dissipate when their Master's mana supply is cut off; Enkidu begins fading after his Master's death 156. |
| Independent Action | Servants with sufficient Independent Action can persist without a Master; Okita Souji Alter's Rank A skill allows this 203. |
| End of a Grail War | Servants ordinarily disappear once the war concludes unless their contract is renewed. Incarnation through contact with the Greater Grail is a separate exception 116. |
Classes and Summoning Irregularities
Under normal Holy Grail War rules, only one Servant should occupy each class. The novel repeatedly depicts violations of this convention 160.
| Event | Details |
|---|---|
| Black Faction over-summoning | Four Yggdmillennia Masters summon five Servants, including Shirou as Berserker and Okita Souji as Alter Ego 49. |
| Duplicate class manifestation | Shirou notes that Cú Chulainn has been summoned as a second Lancer despite the usual one-per-class rule 160. |
| Extra contracted Servants | Shirou maintains contracts with both Okita Souji and Enkidu, claiming sufficient mana to support even more than two Servants 156. |
| Non-war Servant | Okita Souji is not a Servant of the contemporary Holy Grail War; Shirou acquired her through work for Alaya seven years earlier 181. |
Shadow Servants
Shadow Servants are inferior imitations rather than fully manifested Servants. They lack self-awareness and Noble Phantasms, acting on instinct as remnants of their originals 155.
- They can be created through Sorcery left behind by a Servant rather than through ordinary Holy Grail summoning 188.
- Angra Mainyu uses this Sorcery and black mud to produce Shadow Servants in mass numbers 188.
- They dissipate differently from ordinary Servants: rather than breaking into light particles, they fade away like color draining from dye 155.
- A Shadow Servant resembling Siegfried is defeated after Shirou removes its core, lacking Siegfried's Noble Phantasms, Dragonic Blood Armor, and martial ability 155.
Role in Holy Grail Wars
Servants are the principal fighting forces of Holy Grail Wars, usually serving under Masters who direct them, sustain them with mana, and may compel them through Command Spells 67 124. Their individual power varies drastically: some possess top-tier parameters and Noble Phantasms, while others rely on specialized skills, equipment, or strategy 50 64.
The Great Holy Grail War in Romania places Black and Red Faction Servants into large-scale conflict over the Greater Grail. The Black Faction initially fields Shirou, Siegfried, Chiron, Astolfo, Vlad III, and other allies, while unusual summons and shifting contracts repeatedly destabilize the war's expected structure 49 88 106.
Later Holy Grail War events in Fuyuki escalate beyond standard rules, with duplicate classes, unaffiliated Servants, Shadow Servants, and even Grand Caster Solomon appearing in the conflict 155 160 175.