Karna

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Karna (迦爾納)
Alias(es)	Red Lancer; Hero of Charity; Son of the Sun God
Species/Race	Heroic Spirit / Servant
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Red Faction
Occupation/Role	Lancer-class Servant
Status	Defeated and dissipated
First Appearance	Chapter 54

Appearance

Karna is a white-haired, pale-skinned Servant clad in conspicuous golden armor and armed with a golden spear. His armor leaves his face exposed, which Shirou identifies as his most vulnerable visible point 54 119.

• White hair and skin described as the same pale color 54.
• Wields a divine golden spear 54 56.
• Normally protected by Golden Armor; removing it reveals his unarmored body before activating Vasavi Shakti 123.

Personality

Karna is direct, composed, and unwaveringly dutiful. He attacks Jeanne because his Master ordered it, later prioritizes his promised duel with Siegfried, and refuses to let a surrendered Avicebron be killed as long as he considers him an ally 54 107 118.

Though he pursues battle, he is not needlessly cruel. He places his Master's safety over victory, shows respect toward capable enemies, and accepts defeat without resentment 56 123. His Insight of the Poor makes him exceptionally perceptive of others' intentions, allowing him to recognize Shirou's sense of responsibility and lack of intent to rely on Jeanne 55 119.

Abilities & Skills

Uncrowned Martial Arts

Karna's close-combat skill is overwhelming even among Servants. He dominates Shirou's normal fighting style, easily parries projected weapons, and maintains superiority over Siegfried when empowered by the Greater Grail 119 121.

• Fights with the Golden Spear at extreme speed and precision.
• Can rapidly close distance after Shirou uses spatial movement to retreat 121.
• Deflects Siegfried's surprise attack and withstands a coordinated assault by Shirou and Siegfried 55 56.

Golden Armor

Karna's Golden Armor drastically reduces harmful effects and grants extraordinary regeneration, allowing him to endure attacks that would severely injure other Servants 55 89.

• Reduces negative effects to one-tenth 55.
• Lets him endure his own flames with minimal lasting harm 56.
• Resists Vlad III's stakes; the stakes bend rather than pierce his body 89.
• Can be shed and merged into his spear to activate Vasavi Shakti, leaving him without its protection 123.

Mana Burst — Flame

Karna uses flames to enhance his movement, attacks, and defense. His flame output can destroy large areas, but its use places a severe burden on his mana supply 56 91.

• Produces Flame Projectiles capable of flattening a mountain peak 56.
• Burns away Vlad III's restraining stakes, even at the cost of exposing himself to the flames 89.
• Propels him through the air and empowers sudden close-range assaults 119 123.
• Becomes sustainable at a far higher level after his mana supply is transferred to the Greater Grail 119.

Insight of the Poor B+

Karna possesses an insight skill that functions as an exceptional lie detector and reader of intent 55 123.

• Sees through Shirou's attempt to frame Jeanne as a possible source of help 55.
• Recognizes Shirou's willingness to remain behind so his allies can retreat 119.
• Is still surprised by Shirou's self-endangering arrow-through-the-void tactic 123.

Brahmastra Kundala

Karna's hidden Anti-Nation Noble Phantasm manifests as a sun-like large-scale attack, made even more destructive by the Greater Grail's mana supply 122.

• Creates an attack too wide for Shirou to evade normally 122.
• Is countered by Shirou's fan-shaped energy blast in a direct beam struggle 122.
• Does not defeat Shirou, who survives the exchange and continues fighting 123.

Vasavi Shakti

Karna's ultimate god-slaying spear technique is activated by sacrificing his Golden Armor. Its lightning-and-flame strike is described as capable of annihilating virtually any target, except defenses founded on the concept of the world 123.

• Requires Karna to relinquish Kavacha and Kundala, his Golden Armor 123.
• Fires a pillar of lightning and flame intended to end the battle in a single attack 123.
• Is completely blocked by Shirou's Avalon barrier 123.

Relationships

• Amakusa Shirou Tokisada — Master whom Karna temporarily acknowledges; Amakusa transfers Karna's mana supply to the Greater Grail, allowing him to fight at his strongest 106 119.
• Shirou Emiya — Initially an unwanted but persistent opponent; Karna respects Shirou's resolve, pushes him to awaken his Second Resurrección, and offers final advice after losing to him 55 121 123.
• Siegfried — A promised opponent whom Karna prioritizes even while defending the Hanging Gardens; their duel is interrupted by Shirou's return 91 118 121.
• Vlad III — Opposing Lancer who immobilizes Karna with stakes before Karna burns himself free; their battle highlights Karna's immense mana consumption 89 91.
• Semiramis — Red Faction ally whose life Karna protects by catching Atalanta's arrow 106.
• Avicebron — A surrendered Servant Karna protects from Shirou despite knowing of his intended betrayal 107 108.
• Jeanne d'Arc — Ruler whom Karna attacks under orders, while still respecting her role as adjudicator 54 55.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Opening clash with Jeanne and Shirou

Karna appears to eliminate Jeanne on his Master's orders. Shirou's interruption turns the encounter into a battle between the Red Lancer and Black Berserker, with Karna cutting off Shirou's arm and forcing him into a temporary alliance with Siegfried 54 55.

Karna withstands Shirou and Siegfried's combined offense and devastates the battlefield with Flame Projectiles. He withdraws at sunrise, valuing his Master's safety over forcing a decisive conclusion 56.

Great Holy Grail War

During the factions' full-scale conflict, Karna confronts Vlad III and Atalanta. Vlad's stakes temporarily immobilize him, but Karna escapes through Mana Burst — Flame; their fight reveals that Karna's immense output is difficult to sustain without a sufficient mana source 89 91.

After Amakusa takes control of the Red Faction's Command Spells, Karna temporarily recognizes him as Master. He protects Semiramis and Avicebron from attacks by Atalanta and Shirou, treating Avicebron as an ally after his surrender 106 107.

Battle in the Hanging Gardens

Karna confronts Shirou's assault force in the Hanging Gardens and allows Okita Souji and Jack the Ripper to retreat because Shirou remains behind to cover them 118 119. Empowered by the Greater Grail, he overwhelms Shirou's normal techniques and prevents his initial attempt to release Resurrección 119 121.

Shirou's Second Resurrección turns the battle into an escalating exchange of energy attacks and Noble Phantasms. Karna responds with Brahmastra Kundala, then sacrifices his Golden Armor to unleash Vasavi Shakti after Shirou survives and regenerates from repeated lethal injuries 122 123.

Avalon blocks Vasavi Shakti completely. With his armor gone, Karna is pierced through the chest by Shirou and accepts his loss before dissipating 123.

Notable Quotes

“My name is Karna, Son of the Sun God.” 56

“You are a person who values responsibility. As long as you are standing here, I cannot impede them.” 119

“Blindly imitating others will never lead you to the summit. Sometimes, you need to have a bit of your own flair.” 123