Saber

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Saber
Alias(es)	Artoria Pendragon; King Arthur; King of Knights 128 131
Species/Race	Heroic Spirit / Servant 128 132
Gender	Female 128
Affiliation	Kiritsugu Emiya and Irisviel von Einzbern's faction during the Fourth Holy Grail War; later Shirou Emiya's Servant 131 157
Occupation/Role	Saber-class Servant; King of Knights 128 157
First Appearance	Chapter 128

Background / History

Artoria Pendragon's identity as the historical King Arthur is known to Bronya and her companions before Saber enters the Fourth Holy Grail War. Bronya explains that the Throne of Heroes connects past and future, allowing knowledge of Heroic Spirits from other eras to circulate. 128

As king, Saber wishes to use the Holy Grail to save Britain. During the Banquet of Kings, Iskandar challenges her ideal of self-sacrificial kingship, while Byakuya argues that Britain’s decline was unavoidable and that Saber should not deny the history she created with her subjects. This leaves her questioning both her wish and her reign. 136 137

Appearance

Saber is a pale blonde, heroic-looking woman whose appearance contrasts with the male image she maintained while ruling Britain. She initially wears practical men’s clothing in Fuyuki, then manifests silver-white or blue-and-white armor in battle. 128 129 139 157

• Short, pale blonde hair and a delicate face. 174
• Silver-white armor during her defense of Shirou Emiya. 157
• Blue-and-white armor while fighting Bronya within the Army of the King. 139
• A later Grail-empowered appearance uses pitch-black armor and emits overwhelming dark Magic Power. 174 175
• Her holy sword is normally concealed by the Wind King Barrier, making its shape difficult to identify. 129 131

Personality

Saber acts according to knightly honor and is intensely protective of those entrusted to her. She shields Illyasviel from Bronya despite not knowing her intentions, refuses to abandon Irisviel even after suffering a crippling injury, and continues fighting Byakuya to secure Irisviel’s escape. 128 131

Her resolve can become self-punishing. Saber persists through severe wounds and an unfavorable battlefield position, yet accepts defeat with sportsmanship when Bronya overcomes her. 131 140 Her confrontation with Iskandar and Byakuya exposes a deep uncertainty over whether her ideal of kingship truly served Britain. 137

Abilities & Skills

Master Swordsmanship

Saber is an elite close-range combatant capable of exchanging high-speed blows with Lancer and engaging stronger physical opponents through refined footwork, timing, and battlefield instincts. 129 157 158

• Fought Lancer Diarmuid in an intense spear-and-sword duel. 129
• Held Berserker at bay despite being physically outmatched. 158 159
• Used Magic Power Release to greatly increase her speed during the assault on Golden Flash. 164
• Was overpowered in strength by Bronya, who could suppress her even while Saber used Magic Power Release. 140

Intuition

Saber possesses an instinctive danger sense that allows her to make rapid combat decisions under pressure. 131 139

• Recognized Lancer’s Red Rose as a weapon that severs magic after it pierced her magically generated armor. 129
• Dodged Bronya’s otherwise decisive sword strike during their final battle. 140
• Could not fully compensate for her injured left hand and Bronya’s sustained, shifting offense. 131 140

Wind King Barrier

Saber’s wind-based magecraft conceals her holy sword and can be condensed into direct attacks. 129 131

• Hides the sword’s dimensions and identity from opponents. 129
• Wind King’s Hammer releases the Barrier as a concentrated blast of wind. 131
• The Barrier can be disrupted by the replicated Red Rose of Purification, which severs magic. 139

Excalibur

Saber’s holy sword is her principal Noble Phantasm. It is revealed when the Wind King Barrier disperses, and its full release produces a devastating beam of light. 131 140

• Its release carved a molten gully through the sand within the Army of the King. 140
• The Heavy Rabbit endured the blast and protected Bronya from the attack. 140
• Saber's left-hand tendon injury prevented her from using Noble Phantasms requiring both hands until her condition improved. 133

Excalibur Morgan

In a later Singular Point, a Grail-empowered, black-armored Saber uses the dark holy sword Excalibur Morgan. 174 175

• Produces a black aurora-like beam described as wholly brutal rather than holy. 175
• Overwhelmed Mashu until Ritsuka reinforced her with a Command Seal. 175
• Saber uses the battle to judge whether Ritsuka’s group has the qualifications to save the Human Order. 175

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Holy Sword / Excalibur — Saber’s concealed and later fully revealed Noble Phantasm. 131 140
• Wind King Barrier — wind-based concealment and offensive magecraft bound to her sword. 129 131
• Silver-white armor — magically manifested battle armor; vulnerable to Lancer’s anti-magic Red Rose. 129 157
• Avalon Scabbard — held by Irisviel as Saber's catalyst; its absence leaves Saber without its protection during her battle with Byakuya. 131 136
• Excalibur Morgan — dark holy sword used by the Grail-empowered Saber in the Singular Point. 175

Relationships

• Irisviel von Einzbern — Saber's close companion and the person she most urgently protects during the Fourth Holy Grail War. Saber remains at Irisviel’s side after learning she is the Lesser Holy Grail. 129 131 136
• Kiritsugu Emiya — Saber's Master in the Fourth Holy Grail War. Their side is severely disadvantaged after Saber is injured and Irisviel is taken away. 131 133
• Shirou Emiya — Saber's later Master. She is summoned through Avalon to protect him from Cú Chulainn and identifies him as her Master. 157
• Bronya — opponent who knows Saber's true identity and ultimately defeats her using replicated Noble Phantasms, Inherent Gears, and the Heavy Rabbit. 128 139 140
• Byakuya — adversary who repeatedly fights Saber while seeking to remove Irisviel from the Grail War. He challenges Saber's wish during the Banquet of Kings. 131 137
• Diarmuid Ua Duibhne / Lancer — honorable rival whose Red and Yellow Roses expose Saber's magical armor weakness and injure her left hand. 129 135
• Iskandar / King of Conquerors — fellow king whose opposing philosophy forces Saber to confront her beliefs about kingship. 136 137
• Ritsuka Fujimaru — Master tested by the Grail-empowered Saber to determine whether she and Mashu can save the Human Order. 174 175

Story Role / Major Arcs

Fourth Holy Grail War

Saber arrives in Fuyuki alongside Illyasviel and is immediately recognized as Artoria Pendragon by Bronya’s group. She remains wary of them and protects Illyasviel during their first encounter. 128

She duels Lancer at the port, where his Red Rose bypasses her magical armor and his Yellow Rose severs the tendons in her left hand. 129 While injured, Saber refuses Byakuya’s demand to surrender Irisviel and continues fighting even after he overwhelms her. 131

After Saber defeats Lancer in their rematch with Kiritsugu’s support, she reunites with Irisviel at the Matou residence. 135 136 At the Banquet of Kings, she defends her wish to save Britain but is shaken by Iskandar’s condemnation and Byakuya’s criticism of her desire to erase her kingdom’s history. 136 137

Saber later joins Bronya and Byakuya against Iskandar’s Army of the King. Bronya defeats her after enduring Excalibur with the Heavy Rabbit and striking Saber through the heart with a replicated spear, causing Saber to dissipate. 138 140

Fifth Holy Grail War

Saber is summoned by Shirou Emiya through Avalon when Cú Chulainn attempts to kill him. She immediately assumes the role of Shirou’s defender, fighting Cú Chulainn and later helping oppose Berserker and Golden Flash. 157 158 164

Singular Point Confrontation

A black-armored Saber empowered by the Holy Grail appears as the final opponent before Ritsuka Fujimaru’s group. Although she accepts Byakuya’s hamburgers, she refuses to avoid battle and tests whether Ritsuka and Mashu possess the resolve to save the Human Order. 174 175

Notable Quotes

“Then, my lady, do you accept my invitation?” 129

“I ask, are you my Master?” 157

“Let me see if you have the ability to save this era, this Human Order.” 175