Gilgamesh

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Gilgamesh (吉尔伽美什)
Alias(es)	King of Heroes; Wise King Gilgamesh; Golden Gil; Golden Flash; Mr. Gold 7 10 156
Species/Race	Heroic Spirit; summoned Servant 10
Gender	Male 10
Servant Class	Caster, despite portraying Archer in Shinji’s adaptations 10
Affiliation	Matou Shinji’s film crew; Type-Moon Company 10 113
Occupation/Role	King who ruled Uruk; Heroic Spirit actor 10
Status	Active as a summoned actor; his defeats and deaths in the Fate productions are scripted roles 111 157 173
First Appearance	Mentioned as “Golden Gil” in the provided material 7

Background / History

Shinji summons Gilgamesh as Caster, rather than the Archer incarnation he intended to cast in Fate/stay night. The narration leaves the cause uncertain: Red A may have occupied the Archer slot, or the cuneiform tablet from Uruk used as Gilgamesh’s catalyst may have influenced the result. This unexpected summoning also forces Shinji to abandon his plan to summon Medea and use Yan Qing as her stand-in 10.

Gilgamesh identifies himself as a wise ruler rather than the reckless hero depicted in Shinji’s script. He explains that Enkidu’s death led him to become the king who ruled Uruk, but that kingship also cost him the freedom to converse with his friend. Shinji’s suggestion that they could reunite as friends and fellow actors gives him a reason to tolerate the production 10.

Appearance

• Blond hair and red eyes: His somewhat long bangs can obscure his face; his golden hair later becomes an immediately recognizable cue for returning viewers 10 92.
• Tall build: Described as tall, with long legs, during an outdoor action shoot 83.
• Golden battle armor: His screen entrance features armor so brilliant that it appears to illuminate the theater like daylight 23.
• Exceptional good looks: His appearance attracts enthusiastic female fans and prompts Shinji to build promotional campaigns around him 23 29.

Personality

Gilgamesh is proud, imperious, and openly contemptuous of people he considers beneath him. Even as the Wise King, he habitually communicates through sarcasm, mockery, and provocation. His foul mouth makes him unpopular among his fellow Heroic Spirits, who treat his embarrassments as a favorite form of entertainment 24 156.

His objections to Shinji’s scripts are more specific than simply refusing to lose. He rejects murder, kidnapping, and reckless behavior as inappropriate for his current identity, and rewrites rehearsals according to what he believes he would actually do. Although he recognizes his younger self’s rashness, he resents being required to portray it 10.

Threats do little to control him, but something he genuinely wants can secure his cooperation. The prospect of a film showcasing his wisdom—and especially an opportunity to act opposite Enkidu—persuades him to accept compromises. His hostility toward counterfeits makes proposed impersonations particularly provocative 10 38.

He also enjoys watching other people suffer embarrassing fictional defeats while resisting the same treatment himself. He eagerly awaits Shinji’s humiliation in UBW, but intends to avoid watching his own loss until Enkidu forces him to remain in front of the television 104 105 110.

Abilities & Skills

Gate of Babylon

Gilgamesh’s treasury supplies the weapon barrages used in his screen performances, as well as ordinary refreshments 10 104 169.

• Massed attacks: Releases torrents of Noble Phantasms capable of overwhelming Saber and devastating the surrounding scenery 23.
• Practical retrieval: Produces wine, swords, and canned soda directly from the treasury 83 105 169.
• Filming efficiency: Its authentic effects consume less magic and look better than Red A’s proposed projection-based substitute 10.
• Close-range vulnerability: Li Shuwen interrupts its deployment by rushing him, breaking his weapons, and striking before he can establish distance 106.

EA

EA is Gilgamesh’s decisive weapon in his confrontation with Iskandar. During the UBW screening, Aoko and Touko agree that using it immediately would have doomed Shirou even with his Reality Marble 111.

• Delayed use: His scripted arrogance prevents him from using his full strength against a supposedly inferior opponent 111.
• Adaptation choice: Shinji deliberately omits EA from the first Avalon encounter in Fate/stay night, preserving Gilgamesh’s dignity before the final showdown 23.

Chains of Heaven

Gilgamesh possesses the Chains of Heaven and uses them as a restraint 173.

• Matchup advantage: The narration identifies the chains as a major reason he can deal with Heracles, explaining why Shirou defeating Gilgamesh does not mean Shirou can also defeat Berserker 171.
• Imperfect restraint: Another passage explicitly notes that the chains could not restrain Heracles 142.
• Off-screen use: Attempts to bind Heracles and move him aside when he blocks a screening 173.

Golden Rule

Gilgamesh has Golden Rule and wins heavily enough at gambling to attract restrictions 113.

• Financial consequence: Within three months of his summoning, every gambling establishment in Fuyuki blacklists him and those associated with him because he does not moderate his winnings 113.

Axe Combat and Physical Limits

• Axe proficiency: His “Uruk Axe King” title reflects his skill with an axe, not exceptional running ability 83.
• Caster endurance: His class limits his stamina; a pursuit scene leaves him bent over and gasping beside a prop car 83.
• Close-quarters disadvantage: After repeated defeats, he considers Li Shuwen invincible within five steps and refuses to provoke him without more than 500 meters of separation 106.

Acting

• Natural screen presence: His arrogance and authentic weapon effects make the Archer role technically straightforward, provided he follows the script 10.
• Improvised dialogue: Participates in the Three Kings Banquet using an outline rather than fixed lines 54.
• Performance obstacle: His tendency to revise scenes and reject unfavorable outcomes repeatedly disrupts rehearsals 10.

Equipment / Items

• Golden battle armor — The centerpiece of his dazzling Fate/stay night entrance 23.
• Treasury wine — A prized collection he refuses to exchange for Iskandar’s cheap beer; he later approves another fine wine for inclusion in his collection 88 170.
• Rejuvenation Potion — Shinji proposes using Gilgamesh’s potion to make Waver young enough for his Fate/Zero role 37.
• “Oldest rope in the world” — Invoked in his threat to hang Shinji after the director proposes a false Enkidu 38.

Relationships

• Matou Shinji — Master and director. Their collaboration depends on negotiations over scripts, resources, and Gilgamesh’s promised film with Enkidu. Gilgamesh also delights in replaying Shinji’s embarrassing performances 10 38 123.
• Enkidu — Close friend and the person most capable of keeping him in line. Enkidu restrains him with the Chains of Heaven, supervises his conduct, and forces him to watch his own UBW defeat 83 110 111.
• Artoria — Fellow actor and rival king. He resents her supposedly taking his protagonist role and lets that resentment sharpen his insults during the banquet shoot 10 54.
• Iskandar — Fellow king, drinking companion, and screen opponent. Iskandar openly acknowledges that he cannot beat Gilgamesh, while repeatedly trying to obtain his excellent wine 88 96 170.
• Cú Chulainn — Fellow actor and frequent sparring partner in verbal disputes. Each mocks the other’s scripted defeats, and they become involved in company-damaging fights 104 113.
• Red A — Fellow actor whom he calls “Faker.” Red A’s destruction of a television interrupts a scene Gilgamesh eagerly awaited and triggers a brawl 105.
• Li Shuwen — Company disciplinarian whose close-range attacks repeatedly overwhelm him. Li knocks him down when he attempts to retaliate against the others’ mockery 106 111.
• Kirei Kotomine — Gets along reasonably well with him and believes he can achieve great things. They do not have a master–servant relationship in this world 173.
• Akiha Tono — Offers her soda during a screening. She initially seeks favor with the superstar, then becomes fascinated by his ability to retrieve objects from golden light 169 170.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Production and Company Life

Event	Chapter	Significance
Dispute over the Archer role	9 10	Refuses to follow Shinji’s characterization and attempts to change his defeat; the promise of a Wise King film with Enkidu wins his cooperation.
Fate/Zero agreement	37 38	Attacks Shinji over the proposed use of Yan Qing as a false Enkidu, then agrees to act and provide Noble Phantasms in exchange for preparations toward their film starting within three years.
Enkidu’s arrival	81 83	Enkidu joins the Heroic Spirits’ social circle and becomes an effective check on Gilgamesh’s disruptive behavior.
Forced UBW screening	110 111	Watches his defeat while bound, erupts at the ensuing ridicule, and is immediately stopped by Li Shuwen.
Punishment for property damage	112 113	Gilgamesh, Red A, and Cú Chulainn are beaten and hung up for damaging the company; Shinji leaves Gilgamesh suspended longer than the others.

Screen Roles

The following outcomes belong to Shinji’s productions, not permanent changes to the actor’s status.

Production	Role and major events
Fate/stay night	Appears abruptly as the final boss, overwhelms Saber, retreats when Shirou projects Avalon, and later faces Saber in the concluding king-versus-king battle 23.
Fate/Zero	Makes a spectacular entrance against Assassin, debates Artoria and Iskandar at the Three Kings Banquet, expresses an intention to marry Saber, and defeats Iskandar before meeting the other victors beneath the Grail 54 55 59 64 65.
Unlimited Blade Works	Returns at the end of the fourth episode. In the climax, Shirou’s Reality Marble counters his arsenal; Shirou severs his arm before he can use EA, forcing him to concede and retreat 92 110 111.
HF / Shadow Chronicle	Initially dominates the black shadow, but carelessness allows Sakura to reverse the battle and devour him. His fellow actors laugh while many fans react with shock or tears 156 157.

Public Reception

• Breakout appeal: Preview reporters are more interested in interviewing Gilgamesh than Shirou because his antagonist leaves the stronger impression. Shinji nevertheless keeps him away from interviews to avoid his insulting manner damaging promotion 24.
• Housewife-focused advertising: Shinji edits handsome-actor commercials for daytime television, using Gilgamesh to draw women and their families to Fate/stay night 29.
• Photo-card demand: His cards become the rarest at Illya’s school despite being distributed in the same numbers as Saber’s and Shirou’s 29.
• Television draw: His return contributes to UBW’s fourth-episode rebound, alongside plot changes and the Caster storyline. Japanese ratings rise from 28% to 31.2%, while North American viewership reaches 13 million 92.

Notable Quotes

“I am not a hero who displays chaotic power, but a wise king who rules the people.” 10

“Why? By what right should this King perform according to your demands?” 9