Gilgamesh

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Gilgamesh (吉尔伽美什) 156
Alias(es)	King of Heroes; URK; “Uruk Axe King” / “Axe King of Uruk,” a nickname used by Shirou 181 819 820
Species/Race	Heroic Spirit; manifests as a Servant 158 633
Gender	Female in the depicted incarnation. Shirou distinguishes her from a male historical/alternate version 633 1205
Affiliation	Uruk; Red Faction during the faction-based Holy Grail War 633 687 759
Occupation/Role	Ruler of Uruk; King of Heroes; Caster-class Servant in the Red Faction 633 651
Master	Amakusa Shirou during her Caster manifestation 687 704
First Appearance	Referenced through Angelica’s Class Card in the supplied early chapters; appears directly and identifies herself later 11 156

Background / History

Gilgamesh is identified as the world’s oldest King of Heroes. Angelica, who has accessed her memories through the Class Card, observes that the hat-wearing “URK” resembles a wise ruler after meeting Enkidu more than the tyrant she expected 181.

During Uruk’s crisis, Gilgamesh summoned Shirou as a Guardian, initially seeking a blacksmith capable of forging weapons. He introduced himself as Amakusa Shirou Tokisada; her clairvoyance exposed the false name, but Uruk’s circumstances took priority over her dislike of deception 633 812.

Shirou ultimately used a self-destructive sword against Tiamat, protecting Uruk and delaying the enemy until Chaldea’s Master arrived. Gilgamesh remembered both his actions and his assumed name. She later credits him with helping save Uruk’s five hundred remaining survivors 633 813.

This encounter underlies her attachment to Shirou. Despite his missing memories and uncertainty about whether he is the person she knew, Gilgamesh insists that she summoned him, not another Shirou from a parallel world 707 728.

Appearance

• Golden hair — Described as shimmering and exceptionally smooth in her approximately ten-year-old Caster form 633.
• Scarlet, vertical pupils — Visible when she peers out from her defensive shield enclosure 738.
• Variable age and stature — Youth Restoring Medicine makes her smaller, while a Growth Potion produces a tall form exceeding Shirou’s height 465 643.
• Uruk-style clothing — Her grown form wears revealing clothing that emphasizes her tall stature and slender legs 643.
• Golden armor — Appears when she prepares to fight Shirou more seriously 156.
• Hat and prominent ahoge — She removes her hat before equipping armor; a conspicuous “antenna” is noted during a later confrontation 156 702 703.

Personality

Gilgamesh is proud, possessive, and accustomed to treating others as beneath her. She calls people “mongrels,” regards Shirou and Saber as potential additions to her collection, and resents interference in battles she considers her own 156 158. Her contempt for counterfeits is sufficiently predictable that Shirou plans around her tendency to answer an imitation with its corresponding original 164.

She nevertheless values conviction and perseverance. Shirou interests her because his heart is filled with his own beliefs, while Spartacus earns a measure of respect by continuing to fight despite catastrophic injuries 167 749. This appreciation coexists with a merciless worldview: she advocates judging humanity through the Holy Grail and dismisses people she considers worthless 167.

Her attraction to Shirou exposes jealousy, embarrassment, and vulnerability beneath her arrogance. She becomes angry when he admires other women, feels betrayed by his deception, and remembers his desperate defense of Uruk as sufficient reason to keep valuing him 641 647 707.

Gilgamesh can also recognize when pride would be fatal. She retreats from Nameless through invisibility, restrains herself against Sesshoin, and later acknowledges learning “backing down” from Shirou. Her protective actions toward fellow Servants contrast with her insistence that she is not helping them 178 502 738.

Abilities & Skills

Gate of Babylon

Gilgamesh’s treasury supplies an immense variety of original Noble Phantasms, including holy swords, demonic swords, spears, cursed weapons, shields, and utility items 156 172 178.

• Mass bombardment: Opens numerous gates and launches weapons in overwhelming volleys. The weapons Shirou analyzes during their first direct clash are at least A-rank; another barrage consists of B-rank or higher weapons 156 644.
• Original weapons: Her collection allows her to answer projected counterfeits with originals and select weapons suited to an opponent 164 701.
• Layered defenses: Produces barriers, automatic defensive weapons, and hundreds of shields arranged into an enclosing fortress 172 173 737.
• Noncombat supplies: Stores medicines, magical materials, wine, and other conveniences 485 486 500 634.
• Retrieval requirement: During Angelica’s use of the Card, launched weapons must be recalled before reuse. Shirou contrasts the treasury’s unique items with his ability to manufacture repeated projections 80 175.
• Close-range risk: Shirou can entangle her weapon and position himself so that a Gate of Babylon barrage risks striking Gilgamesh herself 726.

EA / Enuma Elish

EA changes from a complex golden key into a black, red-marked sword with three rotating sections. Its release, Enuma Elish, produces a world-cleaving attack 168 645 748.

• Anti-world attack: Described as especially effective against Reality Marbles; Shirou cannot analyze or project it 89.
• Exceptional destructive power: Overpowers Saber’s Excalibur despite Command Spell reinforcement and shatters all seven petals of Shirou’s weakened Seven Rings of the Heavenly Wall 169 173.
• Charging: Requires time to activate; charging it rather than releasing immediately unlocks its strongest output 89 733.
• Command Spell restriction: Amakusa temporarily forbids its use. Gilgamesh obtains a Command Spell through a treasury item and cancels his order 704 706.
• Collateral damage: She avoids releasing it when doing so would destroy the Hanging Gardens 706 774.
• Interruption risk: Archer’s covering shot prevents her from safely stopping an activation, forcing her to struggle to regain control 775.

Chains of Heaven

The Chains of Heaven, also referred to as Enkidu, provide an extensive binding and restraining attack 166 735.

• Battlefield control: Their continuous assault prevents Shirou from closing the distance while Gilgamesh prepares additional weapons 166.
• Capture: Gilgamesh offers Shirou surrender through binding and later restrains him while allowing his companions to leave 734 772.
• Evasion: Shirou’s close-range circling can prevent the chains from finding a successful binding opportunity 726.

Star of All-Knowing and All-Powerful

Gilgamesh’s clairvoyance knows the past and present and can reach into the future 181.

• Detecting deception: Exposes Shirou’s false identity when he presents himself as Amakusa Shirou in Uruk 633.
• Guidance: Directs Angelica toward Shirou as the source of her answer and helps Gilgamesh warn Shirou about the Sage’s interest in him 181 466.
• Specialized knowledge: Recognizes the white-haired enemy’s retained Beast I characteristics and counter-summoning ability 915.
• Blind spots: Cannot identify the entity Alaya intends to summon despite the enormous material expenditure 486.
• Distorted readings: Gilgamesh has previously claimed that Shirou’s affairs are difficult to see and that much of what she perceives is distorted 903.

Caster Combat and Reinforcement

As Caster, Gilgamesh combines treasury weapons with spellbooks rather than relying solely on projectile volleys 633 727.

• Grimoire reinforcement: Channels mana from a spellbook into her body and stone axe, exceeding Shirou’s usual reinforcement output through abundant mana 727.
• Opponent research: Her earlier tests and plans in Uruk give her detailed knowledge of Shirou’s magic and projection timing 727.
• Limited weapon technique: Nameless assesses her martial skill as competent but unexceptional among Heroic Spirits; she relies heavily on swinging weapons and releasing their True Names 178.
• Manifestation limits: Gilgamesh admits that her Servant state restricts her available power and makes confronting stronger enemies such as Sesshoin dangerous 497 502.

Strategy and Psychological Warfare

• Recognizing stalls: Immediately identifies Shirou’s attempt to prolong a battle through conversation 167.
• Coercion: Uses hostages and threats against Shirou’s allies to prevent retreat or outside assistance 158 164 732.
• Exploiting uncertainty: Attacks Shirou’s doubts about his identity until his movements begin to falter 729.
• Disguise: Uses an Angelica disguise as part of her confrontation with Sesshoin 515.
• Calculated retreat: Uses invisibility to avoid Nameless and later shelters behind shields while aiding allied Servants 178 738.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Golden Armor — Primarily enhances Magic Resistance rather than physical protection. Heracles’s arrows break substantial portions of it 156 748.
• Gram — A renowned demonic sword drawn during her confrontation with Shirou 729.
• Caladbolg — A spiral sword identified in the passage as a prototype of the Sword of Promised Victory 169.
• “A small world that envelops the azure sky” — A defensive barrier breached by Shirou’s projected Durandal, an anti-person Noble Phantasm 172.
• LawAias — A shield Shirou recognizes as Gilgamesh searches her treasury during their battle 172.
• Cloak of Invisibility — Allows her to disappear when Nameless reaches close range 178.
• Autonomous Mechanical Doll — Used to restrain Illya before an impending confrontation 165.
• Youth Restoring Medicine and Growth Potion — Alter her apparent age and physical size 465 641 643.
• Healing medicines — Supplied to injured allied Servants 687 738.
• Golden cup — Offered as a suitable vessel when she says she cannot provide the Holy Grail 196.
• Holy Grail — Later given to Shirou, who recognizes its potential to help restore Archer’s power 813.
• Magical materials — Her treasury contains Barbarian God’s Hearts, Demon Sealing Lamps, Spirit Roots, and Inheritance Crystals used in Alaya’s summoning preparations 485 486.

Relationships

• Shirou Emiya — Former defender of Uruk, rival, and romantic interest. Gilgamesh wants to claim him, but also warns him of danger, protects him from Alaya’s methods, and supplies a Holy Grail for his plans 158 466 513 813.
• Enkidu — An important companion from her past. Gilgamesh says Enkidu wanted her to find someone to be with before leaving 181 728.
• Artoria / Saber — Opponent and frequent target of provocation. Gilgamesh initially wants her as part of a collection; much later, Artoria retaliates against her harassment by making her work as a waiter 158 1148 1149 1150.
• Angelica — User of her Class Card and a “fake” in Gilgamesh’s eyes. Their relationship becomes more accommodating: Gilgamesh uses her as a pillow and promises to forgive her actions if she helps enforce limits on Shirou’s missions 11 485 531.
• Nameless / Archer — A hostile rival who condemns her treatment of people as objects and exploits her injuries and pride 177 178.
• Alaya — Occasional collaborator and target of criticism. Gilgamesh accepts a plan involving Shirou but later confronts Alaya over schemes to turn him into a contracted Guardian 497 513.
• Sakura Matou — A rival Gilgamesh refuses to ally with. She resents being swallowed by Sakura’s Shadows even though she had agreed to it; she later describes that sacrifice as repayment connected to Shirou’s wish 497 732.
• Amakusa Shirou — Master of her Caster manifestation. She disparages his preparations and claims there is no future to show him after his wish; he uses a Command Spell to stop her from releasing Enuma Elish 670 704.
• Semiramis — Red Faction colleague and competing royal presence. Their arguments require Amakusa’s intervention to prevent damaging their faction 634 687.
• Heracles — A dangerous opponent whose arrows damage her armor and whose approach prompts a massive shield defense 737 748.
• Atalanta and Achilles — Fellow Servants whom she shields and supplies with aid while denying that their protection motivated her 738.
• Iskandar — Accompanies her to the restaurant where Artoria works, but criticizes her wastefulness. Both are subsequently made to serve customers 1148 1149 1150.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Class Card Conflict

• Angelica possesses Gilgamesh’s Class Card. Her emotionless Puppet state prevents the King of Heroes’ personality from imposing arrogance and complacency, making her an especially dangerous wielder 11.
• The Card grants access to the treasury, chains, and EA. Shirou counters its weapon volleys through mass projection, forcing Angelica to protect herself while Enuma Elish activates 80 87 89.

Fuyuki Confrontation

• Gilgamesh reveals her identity, equips Golden Armor, and overwhelms Shirou and Saber with Noble Phantasms 156 158.
• After Shirou retreats, she arranges another battle at the artificial Holy Grail’s castle, using Rin as a stake and restricting who may enter 158 164.
• Shirou’s Unlimited Blade Works pressures her treasury attacks, but she answers with defensive equipment and EA, shattering his weakened protection 172 173.
• The battle leaves her injured. Nameless attempts to exploit the damage, but Gilgamesh escapes with her Cloak of Invisibility 177 178.
• She subsequently offers information about the Holy Grail’s black shadows and a golden cup suitable as a vessel 196.

Sesshoin Conflict

• In child form, Gilgamesh seeks Shirou and later warns that an approaching danger is directed primarily at him 465 466.
• She restrains her anger and withdraws with Alaya when Shirou signals, recognizing that her Servant manifestation cannot safely challenge Sesshoin head-on 502.
• Her plans include exposing Alaya’s intentions toward Shirou and deceiving Sesshoin through an Angelica disguise 513 515.
• Sesshoin later claims to have killed her. Afterward, Angelica invokes Gilgamesh’s prior arrangements to hold Alaya to a two-mission limit for Shirou 525 531.

Red Faction and the Hanging Gardens

• Summoned as Caster, Gilgamesh initially compares Amakusa Shirou with the red-haired Guardian she knew in Uruk and finds him disappointing 633.
• Her encounters with Shirou combine romantic jealousy, psychological attacks, and research-based counters to his magic 641 727 729.
• She shows greater tactical restraint by taking shelter from Heracles and protecting allied Servants 737 738.
• Shirou and Siegfried escape after baiting her into activating EA; Archer’s covering arrow complicates her attempt to stop it 775.
• Gilgamesh gives Shirou a Holy Grail and reminds him of Uruk’s survivors, while remaining an opponent he believes he must defeat 813.
• When Shirou finally becomes furious at her apparent indifference, she reveals that she wanted to witness his true resolve and challenges him to defeat her, then Amakusa 838 839.

Later Competitions

• Uses Gate of Babylon to launch countless volleyballs while Lord El-Melloi II supports her side through a rules loophole involving Pseudo Noble Phantasms 1119 1120.
• Repeated Mahjong losses threaten her treasury. Shirou offers to leave the Gate of Babylon with her if she calls him “big brother” 1142 1143.
• Provokes Artoria at work, only to be pressed into waiting tables herself 1148 1149 1150.
• During the Mount Akina race, declares that Shirou should marry her after the competition. His “flag” tactic causes her motorcycle to leak milk and stop moving 1162 1163.

Notable Quotes

“Unwavering, your heart is not empty, but filled with your own convictions. In short, you are a valuable person.” 167

“Is it cowardly for the King of Heroes? It's called ‘backing down,’ ‘backing down’! You taught me that, Shirou Emiya!” 738

“What's mine is yours, and what's mine is still mine. And you are mine too. That's how simple my logic is.” 772

Trivia

• Gilgamesh plays on a PS4 while reclining against Angelica and drinking soda 485.
• Despite her reputation for knowledge, she admits that she often solved problems through overwhelming strength and treasure rather than understanding complicated methods 467.
• Shirou’s “Uruk Axe King” nickname eventually prompts her to embrace the joke, declaring that she has “nothing but axes” 819 820.