Fanfic / Dueling Zero

Dueling Zero is a crossover fanfic between Fate/Zero and Yu-Gi-Oh! written by D.N.Works.

The Fourth Holy Grail has come, and Tohsaka Tokiomi was more than ready. With allies and skill by his side, Tokiomi was certain victory was at hand. But fate has changed when instead of the King of Heroes, Tokiomi and the other Masters attain different spirits all together. All starting with a Maiden with Eyes of Blue. Now begins the Fourth Holy Grail War. It's time to duel!

A story that features the Duel Monsters as Heroic Spirits. The new Servants being:

• Archer/Maiden with Eyes of Blue, summoned by Tokiomi Tohsaka.
• Rider/Sky Striker Ace - Roze, summoned by Kiritsugu Emiya.
• Berserker/Dragon Core Hexer, summoned by Kariya Matou.
• Lancer/the woman from the Forbidden spells, summoned by Kirei Kotomine.
• Caster/Metal Reflect Slime, summoned by Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald.
• Assassin/Number 96, summoned by Ryuunosuke Uryuu.
• Saber/ Marauding Captain, summoned by Waver Velvet.

It can be read in Fanfiction.net.

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Dueling Zero contains examples of:

• Above Good and Evil: The Wicked Avatar plans to make all of humanity this, so that they can reach their full potential. The problem is that it plans to do so by removing anything that holds humanity back, which includes morality and ethics. The result? As Irisviel witnesses, a world where magus go amuck unchecked, people killing anybody they deem a threat to their loved ones, attacking others for the smallest slights, or having no filter when they speak. Causing the collapse of humanity through sheer anarchy.
• Achilles' Heel: Number 96: Dark Mist, proves to be near-unstoppable. Unable to be destroyed properly in a fight with neither Rider and Saber's attacks doing very little against it beyond being a nuisance. However, upon being attacked by Caster, it's shown that aside from a Number, anything with Divinity or something close to it can bypass its protection, which causes immense damage to it. Losing its summoner, Assassin, also proves to be equally effective.
• Adaptational Jerkass: Unlike canon, Rider here seemed to have reverted back to her former behavior before she met Raye. Willing to attack others without hearing them out and threatening her Master as she did with Zard. Even considered killing Irisviel just to get to Kiritsugu. Thankfully, she gets better later on and becomes much more approachable.
• Adaptational Intelligence: Downplayed. Waver isn't exactly smarter, but he does know how to speak Japanese here properly when talking to Taiga.
• Adaptational Nice Guy: All three of the Wicked Gods are this. They genuinely mean well, and their actions in turning Yako Tenma more twisted in Yu-Gi-Oh! R were just them trying to help him do what they thought needed to be done so Yako can achieve his goals. Granted, they're still evil Gods where despite being genuine, Irisviel claims that they are entering Nasu!Earth would be a horrible thing and would bring the end of the world.
• Adaptational Wimp: Number 96 gets hit with this. Despite having the ability to summon his other-half without needing to duel, and is a considerably strong Heroic Spirit, it's also made clear that even when he uses his Noble Phantasm to Rank Up, he's not as powerful as he was in life. Having been capable of bombarding three dimensions as Number C96 where here he's more limited by his container.
• Alternate Timeline: It's heavily implied that some of the Servants don't just come from other worlds, but other timelines that are loosely connected to the Nasuverse.
  • Lancer's world seems similar to Earth, only to diverge when Judgement Day happens a lot sooner.
  • One of the Wicked Avatar's forms, Super Starslayer TY-PHON - Sky Crisis, or Typhon for short, is all but stated to come from a timeline where it killed the Machine Gods, starting with Zeus, before they landed on Earth.
  • The Wicked Avatar itself claims that Roze and Raye's world is a designated pruned timeline.
  • At the end of the story, Odin comments that the timeline the Wicked Gods come from seems to be outside the Counter Force's purview.
• An Arm and a Leg: This occurs to some characters.
  • Tokiomi, after being captured by Assassin, finds his left hand gone. Taken by the latter for the Command Seals on it. The right hand would have also been taken, but left so Assassin could control Archer.
  • Risei ends up losing his entire right arm to both free him from Assassin's control and ensure the Servant couldn't use the spare Command Seals.
• Anti-Climax: The first fight between Archer and Berserker ends up like this. Their battle forces their Masters to stop them from fighting by teleporting them away or face death by the constant stream of mana they drain from them.
• Ascended Extra: Admittingly, Irisviel was already prominent in her home series in canon. Here, however, after Kiritsugu's death, she becomes Rider's new Master and helps in defeating the Wicked Avatar and ending its threat.
• Asshole Victim: It's revealed that in order to escape Sky Striker Ace -Zeke's Noble Phantasm to banish her, Ruler summoned Dogmatika Ashiyan and used him as a shield to escape the attack's range. Considering the man helped bring ruin in his world, Ruler doesn't feel any shame at kicking him to take the blow meant for her.
• At Least I Admit It: What Lancer wants Kirei to acknowledge. Tempting him into admitting what he really feels as she herself does. When he refuses, despite clearly wanting to know more about Lancer and ignoring the logic in killing her at the same time, she threatens to murder him unless he confesses his feelings. He does soon after.
• Always Someone Better: Or something in this case. To Kayneth's delight, his Servant, Caster, is like his own Volumen Hydragyrum, only much faster, stronger, and durable than his mystic code. Combined with the fact it lacks a mind, Kayneth enjoys his Servant more than he did with Lancer in canon.
• Back from the Dead: All the Servants are this, which surprises the Duel Spirits since none of them expected to come back alive, and as Heroic Spirits at that.
• Banishing Ritual: Both Rider and Saber have a Noble Phantasm that can 'banish' a target elsewhere. It's implied that it's the Reverse Side the targets are sent to, temporarily anyway. Chapter 13 has Saber banish Number 96, forcing Assassin to retreat.
• Beast of the Apocalypse: The Wicked Avatar has the potential and ultimately becomes an Evil of Humanity.
• Berserk Button:
  • At first glance Berserker seems alright, if a bit slow in speaking. If she sees a dragon, or anybody related to a dragon, or someone trying to stop her from killing a dragon, she goes crazy and instantly attacks without question. Her Master, Kariya, also finds how bad an idea it is to prevent her from attacking by being stabbed.
  • Assassin has one in the form of Yuma and Astral. When ranting to a captured Tokiomi, the latter uses it against him which enrages the Servant to just beat up Tokiomi in livid anger. Also making it clear his wish is to return home and deal with them.
• Believing Their Own Lies: Like canon, Kariya thinks only he can bring Aoi happiness. As the story continues, his mental health degrades until he believes killing Tokiomi will make everything better.
• Blessed with Suck: Berserker, very much so. After killing many dragons and taking in their blood, like Siegfried, her body had become much tougher, stronger, with her own armor and sword becoming equally powerful. It simply comes at the cost of her body and mind being warped, not helped by her utter obsession with killing dragons. After Lancer reverts Berserker into a temporary Saber, the more clear-headed Dragon Horn Hunter laments her Berserker self's condition and feels ashamed for her actions prior.
• Big Bad Wannabe: Number 96 turns out to be this. For all his power, his inability to just finish off the competition and need to brag his superiority only serves to undermine him. The true Big Bad, after his death, reveals itself to be the Wicked Avatar.
• Both Sides Have a Point:
  • After the battle between Blue-Eyes and Berserker, both Archer and Tokiomi get into an argument. The former believes Tokiomi was overstepping and violated her free will. Claiming that he could have just asked them to stop fighting, as neither she or Blue-Eyes are that unreasonable. Tokiomi however angrily points out his actions to teleport them away were necessary due to the reckless battle they started with him having no time to ask due to the mana drain on him.
  • Later on, when Tokiomi tries to convince Blue-Eyes White Dragon to help him, the dragon claims that he just wants to use her and Archer as a tool and would gladly use Command Seals on them to get what he wants, something Tokiomi doesn't deny. However, he also points out that he doesn't seek unwarranted destruction or mass death. He just wants to win the Holy Grail War and nothing else, which manages to convince Blue-Eyes and Archer to reluctantly work with him.
• Brainwashed and Crazy: Using her Noble Phantasm, Sky Striker Ace - Zeke, gives Rider immense power, but at the same time, is a brainwashing device that forces her to follow whatever directives that would benefit Spectra. Which forces her to attack Fuyuki City without care for the people and the damage she causes.
• Bittersweet Ending: Despite stopping The Wicked Avatar's plans and ridding the world of the Wicked Gods, Fuyuki is still left in shambles by Rider's attack alongside the other Servants. Not to mention, in secret, Zouken manages to steal the Lesser Grail the Wicked Avatar left behind for his own use. On the other hand, Kirei left, meaning he won't cause any more trouble in Fuyuki. Not to mention that Maiya, while initially depressed despite her survival, managed to find the will to live and adopt Shirou as her son.
• Bonus Episode: After the conclusion of the story, another chapter updates featuring a grown Shirou Hisau, adopted by Maiya, continuing his normal days until he meets a certain girl with a giant monster near her. The fifth Holy Grail War has begun, ending with Shirou Hisau summoning none other than Saber Roze who asks if he's her Master.
• Broken Masquerade: Narrowly averted. Not that it was easy, as nearly all the Servants in the war attacked in broad daylight or in the city. Assassin himself doing so in the open and Rider using her Noble Phantasm against the city. Then the Wicked Avatar popped up and cracked the sky while blowing up a mountain. The Mage Association works overtime alongside the Church and local government to suppress the news, alter key details, and go all out in memory wiping, alteration, and suppression to keep The Masquerade up.
• Call-Back: Some of the Servants abilities and Noble Phantasms reference the real-life cards or their own pasts.
  • When Waver tells Saber to put on normal clothes, Saber comments the only other clothing he wore was an apron. Something he wore as Marmiting Captain.
  • The Wicked Avatar refers to certain events to Irisviel. Such as the Awakening the Dragons Arc, the battle against the Earthbound Immortals, the Bonds Beyond Time film, the past life of Shark and Rio, and Zarc's reign of terror with the Dimensional Dragons.
• Can't Kill You, Still Need You: After capturing Tokiomi and Kirei, Assassin admits it'd be better if he could kill them. But, to ensure their respective Servants can't do anything funny, keeps them around with the idea of hurting them if they don't use their Command Seals for his advantage.
• Cassandra Truth: Nobody really believes Ruler when she goes out to claim all the Servants are from outside Proper Human History. Though with the sporting evidence, Tokiomi finds it difficult to believe that the Holy Grail can summon such Servants in the first place. Which is understandable, as it was the Wicked Avatar's presence that allowed them to be summoned in the first place.
• The Cavalry: Saber reveals he has a Noble Phantasm that can do just that. Reinforcement of the Army's Troops lets him summon many normal soldiers along with close friends and allies such as Freed, Gagagigo, Warrior Lady of the Wasteland, and some goblins. All of whom gladly help Saber out in his time of need despite the difference in power between them and Rider.
• The Cameo: The Wicked Avatar shows Irisviel many different characters from the Yu-Gi-Oh series. Such as:
  • Yubel and the three Sacred Beasts.
  • Dartz and The Great Leviathan.
  • The corrupt Diva.
  • Many of the Yu-Gi-Oh protagonists which includes Yugi/Atem, Jaden, Yusei, Yuma, and Yuya.
  • When dreaming, Kirei sees in Lancer's past, where Goetia is seen watching Lancer leave after being judged from Solomin's shadow.
  • Shirou is spotted in the final chapter by Maiya. in the bonus chapter, he becomes her adopted son.
  • After the Wicked Gods are banished to the Reverse Side of the World, they are met with countless characters from FGO. Which includes Anubis (In Nitocris Alter's body), Odin, Tezcatlipoca, Zeus, Larvae Tiamat, Ishtar, and Quetzalcoatl.
  • The bonus chapter features the newly summoned Servants for the fifth Grail War. Featuring Illya and Berserker Gogiga Gagagigo, Zouken and Pseudo-Servant Assassin Weevil/Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth, Atrum and Caster Fire King Consort Ulkanix and Ponix, Risei and Lancer Number 23: Lancelot, Shinji/Sakura and Rider Evil Eye Medusa, and Rin with Archer D/D/D Gilgamesh. Ending with Shirou summoning Saber Roze.
• This Cannot Be!: After realizing all his advantages and power have been stripped from him, Assassin screams in outrage that he would die again without accomplishing his goals. While he tries to take out the others, he's killed before he could do anything.
• Commonality Connection:
  • As Irisviel learns, she and Rider aren't too different from one another, which surprises even Rider. That being, the two are artificially created humans and seen only as tools by their own father/creator. With both only doing what they were told until somebody, Kiritsugu/Raye respectively, got them to open up. Making them much nicer in response.
  • Lancer sees herself in Kirei. Two people who served their respective religion only to find emptiness in their lives. Only when committing Illicit actions did they find joy while still holding a belief (if twisted) in God. This makes it easy for her to get Kirei to admit his problems and open up to her.
• Curb Stomp Cushion: When Tokiomi and Kariya battle, the former is more than capable of defeating Kariya. However, due to being tired, injured, and far from his best after falling from the sky alongside Archer, after a single distraction Kariya strikes and manages to kill Tokiomi. Though it's made very clear that had Tokiomi been at his best, Kariya would have never managed to kill the man.
• Combat Pragmatist: Without a doubt Kiritsugu would do whatever it takes to win the Holy Grail War. It goes to the point where when Rider and Saber faced off against Assassin and Number 96, he tried ordering Rider to back-stab Saber to lessen the competition.
• The Corrupter: Taking Gilgamesh's role, Lancer tempts Kirei from his current path with the Church. Doing this by being someone who actually understands his pain while perverting Gods' words and teachings for her own use. By the end of the story she manages to make him accept his distortion.
• Cosplay: Despite the potential danger of Saber walking out in the open in his armor, to Waver's rightful fear, everyone just thinks he's in a costume. He does get regular clothes later on.
• Crippling Overspecialization: When trying to find the enemy Servants, Kariya asks if Berserker can track them down. She bluntly admits that she only hunts down dragons, and has no real skill in hunting people.
• Dangerous Forbidden Technique: Both Lancer and Assassin hold one for themselves.
  • All of Lancer's Noble Phantasms, while slowly killing her, are still usable. Her final Noble Phantasm: Forbidden Droplet, can only be used once and she cannot use any Noble Phantasms afterwards or she dies.
  • As it turns out, Assassin's Rank-Up Noble Phantasm is this. His profile mentions that the immense power gained actually begins burning his Saint Graph as he's just a 'shadow' of his original self.
• Deity of Mortal Creation: Caster, Metal Reflect Slime, was originally just a familiar made for defending its Master with no mind of its own. After the events of the first Yu-Gi-Oh anime series, caused by Yami Marik, the Servant gained a Noble Phantasm that allows it to become Egyptian God Slime.
• Demonic Possession: Assassin has this ability. Being capable of possessing and then controlling different humans he enters. Doing this both for plundering information or tricking others. Possessing Risei to trick Tokiomi and Kirei, then the other Masters, into entering his trap.
• Demoted to Extra: While some of the Masters don't get as much prominence as the Servants, Ryuunosuke gets the worst of it. Barley making an appearance due to Assassin having no care for working with a human. By the time he makes his appearance again to help Assassin, the Servant decides Ryuusonuke is no longer needed and has him killed.
• Did Not See That Coming: None of the Masters expected to summon spirits that didn't align with the catalysts they brought. More so for the Servants themselves, who are seemingly new at being Servants and being called on. Leaving some less than pleased when they realized what they have been summoned for.
• Didn't Think This Through: When trying to kill the remaining Masters, before doing so, Assassin murders Ryuunosuke just because he didn't want to deal with him anymore. This lack of foresight ends up causing his other-half, Number 96: Dark Mist, to be running on fumes during its fight against the other Servants, weakening it.
• Dies Differently in Adaptation: Aside from Kariya, all the other Masters perish differently.
  • Instead of being shot and killed by mortal wounds, here, Sola-Ui perishes when the hotel collapses atop of her.
  • Kiritsugu perishes after being crushed in Egyptian God Slime's grip instead of Angra Mainyu's curse.
  • Kayneth dies by burning through all his mana and life to kill Kiritsugu. Dying just before his body hits the ground.
  • Ryuunosuke is crushed in Number 96's claws instead of being shot.
  • Tokiomi is beaten to death by Kariya instead of being stabbed in the back by Kirei.
  • Angra Mainyu was murdered before the story even began. By the Wicked Dreadroot so that the Wicked Avatar can take Angra's place as the Einzbern's Servant.
• Defrosting Ice Queen: When summoned, Rider is considerably rude and is somewhat of a jerk. Having even considered killing Irisviel and Kiritsugu when feeling slighted by them. Once Irisviel becomes her Master, Rider becomes more friendly.
• Difficult, but Awesome: Archer and Berserker may be the best examples of this trope. Despite the two being powerful Servants for their respective Masters, Tokiomi and Kariya, the two have a heavy strain on their mana supply.
  • Summoning Blue-Eyes White Dragon causes Tokiomi to weaken greatly as he's supplying mana for both Archer and Blue-Eyes. Exhausting him greatly.
  • Like canon, Kariya can barely handle Berserker's mana requirement. Her fighting makes it worse and brings a lot of pain on him and possibly death.
• Doppelgänger Gets Same Sentiment: Despite being from another timeline altogether, Lancer comments that the God of this world still punishes Lancer for her crimes from her world.
• Dragons Are Divine: In Archer's homeland, Blue-Eyes White Dragon is seen as this. Being a bright, beautiful, near-invincible dragon that obliterates all enemies with little effort. Worshiped because of her power. This makes Archer very dangerous as not many Servants can challenge Blue-Eyes in a battle.
• Dramatic Irony: The bonus chapter reveals that after the fourth war, Shirou had become traumatized by the events due to being one of the few who remembers what happened at the end. Having a fear of the advanced machinery that ruined his home. By the fifth war, he ends up summoning Roze as a Saber, the very same person who, while brainwashed, caused his trauma in the first place.
• The Dragonslayer: Berserker is this, having killed many dragons in life. This allows her to be one of the few Servants that can challenge and harm Blue-Eyes White Dragon. With the dragon herself being wary of Berserker for this feat.
• Driving Question: Chapter 31 has Waver asking Ruler one. Asking why the Holy Grail summoned Servants from different timelines in the first place, let alone how? Seeing as all the Servants don't belong to Proper Human History in the first place, which baffles Ruler as well. The answer is that it was unintentional, caused by the Wicked Avatar's presence as it dwells inside the Greater Grail.
• Dying Curse: It's explained that one of the reasons Berserker is mentally unwell is because, according to Archer and Zouken, examination of her blade shows the lingering grudges and curses from all the dead dragons she's killed. Granting her strength but berefting her of her sanity.
• Enemy Mine: When Assassin and Number 96: Dark Mist, begin rampaging, Rider and Saber work together to survive. Eventually, the two alongside their Masters, Irisviel and Waver, form an alliance.
• Energy Donation: After Kiritsugu dies, Maiya finds Rider and forces the Servant to drink her blood so that Irisviel can make a contract with her. She falls into a coma after this and only awakens at the end of the story.
• Entertainingly Wrong: When Kiritsugu gets a look at Rider's memories, he sees her world which is ruled by machines while the planet itself is a wasteland. He concludes that this is Earth's future and that humans will keep going to war until their own creations usurps them. Obviously, this is wrong. But to be fair, he doesn't know that Rider comes from another timeline.
• Et Tu, Brute?: The Wicked Gods have this feeling towards Yako Tenma. As despite being willing to help him bring back Pegasus, the man they hate, they were shocked and betrayed when he tore they're cards and exiled them after everything they did. Granted, they were evil and needed to be dealt with, but it's the feelings that count.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Downplayed. After seeing Ryuunosuke's actions, Assassin shows an immediate distaste for them. Not because he has any morals or empathy for Ryuunosuke's victims, but because it feels pointless and wastes time.
• Everyone Has Standards:
  • As violent as Rider is, when Kiritsugu tells her to kill Saber, who was helping her against Number 96, she refuses in disgust at his suggestion.
  • When Assassin possesses Risei, Tokiomi shows his disgust in how his friends' body is being treated. He internally admits if he had to, he would kill Risei. But he wouldn't be happy about it either.
• Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Alongside their Class titles, nobody actually knows the real names of the other Servants. Only getting their titles such as Saber's title as the Marauding Captain. Ruler does claim they do have names, they just don't say it.
• Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: During the final battle, the Wicked Avatar is attacked by the few Servants and Masters remaining. Throughout the fight, it wonders and angrily asks why they're trying to stop it from trying to make humanity great. Unaware that it itself is the one that would endanger humanity.
• Evil Plan: When possessing Risei, Assassin sends out a message to all the remaining Masters to enter the Church. This way, Assassin can just kill everyone and win the war like so. It's only thanks to Lancer that the other Masters manage to escape Assassin's plan and properly deal with him.
• Exact Eavesdropping: After the first fight between Servants, Kiritsugu shows his irritation at Rider towards Maiya and Irisviel for attacking him. Then explaining that later on, he would use a Command Seal when he was at a safe distance, forcing Rider to do what he wanted while also admitting his thoughts on her as a tool, which are very unflattering. Rider overheard everything and became pissed enough to consider killing him then and there. Only serving him afterwards to potentially kill him later on and for her wish.
• Exhausted Eye Bags: Because of all the mayhem the Servants cause, Risei is utterly exhausted and has to force himself awake just to keep up.
• The Exile: After the events of Yu-Gi-Oh R!, it's discovered that the Wicked Gods had been exiled from the Earth. Admittingly, it was accidental in this case. Though the three would wander in the void until eventually they accidentally discovered Nasu!Earth around the time the third Holy Grail War was happening. They would use this opportunity to have the Wicked Avatar summon itself through the Holy Grail War so it can win the war and free the other two from Imaginary Space. By the end of the story, they've been exiled again into the Reverse Side of the World.
• Fading Away: To defeat the Wicked Avatar, Irisviel, inhabiting Sky Striker Ace - Zeke, uses all her mana to banish the Wicked Avatar alongside the other two. This causes Rider, Archer, and phantom Raye to vanish away from a lack of mana, but proud for aiding in defeating their foe.
• Fatal Flaw: His gloating and overconfidence. In the end, Assassin very much could have won the Holy Grail War, even after his original plan fell apart. However, despite entering his Chaos form, he simply taunts and boasts of his newfound power while playing around with the Servants and Masters. Giving Lancer the opportunity to use her Noble Phantasm to nullify his abilities. Allowing everyone to kill him like so.
• Family Man: Heavily Downplayed. Tokiomi, while he loves his family, has no problem giving away Sakura and doesn't mind if Rin and Sakura die reaching the Root. On the other hand, when facing Kariya who constantly rants and seemingly is obsessed with Sakura and Aoi, Tokiomi becomes very disturbed by these indications and, while he was already going to kill Kariya, just adds this as another reason for Kariya to die.
• Faux Affably Evil: Lancer certainly has a way with words and for the most part, treats everyone around her with respect. But she's also corrupting and can lead others astray, willing to kill even her own Master if she feels like it while having a disdain for the Church and God.
• Fear Is the Appropriate Response: After everything that happened throughout Fuyuki, countless people decide to abandon the city from the stress and fear. Then comes Rider using her Noble Phantasm followed by the Wicked Avatar bursting out of a mountain and then cracking the sky to make a portal. Everyone in Fuyuki begins fleeing as best they can.
• For the Evulz: Just because he wants to cause chaos, Assassin decides to summon his other-self, Number 96: Dark Mist, and attack people in broad daylight. Not giving a damn about the masquerade and is more interested in just killing people sadistically.
• From Bad to Worse: Chapter 39 was terrible in the reveal that the Wicked Avatar is the true mastermind and Big Bad of the story. By Chapter 40, it succeeds in summoning itself and slowly begins breaking the barriers between worlds to release the other Wicked Gods, Dreadroot and Eraser, into the world. It also had plans in transforming into ORT of all things. Thankfully, it's stopped before the last part.
• Gameplay and Story Segregation: Many of the duel monsters abilities come from either their own effects or the featured cards that represent their lore.
• Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: After Waver realizes just how much danger he's in when joining the Holy Grail War, he begins freaking out. Saber slaps him to calm the boy down.
• Godzilla Threshold: After numerous Servants cause devastation in open daylight, the Greater Grail itself summons Ruler just to deal with them. Calling upon Dogmatika Ecclesia, the Virtuous. Though later on it's revealed that this was just a ruse by the Wicked Avatar to get more mana.
• Hates Their Parent:
  • All the Wicked Gods despise their father/creator, Pegasus, for never completing them. Seeing him as someone who denied their destiny in protecting mankind. Considering that they were twisted Gods that would be a threat to mankind as a whole, Peagasus had good reason to stop their production.
  • Surprisingly, Irisviel discovers that Rider doesn't actually hate Zard. Who admits that for all his faults, Rider understood that he was just doing as he was programmed by humanity and felt bad when he died.
• Heartbroken Badass: After becoming a Master, Irisviel is shown to be affected by Kiritsugu's death and only continues on for his dream.
• Heel Realization: After seeing the countless corpses around Number 96: Dark Mist, Rider becomes aghast that she was doing the same thing when she attacked people with the same desire to kill. It's this that allows her softer side to resurface and become more understandable.
• Heroic Sacrifice: While a more selfish reason for doing this, just when Archer, Blue-Eyes, Rider and Raye would have been killed by the Wicked Avatar, Berserker arrives to deal actual damage to the Divine-Spirit itself. Better, as it transformed into Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, her suicidal Noble Phantasm spreads a disease that devestates the Wicked Avavtar long enough so that Irisviel, who sacrifices what's left of her spirit, can banish it and the other Wicked Gods into the Reverse Side.
• Holding Back the Phlebotinum: Lancer holds many powerful Noble Phantasms. Each capable of bringing her an advantage or using them in ways to screw the other person over. But Lancer refrains from using them fully. Not just because they're powers are limited to her, but also because each time she uses one, her Saint Graph is damaged due to not being the proper owner of those items.
• Holy Burns Evil: While Assassin isn't exactly a demon or wraith, he's close enough that Lancer's own weapons, particularly her lance, can genuinely hurt him through their holy power. This freaks him out to just sick Number 96: Dark Mist, onto the gathered Masters.
• Honor Before Reason: How Saber dies. Despite battling against Rider, who is causing immense damage and death due to her Noble Phantasm. Saber recognizes her condition as someone being forced into these actions. This causes him to hesitate long enough for Rider to run him through.
• Horrible Judge of Character: In the end, neither Tokiomi or Risei recognize the troubles Kirei goes through, simply thinking he's okay. This allows Lancer to worm her way in his grace by being the only one who understands him. By the end of the story, [[spoiler Risei, who survives]], cannot comprehend why Kirei left him or understand his message.
• Humans Are Insects: After Assassin summons Number 96: Dark Mist, the monster goes around killing people with contempt. Seeing humans as unworthy to save and thinking itself and the other Numbers superior to the clearly weaker humans while reducing them to paste and eating them.
• Humans Are Morons: Discussed. Risei explains that while people can be tricked and fooled with plausible answers, the events during the fourth war make it clear that covering it up with 'gas explosions' or mere 'attacks' won't cover it. Forcing the Church and Mage Association to work with the government to ensure the people of Fuyuki don't figure anything out after multiple attacks on the city from different Servants.
• Hypocritical Humor: When Ruler is summoned, she declares all the Servants should no longer attack in the open. Later on, Waver and Saber discover that she herself had attacked a person from a gang to steal their clothes and money to buy food for herself.
• I'm Not a Hero, I'm...:
  • Archer finds it very difficult to think she's a Servant. Primarily since all she did was protect her home and the people inside, and little more than that. Though she does acknowledge many of the citizens worshiped her and Blue-Eyes despite these thoughts.
  • Saber feels the same. Seeing himself as another soldier than an actual hero.
• Intrigued by Humanity: Despite being a familiar with no thoughts, before fading away, Caster, as the Egyptian God Slime, looks down at Kayneth's corpse and ponders how he could be so happy despite fading away.
• Involuntary Shapeshifting:
  • To a degree, whenever Caster gets hit it transforms into whoever attacked it. This can be taken advantage of as its constant transformations during a group fight force it to take time to transform before attacking again.
  • As it turns out, this is one of the keys in defeating the Wicked Avatar. Mainly in that despite its capability of transforming into powerful forms, it has its original leftover ability to become anything that has higher attack points. Meaning when Archer has Blue-Eyes in front of it, the Wicked Avatar has no choice but to abandon it's clearly more powerful Typhoon form and ends up in a dire state.
• "It" Is Dehumanizing:
  • One of the things that strains Tokiomi's relationship with Archer is that he doesn't really see her as a person. Outright commenting Blue-Eyes as an 'it' while the narration and Archer uses 'she/her' pronouns.
  • To a degree, Kiritsugu does the same with Rider, as he sees her as one of his tools that should obey him.
• Jerkass: Kiritsugu, fully. The man may have a desire to end all wars, but during the Holy Grail War, he shows nothing but callousness towards Rider. Admitting to seeing her as a tool that should only obey, disregards her as a person, and being fully willing to manipulate her. Even trying to command her to back-stab Saber despite the latter helping her.
• Jerkass Has a Point: As disturbing as it is for Kiritsugu to consider manipulating Rider, even Irisviel can't deny he makes a point that it's the only way to ensure she follows orders properly. The girl continuously disobeys commands and refuses to listen to him properly.
• Kick the Dog: When Kariya was nearly killed by his own Servant, Zouken arrives to assist. But not because he wanted to help, but so that Kariya could live and continue suffering longer. Even having the worms heal his body painfully and also clog up his vocal cords, giggling all the while at his son's pain.
• Kill and Replace: Irisviel discovers that the Wicked Avatar had replaced Angra Mainyu as the Einzbern's Servant in the Third Holy Grail War as Pretender. Essentially kickstarting the plot to what it is now.
• Laser-Guided Amnesia: When speaking about her wish, Lancer admits to Kirei it's to regain her memories. Telling him that for some reason she can't properly remember whether she succeeded in her plan to kill God or failed. Wanting the answer just to affirm it.
• Light Is Good: While Blue-Eyes White Dragon is rather prideful and enjoys a good fight, the dragon herself cared for the people she protected with Archer working alongside her. She's one of the two Servants that also battles the Wicked Avatar at the end of the story.
• Liquid Assets: After Assassin uses his Noble Phantasm to rank himself and Number 96 up, the latter gains the same ability as it does in the game. That being, any attack done on Number C96 makes the Masters feel whatever pain it would have gotten in its place. It's suggested if the Servants have kept attacking, their Masters would have died soon enough.
• Literal Split Personality: Sorta. Both Archer and Assassin can summon out something they consider their 'other-half'. Blue-Eyes White Dragon for the former, Number 96's monster form for the latter. But while the two can be considered distinct from them, it's also mentioned they're the same as their host body as well. Just a different aspect of them with their own thoughts.
• Locked Out of the Loop: The summoned Servants seemingly don't have all the proper knowledge a normal Servant would get from the Holy Grail. Considering that the Wicked Avatar unintentionally brought them forth, it's likely that it couldn't give them all the information or did so purposely.
• Loophole Abuse:
  • Lancer gladly uses her Noble Phantasms constantly without getting the ire from using their real names. As she points out, unless she invokes some of their power, then she can use their original abilities just fine without suffering any consequences.
  • Rider, while she's brainwashed, uses some very questionable logic by using her Noble Phantasm to consume Irisviel's Command Seals for herself when technically it shouldn't have been possible. But as she's, again, brainwashed, it manages to work somehow.
• MacGuffin: Lancer actually holds a secondary Holy Grail made by Solomon, though it is restricted greatly. It serves to be essential in not only does it allow Irisviel to transfer her mind into it to save herself and by extension, control Zeke (due to Lancer installing it into the Noble Phantasm), it allows Irisviel to help defeat the Wicked Avatar and banish it alongside Dreadroot and Eraser. A consequence however is that after Irisviel's mind leaves it, the Holy Grail allows Rider's Noble Phantasm to continue existing, even with the Servant gone. The Mage Association, Church, and Military now fight for the rights to keep the two items for themselves.
• Mana Drain: As per its ability from its home series, Number 96: Dark Mist, has a Noble Phantasm that can drain its target's mana and even stats to add onto itself. This makes Assassin a very massive threat as one use of this Noble Phantasm leaves Saber, trying to protect Rider, crippled for the duration of the war.
• Mistaken Identity: When Ecclesia is summoned as Ruler, due to her age and appearance, Tokiomi believes her to be Jeanne D' Arc herself. She corrects him and states that she isn't.
• Morality Pet: Irisviel is the only one Kiritsugu is nice to alongside Maiya, trying to save the world both for the people and her. Unfortunately, it isn't enough for him to take more extreme actions after believing the world will end in ruin due to seeing Rider's memories.
• Mortality Phobia: After the battle with Number 96 and Assassin, Rider becomes fearful of dying horribly. This comes from seeing whatever bodies Number 96 had left behind in their wretched state which traumatizes her.
• Motive Decay: As flashbacks of Berserker's past shows, she originally only went to kill dragons for their horns to save her village from a disease. Over time, her own obsession and the grudges from the dragons she killed warped her mind until she forgot what she really wanted.
• My God, What Have I Done?: After Kiritsugu dies, Rider is left alone in pain from Egyptian God Slime's attack and realizes this is the same pain she had attempted to put Raye through and done to other people. Gets worse when she snaps out of her brainwashing and realizes all the devastation and deaths she committed, including Saber's.
• Naïve Newcomer: As Saber points out, Waver is this. Having entered the Holy Grail War thinking he would do well, only to realize otherwise when he realized who he was facing and how even powerful men like Kayneth could die. With Waver acknowledging that he was cocky when he entered and strives to better himself alongside Saber.
• Near-Villain Victory: Had it not been for poor planning, Assassin very well could have won the Holy Grail War if he had just killed everyone instead of gloating when they were all gathered.
• Nice Girl: Irisviel is this just like canon. If anything, it's because of this that she slowly manages to get along with Rider, who at first wanted nothing to do with her.
• Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: As the Wicked Avatar soon finds out, it's impatience in trying to free it's brothers results in slowing down int's incarnation as a Physical God and Evil of Humanity. Giving the others a shot at beating him down for good.
• Non-Indicative Name: Amusingly, Tokiomi asks why Archer calls Blue-Eyes 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon' when the dragon has blue scales. Archer embarrassingly admits that the first dragon may or may not have had white scales and afterwards it just became a tradition to call all the dragons after Blue-Eyes White Dragon, regardless of their actual color.
• No Man Should Have This Power: When Tokiomi finds himself speaking with Blue-Eyes White Dragon in the metalscape, the latter explains that one of the reasons why Archer and herself refuse to obey him is out of worry of his Command Seals. Commenting that in the past, some managed to control previous predecessors and used their power for evil. Something the two want to avoid greatly.
• Not Quite Dead: Despite the fact that Irisviel should have died when transforming to the Holy Grail, here, she manages to transfer her mind into the Holy Grail Lancer had installed in Rider's Noble Phantasm, which she controls to help defeat the Wicked Avatar.
• No Plans, No Prototype, No Backup: Subverted. Tokiomi claims he does have a second workshop, after the first - alongside his entire home - was destroyed by Archer's Blue-Eyes White Dragon, which he uses. Unfortunately, Risei makes mention that it's a back-up workshop that has only the basics and doesn't have any valuables that Tokiomi's prime workshop had. Tokiomi had never actually expected to use it until now.
• No-Sell: Ruler has the ability to use her Command Seals on all the Servants. Forcing them to either comply or kill themselves. Unfortunately, there are two cases where this doesn't quite work out, to Ruler's ire.
  • The first is Rider, who at that time was given Lancer's Forbidden Dress which protects the user from disasters or destruction. Or suicide, with Ruler's command for the latter failing to work on Rider.
  • When discovering Lancer's role in Rider's brainwashing, Ruler tries again to make the Servant do suicide. As it turns out, Lancer has a skill that allows her to defy the commands of anybody who she believes is superior to her, which includes Ruler.
• Not So Above It All: After being summoned, Ruler appears and gives a very serious judgment to everyone. By accident, Waver and Saber meet her again and find that she had not only stolen some clothes (from criminals), but had also taken some money to buy a lot of food to eat and would later look around like a tourist.
• Not So Similar: At a first glance, Kiritsugu and Rider appear alike. Both being cynical, silent, no-nonsense individuals who rarely smile. But while Kiritsugu has no qualms in using dirty methods and plans ahead, Rider has some honor in her and usually charges head first in a fight. Combined with their personalities, one cutting off his emotions, the other slowly expressing themself, the two are different enough that neither can really work with the other properly.
• Obliviously Evil: The Wicked Gods are this. Despite genuinely wishing to help humanity, they cannot comprehend that their idea of 'good' would only lead to humanity's downfall. Bringing forth an age of anarchy that terrifies Irisviel when she sees what the Wicked Avatar's thoughts on what a 'good world' is.
• Offscreen Moment of Awesome: The end of the story features the three Wicked Gods facing off against the multiple deities in the Reverse Side as they all enter an all-out brawl.
• One-Winged Angel: After realizing that Number 96 would vanish, Assassin uses both his Noble Phantasm and all the Command Seals he stole from Risei to Rank-up the two of them. The result being their Chaos forms which outclasses all the Servants facing them. It's only due to Assassin's overconfidence that they have a chance at beating him.
• Outside-Context Problem: All the Duel Spirits are this to their Masters. Nobody knows who they are, where they come from, or anything of the like. Understandable, seeing as all of them come from different worlds separate from Earth.
• Patricide: When Assassin possesses Risei, Kirei doesn't hesitate to kill Assassin, even if it means killing his father. Tokiomi was actually shocked to see this. Though Kirei fails and is knocked out.
• Physical God: One of the Wicked Avatar's goal is to use the Greater Grail which it resides in is to summon itself as a true living God rather than a mere Divine-Spirit. It succeeds, even becoming an Evil of Humanity. But by that point it had already been defeated and banished with the other Wicked Gods into the Reverse Side with other Gods who intend to keep them trapped there.
• Powered Armor: Rider dons a futuristic set, which initially confuses Kiritsugu since it doesn't match what someone in history would wear.
• Power Nullifier: One of Lancer's Noble Phantasms, the Forbidden Scripture, is used as this. Being capable of nullifying multiple target's abilities and gifts. Though this also works on curses, which actually benefits Saber and Berserker and strengthens their bodies and mind respectively.
• Rapid-Fire "Nope"!: A two-fold example for the Wicked Avatar. The first is when it realizes, after being weakened, that the portal to let its siblings in is shrinking. It then lets out another when, just when it would become a true God/Evil of Humanity, notices Irisviel (in Roze's Noble Phantasm), about to finish it off and exile it once more. Panicking as it desperately tries to kill her but is too late.
• Realpolitik: After the events of the fourth Holy Grail War, the Mage Association from the Clock Tower, the Church, and the local military in the know from Japan all meet up, intending to work together to rewrite the events of the fourth Holy Grail War. But as Risei tiredly mutters, they're also gathered to see who can nab the secondary Holy Grail installed in Rider's Noble Phantasm, Zeke, which remains, with the military wanting, and already studying, Zeke itself.
• Reluctant Warrior: A few of the Servants such as Archer and Saber have hesitance in actually joining the Holy Grail War. This is Justified as from their perspective, they were summoned from the dead and essentially told to kill other people for a person they barely met, let alone like the idea of being summoned in the first place.
• Restoration of Sanity: After Lancer uses her Forbidden Scriptures Noble Phantasm, it causes the curses on Berserker to fade. This reduces her strength and alters her own Class to Saber, but also returns her sanity. Though this is only temporary.
• Revenge Before Reason:
  • Due to Berserker's immense hate towards dragons, she will attack one no matter the consequences. Willing to even kill her own Master or attack in the open just to get at them.
  • Kariya isn't any different either. When Rider is attacking the city, something he assisted in, Kariya focuses on his grudge against Tokiomi and ignoring all the deaths that occurred. Simply so he could kill Tokiomi.
• The Reveal: Chapter 39 reveals that the one dwelling inside the Grail isn't Angra Mainyu. It's the Wicked Avatar.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: After Sola-Ui dies from the hotel's collapse, Kayneth unleashes Caster's Noble Phantasm and heads straight where Kiritsugu is at the villa. Kayneth forgoing any formalities to simply kill Kiritsugu and nothing else.
• Same Character, But Different: Similar to Archer, Assassin can also summon his 'other-half'. Technically speaking, both have the same name, Number 96: Dark Mist. As such, the narration describes the main body as Assassin while his monster form is referred to as Number 96.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: During the first brawl between multiple Servants, after Rider leaves, Saber also quickly decides to run off. His reasoning; because he stands little chance against Berserker and Caster, both who are much stronger than him and can easily kill him. Granted, he does return to kill Caster… Only to run off again when his attack doesn't hurt the Servant which proceeds to counter-attack.
• Secretly Selfish: As Irisviel tells Rider, while bringing world peace is a nice bonus, she ultimately only wants to ensure Illya and Kiritsugu, before his death, could live in peace. A wish Rider sympathizes with.
• Sensory Overload: Due to the Wicked Avatar being a being with no real body, things like physical feeling is a bit alien to it. Berserker giving it actual injury brings it surprise from how pain actually feels. Getting a dose of Berserker's Noble Phantasm, Dragontaint, which is a discomforting disease towards dragons but more potent, causes the Wicked Avatar in the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon to go mad from the pain that it tries knocking itself out and shrieks in agony.
• Sequel Hook: The story leave off with Zouken having the Lesser Grail, Maiya adopting Shirou, and the now uncorrupted Greater Grail discovered to still be capable of summoning Servants, but only with outside aid. The Bonus chapter shows that the fifth Holy Grail will resume in some form.
• Serious Business: When Irisviel meets the Wicked Avatar, she finds the idea of Duel Monsters to be ridiculous. The Wicked Avatar then shows all the disasters and dangers that Duel Monsters possesses which silences her.
• Ship Tease: Like canon, after Raye is summoned, both her and Rider speak like a couple, with Rider getting jealous when Raye comments on Archer's beauty and blushing when Raye states how the Sky Striker suits being slightly swapped between them is like them sharing clothes. Archer and Blue-Eyes notice this with the former wondering about their relationship of being supposed friends.
• Shout-Out: The Wicked Avatar's escape from the Ryuudou Temple is a homage to how Mecha Godzilla burst from the mountains in the film, Godzilla vs Kong.
• Spared by the Adaptation: While many of the same characters die, a few survive past their canon deaths. Both Maiya Hisau and Risei Kotomine survive the Holy Grail War instead of meeting their canon fate.
  • Maiya, due to being in a coma around the middle of the story, manages to survive the events of the Holy Grail War. Despite having lost her initial purpose, she eventually finds one again by adopting Shirou and living a normal life.
  • Risei manages to live and continues to serve as a member of the Church. In the bonus chapter, he joins in the fifth Holy Grail War with his granddaughter, Caren, taking his place as Overseer.
  • As it turns out, Aoi also survives due to Kariya likely not having enough time to meet her. Letting her live alongside Rin, but depressed at Tokiomi and, as she discovers later, Kariya's death.
• Square Race, Round Class: As it turns out, Caster, Metal Reflect Slime, is this. Being little more than a familiar with no mind of its own, let alone a practitioner of magecraft, means it shouldn't even be in the Caster Class. But by the time Kayneth summoned it, all the other Classes had been taken, the system then forcing the familiar into the Class. As such, it lacks the container's Class Skills utterly.
• Stronger Than They Look: Risei may be old, but he has a lot of muscles beneath his clothing. Which Assassin uses to get the drop on Tokiomi and Kirei when attacking them while possessing the man.
• Summon Magic: Ecclesia can call upon other members of the Dogmatika's with her Noble Phantasm. Though she mainly only uses it to summon her friends and not the others.
• Surprisingly Elite Cannon Fodder: Caster ends up as this. At a first glance, it looks like some blob with spikes while having no agency of its own. Yet it's a powerful Stone Wall that can take any hit without a scratch, can extend multiple tendrils to pierce its enemies, has Divinity inside it, and can become Egyptian God Slime for a short while.
• Squishy Wizard: Even though Lancer has a lot of powerful Noble Phantasms, she herself isn't all that strong or durable. Being no different from a normal person. Meaning when Rider lands a fatal cut on her, Lancer starts dying from the wound.
• Sure, Let's Go with That: After the massive destruction left by Rider's Noble Phantasm: Sky Striker Ace - Zeke, alongside the Wicked Avatar showing itself in mechanical form, everybody in Fuyuki deduces either an alien invasion happened or the terrorists using highly advanced technology. The Mage Association and everybody covering the situation rolls with the latter until they can deal with the witnesses properly.
  • When Lancer meets Kirei and Risei, they assume she was one of Solomon's followers, seeing as she knew of him and even has some of his work. Lancer lies and goes with it, finding it amusing.
• Taking Up the Mantle: After Tokiomi's death, along with losing everything, Rin strives to live up to his name and become a better magus by the next Holy Grail War.
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Almost every single Servant in the story has a problem with their own Master. Aside from Caster, Saber, and Lancer (to a degree), the rest at times struggle in working together.
  • Archer for her part dislikes the idea of Tokiomi having command over her and Blue-Eyes. Seeing him as someone who might abuse her power while Tokiomi can only see Archer as a tool to use against others. The second he uses a Command Seal, Archer leaves him and only comes back when Blue-Eyes manages to converse with Tokiomi, and even then it's reluctant.
  • Rider refuses to properly help Kiritsugu. Not only being violent during the start and acting without orders, but also refuses to follow his more dishonorable tactics. Eventually, she considers him to be worse than Zard.
  • Berserker and Kariya at first seem to get along well. However, Berserker's obsession to kill dragons out of revenge means she puts killing dragons as the primary goal. The second Kariya prevents her from attacking Blue-Eyes, she immediately turns on him and nearly murders him. Only currying to her favor allows him to keep working with her.
  • Assassin doesn't even attempt to work with Ryuunosuke. Outright abandoning him for most of the story and when he meets up with him for some assistance, Assassin just has him killed soon after as he refuses to have any human as his Master.
• Took a Level in Cynic: After the events of the Holy Grail War, despite surviving, Risei is far from happy. Not only losing his arm, but also losing his friend Tokiomi and discovering that Kirei had left him, leaving him depressed. The bonus chapter implies that his goal is to have Kirei come back as he works alongside his granddaughter, Caren.
• Tomes of Prophecy and Fate: This is what the Forbidden Scriptures truly is. A book that not only has valuable information, but has prophecies of the future. Such a book would very likely help Lancer win the war. Too bad she hates God and Solomon to the point where she doesn't like using the book beyond its ability to nullify powers. The only time she actually uses its true purpose is to help Kirei locate and discover what Rider's second Noble Phantasm is.
• Tranquil Fury: Combined with the stress and his mood being poor, When Tokiomi and Kariya fight, the former gets more and more upset at Kariya's supposed accusations towards him alongside his strange obsessions with Sakura. Enough that he starts physically hurting Kariya instead of just using his magecraft.
• Unwitting Pawn: As revealed later on, Ruler's summoning wasn't just to deal with the Masters and Servants. It's actually revealed that the Wicked Avatar purposely called on her to use her Noble Phantasm for itself to amass more mana. Ecclesia doesn't take this very well and supports the heroes before she's taken out.
• Variant Power Copying: During the final battle against the Wicked Avatar, Irisviel uses her limited authority with the Greater Grail to implant the vestiges of one of Saber's Noble Phantasms (Reinforcement of the Army's Troops) into Rider herself. This results in Rider gaining a permanently new Noble Phantasm for her legend, 'Reinforcement of the Army', which can call upon a single comrade from Rider's legend. Letting her summon a phantom spirit of Raye herself for the final battle, to Rider's joy. Though it comes at the cost of some instability and power-mixing between the two.
• Villain Team-Up: Both Kirei and Kariya make one, though it's pretty clear that Kirei and Lancer are just using the other two for their own selfish goals.
• Walking the Earth: At the end of the Holy Grail War, upon witnessing the Wicked Avatar and its actions, alongside his confessions to Lancer, Kirei leaves Fuyuki to explore his distortions to discover who he is where at the same time, Waver considers the same idea.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: In Chapter 39, Ruler is made to summon nearly all the Dogmatika Servants by the Wicked Avatar… Who proceeds to absorb them for their mana to empower itself.
• Weak, but Skilled: Saber is notably one of the weaker Servants in the Holy Grail War and is far from the best. But when facing Rider, who's much stronger and faster, he manages to parry and divert her blows to the latter's surprise. Having more experience with using the blade against stronger foes where Rider has very little experience with her own sword. He also possesses multiple Noble Phantasms that he can use with the right timing and situation.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: Despite being willing to cause many to die, all Kiritsugu wants is to save the world. Blowing up the entire hotel full of people simply out of fear that if he holds back, the world could end in ruin.
• Wham Episode:
  • In Chapter 28, the constant destruction caused by the Servants causes Ruler Ecclesia to appear.
  • Chapter 39 shows that the cause of everything is the Wicked Avatar who explains to Irisviel why it's here and it's end goal in incarnating itself and freeing the other Wicked Gods to enter the Earth.
• The Worf Effect:
  • The Wicked Avatar admits that it was killed easily during the third Holy Grail War. This is because it ended up trapped in Angra Mainyu's form when taking the latter's place as the Einzbern Servant. Though it plans to change that by summoning its true self.
  • Pretty much the only reason why the remaining Servants and Masters, Irisviel, Rider, Archer, Berserker, and the phantom spirit Raye even had a shot at winning against the Wicked Avatar is because it screwed itself over by wasting time trying to release the other Wicked Gods instead of jut incarnating itself fully upon summoning and becoming a full-blown Beast. Otherwise, as Irisviel casually admits, the Wicked Avatar would have won where nobody could have even hurt it.
• You Remind Me of X: Rider can't help but admit that Irisviel reminds her of Raye, which bothers her a bit. But it's this aspect that allows Irisviel to get along with Rider eventually. At the same time, Kiritsugu reminds her a lot of Zard. To be specific, how both see her as a tool. This doesn't earn her Master many points for her favor.
• You Shall Not Pass!: Used and then conceptualized. As Egyptian God Slime, the former Caster has the ability to ensure all attacks that would normally hit Kayneth instead hits itself instead. Meaning every bullet fired, including Rider's own attacks, only hit Egyptian God Slime leaving Kayneth safe from harm. And considering the former Caster is absurdly durable, this means nothing Kiritusgu has can even hurt Egyptian God Slime, let alone stop it.

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