History MagnificentBastard / Nasuverse

* [[Characters/FateStayNightKireiKotomine Kirei Kotomine]], a [[SinisterMinister brilliant but cursed priest]], finally embraces the evil within himself in ''Literature/FateZero'' after a lifetime of struggle with his condition of [[EvilFeelsGood only finding joy in evil]] but having enough of a conscience to know right from wrong, betraying and murdering his ally Tokiomi Tohsaka. Manipulating the church and other sorcerers for years after while keeping the Servant [[Literature/TheEpicOfGilgamesh Gilgamesh]] intact, Kirei proceeds to orchestrate his plans throughout the Fifth Grail War, playing everyone to assist him getting the Grail in each route, escaping seemingly certain death, and nearing his goals no matter which alliances he must make or break to achieve his ends. All the while, Kirei arranges events so as to summon the powerful being Angra Mainyu to ask it about the purpose of his existence, even if it destroys him or the world. Stringing along far more powerful Servants and Mages alike with dignified charm and even willing to accept a poetic defeat with utter grace, Kirei never ceases in his search for meaning, and frequently shows himself as one of the most compelling villains in the ''Fate'' franchise.

* [[SinisterMinister Kirei Kotomine]], a brilliant but cursed priest, finally embraces the evil within himself in ''Anime/FateZero'' after a lifetime of struggle with his condition of [[EvilFeelsGood only finding joy in evil]] but having enough of a conscience to know right from wrong, betraying and murdering his ally Tokiomi Tohsaka. Manipulating the church and other sorcerers for years after while keeping the Servant [[Literature/TheEpicOfGilgamesh Gilgamesh]] intact, Kirei proceeds to orchestrate his plans throughout the Fifth Grail War, playing everyone to assist him getting the Grail in each route, escaping seemingly certain death, and nearing his goals no matter which alliances he must make or break to achieve his ends. All the while, Kirei arranges events so as to summon the powerful being Angra Mainyu to ask it about the purpose of his existence, even if it destroys him or the world. Stringing along far more powerful Servants and Mages alike with dignified charm and even willing to accept a poetic defeat with utter grace, Kirei never ceases in his search for meaning, and frequently shows himself as one of the most compelling villains in the ''Fate'' franchise.

** ''[[Recap/FateGrandOrderS3E8FairyRealmOfTheRoundTableAvalonLeFae Fairy Realm of the Round Table, Avalon le Fae - The Moment a Planet is Born]]'': [[CompositeCharacter Oberon-Vortigern]] is the polite EvilUncle of Altria Caster. Summoned to the Avalon le Fae Lostbelt as [[Myth/ArthurianLegend Vortigern]], he becomes amnesiac and is mistaken by the Autumn Forest fae as [[Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream Oberon]], being granted the latter's identify as a result. When he remembers his identify as Vortigern, he uses his Oberon identity to work together to their goals through deceiving Chaldea by making it look like Oberon took a hit from Morgan before working behind the scenes to deceive both Chaldea and the fae into reawakening Cernunnos, The Calamity of Curses, who acted as a seal towards his powers. Upon the final defeat of Cernunnos, Vortigern's power as the Vile King is unleashed, allowing him to perform his role as Fairie Britain's [[GaiasVengeance personification of self-destruction as punishment for the fae's sins and betrayal of Cernunnos]] through devouring the entirety of the Lostbelt, and would have destroyed Proper Human History through Oberon's hatred of humanity judging the stories of the Lostbelts, had it been not for Altria Caster summoning herself as Altria Avalon to assist Chaldea into defeating Oberon-Vortigern, though [[GracefulLoser remaining polite even when defeated]].

* ''[[LightNovel/FateZero Zero]]'': [[Characters/FateZeroKiritsuguEmiya Kiritsugu Emiya]], the Magus Killer, suffered a childhood of trauma that drove him to wish to end all battle no matter the cost. Under the belief "kill one to save hundreds," Kiritsugu resorts to extreme tactics, such as bombings to get his target even if it means sacrificing others in the process. Contracted by the Einzbern family to participate in the 4th Holy Grail War, Kiritsugu remains in the background while his wife Irisviel acts in public as Saber's Master, so he can scope out all competition with his assistant Maiya. When assaulted at the Einzbern Castle by Kayneth Archibald, Kiritsugu [[BatmanGambit conditions the magus with traps and gunfire]] until he fires an Origin Bullet that cripples his Magic Circuits. Later, Kiritsugu takes advantage of Kayneth's pride and love for his wife Sola to eliminate Lancer from the tournament by using a self-geas scroll that he loopholes out of by having Maiya snipe both of them. [[AwesomenessByAnalysis Even in the thick of battle]], Kiritsugu keeps a cold, calculated demeanor as he studies his opponent, be they magus like Kayneth or powerhouses like Kirei Kotomine. When tragedy strikes at the end of the Grail War, Kiritsugu saves a young boy named Shirou and vows to abandon his ruthless ways, hoping to turn his new son into the "Hero of Justice" he couldn't be.

* ''[[LightNovel/FateApocrypha Apocrypha]]'':

* ''LightNovel/TheGardenOfSinners'': Souren Araya is the [[BigBad true mastermind]] of the events of the story, orchestrating events and manipulating fallible, talented people to his will. Inserting himself into the lives of impressionable teenagers with potential for immense power, Araya grants them their greatest desires while turning them into tools he uses as obstacles in Shiki Ryougi's path. Planning to steal Shiki's body so as to use her "Mystic Eyes of Death Perception" for his own goals, Araya concocts the Ogawa apartment massacre to both test his powers and to lure Shiki into a successful trap. Araya uses the psychopathic Cornelius Alba as his stooge, keeping the lunatic pacified and under control to further his schemes, and later quickly and efficiently kills Touko Aozaki when she tries to interfere. Ultimately driven by a life of witnessing needless death and pain, Araya plans to wipe out all life on Earth while preserving records of each and every death in history in his memory to give them "purpose," and, even when beaten and dying, Araya proudly stands by his beliefs that he was trying to prevent misery, and hoping to honor every death to ever occur.

** ''[[Recap/FateGrandOrderS1ObserverOnTimelessTemple Timeless Temple]]'': [[Characters/FateGrandOrderBeastI Goetia]], Beast I, was the aggregate body of the 72 ''Ars Goetia'' demons that served as the precursor to familiars for their master, King Solomon of Israel. Observing the entirety of human history and becoming overwhelmed by centuries of suffering and death they perceived, Goetia conducted the "Incineration of Humanity." Using the accrued energy to time travel far enough to oversee the evolution of humans, he intended to "[[BeenThereShapedHistory manage]]" the direction of human history forever. [[GrandTheftMe Possessing his master's corpse]] to disguise themselves as well as to keep dominion over nine of the Ten Rings, [[CrazyPrepared which would have been the greatest deterrents to his objective]], Goetia also masterminded the titular "[[AncientConspiracy Grand Order]]" that ensured the demons within would manipulate the course of Magus bloodlines and survive to the modern day until the right time. After hard-fought battles that brought Chaldea and their allying army of Heroic Spirits to the brink, Goetia would eventually come to understand the ideals of the Protagonist and Mash Kyrielight, perishing as the "King of Men" in representation of his changed beliefs.

** ''[[Recap/FateGrandOrderS3E8FairyRealmOfTheRoundTableAvalonLeFae Fairy Realm of the Round Table, Avalon le Fae - The Moment a Planet is Born]]'': [[Characters/FateGrandOrderOberon Oberon Vortigern]] is the polite EvilUncle of Altria Caster. Summoned to the Avalon le Fae Lostbelt as [[Myth/ArthurianLegend Vortigern]], he becomes amnesiac and is mistaken by the Autumn Forest fae as [[Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream Oberon]], being granted the latter's identify as a result. When he remembers his identify as Vortigern, he uses his Oberon identity to work together to their goals through deceiving Chaldea by making it look like Oberon took a hit from Morgan before working behind the scenes to deceive both Chaldea and the fae into reawakening Cernunnos, The Calamity of Curses, who acted as a seal towards his powers. Upon the final defeat of Cernunnos, Vortigern's power as the Vile King is unleashed, allowing him to perform his role as Fairie Britain's [[GaiasVengeance personification of self-destruction as punishment for the fae's sins and betrayal of Cernunnos]] through devouring the entirety of the Lostbelt, and would have destroyed Proper Human History through Oberon's hatred of humanity judging the stories of the Lostbelts, had it been not for Altria Caster summoning herself as Altria Avalon to assist Chaldea into defeating Oberon-Vortigern, though [[GracefulLoser remaining polite even when defeated]].

** ''[[Recap/FateGrandOrderS3E8FairyRealmOfTheRoundTableAvalonLeFae Fairy Realm of the Round Table, Avalon le Fae - The Moment a Planet is Born]]'': [[Characters/FateGrandOrderOberon Oberon-Vortigern]] is the polite EvilUncle of Altria Caster. Summoned to the Avalon le Fae Lostbelt as [[Myth/ArthurianLegend Vortigern]], he becomes amnesiac and is mistaken by the Autumn Forest fae as [[Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream Oberon]], being granted the latter's identify as a result. When he remembers his identify as Vortigern, he uses his Oberon identity to work together to their goals through deceiving Chaldea by making it look like Oberon took a hit from Morgan before working behind the scenes to deceive both Chaldea and the fae into reawakening Cernunnos, The Calamity of Curses, who acted as a seal towards his powers. Upon the final defeat of Cernunnos, Vortigern's power as the Vile King is unleashed, allowing him to perform his role as Fairie Britain's [[GaiasVengeance personification of self-destruction as punishment for the fae's sins and betrayal of Cernunnos]] through devouring the entirety of the Lostbelt, and would have destroyed Proper Human History through Oberon's hatred of humanity judging the stories of the Lostbelts, had it been not for Altria Caster summoning herself as Altria Avalon to assist Chaldea into defeating Oberon-Vortigern, though [[GracefulLoser remaining polite even when defeated]].

** ''[[Recap/FateGrandOrderS1ObserverOnTimelessTemple Timeless Temple]]'': [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Goetia]], Beast I, was the aggregate body of the 72 ''Ars Goetia'' demons that served as the precursor to familiars for their master, King Solomon of Israel. Observing the entirety of human history and becoming overwhelmed by centuries of suffering and death they perceived, Goetia conducted the "Incineration of Humanity." Using the accrued energy to time travel far enough to oversee the evolution of humans, he intended to "[[BeenThereShapedHistory manage]]" the direction of human history forever. [[GrandTheftMe Possessing his master's corpse]] to disguise themselves as well as to keep dominion over nine of the Ten Rings, [[CrazyPrepared which would have been the greatest deterrents to his objective]], Goetia also masterminded the titular "[[AncientConspiracy Grand Order]]" that ensured the demons within would manipulate the course of Magus bloodlines and survive to the modern day until the right time. After hard-fought battles that brought Chaldea and their allying army of Heroic Spirits to the brink, Goetia would eventually come to understand the ideals of the Protagonist and Mash Kyrielight, perishing as the "King of Men" in representation of his changed beliefs.

** ''[[Recap/FateGrandOrderS3E8FairyRealmOfTheRoundTableAvalonLeFae Fairy Realm of the Round Table, Avalon le Fae - The Moment a Planet is Born]]'': [[CompositeCharacter Oberon-Vortigern]] is the polite EvilUncle of Altria Caster. Summoned to the Avalon le Fae Lostbelt as [[Myth/ArthurianLegend Vortigern]], he becomes amnesiac and is mistaken by the Autumn Forest fae as [[Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream Oberon]], being granted the latter's identify as a result. When he remembers his identify as Vortigern, he uses his Oberon identity to work together to their goals through deceiving Chaldea by making it look like Oberon took a hit from Morgan before working behind the scenes to deceive both Chaldea and the fae into reawakening Cernunnos, The Calamity of Curses, who acted as a seal towards his powers. Upon the final defeat of Cernunnos, Vortigern's power as the Vile King is unleashed, allowing him to perform his role as Fairie Britain's [[GaiasVengeance personification of self-destruction as punishment for the fae's sins and betrayal of Cernunnos]] through devouring the entirety of the Lostbelt, and would have destroyed Proper Human History through Oberon's hatred of humanity judging the stories of the Lostbelts, had it been not for Altria Caster summoning herself as Altria Avalon to assist Chaldea into defeating Oberon-Vortigern, though [[GracefulLoser remaining polite even when defeated]].

* [[SinisterMinister Kirei Kotomine]] finally embraces the evil within himself in ''LightNovel/FateZero'' after a lifetime of struggle with his condition of [[EvilFeelsGood only finding joy in evil]] but having enough of a conscience to know right from wrong, betraying and murdering his master Tokiomi Tohsaka. Manipulating the church and other sorcerers for years after while keeping the Servant [[Literature/TheEpicOfGilgamesh Gilgamesh]] intact, Kirei proceeds to manipulate the [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Fifth Grail War]], playing everyone to assist him getting the Grail in each route. Kirei intends to summon Angra Mainyu, the being behind the Grail itself to ask it about the purpose of his existence, even if it destroys him or the world. Kirei manipulates everyone with an unmistakable sense of charm, frequently showing himself as one of the most compelling villains in the ''Fate'' franchise.

* ''LightNovel/FateZero'': [[Characters/FateZeroKiritsuguEmiya Kiritsugu Emiya]], the Magus Killer, suffered a childhood of trauma that drove him to wish to end all battle no matter the cost. Under the belief "kill one to save hundreds," Kiritsugu resorts to extreme tactics, such as bombings to get his target even if it means sacrificing others in the process. Contracted by the Einzbern family to participate in the 4th Holy Grail War, Kiritsugu remains in the background while his wife Irisviel acts in public as Saber's Master, so he can scope out all competition with his assistant Maiya. When assaulted at the Einzbern Castle by Kayneth Archibald, Kiritsugu [[BatmanGambit conditions the magus with traps and gunfire]] until he fires an Origin Bullet that cripples his Magic Circuits. Later, Kiritsugu takes advantage of Kayneth's pride and love for his wife Sola to eliminate Lancer from the tournament by using a self-geas scroll that he loopholes out of by having Maiya snipe both of them. [[AwesomenessByAnalysis Even in the thick of battle]], Kiritsugu keeps a cold, calculated demeanor as he studies his opponent, be they magus like Kayneth or powerhouses like Kirei Kotomine. When tragedy strikes at the end of the Grail War, Kiritsugu saves a young boy named Shirou and vows to abandon his ruthless ways, hoping to turn his new son into the "Hero of Justice" he couldn't be.

* ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'':
** Archer, the resident WildCard, is Shirou Emiya from an alternate timeline disillusioned from his dreams to be a "hero of justice." Summoned in the Fifth Holy Grail War, Archer seeks to escape his fate by murdering Shirou. No one able to get a true read on him, Archer is regarded as one of the best tacticians in the Holy Grail War. Often winning with his well-planned strategies that he often doesn't share with his Master Rin beforehand, Archer weaves out of the Master-Servant pact by pretending to ally with Caster and her Master. Once they are dispatched both directly and indirectly, Archer moves forward with his gambit but cannot go through with after seeing Shirou's own conviction in the face of reality. He dies content that Rin with set Shirou on a path he won't regret.
** Caster, True Name [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Medea]], is a devious mage from the Age of Gods who seeks out the Holy Grail to preserve her short time with her Master and lover by any means necessary. Her first attempt at stealing Shirou's Command Speals in his sleep is only thwarted by the untimely appearance of Archer, but she later uses a hostage as leverage for Shirou to finally bequeath Saber to Caster. Taking every opportunity to tip the odds in her favor, Caster plays with the rules of the Grail War, such as summoning a fake Servant in Sasaki Kojiro, to meet her own ends. At one point commanding three Servants with Ryudo Temple as her base, Caster attacks the church and seemingly kills Kirei Kotomine, taking over the church and using it as a stronghold. Despite plunging the ''[[Anime/FateStayNightUnlimitedBladeWorks Unlimited Blade Works]]'' route to its DarkestHour, her final act is to express her love for Kuzaki, reminding everyone of Caster's complicated, duplicitous nature.

* ''LightNovel/FateApocrypha'':

* ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'':

* ''VideoGame/FateExtellaLink'': Upon being summoned, [[UsefulNotes/{{Charlemagne}} Rex Magnus Karl (Or Karl der Große)]] resolves to achieve the dreams he had in life, and to take over the Moon Cell using a brainwashing process known as Oraclization to [[WellIntentionedExtremist give the people peace and unity.]] Oraclizing some Servants and simply swaying others with his words and AffablyEvil nature, Karl proves as intelligent [[GeniusBruiser in conversation as he is in conquest.]] Despite losing the war, Karl takes full responsibility and, even dealing with frustration and defeat, never loses his cool, always having a contingency or new plan at his disposal. Able to come within inches of victory no matter the situation or odds, Karl [[FaceDeathWithDignity accepts his death with honor]], earning the respect of his "sister" Altera and protagonist Hakuno Kishinami.

* ''LightNovel/TheGardenOfSinners'': Souren Araya is the [[BigBad true mastermind]] of the events of the story, orchestrating events and manipulating fallible, talented people to his will. Inserting himself into the lives of impressionable teenagers with potential for immense power, Araya grants them their greatest desires while turning them into tools he uses as obstacles in Shiki Ryougi's path. Planning to steal Shiki's body so as to use her "Mystic Eyes of Death Perception" for his own goals, Araya concocts the Ogawa apartment massacre to both test his powers and to lure Shiki into a successful trap. Araya uses the psychopathic Cornelius Alba as his stooge, keeping the lunatic pacified and under control to further his schemes, and later quickly and efficiently kills Touko Aozaki when she tries to interfere. Ultimately driven by a life of witnessing needless death and pain, Araya plans to wipe out all life on Earth while preserving records of each and every death in history in his memory to give them "purpose," and, even when beaten and dying, Araya proudly stands by his beliefs that he was trying to prevent misery, and hoping to honor every death to ever occur.

* ''LightNovel/FateZero'': [[AntiHero Kiritsugu Emiya]], the Magus Killer, suffered a childhood of trauma that drove him to wish to end all battle no matter the cost. Under the belief "kill one to save hundreds," Kiritsugu resorts to extreme tactics, such as bombings to get his target even if it means sacrificing others in the process. Contracted by the Einzbern family to participate in the 4th Holy Grail War, Kiritsugu remains in the background while his wife Irisviel acts in public as Saber's Master, so he can scope out all competition with his assistant Maiya. When assaulted at the Einzbern Castle by Kayneth Archibald, Kiritsugu [[BatmanGambit conditions the magus with traps and gunfire]] until he fires an Origin Bullet that cripples his Magic Circuits. Later, Kiritsugu takes advantage of Kayneth's pride and love for his wife Sola to eliminate Lancer from the tournament by using a self-geas scroll that he loopholes out of by having Maiya snipe both of them. [[AwesomenessByAnalysis Even in the thick of battle]], Kiritsugu keeps a cold, calculated demeanor as he studies his opponent, be they magus like Kayneth or powerhouses like Kirei Kotomine. When tragedy strikes at the end of the Grail War, Kiritsugu saves a young boy named Shirou and vows to abandon his ruthless ways, hoping to turn his new son into the "Hero of Justice" he couldn't be.

** "[[Recap/FateGrandOrderS3E8FairyRealmOfTheRoundTableAvalonLeFae Fairy Realm of the Round Table, Avalon le Fae - The Moment a Planet is Born]]": [[CompositeCharacter Oberon-Vortigern]] is the polite EvilUncle of Altria Caster. Summoned to the Avalon le Fae Lostbelt as [[Myth/ArthurianLegend Vortigern]], he becomes amnesiac and is mistaken by the Autumn Forest fae as [[Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream Oberon]], being granted the latter's identify as a result. When he remembers his identify as Vortigern, he uses his Oberon identity to work together to their goals through deceiving Chaldea by making it look like Oberon took a hit from Morgan before working behind the scenes to deceive both Chaldea and the fae into reawakening Cernunnos, The Calamity of Curses, who acted as a seal towards his powers. Upon the final defeat of Cernunnos, Vortigern's power as the Vile King is unleashed, allowing him to perform his role as Fairie Britain's [[GaiasVengeance personification of self-destruction as punishment for the fae's sins and betrayal of Cernunnos]] through devouring the entirety of the Lostbelt, and would have destroyed Proper Human History through Oberon's hatred of humanity judging the stories of the Lostbelts, had it been not for Altria Caster summoning herself as Altria Avalon to assist Chaldea into defeating Oberon-Vortigern, though [[GracefulLoser remaining polite even when defeated]].

-->--'''Professor James Moriarty''', ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder''

* ''LightNovel/FateApocrypha'': Shirou Kotomine is a [[SinisterMinister Church minister]] presiding over the Red Faction and is the Master of Assassin Semiramis. In reality, he is [[UsefulNotes/AmakusaShiro Amakusa Shirou Tokisada]], Ruler Servant summoned in a prior Grail War. Noble and benevolent, his methods are ruthless and cunning. Seeking humanity's redemption out of pure love for mankind, Shirou bid his time, gathered items as catalysts to summon a Servant in the Middle East, and waited for Yggdemillenia of the Black Faction to show themselves. Midway during the next Grail War, Shirou launched an ambitious attack that sees him singlehandedly take over the Servants of the Red Faction, reclaim the lost Greater Grail, and out-gambit his enemy Darnic. He intends to invade the Greater Grail's innards to access True Magic and begin humanity's salvation. Ever calm and collected, it is only when he is minutes close to achieving his dangerously alluring dream that Shirou rants to Sieg not to ruin humanity's salvation.

** Professor James Moriarty, self-proclaimed dapper gentleman and ArchEnemy to Franchise/SherlockHolmes, serves as the ArcVillain of ''Epic of Remnant'''s Shinjuku chapter. Conspiring with the Demon Pillar Bael, Moriarty splits himself into a good and an evil half that, when combined at the right moment, will carry out their final gambit under everyone's suspicion. His good half cavorts with the Protagonist and allies, earning their trust and friendship, while his evil half commands the Phantom Troupe and runs Shinjuku. Claiming to have calculated every move to the decimal, all eventually leads to a confrontation at the top of the Barrel. Here, Moriarty's MemoryGambit pays off, and he strikes down Holmes before revealing a meteor is attracted to the Barrel because of his friendship with the Protagonist. Aspiring to commit the "perfect crime" of destroying the world, it is the very emotions he used to nearly win that became his undoing.
** Yan Qing is a chipper yet psychotic member of the Phantom Troupe. Retaining his charm from his days as a GentlemanThief, Yan Qing stands out as a clever MasterofDisguise who impersonates Cursed Arm Hassan, an ally from the Camelot Singularity, convincingly drops the Protagonist's guard, and separates them from their Servants to take them hostage. His actions forced a hidden Sherlock Holmes to rescue the Protagonist and thus expose him to the Phantom Troupe. Outed as a threat because of his speed and craftiness, the Protagonist and company infilitrate a lucrative party held a disguised Yan Qing. Despite Holmes and the good Moriarty seeing his final attempt at a subterfuge, Yan Qing's clever acts advanced the Phantom Troupe's, and thus the evil Moriarty's, ulterior plans farther than the rest.

* ''VideoGame/FateExtellaLink'': Upon being summoned, [[UsefulNotes/{{Charlemagne}} Rex Magnus Karl (Or Karl der Große)]] resolves to achieve the dreams he had in life, and to take over the Moon Cell using a brainwashing process known as Oraclization to [[WellIntentionedExtremist give the people peace and unity.]] Oraclizing some Servants and simply swaying others with his words and AffablyEvil nature, Karl proves as intelligent [[GeniusBruiser in conversation as he is in conquest.]] Despite losing the war, Karl takes full responsibility and, even dealing with frustration and defeat, never loses his cool, always having a contingency or new plan at his disposal. Able to come within inches of victory no matter the situation or odds, Karl [[FaceDeathWithDignity accepts his death with honor]], earning the respect of his "sister" Altera and protagonist Hakuno Kishinami.

* ''VideoGame/FateExtellaLink'': Upon being summoned, [[UsefulNotes/{{Charlemagne}} Rex Magnus Karl (Or Karl der Große)]] resolves to achieve the dreams he had in life, and to take over the Moon Cell using a brainwashing process known as Oraclization to [[WellIntentionedExtremist give the people peace and unity.]] Oraclizing some Servants and simply swaying others with his words and AffablyEvil nature, Karl proves as intelligent [[GeniusBruiser in conversation as he is in conquest.]] Despite losing the war, Karl takes full responsibility and, even dealing with frustration and defeat, never loses his cool, always having a contingency or new plan at his disposal. Able to come within inches of victory no matter the situation or odds, Karl [[FaceDeathWithDignity accepts his death with honor]], earning the respect of his "sister" Altera and protagonist Hakuno Kishinami.

* ''LightNovel/KaraNoKyoukai'': Souren Araya is the [[BigBad true mastermind]] of the events of the story, orchestrating events and manipulating fallible, talented people to his will. Inserting himself into the lives of impressionable teenagers with potential for immense power, Araya grants them their greatest desires while turning them into tools he uses as obstacles in Shiki Ryougi's path. Planning to steal Shiki's body so as to use her "Mystic Eyes of Death Perception" for his own goals, Araya concocts the Ogawa apartment massacre to both test his powers and to lure Shiki into a successful trap. Araya uses the psychopathic Cornelius Alba as his stooge, keeping the lunatic pacified and under control to further his schemes, and later quickly and efficiently kills Touko Aozaki when she tries to interfere. Ultimately driven by a life of witnessing needless death and pain, Araya plans to wipe out all life on Earth while preserving records of each and every death in history in his memory to give them "purpose," and, even when beaten and dying, Araya proudly stands by his beliefs that he was trying to prevent misery, and hoping to honor every death to ever occur.

** Yan Qing is a chipper yet psychotic member of the aforementioned Phantom Troupe. Retaining his charm from his days as a GentlemanThief, Yan Qing stands out as a clever MasterofDisguise who impersonates Cursed Arm Hassan, an ally from the Camelot Singularity, convincingly drops the Protagonist's guard, and separates them from their Servants to take them hostage. His actions forced a hidden Sherlock Holmes to rescue the Protagonist and thus expose him to the Phantom Troupe. Outed as a threat because of his speed and craftiness, the Protagonist and company infilitrate a lucrative party held a disguised Yan Qing. Despite Holmes and the good Moriarty seeing his final attempt at a subterfuge, Yan Qing's clever acts advanced the Phantom Troupe's, and thus the evil Moriarty's, ulterior plans farther than the rest.

* ''VideoGame/FateExtellaLink'': Upon being summoned, [[UsefulNotes/{{Charlemagne}} Rex Magnus Karl (Or Karl der Große)]] resolves to achieve the dreams he had in life, and to take over the Moon Cell using a brainwashing process known as Oraclization to [[WellIntentionedExtremist give the people peace and unity.]] Oraclizing some Servants and simply swaying others with his words and AffablyEvil nature, Karl proves as intelligent [[GeniusBruiser in conversation as he is in conquest.]] Despite losing the war, Karl takes full responsibility and, even dealing with frustration and defeat, never loses his cool, always having a contingency or new plan at his disposal. Able to come within inches of victory no matter the situation or odds, Karl [[FaceDeathWithDignity accepts his death with honor]], earning the respect of his "sister" Altera and protagonist Hakuno Kishinami.

* ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'': Kohaku once offered to allow Makihisa Tohno to rape her in order to spare her sister Hisui from the same fate. Seeking a purpose in revenge on the Tohno family, Kohaku manipulates Makihisa's death and guides Makihisa's daughter Akiha into being her pawn, likewise manipulating Makihisa's adopted son Shiki by revealing incomplete points of information and revealing other pertinent details at the opportune time. Guiding Akiha into embracing her dark side in her own route, Kohaku tricks Shiki multiple times and steadily guides the destruction of the Tohno family, only relenting due to her own love of Shiki while remaining the finest manipulator in all ''Tsukihime''.

* [[SinisterMinister Kirei Kotomine]] finally embraces the evil within himself in ''LightNovel/FateZero'' after a lifetime of struggle with his condition of [[EvilFeelsGood only finding joy in evil]] but having enough of a conscience to know right from wrong, betraying and murdering his master Tokiomi Tohsaka. Manipulating the church and other sorcerers for years after while keeping the Servant [[Literature/TheEpicOfGilgamesh Gilgamesh]] intact, Kirei proceeds to manipulate the [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Fifth Grail War]], playing everyone to assist him getting the Grail in each route. Kirei intends to summon Angra Mainyu, the being behind the Grail itself to ask it about the purpose of his existence, even if it destroys him or the world. Kirei manipulates everyone with an unmistakable sense of charm, frequently showing himself as the most compelling villain of the ''Fate'' franchise.

* [[SinisterMinister Kirei Kotomine]] finally embraces the evil within himself in ''Anime/FateZero'' after a lifetime of struggle with his condition of [[EvilFeelsGood only finding joy in evil]] but having enough of a conscience to know right from wrong, betraying and murdering his master Tokiomi Tohsaka. Manipulating the church and other sorcerers for years after while keeping the Servant [[Literature/TheEpicOfGilgamesh Gilgamesh]] intact, Kirei proceeds to manipulate the [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Fifth Grail War]], playing everyone to assist him getting the Grail in each route. Kirei intends to summon Angra Mainyu, the being behind the Grail itself to ask it about the purpose of his existence, even if it destroys him or the world. Kirei manipulates everyone with an unmistakable sense of charm, frequently showing himself as the most compelling villain of the ''Fate'' franchise.

* ''Anime/FateZero'': [[AntiHero Kiritsugu Emiya]], the Magus Killer, suffered a childhood of trauma that drove him to wish to end all battle no matter the cost. Under the belief "kill one to save hundreds," Kiritsugu resorts to extreme tactics, such as bombings to get his target even if it means sacrificing others in the process. Contracted by the Einzbern family to participate in the 4th Holy Grail War, Kiritsugu remains in the background while his wife Irisviel acts in public as Saber's Master, so he can scope out all competition with his assistant Maiya. When assaulted at the Einzbern Castle by Kayneth Archibald, Kiritsugu [[BatmanGambit conditions the magus with traps and gunfire]] until he fires an Origin Bullet that cripples his Magic Circuits. Later, Kiritsugu takes advantage of Kayneth's pride and love for his wife Sola to eliminate Lancer from the tournament by using a self-geas scroll that he loopholes out of by having Maiya snipe both of them. [[AwesomenessByAnalysis Even in the thick of battle]], Kiritsugu keeps a cold, calculated demeanor as he studies his opponent, be they magus like Kayneth or powerhouses like Kirei Kotomine. When tragedy strikes at the end of the Grail War, Kiritsugu saves a young boy named Shirou and vows to abandon his ruthless ways, hoping to turn his new son into the "Hero of Justice" he couldn't be.

* [[SinisterMinister Kirei Kotomine]] finally embraces the evil within himself in ''Anime/FateZero'' after a lifetime of struggle with his condition of [[EvilFeelsGood only finding joy in evil]] but having enough of a conscience to know right from wrong, betraying and murdering his master Tokiomi Tohsaka. Manipulating the church and other sorcerers for years after while keeping the Servant [[Literature/TheEpicOfGilgamesh Gilgamesh]] intact. Kirei proceeds to manipulate the [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Fifth Grail War]], playing everyone to assist him getting the Grail in each route. Kirei intends to summon Angra Mainyu, the being behind the Grail itself to ask it about the purpose of his existence, even if it destroys him or the world. Kirei manipulates everyone with an unmistakable sense of charm, frequently showing himself as the most compelling villain of the ''Fate'' franchise.

* ''VideoGame/FateExtellaLink'': Upon being summoned, [[UsefulNotes/{{Charlemagne}} Rex Magnus Karl (Or Karl der Große)]] resolves to achieve the dreams he had in life, and to take over the Moon Cell using a brainwashing process known as Oraclization to [[WellIntentionedExtremist give the people peace and unity.]] Oraclizing some Servants and simply swaying others with his words and AffablyEvil nature, Karl proves as intelligent [[GeniusBruiser in conversation as he is in conquest.]] Despite losing the war, Karl takes full responsibility and, even dealing with frustration and defeat, never loses his cool, always having a contingency or new plan at his disposal. Able to come within inches of victory no matter the situation or odds, Karl [[FaceDeathWithDignity accepts his death with honor]], earning the respect of his "sister" Altera and [[TheProtagonist Hakuno Kishinami]].

Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon have written a litany of different kinds of villains. Throughout works that discuss humanity, their history, and their significance, these characters have stood out as the [[MagnificentBastard most magnificent]].

* ''LightNovel/FateApocrypha'': Shirou Kotomine is a [[SinisterMinister Church minister]] presiding over the Red Faction and is the Master of Assassin Semiramis. In reality, he is [[UsefulNotes/AmakusaShirou Amakusa Shirou Tokisada]], Ruler Servant summoned in a prior Grail War. Noble and benevolent, his methods are ruthless and cunning. Seeking humanity's redemption out of pure love for mankind, Shirou bid his time, gathered items as catalysts to summon a Servant in the Middle East, and waited for Yggdemillenia of the Black Faction to show themselves. Midway during the next Grail War, Shirou launched an ambitious attack that sees him singlehandedly take over the Servants of the Red Faction, reclaim the lost Greater Grail, and out-gambit his enemy Darnic. He intends to invade the Greater Grail's innards to access True Magic and begin humanity's salvation. Ever calm and collected, it is only when he is minutes close to achieving his dangerously alluring dream that Shirou rants to Sieg not to ruin humanity's salvation.

* ''LightNovel/FateApocrypha'': Shirou Kotomine is a [[SinisterMinister Church minister]] presiding over the Red Faction and is the Master of Assassin Semiramis. In reality, he is Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, Ruler Servant summoned in a prior Grail War. Noble and benevolent, his methods are ruthless and cunning. Seeking humanity's redemption out of pure love for mankind, Shirou bid his time, gathered items as catalysts to summon a Servant in the Middle East, and waited for Yggdemillenia of the Black Faction to show themselves. Midway during the next Grail War, Shirou launched an ambitious attack that sees him singlehandedly take over the Servants of the Red Faction, reclaim the lost Greater Grail, and out-gambit his enemy Darnic. He intends to invade the Greater Grail's innards to access True Magic and begin humanity's salvation. Ever calm and collected, it is only when he is minutes close to achieving his dangerously alluring dream that Shirou rants to Sieg not to ruin humanity's salvation.

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* [[SinisterMinister Kirei Kotomine]] finally embraces the evil within himself in ''Anime/FateZero'' after a lifetime of struggle with his condition of [[EvilFeelsGood only finding joy in evil]] but having enough of a conscience to know right from wrong, betraying and murdering his master Tokiomi Tohsaka. Manipulating the church and other sorcerers for years after while keeping the Servant Gilgamesh intact. Kirei proceeds to manipulate the [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Fifth Grail War]], playing everyone to assist him getting the Grail in each route. Kirei intends to summon Angra Mainyu, the being behind the Grail itself to ask it about the purpose of his existence, even if it destroys him or the world. Kirei manipulates everyone with an unmistakable sense of charm, frequently showing himself as the most compelling villain of the ''Fate'' franchise.