Fate/stay night / First Impressions

「無限の剣製」 (Mugen no Kensei)
“Unlimited Blade Works”

Mmm, Sword of Promised Victory and Emiya in the same episode. That’s what good anime is made from.

Lots of climaxes this week, which is appropriate since our story is drawing to a close. Our heroes seemed on the cusp of defeat, but of course there’s no way they were going to die here. Shirou’s already overcome his internal conflict, and as is standard for stories like these, that is much more important than the physical conflict. In Jungian fashion, once you’ve conquered yourself, defeating the villain is but a formality. That’s what Reality Marbles are all about, really; finding power within yourself. It’s the shounen protagonist schtick given form.

Also, dying with Shinji being your last sight before you go is just a bit too sad. No, regret not being able to uphold Shirou’s ideal all you want, Rin, but at least try to save yourself instead of dying like a chump. You’ve got three Command Seals! Crystallised miracles or whatever etched onto your hand! Instead of wasting them impulsively, can’t you, say, teleport Saber to your side, cut you out, and teleport away? Anything? Bah. I’m always a bit miffed when characters fail to be creative with their incredible superpowers (which is perhaps why one shouldn’t give them many in the first place). Well, at least we now know why Rin didn’t use her Seals when captured at the Einzbern castle. She had read ahead in the script and knew she had to save them for this episode. She got one cool pose out of it, I suppose, but 33% effectiveness is low efficiency, if you ask me.

I guess Saber kinda has it worse. She flies to Shirou’s rescue, manages to perform a hadoken, but is then barred from being useful until she is called on to make things explode as a glorified artillery piece. Yeah, she’s pretty cool while she’s doing it, but if you look back on Unlimited Blade Works as a whole, she sure does do a lot of standing and watching helplessly. And then she goes. I suppose her end was telegraphed with many death flags; it was specifically mentioned she would disappear after one shot previously, Rin’s burnt all her Command Seals and her last scene with Shirou together with ‘we will continue this discussion later’ more or lass mandated death. I guess this really wasn’t the Saber route (and for the record: True Ends > Good Ends).

So, who’s getting all the love if not our heroines? It’s not even Shirou. Bizarrely, it’s red Archer here to steal the show again, who is somehow alive/not dead for Reasons. Shirou’s Reality Marble was, weird causality mechanisms aside, Archer’s first, of course (with Shirou’s being cleaner, and also Japanese instead of Archer’s distractingly English chant), Shirou’s toys were Archer’s (with Shirou’s being less mature; note five petals on Rho Aias instead of seven), Archer gets to save Rin, Archer gets to deliver the final blow on Gilgamesh. And nobody seems surprised at all. Gilgamesh getting devoured by the remnants of the Grail was better set up that the VN, but Archer’s resurrection is still a bit of a deus ex machina from off stage. Hopefully next week’s epilogue clears things up.

Looking ahead

For all I ribbed it, this was a good episode. Good fight, pretty light show, the two musical numbers I’ve been looking forward to most since Unlimited Blade Works began (which, while not being the best arrangements I’ve heard of them, carried their scenes sufficiently). It’s what people look for in Fate/stay night, I suppose. The episode started a bit long winded, but Nasu is long winded, and I can’t really blame them for trying to hammer some salient points vigorously.

There seems to be little left for next week, and indeed it calls itself an ‘Epilogue’, which is what I’d expect. There doesn’t seem like much need for a full episode just to wrap things up, and perhaps there isn’t, but if we’re being thorough there certainly can be enough material to fill the space. Many characters, both main and supporting, can do with some more resolution, including Archer, who gets a good scene this week for it but could certainly use an ‘epilogue’ of his own. I’ll save my final thoughts on the series for then.

 

Preview

111 Comments

  2. Curious what next week’s episode will cover? Thank you for blogging this series! 🙂

    Yeah Rin saved those Command seals all the way til the end. Guess they wanted to show the selfless side of Rin. She was willing to die (along with Shinji?) as long as the Grail was destroyed

    Rick Anime
    Reply

    2. At the very least, I hope for at least two things. 1 is to see Rin make Shinji prostrate himself before Sakura. 2. is to see a new grave next to Kiritsugu’s; I mean, Archer must’ve been doing something worthwhile during the time he “disappeared,” really like to know how he even fooled the King of Heroes on his supposed death.

      https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2024%20-%20Large%2022.jpg
      On the side note, how classical for ufotable to use such a finishing move, the animatores must’ve been fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

      L002
      Reply

  3. https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2024%20-%20Large%2009.jpg
    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2024%20-%20Large%2014.jpg
    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2024%20-%20Large%2026.jpg
    This fight was epic. It felt on par with Gurren Lagann in its heyday, and quite equal to the MagicalIllya Archer fight. Honestly, we’ve seen enough of Excalibur, and I like more focus(budget) was put into this fight than the Grail extermination.

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2024%20-%20Large%2035.jpg
    Shirou flashing his best ladykiller smile.

    This series was just plain perfect. It completely exonerates the old Fate adaptations and movies. I’m absurdly hopeful for Heaven’s Feel and hollow/ataraxia being adapted to this degree of quality in the coming years.

    Ptolemaios00
    Reply

  5. https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2024%20-%20Large%2021.jpg
    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2024%20-%20Large%2024.jpg
    Sword of Promised Victory and Emiya. There’s also This Illusion(piano eversion), Sorrow, Into the Night, Last Strength and New Dawn. A little too late to be using all the VN music but it made everything better and was worth it, especially the new Emiya.

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2024%20-%20Large%2035.jpg
    The semblance is uncanny now. And he even reverted to calling Rin as Tohsaka. Farewell, red man. I’ll be using you next in CCC.

    belatkuro
    Reply

    1. and you can see, that they made the Saber Excalibur Shooting scene, with a Special Video filter. The same Filter when Shirou summoned Saber on his Side in the School. I saw this, because i am build an private AMV and cutting the scenes

      WorldwideDepp
      Reply

    1. Don’t think you’re alone there. I guess it also helps that many (including me) didn’t know what to expect from Zero whereas many have already seen the Deen TV and movie adaptations.

      Yojimbo
      Reply

      1. It’s your opinion and your entitled to it. But you have to consider that Fate/Stay Night and Fate/Zero were written by different authors (Kinoko Nasu and Gen Urobuchi) whom the latter used the former’s characters and premise. Urobuchi’s style leans to the dark and gritty which is why some deemed Zero as more “mature” than its predecessor. Stay Night is more “light-hearted” and targeted to an adolescent audience since most of the cast are minors.

        Bystander
        Reply

  8. The mud from the grail would have corrupted Saber if she touched it. I’m not sure what effect the huge tumour would have had on Saber, but I wouldn’t risk it if I were Rin. So I think Rin made the right call.

    Hanabira.Kage
    Reply

    2. We don’t know if the mud would corrupt her at all since shevwas not alone in that moment ( unlike in HF where Shirou abandoned her and she was not keen to destroy the grail as she was hwew ). If we take that and the fact that she is way stronger than with Shirou as her master she would not get corrupted at all.

      But to be honest, her being corrupted was bad idea alltogether in the first place, it would bw just better if she was killed there. It’s no suprise why is Alter used as punching bag and comical rederence kn every ther media outside HF.

      FateFan68
      Reply

  9. “Gilgamesh has kidnapped Shinji, are you GAR enough to save him?”
    “Gilgamesh’s trying to open the Grail to destroy the world, are you GAR enough to stop him?”
    “Shiro has become GAR, does Gilgamesh have enough weapons to fight him?”

    josue
    Reply

  10. I was a bit worried at the start with Shirous monologue. We already tread these waters about his own borrowed ideals. Thankfully the episode built its momentum up till the end of his battle. This is why UBW is my favorite route. We actually see Shirou as the protagonist who and steps up on his own and not just lean on other characters like Rin or Shirou. One more episode, and since that means we get more ShirouxRin fluff, you won’t get any protest from me.

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2024%20-%20Large%2022.jpg
    Did they buff Excalibur here? Because it looks like the both the Lesser and the Great Grail was destroyed. I’m pretty sure Saber in the VN only destroyed the Lesser Grail before it reach critical. Waver was the one who dismantled the Grail after the aftermath of UBW.

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2024%20-%20Large%2026.jpg
    This is how the epic clash between Shirou and Gilagmesh, not the rather bland rendition Studio Deen gave us on the UBW movie. Shirou basically able used his own UBW to just wail on Gil and force him on the defensive. If I had to nitpick though, Shirou seemed a bit to superhuman, especially the part about jumping 30 feet high then pulling out Rho Aias. Still as a fight of flash and visuals, it was great to see Gil get overwhelmed after being an egotistical for so long.

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2024%20-%20Large%2035.jpg
    And here we get Archer final goodbye with Rin. I always liked how they use this as the confirmation that he is Shirou no matter what happens. If anyone is asking, no the VN doesn’t explain how he came back either. There is this fan theory that the World summoned him back as Counter Guardian to stop the Grail though I found that dubious. I prefer the simpler explanation: Shirou is know to sustain heavy ass-kicking and injuries and always gets back up. Archer should be no different.

    fragb85
    Reply

    2. Frag, I’m of that thought with Archer. You never should discount Emiya Shirou unless you see him die. So he probably survived the blows from Gil, then waited for the right moment to have his one last hurrah. His extra ability from being an Archer, to move around without a master or source of mana, would be even twice as good because that Emiya knows how to utilize the least amount of mana necessary.

      Meaning even if there was only like a sliver of mana left in him, he’d get the most uses out of it.

      Dorian
      Reply

  11. That was one heck of an episode. Kind of wondering why they had Shiro run out of mana and then have the grail try to swallow Gil, when in the VN Shiro was about to win the fight but only to get interrupted by the grail. Not saying it has to be exactly like the VN, just curious about some changes.

    bakakubi
    Reply

    1. I guess UFOTable wanted to give him a more dignified defeat. Especially when you consider that Gils last act on the VN after Shirou cut his arm off was “run like a wuss”.

      fragb85
      Reply

  12. I pretty much watch Unlimited Blade Works for the fights scenes, since the rest is mediocre and damn they sure didn’t disappoint. It was worth it just to see Gil get rekt for once.

    Kamen Rider Kekkaishi
    Reply

  14. Archer going out with that innocent Shirou smile just to make my heart completely melt. I’ve always loved the Fate universe but honestly I stopped watching this 3/4’s of the way through for just stretching everything WAY too thin. I couldn’t deal with the sluggish pacing and it took everything I had not to set my laptop on fire with that one damn 20 minute conversation episode. Granted I’ll definitely finish it up for completion’s sake, but I’m much more excited for Heaven’s Feel.

    kagehina13
    Reply

  15. https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2024%20-%20Large%2032.jpg
    Gilgamesh died in a really pathetic way…
    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2024%20-%20Large%2023.jpg
    I will miss you Saber. At least you didn’t suffer like you did in the Fate/Zero 🙁
    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2024%20-%20Large%2022.jpg
    And an Evangelion reference here. Show Spoiler ▼

    Zweilous
    Reply

  16. can anybody explain to me how shirou’s many blades were so effective against gilagmesh. Especially the part where he says “I wouldn’t have a chance against someone who mastered only one”, since Gilagmesh IS actually perfect against someone who mastered only one weapon.
    From the looks of it these two poweres seem so freaking similar, that I dont see how one can be the actual opposite of the other.

    Arara
    Reply

    1. i quote my post from reddit:

      What Shirou means, was that our Gilgamesh was an spoiled King. With only mass, no Tons of Shitload of Weapons. But unable to use them to their full potential. In other words, he had many Cars. But was only able to drive them in City limits. The Cars never saw the open wild world to burn their Tiers with full Engine Power
      (i hope you like my Car explanation)

      WorldwideDepp
      Reply

    2. Unlimited Blade Works has the advantage of speed against Gate of Babylon. Gilgamesh pulls off his weapons from GoB while with Shirou, it’s already out there for use. You can see at the beginning where he picked off Gil’s swords before they were fired out while they were still sticking out of GoB. That time delay of the weapons coming out before firing gives Shirou an upper hand as all the swords to counter Gil is already available in UBW. Coupled with him overwhelming him with swordspam, Gil being shocked of UBW’s capabilities and being too late in taking the fight seriously and we have this situation.

      Nevertheless, Gilgamesh just has a certain factor that makes him effective against other Servants while Shirou is not despite having similar powers. Type-Moon, Fate in general, is all about compatibilities and not just about powerlevels. Your power may be effective against one but it may not be effective against another.

      belatkuro
      Reply

    3. Gilgamesh’s advantage isn’t just that he has a lot of weapons, it’s that he apparently owns all the weapons, or at least the ‘original inspirations’ of whatever Noble Phantasm another Servant would wield. Additionally, he also probably owns a weapon that the Servant is weak against, since heroes usually get killed by some very specific thing.

      Shirou, and the hero EMIYA as Archer, never had a signature weapon, and the latter died from mundane hanging. So they don’t have a weakness that Gilgamesh can readily exploit. So if Shirou could match Gil’s arsenal—which he could, with his Reality Marble—then it’s just a fight between two guys with swords. And Shirou’s actually a trained fighter (well, absorbed fighting skills from Archer, at least) whereas Gil’s just a guy who owned a lot of stuff. So, Ea aside, advantage Shirou.

      Passerby
      Reply

      1. Actually Passerby, it isn’t just Archer’s skills, but also the weapon of whom he copy’s skills. The more he knows about the weapon, the more he copies. For each weapon that he copies from history he also gets progressively better. Meaning Gilgamesh was serving him up a healthy power up while the entire fight was ongoing. Small power ups, since he couldn’t find out about the weapon’s history.

        So basically, each weapon that he copies is like a servant he picks up. A major reason as to why the hell Archer could be such a beast.

        It does mean Shirou is Gilgamesh’s worst match up. His Gate of Babylon not only is finite (and it is) but powers up Shirou the longer the fight went. His own pride made him hesitate using his true mastered sword, Ea, and even if he used the special ability, it wouldn’t work against Shirou. Due to Avalon being still inside of him. Unless exactly what happened happened: Shirou burnt out his mana and Rin’s in her own problems which likely stopped her mana from flowing into Shirou.

        Archer is nearly as bad as Shirou, but he doesn’t have Avalon still inside of him.

        Okay, enough long sentences!

        Dorian
        Reply

    4. @Arara: “Especially the part where he says “I wouldn’t have a chance against someone who mastered only one”, since Gilagmesh IS actually perfect against someone who mastered only one weapon.”

      What Shiro is referring to here is that in reality, Gil is not skilled with weapons. You never seen him wield a sword, etc. in a traditional manner. Even with “Ea” he just fires off some… blast of power (not sure how to describe that). So unlike say Saber, Assassin, Lancer, etc. he’s not a “sword master” or “spear master”. He’s actually weak when forced into traditional melee combat (relatively speaking). It’s by design that Gil uses swords as arrows/bullets and why he’s classified as an “Archer”. In melee combat, Shiro wouldn’t stand a chance against a hero who mastered technique for their weapon. For example, he couldn’t win in a sword fight against Saber or Assassin.

      Normally, Gil’s weakness does not matter at all because Gil can simply overwhelm heroes from a distance by firing off (literally at will) countless noble phantasms like some noble phantasm machine gun. Even heroes like Heracles (who don’t have a weapon specific “Achilles heel” AFAIK) simply can’t contend with that much firepower. We saw Heracles try to block Gil’s noble phantasm barrage, but he couldn’t and eventually was overwhelmed. To use an analogy, someone who sucks at fighting can easily defeat a black belt if you give them a submachine gun.

      Shiro has two things which makes him a good match against Gil. First, UBW/projection. That’s absolutely critical. UBW allows him to play Gil’s game on equal, if not even slightly better, footing. As belatkuro mentioned, in UBW, Shiro has a LOT (hundreds? more?) of swords at hand to counter whatever Gil throws at him. He also can copy what Gil brings out. Gil fires off 30 noble phantasms – Shiro can fire off copies of the same (or some sword equivalent since pretty sure Shiro can only copy swords) to block. Sure they are copies, but as noted, no reason a copy can’t be as good (or perhaps superior) to the original, and it’s an effective counter. That’s something other heroes can’t do.

      The second is that Shiro is actually a better swordsman than Gil (which may be hard to believe, but that’s the set up – Shiro’s been trained in Kendo since he was young + lessons from Saber). UBW allows him to close the distance and engage Gil in melee combat. There, Shiro has the advantage in skill which gives expected results – Shiro wins, chopping off Gils arm.

      The one wrinkle in all of this is Gil’s sword “Ea”. Had Gil used that from the start, he would have won. It’s too hax and Shiro can’t copy it. However, cue Gil’s rant about how “Shiro isn’t worthy of it” and thus the story unfolds. There is some credibility to that since Gil looks down upon Archer as a “faker”, and he REALLY looks down upon Shiro even more. Wouldn’t be suprised if he saw Shiro as a “fake of a fake”.

      Hope this helps.

      daikama
      Reply

      1. Couple of things:
        – Shirou/Archer can project other stuff than swords. Rho Aias is the most notable example. However since they aren’t part of his Affinity they cost more mana. When Archer himself blocks Lancer’s Gae Bolg it ran him dry which is why he, along with his injuries, conceded defeat. That’s why I find it absurd that Shirou projected Rho Aias TWICE (He only did it once in the VN before he summoned UBW). But I’m, fine with that, artistic license and all.

        – As Dorian mentioned UBW doesn’t just copy the sword it copies the swords “memories”. Like what happened with his duel with Archer, Shirou can absorb the experience of whoever wielded the weapon. Basically the longer he fights the more skillful he becomes. That’s why Gil finds Shirou/Archer being a “faker”an anathema since they are rip-off incarnate. The fact that he wields all the original NP is a blow at his ego.

        Basically Unlimited Blade Works is the perfect counter for Gate of Babylon. And ONLY Gate of Baylon. If Gil had put his ego on the side, and pulled up EA at once, he would have annihilated Shirou. The only time that happens is…..never. Instead he draws it too late, when Shirou has already overwhelmed him and gets his arm cut off.

        fragb85
        Reply

      2. @fragb85: Your right – Rho Aias slipped my mind for some reason. Then again, I don’t recall Shiro (or Archer) projecting any weapons other than swords (or any thing but swords except for Roh Aias). He doesn’t project, for example, Lancer’s Gae Bolg spear which would be a very handy weapon.

        As for the “memories”, that’s a different from my impression. My understanding is that he’s copying the “history” (not memories – inanimate object here) of the sword (or whatever) to make the most exact replica possible. He’s going for perfection. If Shiro (and by extension Archer) could “absorb the experience” as you say, then he would be OP – absorb Saber’s experience, absorb Assassin’s experience/skill and now he’s got both their skills. Combine Assassin’s Tsubame Gaeshi secret move with Excalibur (or whatever sword you want). Archer would be the ultimate swordsman (or spear wielder, etc.) – better than Saber or anybody else. Yet he loses to Saber (and I don’t think it’s simply a matter of better weapons – she’s just better than him with swords). The longer he fights = getting better can be attributable to gaining experience. JMO – if you have a source/”canon” reference that says otherwise, I’d be interested in that.

        And yes, as I noted above in my post, if Gil had taken Shiro seriously and used Ea from the start, the battle would have swiftly been over with Gil winning.

        Lastly, possibly memory fails me, but in the VN I don’t recal Shiro using Roh Aias. Was that anime only?

        Thanks.

        daikama
        Reply

      4. Sorry for the extra post, but need to make a correction to my above reply to fragb85 regarding projecting weapons. For some reason now I recall other weapon examples (one patently obvious for Archer >_>). Just… not at my best today. :/ So please skip/mentally delete that entire first paragraph. And yes, wish there was an edit feature on RC.

        daikama
        Reply

      5. No need to be so uptight on the spelling and the grammer. I make the same mistakes all the time. I can write a lot but I do admit I’m a poor editor.

        To answer your questions:
        – Yes he does in fact use Rho Aias to protect himself before he summons UBW. He didn’t use it during the battle though. Then again I’m sure he couldn’t jump thirty feet in the air either. But since it looked cool, I’m chalking that up to Artistic License. As for Gae Bolg, he can in theory project that, but considering how powerful it’s not asword using that would be draining a lot of mana.

        – Here is the description of UBW on the supplementary materials:

        The Reality Marble’s purpose is a steel manufacturing factory that produces the countless famous swords without owners that extend into the horizon. It contains all of the raw materials and sorcery needed for the formation of the weapons, and it records and analyzes all weapons and defensive armaments encountered. The number of unique weapons encountered and recorded by Archer exceeds numerous thousands, most of which are Noble Phantasms. Their entire histories, compositions, and designs are all perfectly recorded, allowing for instant proficiency with the weapons by inheriting all combat skills and techniques utilized by their original owners. This allows for the reproduction of Noble Phantasms, which would generally be impossible for a faker.

        Note that these memories don’t stay, those will eventually fade once he lets go of the weapon. Archer can’t really match any other servant who specializes in one weapons. This goes in line with what Archer says: He has no weapon to call his own, he only has his Reality Marble. His power is literally a copycat, hence he is a “faker”.

        fragb85
        Reply

      6. Archer’s Rho Aias used up all his mana cause he put all his mana into it, hence 5 barriers and around 6 petals. Shirou is just using a regular Rho Aias which I believe costs around 5 times the amount of mana it takes to create a sword. This is why shirou has less barriers on his Rho Aias, but can use it more.

        Wtragedy
        Reply

    5. Another thing: When Shiro projects a noble phantasm, it’s got its rank reduced by one due to being an imitation. Gilgamesh may be able to pull out anything he wants from his vault, but with the exception of Ea, anything he pulls out is ALSO reduced by one rank when he uses it, because he’s using it as a projectile and has no actual skill with it. As a result, even though Shiro’s using imitations and Gilgamesh is using the originals, they are both subject to identical penalties and thus it evens out and Shiro can perfectly match Gate of Babylon’s arsenal. No Servant can stand up to Gate of Babylon because its firepower is too overwhelming even with the rank penalty. It’s just too much to withstand. Shiro can do it by cancelling it out with his own firepower, thus leaving just him against Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh by himself is not a hero, he’s a king. He’s not a fighter. Shiro IS a fighter, has been training for basically all his life since his rescue by Kiritsugu, and so he can and does kick Gilgamesh’s ass once Gate of Babylon’s firepower is negated.

      That’s also why Shiro wouldn’t stand a chance against any other Servant, because they wouldn’t be fighting under any sort of stat penalty, they ARE powerful warriors in their own right, and anything Shiro projected wouldn’t be able to stand up to them.

      I hope that makes sense.

      Cluttered Mind
      Reply

      1. Gil’s NPs do not get a rank down. They’re the originals. Why the hell would they get a rank down because of being used as projectiles? And where the hell did you get the idea that shooting them via GoB changes their ranks? Shooting them does not change the fact that they’re the originals. It’s only the swords inside UBW that get degraded by a rank because they’re fakes.
        Do you even get the meaning of the ranks? It’s a measure of their power and quality as an NP. The quality of the weapons inside UBW get degraded by a rank as it’s impossible to fully copy or conceptualize the existence of an object through a single sense. This doesn’t apply to GoB. Throwing a brick doesn’t change the fact that the brick is hard. Being used as projectiles doesn’t change the quality of the weapons themselves.

        belatkuro
        Reply

      2. belatkuro they get ranked down because they aren’t meant to be used as projectiles. Basically it is like trying to throw a real sword. It isn’t really meant for that usage. Its effectiveness would go down. Same thing as when either Gil or Shirou uses them against their purpose.

        The funny thing is, is that Archer would come up with a way to pump up those same Noble Phantasms by turned them into arrows. So in a way, by seeing how ineffective they were thanks to Gil, Shirou will eventually come up with a solution to that problem. As you saw with Archer firing off a Noble Phantasm way back when to damage Berserker heavily in I think it was Ep6.

        BTW, this also explains why Archer has such a low mana total. If he had a huge one, he’d be even more broke than Gil.

        Dorian
        Reply

      3. Rank down was a poor choice of words for Gate of Babylon. I was trying to illustrate how what should be a disadvantage with Shiro’s imperfect (ranked down) counterfeits was negated by Gilgamesh’s lack of skill with each individual weapon. Like how Assassin is weaker in pretty much every regard than Saber stat-wise, but because of his particular skillset he is able to match her in direct frontal combat. That wouldn’t help him in any real way against her under normal circumstances, but if he’s guarding a passage where Saber can’t come at him from any direction but the front, her greater skills and stats aren’t going to come into play because she’s forced to fight Assassin on terms that favor him. Unlimited Blade Works forces Gilgamesh to fight on terms that are very unfavorable to him, thus making his rank/stat/whatever advantage meaningless. That’s all I was trying to say.

        Cluttered Mind
        Reply

    1. yeah, UBW’s had it’s focus more on Shirou and Archer resolving around Rin. This route also left someone important to Shirou out, no not Taiga. the other Girl

      WorldwideDepp
      Reply

    2. Cuz this ain’t her route son.
      She needs to standing and watching helplessly(silently forming her own conclusions) and that’s just how everyone LIKES it.
      So deal with it!

      kawaiigendo
      Reply

    2. 1) In an alternative reality where Emiya Archer was permanently dead, could Gil have pulled himself out?
      If Emiya Archer was permanently dead, he wouldn’t’ve had a chance. Shirou was and still could manage one more sword to slice off his own arm. He would’ve done that if need be.

      2) Will the Grail keep trying to go after Gil after he gets out, or was that its last desperate attempt?
      This was a last desperate attempt. Gil only had one good arm, so how exactly was he going to pull himself out? Also, Gil could’ve used anything else as an anchor and tried this. He would be too prideful to do such a thing. Him doing it is the realization that he’s gonna get taken in by the Greater Grail.

      Dorian
      Reply

  22. aw they went with the true end after all…me sad…very sad…

    But that aside, the final battle DID deliver on a lot of degrees. Shirou got to be awesome but at the cost of Saber being reduced to as you mentioned “artillery”. But you know, I get it that Shirou’s Unlimited Blade Works helps him keep up with a barrage of Noble Phantasms but come on isn’t this Gilgamesh the same dude who went toe to toe with Saber in the first route? Show Spoiler ▼

    Though Admittedly he isn’t wearing his armor here so that might be the leverage Shirou had over Saber in his fight against Gilgamesh.

    gawrshness
    Reply

  24. what a dissapointing battle i hate how Ufotable made UBW in native language instead in the English Language,UBW in english tone is more badass

    “i am the bone of my sword”

    kALEL
    Reply

    1. i know you are trolling, but…

      You Know, this Anime is first made for themselves? And with themselves i mean Nippon/Japan? Where is the Point to produce it in English?

      just to have an this cheap “Boner” Joke? Come one, Kindergarten is long ago. Grown up

      see, i bite your Bait

      WorldwideDepp
      Reply

    2. Obvious troll is obvious. However for those not in the know, there are some very good reasons for the differences in Shirou’s and Archer’s chants. First Shirou’s chant is in Japanese even in the original novel. It’s not in English because at this point in Shirou’s life he’s not as versed in English yet. More importantly Shirou’s chant reflects his inner world and beliefs. His chant shows his resolve and lack of regrets, while Archer’s is the exact opposite.

      Flamestrike
      Reply

  25. They never showed Archer actually dying before. If anything if you watch the scene it looks more like he went into spirit mode. And of course the hero wouldn’t die so easy, like Lancer said. Seriously, Shiro/Archer never gives up.

    Also, in the VN I was under the impression that Rin didn’t get all 3 command seals after remaking a contract with Saber, she still had her only one left.

    sfoop
    Reply

    1. This. This so much. Add in Archer class’ ability to not need a master and the hero Emiya’s own ability to rationize mana and that’s why he’s there at the end.

      As for Rin, though the VN I believe has it like you said, this actually does make more sense. This contract between Rin and Saber is an entirely new contract with a new person. Therefore, new seals would make more sense.

      Dorian
      Reply

      1. I seem to remember previously that if a master lost their servant but retained their command seals they were able to make a new pact with another servant that may still be around without a master. In Fate/Zero I thought it was mentioned that a master without command seals does not pose any threat while one that retains them is still a threat for this reason. That said Rin had her seals stolen with the rule breaker so don’t know how that works.

        Karma
        Reply

  26. I understand why Shiro would want Shinji to live as that would go according to this principles, but Tousaka apologizing she couldn’t save him? What the hell is this? That piece of shit deserves to die and rot in hell

    dimasok
    Reply

    1. They wanted to make it look like she was apologizing to Shinji, but she was actually apologizing to someone else. It’s foreshadowing for the final Heaven’s Feel route.

      Of course, if you watched Fate/Zero, you might guess who she’s apologizing to.

      Moekou
      Reply

    2. It’s more clear in the visual novel that Rin had decided to support Shirou (and Archer’s) ideal so that they wouldn’t have to go at it alone all the time. As such, saving Shinji was still the right thing to do. As I discussed at length last week, it’s not about what you think he ‘deserves’, it’s about making the effort regardless.

      Passerby
      Reply

    1. Congratulations on completing a show you didn’t like. I know it must’ve been difficult, but I’m proud of you for sticking through it. Good job!

      I’m totally being sincere here. Trust me. I suck at sarcasm.

      Dorian
      Reply

      1. The plot was getting more and more contrived by the episode after S1 ended. I don’t blame people who couldn’t sit through the second season. It was basically a string of monologues with small amounts of action.

        Petit Orenji
        Reply

    2. Ok. Ummm, this is the way it has always been in the Nasuverse, if anything Heavens Feel has even more chat. You guys should avoid wordy shows, they’re not for you.
      ON that note. Fate Zero has a healthy amount of infodumps, also those 47 min. specials weren’t precisely rife with Michael Bay explosions, oh boy this is rich.
      Do yourselves a favour and NEVER watch the Monogatari shows, else you would explode.

      Helvetica Standard
      Reply

      1. Heaven’s Feel is getting adapted, though. It was announced at the same time as this anime. There’s going to be at least one movie, no word on the exact number yet but personally I’m hoping for two or three.

        Anon
        Reply

  30. Omg I was expecting that to be the last episode…. I was waiting for the epiloge after the song and was like, omg that’s a stupid epilouge… And the in said “next episode… Was thinking, you better not end this way!!!!

    Cenedraa8
    Reply

  32. “I will make sure he will not end twisted jerk like you” – Rin solves Archer’s problems.
    but why didnt she tell that few episodes earlier, saving a lot of fighting?

    ewok40k
    Reply

      1. They had enough moments where all 3 were present…
        All that talking stuff in the Archers Reality Marble?
        “Stop sputtering heroic/unheroic nonsense, you both look ridiculous!”

        ewok40k
        Reply

  34. I found it slightly amusing that Gilgamesh, while he was being drawn into the grail, essentially told Shirou to stand there and stay there so he could pull himself out with Enkidu.

    Nymbryxion
    Reply

  35. I loved Gilgamesh’s line as he tried to resist the pull of the grail. It’s so incredibly self-centered, and yet somehow much more entertaining than the UBW movie’s version of the scene, which IIRC, was more of a double-suicide/ultimate sore loser attack.

    Blue
    Reply

  36. Is there any particular reason for why Archer or Shirou can’t just sword spam like Gilgamesh to defeat other servants? The only reason I can think of is that their projections are 1 rank lower than the real noble phantasms so they’ll be weaker but even so they should still be strong enough to overwhelm most servants (Berserker would be an exception since only A rank phantasms can hurt him and Archer/Shirou probably can’t project many A rank weapons with that 1 rank drop). Just something that’s been bugging me.

    Gilgamesh
    Reply

    1. Archer can’t afford to do that like Gil, he doesn’t have the mana. Its not like GoB where Gil just draws his NP from his treasury, Archer actually has to conjure his blades. Combined with the fact that his stats are the weakest among them and its not practical to just toss hundreds of blades to his enemies especially the more powerful ones.

      Simply put, Archer can never win in a straight up fight with most servants, it just so happens that UBW is the perfect counter for GoB. His style was always to fight with strategy and cunning because his abilities are tailored to that.

      fragb85
      Reply

  37. “King of Heroes, do you have enough swords?” (Yep, “hype mode” was on throughout the episode. Also, the fourth sword from the left–counting from the first two in the background–does look a lot like Anduril.)

    “Mongrel! These swords are f**king patented!”

    And finally… Boom. Headshot.

    With all this talk about swords, I seriously hope Man at Arms forges Excalibur next (or Kanshou and Bakuya) once the season finale/epilogue for UBW is done.

    Incognito
    Reply

  38. i remenber that vn have servant profiles and archer have a pasive of 1% of return from death, like lancer have a pasive to don´t die immediatey if u don´t finish him off
    a whole espisode of epilogue ?? it is very short in vn, maybe they will change some things there o.O

    dark
    Reply

    1. Ego. Gil’s one biggest hubris.

      He used EA against Rider because he recognized rider as a “worthy” opponent, being a king, conqueror, etc.

      He sees Emiya as a mongrel, if he admits that he’s strong and uses EA against him, he’s recognizing a mongrel as his equal/threat or, in Gil’s eyes, he’s reducing himself to the level of a mongrel.

      He actually considered using EA near the end of the fight, but true to his hubris he hesitates for a fraction of a second if Shiro is worthy enough opponent to use EA on.

      Vagrant
      Reply

      1. And by the time he’s finally ready to use Ea to end it, it’s too late. Had he started the fight with Ea drawn, he would have won, but Shiro isn’t about to give him time to pull it out in the middle of the battle. Gilgamesh did try, but was quickly disarmed (I know, awful pun)

        Cluttered Mind
        Reply

  43. Such an epic adaptation, thank you Ufotable.

    Now I want Bleach with this animation 😀 This story is not bad, but light years away from the best ones for me. So, Ufotable, go for one of my Top 3, please! 😀

    Nico
    Reply

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