Assassin (Fate/stay night)

Assassin

Assassin is a fictitious character from the Japanese visual novel and anime series Fate/stay night by TYPE-MOON.

Clothed in a traditional Japanese umanori hakama and kimono with an indigo haori, this handsome Servant bars entry beyond the main gate of the Ryūdōji Temple. Quiet and composed, he maintains a degree of bushido and is eager to spar with other Servants. Although he has the same class, he is not to be confused with another Servant known as True Assassin.

The Seiyū for Assassin is Shinichiro Miki. The Voice actor for Assassin is David Vincent^[1].

Servant Status

Abilities

• Presence Concealment

Rank: D

Hides one's presence as a Servant. Suitable for spying.

• Transparency

Rank: B+

Clear and serene. A barrier that nullifies mental intervention. Since he is not an assassin, he cannot use the Assassin Ability, Presence Concealment, but he can conceal his presence as a master of Martial Arts.

• Knowledge of Foremost Harmony

Rank: B

A special ability that prevents reduction of the effectiveness of an attack, no matter how many times it is used on the same opponent. Attacks will not be perceived by the opponent.

• Eye of the Mind (Fake)

Rank: A

Resistance to changes of visibility caused by visual interferences. Also called the sixth sense, or prescience; an innate talent to sense danger.

Noble Phantasm

Assassin, positioning himself to use Tsubame Gaeshi

• Tsubame Gaeshi (燕返し, Swallow Reversal^?)

Rank:

Type: Anti-Unit

Assassin does not possess a Noble Phantasm, though Tsubame Gaeshi is equivalent in power to one. It is an attack that bends the laws of physics to cause what is known as a Dimensional Refraction Phenomenon, which consists of three unavoidable, simultaneous strikes from different directions. Unlike the techniques of other Servants, Tsubame Gaeshi requires no additional Mana beyond what Assassin needs to move, although a level foundation is necessary to ensure perfect execution. The name honors a technique of Sasaki Kojirō, who was said to be able to cut down a swallow in mid-flight.

In the English dub of the anime, this ability is translated as Turning Swallow Strike.

True Identity

Assassin has no identity, though he masquerades as the mythical Japanese swordsman, Sasaki Kojirō ^[2]. The historical Kojirō was trained in the Chūjō-Ryū style of Kenjutsu, and also founded Ganryū, a school of kenjutsu. His weapon, Monohoshi Zao, is a sharp-edged and heavy nodachi, measuring at 90cm (150cm in Fate/stay night), an unusual length for such a blade.

Both in the real world and in this story, despite renown for his nimble footwork and mastery of kenjutsu, Kojirō is most famous for his death at the hands of Musashi Miyamoto, although some historians question whether Kojirō existed at all. Although he is mentioned in government records, there is discrepancy about his age, and Musashi does not mention a swordsman named Kojirō in any of his writings. In Fate/stay night, the profile of Kojirō in the modern era is an invention, a blend of details from the lives of many nameless and forgotten historical swordsmen. Assassin, a nameless wraith who shared similarities with the legend, assumed the appearance and skills of Kojirō upon his summoning.

Role

He was summoned by Caster as a guardian and watchmen for the front gate of the Ryūdō Temple. As an improper servant, Assassin is entirely dependent on Caster for mana and cannot move freely beyond the grounds of Ryūdōji. Furthermore, he lacks most of the usual parameters and abilities granted to his class. Because of his limited status, Assassin cares little for the Holy Grail, and outside of his duties to Caster, he only seeks to enjoy a decent sword fight. In the Fate scenario, Assassin drives back Saber during her first assault on the Ryūdōji Temple. During their second meeting (anime only), he allows Shirō Emiya and Rin Tōsaka to pass in order to engage Saber in a duel in which he is defeated. In Unlimited Blade Works, he stops Saber from rescuing Shirō from Caster early on, and later faces her again on the last day of the war as the final battle between servants. In Heaven's Feel, Assassin's flesh serves as Zōken Matō's catalyst for summoning True Assassin.

In Fate/hollow ataraxia, Assassin remains bound to the Ryūdōji temple, and continues to watch over its front portal even though peace has settled over Fuyuki City. He converses with whoever is nice enough to climb up the steps to see him. When Avenger makes his move, Assassins fights the dog-shadows right beside his Master, Caster.

References

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