Archer

	True nameEMIYA
	Also known asFaker
	MasterTohsaka Rin
	GenderMale
	AlignmentTrue Neutral
	Height187 cm
	Weight78 kg
	Place of originJapan
	Noble PhantasmsUnlimited Blade Works, Rho Aias, Caladbolg II, Kanshou and Bakuya

Overview

Archer is not a proper Heroic Spirit in the sense of other heroes. His true identity is that of Shirou Emiya of an alternate timeline from that of Fate/stay night who made a contract with the world and became the Heroic Spirit EMIYA. He acts as a Counter Guardian for the world as payment for the contract. He is summoned because he still has the jewel pendant that Rin used to save his life after Lancer stabbed his heart. The jewel he owns is the actual catalyst used for his summoning rather than the one that Rin still has at the time of his summoning.

Combat skills

Due to lacking an actual Noble Phantasm, Archer's basic abilities are below those of other Servants. His main strength lies within his versatility and adaptability, shown through his exceptional use of tactics and battle experience making his combat style very distinct from those of other Servants.

He can fight in a variety of ways depending on the situation, allowing him to match or even exceed other Servants even without an actual Noble Phantasm of his own. Utilizing Broken Phantasms requires for the destruction of a Noble Phantasm, so it is not something able to be utilized by a normal Servant without sacrificing their strength. Due to him being able to replicate as many weapons as he wishes, the use of Broken Phantasms became a trump card available only to him. He can turns the odds in his favor by assaulting melee Servants with such long range attacks. Even if he attempts to replicate a Excalibur-class holy sword, he does not have the magical energy necessary to bring out its full potential and may simply end up fading away after using all his energy in a suicidal attack.

*Kanshou and Bakuya - Archer's primary close combat weapon*

Though he is of the Archer class, which originally focuses on long range combat, he is adept at melee combat, and due to his wish to conceal his trump card, he mainly focuses on melee tactics, primarily utilizing Kanshou and Bakuya when engaging other Servants. Even when told to fight seriously by utilizing a bow as expected of the Archer class, he continues to rush into close combat without intentions to draw his bow. Utilizing his unorthodox tactics, he is even able to slay Berserker six times. He will also use other weapons like Caladbolg II to thrust at the opponent's heart or Durandal to perform powerful strikes. Kanshou and Bakuya are his preferred weapons, and his usage of them has allowed him to develop a style of fighting perfectly suited to him. Though he can fight with a single blade, he generally wields them both at once. The advantage of projection allows for him to replace swords if they are destroyed or if he is disarmed. He has no trouble projecting twenty-eight pairs during a strenuous clash consisting of over a hundred strikes and constantly being disarmed. His greatest strategy, Triple-Linked Crane Wings, involves utilizing multiple projected pairs in succession to completely seal the opponent.

During ranged combat Archer utilizes a bow that he projects when he does make use of projectiles, which, along with his armor, is made from a special material that has yet to be discovered by mankind as of the present time. Archer's Bow is a matte black, western-style straight bow, with a simple design that was constructed to be resistant enough to fire Noble Phantasms. It is a completely original weapon, a projection whose structure and composition is not directly taken from another hero's bow. He often uses regular arrows for quick and accurate attacks that cost less magical energy than Noble Phantasms. Their accuracy is spot-on, and their power is still great enough to bring down houses with a small barrage released in quick succession. Releasing over a dozen arrows at once, they are accurately fired at the opponent whether as a sneak attack or support for another. He is capable of performing Broken Phantasm shots from various distances, from hundreds of meters away up to four kilometers away from the target.

Magecraft

Inside the Unlimited Blade Works — *Archer inside the Unlmited Blade Works*

Although classified under the Archer class, he was not a swordsman nor an archer in life, but a magus at his core relying on his one spell, Unlimited Blade Works, to fight. Despite being a skilled combatant, his true unique strength lies within the manufacturing of weapons rather than their use. His abilities in life were unremarkable overall, utilizing Reinforcement with difficulty and the "structural analysis" step of projection more often than anything else. Only Projection had any worth, having granted him the many Noble Phantasms and combat skills they hold. Aside from Projection, he can also use magic detection and magic resistance, which are considered very basic. He does not posses the ability to utilize offensive magecraft that work around the lines of nature interference. His dark skin, white hair, and gray eyes are a side effect of extensively using Projection Magecraft.

Personality

His personality is very contradicting. While he is thoroughly cynical and nihilistic, he is at the same time devoted and protective, and even a little childish to the point that it makes him hard to hate. He doesn't lie, but he does keep secrets and tell half truths. He means well and is capable of being nice, but often ends up being sarcastic, especially so when he gives advice. He cannot approve of Shirou’s ideal of becoming a Hero of Justice due to his own experience, but at the same time he cannot deny it due to the same reasons.

He claims that his memory is confused to the incomplete nature of his summoning, but that is only half truthful. He is able to assess the situation and deduce his circumstances the night of his summoning, believing himself to have the opportunity to achieve his goal to kill Shirou. He had forgotten the name "Rin Tohsaka" over the period of his life, but remembers her the instant she introduces herself. He claims to no longer have Shirou's memory, but remembers the day Kiritsugu Emiya saved him and the feelings he felt upon seeing Kiritsugu's smile. He has a fond remembrance for the moment Saber was first summoned that he will always recall vividly "even if he should fall into the depths of hell."

Role

Archer at the Rin's mansion — *Archer appears at the Rin's mansion*

In the prologue of Fate/stay Night, Rin intended to summon a strong Saber class servant without a catalyst. Unknowing to her, the jewel pendant was used as a catalyst which summoned the Heroic Spirit EMIYA. Rin's Pendant, a one-of-a-kind jewel kept by Emiya as a keepsake of his unknown savior over the years. Differing from normal, it is not the pendant Rin owns in the present that acts as the catalyst. Emiya is instead a case where he holds a catalyst with a connection to his summoner.

After the two of them confirm their relationship as Master and Servant, Archer begins to question Rin as a master. He judges her worth as a master, and even goes so far as to announce he will not follow her orders, regardless of their importance. Archer makes sarcastic remarks about Rin which aggravated her to use one of her command seals to force Archer submit to her. Afterwards, Archer scolds her for being so careless, and asks whether or not she knows the importance of Command Seals. Once their argument is settled, Archer agrees to stay with Rin. He blames Rin for his vague memories due to her incomplete summoning but also acknowledges her talents and skills.

One night, after informing Archer of a strange Bounded field around the school grounds, Rin goes to the school in an attempt to destroy it, only to encounter another servant, who she identifies as belonging to the Lancer-class. When Lancer tries to attack Rin, Archer intervenes. During in their fight, Shirou Emiya was a pedestrian who witnessed the two Heroic Spirits battle for the first time. Before their fight can continue, they are disrupted by Shirou's presence. Lancer stops the fight and pursues Shirou, Archer and Rin followed him. Lancer pursues the student, and impales them before fleeing. Archer and Rin stumble upon the student's body. When Rin and Archer found Shirou, Rin ordered Archer to track down Lancer, but he was unsuccessful. Rin identifies the student as a boy she encountered earlier, and uses her healing magic on him. Before the boy can regain consciousness, the pair flee. Archer gave his own pendant back to Rin making her think that Archer returned to the scene to retrieve the pendant. Shortly after, Archer and Rin come to the conclusion that Lancer's master will gain knowledge of the boy's survival, and have Lancer finish him off.

Fate
Archer fights Berserker In Fate, Archer is a nameless hero who gives up his life in order to let his master, Rin, escape along with Saber and Shirou. Before facing off with Berserker, Archer advises Shirou to 'imagine something that can defeat it' when presented with an enemy he cannot defeat. He is subsequently killed in combat against Berserker, but not before killing Berserker six times (five in the anime) and reducing his stock of lives from God Hand.
Unlimited Blade Works
Archer smiling at Rin before fading away In Unlimited Blade Works, Archer is developed as an antagonistic character. He betrays Rin and aligned with Caster because he claimed, she had the highest chance of acquiring the Holy Grail. After conceding to Lancer, he then betrays Caster and her master and kills them both, revealing his true intentions. Archer needed to be free from Rin's command seal in order to accomplish his goal of killing Shirou. Archer then kidnaps Rin after she forms a contract with Saber, forcing a situation where Shirou must engage Archer. Archer loses the battle, but only because he does not attack Shirou as he is stabbed through the chest. However, he survived the blow due to Independent Action, and remains hidden up until the final battle where he saves Rin from the Holy Grail and eliminates a cornered and near-defeated Gilgamesh. He then disappears for good with a smile on his face, confident that Rin will stop Shirou from taking a path that he will regret.
Heavens Feel
Archer's image appearing before Shirou removes the Shroud In Heaven's Feel, Archer abandons his wish to kill Shirou, opting instead to fulfill his duties as a Counter Guardian to eliminate 'the shadow'. During a battle with Saber Alter, Assassin and "the shadow", Archer's core is critically damaged and he is mortally wounded. Since Shirou has discarded his heroic ideals to save Sakura, Archer chooses to have Kotomine graft his left arm onto Shirou, who lost his arm protecting Ilya (following the way of the Counter Guardians, sacrificing one life to save another rather than losing both). Much of Archer's knowledge was subsequently transferred to Shirou, though the foreign arm began to invade his body as well. Archer's final appearance in Heaven's Feel is a motivational image for Shirou, who is struggling with taking off the Shroud of Martin.

Abilities

Clairvoyance: C

Capable of keeping track of fast-moving object within a range of four kilometers.

Independent Action: B

It is possible for a Servant to stay in the world for two days without a Master. However, this is the ideal value achieved by maximally conserving mana and avoiding battle and Noble Phantasm usage.

Magic Resistance: D

Cancels Single-Action spells. Magic Resistance of the same degree of an amulet that rejects magical energy.

Eye of the Mind: B

Capable of calm analysis of battle conditions even when in danger and deduce an appropriate course of action after considering all possibilities to escape from a predicament.