Saber herself is the very personification of chivalry. A model knight, she possesses all the qualities one would come to expect with such a revered title. Profoundly valiant and unwavering in her righteous ideals she is truly an idealistic 'Heroic spirit' and rightfully procured her reputation as The King of Knights. Underneath her picture perfect image, Saber is a girl who has spent her life devoted entirely to the greater good and the success of others. As such she never truly had a chance to live for herself or find her own identity as a person, having always conformed to what others needed her to be. Her general temperament is easily regarded as one of an silent observer, extremely guarded and ever watchful of her surroundings. She does not typically show much emotion, taking on the role of a stone faced heroine. Her overly reserved nature has lead to others viewing her as apathetic and emotionless, which is what also inevitably lead to her downfall as king.
Saber's true identity is Arturia Pendragon, or King Arthur of Camelot. In this version of the tale the king was secretly a woman, and such a turn of events gave birth to many hardships. Born into a time where war and chaos were imminent, she was predestined to be her country's savior as heir to the King of Britain. She would be denied the chance to rule due to her gender, which lead to her being raised in secret all while preparing for the day she would fulfill the prophecy and take her rightful place on the throne. As a young girl Arturia was described as a whimsical youth, brimming with innocence and hope. If compared side by side to her present day self, it would seem impossible that the two could be the same person. This is because choosing the path of kingship meant sacrificing her humanity and becoming something in-human. Despite this she chose to follow the path of a king and throw away her identity as a woman, conforming herself to the guise of a man since the age of fourteen.
As king she put the needs of her country before her own, her devotion to them as their ruler was of the highest importance. She ruled Camelot with an iron fist, adhering strictly to the knight's code of chivalry and gaining the respect and allegiance of many other knights who would come together to form the Knights of the Round Table under her leadership. Famous for exhibiting great valor and honor on the battlefield she never cowered in the face of her enemies. She faced her opponents head on, striking down her enemies from the front lines of warfare. Her seemingly boundless courage and determination greatly inspired her subjects, and earned her their unwavering loyalty. Though many lives were sacrificed on her path to victory, no one doubted her ideals as being noble and correct. She unbendingly kept to the oath she made from the beginning of her rule, that a king is not human and as such can not protect it's people with human emotions. Such conviction undoubtedly paved the path for countless victories, as well as her kingdom's downfall.
In order to maintain her image as king, she could not readily place her trust in others due to the secretive nature of her true identity. Thus she remained aloof from her peers, keeping everyone at arms length to secure the welfare of her kingdom. However, such behavior came with it's own consequences. Unable to truly confide in others or relate to people on an emotional level, her most loyal knights and subjects began to turn against her, causing civil unrest within the kingdom. They criticized her lack of warmth and understanding towards the people of the country over which she governed, questioning her ability to properly rule over them as a result. Ultimately her isolated methods of living brought Arturia to her untimely demise after ten years of rule. Faced with the impending destruction of her country, with her dying breath she offered her services as a heroic spirit to obtain the holy grail. Intending to rewrite history and give Britain the chance to flourish under a better ruler in her stead.
As a servant she exhibits all the same qualities she had in life, pledging devotion to her master immediately upon being summoned. ("My sword will henceforth be at your side. Your fate is henceforth my fate.") However, during Fate/Zero Saber struggled with her allegiance towards her master Kiritsugu due to their differing ideologies and methods in obtaining the grail. Kiritsugu was not opposed to lying or cheating to fulfill his goals, such practices Saber could not approve of and their differing principles made them incompatible as partners. She was entirely disrespected by Kiritsugu who refused to speak directly to her or acknowledge her as anything more than a weapon to be used for his benefit. He betrayed her trust countless times, one notable example being when he forced Archibald to command Lancer to commit suicide. Done so while using Saber as an unknowing decoy to distract Lancer in battle. His actions were disgraceful and Saber felt dishonored as a knight in helping him accomplish this, even if she was not aware of his plans. Perhaps worst of all Kiritsugu forced Saber to destroy the grail with the use of his command seals in the final battle, without explanation and before she had a chance to have her wish granted. Such events left massive emotional scars and caused Saber a great deal of grief. Saber was further traumatized in the fourth war when she was forced to kill her friend, and loyal knight Sir Lancelot when it is revealed that he had been summoned as the Berserker servant. Needless to say the fourth war was mostly a nightmare of an experience for her, and only worsened her capacity to place her trust in others for the fear of being betrayed or winding up hurt.
In Fate/Stay Night Saber begins to open up about her insecurities in time. Plagued by the guilt of failing her country in the past as well as her faults in the fourth war, she strives to make amends for her mistakes. Though she is still extremely wary of trusting others, she develops a soft spot for Shirou and grows attached to him as a person who shares some of her own principles of wishing to help others.
Though her outward disposition can most generally be described as cold and calculating she does show a warmer side to herself on rare occasion. Mainly through her interactions with Shirou in Fate/Stay Night. He is the first person to treat Saber as a human rather than a servant or a weapon. He also insists on protecting Saber and tells her she shouldn't fight because she is a girl. Saber takes this as an insult, and proclaims she is a servant before she is a girl and that gender does not matter. While seemingly unflappable in nature, she does retain some essence of her younger self. Showing a fondness for cute things as well as a humorously humongous appetite. She tends to sink into the background of most social situations, remaining distant and stone faced. A side effect of the burdens she shouldered in solitude in her life as a ruler. Such a trait gives her the appearance of a more refined nature and she is repeatedly described as beautiful and elegant, despite her opinion of herself being the opposite.
Saber has a difficult time blending in, this is because of the unusual in-explainable aura that surrounds her, making her quite the spectacle in modern day times. Not only does she attract attention for her traditional mannerisms but her way of speaking is also quite formal, which is to be expected considering the era of time she grew up in. This leaves her feeling awkward and uncomfortable around most people, some more than others. Reverting to that introverted state of mind works as her safety net, keeping others from getting too close. Still she most often leaves others with a positive impression of herself, her high ranking charisma allowing her to get along with most people relatively easily. While generally upholding herself to the image a perfect gentlemen she does have a bit of a childish quirk that rears it's head whenever she is offended or upset. In addition to this she has been shown to enjoy witty banter with her opponents on the battlefield, responding in kind whenever she is taunted or teased with quips of her own.
To sum things up, Saber is a Knight with many admirable qualities that outshine even the tragic burdens of her past. She is prideful in her abilities and retains an honorable sense of justice that endears her to many. Saber is both strong willed and selfless, to a fault. Bringing much grief and misfortune upon herself through her stubborn allegiance to the ideals of a hero who prioritizes the success of many over the few. With the weight of the crown bearing down on her still, she wants nothing more than to provide victory for the country that fell apart at the hands of her regime.
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Saber herself is the very personification of chivalry. A model knight, she possesses all the qualities one would come to expect with such a revered title. Profoundly valiant and unwavering in her righteous ideals she is truly an idealistic 'Heroic spirit' and rightfully procured her reputation as The King of Knights. Underneath her picture perfect image, Saber is a girl who has spent her life devoted entirely to the greater good and the success of others. As such she never truly had a chance to live for herself or find her own identity as a person, having always conformed to what others needed her to be. Her general temperament is easily regarded as one of an silent observer, extremely guarded and ever watchful of her surroundings. She does not typically show much emotion, taking on the role of a stone faced heroine. Her overly reserved nature has lead to others viewing her as apathetic and emotionless, which is what also inevitably lead to her downfall as king.
Saber's true identity is Arturia Pendragon, or King Arthur of Camelot. In this version of the tale the king was secretly a woman, and such a turn of events gave birth to many hardships. Born into a time where war and chaos were imminent, she was predestined to be her country's savior as heir to the King of Britain. She would be denied the chance to rule due to her gender, which lead to her being raised in secret all while preparing for the day she would fulfill the prophecy and take her rightful place on the throne. As a young girl Arturia was described as a whimsical youth, brimming with innocence and hope. If compared side by side to her present day self, it would seem impossible that the two could be the same person. This is because choosing the path of kingship meant sacrificing her humanity and becoming something in-human. Despite this she chose to follow the path of a king and throw away her identity as a woman, conforming herself to the guise of a man since the age of fourteen.
As king she put the needs of her country before her own, her devotion to them as their ruler was of the highest importance. She ruled Camelot with an iron fist, adhering strictly to the knight's code of chivalry and gaining the respect and allegiance of many other knights who would come together to form the Knights of the Round Table under her leadership. Famous for exhibiting great valor and honor on the battlefield she never cowered in the face of her enemies. She faced her opponents head on, striking down her enemies from the front lines of warfare. Her seemingly boundless courage and determination greatly inspired her subjects, and earned her their unwavering loyalty. Though many lives were sacrificed on her path to victory, no one doubted her ideals as being noble and correct. She unbendingly kept to the oath she made from the beginning of her rule, that a king is not human and as such can not protect it's people with human emotions. Such conviction undoubtedly paved the path for countless victories, as well as her kingdom's downfall.
In order to maintain her image as king, she could not readily place her trust in others due to the secretive nature of her true identity. Thus she remained aloof from her peers, keeping everyone at arms length to secure the welfare of her kingdom. However, such behavior came with it's own consequences. Unable to truly confide in others or relate to people on an emotional level, her most loyal knights and subjects began to turn against her, causing civil unrest within the kingdom. They criticized her lack of warmth and understanding towards the people of the country over which she governed, questioning her ability to properly rule over them as a result. Ultimately her isolated methods of living brought Arturia to her untimely demise after ten years of rule. Faced with the impending destruction of her country, with her dying breath she offered her services as a heroic spirit to obtain the holy grail. Intending to rewrite history and give Britain the chance to flourish under a better ruler in her stead.
As a servant she exhibits all the same qualities she had in life, pledging devotion to her master immediately upon being summoned. ("My sword will henceforth be at your side. Your fate is henceforth my fate.") However, during Fate/Zero Saber struggled with her allegiance towards her master Kiritsugu due to their differing ideologies and methods in obtaining the grail. Kiritsugu was not opposed to lying or cheating to fulfill his goals, such practices Saber could not approve of and their differing principles made them incompatible as partners. She was entirely disrespected by Kiritsugu who refused to speak directly to her or acknowledge her as anything more than a weapon to be used for his benefit. He betrayed her trust countless times, one notable example being when he forced Archibald to command Lancer to commit suicide. Done so while using Saber as an unknowing decoy to distract Lancer in battle. His actions were disgraceful and Saber felt dishonored as a knight in helping him accomplish this, even if she was not aware of his plans. Perhaps worst of all Kiritsugu forced Saber to destroy the grail with the use of his command seals in the final battle, without explanation and before she had a chance to have her wish granted. Such events left massive emotional scars and caused Saber a great deal of grief. Saber was further traumatized in the fourth war when she was forced to kill her friend, and loyal knight Sir Lancelot when it is revealed that he had been summoned as the Berserker servant. Needless to say the fourth war was mostly a nightmare of an experience for her, and only worsened her capacity to place her trust in others for the fear of being betrayed or winding up hurt.
In Fate/Stay Night Saber begins to open up about her insecurities in time. Plagued by the guilt of failing her country in the past as well as her faults in the fourth war, she strives to make amends for her mistakes. Though she is still extremely wary of trusting others, she develops a soft spot for Shirou and grows attached to him as a person who shares some of her own principles of wishing to help others.
Though her outward disposition can most generally be described as cold and calculating she does show a warmer side to herself on rare occasion. Mainly through her interactions with Shirou in Fate/Stay Night. He is the first person to treat Saber as a human rather than a servant or a weapon. He also insists on protecting Saber and tells her she shouldn't fight because she is a girl. Saber takes this as an insult, and proclaims she is a servant before she is a girl and that gender does not matter. While seemingly unflappable in nature, she does retain some essence of her younger self. Showing a fondness for cute things as well as a humorously humongous appetite. She tends to sink into the background of most social situations, remaining distant and stone faced. A side effect of the burdens she shouldered in solitude in her life as a ruler. Such a trait gives her the appearance of a more refined nature and she is repeatedly described as beautiful and elegant, despite her opinion of herself being the opposite.
Saber has a difficult time blending in, this is because of the unusual in-explainable aura that surrounds her, making her quite the spectacle in modern day times. Not only does she attract attention for her traditional mannerisms but her way of speaking is also quite formal, which is to be expected considering the era of time she grew up in. This leaves her feeling awkward and uncomfortable around most people, some more than others. Reverting to that introverted state of mind works as her safety net, keeping others from getting too close. Still she most often leaves others with a positive impression of herself, her high ranking charisma allowing her to get along with most people relatively easily. While generally upholding herself to the image a perfect gentlemen she does have a bit of a childish quirk that rears it's head whenever she is offended or upset. In addition to this she has been shown to enjoy witty banter with her opponents on the battlefield, responding in kind whenever she is taunted or teased with quips of her own.
To sum things up, Saber is a Knight with many admirable qualities that outshine even the tragic burdens of her past. She is prideful in her abilities and retains an honorable sense of justice that endears her to many. Saber is both strong willed and selfless, to a fault. Bringing much grief and misfortune upon herself through her stubborn allegiance to the ideals of a hero who prioritizes the success of many over the few. With the weight of the crown bearing down on her still, she wants nothing more than to provide victory for the country that fell apart at the hands of her regime.