Siegfried

, Class Name , is the Saber-class Servant of Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia of the Black Faction in the Great Holy Grail War of Fate/Apocrypha. He is one of the Servants summoned by Ritsuka Fujimaru in the Grand Orders of Fate/Grand Order.
==Profile==
===Identity===
The and the "Dragon Slayer" who defeated the evil dragon Fafnir with the holy sword Balmung in hand. He is a great national hero of Germany that has many different depictions in the various legends attributed to him. His most famous role is his introductory appearance in the German epic poem of the Middle Ages, the "Nibelungenlied", portrayed as its main character. He is a character in a tragedy that had spread throughout Europe concerning dragon slaying and the Rhinegold, and his character became established with the ancient epic "Nibelungenlied". However, Siegfried is actually not the main character of the "Nibelungenlied". The real main character is his wife Kriemhild, and this epic is the tale of the most terrible revenge brought upon by her despair and hatred.
Siegfried's legend came into existence around the 5~6th Century and had spread to many lands. At nearly the same time as the "Nibelungenlied", the story of the hero Sigurd, the "Völsunga saga", came into existence. 's opera "" is a masterpiece work that compiles these legends together. Although Siegfried and Sigurd possesses similar origins, they are two entierly different existences.Fate/Grand Order Profile of Brynhildr, translated by Master of Chaos at Beast's Lair.
====Legend====
Siegfried Fafnir.jpg|thumb|Siegfried slays the Evil Dragon Fafnir.
Siegfried requests.jpg|Siegfried taking requests from the people, doing anything they ask.
Siegfried was born a prince of a noble lineage in The Netherlands. He wields the precious sword Balmung which he received from the , and has been in battles ever since he was a young man, having faced and fought in many campaigns and several adventures.
After the accumulation of the endings of his many adventures, where in the process, he obtained the demonic sword Balmung and an overcoat that makes one disappear and hides one's figure, Siegfried's most well known feat was being crowned a "Dragon Slayer" by battling the evil dragon Fafnir for the treasure of the Nibelungen family and finally defeating and killing him with his holy sword. He then bathed in and drank drops of the Dragon Kind's blood, and Siegfried became an invulnerable existence by obtaining an invincible body from his victory over Fafnir where he would no longer receive even a single wound on the battlefield. However, when he bathed in the dragon's blood, a single linden tree leaf happened to stick to his back which prevented the blood from touching it; making it his one weak point that would bring about his irrevocable death.
However, most of those heroic battles went untold... As such, the details of Siegfried's adventures, including the felling of the evil dragon Fafnir and the obtaining of the demonic sword Balmung, are just told of as hearsay by the characters, and were not actually shown.
Then, Siegfried heard rumors of the beautiful Kriemhild, the princess of Burgundy, and proposed to her... And so, the tragedy began.
Adding to the growing ranks of the Burgundians, Siegfried brought them many victories and married Kriemhild, sister of the Burgundian king, accessing the throne of The Netherlands. However, a shadow was cast on such flamboyant glory around the time he got married with Kriemhild. His brother-in-law, the Burgundian king, loved a certain woman; the queen of Iceland, Brunnhilde. He requested Siegfried to help him to seek her affection and so, it was settled by having the hero embrace that woman as his proxy. It may not have been a crime, but it wasn't a behavior that should be praised either and it was a request that ended up coming back to him as punishment.Fate/Apocrypha Volume 2: Round Dance of Black / Festival of Red - Chapter 3
====Death====
After the trickery, the Burgundian king was able to marry the queen of Iceland, Brünnhilde. Due to knowledge of this trickery spreading around, the hero wounded the woman's honor and pride; and she wasn't an ordinary woman, but the queen of a country. As a result of granting the wishes of his brother-in-law, Kriemhild and the wife of his brother-in-law, Brünnhilde, got into a conflict and wounded each other's honor; a collision between them becoming inevitable. Siegfried was cornered into a situation where he had no choice but to die in order to prevent a fight, and he once more granted everyone's wish. He had always answered to people's expectation, but what was wished from him in the end was his own death. He thought that it would be resolved if he, the cause of it all, died. As a result, he sensed that it would cause a terrible conflict, so he spoke to Hagen who was once called a friend and in the past exchanged cups of brotherhood with.
Without spending in any significant degree the Rhinegold, Siegfried entrusted his best friend his only weakness. The man who was once his friend granted the hero's wish. He tenaciously searched and found out the hero's weak point, crafted a plan knowing fully well that it was a cowardly act, and aimed for the hero's back as he drank water. Even while knowing that, the hero stopped himself from resisting. He was assassinated by a vassal of the Burgundians who struck him on his weak point. Without leaving behind any unseemly figure or stupidity, the hero died as a tragic hero who received a sneak attack due to trickery. His former friend became widely known as a rare villain who had killed the hero through foul play. From Siegfried's point of view, it was the best way to solve the antagonism between Kriemhild and Brünnhilde; but he committed a fatal mistake.
Siegfried had surmounted every field of battle without a single defeat, until losing his life at the blade of betrayal striking him in his back. In the end, it called forth even more tragedy; so it seems the curse of the Rheingold took effect perfectly. This connects to the revenge tragedy of his wife Kriemhild for the murder of her husband in the later half of the tale. Kriemhild loved him so much that she didn't mind selling her own soul to the devil if it was to get revenge for her husband's death. Her hatred wasn't pointed only to the killer Hagen, but also to her own brother King Gunther. Afterwards, Kriemhild herself - trapped in her hatred - is defeated by a chivalrous attack. Furthermore, the sword Kriemhild used to kill Hagen was Siegfried's beloved Balmung; so there are people that said that after twists and turns, Siegfried could get his revenge. However, it is also certain that Siegfried and Hagen had been friends that shared their wine and dreams.
With him possessing the noble lineage of royalty, being known for his various adventures and heroic tales, and having met a tragic end, there are few heroes who are as heroic as him. Yet it is precisely because he is such a heroic hero that he was unconsciously burdened by binds. A hero acts out of the supplications of the people, and therefore should not act without being asked. This is because a hero is such a being. Because they possess overwhelmingly immense power, they must not act out of their own will and try to grant their own wish. A hero is a being that fulfills the wishes of others, and must not ever tread any further than that.
===Appearance===
Siegfried is a tall man with silver-grey hair. His body was encased in radiant silver woven plate armor. He carries his Phantasmal Greatsword, Balmung, on his back. His exposing skin was dyed brown with the blood of a dragon. That skin was composed of dragon scales that wouldn't be wounded by any blade or spell... All except for a single part in the middle of his back. His tall stature, slender body and tanned-colored skin are proof of him having been soaked in the blood of a dragon.
===Personality===
Having turned into a Heroic Spirit, Siegfried looks back at his lifetime to his self as a "hero wished by others" and harbors a modest dream. Siegfried is known for the tales of his royalty and the way he led troops as a captain, but he was also a hero who answered the requests and calls of others. However, this selflessness opened a void in his heart. The more he helped others, the more confused he was about his own wish. Even though he loved humans and the world, he never managed to fill that emptiness no matter what he did. At his moment of death, he finally realized that in his next life, he wanted to fight not for "somebody else's sake" and other people, nor for himself, but only for the justice he himself believes; he wanted to be a true Hero of Justice. That is his dream. He had always made the wrong decisions at the most critical of moments. Bound to his own desires, he tried to overlook the weak who cowered before him. He did not seek salvation for himself, so he ignored the silent cries of those who had. Such meanness and wickedness were certainly not things he had striven for.
Siegfried as he was portrayed in the "Nibelungenlied" forms the basic essentials of his character, and he only knows about the Norse Valkyries from second-hand knowledge.
If he is summoned as a Servant, Siegfried will think of himself about how he is told of as a hero that killed a dragon, but in the end, the only thing he did was give birth to further tragedy. An absolute retribution, as if it was saying that "since you shed so much blood until now, you will also shed the blood of the people you protected." For this reason, his self-esteem is always negative, and he is constantly murmuring, "I'm sorry."
In the Great Holy Grail War, Siegfried obeys his strict Master, even if he is forced to unwillingly shackle himself and is forbidden to speak by necessity because no command will burden him if it leads to fulfilling his own wish that he couldn't fulfill during his lifetime. His personality is truly that of a noble knight, but it is unknown what he really thinks because of the command to never speak a word.
Just as the impression of his face gives off, he is reticent and modest, but his bearing, which overflows with dignity, makes him seem well-bred. He is the type to talk with a simple, unsophisticated tone and hold back his words to the absolute minimum needed. That is the foundation of his personality, and it deepened the antagonism between him and his Master Gordes. Although taciturn, his passions run deep.
Siegfried has a reserved attitude, but as a matter of fact, there is a side to him more stubborn than anyone else regarding his own personal principles that is demonstrated even to his own Master. Although he will normally listen to anything said no matter what it is, he has this one line of thought where he will not retreat even one step back even when a Command Spell is used. Because of that, there seems to be an occasional misunderstanding.
Siegfried's self-esteem tends to be negative because of the misfortune caused by the Rhinegold that continues to last, with him being unable to do anything but grant the wishes of anyone that crosses over into his lifetime, and it seems that his reason that once stirred the flow of his thoughts could not be found.
It is possible to say that he is extremely easy to handle as a Servant, Siegfried being able to make a Master that has a nature to retreat a single step in dangerous situations to stand up to the situation presented. However, as mentioned above, in situations where he is left to problems that will affect his principles, no matter how much a favorable relationship is built between himself and his Master, it seems he will stubbornly not listen to anything said by the Master. However, his principles are extremely humane and respectable, and if he has a good-willed Master, it is expected for one to be able to build up a relationship of mutual trust with him without any troubles to an extent.
However, no matter how much the relationship of mutual trust is built up, it is hard for one to ride on the relationship through flattery.
====Relationships====
;Kriemhild
:"I didn't think I'd ever see you here, Kriemhild. I don't even know what I should tell you first. No, I supposed there's nothing I need to say. What? "Any words that can be said must be said, you oaf?" I see... Then... I love you, Kriemhild. Agh, wait a moment. What part of what I said made you feel this need to pick up your Balmung?"Siegfried's Fate/Grand Order voice lines translated by ComunCoutinho at Reddit 
;Altera
:"It seems Kriemhild had been in your care. But, as your... wife...?" (Tilts head)
;Vlad III
:"The Great Holy Grail War... My heart aches with regret. I feel especially terrible for the Lancer of Black. At least I'm able to wield my weapon alongside him in battle now, which is both a relief and my way to atone."
:"I'm really sorry for having seem to trouble you in another world."
;Astolfo
:"Rider of Black... So you're here, too. Next time you want to try saving someone, bring me with you. It's fine. I won't hesitate again."
;Brynhildr
:"Please calm down and take a deep breath. I am not Sigurd. No, I'm really sorry."
;Sigurd
:"You are Sigurd? An honor to meet you. A spar? A very welcome proposal, of course. What's wrong, Master? "Call off the sparring"? "I don't trust either of you to hold back"? Heh, hahaha. Master, both myself and Sigurd are proper heroes. We naturally know how to hold back. Alright, then let's not waste a second, Sigurd. [LOUD sword clashes] I'm truly sorry. I forgot to hold back." 
;Karna
:Siegfried develops a mutual admiration with Karna. In their fight, they realized that they both shared many similarities. He was terrified of Karna's constant spear attacks but at the same time, he was overjoyed that he was able to feel the sensation of struggling against death ever since he defeated the dragon. After facing Karna, he broke his silence and hopes to fight Karna to their heart's content.
:"The Lancer of Red... I'd like to finish our battle, but it looks like you have someone you need to settle a score with already. I suppose I will just have to wait my turn."
;Sieg
:"You are... I see, so this must be fate, of a sort. I have little power myself, but I will be happy if I can be of help to you."
;Jeanne d'Arc Alter Santa Lily
:"...I'm sorry. Unfortunately I'm not Mister Reindeer number two. Actually, I'm more of a reptile, myself. I'm really sorry."
==Role==
===Fate/Apocrypha===
====Beginning Stages of the War====
Black faction servant.png|Black Faction's summons
Saber is summoned by Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia with a bloodstained linden leaf as a catalyst in a multiple Servant summoning. Though it was agreed that all would share the names of their Servants, Gordes vehemently disagrees, claiming that revealing knowledge of his Servant's True Name to anyone but Darnic and Lancer of Black would be detrimental to their battle. He then leaves with his Master, returning to his quarters. Gordes commands him to never speak unless unveiling his Noble Phantasm in order to keep the possible hints towards his identity to a minimum. Though he is worried that acting as such to a great hero may be overstepping himself, Saber confirms with a nod that he will abide by the command. It may have changed his fate had he refused, forcing the use of Command Spells, but he chose to submit as a Servant of the Saber class, bringing about a fatal misunderstanding between them.
After witnessing Saber of Red through Caster of Black's scrying, Lancer of Black asks if he believes he can defeat the opponent, and Saber nods wordlessly to keep his oath of silence.
Sometime early on, Saber and Gordes helped Ruler from Lancer of Red's attack. Saber and Lancer both battle in a death match situation. They both find each other a worthy opponent in the Great Holy Grail War and was hoping to have a rematch before departing.Fate/Apocrypha Volume 1: Apocrypha: Great Holy Grail War - Chapter 3
Saber is deployed along with Berserker of Black to act as part of the plan to capture the rogue Berserker of Red. They encounter Rider of Red and Archer of Red as they act as Berserker of Red's backup. As Archer retreats into the forest, Rider taunts the two, causing them to become angered at the insult to their pride. As Rider challenges them, they both charge at him. Both Berserker and Saber's attack were ineffective against Rider, while Rider paid little attention to Berserker and clashed with Saber once again. The fight between Saber and Rider was equally balanced as there weren't any wounds on either of them, and both of their attacks were being nullified. Gordes impatiently orders Saber to use his Noble Phantasm, but Saber ignores his Master's urgings as he tries to figure out the mystery behind Rider's invulnerability. Saber wanted Gordes to understand his reasoning so he let the command go by unheeded.
Rider, tired of the fight as it isn't going anywhere, commented that Saber should try to laugh before his death before he was shot by Archer of Red's arrow, sending him backwards and crashing into several trees. Gordes, frustrated with Saber, used his Command Spell to order Saber to use his Noble Phantasm to defeat Rider. Saber was shocked with his Master's order, and he believed that relying on brute strength to force the issue without first solving this riddle was an act of an imbecile. He tried to resist the order with all his might, but as he was about to release his Noble Phantasm, Gordes used a Command Spell to retract his previous order due to Darnic's intervention. Saber retreats by changing into his Spirit Form as Archer of Black snipes on Rider on Red and Berserker of Black takes on Archer of Red.
====Saber of Black's Sacrifice====
Astolfo Weeping.jpg|Siegfried's heart transplanted into the Homunculus.
When Darnic questions about Gordes' incompetence, he orders Saber to materialize and he appears next to Gordes. Saber knelt respectfully before Gordes and Darnic. Saber confirms that the possibility with the enemy knowing his True Name is low. Caster of Black informs Darnic about the Homunculus and Rider of Black's plan to escape. Darnic orders Gordes to pursue Rider with Saber and bring back the Homunculus. When Rider helps the nameless Homunculus escape during Berserker of Red's attack, Saber, along with Gordes, was blocking their path together. Gordes orders Saber to restrain Rider, and Saber stepped up to Rider in a single stride and grabbed his arm and neck. Saber pulled him away from the Homunculus and forced him to the ground. As the Homunculus was punched almost to death by Gordes, Rider starts questioning about Saber's pride as a hero. Saber's hand twitched as he reacted to Rider's words, and he decided to ignore Gordes' command to restrain Rider and tries to appeal to Gordes' good nature to spare the Homunculus. Saber urges Gordes to grant the Homunculus salvation by healing and releasing him but he was disappointed by his reply.
In an instant, Saber knocked out Gordes' consciousness by punching him in his abdomen. Saber then heads towards the Homunculus and Rider, dispelling his woven plates, sword and even armor, and bared his chest. The Homunculus is mortally wounded, and Rider begins to cry over his dying friend. Rider blames him for his delayed actions for he could have saved the Homunculuss life earlier. Saber is ashamed of himself for abandoning the Homunculus rather than trying to save him, realizing that he was about to repeat the same regret he had in his life. Saber tore out his heart, raising the Homunculus with one hand, and made him swallow the heart. He transplants his heart into the Homunculus and successfully resuscitates him as atonement. As he fades away, he smiled bitterly, content with how things works out.Fate/Apocrypha Volume 1: Apocrypha: Great Holy Grail War - Chapter 4
In the initial plans of the Yggdmillennia team, Saber would go out to the front lines and receive the attacks of enemy Servants as Lancer's protector. Lancer would be positioned to control the battlefield with Kazikli Bey. Assassin of Black would kill the enemy Masters and cause chaos in the enemy's rear guard along with Berserker. Rider would guide the Golems and control the situation with Caster, while Archer would act as support by shooting at areas where a hole in the enemy lines could be made. It was truly a perfect formation as an academic theory, but they were forced to tearfully change tactics due to Siegfried unbelievably leaving the battlefield before the war actually began.
With Saber's death, the nameless Homunculus names himself "Sieg" in honor of his sacrifice. Lancer of Black was furious with Rider of Black and blames him for his death; however, as noted by Archer, Lancer's anger towards Rider had cooled down due to how he understood Gordes's arrogant attitude had played a major factor towards Saber's demise. Rider regretted not being able to talk to him anymore. Rider wanted to believe Saber had been "victorious", who sacrificed himself to save the Homunculus without hesitation and smiled in satisfaction at the end. Ruler had a bad premonition; she sensed no Servants had been defeated yet something was amiss. She confirms that Saber of Black was on the verge of death yet he was still alive. She learnt the truth from the Black Faction and went looking for Sieg. Gordes had been shaken pitifully and was crushed by humiliation as he had lost Saber. He started to regret treating Saber as a tool rather than a hero with his own personality.
====Rest of the War====
Sieg, in his near death state, experienced Saber's memories and later has the ability to shapeshift into Saber of Black. Shirou Kotomine theorizes that Saber of Black return isn't a revival but more of a possession. Sieg was a shell that was able to wear the body of Saber of Black. Sieg's connection to Saber's heart and in combination with the abundant magical energy of a Command Spell has allowed Saber to descend from the Throne of Heroes into Sieg's flesh. Normally, a human soul wouldn’t be able to endure a Heroic Spirit's existence inside a body. The reason Sieg succeeded is because he is a homunculus, where their souls are very young and therefore pure, and as such, they won’t be dyed by anything, resulting in their bodies enduring any kind of transformation.
===Fate/Grand Order===
====First Singularity: Orleans====
Siegfried was the protector of Lyon when he was summoned into the Singularity. Jeanne Alter and her Servants attack the town, and they defeat him. Jeanne Alter inflicts him with multiple curses. Unbeknownst to Jeanne Alter though, Martha (a Servant of the former) hides Siegfried in the town castle.
He is eventually freed when Ritsuka’s party arrives. Upon exiting the castle, they’re confronted by Jeanne Alter and Fafnir. Jeanne Alter commands Fafnir to incinerate them, but Mash and Jeanne d’Arc use their Noble Phantasms to protect everyone from the flames. Siegfried uses Balmung to drive the evil dragon away, allowing the group to escape.
Escaping from Lyon, they see Charles-Henri Sanson and Lancelot attacking French soldiers with their wyverns. Jeanne goes to protect the soldiers while the others fight Sanson and Lancelot. After Sanson retreats with Carmilla and Lancelot is killed, the group continue their escape.
Arriving at a ruined fort, Siegfried’s wounds are healed by Marie Antoinette but the curses afflicted on him prevent a full recovery. Jeanne says they’ll need another Servant who can use Baptism Rites to remove the curses. Since she doesn’t enough power, the group looks for a saint Servant to help. The group split up to search, with Siegfried going with Ritsuka, Mash, and Amadeus Mozart.
Siegfried and the others arrive in Thiers, where they see Elizabeth Báthory and Kiyohime bickering. They defend the town from an enemy assault and fight Elizabeth and Kiyohime when Ritsuka insults them. After they’re defeated, Ritsuka explains the situation to them. Kiyohime says she met Georgios before out west, so Mash contacts Jeanne and Marie who went out that way. Jeanne confirms they just contacted Georgios. However, the group lost contact when the town under Georgios’ protection is attacked by Jeanne Alter.
Jeanne eventually arrives in Thiers with Georgios, and tells the others of Marie’s noble sacrifice. She and Georgios then remove the curses from Siegfried while Elizabeth and Kiyohime join the group. After defending Thiers from another attack, they leave and make camp in a nearby forest to prepare for their assault on Orleans. The next day, Siegfried says a frontal assault is the only viable option since the enemy already knows their location. He asks the others to protect him and Ritsuka while he goes to slay Fafnir.
In the climatic between Ritsuka’s party and Jeanne Alter’s forces, Siegfried slays Fafnir with the help of his allies. He stays behind with Mozart and Georgios to deal with the wyverns while the rest proceed into the castle to fight Jeanne Alter, who retreated from the battlefield after Fafnir was killed. After the Singularity is resolved, Siegfried and Georgios express how honored they were to have fought alongside each other. They suspect they’ll be summoned again to help Ritsuka and disappear.
====Final Singularity: Solomon====
Siegfried is amongst the "Orleans" Singularity Servants to aid Chaldea against the Demon Gods Pillar.Fate/Grand Order - Solomon: The Grand Time Temple - Section 2: I/Naberius, the Melting Furnace
====Realm of the Thanatos Impulse: Traum====
====Event: Saber Wars====
Suffering from a headache, Siegfried is told by Medea to destroy Ritsuka's party while Medea Lily says they should all work together. He doesn't see either of them and believes he is hearing voices again. He recounts how he met Stheno after falling in a cave and losing Balmung in the spring. Stheno asked him which witch he dropped; the older witch or the younger witch. He answered neither, which is when he started to hear voices of two women telling him to steal the treasure on Mysterious Heroine X's ship. X suddenly attacks him, Medea, and Medea Lily. Siegfried realizes he wasn't hearing voices and asks his thoughtlessness in being easily deceived to be forgiven.
====Da Vinci and the Seven Counterfeit Heroic Spirits====
A counterfeit of Siegfried is created by Jeanne Alter. He's given the role of "the friendly class celebrity who, by coincidence, sit next to you in class."
Ritsuka's party encounters him at the beach. He apologizes they have to fight, only to say he's not. He asserts that if the original is humble, he will be bolder to surpass him. He commends Leonardo da Vinci for deducing Jeanne Alter's attitude towards her, but he refuses to say more and fights the group. After he's defeated, Siegfried admits he tricked them. He won't apologize for it because it's natural for a warrior to try and trick his foe. Mash and EMIYA then block an ambush from counterfeit Arash and Arjuna. Siegfried disappears afterward.
====Event: Inheritance of Glory====
Following the conclusion of the Great Holy Grail War, Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia, still fused with Vlad III, remained in the Greater Grail. Stilling wishing to acquire the Grail, he manifested mindless replicas of the war’s participating Servants (except the Rulers) to fight endlessly in a recreation of the war inside a recreation of Trifas.Fate/Grand Order - Fate/Apocrypha: Inheritance of Glory, Section 7: Decisive Battle : Ever-Floating GardenFate/Grand Order - Fate/Apocrypha: Inheritance of Glory, Section 2: Castle Defense : Millennia Fortress
Siegefried, Mordred, and Astolfo attack Yggdmillenia Fortress, where Ritsuka’s party is based, at night.Fate/Grand Order - Fate/Apocrypha: Inheritance of Glory, Section 4: Showdown : Twin Swords & A Cavalry They are defeated by the group and disappear with the morning light. Due to Sieg's influence, they all rematerialize with a sense of self the following morning. During a meeting in the gardens, it is determined that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon is the enemy base. While agreeing with a direct assault, Chiron warns their chances of success will be low since twelve Servants will be guarding the Gardens. Avicebron advises against attacking the Gardens during the day like Atalanta proposed, as a flying golem he sent there on Chiron’s order was forcibly transported outside when night arrived. Chiron asks Sieg if he can move his main body, Fafnir, now. Sieg answers he can fly at a minimum but warns he’ll fall if hit by a Noble Phantasm, especially Balmung. As everyone determines how they'll reach the Gardens, Astolfo has Siegfried ride Hippogriff with him. Chiron then trains them and Mordred in teamwork, using Avicebron's golems.Fate/Grand Order - Fate/Apocrypha: Inheritance of Glory, Section 5: Mr. Chiron's Combat Lessons
Afterward, Sieg confirms to Siegfried that none of the Servants have memories of the Great Grail War. He explains that their memories are usually engraved in Throne, but their current selves are incomplete. Alternatively, he suspects someone may have sealed away on purpose, possibly the mastermind. Siegfried asks him if he stayed true to himself. Sieg tells him he cannot answer that, so Siegfried leaves it be as he considers his past grudges of no importance now he’s been summoned. He finds it hard to believe that Sieg has become Fafnir, though The next day, before the assault, everyone eats strawberry sandwiches in the gardens.Fate/Grand Order - Fate/Apocrypha: Inheritance of Glory, Section 6: A Dream-like Moment
Later that night, the group flies towards the Gardens. They eventually break through the enemy and enter the Gardens. Inside they defeat Semiramis and Karna, who rematerializes with a sense of will come morning. They are then guided by Semiramis to where the enemy resides, the Grail’s chamber.
At the Grail’s chamber, the group meets Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia, the mastermind behind the recreated Great Grail War. Sieg explains who and what Darnic is. He tries to convince him to surrender, saying a broken Grail cannot reach the Root nor activate the Third Magic. Darnic refuses and reminds the group that he already controls 87% of the Grail. He declares that as long as he possesses the Grail, none of them will ever disappear, but they will once he’s gone. He then proposes using the Grail to incarnate them if they agree to join him. But they all refuse his proposal on their own principles as heroes. Expecting that to be their answer, Darnic connects to a replica of the Grail that emerges from within the Grail to Sieg’s shock. He then fights the group by having the replica Grail continually spawn replica Servants. The group struggle at first since the replica Grail is using their class affinities against them, so they decide to do the same.Fate/Grand Order - Fate/Apocrypha: Inheritance of Glory, Section 8: Golden Yggdmillennia: Tree of a Thousand Realms
After the replica Grail is destroyed, Darnic refuses to give up when he’s struck by Kazikli Bey from the supposedly sealed Vlad III. Unlike the others though, he retained his memories of the Great Grail War due to Darnic fusing with him during it. He eventually convinces Darnic to accept that his broken dream can never be recovered. After Darnic and Vlad disappear, Semiramis teleports the group back to the ground.Fate/Grand Order - Fate/Apocrypha: Inheritance of Glory, Section 9: Thus, It Went Into Hibernation Mode
On the ground, Siegfried tells Sieg that he and Fafnir could have resolved their differences peacefully if he had been the evil dragon he faced. If they dd, he wouldn't have bathed in Fafnir's blood and become invulnerable, though he believes he would have died as a nobody otherwise. But Sieg is certain that Siegfried would still be a hero, even if he never bathed in dragon's blood or wielded Balmung. Siegfried thanks Sieg and disappears.
====Interlude====
===Other appearances===
Siegfried's catalyst, the linden leaf that stuck to his back when he bathed in Fafnir's blood, appears in Lord El-Melloi II Case Files. Atrum Galliasta wanted it in order to summon Siegfried for the Fifth Fuyuki Holy Grail War, but Touko Aozaki burned it and used its ashes as a spell reagent.
==Abilities==
Siegfried is an undisputed great hero admired in the "Nibelungenlied" and a famed "Dragon Slayer" that can match a thousand, seen as one of the vital cornerstones of the Black Faction's strategy during the Great Holy Grail War.Fate/Apocrypha Volume 2: Round Dance of Black / Festival of Red - Chapter 1 Having surmounted every field of battle without a single defeat, until losing his life at the blade of betrayal striking his back, his only weak point, he is a magnificent warrior, and he stands as the greatest hero of Germany, and next to Sigurd as one of the most powerful of all Norse myth.Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Götterdämmerung: Eternal Ice-Flame Century - Section 2: Assault of the Demonic Sword (End) Being one of the three greatest assets of the Black Faction alongside Vlad III and Chiron due to possessing superb parameters towering above the rest,Fate/Apocrypha Volume 1: Apocrypha: Great Holy Grail War - Chapter 2 he is certainly one of their greatest trump cards, and he was originally to have acted as a frontline combatant and Vlad III's protector. In the battlefield, Siegfried is the type to constantly stand on the frontlines protecting his comrades, as he is basically "hard, solid, and tough". He is also highly praised as a spectacular and invincible hero by those like Vlad III and Karna, as he is an excellent swordsman "whose swordsmanship has long since surpassed mankind." He also has the qualifications to be summoned under the Rider class. Despite being a Dragon Slayer, due to possessing Dragon blood, he is similarly weak to such attributes. As such, he would fare poorly against weapons made to slay dragons.
Sieg is able to transform into Siegfried for three minutes thanks to his Dead Count Shapeshifter: Dragon Revelation Command Spells with which he downloads the information of the Heroic Spìrit into his body. Physical information is expressed, battle experience is stored and accumulated, personal abilities are embodied, and even Noble Phantasms are reproduced. In terms of physical abilities, Sieg perfectly reproduces as Siegfried. During his fight with Mordred, she hadn't yet healed all the wounds she sustained in her attempt to flee from Frankenstein's Blasted Tree. Although her B+ Strength should be enough to damage Siegfried, her peerless strike was unable to pierce his harder than steel skin. After the two exchanged a few blows, it was made abundantly clear that Sieg had not only perfectly reproduced Siegfried's physical abilities, but also inherited his abundant accumulated battle experience as well. By Kairi Sisigou's rough assessment, he was almost even with her in terms of stats. To make it worse, he was better in terms of defence in a straight up match thanks to his Armor of Fafnir. It was in this situation that Mordred and Sisigou agreed to use a Command Spell for as long as he fought Sieg. Normally, a Command Spell is used in a more narrowly defined way such as, for example, a spatial jump equivalent to Magic. If not used in such precisely defined way, the binding force of the command spell would weaken. The order "defeat Saber of Black" was vague, so the boost only allowed Mordred to raise her power to its max. Nevertheless, being now able to use her full strength, her slashes were able to cut him. In a contest of pure physical strength, Mordred with both her Mana Burst and the boost of the Command Spell was stronger.
===Skills===
====Class Skills====
*Magic Resistance (—): As compensation for obtaining Armor of Fafnir this skill is lost.
*Riding (B Rank): Riding Ability. The majority of vehicles can be ridden above average. Magical Beasts, Holy Beast rank beasts cannot be ridden.
====Personal Skills====
*Dragon-Slayer (A Rank): One of the special Skills possessed by those who brought down a member of the Dragon Kind. Drastically improves one’s offensive power and defensive power against Dragon Kinds. It can be said that this is not a talent given from heaven, but the very anecdote of killing a dragon having been changed into this Skill. This makes him a dangerous existence to any Servants with the dragon characteristics such as Artoria Pendragon.
*Golden Rule (C- Rank): he attained the treasures of the Nibelungs, being promised a lifetime of wealth, but his Luck decreases due to the rank of this Skill. In life, Siegfried's kingdom was the wealthiest of all the surrounding regions, often throwing great feasts and tournaments and giving tributes so large that even an entire caravan would have trouble carrying them. The treasure manifests as the Noble Phantasm Das Rheingold, which can be accidentally summoned along with Fafnir.Fate/Grand Order - Siegfried Interlude I: Dragon Slayer
*Disengage (A Rank): The ability to either withdraw from combat or reset the state of affairs around oneself. Restores the condition of one’s techniques to their initial value while simultaneously, it forcibly releases some of the bad status ailments that were inflicted on them.
===Noble Phantasms===
====Armor of Fafnir====
Siegfried's main Noble Phantasm is Armor of Fafnir, a continuously active armor that negates all attacks of B rank and below. When receiving regular an A rank attack, it is only recorded as an E rank attack. In case he is attacked with a Noble Phantasm, the armor’s defensive value will rise to B+. Should the enemy use a Noble Phantasm or skill that has the properties of an Anti-Dragon special attack, this additional defensive value will not be included. Furthermore, the B+ defensive value is only applicable when he is attacked while defenceless, and in the case where he takes defensive action with Balmung to match the opponent's Noble Phantasm, the armor’s defense will be further reduced. In other words, when Siegfried goes all out in a defensive battle, he is effectively a moving fortress. 
Despite being an excellent swordsman, Siegfried is unable to defend himself from Karna's assault. Although he manages to ward off the spear's barrage by maneuvering his sword with the smallest possible movement, and by closing the distance one step at a time, Karna holds the advantage in terms of range thanks to his long spear and thus manages to strike Siegfried seventy-eight times in different vital points every single time. Although his arms should have been torn apart, and his eyes gouged out due to each of Karna's strikes being equivalent to an A rank attack, thanks to Siegfried's Armor of Fafnir, they are registered as shallow wounds that could be healed in an instant thanks to Gordes regenerative thaumaturgy. In spite of this, it was an act so reckless, that even Jeanne d'Arc, who knew of his legend, wanted to cry out for him to stop. Having also arrived when Karna was about to unleash his Noble Phantasm at full power to kill Ruler, Gordes considered that it was so powerful, that it should have been wiser for Siegfried to fight alongside Ruler with her invincible "privilege" to defeat Karna. Although the superiority of Karna's technique exceeded Siegfried's by a slight degree, Siegfried had a tougher body. All things considered, they were more or less an even in terms of strength, due to their fight prolonging for several hours without any of them using their other Noble Phantasms. 
When fighting Achilles, even while working with Frankenstein, their combined assault, aiming both high and low, was splendidly deflected by Achilles. Although the Greek hero seemed invincible, thanks to Achilles not fighting them seriously, Armor of Fafnir was capable of nullifying all damage Saber took, allowing him to keep the fight balanced for the time being. Their fight was interrupted by Atalanta, who after realizing that a regular shot would not hurt Siegfried, drew her bow to its limit, performing a powerful attack of an even higher rank flying faster than the speed of sound. The shot came from so far away, that Siegfried didn't detect it, and thus had his body pierced, and was sent flying head over heels, crashing into several trees.
Siegfried's armor only possesses one weakness, a single spot that was covered by linden leaf on the exposed portion of his back, where the effects of Armor of Fafnir does not apply to. The reason the weak point on his back is exposed is because of a "curse" that forces him to do so. It conceptually prevents him from protecting his back. Even if Siegfried were to be protected by something like a spherical barrier, a hole in it would definitely open facing his back. It becomes extremely difficult for him to be healed with healing magecraft if he is wounded there even once. As a result, should his True Name be revealed it would be fatal,Fate/Apocrypha Volume 1: Apocrypha: Great Holy Grail War - Chapter 1 as a result of his renowned legend, knowledge of his weakpoint will be known to all should his identity be exposed. Utilizing his Noble Phantasm around witnesses and even speaking could give critical details about him away, so Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia decides to go as far as forbidding him from speaking. Despite this worry however, there aren't many heroes who possess the skill to pull off the tricky feat of aiming for Siegfried's back while fighting him in the first place, so Assassin-class Servants with Presence Concealment are seen as his greatest threat.
====Balmung====
In addition, he wields the greatsword Balmung, able to unleash a wide-range attack that displays its true worth against an army, while also inflicting additional damage on those with the dragon attribute. The blue jewel encased in the hilt of the sword contains mana from the Age of Gods, and it is possible to pull out the sword's power to the maximum with just a small quantity of it. His sword's accumulation of mana is overwhelmingly faster than that of an average Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, though still not as fast as Sieg who managed to use the Noble Phantasm so many times consecutively only because he continued to instantaneously pull out the sword's power while replenishing his mana with "Galvanism". The Servant version of Siegfried cannot instantly replenish the mana he expends. Although when he was alive he could activate it faster than Sieg, thanks to his inborn disposition combined with the transformation of his heart due to being bathed in and drinking a dragon’s blood, the moment he was summoned as the Servant Saber, that special characteristic of his was highly degraded.
In the clash between Sieg's Balmung, and Mordred's Clarent Blood Arthur, the second one was slightly superior. Between his Noble Phantasm which destroyed the entire surrounding area in a wave, and Mordred's, which destroyed all existing material in it's path in a straight line, Mordred's Noble Phantasm had the adavantage in terms of their respective natures. However, when their trump cards clashed, Mordred noticed that Sieg wasn't using Siegfried's full power. Although his power was definitely equal to that of Siegfried, Sieg hadn't reached his mind and spirit. As a result, she was able to stay one step above him in everything during battle. Most likely, his resolve would be even greater when he next transformed and he would be strong to match her. Then, if he transformed a third time...
Sieg claimed that by his third transformation he would be able to put up a fight against the defense functions of Semiramis' Hanging Gardens of Babylon, saying that he could likely survive the attack even if he woudln't lose outright. Sieg could accurately calculate the power of the EX Anti-Army beam attack which Ruler had blocked with her holy flag, and he was confident that he could overwhelm and beat it with Balmung. However, they had learned from Astolfo that the Hanging Gardens had eleven interception spells prepared and ready for Semiramis to fire at any time. If the spell that Ruler had blocked was a ‘one’, then it was basically multiplied by eleven when fired in combination. Even then, Sieg probably wouldn’t lose, but he wasn’t confident that he could defeat it either. The odds were likely that it would turn into a contest of power—clashing against each other with all their might and merely resulting in both of them exhausting themselves.Fate/Apocrypha Volume 4: Cup of Purgatory - Chapter 2 Karna blocked this version of Balmung by using both his armor and his Mana Burst (Flame) skill simultaneously.Fate/Apocrypha Volume 5: Evil Dragon and the Holy Woman (Karna tanks Balmung translation)
==Development==
===Creation and Conception===
Siegfried.png|KN's Original Design
Siegfried was designed by KN and written by TYPE-MOON for the original cancelled online game project. Ototsugu Konoe later became the character illustrator for Siegfried in the Fate/Apocrypha novel and Fate/Grand Order.Fate/Grand Order material I - Siegfried, p.052-061, translated by Kinalvin Yuuichirou Higashide and Kinoko Nasu are the scenario writers for his character in Fate/Grand Order.
===Reception===
Ototsugu Konoe said that each time he illustrates Siegfried's armor, he receives no mercy as his arm dies due to the miraculous number of lines he has to draw.
Higashide's favorite Servant in Fate/Grand Order is Siegfried. Nasu told him "your Siegfried is creepy" because he was Lv. 50 while the rest were at 30-40.Comptiq 2015-12 Issue - Fate/Grand Order: Yuuichirou Higashide X Hikaru Sakurai Interview, p.108
==References==
it:Sigfrido
vi:Saber Đen
Category:Servants
Category:Saber-class Servants
Category:Sovereigns
Category:Knights
Category:Brynhildr's Beloved
Category:Characters in Fate/Apocrypha
Category:Characters in Fate/Grand Order (Part 1)
Category:Germanic Servants
Category:Heroic Spirits
Category:Humans
Category:Chaotic Good Servants
Category:Earth Attribute Servants
Category:Dragon lineage
Category:Qualifies for Rider-class
Category:B+ rank Strength Servants
Category:A rank Endurance Servants
Category:B rank Agility Servants
Category:C rank Mana Servants
Category:E rank Luck Servants
Category:A rank Noble Phantasm Servants
Category:Dragon Slayers
Category:Introduced in 2012
Category:Voice - Junichi Suwabe
Category:Nibelungenlied (topic)