Musashibou Benkei

, Class Name , is a Lancer-class Servant summoned by Ritsuka Fujimaru in the Grand Orders of Fate/Grand Order.
==Profile==
===Identity===
Benkei was the legendary who served Minamoto-no-Yoshitsune and whose exploits are documented in the , and numerous other accounts. As a loyal and widely beloved retainer, he possessed both resourcefulness and bravery, with knowledge of Kabuki and , widely beloved.
This Heroic Spirit is actually a completely different individual named , whose existence has little evidence. Originally, Hitachibou served Yoshitsune alongside the real Musashibou Benkei, having a brief mention in the Gikeiki where they shared joy and sorrow. Ultimately nothing more than a supporting role, in their final battle at , he abandoned his comrades instantly in fear for his own life. Motivated by guilt and shame at his cowardice, he attained a limited immortality with study of esoteric Buddhist practices, and assumed the identity of Benkei for the remainder of his years, spreading the legend of Benkei's ideal heroism and unyielding loyalty. It is in part by Hitachibou's efforts that Benkei attained status as a Heroic Spirit. He is said to have served to influence Yoshitsune's tale in an unexpected manner in the Gikeiki, said to have taken the stage as the narrator who survived the battle of Koromogawa to pass down Yoshitsune's legend in many places. The shameful Kaison is said to have taken the impressive duty to go beyond his shame and live in disgrace, wandering around. Unlike his legend, Benkei doesn't have a weak spot, although he feels pain when he is kicked to his shin.
====Legend====
Encounter at Gojou Ouhashi.png| in Fate/Grand Order.
RealBenkei.png|Real Benkei in Fate/Grand Order - Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia.
Musashibou Benkei is the most famous spearmen in Japanese history. He was rumored to had been the child of an Oni. Musashibou Benkei was known for his loyalty, valor and a great strong man. He is the ideal image of a hero who fought bitterly to end together with Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Just by swinging his Naginata, ordinary soldiers would had their bodies blown off at once and just by roaring, starving wolves would be on the run. There is also many traditions transmitted to the present, such as Benkei's daunting pose and Benkei's weak-spot in his shin.
===Appearance===
===Personality===
Incidentally, his imitation of Benkei is imperfect, and occasionally hints at his true personality through facetious and jesting.
His wish to the Holy Grail is to make Benkei's great renown eternal. Although that wish is already half-way granted, so long the deeply ashamed Kaison has a mouth, he will probably continue to narrate eternally.
====Relationships====
;Ushiwakamaru
:"Ah, Ushiwaka-sama. I've remembered an urgent matter I need to take care of, so I will be taking my leave! Eh? I need to accompany you in your training? Well you see, my chronic bone fractures have started acting up...!"Fate/Grand Order Lines
;Ushiwakamaru (Swimsuit)
:"Ushiwaka-sama... I hear you changed into a swimsuit, but for some reason you still look the same as before. Hahaha! ...Um, Ushiwaka-sama, are you planning on breakdancing on top of my head or something? Do you...think my head would survive that?"
;Osakabehime
:"Ah, so you are Osakabehime-sama. I hear Ushiwaka-sama has been under your care. But recently Ushiwaka-sama's been treating me a bit harshly. She keeps saying things like "characters in fighting games react within 1/60 of a second, but you can't. That's a problem." But I'm the one who's troubled by a statement like that..."
==Role==
===Fate/Grand Order===
====Singularity F: Fuyuki====
Benkei is a shadow servant in Fuyuki singularity, Shadow Lancer joined forces with Shadow Assassin to kill Ritsuka Fujimaru, Mash Kyrielight and Olgamally Animusphere. Cú Chulainn arrived to support Chaldea and vanquish both of them.Fate/Grand Order - Fuyuki: The Contaminated City in Flame - Section 6: Shadow Servant
====GUDAGUDA Honnouji====
Benkei appears in the singularity under the name Musashibou Sessai. After setting up camp, Imagawa Yoshitsune orders him to prepare a banquet in two seconds. Sessai hastily goes to prepare the banquet whilst telling Imagawa to stay guarded, as their camp location is dangerous. Imagawa tells him that there is nothing to worry about with their Mini-Nobu army, but Sessai only worriedly agrees with her. Later, he and Imagawa see Ritsuka’s party approaching them as they’re running from Matsudaira Arash‘s Stella. Seeing the Noble Phantasm, Sessai and Imagawa wonder it is when they struck by it. As they both begin to disappear, Sessai tells Imagawa that their current situation is why he told her to not let her guard down. He disappears, telling her they should leave while they have the chance.
==== Event: The Garden of Order ====
Benkei is one of the Servants missing from Chaldea to serve as a tenant of Ogawa Apartment. He resides in the first room, which is oddly cold despite thermometer showing otherwise. He is confronted by Ritsuka, Mash, and Shiki Ryougi when they enter his room. Mash tries to talk to him, but he attacks the group saying they abandoned a respectable way of life. After he is defeated, Benkei returns to Chaldea.Fate/Grand Order - Kara no Kyoukai: The Garden of Order - 1st Floor, Room No.1
==== Event: Onigashima ====
Benkei arrives on Onigashima ahead of Ritsuka's party. While searching for the group,Fate/Grand Order - Onigashima: The Great Tale of Demons, Act 5: Of Oni and Men he came upon a settlement with a teahouse.Fate/Grand Order - Onigashima: The Great Tale of Demons, Act 7: Big Brother There he is served tea by Shuten-douji and Ibaraki-douji, unaware of what they are or the tea is alcoholic.Fate/Grand Order - Onigashima: The Great Tale of Demons, Act 10: Of Alcohol and Oni He then left the teahouse to continue his search, saving the tea in a flask for later. However, in trying to get around a checkpint, he accidentally fell off the cliff and ended up in a settlement further down the mountain.Fate/Grand Order - Onigashima: The Great Tale of Demons, Act 6: Master and Servant
Fortunately there he meets Ritsuka's party when they arrive after getting past the first gate. He tells them there is another settlement higher up. He was actually looking for the group when he ended up in the village. The group then leaves the village with Benkei.
Eventually, the group encounters a checkpoint. Ushiwakamaru asks Benkei how he got past it. Benkei confesses he fell off the cliff and ended up in the previous settlement. Seeing the path is too narrow and steep to go around the checkpoint, the group decides to break through. Disguising himself as an oni, Fuuma Kotarou takes the others as human slaves. He tells the oni guard they were requested by the great oni. The oni doubts Ushiwakamaru can do any work based on her small frame and shameless outfit. Benkei tells him she is a seductress and knocks her out to "eliminate" her as a threat to the oni. He then drags her unconscious body past the confused oni guard. After the oni are slain, Ushiwakamaru prepares to decapitate Benkei for his actions until she realizes they helped them pass through the checkpoint.
Continuing on the pass, Benkei suggests they gather information at a teahouse in the settlement up ahead. He then gives Ushiwakamaru a flask of tea when she complains of thirst. However, Ushiwakamaru gets drunk from the tea and mistakes a jizo statue's face for her brother's. Following a brief episode with the statue, the group continues onward.
The group then arrive at the second gate where they encounter Tamamo-no-Mae and the great oni Wazahamimaru.Fate/Grand Order - Onigashima: The Great Tale of Demons, Act 8: The Second Great Oni Appears After defeating them, the group unlock and pass through the second gate.Fate/Grand Order - Onigashima: The Great Tale of Demons, Act 9: Wazahamimaru Repelled
Arriving in the settlement, the group finds Shuten and Ibaraki working at its teahouse. Benkei is ashamed for failing to see they were oni, having thought they were friendly and gracious teahouse girls. Shuten denies she and Ibaraki constructed the island and suggests they work together to defeat the mastermind of Rashoumon and Onigashima. But Kintoki rejects her offer and a fight ensues. Ushiwakamaru is left fatigued by her fight with Ibaraki, who unleashes her Noble Phantasm. However, Benkei uses his body to block it, and Ushiwakamaru disperses the flames with Kikenjō - Icicle Cutting after jumping from his shoulders. Struggling against the group, Ibaraki asks Shuten for the Grail to regain the power she had in Rashoumon. However, Minamoto-no-Raikou arrives and forces the two to retreat. While she chases after them, the group continues their journey up the mountain.
Arriving at the third final gate, the group encounter Kiyohime and the great oni Gorikimaru.Fate/Grand Order - Onigashima: The Great Tale of Demons, Act 11: The Third Great Oni Appears After defeating them, the group unlock and pass through the final gate.Fate/Grand Order - Onigashima: The Great Tale of Demons, Act 12: Gorikimaru Repelled!
At the summit, they find Raikou standing before the Grail. Kintoki warns the others about getting closer, recognizing she isn't Raikou but her sealed oni self, Ushi-Gozen. Ushi explains how she created the island and its oni with the Grail and her Authority to create a refuge for those scorned by human society. Revealing she mortally wounded Shuten and slew Ibaraki a moment ago, she tries to convince Kintoki to join her as she constructed the island for him. She also reveals that she created the Rashoumon incident to make everyone kill each other by getting them intoxicated with the Grail’s wine. Kintoki refuses to join her and fights her with the others.Fate/Grand Order - Onigashima: The Great Tale of Demons, Act 13: And What of Momotarou
As the group struggle against her, Ushi prepares to finish them off when Shuten ambushes her, only to be slain by her. Kintoki uses the opening Shuten created and defeats Ushi with Golden Spark. Though, in truth, she jumped into the lightning to knock herself out. Raikou soon wakes up, having no recollection of being Ushi. Despite that, though, she recognizes the incident as her fault and apologizes for her behavior. After Raikou disappears, Ushiwakamaru is happy to know her ancestor would speak to a country bumpkin like herself after Kintoki assures her, Benkei feels, though, that Raikou would smile sweetly while drawing her sword if she thought Ushiwakamaru was buzzing around Kintoki.Fate/Grand Order - Onigashima: The Great Tale of Demons, Final Act: Ushi Gozen's True Form
Later, however, Raikou returns, having used sheer will before she completely returned to the Throne because she forgot something. When Ushiwakamaru tells Ritsuka to look forward to when she becomes her adult self, Benkei remarks how she'll never have Raikou's figure. For these roads, Ushiwakamaru drags Benkei behind a rock for punishment.Fate/Grand Order - Onigashima: The Great Tale of Demons, Challenge: The Neverending Tale
==== Seventh Singularity: Babylonia ====
Benkei is one of Gilgamesh's Servants, along with Ushiwakamaru, Leonidas, and Merlin. He and Ushiwakamaru hunt the Demonic Beasts surrounding Uruk.Fate/Grand Order - Babylonia: Absolute Demonic Front - Section 3: Gilgamesh's Calamity
He and his fellow Servants eat with Ritsuka, Mash, Medusa, and Siduri at the Chaldean Embassy at night. He confirms Gilgamesh summoned seven Heroic Spirits after he summoned Merlin, though there are only four left now. He also confirms Gilgamesh's magical energy formed their Spirit Origins, and they're now incarnated.Fate/Grand Order - Babylonia: Absolute Demonic Front - Section 3: Gilgamesh's Calamity
He and Ushiwakamaru help Ritsuka and Mash investigate an affair that the armor boss suspects his wife is having. The group follow the wife deep under Uruk, where they discover she is a member of a subterrarean species who plotting to invade the surface world. The group return to the surface after killing them. As Ushiwakamaru explains the threats facing Uruk, Benkei comments how none of the scouting parties Gilgamesh sent to the southern jungle ever returned. He calls the Demonic Beasts a dynamic invastion, while the jungle is a static invasion. On another night, he welcomes Ritsuka back to the embassy when they return from the cleaning the river. He then eats supper with Ritsuka's party, Ushiwakamaru, Leonidas, and Siduri.Fate/Grand Order - Babylonia: Absolute Demonic Front - Section 4: Hardworking Citizens of Uruk
He and Ushiwakamaru congratulate Ritsuka’s party on being tasked by Gilgamesh to investigate Ur after hearing about it from Siduri. They would like to join, but Leondias sent for their aid at the Northern Wall. They then spare with the group to see if they’re ready for the journey. While they’re reassured by their skills, they warn that two Servants of Gilgamesh, Kotarou and Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, failed to return from the jungle. Benkei also recalls how two other Servants of Gilgamesh are also gone; Ibaraki deserted; Tomoe Gozen died killing the previous general of Demonic Beasts, Girtablilu. Benkei and Ushiwakamaru then bid farewell to Ritsuka’s party.Fate/Grand Order - Babylonia: Absolute Demonic Front - Section 5: Welcome to the Jungle
When Ritsuka's party are tasked by Gilgamesh to retrieve the Tablet of Destinies from Kutha, Ushiwakamaru wishes she could accompany them. Benkei reminds her though that they need head to the Northern Wall tomorrow to prepare for the operation to liberate Nippur.Fate/Grand Order - Babylonia: Absolute Demonic Front - Section 7: The Tablet of Destinies
Benkei and Ushiwakamaru meet Ritsuka's party again at the Northern Wall when they're sent there to help liberate Nippur. Leonidas then explains Ushiwakamaru and Benkei's unit will distract the Demonic Beasts from the east. Meanwhile, Ritsuka's party will enter Nippur from the west and rescue the citzens. The operation will be launched tomorrow evening.
As Benkei and Ushiwakamaru battle the Demonic Beasts, they hear what Benkei thought to be an earthquake. Assuming it scared the beasts off, Benkei asks Ushiwakamaru to give him the order to take the soldiers and retreat to the Northern Wall. Ushiwakamaru however deduces the sound, was something monstrous burrowing through the earth. After the operation ends in utter failure, Benkei returns to the Northern Wall. There he tells Ritsuka that he is deserting, apologizing for not meeting Gilgamesh’s expectations. He confesses he faltered when Gorgon appeared, while Ushiwakamaru rushed to face her without a second thought. He calls himself a coward unfit to be Musashibou for abandoning his lord again. Thus, he believes he is only fit to die in the wilds, fighting Demonic Beasts. He then heads off for the ruins of Nippur.Fate/Grand Order - Babylonia: Absolute Demonic Front - Section 9: The Mother of Demonic Beasts (In the anime adaptation, he reveals that he is not the real Benkei.)
When Tiamat‘s Laḫmu are massacring the Mesopotamian populace, Benkei defends the people of Ur from them as repayment for giving him lodging and food. He is shocked upon seeing the corrupted Ushiwakamaru. She uses his surprise to attack him while he’s caught off-guard, and attacks him. Benkei is then seemingly killed when the Lahmu overwhelm in his wounded state.Fate/Grand Order - Babylonia: Absolute Demonic Front - Section 16: Demise
He survives and arrives at the Persian Gulf just in time to save Ritsuka’s party from being killed by Ushiwakamaru. He grabs her when Ushiwakamaru’s clones impale them both. Still alive, Benkei confesses it was anger that pushed him forward, not resolve. He tells Ushiwakamaru that her hatred of humans doesn’t come from Tiamat, but something she was always felt. He was unable to bear it, and pities the loneliness she must have felt, declaring the original Benkei never wanted to leave her alone, even though he couldn’t save her heart. After proclaiming he cannot bear her anger, Benkei uses The Pilgrimage of the Five Hundred Arhat to disconnect her from the Chaos Tide and destroy them both. He asks her to forgive him for his long absence before they disappear.Fate/Grand Order - Babylonia: Absolute Demonic Front - Section 20: Absolute Demonic Front Mesopotamia (I) (In the anime adaptation, he fights Ushiwakamaru and her clones. He grabs her when she tries to kill Quetzalcoatl to stop her from using Piedra Del Sol. The both of them are then soon vaporized by the Noble Phantasm.)
====Final Singularity: Solomon====
Benkei is amongst the "Babylonia" Singularity Servant to aid Chaldea against Demon Gods Pillar.Fate/Grand Order - Salomon: The Grand Time Temple - Section 8: VII/Sabnock, the Chamber of Life
====Christmas Event: Merry Christmas from the Underworld====
He and Ushiwakamaru guard the fourth gate, though she constantly attacks him to keep herself warm in Kur's cold. It also to vent her frustrations towards Ereshkigal for ordering her to cultivate the land that lacks proper nutrients, much like herself right now. Benkei tells her that she will never have Raikou's figure. Ushiwakamaru decides to kill Benkei for his rudeness. Benkei replies that would only extend her sentence.
Ritsuka and Altera arrive and force an end to the fighting. Benkei asks Altera which Christmas is Chaldea celebrating. Altera answers December 2017. Benkei realizes the time difference in Kur and whispers it to Ushiwakamaru. He asks her to keep it a secret, not wishing to complicate matters. He then accepts Altera's initial gift to Ushiwakamaru when the latter rejects it, impressed by how the picture erases all the ways Ushiwakamaru is disappointing. After Ushiwakamaru gets her gift, the gate opens, and Ritsuka and Altera hurry on through.
After they're gone, Benkei doubts he and Ushiwakamaru will remember anything once Ritsuka restores Kur to the proper time. But Ushiwakamaru finds what happens to the two of them to be of no consequence. She then commands Benkei to stay with her until she atones for her crimes. Benkei agrees, saying he will serve her until the day she meets her end.
==== Event: Oni Pagoda Festival ====
Benkei accompanies Ushiwakamaru to the Oni Pagoda, with his purpose being to prevent her from seeing Tomoe Gozen. A so-called lawyer told him, however, that he was trespassing. Since he lacked the means to pay the fine, Benkei agreed to guard the 40th floor as punishment. 
On the 40th floor, Benkei desperately tries, without using her name, to get a confused Ushiwakamaru to leave. He also asks her not to call him by his name for today.  Ushiwakamaru decides to call him Captain Cosplay. Benkei then notices Ritsuka's party and prevents Ushiwakamaru from seeing them. Making the excuse it was a rat, he convinces Ushiwakamaru that Ritsuka wants her to go and surpass her own headhunting record. Ushiwakamaru tries to declare her name in dedication to this duty, but Benkei keeps interrupting her with Berserker roars. Benkei makes an excuse and convinces Ushiwakamaru to leap out the window without looking back, adding Ritsuka wants to see her do a dive from 40 stories. Ushiwakamaru proceeds to do so.
Relieved that Ushiwakamaru is gone, Benkei puts on an oni mask and introduces himself to the group as a loyal oni guarding the floor. Tomoe wonders if she knows Benkei and realizes Ushiwakamaru also looked familiar. Benkei, staying in character, denies any affiliation with the Minamoto and suggests dismissing Ushiwakamaru as a standard nymphomaniac or a hallucination. He then explains why he guards the floor and is defeated in the ensuing battle. Glad to be free of his obligations, Benkei tells the group to be on their way. He also admits there will come a time for those who have a shared history must face each other. He believes he made the right decision to keep his identity secret from Tomoe, being he is the target of her revenge.
====Interlude====
===== Destroyer Monk =====
Tired of being on standby, Benkei demands to train, so Mash suggests a mock battlefield to safely train at. After defeating a few mock Servants summoned by Mash, Benkei desires a opponent that won't hold back. Mash and Romani both think it's strange though that the last Servant's parameter were set so high when Romani suddenly cut off by the arrival of a Shadow Servant. After it is slain, Benkei wishes to go back to Chaldea, only for Shadow Servants that grew to be on par with Servants appear. Mash wants to retreats but agrees with Benkei's decision to destroy the Shadow Servants. The Shadow Servants are destroyed, allowing Romani to reestablish contact with the group. Deciding that they've trained enough, Benkei gives his thanks to Ritsuka.
===Capsule Servant===
In Capsule Servant, Lancer is one of the many available servants.
==Abilities==
Having fought to the bitter end together with Minamoto no Yoshitsune in many battles and having become the idealized image of a hero, Benkei is the most famous warrior monk of Japanese history. He's strong enough to defeat multiple Laḫmu at once, however, he is defeated by Corrupted Ushiwakamaru. He also claims he'd be no match for Gorgon, who had been empowered by the Holy Grail and Tiamat's Authority, becoming a Divine Spirit.
===Class Skills===
*Magic Resistance (C+ Rank): Cancel spells with a chant below two verses. Cannot defend against magecraft on the level of greater magecraft and Greater Rituals. He has a remarkable resistance to Japanese-related Witchcraft.
===Personal Skills===
*Vengeful Spirit Exorcism (A Rank): A skill with an invocation of nine characters - the - curses of evil origin may be defended against and nullified. If successful, an opponent's use of Magecraft may be sealed. In certain circumstances, appropriated by the Servant as part of his own repertoire in a limited capacity. Musashibou Benkei possessed a similar technique as a monk (described in a passage of The Subscription List), and the Servant has imitated said ability with his own skills as an actor.
*Imposing Stance (B Rank): A Skill that reproduces the famous episode that Benkei once managed to carry out. Of course, because he is not actually Benkei himself, Lancer has no ability to sublimate this into a Noble Phantasm. Instead, it is recognized as a simple defense enhancement and being able to make himself a target, falling into a state where attacks are concentrated towards him.
*Blank Subscription List (— Rank): A skill that reproduces the famous episode that Benkei once managed to carry out. He forcibly enforces a Noble Phantasm sealing order, but since he is not actually Benkei the sealing probabilities are low. A counterfeit decree with an effect equivalent to a Command Spells expenditure originating from an opponent's Master, which orders that "no Noble Phantasms may be used" within a given engagement. If successful, even if the targeted Servant is unfooled by apparent origin of the decree, it must be obeyed. A mental interference technique with a probability of negated each turn with a successful roll of a resistance check on the part of the opponent. However, in the condition that the influence of the skill is removed, reapplication becomes possible.
*Attendant of Iron (C Rank): With proximity of presence alone, the Servant is capable of reinforcing his Master's physical attributes. The original Musashibou Benkei possessed six black birthmarks, said to have appeared because his mother ingested metal (kurogane) during her pregnancy. Itsuki, in the Shinto tradition, was a title ascribed to servants of a god; Yoshitsune, a beautiful child, is regarded to have possessed the aspect of a godling, and Benkei was his faithful servant. The ability "Kurogane no Itsuki" may have been designed to mimic this pattern.
===Noble Phantasm===
Benkei's Noble Phantasm is The Pilgrimage of the Five Hundred Arhat. With it, he's able to peel off Ushiwakamaru's Spirit Origin signature out of Tiamat's Authority, therefore stopping the Sea of Life from respawning more of her clones.
==Development==
===Creation and Conception===
Benkei v3.png|Original design
Benkei back v2.png|Original design (Rear)
Lancer was created by and designed by Katsuya Terada for the canceled Fate/Apocrypha online game project and not included in the final version. He was collected along with the other thirteen initial Servant designs in Fate/complete material IV. The project was revived in novel format afterwards, but he was cut along with David, Georgios, and Sakata Kintoki, in favor of Vlad III and Karna. Benkei's design has been reused elsewhere. Yuuichirou Higashide outlined him as a Servant whose mentality was very complex which made him hard to act as a partner to a Master, but the Master-Servant pairs had already been decided and there was too little room for him to cut in. The fact that he was a Japanese Servant also played a factor, so he was unfortunately retired from the running.
Musashibou Benkei was illustrated by Shinjirou in Fate/Grand Order. His scenario writer is Yuuichirou Higashide in Fate/Grand Order.Fate/Grand Order material I - Musashibou Benkei, Translated by Mazyrian, p.174-179
===Comments from the Illustrator===
"The character designer is that Katsuya Terada-daisensei. I carefully observed the design sketches in the pictures, but I was made realize again how astounding his drawing art is. I struggled not to make an unfavorable comparison as much as I could, but I only was overwhelmed by my lack of ability..." (Shinjirou)
====Discarded abilities====
*Noble Phantasms
Eighth Implement
Benkei Butsu
==References==
Category:Characters in Fate/Grand Order (Part 1)
Category:Characters in Fate/Apocrypha
Category:Characters in Capsule Servant
Category:Servants
Category:Lancer-class Servants
Category:Japanese Servants
Category:Heroic Spirits
Category:Humans
Category:Chaotic Good Servants
Category:Human Attribute Servants
Category:Buddhists
Category:Brynhildr's Beloved
Category:Samurai
Category:A rank Strength Servants
Category:B+ rank Endurance Servants
Category:C rank Agility Servants
Category:C rank Luck Servants
Category:D rank Mana Servants
Category:C rank Noble Phantasm Servants
Category:Introduced in 2015
Category:Fairy Tale Servants
Category:Voice - Tetsu Inada