Archer (Fate/stay night)

Shirou Emiya, known mononymously as EMIYA and also known as Archer, is one of the main protagonists of the visual novel and anime series Fate/Stay Night and is the Servant of Rin Tohsaka during the Fifth Holy Grail War, though his true identity is initially unknown.
EMIYA was a version of Shirou Emiya from a possible future in which he formed a contract with the World that allowed him to become a Heroic Spirit at the cost of working as a Counter Guardian for the Counter Force for the rest of time. Hoping to be released from his role as a Counter Guardian, EMIYA decided that the only way to free himself would be to travel back in time and kill his former self before the contract could be formed. Fortunately for him, he was summoned as the Archer-class Servant of Rin Tohsaka during the Fifth Fuyuki Holy Grail War.
He is voiced by in the Japanese version of the anime and Liam O'Brien in the English version, the former of whom also voices provides the voices for Eraser Head from My Hero Academia, Dandy from Space Dandy, Yami Sukehiro from Black Clover, Tetsuo Takahashi from Interviews with Monster Girls. In the English version of the Unlimited Blade Works anime and the Heaven's Feel movies, he is voiced by Kaiji Tang.
==Profile==
===Identity===
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. After the end of each of the three routes in Fate/stay night, the possibility for Shirou to become Archer still exists, but the chance is it happening is close to zero.
After winning the fifth Holy Grail War along with his Servant Saber, Emiya Shirou was all the more inspired to pursue his dream of becoming a superhero. To this end, he stubbornly trained himself to his peak and began working as a freelance magus similar to his father. It was during this time when he received his signature red overcoat as a gift from Ciel of the Burial Agency. In order to save the lives of a hundred of people dying before him in a calamity, for the sake of saving the lives that his eyes could see and for the sake of saving even more lives as a Heroic Spirit after his death, he made a contract with the world and became a hero. Although he desperately fought to end a war, he was in turn branded as the mastermind behind that war and subsequently executed. His belief that he would continue to save many people as a Heroic Spirit did not happen, but rather he was made to clean up after human actions and forced to take many lives to save humanity as a whole instead. After seeing human self-destruction and forced to oppose his own ideals countless times, he began to deny himself and his ideal. Even knowing that the Throne of Heroes was isolated from time and space, Archer desperately came to believe that his only hope of release was to have himself summoned into an era where Emiya Shirou exists and kill his past self, hoping that the double paradox created by Emiya Shirou being killed before having a chance to make the contract with Alaya and that the killing was done by an Emiya Shirou which successfully made the contract with the world would create a time paradox great enough in magnitude that could potentially erase his existence as a Counter Guardian.
On the night of the second day, his statement that his memories were vague and he didn’t know his identity due the imperfect summoning was halfway true and halfway false. He no longer possesses Shirou’s memory, although he can still remember some key events such as being saved by Kiritsugu Emiya and meeting Saber. While Rin slept, he reasoned out his situation and realized that he may have the opportunity to achieve his goal. This was affirmed when the girl who summoned him introduced herself as Rin Tohsaka the following morning.
===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 does not 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 for the very same reasons.
==Biography==
Archer is the Servant of Rin. Sarcastic but well intentioned, he tends to look down on Shirou's ideals and usually dispenses either cryptic advice or razor-sharp putdowns. He is obedient to Rin, although to what extent nobody really knows; Though he does as she asks, he seems to enjoy pissing her off to the extent that she wasted one of her three Command Seals giving an order she knew would have little effect. 
His summoning was botched and as a result of this he claims not to remember his Noble Phantasm or true name. Instead, he fights primarily with dual short swords known as Kanshou and Bakuya despite supposedly being an Archer. 
Archer has a big impact in all three routes, but Unlimited Blade Works is the route in which he takes center stage. Archer's true identity is unknown for a large portion of the story, due to claiming to have amnesia.
==Powers and Abilities==
Archer's strength does not come from talent, but from single-mindedly refining the little he had. Other than Reinforcement and Projection, the Magecraft which he excels at is 'unlocking' and 'restoration', both of which are derived from grasping the internal structure of things. He can also use magic detection and magic resistance, which are considered the basics of the basic, but not 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.
He does not possess a proper Noble Phantasm, but one could say that his Reality Marble is his Noble Phantasm. Replicated Noble Phantasms can be used as Broken Phantasms and fired as arrows. Incidentally, even if he replicates a holy sword on the level of Excalibur, he does not have the magical energy necessary to bring out its full potential.
The overcoat around his waist is a first rate conceptual armament made from the holy shroud of a saint; which opposes not enemies, but the external environment. His armor and bow are made from a special material that has yet to be discovered by mankind, and the latter was constructed to be resistant enough to fire Noble Phantasms.
==External Links==
*
==Navigation==
Category:Doujin Soft Heroes
Category:Video Game Heroes
Category:Anime Heroes
Category:Manga Heroes
Category:Male
Category:Honest
Category:Antagonists
Category:Fate Series Heroes
Category:Revived
Category:Mentally Ill
Category:Good Vs. Good
Category:Divine Gate Heroes
Category:Dark Fantasy Heroes
Category:Magic
Category:Tragic
Category:Fallen
Category:Brutes
Category:Alternate Reality Heroes
Category:Pessimists
Category:Protectors of Innocence
Category:Lethal
Category:Scapegoat
Category:Traitor
Category:Jerks
Category:Rivals
Category:Suicidal
Category:Nihilistic
Category:Betrayed
Category:Guardians
Category:Amnesiac
Category:Falsely Accused
Category:Warriors
Category:Arrogant
Category:Redeemed Villains
Category:Anti-Heroes
Category:Determinators
Category:Pragmatists
Category:Status Dependent on Version
Category:Deceased
Category:Mascots
Category:Fighters
Category:TV Show Heroes
Category:Strategists
Category:Strong-Willed
Category:Honorable
Category:Masterminds
Category:Master Orator
Category:Successful
Category:Assassins
Category:Martial Artists
Category:Movie Heroes
Category:Extremists
Category:Siblings
Category:Twins/Clones
Category:Insecure
Category:Virtually Resourceful
Category:Victims
Category:Archenemy
Category:Mysterious
Category:One-Man Army
Category:Protectors
Category:Deal Makers
Category:Sophisticated
Category:Rescuers
Category:Martyr
Category:Global Protection
Category:Loyal
Category:Selfless
Category:Sympathetic
Category:Wise
Category:True Neutral