Charles-Henri Sanson

, Class Name , is the Assassin-class Servant summoned by Ritsuka Fujimaru in the Grand Orders of Fate/Grand Order.
==Profile==
===Identity===
Marie's execution.jpg|Marie about to be executed
Marie smiling at Sanson.jpg|Marie smiling back at Sanson before her execution.
The fourth head of the Sanson family, which had performed executions for generations in Paris. Charles-Henri Sanson was no assassin, but an executioner. The role of executioner is something inherited through the generations, and he is the fourth. His lifestyle was extremely wealthy, but he was often scorned because of his occupation - something that became a source of anguish in his youth.
Leading an elegant lifestyle worthy of nobility, the Sanson House loved and respected the King and Queen and showed great pity for the citizens governed by them. It has been said that they even provided the cutting-edge medical technology, which was cultivated from the executions, free-of-charge to the needy.
However, the times did not allow Charles' peace. During the tumultuous years of the , he executed men from all walks of life. He, who had jobs as an executioner forced upon himself even after the French Revolution occurred, eventually had to be present in the execution of his beloved king and his queen, Marie Antoinette. Following the invention of the guillotine, created out of humane considerations, he conducted further executions.
===Appearance===
===Personality===
Charles-Henri Sanson maintains a neutral stance towards his Master. Since the high praises regarding his skills for killing are, as expected, included among the reasons for his summoning, his feelings are somewhat complicated.
A mild youth who loves "humans" above all else. He hates "evil", but not "evil people." He believes in god, but at the same time understands that "god does nothing." Therefore, he embraces the sorrowful duty of cutting down "evil" with "evil." Exceedingly strict about the law, he will stop an execution if a former occurrence is brought to light is supposed to be his true intention. While fighting Servants, if given consent, he will not kill the Master.
====Relationships====
;Marie Antoinette
:"Marie... Marie, Marie, Maria! We are tied to one another in suffering. I am so very pleased by this."Fate/Grand Order Charles-Henri Sanson's Lines
:"Marie—... No, that’s enough. No matter the connections we had before, they aren’t relevant to us now. Though... I am happy to be here with you."
:As everyone knows, a respected and beloved queen, maiden, and eternal existence. For what reason did Marie leave those words behind to Sanson without even any fear of sorts just before her execution?Fate/Grand Order material II Charles-Henri Sanson's Profile, translated by Reddit User Kinalvin.
;Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
:"Amadeus... Good grief. I’m glad that I didn’t live a life where I was dragged around by your degree of genius. Also, you’re forbidden from making dirty jokes in front of everyone. The next time you do... I’ll execute you on my own authority."
:As everyone knows, they have a relationship as fellow perverts… “As rivals, we are rivals!”
;Charlotte Corday
:"Charlotte Corday... Ah, no. I’m glad to see that you’re doing well. Though... even back then, in that prison, you stayed resolute until the end. ...That assistant did something truly unforgivable. It shouldn’t be possible for him to be summoned here, so I’ll apologize in his place. ...For the humiliation you suffered at your death, I’m truly sorry."
;Chevalier d'Eon
:“I am sorry, but can we not be together?“ d’Éon said. Sanson wants to cry a little.
;Sugitani Zenjuubou
:"Your head was cut off with a saw? Must have been painful. If there is a next time, I recommend a guillotine. "Hell no, there won't be a next time"? Fair enough."
;Salome
:"Gimme your head"? Salome, I need to tell you something. I shouldn't be wanting heads so frivolously."
==Role==
===Fate/Grand Order===
====First Singularity: Orleans====
Sanson is summoned by Jeanne Alter to serve as one of her Servants. They begin a campaign of destruction against France, killing many, particularly King Charles VII and Pierre Cauchon. Sanson and Lancelot attack Marshall Gilles' soldiers en route to Lyon with wyverns when Ritsuka’s party arrives. He and Lancelot fights them until Gilles bombards the wyverns with cannon fire. Sanson retreats with Carmilla while Lancelot holds the group off.
Sanson later confronts Marie Antoinette alone in the town previously protected by Georgios when he and Jeanne Alter came to attack it. Expressing his desire to execute her again, he fights her, but is defeated. Sanson expresses his disbelief at being defeated after killing so many. But Marie replies he became weaker because he became more proficient as a killer, all the while becoming weaker as an executioner, as a savior of criminals. Sanson denies her claims, saying that he honed his skill to give her a better execution so she would forgive him. Marie, however, reveals that she bears no grudge against him. Before he could reply though, Sanson leaves when Jeanne Alter arrives.
It later revealed Sanson lost his mind when Marie perished. He later encounters Amadeus Mozart in the climatic battle between Ritsuka’s party and Jeanne Alter’s forces. Surprisingly, his refusal to lose to Mozart restores his sanity when the former says Marie likes him more. Before they fight, he expresses his distaste for Mozart’s Requiem, hating how it turns death into mere music. After he is defeated, Sanson realizes he is unquestionably the evil one, while Mozart and Ritsuka are the just ones. He recalls how Marie smiled before she died to Jeanne Alter’s flames, realizing said smile was filled with hope, not resignation. He then gives his blessings to Ritsuka and Mozart before disappearing.
====Do Moon Goddesses Dream of Dango?====
Together with Marie and Chevalier d'Eon, Sanson had stolen a load of dumplings that were originally transported to the Singularity by Artemis. However, they had to give most of the dumplings to Martha, Georgios, and Sasaki Kojirou as a sign of friendship.
Camping out in a forest, Sanson eats dumplings with Marie and d’Eon. He questions though the morality of them taking all three tons. Marie reprimands him for this, asking where his boldness when he prepared the guillotine went, though Sanson admits didn’t really like it. Sanson then tells Marie to stop eating so many dumplings since she’ll get fat. But he gets excited by the medical marvel of all the fat going to her breasts when she states such, wishing to know more about it. But both he and D’Eon suddenly sense Ritsuka’s party. Mash demands they surrender, which causes D’Eon and Sanson to believe the group are criminals. The French Servants then fight the group, only to be defeated. Mozart arrives to help, though D’Eon and Sanson both dislike he’s calling them perverts like himself. They lost again, and Sasnon is knocked unconscious when Mozart’s mask slips off and hits him in the back of the head.
====Final Singularity: Solomon====
He is amongst the Orleans Singularity Servant to assist the Chaldea against Demon Gods Pillar.Fate/Grand Order - Salomon: The Grand Time Temple - Act 02: I / Blast Furnace Naberius In the animated film, he was summoned by Ritsuka Fujimaru alongside Alexander to fight Lev Lainur Flauros, after using his Noble Phantasm on Lev, he disappeared.Fate/Grand Order: Final Singularity - Grand Temple of Time: Solomon
====Subspecies Singularity IV: Salem====
Sanson eats a late breakfast at Chaldea when Mash informs him that alcohol was stolen from the kitchen. He offers his assistance as he enjoys being able to experience the tastes of different foods. He gives Robin Hood dietary advice to help alleviate his hangover, but the latter refuses. Robin recalls Mozart drank the remaining alcohol at a party he attended, to which Sanson deduces he was sent to raid the kitchen as a result. The two nearly get into an argument about etiquette when a Type 3 alert is sounded.Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Salem: The Forbidden Advent Garden, Prologue
The next day, he, Robin, Mata Hari, Nezha, Medea are chosen to accompany Ritsuka to the Singularity. With Mash tagging along, they rayshift to a forest outside of town. Sanson reminds Robin that its standard procedure for Rayshifts to bring the minimum amount of equipment, and procure additional supplies on-site when the latter complains about not having a wagon. The group then observes Abigail Williams directing other girls in a so-called magic ritual. Medea asks the others to change into their spirit forms, but they fail to do so, proving her suspicions their mage craft has weakened. An albino girl then appears; Sanson tells Robin to lower his crossbow he had aimed at her. The group tries to convince her what she heard was practice for their performance. The girl runs in fear though when Sanson speaks to her in a heavy French accent, thinking he's either a soldier or a fugitive. After protecting the girls from a pack of wolves, Sanson is concerned about them being weakened, but Nezha reassures him. He agrees with Medea's concern about the albino girl having possibly seen them fighting. Nezha considers killing her, but Sanson warns against it and goes to search for her.Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Salem: The Forbidden Advent Garden, Section 1: Before Dawn
The next day, Ritsuka’s party settles into Randolph Carter‘s home, who has allowed them to stay as thanks for saving his niece, Abigail, last night. Sanson is surprised the communication device that Leonardo da Vinci made isn’t working after Mash set it up. After Robin and Mata Hari explain Salem doesn’t exactly match historical records, he concludes it’s a well-crafted fake like they suspected. He wonders if the Demon God swapped out modern Salem’s citizens and buildings with those from the 17th century, and if the Singularity is on par with those of the Incineration of Humanity. He tries to ask Tituba about the albino girl from last night, but she gets back to work. When Robin gets nostalgic, Sanson reminds they him need to search for modern Salem’s missing population. They nearly get into another argument when the group overhear Abigail trying to stop Carter from punishing Tituba for teaching the girls the ritual from last night.
After Mata Hari convinces Carter to ease Tituba’s punishment, Sanson accompanies her as she spreads word about their troupe’s upcoming performance. During this time, they encounter the albino girl again. After getting her accuser to leave, Sanson apologizes for scaring her last night. She introduces herself as Lavinia Whateley and says the villagers hate her family, so the troupe should stay away from her if they want their show to succeed. Mata Hari convinces her to see their performance from a private seating where no one can bother her. Lavinia agrees on the condition they don’t tell Abigail that she was out in the forest last night. Otherwise, she’ll tell everyone that the group used magecraft to kill the wolves last night. Sanson decides they should investigate the Whateley family further.
That evening, following their play, Ritsuka’s party finds the townsfolk accusing Tituba of witchcraft because a charm she made was found under the ailing Ann Putnam’s bed. Matthew Hopkins then arrives, saying he’s been appointed Salem’s head judge by order of the governor. He gives the Judge official document to confirm this. He then orders Tituba to be taken into custody for interrogation, with Carter accompanying.
The next day, Mata Hari and Sanson find signs of an underground workshop at the Whately estate, having learned they're mages. However, they weren't able to go inside to determine if they are practicing mages or not. They also can't risk it without Ritsuka's permission. There is also the risk of running into a trap, even if they could change into their spirit forms.Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Salem: The Forbidden Advent Garden, Section 2: First Knot
The two later learn from Mash that Ritsuka accompanied Carter to the village, with Robin following to keep them safe. They wanted to determine to if the charm Tituba made is actually cursed or not. Medea reveals she finished turning the house into a magical workshop a moment ago. It was so they could contact Chaldea, and so the Servants can go into spirit form within the property. Medea then decides they need to find proof Salem is the heretical version of history. In order to observe it properly, she built the workshop to isolate herself from outside interference. Sanson expects her to tell them the details when Ritsuka returns. He also wants to know why she’s the only who wasn’t falsely incarnated. He and Mata Hari then report their findings regarding the Whatelys. The group ceases their conversation when Abigail appears.
Ritsuka and Robin soon return, while Carter and Abigail go to speak with the Reverend. Robin tells the others about their meeting with Hopkins, revealing Tituba is being kept in a filthy underground prison. Sanson reveals Hopkins should be dead if the date is correct, as he died in 1647. He also warns they have three days at least before Tituba is hanged as a witch. Medea decides she needs to examine the charm herself. She then asks the others to describe Tituba. However, they’re unable to recall anything beyond her skin color, meaning something is interfering with their awareness and memories. Medea confirms the workshop will prevent that interference, believing such interference requires a Divine Spirit. She says Tituba has been hiding her true appearance and assumes she has a connection to the Demon God. She decides she needs to examine Tituba directly. Ritsuka asks about contacting Chaldea first, but Medea replies there is currently a fifty-fifty chance of it working. The group agrees to focus on contacting with Chaldea, given the circumstances. Ritsuka, Mash, Medea, and Sanson decide to visit Hopkins, while the others investigate the Whateley estate.
The group meets with Hopkins at his mansion. He refuses their request to see the charm. Sanson demonstrates his medical knowledge to convince Hopkins to let him examine the sick townsfolk. Later that night, he finishes examining another patient. Suspecting the play is finished, he proceeds towards the town hall when he sees Lavinia. She warns him to stay in Carter’s house and leaves.
He later joins with the others in Carter’s house following Tituba’s execution. Medea reveals what’s cutting off their communications is related to what’s interfering with their senses. She explains the reason they can’t go into spirit forms is because they’re bound by physical law while in spirit form. She also reveals they can’t contact Chaldea is because their magical energy is flowing in one direction, which is also why they’re weaker than normal. It also means dying in Salem will cause their Spirit Origins to disappear. Sanson wonders if they’re the only ones in irregular spirit form, referring to the townsfolk. Medea guesses a mage from the Whately family may know. Robin then demands Medea to reveal her true identity. He, Mata Hari, and Sanson have suspected her for some time. Robin requests Ritsuka to use a Command Spell on her to see if she is a Chaldean Servant. However, Carter and Abigail return from burying Tituba. Robin and Nezha then sense something outside approaching from a distance. While Mash, Medea, and Carter stay, the others go outside.
The group finds the executed have been risen from dead. They defeat them, but the dead villagers display consciousness before disintegrating, making Sanson question if they killed living people. The group then returns to Carter’s house after hearing a gunshot from that direction. There, they encounter and destroy a risen Tituba. Afterwards, they notice Absalom Whateley, head of the Whateleys, and Lavinia’s grandfather. They also meet Circe, who was previously disguised as Medea.
They learn she is a Masterless Servant accidentally summoned with Da Vinci’s summoning experiments. She tried to escape Chaldea until discovering it’s in the Arctic. Sensing she was being guided to Salem, she joined the rayshift. She revealed Tituba is a Servant, and "Titbuba" isn’t her True Name. She confessed she was jamming comms with Chaldea, rather than trying to fix them, so her true identity wouldn’t be revealed. Ater learning Salem is isolated from everywhere though, she stopped the jamming.She then forged a temporary contract with Ritsuka.
The next day, Sanson escorts the Reverend to the town hall. He tells Ritsuka that the Reverend has request for their troupe: to put on a play for the children. He and Robin then get into an arguement about the Reverend's mistakes in protecting Salem.
Later before the play, Sanson tells from Ritsuka he’s going investigate something that happened at the Whateley Estate. He goes there to find Hopkins taking Absalom into custody. Carter accusing Absalom of summoning the ghouls last night surprises Sanson, having thought Carter was knowledgeable and trustworthy. He then demands Hopkins to give Absalom a fair trial, but the latter rejects it. He accuses him of trying to spread hysteria about witches in Salem, prompting one of Hopkin’s constables to strike him. Hopkins then orders him to rebuild the gallows, which were destroyed in a storm last night, by himself.Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Salem: The Forbidden Advent Garden, Section 3: Second Knot
Later that night, Sanson finishes rebuilding the gallows, which are immediately used to hang Absalom and others as witches. He returns to Carter's house afterwards. He tells the others what transpired, suspecting it was a warning from Hopkins not to interfere. He believes though that justice is still being served if the accused were tried according to law, however imperfect. He wants to support the people of Salem, believing to do otherwise goes against what Servants stand for. The group then defend the town from another ghoul attack, though they rose from the town graveyard this time. Sanson stops Nezha from using her Noble Phantasm on Absalom, who was risen as a ghoul even though he was buried at Gallows Hill. He asks him not to be killed so he can be interrogated. Carter kills him before he can say anything howver.
The next day at Carter’s home, comms with Chaldea have been restored. However, they aren’t receiving audio from Da Vinci and Medea, so Ritsuka has to read their lips. Da Vinci reveals SHEBA had something to do with Circe’s accidental summoning. It also went berserk before comms were established. It could shut down, damage the system, or cause problems with the return rayshift. Da Vinci then reveals the group’s memories were falsified upon entering Salem. They’re unable to connect their memories of past events with the information they’re currently receiving. The conditions induce visual and auditory hallucinations. After comms are cut, Ritsuka, Mata Hari, and Sanson go out to find Mash and Abigail, who went shopping earlier.Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Salem: The Forbidden Advent Garden, Section 4: Third Knot
Arriving at the general store, the trio hear the villagers there blaming them for the recent incidents. Abigail tells them that Mash went to the village outskirts with Carter. While Ritsuka goes with Robin, Sanson helps Mata Hari deal with the villager she’s arguing with. Later that night, Sanson asks Hopkins for a stay of execution for Mata Hari, who was sentenced as a witch. Hopkins agrees since the executions aren’t set to take place for a few hours and tells Sanson to state his case. Sanson first reminds him there are many people who were dissatisfied with Mata Hari’s sentence. He also explains the hysteria stemming from the recent ghoul attacks will make it harder to maintain order. Hopkins claims however the trials will continue without him, as Carter went to Boston to request a new judge, but Sanson suspects he’s lying. After Mata Hari and two others are hanged, Carter’s house is set on fire. The town is also attacked by ghouls again. While Nezha rescues Abigail, the others fight the ghouls at Gallows Hill. Sanson stays behind to defend the townsfolk, while the others escape with Mata Hari’s corpse.
The next day at his mansion, Hopkins thanks Sanson for protecting him from the ghouls. Sanson corrects his assumption that he was a mercenary, confessing he was an executioner. He then deduces Hopkins isn’t like the other villagers, but the latter stops him from saying more. Sanson compares him to a Servant, who has no chose to execute the accused. He then realizes they didn’t come to Salem of their own accord, instead they were invited by something that wasn’t the Demon God. He knows a Demon God wouldn’t invite anyone from Chaldea, and even if it did, it wouldn’t kill without reason. Hopkins then shows him the Book of Eibon, a grimoire of heretical gods and spells. Lavinia brought it to him and confessed she and Abigail conducted one of the book’s rituals.Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Salem: The Forbidden Advent Garden, Section 5: Fourth Knot
The next day, Sanson, along with Hopkins and his men, find Abigail in the forest conducting a ritual from the book. Sanson asks Hopkins to allow him to handle the situation, claiming the ritual is merely a child’s poor way of playing house. Hopkins ignores him and tries to arrest Abigail under the accusation that she’s a witch. Lavinia kills Hopkins in revenge for killing her grandfather. She then offers his life as a sacrifice for the ritual Abigail tried to conduct. However, his life isn’t enough, so she decides to let Hopkins’ men kill her. She confesses she taught Abigail the ritual, the Ritual of Descent. However, Sanson knocks the soldiers out, and he tells Lavinia to run away. He then takes the blame for Hopkin’s murder when the group arrives on the scene.Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Salem: The Forbidden Advent Garden, Section 6: Fifth Knot
Before his trial, Sanson refuses Circe’s fake death medicine. He admits to the charges of him defending Lavinia after she killed Hopkins. The judge quickly gives a guilty verdict for Sanson when Abigail arrives to try and stop it. Carter however convinces him to ignore her. At the gallows, Ritsuka tries to use a Command Spell to save him. Robin stops them however, having realized Sanson is sacrificing himself so the others aren’t implicated. Sanson is then hanged for his crimes.Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Salem: The Forbidden Advent Garden, Section 7: Sixth Knot
After the Singularity is resolved, Sanson encounters Abigail in an empty void. She offers to open a gate to either the Throne of Heroes or to the very beginning for a clean slate. Sanson answers he doesn't need to go back anywhere, believing he's done what he sought out to do. Abigail tells him he already has the key to the gate he needs to open in that case. Sanson doesn't understand when he realizes his sword is gone. He tries to ask Abigail about it when he accidentally steps on Marie Antoinette's foot, for which he apologizes. He asks her to teach him how to dance, which she readily accepts. 
He is resummoned to Chadlea the same time the others returned from Salem, having no memory of what transpired there. Because of that, he underwent an invasive examination by Leonardo da Vinci to clear him of suspicion. Later, he is having breakfast while looking at the scripts for the plays the group performed in Salem. Robin soon joins him, followed by Medea. Sanson confirms about his memories and Da Vinci’s invasive examination to clear him of suspicion, which he understands given a prior incident involving an impostor. He decides to wait for Ritsuka to tell him about what happened in Salem. He says he’ll ask Ritsuka and Mash think of his recipe when they return after joking about adding tomato paste and more meat to his sandwich to make cutting it more realistic.Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Salem: The Forbidden Advent Garden, Epilogue: Salem
==== Christmas Event: Holy Samba Night ====
Sanson and Jeanne Alter Lily are partners in the Santa Tag Team Tournament representing France. Alter Lily originally wanted Marie to be her partner, but Sanson volunteered in Marie’s stead.
Unfortunately, they lose to the Chinese team who cheated. Following the match, Sanson tries to calm the crying Alter Lily down, telling her she should be proud that they fought fairly, especially since their opponents cheated. Ritsuka’s party then arrives, having followed the sounds of Alter Lily’s crying. Alter Lily explains she was competing to ensure no impostors become Santa. However, she and Sanson lost because their opponents cheated, but before Alter Lily can explain how they did, Jaguar Man interrupts as it’s prohibited to get firsthand info about a team still in the running from the team they beat. Alter Lilly recalls that Jaguar Man didn’t seem to care much about the rules during the match. Sanson responds, saying that it goes to show that the rules change depending on the organizer’s whims. Though he finds it unfortunate they lost, he believes its best to accept their loss with grace and decides they’ll stay to watch the finals when it’s broadcasted. He then cheers up Alter Lily by showing her him skipping a stone on the water. Alter Lily begs him to teach her how to do it as well.
Sanson and Alter Lily later watch the livestream of the finals.
====Interlude====
===== Guillotine Boy =====
Sanson with Ritsuka and Mash accidentally rayshifts to a French town in an unknown era. Suspecting it to be a Singularity, the group search for and remove the source of suspected singularity. During their search they come across citizens about to executed, which Sanson stops because there was no fair trial beforehand. After defeating the soldiers and freeing the citizens, Sanson stops a child from being executed, but the soldiers' words bear down on his guilty conscience. After defeating the soldiers, another Sanson, who decides to test Sanson's resolve, appears. After defeating the other Sanson, the events are revealed to be a dream.
==Abilities==
Assassin wields an executioner's sword bearing the inscription Epée de Justice(Sword of Justice). He was a physician as a side job. Traces of this can be seen in his Skills.
===Class Skills===
*Presence Concealment (D Rank): Suppresses one’s presence as a Servant. It is suitable for espionage activities. Although he is an Assassin, the act of assassination is close to impossible for Sanson.
===Personal Skills===
*Executioner (A++ Rank): Severing evil with evil; the ultimate judgement act. Damage increases towards those of the Evil Alignment. Also, a Servant will also become a target in the case that the acts of that Servant are regarded as evil.
*Medicine (A→A+ Rank): Modern medical techniques that surpassed the medical technology in those days – when superstition was running rampant – by several levels. Still, this Skill is not compared by the standards of the modern era, but is instead determined by the standards of the era that the Servant lived in.
*Human Anatomy Research (B Rank): A concept placed on the “other side” of execution and medical techniques. Sanson was not negligent in doing research on where he could wound the human body that would result in the person not dying, prognostic symptoms not being left behind, etc. Speaking of it from another angle, he is good at understanding where it is okay to wound someone at the time of fighting against them.
===Noble Phantasm===
Sanson's Noble Phantasm is La Mort Espoir. When the True Name is invoked within mid-range, the manifestation of the guillotine happens. One second later, the guillotine drops, and the judgement takes place. It is a so-called “Mental Interference”-type Noble Phantasm, and Heroes who have anecdotes of “being executed” rather than dying in battle undergo a disadvantageous check. In the case that the target failed the check, the guillotine falls without change and their head is decapitated.
==Development==
===Creation and Conception===
Yuuichirou Higashide is the scenario writer for him in Fate/Grand Order.Fate/Grand Order material II - Charles-Henri Sanson, p.036-041, Translation by Master of Chaos Shima Drill is the character illustrator for Charles-Henri Sanson.
==References==
Category:Assassin-class Servants
Category:Characters in Fate/Grand Order (Part 1)
Category:Servants
Category:French Servants
Category:Heroic Spirits
Category:Humans
Category:Human Attribute Servants
Category:Lawful Evil Servants
Category:D rank Strength Servants
Category:D rank Endurance Servants
Category:D rank Mana Servants
Category:C rank Agility Servants
Category:A rank Luck Servants
Category:B rank Noble Phantasm Servants
Category:Introduced in 2015
Category:Voice - Mamoru Miyano