Iskandar

, Class Name , is the Rider-class Servant of Waver Velvet in the Fourth Holy Grail War of Fate/Zero. He is summoned by Ritsuka Fujimaru in the Grand Orders of Fate/Grand Order.
==Profile==
===Identity===
Iskandar Memorial 3.png|Iskandar mural in Fate/Grand Order Memorial Movie 2023.
Teenage Alexander (Lord El Melloi II Manga).jpg|Alexander as a teenager.
Iskandar fighting Darius (manga).jpg|Iskandar fighting Darius's and his army
Rider.jpg|Alexander with his soldiers. ()
Alex vs Porus.jpg|Iskandar fighting Porus and the Indians at the Ganges.
Iskandar Memorial 1.png|Iskandar being carried as he lay slowly dying in Fate/Grand Order Memorial Movie 2023.
Iskandar Memorial 2.png|Iskandar looking over Civilization in his ??? form in Fate/Grand Order Memorial Movie 2023.
Alexander the Great, the , summoned as the adult aspect known by the name rather than the youthful aspect known as Alexander. Known by many names, Alexander, Iskandar, Alexandros, Dhul-Qarnayn, and "he of the two horns," he was the young prince of the small kingdom of Macedonia in the 4th Century BC. Due to the influence of his mother Olympias, as a child he indulged in many tales of legendary heroes and came to believe he was the son of Zeus, despite there being an absence of clear evidence. He was known as a "peerless pretty boy" who was noticed by many sages, such as , as a prodigy. During this period of his life, he spent much of his time training as a soldier, studying philosophy and political sciences, and reading great legends. While he bloomed with many talents, he approved of every and all possibilities, able to be called the "personification of possibilities" itself. He possessed a close friend, an "amazing man" who truly began to show his talents after Alexander's death, who would often drag him around rambunctiously in a manner to his later encounter with Taiga Fujimura, expanding Alexander's horizons thanks to his actions. Though considered beautiful, his self-recognition in being the child of Zeus granted him strength, reducing his boyish looks over time. He later encountered the , cleaving the rope with his sword and taking the divine bulls offered to Zeus by as his own for use with his chariot.
Starting with succeeding the throne of Macedonia in Greece at the age of twenty, his conquest quickly subdued the neighboring countries and became the leader of . His eventually eyed his ambitions towards the , seeking to extend his reign into Persia. Sweeping through from the far west with his army, none underestimated it, rumors of its might spreading through countries long before the army's arrival. As his army's great morale overwhelmed even the most devoted of warriors, they were even more shocked when he spared them, told them of his goal, and returned dominion of the lands to the nobles. He exclaimed to them that: "My goal is the end of the world. My destination is the furthest border of the East. I want to behold Oceanus with my own two eyes. I want to leave my footprints at the beach beside that endless sea.” Though they thought his words folly, many were rekindled to the dreams of their youth, setting off after Alexander to join his conquest.Fate/Zero - Volume 3 During the conquest of Persia, Alexander came to view Darius III and his Athanaton Ten Thousand as a worthy rival, blocking Alexander's path numerous times. The name Iskandar was given to him by the Arabs and the Persians. Due to Darius' immense height, after finally conquering the Persian Empire, Alexander required the footstool of Darius' throne to be swapped with a table to properly sit on it despite his own great height. This played a part in history recording Alexander as being short. 
After Persia and with a goal of the most extreme eastern edge of Asia, they marched through Egypt and through western India during the "great eastern campaigns."Fate/Zero - Volume 1Fate/Zero - Volume 2 Marching without end, they crossed boiling deserts, passed over chilling, snow-capped mountains, and forded billowing rivers. They fought savage beasts and fought for their lives through numerous unknown foreign tribes displaying alien weapons and battle strategies. Although an innumerable number of soldiers died, they kept their great morale to the end, holding proud smiles and listening to the sounds of the ocean they sought in their hearts, despite never reaching it. In the end, he brought about the largest empire in history to date and became the "great king who built the era known as the Hellenistic civilization." He reached the success of a great hero in just ten years after beginning his conquest, but soon died after living only a period of thirty three years. His dying words, "Leave everything to the strongest." ended up splitting it apart instead. His campaign to the East went as far as India. There, his troops and generals complained of fatigue, and so he turned back to Babylon, where he suddenly passed away. Following his death, the empire split into four warring factions that "quickly disappeared into the sands of history."
Due to his great exploits in life, some say he was chosen by the twelve historical Gods of Olympus.
===Appearance===
Rider is a gigantic man standing over two meters in height. He has large muscles that give the impression of being able to kill a bear with his bare hands. He has sternly chiseled features with eyes that give off a dazzling glow, able to overtake Waver's soul in an instant with their sharpness, and burning red hair and beard. He wears bronze armor, with cuffs and greaves with white-furred fringes, that leaves his arms and thighs unprotected. He wears a thick red mantle with a fluffy white fur collar. It is luxuriously decorated, and looks like a curtain wrapping the stage of a theater.
At Stage 1, Rider wears his customary armor without his mantle. Rider's Stage 2 appearance is the same as that of Stage 1, but with the fur mantle added. Stage 3 Rider also wears added armor, and his fur seems a lighter color.
While historical records called him short because he could not reach the foot stool of Darius III's throne after conquering the Persian empire and had to swap it for a table to sit on the throne, he claims that it is because he was truly short when compared to Darius. In the end, he considers that history written by random people cannot completely and accurately describe the situation back then, so he has no problems with the inaccuracy.
During life, Alexander took the lead in wearing Asiatic clothing due to his interest in cultures of his conquered land, causing his followers to avert him like the plague. He does the same in the present, changing into contemporary styled clothes while in public because of trying not to lag behind Saber and her suit. He orders an XL sized T-shirt based on the Admirable Tactics" videogame he takes to playing in his free time. It is white shirt with the logo of the game imprinted on top of the world map, looking much like a cheapskate product from the games segment published on the front page of the special edition a magazine.
He is very happy with it because it gives him "the effect of having the whole world on my chest" and goes well with the conqueror outfit. Due to his pride in the shirt, he first attempts to move around in public without any pants or undergarments, which he doesn't find to be strange in the least. He refers to pants as "that thing that causes you to stumble", and hates the idea of having to wear them. Waver eventually buys him large jeans, so that he can actually go out without troubles.
For the sake of protecting Iskandar from various forms of curses and magecraft, his body double in life developed numerous counter-intelligence schemes. That is why the descriptions left behind about Iskandar, such as being small and thin with heterochromia, don’t match the appearance of the Servant Iskandar at all.
In Fate/EXTELLA, he has the following costume:
*
In Fate/EXTELLA LINK, he has the following costumes:
*
*
* (DLC)
===Personality===
Iskandar is noble and physically overbearing. He is not pragmatic, but is a person who lets history run its course and acts according to his impulses. While he is wild and somewhat inconsiderate to others, his greed inspired his subjects and ultimately resulted in their happiness. He is always jovial, values friendship highly, and he regards the bond with all of his followers in Ionioi Hetairoi as his greatest treasure. They all, being inspired by such a magnificent king, in turn gives him their undivided loyalty and adoration. He also admires people who treat friendship with sincerity, such when he meets Taiga Fujimura. He is compassionate to those with whom he bonds, such as telling Waver Velvet that it is natural to be sickened by Caster's atrocities and that he would strike anyone who would feel nothing from the sight.
He was adventurous and had the goal of reaching the edge of the world during his life, and he looks forward to conquering the world now that he has found out it is a sphere, and how small his empire that he spent his life conquering was compared to the size of the world. He desires to conquer the world as a human, so that is his only wish for the Holy Grail. He is not overly cruel as would be expected from a tyrant, but tries instead to keep bloodshed to a minimum despite his love for battles and destruction. He is fine with not actually winning the battle outright, and even attempts to recruit the other Servants as his followers after witnessing their prowess for himself. He prefers to conquer his enemies by winning without killing and controlling without humiliating them. He admires Artoria's abilities as an individual and believes that she would be an amazing asset to his army. He is seen as a unique individual with strange ideas unbefitting of his legacy, but Waver is able to understand the meaning behind his conquest. He sees Iskandar as deserving of title of "King of Conquerors" because that which he strives to conquer most is not lands or material wealth, but the hearts of people, the toughest conquest that can be undertaken by anyone.
His way of kingship is his greatest pride and as such, he despises Artoria's way of kingship, the direct antithesis. He calls her naive for considering sacrificing herself to save her kingdom, and goes so far as to denounce her as a king. He insists that a king should be setting vivid examples to be followed, bond with his subjects at personal level, and his way of living should be something inspiring to and envied by all under his rule, not a distant ideal or martyr whose deeds would be praised yet whose path is so full of sorrow and pain that it would only inspire a sense of dread. To him, a selfless king who isolates himself from his people to die for ideals is nothing but a fool, which is worse than a tyrant. He is also in opinion that a king should be vibrant, a figure who is inspiring and leading his people, instead of being a distant loner who concerns himself only with protecting and saving his people. Ultimately, he would grieve and weep over his losses and mistakes, but he would stay true to himself and never regret decisions made as a king.
He has a mutual rivalry with Gilgamesh, and offers for a joint conquest to take over the world. Despite all Servants who have first seen him thought him to be stupid and preposterous for a conqueror of his reputation, he eventually earns their respect, even Gilgamesh who rarely shows any respect to anyone, but he claims that he will only ever have one friend. The respect Iskandar inspired in Gilgamesh is great enough that the King of Heroes deems him worthy enough to be faced with Ea and Enkidu in their final fight, even though Gilgamesh can easily win without using them.
Iskandar is bisexual, so it is possible he would have attempted sexual relationships with both Kayneth and Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri if he had been summoned by them.
Iskandar takes a great interest in the modern world, often spending his free time eating crackers and watching videos to learn about the new world around him. He is also especially eager to go outside and experience things as a human. He especially takes a great liking to the video game called, Admirable Tactics.
====Relationships====
;Waver Velvet
:Waver initially disliked Iskandar for his boisterious ways, comments about his short stature, and disobedience despite being his Servant. Nonetheless, the two were quick to bond during the Fourth Fuyuki Holy Grail War. Iskandar came to admire his wit and determination despite Waver having the lowest of opinions of himself. During their first encounter with the other Servants, Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi begins to berate and torment Waver. Iskandar instantly defends Waver's dignity. Despite being timid, at least Waver would ride with him and Iskandar notes that only someone who will ride onto the battlefield with him is worthy of being his Master. Before the final battle against Gilgamesh, Waver becomes Iskandar's subordinate. The bond between them continued to hold after the Grail War, with Iskandar visiting Waver in his dreams years after.
;Artoria Pendragon 
:While Iskandar considers Artoria to be both naive and foolish for her idealism, he doesn't despise her personally. He admires Artoria for her abilities as a Servant, as such he greatly wishes to have her as part of his army. Iskandar feels sorrow towards Artoria and her ideals, believing that the burden of them to be too great for a little girl who should've had a normal life.
:"Hmm? Is that Britain's King of Knights? Her expression is telling me she's free of her doubts. Hmm, this is not good. I'm happy for her, but this feeling of exhilaration... Let me go tease her for a bit!"Fate/Grand Order Lines
;Artoria Pendragon Alter (Lancer)
:"...What's this, am I still drunk from yesterday? I think I'm seeing the King of Knights but with a more rounded body. And... she rides a fine steed. Though it's no match for my Bucephalus!"
;Gilgamesh
:Although he wishes for them to join forces in conquest, Iskandar understands he and Gilgamesh can never be friends. He also hates the sick pleasure Gilgamesh takes in watching Artoria despair under the weight of her ideals. He considers him the most troublesome of foes, yet even more worrying as an ally.
:"This is a surprise. The King of Heroes is here with you! He's trouble as an enemy but he's even more troublesome as an ally. You don't happen to have any difficulties with him, do you? Hmm?"
;Zhuge Liang
:"Huh? There's the strategist with a stern face. Eumenes would put up a good fight... Or maybe he's still a bit immature on the inside. It'd sure be interesting to have him meet Hephaistíon!"
:While he does have an eye on him, he does not view at him any special way. It may be harsh, but said hero acquaintanceship with him is but of one among the many encounters for Iskandar.Fate/Grand Order material III Iskandar's Profile, translated by Beast's Lair User castor212.
;Alexander 
:"Hey there now, so you have the immature me tagging along with you, too? You sure are cruel, Master... I'm a bit embarrassed."
:Iskandar is fond of his younger self, but feels a bit embaresed by how immature and inexperienced Alexander is. In turn, Alexander is impressed by the strength of his older self.
;Darius III 
:"Darius III, huh? Hmm. I have quite a history with that king, but I regret that we never shared a drink. I thought maybe it'd be different this time... But his current form is from the third time I pursued him. It seems that our destiny is ever to kill each other."
:His greatest rival. Were both of their standpoint to be just a little bit milder, he would like to share a drink with him.
:As in life, Iskandar and Darius are rivals, but share a mutual respect for each other. Both want to have a rematch between their Ionioi Hetairoi and Athanaton Ten Thousand.
;Achilles
:"What!? Achilles the great hero is here!? Aaah, to think my greatest wish has finally come true! Come, let's have a footrace! And a swimming race! I'd also like a wrestling, horse riding, and javelin competitions with him! Ooh, my heart won't stop pounding! Anyway...so that armor of his is the legendary... Hm, the Greeks are certainly amazing..."
:It would appear that the bold and fearless Conquest King would reflexively tidy his clothing and address him. He had aspired to him since his childhood, and even as an adult Achilles is the great hero and an objective for him.
:Iskandar is a fan of the Iliad and  thus he is also a big fan of Achilles. 
;Qin Shi Huang
:"The Immortal Emperor... Would one go as far as plucking his own people's potential in order to fulfill his wish for peace? Hmph, what a tyrannical rule."
:Iskandar dislikes Qin Shi Huang, believing him to be a tyrant who stunted his people's potential for the sake of peace.
;Ozymandias
:"Ah, even the Pharaoh of the Sun is here, too! Haha, I'd like to take a peek inside that shrine of his...but I feel I'd be in mortal peril if I tried."
==Role==
===Fate/Zero===
Rider was summoned by Waver Velvet with an artifact; a mantle once worn by Iskandar. This artifact was originally Lord El-Melloi's and was stolen by Waver, who intends to prove that his teacher is wrong.
Fate/Zero - Volume 1: The Untold Story of the Fourth Holy Grail War, ACT.1Fate/Zero - Volume 1: The Untold Story of the Fourth Holy Grail War, ACT.2Fate/Zero - Volume 1: The Untold Story of the Fourth Holy Grail War, ACT.3Fate/Zero - Volume 1: The Untold Story of the Fourth Holy Grail War, ACT.4Fate/Zero - Volume 2: The Mad Feast of Kings, ACT.6
Iskandar, the King of Conquerors, is noble and physically overbearing. He is an enormous man who has little interest in the Holy Grail and cares more about conquering the world again, especially now that he realizes the world is much bigger than he was aware of during his life. He is especially fascinated by ordinary aspects of modern life and intends to inform the world of his return, much to Waver's chagrin.
He arranged a King's Meeting at Einzbern castle to discuss with the other Heroic spirit Kings about their desire for the Holy Grail. In the Kings Meeting, he expressed his desire for the Holy Grail is not for conquering the world but his true incarnation so that he can become a human again and not bound as a servant. However, after learning from Saber wish to change the past to save her country, Rider was disappointed and does not acknowledge Saber as a King, addressing her as "little girl" and calling her by her title with little intention other than mocking her.Fate/Zero - Volume 2: The Mad Feast of Kings, ACT.8Fate/Zero - Volume 3: The Scattered Ones, ACT.9Fate/Zero - Volume 3: The Scattered Ones, ACT.11Fate/Zero - Volume 3: The Scattered Ones, ACT.12Fate/Zero - Volume 4: The Flames of Purgatory, ACT.13
He helped fight Gilles de Rais.Fate/Zero - Volume 3: The Scattered Ones, ACT.10Fate/Zero - Volume 3: The Scattered Ones, ACT.11Fate/Zero - Volume 4: The Flames of Purgatory, ACT.13
In a battle with Saber prior to his final engagement with Gilgamesh, Rider gambled using Gordius Wheel against Saber but his chariot was destroyed by Excalibur. Rider would not manifest Ionioi Hetairoi as he was saving it for Gilgamesh.Fate/Zero - Volume 4: The Flames of Purgatory, ACT.14Fate/Zero - Volume 4: The Flames of Purgatory, ACT.15
Before the final fight, Rider asked Gilgamesh whether he can join forces together as Rider has his armies and Gilgamesh has his weapons and they can conquer the world easily but Gilgamesh declined, stating that there was only one comrade he would ever have and there could be only one king.Fate/Zero - Volume 4: The Flames of Purgatory, ACT.16
He fought against Gilgamesh on a bridge, Rider used Ionioi Hetairoi: Army of the King as a final move. However, Gilgamesh wipes out half of the army with his Enuma Elish, causing the reality marble to dissipate. As a result of the instability, the rest of the army fades, leaving Rider with no choice but to charge him head on. Rider rushes bathing in the curtain fire of Gate of Babylon. Upon nearing him and right before he can deliver the final blow, Rider is bound stiff by Enkidu, and eventually slain by Ea. Gilgamesh appears to have had great amounts of respect for Iskandar, addressing the dying King of Conquerors with the comparatively more respect, and stating that he would be ready to accept his opponent's challenge at any given moment.
====The Outsiders’ Performance====
In the side story of the special drama CD, Taiga Fujimura as an adult tells Saber how she was inspired to become an English teacher when she encountered Waver and Rider in the Fourth Grail War.Fate/Zero Special Drama CD 3: The Outsiders’ Performance - Track 5 She was looking for the thief who broke into her friend Otoko Hotaruzuka's store and stole their best wine barrel. She encounters both Waver and Rider during in the night after she fell from the roof. Rider becomes a translator for both Taiga and Waver, as Waver did not learn Japanese before coming to Japan, and Taiga explained to Waver and Rider that she chased after the thief until he flew off.Fate/Zero Special Drama CD 3: The Outsiders’ Performance - Track 1
Taiga instantly jumped in the cold water to save a dog, while believing Waver and Rider would also help out.Fate/Zero Special Drama CD 3: The Outsiders’ Performance - Track 2 As Waver and Rider helped Taiga out of the water, Waver questioned why Taiga is so persistent in helping people. Taiga replied that she believes in kindness in others. Waver thinks this is quite cute, though Rider says something completely different which left Waver in disarray: Rider claims he wanted Waver to have a romantic experience. Taiga chased after an underwear thief, dragging Rider and Waver to help her. After they handed the underwear thief to the police, they helped reunited the puppy to its owner.Fate/Zero Special Drama CD 3: The Outsiders’ Performance - Track 3
Waver asked Taiga if she helped others, does not she have any problems herself. Taiga claims that she is worried about her love, school and future. Waver and Rider suggested she is suitable for teaching and guiding those who seek knowledge. Waver suggested they should part ways and head back home but Taiga wants to go after the wine barrel thief. Waver and Rider explained that searching for the criminal at night in Fuyuki City is getting more dangerous. Taiga tried to introduce herself to the two but Waver hypnotizes Taiga to head back home for her own safety. Rider thought of stealing more wine barrels from the market for Taiga but Waver stopped him from creating more trouble, Waver had a plan that could help her.Fate/Zero Special Drama CD 3: The Outsiders’ Performance - Track 4 Taiga says an anonymous person sent a dozen barrels of high-class London red wine outside her friend's house.
===Lord El Melloi II's Case Files===
Ten years after the Fourth Holy Grail War, Waver - now an adult known as Lord El-Melloi II - still dearly misses Iskandar. He keeps both the red cloth that was Iskandar's catalyst and Iskandar's t-shirt as keepsakes, and for the first half of the series plans on entering the Fifth Holy Grail War so that he can summon Iskandar again and be reunited with him.
====Grace note====
After the incident aboard Rail Zeppelin, Waver has a dream where he sees Iskandar waiting for him at the ocean Iskandar once sought. Iskandar asks Waver if he is coming to join him, and after Waver dismisses it as a dream, Iskandar notes how he's become too logical of a person. He is impressed to see that Waver is now a teacher, to which Waver responds that he has changed in the years since the Grail War but he still isn't ready to stand beside Iskandar yet, as his journey is not yet over. Iskandar asks Waver if his journey so far has been fun and Waver begins to cry as he affirms that yes it has - his journey to follow Rider's legacy.Lord El-Melloi II Case Files: Grace Note episode 13 - The Clock Tower, Usual Days, and the First Step Forward to the Future
====case. Grand Roll====
Through a complicated ritual involving Faker, the Spiritual Tomb of Albion, the time acceleration magecraft of Norikata Emiya, and legends of how Iskandar was the son of Zeus and was welcomed by the Twelve Olympians upon his death, Doctor Heartless plans to transform Iskandar from a Heroic Spirit into a Divine Spirit and then summon him into the modern day, thus bringing back the Age of Gods.Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files Volume 9: case. Grand Roll (Middle) - Chapter 3 Part 4 The method of summoning Iskandar was inspired by Blackmore Cemetery, and like how Gray was supposed to become King Arthur, Heartless transforms Faker into Iskandar.Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files Volume 9: case. Grand Roll (Middle) - Chapter 1 Part 1Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files Volume 10: case. Grand Roll (Lower) - Chapter 3 Part 3
Heartless succeeds in summoning Iskandar as a Divine Spirit, and upon manifesting he activates his Noble Phantasm Ionioi Hetairoi. Within the desert and surrounded by Iskandar's soldiers who had come to greet their king, Waver uses a Command Spell provided by the Edelfelts which they had left over from the Third Holy Grail War, and his authority as Iskandar's Master, to unsummon Iskandar, foiling Heartless's plans to bring back the Age of Gods.Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files Volume 10: case. Grand Roll (Lower) - Chapter 5 Part 6
Although Heartless is stopped, Iskandar is still a Divine Spirit. He uses his powers as one to grant Gray a miracle, resurrecting her companion Add whose consciousness had died during the battle in the Spiritual Tomb of Albion.Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files Volume 10: case. Grand Roll (Lower) - Epilogue
===Fate/Grand Order===
====Fate/Accel Zero Order====
Iskandar and Waver come to the sewers in search of Giles de Rais to kill him. They arrive too late, though, and interrupt the fight between Ritsuka's party and EMIYA, forcing the latter to retreat.  Iskandar discerns that El-Melloi II and the others are a third party unrelated to Caster, much to the latter’s relief. He assumes El-Melloi II was trying to pick a fight with Waver based on how he insulted Waver for overestimating his own abilities and not understanding the situation. He then challenges El-Melloi II to a fight, but the group retreat to avoid a fight.Fate/Grand Order - Fate/Accel Zero Order, ACT-8: Irregular
He and Waver meet the group again when they disrupt his discussion with Artoria Pendragon and Gilgamesh to kill Gilgamesh with Lancelot's help.Fate/Grand Order - Fate/Accel Zero Order, ACT-12: Discussing the Holy Grail However, after Gilgamesh perishes, Artoria is suddenly attacked by Lancelot due to his Master, Kariya Matou, passing out. The group helps her fight Lancelot, but Iskandar soon stops the fight. He has decided to join Lancelot against El-Melloi II. El-Melloi II asks him why, as he did everything to avoid this conflict. Iskandar replies it’s because he doesn’t like him to El-Melloi II’s devastation and for interfering with the Grail War. He warns Artoria and Diarmuid Ua Duibhne that they'll be his enemies if they side with El-Melloi II. He then leaves with Kariya and Lancelot, promising to settle things with El-Melloi II once Lancelot recovers.Fate/Grand Order - Fate/Accel Zero Order, ACT-13: Battle Royale
Outside the Matou Residence, Kariya tells Iskandar and Waver how he came to be Lancelot's Master. Iskandar punches him upon hearing that he plans to kill Tokiomi Tohsaka now his Servant Gilgamesh is gone. He then reminds Kariya that he should prioritize saving and protecting Sakura Matou first. Seeing Kariya doesn't have his priorities straight, Iskandar abandons the idea of him and Lancelot being his allies. He then proceeds to burn all the worms in the basement, capturing Sakura in the process. He agrees to give her to Kariya in exchange for his right hand and Command Spells, which Kariya concedes to. After severing Kariya's hand, Iskandar notices the Crest Worms are keener on eating the Command Spells than their host. He then has Mithrenes take Kariya and Sakura to a hospital outside of Fuyuki before leaving.Fate/Grand Order - Fate/Accel Zero Order, ACT-15: To the Greater Grail
He later confronts Ritsuka's party in the Grail's Chamber. El-Melloi II asks him if he intends to continue the war, even though he should be able to sense the cursed magical energy emanating from the Grail. Iskandar doesn’t care because he merely wants to entertain himself and El-Melloi II. El-Melloi II is frustrated he would fight for such a selfish reason when the world is facing a crisis. He then fights Iskandar after the latter accepts him as a worthy opponent.Fate/Grand Order - Fate/Accel Zero Order, ACT-16: King's Pride
He defeats Iskandar, though he believes he couldn’t have done it without Zhuge Liang’s power since his own power is lacking. Iskandar however tells him it only matters how said power is used. He suspects El-Melloi II would understand that if he saw his real Ionioi Hetairoi and flicks his forehead. He then disappears commending him for a good fight.Fate/Grand Order - Fate/Accel Zero Order, ACT-17: Wish of the Three Founding Families
====Final Singularity: Solomon====
Iskandar is among the "special event" Servants to assist Chaldea against the Demon Gods Pillars.Fate/Grand Order - Salomon: The Grand Time Temple - Act 09: X / Disposal Chute Andromalius
====Lady Reines's Case Files: Plus Episode====
Iskandar's body double uses Ionioi Hetairoi through her For He Is Another Iskandar (Fake) Skill, which gives her Iskandar's Noble Phantasms. When the Reality Marble manifests, Iskandar is one of the soldiers summoned by it.
===Fate/EXTELLA===
He becomes a playable character for upcoming war and be available choice by Hakuno Kishinami. He's in Altera's party along with Altera, Gilgamesh, and Jeanne d'Arc.Fate/EXTELLA - Dawn Arc; Chapter 1: Awakening on Thin Ice -Mare Melum, City of Lost Destiny-
The Heroic Spirit Iskandar is a Top Servant in Moon Cell. When the Moon Cell senses that Altera has been released, it summons him to do battle with her. However, being unaccustomed to fighting on SE.RA.PH, with all its subtle differences to the Earth he lived and died on, he approaches the fight as a kind of warm-up. Because of that, he loses. Altera then declares that his life belongs to her, and forces him to join her army. Technically, this also makes him a Servant of Altera's Master, but Altera treats them both as if they were the same rank. Altera understands that her victory over Iskandar was a matter of circumstance, and that they are evenly matched in terms of strength. While, subsequent to their fight, she does wield power over him, she does not consider him to be beneath her — nor does she look down on Jeanne, whom she recruits in a similar fashion. Iskandar understands that as well; but accepts his defeat with dignity. From then on, he pledges to assist Altera in achieving her goals. Make no mistake, however: He is loyal only to Altera, and not the Umbral Star.Fate/EXTELLA - Flame Poem Arc; Chapter 4: Top Servant -Mare Origo, Stormy Sea Palace-Fate/EXTELLA - Golden Poem Arc; Chapter 4: Not for Destruction nor Conquest -Mare Origo, Stormy Sea Palace-Fate/EXTELLA - Golden Poem Arc; Chapter 5: To the One I Adore -Mare Carcer, the Titan's Dark Womb-
====Flame Poem====
Iskandar aids Jeanne in defending Mare Origo against Nero Claudius' forces. During the course of the battle, he fights Nero, and is defeated by her. He later helps defend Mare Carcer, but Nero defeats him again.
====Orchid Words====
Iskandar helps defend Mare Carcer against Tamamo-no-Mae. He is however defeated by Tamamo.
====Dawn====
Iskandar heads with his army for the Zero Dark to kill Altera under Moon Cell's orders. Altera's forces intercept his forces at Mare Mellum, eventually forcing a confrontation between the two commanders. Impressed by Altera's swordsmanship, Iskandar asks for her name, but he doesn't recognize the name. He wonders if Altera is disguising her name with a skill, but he ignores it to continue his duty. He nearly scolds Altera for being unrestrained, but realizes she has her reasons. He then fights her to make her understand, but she eventually disarms him. Accepting the loss, he decides to join her. 
A few days later, Iskandar aids in conquering Mare Mellum against Nero's forces. The next day, he and Jeanne help conquer Mare Aurum. After the battle, Altera realizes Nero launched an attack on Mare Carcer while she distracted by Gawain, and summons Iskandar and Jeanne back. She orders them to destroy every enemy program in the Zero Dark while she attacks Nero's main forces in Mare Carcer.
====Golden Poem====
Iskandar leads Altera's forces against Nero's own, along with Gilgamesh and Jeanne. After much of his army is routed, he appears before Nero, and praises her combat prowess and confidence. Nero asks him why he joined forces with Velber, to which answers he joined when lost against its servant, Altera. He continues that he wishes to show Altera there is more to fighting than destruction when she called herself the "embodiment of destruction" by showing her his way of conquest. Nero then challenges him to show his way of fight, and he's defeated. As he begins to disappear, Iskandar states his way of battle is to place one's price on the line while fighting for supremacy, not just pure destruction. Satisfied with the battle, he thanks Nero, and bids her farewell before disappearing.
===Other appearances===
He was briefly mentioned in Einzbern Consultation Room, Rider went straight to the Great Grail without coming to the Consultation Room as he had no troubles and his master Waver was still alive. Irisviel von Einzbern commented that Rider and Waver pairing were very rare in the fourth grail war as they were happy with each other.
Rider makes a cameo appearance in Carnival Phantasm in the last episode. He was seen drinking beer with Taiga and Gilgamesh.
In Fate/Apocrypha,Fate/Apocrypha Volume 3: Triumphal Return of the Saint - Chapter 4 Fate/strange Fake,Fate/strange Fake Manga Chapter 2: "Berserker" and Lord El-Melloi II Case Files,Lord El-Melloi II Case Files Volume 3: case. Twin Towers of Iselma (Lower) - Chapter 3 Part 1 Lord El-Melloi II still kept his red mantle catalyst safely and he is often reminiscing Rider. He originally intended to lend the catalyst to Flat Escardos.
In Fate/strange Fake, when Saint Germain first meets Richard Lionheart, he mentions having also met Rider when he was still alive, who apparently agreed to listen to the strange and eccentric man.Fate/strange Fake Volume 4 - Chapter 10: Day 2 "Separate Mornings, Separate Pasts I"
In The Adventures of Lord El-Melloi II, a recreation of Iskandar created by Atlas technology appears when the defense systems of the Library of Alexandria create a copy of Iskandar's army to fight off intruders.The Adventures of Lord El-Melloi II Volume 4: Legacy of the Alchemist (Upper) - Chapter 3
In Type-Moon's April Fools' Day 2009, moon.cinemas.jp is a fake movie theater site listing a number of parody films. Rider is featured as Tank Man in Sensha Otoko.
==Abilities==
Iskandar is an extraordinary Heroic Spirit. Goredolf Musik regarded him, alongside the King of Heroes and the King of Knights, as one of the powerful Servants that would be required to take down Lostbelt Ivan the Terrible.Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Anastasia: Permafrost Empire, Section 7: Lamenting at Night, Crying at Dawn However, it should be noted that this was before learning the latter had fused with a Demonic Beast mammoth.Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Anastasia: Permafrost Empire, Section 21: The Lightning Tsar Reigns In the Moon Cell, Iskandar is among the seven Top Servants, the best and the strongest servants on SE.RA.PH.Fate/EXTELLA LINK - Day 5: Duel
During the events of the Fourth Holy Grail War, Iskandar was weakened due to having Waver Velvet, a third-rate, perhaps second-rate, Magus as his Master. This is believed to have greatly weakened his parameters. However, he is still without a doubt, a powerful Servant. Despite being a Rider, a class generally regarded weaker than the Three Knight Classes, his basic abilities still were at a more than average level. Just making eye contact with him once on their first meeting was enough to overwhelm Waver like a small animal and instinctively communicate that he was a mighty servant with outstanding abilities. The only time Iskandar was considered to be in prime condition was during the fight with Gilgamesh where he was empowered by three Command Spells. His Magical Energy was increased several times thanks to them, causing his aura to overflow. Despite having lost access to Gordius Wheel, Iskandar was now at his 'most perfect'. Gilgamesh, who had decided not to hold back in their fight prior to their confrontation, recognized him as an 'enemy'.
===Combat===
In combat, Iskandar wields a sword named . Gifted to him in life by the King of the Cypriots; its hilt was decorated with the likeness of a lion. Despite being a valuable sword splendidly arranged, its Magical Energy is not on the level of a Noble Phantasm. 
Iskandar is implied to be an incredibly powerful combatant on foot. Even while weakened during the Fourth Holy Grail War, he is capable of reacting to one of Hassan of the Hundred Faces' surprise attacks with lightning speed during the raid in Gilles de Rais' workshop. Having lost the element of surprise, the few Hassan present stood no chance of winning given the great difference between them and Iskandar. His great Strength allows him to block Artoria Pendragon's Invisible Air despite the latter having a greater advantage at the time due to the momentum provided by Yamaha V-Max's maximum speed. Nevertheless, Artoria was unable to break through Iskandar's defenses and was deflected away. However, no matter how physically strong Iskandar is, he would be at a disadvantage against Artoria's in a sword fight. During the fight with Gilgamesh, Iskandar was capable of closing the distance between them while blocking, dodging, and getting hit by at least eighty Noble Phantasms from Gate of Babylon. He would have managed to strike Gilgamesh had the latter not restrained him with Enkidu at the very last moment.
During the events of Fate/EXTELLA, Iskandar was summoned as a Top Servant to defeat Altera. However, being unaccustomed to fighting on SE.RA.PH, with all its subtle differences from the Earth he lived and died on, he approached the fight as a kind of warm-up, and thus, lost. Although Altera then declared that his life now belonged to her, and forced him to join her army, she understands that her victory over Iskandar was a matter of circumstance and that they are evenly matched in terms of strength. In his rusty state, Iskandar's power is easily a match for Karna. Even Nero Claudius powered by one-third of the Regalia admits that her functions and statistics are at a disadvantage against Iskandar. However, she still managed to defeat him. Altera was surprised by this, saying that he was certainly not holding back. In the "Golden Poem" Arc, Nero with now two pieces of the Regalia fought and defeated Iskandar yet again. This time, she states that Iskandar was a fearsome opponent and that without the power of the Regalia and the support of his Praetor she wouldn’t have been victorious. She further states that she’s not confident she would win if they were to fight again. 
Mordred claims that Iskandar could take a blow from Clarent to the face and keep standing after the dust settled.Fate/Grand Order - Land of Shadows Battleground Blitz, Epilogue
===Skills===
====Class Skills====
*Magic Resistance (D Rank): Cancel Single-Action Spells. Magic Resistance of the same degree of an amulet that rejects Magical Energy. Due to being a Rider, a class separate from the Three Knights, Iskandar's Magic Resistance isn't high-ranked enough to challenge a Caster head on without any strategy. Due to this, Waver Velvet wasn't confident in attacking Gilles de Rais' territory without any plan in mind.
*Riding (A+ Rank): The skill of riding animals and vehicles. Creatures on the level of Phantasmal Species and Divine Beast can be used as mounts. However, that does not apply to members of the Dragon Kind. Iskandar has different mounts he can employ in combat:
**Gordius Wheel: The reason Iskandar qualifies for the Rider class is the war chariot Gordius Wheel. It has greater dimensions than an ordinary truck, and it is carried by two divine bulls at a maximum speed of 400 km/h. As a former offering from King Gordius to Zeus, the chariot can fly, and it releases a web of lightning with as much Magical Energy as what Diarmuid Ua Duibhne or Artoria Pendragon would unleash if they used every ounce of their Strength. Its aura is so large and threatening that most would mistake him for a thunder god. In fact, given the connection to bulls, the first one to come into someone's mind would be the highest god of Mount Olympus. Compared to a modern day weapon, it would rival a . He would transform the whole Shinto area into scorched earth if he was left wild for not even an hour. Although the maximum impact of the chariot is struck by its wheels, just getting trampled by the eight hooves of the bulls is enough to completely incapacitate someone as durable as Berserker Lancelot. Furthermore, in a fight against Artoria, Iskandar would be at a disadvantage the further away he is from her, due to the characteristics of Excalibur. It would probably be safer to have a close-range melee battle that could limit the destructive power of her Noble Phantasm.
**Bucephalus: Iskandars secondary mount is his horse Bucephalus. Just like the soldiers of Ionioi Hetairoi, it became a Heroic Spirit that could be summoned by Iskandar. In fact, if it was Human, it would be just as impressive as any one of his subordinates.
====Personal Skills====
*Charisma (A Rank): The nalent to command an army. Can be said to have achieved the greatest popularity as a Human being. His overwhelming charisma is incomparable with other mortals. It's so great that his majestic and elite armies worship him like a god, and are willing to give up their lives to him.
**Those Who Go to the Beyond (A Rank): Upgrade from Charisma in Fate/Grand Order.
*Divinity (C Rank): Despite the absence of clear evidence, according to many stories it is said he is the son of Zeus, the greatest of gods.
*Tactics (B Rank): When Iskandar was alive, his military prowess that resounded in the Islamic world derived into many heroic tales and was propagated all over Asia. Tactical knowledge used not for one-on-one combat situations, but for battles where many are mobilized. Bonus modifiers are provided during use of one's own Anti-Army／Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm or when dealing against an enemy Anti-Army／Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm.
:*Subjugation Tactics (A Rank): Upgrade from Tactics in Fate/Grand Order.
===Noble Phantasms===
Iskandar's first Noble Phantasm is Via Expugnatio, the trampling attack performed with Gordius Wheel. The damage is decided twice, first by the hooves, then the wheels of the chariot. Along with all physical damage, there are also the effects of lightning, the manifestation of Zeus. Should the target fail its Strength check, additional damage will be dealt. Iskandar states that he could probably defeat Artoria Pendragon or Lancelot with just his war chariot. During his confrontation with Artoria, the two battled in a straight road not obstructed by anything. Although this situation was uniquely advantageous for Artoria's Excalibur, Iskandar decided to fight her regardless to determine whose kingship was better. Given the one-hundred-meter distance between the two servants, Iskandar judged that he had a 50% chance of hitting Artoria with Via Expugnatio before she could activate her Noble Phantasm. Although Iskandar's chariot was ultimately destroyed by the Holy Sword, Waver Velvet notes that his presence had been the reason Iskandar's determination faded away at the critical moment, choosing to dodge the attack at the very end. Had Waver not been there, Iskandar might have come out victorious.
Iskandar's trump card is Ionioi Hetairoi, a Reality Marble that summons his former soldiers as Heroic Spirits. Each of these tens of thousands of warriors is their own independent Servant without a Master with an E Rank Independent Action skill, allowing materialization possible for a maximum of 30 turns. It is widely regarded as a Noble Phantasm on the same power level as Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon. Tokiomi Tohsaka initially believed that Gilgamesh's Noble Phantasm was the strongest. However, this opinion was shattered by Ionioi Hetairoi's existence. Due to this, Tokiomi considered Ioinioi Hetairioi the most threatening obstacle, even more so than Artoria Pendragon's Excalibur or Lancelot's Knight of Owner. Although Artoria believes that she can defeat Iskandar single-handedly, she fears that even if she exerts Excalibur's power to its full extent, victory is not guaranteed. The result of a showdown between an Anti-Army and Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm was already beyond the capacity of Human imagination.
==Development==
He was first mentioned in the encyclopedia of Fate/side material. Kinoko Nasu claims that if he wrote Fate/Zero, Iskandar would have been more like Red Saber.
===Creation and Conception===
Takashi Takeuchi considers Rider to be the key character of Fate/Zero due to the time and energy that went into his design. He considers it difficult to draw due to its complexity and detail. Gen Urobuchi compares him to a heavy tank and the Rider of Fate/stay night to a racecar. His Gordius Wheel embodies the "tank-ness", but it is too large to enter sewers. The original idea for it was to give it the ability to change sizes by substituting its parts and transforming, but it still would have been too large.
Takashi Takeuchi feels that without his mantle, Rider gives off an intimate feeling that puts him in style with commoners. Takeuchi felt like a loincloth may have been suitable for him. Out of his initial designs, Takeuchi likes the one with the "three feelers" in the center.
Iskandar was designed by Takashi Takeuchi in Fate/Grand Order, the coloring of Stage 4 was done by Shimokoshi. Gen Urobuchi is the scenario writer for his character in Fate/Grand Order.
===Reception===
Nasu viewed Iskandar as a worthy opponent to Gilgamesh, but the Iskandar Urobuchi created was an excellent, wild, and unprecedented character that even he could have never thought up.
*In the Type-Moon's 10th Anniversary Character Poll, Rider was ranked 6th, the second most voted male character.
==References==
Category:Characters in Fate/Zero
Category:Servants
Category:Servants with Divinity
Category:Sovereigns
Category:Rider-class Servants
Category:Characters in Fate/EXTELLA
Category:Humans
Category:Heroic Spirits
Category:Greek Servants
Category:Top Servants
Category:Human Attribute Servants
Category:Neutral Good Servants
Category:Brynhildr's Beloved
Category:Characters in Fate/Grand Order (Part 1)
Category:Characters in Lord El-Melloi II Case Files
Category:Qualifies for Lancer-class
Category:Qualifies for Caster-class
Category:Qualifies for Berserker-class
Category:B rank Strength Servants
Category:A rank Endurance Servants
Category:D rank Agility Servants
Category:C rank Mana Servants
Category:A+ rank Luck Servants
Category:A++ rank Noble Phantasm Servants
Category:Divine Spirits
Category:Introduced in 2006
Category:Nine Worthies
Category:Ionioi Hetairoi members
Category:Egyptian Servants
Category:Persian Servants
Category:Reality Marble users
Category:Alexander the Great (topic)