Richard I

, Class Name is the "True" Saber-class Servant summoned by Ayaka Sajyou, after usurping the contract from Cashura, in the True and False Holy Grail Wars of Fate/strange Fake. He is the Saber of the True Holy Grail War, but there is no "False Saber" due to the abnormal nature of the False Holy Grail War.
==Profile==
===Identity===
Known as the , Richard was the king of England. He is known as the "Wandering King", not because he was always headed off to a battlefield or on his way back from one, but because he was the king who wandered over the border between history and myth, the last king with one foot in an age when faeries and runes were still out in the open.
==== History ====
As a child, he was talented in nearly every activity he tried, but this alienated him from his peers who were resentful of him. Richard was always charmed by the legends of King Arthur and his knights told to him by his . Due to his love, Richard went around searching for items of Arthurian Legends and even called all of his swords Excalibur. At some point, he did, in fact, find Avalon, the scabbard of Excalibur,Fate/strange Fake Volume 6 - Chapter 20: "Fantasy Becomes Reality" which he stored in a box, that would one day be used to summon him.
Before he became a king, Richard met a strange man called Saint Germain, during his search for a relic of Arthurian legends. Saint Germain arrived to Richard in a car and possessed knowledge of his search. Though Richard's vassals were wary of the man, Richard chose to trust him, due to him mentioning Alexander the Great. Saint Germain became a mentor to Richard, in a similar manner to Merlin.Fate/strange Fake Volume 4 - Chapter 10: Day 2 "Separate Mornings, Separate Pasts I" Saint Germain would later accompany him on his war against his in 1189.
Richard was one of the leaders of the , during which he, and the leading Hassan-i-Sabbah at the time fought together against a Dead Apostle.Fate/strange Fake Volume 2 - Chapter 3: Day 1, Early Dawn "Ensemble Versus Illusion"
Richard finally met his end when an enemy archer, Pierre Basile, sniped him with his crossbow. Although his killer, Richard seems to bear him no ill will, and even has Pierre accompany him as a part of his Noble Phantasm.
===Appearance===
Saber appears in his late teen to his early twenties. He has golden-blond hair with several streaks of red hair. He wears a set of white knight armor and a crimson mantle, reminiscent of an "old Western aristocracy or royalty". His eyes were described as shining like a beast.
Richard Fate strange Fake character sheet.png| character sheet of Richard I in the Fate/strange Fake anime.
FSF TV Key Visual (Textless).jpg|' Key Visual, featuring Ayaka Sajyou and Richard I in the Fate/strange Fake anime.
Fate strange Fake TV Key Visual 2.jpeg|' Key Visual, featuring Ayaka Sajyou and Richard I in the Fate/strange Fake anime.
Saber Richard newtype.jpg|Richard I in Newtype Magazine.
===Personality===
Saber often shows an overly cheerful nature, even when put in situations like interrogation or skepticism, easily able to keep his cool in such situations. In his youth, and possibly into his later years, he'd been given the nickname "Oc e Non (Yes and No)", due to his reputation for eccentricity. Because he was summoned as a knight, he values his momentary impulses and the present above all else, believing those are worth staking his life for. Things would be different if he was summoned in another Class such as Rider, as it is possible his philosophies as a king would show more markedly in these other forms.Fate/strange Fake Volume 8 - Chapter 26: "The Age of Gods and the Modern Age <Maturation>"
However, when serious, he has displayed a rather charismatic and somewhat ruthless side, declaring that not eliminating the interrogation officers by force is the bare minimum amount of respect he shows them for their station. He enjoys granting the wishes of the common people as best he can, save in situations like being connected to Ayaka and receiving mana from her in order to materialize. Saber also seems to have a way of thinking which is difficult for some to follow which results in his vassals or even Ayaka herself questioning him. He looks at situations from a wide and unique perspective, stating to Ayaka that he trusts her and does not fear her betrayal should it happen for he has experienced it in life so many times by those close to him, but states he is not bothered by the thought. It is also due to this way of thinking why he searched for an ally shortly after leaving the club, for if he was to fall he feared Ayaka would be unprotected and have no one to turn to. He also shows regrets to actions he takes, such as heavily damaging the Opera House in his battle with Assassin, requesting to know how much it will cost, in material and manpower, to repair. He also expresses regrets for having been a poor king and causing trouble to his subjects and his , to the point he has no grudges against his brother for selling him out and trying to usurp his throne.
Saber is very calm even on serious matters, calmly discussing about Pierre Basile, a man who had killed Saber in life. He would speak to Pierre as if to an old friend, stating he "learned his lesson" from being shot when looking at the treasures of the Round Table. Upon meeting Saint Germain, he again showed his ability to remain calm in strange or tense circumstances despite all his vassals having their swords drawn and Saint Germain arriving by a car, a contraption Saber was not familiar with.
He doesn't seem too concerned with being discrete in concealing his Servant Status, going so far as to turn into Spirit Form in front of the police officers, and appears on the news to claim his amends for the Opera House. When speaking to the multitude of people, he refers to himself by plural pronouns, such as "We" and "Our". He is also rather mischievous, entering Ayaka's cell and declaring he doesn't need to obey her orders if she is not his master, deciding he can bother her as much as he wants and will be taking personal care of her. Evidently, he has also been told he's extreme in everything he does, after giving Ayaka some examples on how her situation could be much worse, or stating to his vassals how much more credible are a drunken man's words than a sober man's ones.
He displays very high reverence towards King Arthur, referring to him as the "great ancestor of [his] chivalry" and the "founding King of [his] native land", stating that failing to preserve his honor would make him unfit to face him again, whom he loves and respects. His mother had told him stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, which can also explain his admiration for the King of Knights. Ideally he desires Excalibur, but any item of Arthur's would do, such as Caliburn, Rhongomyniad, or the shield used in slaying the "Chapalu". Saber's fixation even made him desire to find Avalon, hoping to see King Arthur himself or at least his court magus, Merlin.
In his youth he was described as a lover of music which had transferred into the Holy Grail War, as he naturally was inclined to play the guitar. His love for music goes as far as wishing to bring modern music back to the Throne of Heroes.
At first, he has no wish for the Grail, stating that while normally servants have wishes, he does not know what his would be. However, after being shown the events of the Fourth Holy Grail War and the Banquet of the Kings, especially what Saber went through, by the Prelatis, he decides to use the Grail to prove Arthur's reign was not a mistake, singing a song of human triumph to the farthest reaches of distant Avalon.
==Role==
===Fate/strange Fake===
A and Servant.jpg|Saber summoning
SabersfArrested.jpg|Saber arrested.
False Lancer, Saber and Ayaka.jpg|Lancer confronts Saber
==== Day 0 ====
The Saber-class does not exist in the False Holy Grail War ritual. However, with Faldeus machination to turn the false war into the true holy grail war, he successfully changed the course of the ritual and the summoning of the Saber-class signals the true path of the holy grail war. Originally Cashura intended to summon King Arthur with his catalyst. Before he could complete the summoning, he was murdered by Assassin. With the incomplete summoning, the opera stage was enveloped with light and multiple figures appear. All but Saber disappeared when the light fades. Saber recognizes that Assassin is one of the old men of the mountain. He engages her in battle and he comments that this is the first time he's seen someone more nimble than Loxley. Eventually Saber uses Excalibur, which destroyed parts of the opera house. He ask Ayaka Sajyou whether she is his master, and to his surprise Ayaka rejected the formal contract.Fate/strange Fake Volume 1 - Prologue VII: Visitor & ●●●●, p.285-291 Saber disappears feeling dejected. When the police arrive, they noticed the corpse of Cashura and the ruined opera house. Saber reappears again and confesses he did it, even going so far as to prove that he did it by using a weaker version of Excalibur on a falling piece of rubble that would have hit the policemen. Saber was eventually handcuffed by the police. Before he was taken away to the police headquarters, he was broadcast on local television and he says he will make amends for the opera house destruction.Fate/strange Fake Volume 2 - Chapter 2: Day 0, Midnight "The Heroic Spirit Incident"
====Day 1====
Ayaka and Saber are taken to police headquarters. The police attempt to interrogate him, but he shocks them by demonstrating that handcuffs and walls cannot hold him by turning into spiritual form. He says he did not resist arrest because he did not wish to endanger Ayaka and he respects the policemen who were only doing their jobs. He declares that once morning comes, he will leave with Ayaka. Assassin breaks into police headquarters to target Saber. However, she was intercepted by Orlando Reeve's Clan Calatin force. Ayaka and Saber make use of this commotion to escape. After escaping they'd be lead to an underground punk hang out where Richard demonstrated his proficiency with an electric guitar despite never using such an instrument prior, playing a tune which drew everyone's attention. After receiving a change of clothes and a brief back and forth of questions from Ayaka, he revealed his True Name. Shortly after exiting the hang out Saber searches for an ally and heads into the woods where he comes across Lancer and proposes the alliance. Lancer decides to test his strength through a duel which Richard did not disappoint, as well as demonstrate using Excalibur with a mere stick. After the duel, he explains that while escaping the police station he saw what he described as a blood sucking monster and wishes to return the grail war to its proper form after dealing with such a threat. Soon approached Assassin who overheard the conversation, knowing Sabers identity as well as the story of his team up with Saladin and a Hassan during life to stop a Dead Apostle. He then allies with Lancer and Assassin to stop the mentioned menace.Fate/strange Fake Volume 3 - Chapter 8: Day 1, Afternoon (2) "The Wandering King's Rock'n'Roll"
Saber, along with Assassin and Ayaka went to confront Sigma, a mage they believed was one of the Masters in the war. What they were not aware of, was that Sigma had not summoned a proper Servant, instead having summoned Watcher. Sigma escapes from Assassin, almost getting away, until noticing Ayaka and, believing that she was a bystander, stops to tell her to run. Seeing his kindness, Saber, and Ayaka decide to ally with Sigma. Sigma tells them that he has summoned the Lancer, Charlie Chaplin, who doesn't want to show himself.Fate/strange Fake Volume 4 - Interlude: "The Boy Does Not Believe In God"
====Day 2====
Later Ayaka has a dream about Saber's meeting with Saint Germain, though she doesn't tell about it to Saber. Sigma, who is also in contact with Faldeus Dioland, informs them that a number of soldiers have surrounded the house. Saber, though wary, isn't that concerned about them. Sigma later also tells them about the battle between True Archer and his Master against True Berserker and his Master. Saber is enthusiastic about this, wanting to slay True Berserker, who is described as a monster. Faldeus, however, tells him that his real employer will probably handle the situation, as she does.Fate/strange Fake Volume 4 - Chapter 11: Day 2, Morning "The Gods Return From Twilight"
After telling Ayaka to take shelter in the church, Saber, Assassin, and Sigma later arrive to the battle between multiple forces at the hospital, where Tsubaki Kuruoka, the young comatose Master of False Rider is residing. True Archer, False Archer, Clan Calatin and False Caster are also present.Fate/strange Fake Volume 4 - Chapter 13: Day 2, Night "At Last, a Second, and a Third"
False Archer becomes offended by Saber's presence and fires a volley of swords from Gate of Babylon at him, but he effortlessly bats them away with his own sword. Saber is amazed by the many high quality swords and asks False Archer if he can borrow a few. Even more offended, False Archer fires more swords, but Saber either bats them away or dodges them. Saber then offers to purchase a few swords, which makes False Archer even angrier. Saber then gets close and almost manages to strike False Archer, who blocks it. False Archer notices him seemingly using Magecraft to increase his agility, but he claims it came from one of his followers.Fate/strange Fake Volume 5 - Chapter 14: "Gold and Lions I"
False Archer notices Saber dodging his swords like he had prior experience and expresses curiosity on how he has it. Saber explains that he sparred with False Lancer earlier, who fights in a similar way, and they became allies. In response, False Archer unleashes more swords and says Saber must pass his trial to see if he is worthy of being his best friend's ally. After hearing "trial", Saber asks if he is a Ruler, but False Archer points out a Ruler is an impartial judge while he is not. Saber then points out False Rider is on the loose infecting people with disease and asks if they can become allies to stop it. False Archer refuses and says he can deal with False Rider on his own. He fires a huge barrage of swords, so Saber dodges and parries them, then fires a blast from his Excalibur to knock several away. Saber boasts that False Archer outclasses him in many ways, but he's more than a match when it comes to speed.
Continuing to dodge swords, Saber manages to get close to False Archer and slash at him, but he jumps back in time. Saber fires a blast from Excalibur, but False Archer blocks it with several shields. False Archer mocks Saber because his Excalibur is just a replica of the real deal. To False Archer's fury, Saber steals one of the swords that he had fired and uses it to fire an Excalibur blast. False Archer blocks the blast with his shields again, but due to the higher quality sword, the blast is more powerful, so the impact knocks him into the air to his fury. Saber then blasts him again and again, sending him higher and higher into the sky.
False Archer is engulfed in the blast's light, but summons several weapons, links them together with the golden chain Enkidu, and disperses the blast. He then unleashes a rain of weapons on the church where Ayaka is taking shelter. Saber blocks the weapons with his body and is impaled in several places. He crashes through the roof, but manages to stop the church from being destroyed. False Archer enters the church, ignoring the shocked Ayaka, and commends him for being able to stop his attack on the church and survive. The injured Saber scolds him for attacking a church, but he says he doesn't care about any institution for the gods. He says Saber trying to fight without any true desires was foolish, then says he will deliver his verdict and asks if Saber has any final words. Saber points out Ayaka has not done anything to him and asks that he spare her. False Archer says he will only grant her consideration, and if he judges her worthless, he will blow her away with the other rabble. He is about to declare his judgment on Saber, but is interrupted mid-sentence when True Archer attacks him.Fate/strange Fake Volume 5 - Chapter 15: "Gold and Lions II"
While the Archers fight, Saber complains about how he is missing a great battle. Ayaka says they need to get out of there and get him medical attention, and that the church must have some bandages. Saber chuckles that she must really not be a magus if she's trying to heal a Servant with bandages. She says this is not the time for jokes and tries to lift him onto her shoulder, but he complains that being helped by someone he had sworn to protect is a disgrace as both a knight and a king. She says swearing to protect a nobody like her already bemirched his honor, so he says making her disparage herself is a disgrace as a Heroic Spirit. He stands up under his own power and says after getting them into this situation, he won't complain if she says he is not fit to be a Servant. Suddenly, a wave of blackness washes over the street. When it passes, Saber and all the other combatants have vanished, to the shock of those observing.
====Day 3====
Saber pulls a lot of magical energy out of Ayaka, making her fall asleep, to summon one of his companions to heal his injuries. He then watches over her for half a day until she wakes up. He explains why she fell asleep and apologizes, but she yells at him for making her go to the church and trying to shield her from False Archer's attacks with his body, telling him he needs to take care of himself too. She then notices the church is intact and asks if he repaired it, but he points out if he was able to do that, he would have done it to the opera house. She then tells him she had a dream of his childhood where he was talented at everything and saw his mother, embarrassing him. He says he was childish when he said he could do anything and makes her laugh by confessing that although he knew French, Italian, and Persian, he was ironically bad at English despite being the King of England. He then declares that he's a new man and will protect her and defeat False Archer next time.Fate/strange Fake Volume 5 - Chapter 16: Day 3 "Breaking Dawn and Wakeless Dreams I"
A bunch of police officers enter the church. Ayaka worries that they are here to arrest them for escaping police custody earlier, but one of them who introduces herself as Vera Levitt says they ask for an alliance. They explain that the city seems empty except for some people whose minds seem to have been seized by something, and trying to leave the city just warps them back into it. Vera and Saber talk and agree they must be in some sort of isolated space, possibly a Reality Marble. Ayaka does not understand what they are saying, but Vera concludes that to escape, they must eliminate whoever is causing it.
===Fate/Grand Order===
====Sixth Singularity: Camelot====
:
=== Other Appearances ===
Richard is mentioned in Robin Hood's past in Fate/EXTRA.
==Abilities==
A theory has it that minstrel culture grew out of techniques for passing on the oral traditions of the druidic mysteries to posterity. According to Alexandre Dumas, contemporary song and poetry shouldn't be underestimated due to this. "If you make someone hear something every night as a bedtime story, it’s plenty possible for it to alter their Soul like a Curse, or a Blessing." This should be applicable to Richard I, who was raised hearing the tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Furthermore, although it is true that Richard I is a hero from an age of relatively weak Mystery, that mostly applies to France, his country of origin, which is located on the continent. However, in England, the country he was King of, it should be harder for the mystery to leak out due to England being an island surrounded by water. In his quest to find the relics of King Arthur, Richard found the scabbard of his Holy Sword. The reason Richard I is also known as the "Wandering King" is that he was a man that wandered over the border between history and myth. He was the last king with one foot in an age when Faeries and Runes were still out in the open. Not something that should be taken lightly.
As a Heroic Spirit who has manifested in the Saber Class, the one said to be the “best” of the seven, Richard is undoubtedly an extraordinary Servant. Saint Germain suggests he qualifies for the Rider and Berserker Classes, but that it'd be troublesome if he were summoned as such. Even without any knowledge of Magecraft, Ayaka Sajou could sense the power of an extraordinary being just by looking at him the first time they met. She thought that normal people were probably the same as worms to him. According to Tiné Chelc, Richard's Saint Graph is on the same level as Hippolyta or perhaps a little higher. Since it doesn't seem to be a match for the King of Heroes or Alcides, Tiné dismisses the Saber class being the best as merely rough aproximations. Just fighting Enkidu for a few minutes was enough to convince Richard I that they were exceptional even among Heroic Spirits, himself included. After first meeting Gilgamesh, Richard noted that the strength of his Saint Graph rivaled that of Enkidu's, and that he could tell at a glance that he had no chance of winning if they fought head-on. Likewise, he could tell that Alcides boosted by From Hell was so powerful that he had no hope.
During the True and False Holy Grail Wars, Richard has access to an extraordinary amount of Magical Energy, which allows him to use his Noble Phantasm over 20 times consecutively. It is noted that the ability to provide a Heroic Spirit with that much magical energy isn’t normal. At the very least, anyone short of a first-rate mage should run dry while supporting. Taking into account that Ayaka Sajou has little to no knowledge of Magecraft, her ability to support Richard to this extent remains a mystery.
Due to him being an experienced fighter, and due to one of the retinues he carries in his Noble Phantasm operating similarly to a Master, he has the power to see the Parameters of enemy Servants, although not as accurately as a Holy Grail War Master can.Fate/strange Fake Volume 7 - Bridge Chapter: "Beginning of the End"
He can be summoned in other Classes, such as Rider.
===Combat===
When Richard I asked Enkidu to join forces with him, Enkidu decided to test his strength in a brief fight. During this battle, none of them were fighting seriously, with Richard not even wielding his sword or wearing his armor. In fact, he tried to fight Enkidu at the start by combining boxing techniques he had learned by watching a movie earlier that day. Enkidu fired "innumerable" weapons, which Richard evaded while closing in on them and unleashing sharp punches. There is an expression, “lightning quick.” It is normally intended metaphorically, but the scene that burned itself into Ayaka’s eyes in that instant was so intense that it really did remind her of flashes of lightning. Although Richard had a slight edge in actual speed, thanks to their Transfiguration skill, Enkidu was able to boost their his Agility, becoming as fast as Richard. However, as Lancer had not lowered his strength, their deft strikes were gradually pushing back Saber’s rapid blows. Realizing that boxing wouldn't be enough, Richard picked up a branch from the floor, and fired Excalibur with it, wiping out the myriad of weapons hurtling toward him in an instant. It is here that their battle ends, with Enkidu regarding Richard as a strong opponent. Richard on the other hand, states that Enkidu had not been using even half of their real strength.
Although Richard may not have many qualities that can match Gilgamesh's, when it comes to speed, Richard claims to be more than his match. During their fight, Richard was not countering every blow like Enkidu, nor was he taking every blow like Alcides. Richard occasionally made the sword in his hand shine and struck away a few Noble Phantasms, but he kept those attacks to the bare minimum necessary. If he was only running away, Tiné Chelc could have understood it, but the strangest thing about that Saber’s actions was that they seemed clearly to be an “offensive,” not a retreat. Richard kept gradually closing in on Gilgamesh, while his speed kept increasing. It was a contest between kings, but it was certainly not equal. Whereas Gilgamesh stood on high, Richard struggled to supplant him. It wasn't until Richard shielded Ayaka and the church she was in that Gilgamesh managed to strike him.
===Skills===
====Class Skills====
*Magic Resistance (Rank B)
*Riding (A Rank)
====Personal Skills====
*Godspeed (Rank A): The technical skills engraved in his Saint Graph from the extent of his marches and from his almost lightning speed on the battlefield. The longer the battle continues, the more his Agility stat increases.
*Lionheart (Rank A): A Skill the embodies the name Lionheart. The bravery not to fear anything turned into a Skill. It invokes fear and wariness into enemies and raises the morale of allies.
*All Kinds of Talents (Rank A): From his stories of displaying talent in multiple fields, like martial arts, fine arts, and sexual affairs. He can do anything he practiced when he was alive at B Rank or higher and learns faster than normal for a matter he only just got started.
===Noble Phantasms===
====Rounds of the Lionheart====
Richard's Noble Phantasm is Rounds of Lionheart. A Noble Phantasm that uses Richard’s Saint Graph as a Catalyst to materialize individuals he had ties to in life as servants, followers, guides, etc. The number he is able to summon varies depending on his Master’s supply of Magical Energy and the land he is summoned in. Under Ayaka Sajou, he can summon seven. He is capable of summoning individuals recorded in the Throne of Heroes as Heroic Spirits, but in that case, they will materialize in a weaker state than if summoned normally. If he wanted to make them corporeal as well, it would require an unreasonable quantity of magical energy. So much that any ordinary Mage would run dry in no time at all.
Most notable uses:
*Unknown Caster: A mage that supports Richard with Reinforcement magecraft, granting him superhuman speed. It is usual for a battle between Heroic Spirits to appear superhuman. Even taking that into account, however, Saber’s swiftness is extraordinary. Richard has a slight edge over Enkidu in actual speed. However, thanks to Enkidu surpassing him in immediate physical strength, they could deaden his speed to the extent that they could knock his blows aside with perfect timing. Being impressed by Richard's superior speed, Enkidu decides to fight him more seriously, as "a member of the Lancer class." By using their Transfiguration skill to lower his Endurance and Mana Parameters by one rank each and boost his Agility, Enkidu gained speed equal to that of Richard. Richard had claimed the day before that False Assassin was the first person he had seen with lighter-foot than Loxley. Ayaka did not know much about lightness of foot, but when it came to pure, instantaneous speed, she suspected that Enkidu now outpaced even the woman in black. Although Richard isn't strong enough to make Alcides' blood run cold while boosted with From Hell, his great speed further reinforced by his court mage makes Alcides warry of him. He states that purely in terms of speed, Richard may outmatch him, and that depending on his Noble Phantasm, he merits caution.
====Excalibur====
Richard I possesses his own version of Excalibur. It allows him to wield any and all weapons he holds as Excalibur. The stronger the weapon he wields, the more powerful it will be, however, it will never be as powerful as the genuine “holy sword of the planet”—not even if he were to hold the real Excalibur.
During his fight with Gilgamesh, Richard momentarily stole one of his swords. The Noble Phantasm shrouded in the aura of the Age of Gods, and thus, it allowed him to release more power with Excalibur than any other sword he had wielded up to that point. Although Gilgamesh was able to block his beam by deploying multiple shields of Gate of Babylon, he was pushed higher into the air. Saber gave his opponent no time to recover and kept firing his Noble Phantasms over 20 times consecutively, sending Gilgamesh higher in the air.
==Development==
===Creation and Conception===
Richard I was designed by Shidzuki Morii in Fate/strange Fake.
==References==
vi:Saber (Fate/strange Fake)
Category:Servants
Category:Characters in Fate/strange Fake
Category:Saber-class Servants
Category:Sovereigns
Category:English Servants
Category:Humans
Category:Heroic Spirits
Category:Unknown Attribute Servants
Category:Lawful Neutral Servants
Category:A rank Noble Phantasm Servants
Category:C rank Luck Servants
Category:B rank Strength Servants
Category:B rank Mana Servants
Category:EX rank Agility Servants
Category:B rank Agility Servants
Category:B+ rank Agility Servants
Category:B++ rank Agility Servants
Category:B+++ rank Agility Servants
Category:A rank Agility Servants
Category:A+ rank Agility Servants
Category:A++ rank Agility Servants
Category:Introduced in 2015
Category:Not implemented in Fate/Grand Order