Gilgamesh (Fate/stay night)

Gilgamesh is a male anime and manga character who features in Fate/stay night.

Biography

Zero

Gilgamesh (Japanese: ギルガメッシュ, Hepburn: Girugamesshu?) was a male half-god, half-human King of Heroes born from the union between the King of Uruk, Lugalbanda, and goddess Rimat-Ninsun. He ruled the Sumerian city-state of Uruk, the capital city of ancient Mesopotamia in the B.C. era. He was an ultimate, transcendent being so divine as to be two-thirds god and one-third human, and no others in the world could match him. He was a despotWP possessing high divinity who believed he was invincible. He is not merely a legend, and is said to have actually existed and ruled during the Sumer Dynasty five thousand years ago. He was the King of Heroes (英雄王, Eiyū-Ō?) who possessed all things in the world, whose tale is recorded in mankind's oldest epic poem, the Epic of Gilgamesh which portrayed Gilgamesh as a hero, destined to be king and achieve great feats, who is driven to meet his destiny, facing challenges together with his best friend Enkidu. Before his birth, his father, Lugalbanda, made a deal with Sefar, in order to be spared, allowing Gilgamesh to be born Born with a body that was of the highest grade by mortal standards and knowledge reaching truth, Gilgamesh was born, designed, as king and the Wedge of Heaven to connect the rising humans and the fading gods. He was sent to ensure the humans and bind the earth slowly leaving the Age of Gods. He was a being embodying the two life sets of life forms, with the blood of those who had ruled and the blood of those who would rule from thereon. He was to be the ultimate neutral party able to discern their respective failings, adjudicating from their respective positions. During his childhood, he loved the gods instead of humanity, but the gods created Enkidu at that time to punish the arrogant king. Enkidu observed the young Gilgamesh, but could not understand the need to punish such an amiable, ideal king who was praised and lauded by his infatuated subjects. There could be no flaw that required correction, and the only problem was that he did not submit to the gods even if he did respect them. Enkidu was forced to admit that the gods had been correct as he watched the boy grow into a young man. Practicing absolutism, oppression, duress, levies, and the utmost decadence from self-interest, the people of the kingdom lamented the change, and even the gods were perplexed at the extent of the expected transformation.

Gilgamesh encountered Enkidu for the first time outside of the Temple of Uruk, who immediately stated that he would reprimand the King and rectify his arrogance. They entered a battle that spanned several days, and Gilgamesh was forced to use all his strength to match his transforming opponent. He was either angered or surprised at having found his equal for the first time, insulting Enkidu as a clod of mud. He was forced to draw out his treasures that had been carefully stored away, marking the first use of the Gate of Babylon as a weapon, and although it was a reluctant and forced humiliation at first, he eventually began to enjoy it and brought them out without regret. He eventually emptied the vault, and Enkidu was left with only a tenth of his clay. Rather than continue, Gilgamesh let himself fall backwards onto his back while bursting with laughter, Enkidu following in suit. He remarked that there would only be one chance to strike for each of them, and without any means of defense, it would leave only two foolish corpses. Enkidu was never able to interpret if that meant it was a tie or if Gilgamesh wanted to make it so that there would only be one corpse. Enkidu asked, "Do you not regret the treasures you have spent?" to which he replied in a bright voice, "Why, if it's someone I should use it on, then it's not unthinkable to do him the favor". Gilgamesh and Enkidu became close friends afterward, marking the one and only story of eternally unchanging worth in all the world. They worked side by side, and Gilgamesh noted that his vault started to become disordered after having begun utilizing weapons as projectiles, calling it a bad habit. Looking towards Humbaba, the guardian of the forest and beast of the gods, Gilgamesh decided to seek out and defeat it. They did so with their combined strength, but Enkidu was left confused by the action. It had not been an order from the gods, and it could not have been for his people who suffered under him. Gilgamesh told him that it was part of purging the evils of the world to protect Uruk, but Enkidu could not understand why he would care about those he tyrannized. Gilgamesh explained his way of protecting humanity, causing Enkidu to fully realize the source of his isolation. Enkidu stated that Gilgamesh took the path of observation, causing Gilgamesh to smile embarrassedly like in his childhood and speak of it. In response to his passion, Enkidu pledged himself as a tool to Gilgamesh afterward, but Gilgamesh reprimanded him, explaining to him that he was his friend. Enkidu believed it was the only time Gilgamesh had ever shown relief. He became the greatest and richest king on Earth, who eventually acquired all the treasures of the world. Uruk became unprecedentedly prosperous, and Gilgamesh was considered so powerful that even the gods could not ignore his existence. One goddess, Ishtar the goddess of fertility, even fell in love with Gilgamesh and proposed marriage to the perfect king. He rejected her immediately because he knew her to be a witch who was unfaithful, cruel, and the corruptor of all men. She became furious, feeling that he had insulted her, and went to her father, the god Anu, to get revenge. She begged him to unleash the Bull of Heaven. The unopposable beast of the gods caused seven years of starvation and destruction on the earth. Working together, Gilgamesh and Enkidu defeated it after binding it with the Chains of Heaven, causing the dark clouds covering the world to fade and saving the land from the flood. Ishtar's reputation was once again crushed, and her fury did not abate. She requested they be put to death for the sin of slaying a beast of the gods with the body of a human. Her request was granted, and Enkidu, created by the gods, was unable to defy the decree. He slowly weakened and was returned to clay, as Gilgamesh desperately held onto the crumbling clod in his arms. He was angered by this, believing that he was the one who deserved retribution should it be required. Enkidu attempted to assuage him by telling Gilgamesh that he was only one of the many treasures in Gilgamesh's collection, that he would find countless more greater than him in time. Gilgamesh instead declared, "You do have worth. You alone have this worth. I hereby declare: In all this world, only one shall be my friend. Thus---not for all eternity shall his worth ever change." Enkidu returned to his original state afterward, leaving nothing behind but Gilgamesh's thunderous cry.

makes no effort to conceal his identity as the legendary Sumerian King Gilgamesh. He is the son of Lugalbanda, the 3rd King of Uruk, and of a goddess, Ninsun. Born into great wealth with more divinity than most demigods, Gilgamesh grows into a conceited and tyrannical ruler. His subjects, feeling this reign too harsh, pray to Anu, the King of Sumerian gods, for assistance. Anu, recognizing Gilgamesh's cruelty as a consequence of boredom, creates a wild-man, Enkidu, as a diversion and rival for The King of Heroes.

Enkidu becomes a lord of beasts, fiercely attacking those who would hunt his animals. A trapper, irritated with the troublesome Enkidu, seeks the advice of Gilgamesh, who recommends the aid of a priestess, Shamhat. Enkidu is "civilized" through Shamhat's seduction, and becomes forever shunned from the beasts he once protected. He then lives a quiet life aiding trappers and shepherds, but his wanderlust drives him to the Sumerian capital of Uruk. He is attracted to a wedding, where he overhears a boastful Gilgamesh exclaim his right to sleep with the new virgin bride. As Gilgamesh approaches the lover's bedroom, a furious Enkidu bars his entry, and the two men engage in a wrestling competition.

Gilgamesh and Enkidu are evenly matched, but Gilgamesh briefly attains an advantageous position and manages to pin Enkidu. Impressed by his opponent's prowess, Enkidu compliments Gilgamesh, and the two swear an oath of friendship. Gilgamesh proposes an adventure into the Cedar Forest to slay the demigod Humbaba, a guardian of gods. Following a tremendous battle, Humbaba is beguiled by Gilgamesh into lowering his defenses, allowing Gilgamesh to quickly restrain the brute. Although Enkidu was initially averse to killing the giant, he realizes Gilgamesh will become world famous for Humbaba's death, and despite Humbaba's pleas for mercy, Gilgamesh decapitates him. They then cut down the tallest Cedar trees and, using the lumber, build a raft on which they sail down the Euphrates and back to Uruk.

Impressed by his heroic feat, the goddess Ishtar appears to Gilgamesh and offers him the opportunity to become her mortal consort. Gilgamesh rebuffs her advances, citing a host of mortal men who have romanced the goddess and met grisly ends. Flustered at her rejection, Ishtar asks her father, Anu, to send the Bull of Heaven to kill Gilgamesh and destroy Uruk. The bull rampages around Sumeria for several years, but with Enkidu's aid, Gilgamesh proves capable enough to restrain and butcher it.

Outraged by the death of a divine beast, Ishtar demands either Gilgamesh or Enkidu be killed as retribution. The god Shamash appeals for their lives; Gilgamesh is spared, but the unfortunate Enkidu is condemned to die for meddling with divine will. Shortly after this trial, Enkidu is striken with a dire illness and suffers for twelve days. During his last moments, he foresees a grim afterlife in a dream, and curses those who originally cultivated him. Gilgamesh mourns Enkidu's lifeless body for many days, and fearful of meeting the same fate, embarks on a quest for immortality.

Gilgamesh seeks out Utnapishtim, a former King of Shuruppak who survived The Deluge by constructing an Ark as advised by the god Ea. In repentance for the genocide of mankind, the Sumerian Gods gift Utnapishtim with immortality and spirit him away to Dilmun, the End of the World. After journeying over Mount Mashu and through a Garden of Gems, Gilgamesh crosses the River of Death and meets Utnapishtim.

Utnapishtim explains that immortality can be achieved if Gilgamesh remains awake for six days and seven nights; Gilgamesh makes the attempt, but soon succumbs to fatigue. Gilgamesh is frustrated with his failure, but Utnapishtim offers an alternative; a magical herb, which only grows on the ocean floor surrounding Dilmun, will bestow eternal youth onto whoever consumes it. Gilgamesh successfully retrieves the plant, but doubtful the shrub's properties, decides to test his prize on the elders of Uruk.

On the journey back, a serpent consumes the precious ambrosia while Gilgamesh bathes; horrified, he weeps at his loss. Upon arrival in Uruk, Gilgamesh stares at the imposing city walls he built and realizes mortal men cannot escape destiny, for true immortality can only be achieved through the legends dead men leave behind.

Gilgamesh was initially summoned by Tokiomi Tōsaka in the 4th Holy Grail War, who used a fossil of the first skin ever shed by a snake as a catalyst. With Tōsaka's death, Gilgamesh participated with Kirei Kotomine to obtain the Holy Grail, intending to cleanse the world of humanity, which he felt had become corrupted and vile, thus not worth of his reign (he wanted to rule a world inhabited with strong and dignified creatures, according to the Unlimited Blade Works scenario). When Kiritsugu Emiya killed his Master, Gilgamesh remained in the physical world long enough to be drenched by the pollution within the tainted Holy Grail. Contact with this ichor normally corrupts a Servant's ego, but Gilgamesh resisted submission to the evil influence. However, the saturation converted his spiritual body to one of flesh and blood, and Gilgamesh also become more eccentric and excitable.

In Fate/Zero, Gilgamesh was responsible for delivering the deathblow to the Rider-class Servant Iskander, King of Conquerors. He fought in an epic final battle with Saber, but their battle was interrupted by the destruction of the Holy Grail.

Although able to exist independently of Kotomine, Gilgamesh continued to cooperate with his old Master, who had been resurrected by the Grail's malevolent power. With Kotomine's aid, he was able to stockpile Mana for his Noble Phantasms through the consumption of human souls from children orphaned by the fire at the end of the war. Gilgamesh also retrieved a potion of temporary youth from his vault that reduced his physical age and allowed him to smoothly blend in with society.

Gilgamesh is antagonist in each scenario of Fate/stay night. In Fate, he kills Caster as she assaults Shirō's residence, and later ambushes Shirō and Saber during their date. Ultimately, he is killed in a climatic battle with Saber at the Ryūdōji Temple atop Mount Enzō. Gilgamesh is more active in Unlimited Blade Works, and reprises his role as the final antagonist; after easily killing Ilya and Berserker, he is "lent" to Shinji Matō after Shinji's Servant, Rider, is killed by Sōichirō Kuzuki. Gilgamesh attempts to use Shinji as the core of the Holy Grail, but he is killed by Archer after an arduous battle with Shirō. Gilgamesh has a small role in Heaven's Feel scenario, where he lacerates Dark Sakura with Gate of Babylon. However, he underestimates her regenerative abilities and is devoured by her shadows.

In Fate/hollow ataraxia, Gilgamesh once again consumes his potion of youth, and holds a low-profile in Fuyuki City to avoid interacting with previous Servants or Masters. As a child, he is extremely popular with other children, retaining his royal charisma but also affable and amiable. When Shirō reunited with this younger Gilgamesh, Shirō did not recognize him and was dumbfounded as to how Gilgamesh would eventually grow into such a haughty and selfish person. During the Fuyuki eclipse, he reverts to his adult form and assists the other Servants in slaying the endless horde of Shadow Wolf Beasts, providing the opportunity for Avenger to make his way to Heaven's Feel.

Overview

Personality and attributes

Such was his legend that he came to be known as the King of Heroes (英雄王, Eiyū-Ō?).

Powers and abilities

He was noted for being the strongest Heroic Spirit and thus the most powerful existence among the Servants. While the energy of his soul is worth that of hundreds of thousands of souls, and taking him in is enough to fill a partially-full Lesser Grail even while it lacks several other Servants. The reason Gilgamesh has the advantage over most other Servants in combat is that he is capable of exploiting their weaknesses thanks to possessing the originals of all Noble Phantasms. All Heroic Spirits have things they were weak against in life, their greatest weak points, and he possesses all of the Noble Phantasms ever owned by mankind, including those that killed each hero.

Notes

• Gilgamesh was created by TYPE-MOON where he featured in the setting of the Nasu universe.
• The character was based on the legendary Gilgamesh of ancient Mesopotamian myth.

In other media

Video games

• In Fate/Grand Order, Gilgamesh appeared in the setting of the mobile video game.

Appearances

• Fate/stay night:
• Fate Zero:

External Links

• Type-Moon Wiki Entry

This article is a stub. You can help Multiversal Omnipedia by expanding it.