Fate/Stay Nightdeals with different sorts of drama, which is to be expected, since each character in the visual novel has trauma or burden that they bear and that informs their decision-making. Both masters and their servants are entangled in a ruthless Holy Grail war that pits them against each other. It is no surprise that not all of them come out of it alive, much less unscathed.
Fate/Stay Nightis divided into three distinct routes with different events and character development, but each route has some deaths. Some characters that survive in certain routes can die in others or in two routes under distinct circumstances, with many of those moments being bittersweet or downright heart-wrenching.
10Heracles, the Berserker (Fate Route)
A Brutal Character, Yet His Loss Was Mourned
Heracles was a berserker class servant summoned for the Fifth Holy Grail War in service to Illya von Einzbern. He is a ruthless warrior maddened by the spell, making him an extremely dangerous opponent. However, he remains loyal to Illya and is the closest thing she has to a friend before meeting Shirou.
In the Fate route, Heracles is taken down by a combined effort of Shirou, Rin, and Saber, who manage to strike at his weak spot and kill him seven times over, severing all his lives. While Berserker was not a character the readers would relate to or sympathize with, he was able to let go of his madness before death, and his loss had a profound impact on Illya.
9Medusa, the Rider (Unlimited Blade Works Route)
A Tragic End For A Loyal Servant
Medusa was a rider-class servant during theFifth Holy Grail War, but did not get much development before the Heaven’s Feel route. This makes it harder to feel bad about her death in other routes, assuming the reader does not know her character yet. However, after getting acquainted with her, it is much easier to empathize.
InUnlimited Blade Works, Medusa dies early on in the story. She tries to protect her master, Shinji Matou, but gets killed by Caster’s Master. She is shown drenched in her own blood after her merciless demise, which is a cruel fate for someone so empathetic and devoted to her masters across all routes.
8Archer (Fate Route)
Dies A Hero’s Death At The Hands Of Heracles
Archer is one ofFate’s most popular and nuanced characters. He starts off as Rin’s loyal servant, who nevertheless keeps secrets about himself under the guise of not remembering his exact identity.InUnlimited Blade Works,he is revealed to be an alternative version of Shiro Emiya and manages to die on his own terms.
However, this is not the case in other routes. Archer’s identity is never revealed in the Fate route, as he dies defending Rin and Shirou. He has a heroic death, clashing against Illya’s berserker and using all of his power to try and kill him multiple times. He fails to bring him down but manages to weaken and damage him.
7Archer (Heaven’s Feel Route)
Gave His Life And Limb For Shirou
In Heaven’s Feel, the Archer faces a similar end as he does in Fate, but he gets more time in the spotlight. Instead of focusing on Shirou, Archer’s goal is to save the world from the Shadow. This leads him into peril, which eventually leads to him getting his core damaged and being on the brink of death. However, he doesn’t die immediately.
Archer doesn’t go down without helping Shirou, as he has Kirei Kotomine transplant his arm to Shirou, who lost him shortly prior. Ultimately, while Archer dies fairly early in the Heaven’s Feel route, he leaves his legacy with Shirou, transferring much of his knowledge and wisdom to the young man he relies on later.
6Illya (Heaven’s Feel Route)
Protects Shirou With Her Life
Illyasviel von Einzbern is a key character in the story of Fate, who was initially supposed to have her own route. Despite her route being cut, Illya remains an important presence inall three routes. In some, she is revealed to be the daughter of Kiritsugu Emiya, Shirou’s adoptive father, and she comes to help Shirou at unexpected moments.
In the Heaven’s Feel route, Illya gives Shirou another chance at life. Ultimately, Illya sacrifices herself to prevent Shirou from dying as he seeks to destroy the Holy Grail. She creates a vessel for Shirou, allowing Sakura and Rin to bring him back later. Illya dies happy and fulfilled in this route as she saves her brother.
5Medea, the Caster (Unlimited Blade Works Route)
Dies To Save Her Beloved Master
Medea was a caster-type servant summoned during the Fifth Holy Grail war. She was initially paired up with a Magus, but separated and found a new master, Souichirou Kuzuki, whom she fell in love with. The two became loyal and dedicated to each other, but unfortunately, Medea faced death in every route.
Her death in theUnlimited Blade Worksanime stands out as especially tragic due to her remaining loyal and selfless to the very end. She defends her master from a barrage of blades, meeting her end as she bleeds out to death before him. She treasured the memories she managed to spend with her lover.
4Artoria, the Saber (Fate Route)
Separated From The One She Loves
Artoria Pendragon is amain character of the entire Fate franchise, and the Saber class servant summoned during the Fifth Holy Grail War. She forms a bond with Shirou, which is especially strong in the Fate route, with the two falling in love. However, their time together does not last long.
It is not a death in the strictest sense, due to Saber being a heroic spirit and disappearing into her original time. However, it still means the demise of her physical manifestation and separation from Shirou. She persisted after the destruction of the Holy Grail, only managing to profess her love to Shirou moments before their separation.
3Artoria, the Saber (Heaven’s Feel Route)
A Corrupted Servant Faces a Dark End
Saber appears in Heaven’s Feel as well, but her development is drastically different from that of the Fate route, andher circumstances are far more tragic. In this route, she is not Shirou’s love interest; instead, she battles the Assassin and gets consumed by the Holy Grail, which transforms her beyond recognition.
Saber reappears as the Dark Saber, corrupted and forced into submission by Sakura Matou. She is a secondary antagonist throughout the route, forced to fight against Shirou and her other friends. She dissipates at the end of the route, but unlike Fate’s route, it’s not on her own terms and is a far more gruesome demise.
2Shirou (Heaven’s Feel Route)
Gives His Life To Destroy The Holy Grail
Heaven’s Feel is widely considered the darkest route and affects all its characters,including the protagonist. Shirou Emiya seeks to save his loved one, Sakura Matou, from the crest worms but embarks on a dangerous quest that can result in his death. This makes Heaven’s Feel the only route where Shirou can die in a non-bad ending.
The Normal ending of Heaven’s Feel has Shirou sacrificing himself to save Sakura and destroy the holy grail. This takes too big of a toll on him, which concludes in his death. To add to the heartbreak, this leaves Sakura to live completely alone, waiting for her reunion with Shirou, which will never truly come.
1Illya (Unlimited Blade Works Route)
A Horrific Way For An Ally To Die
While Illya does not have as much of a role inUnlimited Blade Worksas she does in other routes, her death is a heart-wrenching moment that left an impression on many readers. Unlike Fate’s route, where she is mostly an antagonist at first, Illya makes a temporary alliance with Shirou and Rin in this route, and the group teams up against other servants.
Illya’s life is cut short by Gilgamesh, who brutally kills her and rips out her heart, leaving her powerless and subject to a painful death. Shirou cannot save her, and even worse, he never learns about Illya’s past andher relationship with Kiritsugu.
