HERO of heroes and KING of kings
†. full profile
[Character Name] Gilgamesh | ギルガメッシュ
[Canon] Fate Stay Night
[Point Taken from Canon] After his defeat, in Saber route - post-death, pre-complete return to the Throne of Heroes.
[Age] …Looks in his early twenties. Close to 5k rly.
[Gender] Male.
[Sexual Orientation] One-time gay for Enkidu Seems and acts het. Is really pansexual. That or Sabersexual. :|;
[Eye Color] Ruby Red
[Hair Color] Golden Blond
[Height] 182 cm
[Weight] 68 kg
[Other] Usually dressed in his city attire. Can switch into his golden armor at will, though. ...Also has red markings on his torse when he's topless. Juuuust a side serving of GAR, demigod'n all. Srs bsns only.
[Clothing] City getup and armor getup.
[Background]
WARNING: Has spoilers for Fate/Stay Night, the visual novel, and also for Fate/Zero, the prequel about the 4th Holy Grail War. There is also mention of all three routes of F/SN and some of Fate/hollow Ataraxia, despite the fact that the guy himself is taken from end Fate route.
True History: The Epic of Gilgamesh
FSN History: [Fate Zero/SN spoilers ahoy] Originally summoned via the fossilized skin of the first snake that shed during the 4th Holy Grail War, Gil's original master was Tohsaka Tokiomi, Rin's father. They didn't like each other much, because Tokiomi was boring and all Gil wanted was something interesting worthy of his almighty attention. Tohsaka Tokiomi and Risei Kotomine, Kirei Kotomine's father, were BFFs, so Kirei became their apprentice. Kirei, being a bored sadist, stabs Tokiomi with a dagger that he gave him (Azoth, which he then gives Rin, who gives it to Shirou, who uses it to kill Kirei, lol irony), and Gil ends up being Kotomine's Servant instead because they are both bored and are interested in practically nothing. Oh yeah and their goals coincided, that may be important. :|b It's kinda why they worked together, and they could tolerate each other pretty well.
[March 2010] UPDATE! Kirei, being a bored sadist, somehow catches Gil's attention, and it is WHOLLY thanks to the King of Heroes leading him by the nose that ultimately led Kirei to betray Tokiomi, team up with Gil, and keep participating the 4th Heaven's Feel on the night that he was ordered by Tokiomi to gtfo of Fuyuki. Kirei interests Gil and they have coinciding goals, so they stuck together. :)
Near the end of the 4th war, it became Kotomine Kirei and Archer (Gil's class) versus Kiritsugu Emiya (Shirou's adoptive dad) and Saber. After Kiritsugu killed Kotomine and ordered Saber to destroy the Grail, Gilgamesh stayed in the human world long enough to be splashed with its content, the evil Angra Mainyu. Result: he was given flesh and blood (still needed magical energy though to use his powers), and found his views of the world ever-so-slightly tweaked once he understood the tainted Grail's true nature. He no longer needed Prana from Kirei for survival (he still did for his abilities), though he does keep his qualities as a spirit (can appear/disappear). Doesn't change his personality, though - made it worse, actually. While Zero showed just how complex he can get and how his mind ticked, in Fate he was more or less LOLOLOL WOMEN AND CHILDREN the entire way through. 8|;
In FSN during the 5th war, he appears near the end of Fate as the 8th rogue Servant, and he stayed alive because of getting showered by the Grail, which is how he obtained a complete body and no longer needed prana from his Master to stay in this world. Still, Kotomine, brought back to life by the Grail during the 4th war (he got sniped by Kiritsugu), used a bunch of orphans from that fire to feed and stockpile Gil with magical energy (yes insert dead baby jokes here this is SERIOUS MAN) so that he can use his hax abilities - not because he needs to, no. Simply because they are both dicks and trolls of epic magnitudes, and they CAN. He doesn't think much, and the only objective he then has is to make Saber his and obtain the Grail in order to wipe humanity because these losers weren't worth ruling over anymore (encountering Humanity's every sin tends to make you think that, I'd guess). Or rather, whatever that survives the Grail's purge WILL be worthy - Gil firmly believes in 'survival of the fittest', making him a huge darwinist of also epic dickweed proportions.
Despite being completely hax in terms of power, Shirou and Saber defeat him with the power of LOVE and IMAGINATION (otherwise known as Avalon - The Ever Distant Utopia) and he seems to sober up a little bit - considerably, even, before sprouting out some pretty epic and surprisingly noble lines, including admitting that he actually ENJOYED being beaten by her, before going out with a smile for good to return back to the Grail, and then to the Throne of Heroes after.
WHICH IS WHEN HE IS TAKEN. Right before he returns to the Throne and gets everything reset - memory and all. Dementia level still debatable, but he's. Uh. Somewhat talkable to. o\;
[Personality]
To anyone familiar with the actual epic, his personality is almost identical to how the tyrant was known to be BEFORE he met Enkidu, even when in both Fate/Stay Night and Fate/Zero, it’s been dictated otherwise. Chalk it up to Nasu, but the King of Heroes has far more to him than just an ego larger than the universe itself. Still, let’s start with that.
∞ P.R.I.D.E.F.U.L.
Of two-third divine blood and only a third human blood, Gilgamesh was born a demigod every bit as much as he was born king. Hailing from the earliest age of men and civilization as we know it and possessor of all of the world’s treasures during his time, he literally had the planet in his palm. Bestowed with irrefutable authority over his city with such a rich heritage flowing through his veins, there is absolutely nothing about himself that he has even a shred of reasoning to not be proud of, and in his case, it’s just as much of a quality as it is a fault.
∞ A.R.R.O.G.A.N.T.
It’s the core trait that makes him such a jerk, and also his one critical character flaw. Because Gilgamesh is so proud of who he is - he’s a hotshot and he knows it, he severely underestimates and belittles everyone else. His merciless abuse of the word ‘mongrel’ is already indication enough, and his defeat in EVERY route in Fate just highlights this even further, because all his demises result in his dicking around and not taking his opponents seriously. In Fate he fucks around with Shirou and stabs him through the stomach in front of Saber for lulz (then again Shirou was being a dumbass trying to bullrush GIL in the first place), and never focused on taking either of them seriously despite having actually drawn Ea to face Saber. He was then defeated because of Saber’s timing and Avalon’s abilities. In UBW, he toyed with Shirou at the Ryudoji temple, always testing how much farther he could push the boy - until Shirou managed to complete the incantations for his Reality Marble, going so far as to cut off Gil’s sword arm so that he was unable to resort to Ea. In HF, he already knew Sakura’s potential, and went so far as to TELL HER personally before the war officially began, but still never did anything until it was too late. He took her threat earnestly when he confronted her, but by then it was already too late; she survived with ease the blunt of his Gates, and in retaliation, managed to devour him whole in the blink of an eye.
...He was too powerful of an entity to corrupt, however, so she settled for draining his prana instead.
∞ E.L.I.T.I.S.T.
Also applicable to every ‘ist’ under the sun, such as racist, sexist, and so on. The great King of Heroes has taken a look at the modern world of the year 1994 and the following decade, and has deemed it ugly beyond compare and utterly worthless in his eyes. He may have treated them like objects, but he still also held pride in his own people during his proper era, and the population on Earth today are just a bunch of sinful and filthy lowlifes who are all lazy, greedy, self-centered, and wasteful. Gilgamesh has a keen eye for all that of value, and there is none to be found, here, despite the fact that this era is still marginally interesting.
∞ D.I.S.D.A.I.N.F.U.L.
The world is ugly and humanity has become petty. As scornful as the King of Heroes is over his garden, he is still not one who delights in useless bloodshed: he claims to only kill out of disgust, and that is not wrong. After all, the mundane mongrel mass are also far too worthless for him to even consider dirtying his own treasures to end their miserable existences. It is the one reason why he deemed the Grail fitting of ending humanity; something so vile as to contain the 5.6 billion of curses created by humans themselves is the one fitting tool to also wipe their very creators off the face of his world. On his own, Gilgamesh cannot be bothered.
Additionally, 'fuck the gods' would probably be amongst his personal mottoes. In the official F/SN character information sheets, Gil's divinity is classed B, but noted to be originally A+ - it dropped to B because he was too contemptuous of the very gods of his time, and that was enough to completely drop him a rank and a half as a hero. So rank EX disdain? Check.
∞ V.A.I.N.
To the extremes, and another character flaw that ties into his arrogance. He says that every treasure in this world is his and believes every word of that, because to him, it is true. Everything of worth exists for his purpose, so it would only be natural for him to take whatever he wants. He also emphasizes enough on appearances. He may be a tyrant and a savage, but the First King still has the royal graces to fully live up to his title. His casual wear in FSN looks normal enough, but it’s no doubt of very expensive leather, and it does make him look good. To quote from Fate/Zero:
Although the outfit, decorated with leather and lacquer, looked like it was full of a distasteful glamor, it did not create any incongruities when paired with the overwhelming presence of the golden Heroic Spirit.
Fate/Zero; Act 12, Part 4
It also played directly into his demise in UBW, as well. He had the perfect chance to kill Shirou after he offed Archer in the ruined Einzbern manor, but because of a growing fire, he left the building right as he was about to swordspam a completely defenseless Shirou - solely because the ashes of the fire would dirty his shirt.
∞ A.V.A.R.I.C.I.O.U.S.
“It’s not something you can understand. The total amount of my wealth even exceeded my knowing, but as long as it’s a ‘treasure’, then it would obviously belong to me. You should have more sense than trying to rob my treasure away.”
Gilgamesh. Fate/Zero; Act 8, Part 5
That should be self-explanatory, but yes. Everything is his, or rather - everything is rightfully his. He even haughtily declares to Tokiomi at the beginning of Zero that he shall forgive the Magus for summoning him, if there was so much as one thing worthy of his eye, in this already worthless era. …Then he found Saber, and… well. I think that everyone should know about that one, by now. The King of Heroes is always on the lookout for that of value to add to his collection, though as for why, exactly… Your interpretations may vary.
I personally think that he’s filling a void that even he himself is unaware, but that’s just me.
† I.N.S.I.G.H.T.F.U.L.
“-Guys who have no self-awareness, only simply pursue instinctive pleasure. Just like those beasts who chase the scent of blood. This type of feeling in their hearts will manifest instinctively in their words and actions.
Therefore, Kirei. When you, through yourself, again recounted all that you have heard, seen, and understood, you have already amply shown your inner thoughts. That which your words describe in greatest detail, is also that which you are most interested in.
In other words, observing a person's words and actions is the best way of understanding his interests. Toys like humans, stories like life - there is truly no more meaningful way of entertainment.”
Gilgamesh. Fate/Zero; Act 9, Part 3
For all the douchebaggery and jerkassness that he is, Gilgamesh is extremely perceptive and knowing of the basic forces that drive humanity to do what they do. He is the one who originally convinced Kirei Kotomine to remain in Fuyuki City during the Fourth Grail War, and he also understands Saber’s sacrifice for her own country much better than even she does of her own acts. He can read others, see through their actions, and easily determine their motives - that is how he judges their worth. How else can a king appreciate beauty, if he cannot properly tell what is valuable from what that is not? So once in a while he does say something deep that will make the other party think long and hard, but that’s if they catch his attention first. In other words… don’t count on it much.
† A.E.S.T.H.E.T.E.
“The overly-mighty ideal that she harbored within her would burn her into nothing but ashes at the end. Those tears that she would shed at her final moment… I imagine it would be very sweet to the taste.”
Gilgamesh. Fate/Zero; Act 10, Part 5
Tying in with his insightfulness, if there is one thing that the Golden King is good at, it was spotting hidden treasures even in a wallowing cesspool. They may say ‘beauty in the eye of the beholder’, but Gilgamesh would be a far harsher and more accurate judge than any other being could ever pray to become. He has every right, after all. Let it be the better wine that Kirei has collected compared to the cheaper ones of Tokiomi, Saber's virgin beauty, Alexander's will, and so on, he is the master of all connoisseur, and nothing of worth shall escape the eyes of the one who possesses all.
† I.N.C.O.N.T.E.S.T.A.B.L.E.
"Do not take me so lowly. How can I be a hero if I cannot swallow a curse such as this?
All evils of the world? Heh, bring at least three times as much as that if you want to stain me.
See, Saber. A hero is someone who carries with them everything they see.
I am already carrying everything in this world."
Gilgamesh. Fate/Stay Night; Fate route
The King of Heroes knows who he is and where he stands. No matter how low he’s sunk and how far he’s fallen, he is a powerful entity that will not be questioned by any other force he deems - no, knows to be inferior. That goes beyond just his essence; Gilgamesh does not back down. He does not turn down worthy challenges (dismissing pitiful mongrels is different), and when he sets his eyes on something, nothing in any world will be capable of stopping him from getting what he wants. He is diamond-set in his conviction and beliefs, and with a pride as powerful as his, his will is nothing short of the entire world’s command.
† S.O.L.I.T.A.R.Y.
“Who would understand you after I die? Who else would march forward by your side? My friend… when I think that you will live on all alone henceforth, I can’t help but shed tears…”
Enkidu. Fate/Zero; Act 10, Part 5
Gilgamesh may be sitting on the very top of the power chain and any caste pyramid, but the top is always a lonely place. The King had a dear companion that understood him fully once, but that man has been no more for a very long time now. Not one to regret and dawdle on the past, the King of Heroes has long since moved on, but Enkidu spoke truly on his deathbed; he understood his brother best, after all.
Once a great King and still a fearsome one, he has treaded through many paths during his life. Where he is now is at the same time both the highest of peaks, but and also the lowest of abysses. He has gone through countless trials to get here, as well as numerous life-altering events, both good and bad. The road has been treacherous, but there he now stood: a place that none other could ever hope to reach, not even beyond their wildest dreams or nightmares. The King understood everything, but nothing could understand him.
He will never willingly mention this, but it is almost certain that these are matters that he is fully aware of. He may hold expectations still for his withering garden, but finding companionship again is not a notion that he would so foolishly delude himself with. It’s fine, though; his power and his wealth are without peer. He’ll wade through whatever fate has to throw at him still; the King of Heroes will never bow.
† F.O.R.L.O.R.N.
True Immortality is attained by the legends that dead heroes leave behind.
The Epic of Gilgamesh; Tablet Eleven
Legend says that once the King returned from his quest, he may have lost the Herb of Immortality, but he’s gained wisdom that could be enviable even to the gods. Some claim that he became kind; others say that he passed away from grief regardless from his brother’s death.
Either way, whatever that Gilgamesh has gained from such an arduous journey, it is also irrefutable that he’s lost a great deal. As he stood during the Grail Wars, his Nobility is without doubt the most notable of his losses - his brother set aside. The King of Heroes now reveled in chaos to the extreme and possessed ideologies that were, while logical, also contorted by all the sins he embodied, the very faults that he shunned the rest of humanity for. Saber and Rider, Arthuria and Alexander, both wondered on how such a great king could have become so twisted. They are not the only one, for Gilgamesh himself does as well - though that part of him has been made unconscious to him as whole for a long time, now.
Somewhere deep down, the real King of Heroes that proudly led Uruk to an era of unprecedented prosperity wonders somberly what has happened to himself. He wonders how time and circumstances have changed him, and how disdainful he has become of the world that he once so deeply loved. That fragment of shining honor still exists and manages to break through, once in an eternity, such as during his final moments facing Saber on the Fate route after his defeat. Gilgamesh humbly acknowledge his loss and declares lightly that it has been indeed an enjoyable experience, before disappearing from the world for good to return to the Throne of Heroes.
That was a small step. Maybe he can find where the rest of his went, but after… everything? That’s something that even his A rank Luck would have trouble in determining.
[Specialties/Abilities]
[CANON]
Click on it. Compiled from various translated sources throughout the fandom, it is a run-down of Gilgamesh's abilities in Nasuverse canon.
[SOMARIUM]
When I first app'd I spent an hour honing out the caps with the head mod, so a year ago I had a wall of text here. Every once in a few months I speak to the head mod again to make tweaks here and there, but finally, I say fuck it.
GILGAMESH'S ABILITY CAPS IN SOMARIUM WILL BE WORKED OUT OOCLY WITH YOU ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS. If we're about to get ICly involved in the not pretty way where Dead End is definitely imminent, even if you don't contact me, I will. B|; I'm not going to water the King of Heroes down any more than I have to, but I also like to think that I'm responsible enough with this gamebreaker OOCly to resolve any issues with another mun about IC events when the time is called for. So please, please don't be shy to drop me a line if you need to discuss this, or you would like to plot a likely very one-sided fight with me. We'll work out a resolution that we will all like. OOCly, of course. :|b
I'll still follow a few general nerfing rules, however.
1. He will be capped to be somewhere within his opponent's power range. Again, this sounds vague, but it's to avoid outright overwhelm while allowing me a flexibility against different characters and their different canons as well. He'll be more powerful against someone from the DBZverse than someone from, say, your average party member in a Persona game.
2. Any swordspam from Gate of Babylon will be like magically enhanced normal weapons. In other words, think of an Ice Needle spell. It's akin to a rain of blades coated with extra magic that would allow it to dent and pierce defenses that normal swords will be unable to bypass, but can also be shielded and maybe dodged, depending on the opponent's abilities.
3. Only the Noble Phantasm that he is wielding directly on-hand will have their full power. A definite handicap, because while Gilgamesh is an owner, it is specifically stated that he is not a wielder and cannot fight with practically all the weapons in his treasury to anywhere near their maximum efficiency. Is it the main reason why he is classed as an Archer to begin with: shooting the deadliest of ammos all with crippling effects, and paired with infinite stock, flexible range and inane speed, that truly made learning to wield them a useless thing to do. The King wouldn't waste his strength for trifles, after all. ...THAT SAID. Mastery might not be important to normal people, since that's only an advantage when measured against other capable Servants. ;;
4. Ea cannot destroy Reality. Obviously. It's like Arcueid's Marble Phantasm. You don't bring these kind of hax into a LiveJournal RP. :|;;;
As for default physical abilities...
Even if one sheds aside the reality of being a Heroic Spirit, Gil is still a demigod by default. What does this mean?
He's fit. -VERY- fit. Superhuman strength and agility and all, and he probably heals faster as well. Just... superior in every way. Somarium toned it down, but it's unlikely that he'll get 1up'd in any display of physical abilities (speed, strength, endurance).
As for his golden armor, it can still be materialized at will. And by then unless your character is super special awesome and near godmodeing ranks in their world and is fantastic as a fighter, Gil's... more or less untouchable. The armor CAN be cracked, which is when he won't have enough prana to sustain it, since he has no Master nor a steady source in Somarium. He can try to keep his armor up in a gruesome battle, but he may also let it aside just to conserve his energy and focus on attacking instead. That said, the armor does not weight him down in the least - it's like a shirt, except that it takes prana to maintain and is durable like fuck.
Gilgamesh, however, also tends to be stupid (aka overly arrogant) with his artillery. He's not likely to summon his armor unless things start looking serious (even LESS if we're talking about Ea), and in his eyes, that amounts close to 'never' in Somarium. o/ So if he's going to get beaten somehow, it's that.
[Affection]
SABERSEXUAL.
wat what do you mean it doesn't cover it. B| Oh fine.
[General] Hug kiss punch, right?
Hug: ...I can't phantom why you would want to do that (why would you want to do that except I guess he IS one handsome mofo so) - but sure. If you're a chick. Just :| If you're a guy. Though I don't think he minds bro-hugs, even if his one bro for life kinda died. :(
Kiss: ...Refer to Hug. Though in both cases he won't mind if it's a kid, since he is sorta good with kids in general (the loli is exempt only because she's the grail okay B|). Or at least, according to F/HA - he's popular with them, if nothing else, and he didn't seem to mind the little brigade that he's managed to gather.
Punch:
...Punch.
ahahahahaha.
Go ahead. Just... know that your character 1. is unlikely to land it unless s/he has considerable superpowers of their own, and 2. can dodge an incoming swordspam at point blank range (you provoked him first. B|) IC ACTION = IC CONSEQUENCES, guyze. However! Refer to the last paragraph in the next section.
[Fighting] Gil... specializes in long range. Even if he's not bad at ALL with a sword - he can match Saber on a 1 vs 1 duel, and Saber's... well, the SABER class, and Gil's Archer. He is, however, classed as one for a reason. Refer to the abilities section for more details, again.
In sum, he specializes in long range, because he refuses to dirty his hands in disciplining mongrels. If it comes to close range, for whatever the reason (the top two likely is either a. opponent is Saber or b. we're doing this for shit and giggles. You'll die anyway, but it'll be fun, so let him enjoy it a bit!), he is likely to use a one-handed sword. His style would probably be primitive and totally unorthodox/undisciplined, considering the era where he originally lived in, but with superhuman strength and agility, being unpredictable only makes him harder to fight. In terms of defense, he could be hit in his casual civilian wears and he WILL sustain normal wounds if they happen. If he is clad in his armor, that's a TOTALLY different story, since then he becomes near untouchable.
On the other hand, Gil's not that stellar of a wielder and he won't call out the big guns until it's looking really bad, which is practically all the time once it's too late for him because he never goes serious and underestimated everyone ever. That makes him defeatable, that and them Deus Ex Machinas because the hero HAS to win in the end, y/y? but STILL, You're just better off picking someone else if you really want a fight. Refer to the abilities section, again. Seriously.
AGAIN, PLEASE CONTACT ME IF WE'RE GOING TO START SOMETHING UP! I can't stress this enough. He's a godmodder, but I avoid the notion like a plague. We can definitely work something out, so hit me up!
[SABER]: YOU GET INVOLVED WITH HIS NOT!WAIFU SABER, AND YOU GET INVOLVED WITH GIL. NO EXCEPTIONS. B|
Oh yeah and since he's such a creeper when it comes to his Seiba - he has ultimate godly theadjack powers in ANY log that Saber may take part in. This actually got consented by Saber-mun. So if you're in an open log with her, Gil can pop out of flipping nowhere at any time. Just something to keep in mind; that is all. :|b
[Other Permissions]
[Mind Reader] - Maybe bits and pieces, if 1.he doesn't know about it, and 2. your character is GOOD at it. If it requires concentration to activate, Servants WILL feel the shift and would notice if it's done by a novice. If it's an ability that's always on, then maybe less. Still, if he knows about you doing it and disapproves of your meddling, then you are NOT getting in - period. The Archer class may not have very high Magic Resistance, but Gil is sure to have stuff in GoB that completely nullifies mind-reading abilities - he may even be able to turn it against you if you annoy him enough, so it's best to not try it.
[Fourth Wall] - I don't see how you can break his - inter-route fuck-up (Fate vs Unlimited Blade Works vs Heaven's Feel) do not count. A Servant is naturally a Heroic Spirit, so bringing up the Epic of Gilgamesh is completely natural, too. ...Unless you're gonna meme him up by asking him if he has enough swords. Then just go ahead - he'll probably look at you weird. o/
[Danger Button] - ...What to mention and what NOT to mention around him? ICly, EVERYTHING is free game - just know that if he doesn't like what you're saying, you risk dying. |D; Namely, his immortality fail, lolsnakes, and his bff Enkidu - all found in his legend, which is very, very public. That or if you try to go after Saber. OOCly I'm really, REALLY hard to offend, so you can do anything, and ICly, Gil's a racist, misogynist, and every ist under the sun already - you can't offend him unless you speak ill of what he considers valuable. :|; Or his own fail. So tl;dr - say what you want and do what you like! Just, again, be prepared for the consequences. |D;;; I'll contact you if it may end up nasty for someone, so it should be fine. o/
[Other Facts]
→ Fate/Stay Night infoguide for dummies
→ Extended Character Survey
→ Character Relationships
[Character Name] Gilgamesh | ギルガメッシュ
[Canon] Fate Stay Night
[Point Taken from Canon] After his defeat, in Saber route - post-death, pre-complete return to the Throne of Heroes.
[Age] …Looks in his early twenties. Close to 5k rly.
[Gender] Male.
[Sexual Orientation] One-time gay for Enkidu Seems and acts het. Is really pansexual. That or Sabersexual. :|;
[Eye Color] Ruby Red
[Hair Color] Golden Blond
[Height] 182 cm
[Weight] 68 kg
[Other] Usually dressed in his city attire. Can switch into his golden armor at will, though. ...Also has red markings on his torse when he's topless. Juuuust a side serving of GAR, demigod'n all. Srs bsns only.
[Clothing] City getup and armor getup.
[Background]
WARNING: Has spoilers for Fate/Stay Night, the visual novel, and also for Fate/Zero, the prequel about the 4th Holy Grail War. There is also mention of all three routes of F/SN and some of Fate/hollow Ataraxia, despite the fact that the guy himself is taken from end Fate route.
True History: The Epic of Gilgamesh
FSN History: [Fate Zero/SN spoilers ahoy] Originally summoned via the fossilized skin of the first snake that shed during the 4th Holy Grail War, Gil's original master was Tohsaka Tokiomi, Rin's father. They didn't like each other much, because Tokiomi was boring and all Gil wanted was something interesting worthy of his almighty attention. Tohsaka Tokiomi and Risei Kotomine, Kirei Kotomine's father, were BFFs, so Kirei became their apprentice. Kirei, being a bored sadist, stabs Tokiomi with a dagger that he gave him (Azoth, which he then gives Rin, who gives it to Shirou, who uses it to kill Kirei, lol irony), and Gil ends up being Kotomine's Servant instead because they are both bored and are interested in practically nothing. Oh yeah and their goals coincided, that may be important. :|b It's kinda why they worked together, and they could tolerate each other pretty well.
[March 2010] UPDATE! Kirei, being a bored sadist, somehow catches Gil's attention, and it is WHOLLY thanks to the King of Heroes leading him by the nose that ultimately led Kirei to betray Tokiomi, team up with Gil, and keep participating the 4th Heaven's Feel on the night that he was ordered by Tokiomi to gtfo of Fuyuki. Kirei interests Gil and they have coinciding goals, so they stuck together. :)
Near the end of the 4th war, it became Kotomine Kirei and Archer (Gil's class) versus Kiritsugu Emiya (Shirou's adoptive dad) and Saber. After Kiritsugu killed Kotomine and ordered Saber to destroy the Grail, Gilgamesh stayed in the human world long enough to be splashed with its content, the evil Angra Mainyu. Result: he was given flesh and blood (still needed magical energy though to use his powers), and found his views of the world ever-so-slightly tweaked once he understood the tainted Grail's true nature. He no longer needed Prana from Kirei for survival (he still did for his abilities), though he does keep his qualities as a spirit (can appear/disappear). Doesn't change his personality, though - made it worse, actually. While Zero showed just how complex he can get and how his mind ticked, in Fate he was more or less LOLOLOL WOMEN AND CHILDREN the entire way through. 8|;
In FSN during the 5th war, he appears near the end of Fate as the 8th rogue Servant, and he stayed alive because of getting showered by the Grail, which is how he obtained a complete body and no longer needed prana from his Master to stay in this world. Still, Kotomine, brought back to life by the Grail during the 4th war (he got sniped by Kiritsugu), used a bunch of orphans from that fire to feed and stockpile Gil with magical energy (yes insert dead baby jokes here this is SERIOUS MAN) so that he can use his hax abilities - not because he needs to, no. Simply because they are both dicks and trolls of epic magnitudes, and they CAN. He doesn't think much, and the only objective he then has is to make Saber his and obtain the Grail in order to wipe humanity because these losers weren't worth ruling over anymore (encountering Humanity's every sin tends to make you think that, I'd guess). Or rather, whatever that survives the Grail's purge WILL be worthy - Gil firmly believes in 'survival of the fittest', making him a huge darwinist of also epic dickweed proportions.
Despite being completely hax in terms of power, Shirou and Saber defeat him with the power of LOVE and IMAGINATION (otherwise known as Avalon - The Ever Distant Utopia) and he seems to sober up a little bit - considerably, even, before sprouting out some pretty epic and surprisingly noble lines, including admitting that he actually ENJOYED being beaten by her, before going out with a smile for good to return back to the Grail, and then to the Throne of Heroes after.
WHICH IS WHEN HE IS TAKEN. Right before he returns to the Throne and gets everything reset - memory and all. Dementia level still debatable, but he's. Uh. Somewhat talkable to. o\;
[Personality]
To anyone familiar with the actual epic, his personality is almost identical to how the tyrant was known to be BEFORE he met Enkidu, even when in both Fate/Stay Night and Fate/Zero, it’s been dictated otherwise. Chalk it up to Nasu, but the King of Heroes has far more to him than just an ego larger than the universe itself. Still, let’s start with that.
∞ P.R.I.D.E.F.U.L.
Of two-third divine blood and only a third human blood, Gilgamesh was born a demigod every bit as much as he was born king. Hailing from the earliest age of men and civilization as we know it and possessor of all of the world’s treasures during his time, he literally had the planet in his palm. Bestowed with irrefutable authority over his city with such a rich heritage flowing through his veins, there is absolutely nothing about himself that he has even a shred of reasoning to not be proud of, and in his case, it’s just as much of a quality as it is a fault.
∞ A.R.R.O.G.A.N.T.
It’s the core trait that makes him such a jerk, and also his one critical character flaw. Because Gilgamesh is so proud of who he is - he’s a hotshot and he knows it, he severely underestimates and belittles everyone else. His merciless abuse of the word ‘mongrel’ is already indication enough, and his defeat in EVERY route in Fate just highlights this even further, because all his demises result in his dicking around and not taking his opponents seriously. In Fate he fucks around with Shirou and stabs him through the stomach in front of Saber for lulz (then again Shirou was being a dumbass trying to bullrush GIL in the first place), and never focused on taking either of them seriously despite having actually drawn Ea to face Saber. He was then defeated because of Saber’s timing and Avalon’s abilities. In UBW, he toyed with Shirou at the Ryudoji temple, always testing how much farther he could push the boy - until Shirou managed to complete the incantations for his Reality Marble, going so far as to cut off Gil’s sword arm so that he was unable to resort to Ea. In HF, he already knew Sakura’s potential, and went so far as to TELL HER personally before the war officially began, but still never did anything until it was too late. He took her threat earnestly when he confronted her, but by then it was already too late; she survived with ease the blunt of his Gates, and in retaliation, managed to devour him whole in the blink of an eye.
...He was too powerful of an entity to corrupt, however, so she settled for draining his prana instead.
∞ E.L.I.T.I.S.T.
Also applicable to every ‘ist’ under the sun, such as racist, sexist, and so on. The great King of Heroes has taken a look at the modern world of the year 1994 and the following decade, and has deemed it ugly beyond compare and utterly worthless in his eyes. He may have treated them like objects, but he still also held pride in his own people during his proper era, and the population on Earth today are just a bunch of sinful and filthy lowlifes who are all lazy, greedy, self-centered, and wasteful. Gilgamesh has a keen eye for all that of value, and there is none to be found, here, despite the fact that this era is still marginally interesting.
∞ D.I.S.D.A.I.N.F.U.L.
The world is ugly and humanity has become petty. As scornful as the King of Heroes is over his garden, he is still not one who delights in useless bloodshed: he claims to only kill out of disgust, and that is not wrong. After all, the mundane mongrel mass are also far too worthless for him to even consider dirtying his own treasures to end their miserable existences. It is the one reason why he deemed the Grail fitting of ending humanity; something so vile as to contain the 5.6 billion of curses created by humans themselves is the one fitting tool to also wipe their very creators off the face of his world. On his own, Gilgamesh cannot be bothered.
Additionally, 'fuck the gods' would probably be amongst his personal mottoes. In the official F/SN character information sheets, Gil's divinity is classed B, but noted to be originally A+ - it dropped to B because he was too contemptuous of the very gods of his time, and that was enough to completely drop him a rank and a half as a hero. So rank EX disdain? Check.
∞ V.A.I.N.
To the extremes, and another character flaw that ties into his arrogance. He says that every treasure in this world is his and believes every word of that, because to him, it is true. Everything of worth exists for his purpose, so it would only be natural for him to take whatever he wants. He also emphasizes enough on appearances. He may be a tyrant and a savage, but the First King still has the royal graces to fully live up to his title. His casual wear in FSN looks normal enough, but it’s no doubt of very expensive leather, and it does make him look good. To quote from Fate/Zero:
Although the outfit, decorated with leather and lacquer, looked like it was full of a distasteful glamor, it did not create any incongruities when paired with the overwhelming presence of the golden Heroic Spirit.
Fate/Zero; Act 12, Part 4
It also played directly into his demise in UBW, as well. He had the perfect chance to kill Shirou after he offed Archer in the ruined Einzbern manor, but because of a growing fire, he left the building right as he was about to swordspam a completely defenseless Shirou - solely because the ashes of the fire would dirty his shirt.
∞ A.V.A.R.I.C.I.O.U.S.
“It’s not something you can understand. The total amount of my wealth even exceeded my knowing, but as long as it’s a ‘treasure’, then it would obviously belong to me. You should have more sense than trying to rob my treasure away.”
Gilgamesh. Fate/Zero; Act 8, Part 5
That should be self-explanatory, but yes. Everything is his, or rather - everything is rightfully his. He even haughtily declares to Tokiomi at the beginning of Zero that he shall forgive the Magus for summoning him, if there was so much as one thing worthy of his eye, in this already worthless era. …Then he found Saber, and… well. I think that everyone should know about that one, by now. The King of Heroes is always on the lookout for that of value to add to his collection, though as for why, exactly… Your interpretations may vary.
I personally think that he’s filling a void that even he himself is unaware, but that’s just me.
† I.N.S.I.G.H.T.F.U.L.
“-Guys who have no self-awareness, only simply pursue instinctive pleasure. Just like those beasts who chase the scent of blood. This type of feeling in their hearts will manifest instinctively in their words and actions.
Therefore, Kirei. When you, through yourself, again recounted all that you have heard, seen, and understood, you have already amply shown your inner thoughts. That which your words describe in greatest detail, is also that which you are most interested in.
In other words, observing a person's words and actions is the best way of understanding his interests. Toys like humans, stories like life - there is truly no more meaningful way of entertainment.”
Gilgamesh. Fate/Zero; Act 9, Part 3
For all the douchebaggery and jerkassness that he is, Gilgamesh is extremely perceptive and knowing of the basic forces that drive humanity to do what they do. He is the one who originally convinced Kirei Kotomine to remain in Fuyuki City during the Fourth Grail War, and he also understands Saber’s sacrifice for her own country much better than even she does of her own acts. He can read others, see through their actions, and easily determine their motives - that is how he judges their worth. How else can a king appreciate beauty, if he cannot properly tell what is valuable from what that is not? So once in a while he does say something deep that will make the other party think long and hard, but that’s if they catch his attention first. In other words… don’t count on it much.
† A.E.S.T.H.E.T.E.
“The overly-mighty ideal that she harbored within her would burn her into nothing but ashes at the end. Those tears that she would shed at her final moment… I imagine it would be very sweet to the taste.”
Gilgamesh. Fate/Zero; Act 10, Part 5
Tying in with his insightfulness, if there is one thing that the Golden King is good at, it was spotting hidden treasures even in a wallowing cesspool. They may say ‘beauty in the eye of the beholder’, but Gilgamesh would be a far harsher and more accurate judge than any other being could ever pray to become. He has every right, after all. Let it be the better wine that Kirei has collected compared to the cheaper ones of Tokiomi, Saber's virgin beauty, Alexander's will, and so on, he is the master of all connoisseur, and nothing of worth shall escape the eyes of the one who possesses all.
† I.N.C.O.N.T.E.S.T.A.B.L.E.
"Do not take me so lowly. How can I be a hero if I cannot swallow a curse such as this?
All evils of the world? Heh, bring at least three times as much as that if you want to stain me.
See, Saber. A hero is someone who carries with them everything they see.
I am already carrying everything in this world."
Gilgamesh. Fate/Stay Night; Fate route
The King of Heroes knows who he is and where he stands. No matter how low he’s sunk and how far he’s fallen, he is a powerful entity that will not be questioned by any other force he deems - no, knows to be inferior. That goes beyond just his essence; Gilgamesh does not back down. He does not turn down worthy challenges (dismissing pitiful mongrels is different), and when he sets his eyes on something, nothing in any world will be capable of stopping him from getting what he wants. He is diamond-set in his conviction and beliefs, and with a pride as powerful as his, his will is nothing short of the entire world’s command.
† S.O.L.I.T.A.R.Y.
“Who would understand you after I die? Who else would march forward by your side? My friend… when I think that you will live on all alone henceforth, I can’t help but shed tears…”
Enkidu. Fate/Zero; Act 10, Part 5
Gilgamesh may be sitting on the very top of the power chain and any caste pyramid, but the top is always a lonely place. The King had a dear companion that understood him fully once, but that man has been no more for a very long time now. Not one to regret and dawdle on the past, the King of Heroes has long since moved on, but Enkidu spoke truly on his deathbed; he understood his brother best, after all.
Once a great King and still a fearsome one, he has treaded through many paths during his life. Where he is now is at the same time both the highest of peaks, but and also the lowest of abysses. He has gone through countless trials to get here, as well as numerous life-altering events, both good and bad. The road has been treacherous, but there he now stood: a place that none other could ever hope to reach, not even beyond their wildest dreams or nightmares. The King understood everything, but nothing could understand him.
He will never willingly mention this, but it is almost certain that these are matters that he is fully aware of. He may hold expectations still for his withering garden, but finding companionship again is not a notion that he would so foolishly delude himself with. It’s fine, though; his power and his wealth are without peer. He’ll wade through whatever fate has to throw at him still; the King of Heroes will never bow.
† F.O.R.L.O.R.N.
True Immortality is attained by the legends that dead heroes leave behind.
The Epic of Gilgamesh; Tablet Eleven
Legend says that once the King returned from his quest, he may have lost the Herb of Immortality, but he’s gained wisdom that could be enviable even to the gods. Some claim that he became kind; others say that he passed away from grief regardless from his brother’s death.
Either way, whatever that Gilgamesh has gained from such an arduous journey, it is also irrefutable that he’s lost a great deal. As he stood during the Grail Wars, his Nobility is without doubt the most notable of his losses - his brother set aside. The King of Heroes now reveled in chaos to the extreme and possessed ideologies that were, while logical, also contorted by all the sins he embodied, the very faults that he shunned the rest of humanity for. Saber and Rider, Arthuria and Alexander, both wondered on how such a great king could have become so twisted. They are not the only one, for Gilgamesh himself does as well - though that part of him has been made unconscious to him as whole for a long time, now.
Somewhere deep down, the real King of Heroes that proudly led Uruk to an era of unprecedented prosperity wonders somberly what has happened to himself. He wonders how time and circumstances have changed him, and how disdainful he has become of the world that he once so deeply loved. That fragment of shining honor still exists and manages to break through, once in an eternity, such as during his final moments facing Saber on the Fate route after his defeat. Gilgamesh humbly acknowledge his loss and declares lightly that it has been indeed an enjoyable experience, before disappearing from the world for good to return to the Throne of Heroes.
That was a small step. Maybe he can find where the rest of his went, but after… everything? That’s something that even his A rank Luck would have trouble in determining.
[Specialties/Abilities]
[CANON]
Click on it. Compiled from various translated sources throughout the fandom, it is a run-down of Gilgamesh's abilities in Nasuverse canon.
[SOMARIUM]
When I first app'd I spent an hour honing out the caps with the head mod, so a year ago I had a wall of text here. Every once in a few months I speak to the head mod again to make tweaks here and there, but finally, I say fuck it.
GILGAMESH'S ABILITY CAPS IN SOMARIUM WILL BE WORKED OUT OOCLY WITH YOU ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS. If we're about to get ICly involved in the not pretty way where Dead End is definitely imminent, even if you don't contact me, I will. B|; I'm not going to water the King of Heroes down any more than I have to, but I also like to think that I'm responsible enough with this gamebreaker OOCly to resolve any issues with another mun about IC events when the time is called for. So please, please don't be shy to drop me a line if you need to discuss this, or you would like to plot a likely very one-sided fight with me. We'll work out a resolution that we will all like. OOCly, of course. :|b
I'll still follow a few general nerfing rules, however.
1. He will be capped to be somewhere within his opponent's power range. Again, this sounds vague, but it's to avoid outright overwhelm while allowing me a flexibility against different characters and their different canons as well. He'll be more powerful against someone from the DBZverse than someone from, say, your average party member in a Persona game.
2. Any swordspam from Gate of Babylon will be like magically enhanced normal weapons. In other words, think of an Ice Needle spell. It's akin to a rain of blades coated with extra magic that would allow it to dent and pierce defenses that normal swords will be unable to bypass, but can also be shielded and maybe dodged, depending on the opponent's abilities.
3. Only the Noble Phantasm that he is wielding directly on-hand will have their full power. A definite handicap, because while Gilgamesh is an owner, it is specifically stated that he is not a wielder and cannot fight with practically all the weapons in his treasury to anywhere near their maximum efficiency. Is it the main reason why he is classed as an Archer to begin with: shooting the deadliest of ammos all with crippling effects, and paired with infinite stock, flexible range and inane speed, that truly made learning to wield them a useless thing to do. The King wouldn't waste his strength for trifles, after all. ...THAT SAID. Mastery might not be important to normal people, since that's only an advantage when measured against other capable Servants. ;;
4. Ea cannot destroy Reality. Obviously. It's like Arcueid's Marble Phantasm. You don't bring these kind of hax into a LiveJournal RP. :|;;;
As for default physical abilities...
Even if one sheds aside the reality of being a Heroic Spirit, Gil is still a demigod by default. What does this mean?
He's fit. -VERY- fit. Superhuman strength and agility and all, and he probably heals faster as well. Just... superior in every way. Somarium toned it down, but it's unlikely that he'll get 1up'd in any display of physical abilities (speed, strength, endurance).
As for his golden armor, it can still be materialized at will. And by then unless your character is super special awesome and near godmodeing ranks in their world and is fantastic as a fighter, Gil's... more or less untouchable. The armor CAN be cracked, which is when he won't have enough prana to sustain it, since he has no Master nor a steady source in Somarium. He can try to keep his armor up in a gruesome battle, but he may also let it aside just to conserve his energy and focus on attacking instead. That said, the armor does not weight him down in the least - it's like a shirt, except that it takes prana to maintain and is durable like fuck.
Gilgamesh, however, also tends to be stupid (aka overly arrogant) with his artillery. He's not likely to summon his armor unless things start looking serious (even LESS if we're talking about Ea), and in his eyes, that amounts close to 'never' in Somarium. o/ So if he's going to get beaten somehow, it's that.
[Affection]
SABERSEXUAL.
wat what do you mean it doesn't cover it. B| Oh fine.
[General] Hug kiss punch, right?
Hug: ...I can't phantom why you would want to do that (why would you want to do that except I guess he IS one handsome mofo so) - but sure. If you're a chick. Just :| If you're a guy. Though I don't think he minds bro-hugs, even if his one bro for life kinda died. :(
Kiss: ...Refer to Hug. Though in both cases he won't mind if it's a kid, since he is sorta good with kids in general (the loli is exempt only because she's the grail okay B|). Or at least, according to F/HA - he's popular with them, if nothing else, and he didn't seem to mind the little brigade that he's managed to gather.
Punch:
...Punch.
ahahahahaha.
Go ahead. Just... know that your character 1. is unlikely to land it unless s/he has considerable superpowers of their own, and 2. can dodge an incoming swordspam at point blank range (you provoked him first. B|) IC ACTION = IC CONSEQUENCES, guyze. However! Refer to the last paragraph in the next section.
[Fighting] Gil... specializes in long range. Even if he's not bad at ALL with a sword - he can match Saber on a 1 vs 1 duel, and Saber's... well, the SABER class, and Gil's Archer. He is, however, classed as one for a reason. Refer to the abilities section for more details, again.
In sum, he specializes in long range, because he refuses to dirty his hands in disciplining mongrels. If it comes to close range, for whatever the reason (the top two likely is either a. opponent is Saber or b. we're doing this for shit and giggles. You'll die anyway, but it'll be fun, so let him enjoy it a bit!), he is likely to use a one-handed sword. His style would probably be primitive and totally unorthodox/undisciplined, considering the era where he originally lived in, but with superhuman strength and agility, being unpredictable only makes him harder to fight. In terms of defense, he could be hit in his casual civilian wears and he WILL sustain normal wounds if they happen. If he is clad in his armor, that's a TOTALLY different story, since then he becomes near untouchable.
On the other hand, Gil's not that stellar of a wielder and he won't call out the big guns until it's looking really bad, which is practically all the time once it's too late for him because he never goes serious and underestimated everyone ever. That makes him defeatable, that and them Deus Ex Machinas because the hero HAS to win in the end, y/y? but STILL, You're just better off picking someone else if you really want a fight. Refer to the abilities section, again. Seriously.
AGAIN, PLEASE CONTACT ME IF WE'RE GOING TO START SOMETHING UP! I can't stress this enough. He's a godmodder, but I avoid the notion like a plague. We can definitely work something out, so hit me up!
[SABER]: YOU GET INVOLVED WITH HIS NOT!WAIFU SABER, AND YOU GET INVOLVED WITH GIL. NO EXCEPTIONS. B|
Oh yeah and since he's such a creeper when it comes to his Seiba - he has ultimate godly theadjack powers in ANY log that Saber may take part in. This actually got consented by Saber-mun. So if you're in an open log with her, Gil can pop out of flipping nowhere at any time. Just something to keep in mind; that is all. :|b
[Other Permissions]
[Mind Reader] - Maybe bits and pieces, if 1.he doesn't know about it, and 2. your character is GOOD at it. If it requires concentration to activate, Servants WILL feel the shift and would notice if it's done by a novice. If it's an ability that's always on, then maybe less. Still, if he knows about you doing it and disapproves of your meddling, then you are NOT getting in - period. The Archer class may not have very high Magic Resistance, but Gil is sure to have stuff in GoB that completely nullifies mind-reading abilities - he may even be able to turn it against you if you annoy him enough, so it's best to not try it.
[Fourth Wall] - I don't see how you can break his - inter-route fuck-up (Fate vs Unlimited Blade Works vs Heaven's Feel) do not count. A Servant is naturally a Heroic Spirit, so bringing up the Epic of Gilgamesh is completely natural, too. ...Unless you're gonna meme him up by asking him if he has enough swords. Then just go ahead - he'll probably look at you weird. o/
[Danger Button] - ...What to mention and what NOT to mention around him? ICly, EVERYTHING is free game - just know that if he doesn't like what you're saying, you risk dying. |D; Namely, his immortality fail, lolsnakes, and his bff Enkidu - all found in his legend, which is very, very public. That or if you try to go after Saber. OOCly I'm really, REALLY hard to offend, so you can do anything, and ICly, Gil's a racist, misogynist, and every ist under the sun already - you can't offend him unless you speak ill of what he considers valuable. :|; Or his own fail. So tl;dr - say what you want and do what you like! Just, again, be prepared for the consequences. |D;;; I'll contact you if it may end up nasty for someone, so it should be fine. o/
[Other Facts]
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