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Ushiwakamaru

True Name: Ushiwakamaru (Minamoto no Yoshitsune)
Class: Rider
Source: “Gikeiki”, “The Tale of the Heike”
Region: Japan
Gender: Female
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Height: 168cm
Weight: 55kg

Scenario Writers: Yuuichirou Higashide and Kinoko Nasu
Character Illustrator: Mineji Sakamoto
Character Voice: Saori Hayami
Appearance in Main Works: Fate/Grand Order

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Parameters	Values
Strength	D
Endurance	C
Agility	A+
Mana	B
Luck	A
Noble Phantasm	A+

Class Skills

Riding: A+
The ability for riding. One can manage every vehicle, but they cannot manage Dragon Kinds.

Magic Resistance: C
Cancels the use of spells with a chant that is two verses or below. Cannot defend against large-scale magecraft such as High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals.

Personal Skills

Tengu's Art of War: A
From the anecdote of being taught the art of war from a Tengu, an inhuman existence. Provides bonuses to close-combat power such as swordsmanship, archery and spearmanship, as well as Skills such as Military Tactics and Magic Resistance.

Charisma: C+

Although she has a caliber that is not liked by everybody, if one gets close to her, they become obsessed with her strange charm to an extent when they get closer to her.

Quick-Witted Swallow: B

From the movements of her body being done lightly like a swallow. At Gojo Ohashi, she exchanged slashes again and again with the formidable Benkei without getting hit once.

Noble Phantasm

Mahavairocana King’s Wandering Tales
Rank: A++
Type: Anti-Unit (Self)
Range: 1
Maximum Number of Targets: 1 person

The embodiment of various legends that were created from right after Ushiwakamaru became Minamoto no Yoshitsune to meeting her end in Oshu. This Noble Phantasm comprises of five secret techniques.[1]

Mahesvara’s Eye – Detecting the Six Secret Teachings
Type: Anti-Army Secret Technique

Forcibly relocates everyone that are on the field. It changes battle conditions in that it creates an overwhelming advantage for each ally’s position and an overwhelming disadvantage for the enemy camp.

Usumidori – Short Steps with the Heavenly Blade
Type: Anti-Unit Secret Technique

A brilliant slash with Usumidori. This attack, delivered after a Reduced Earth movement being executed according to the footwork of a Tengu, is difficult to avoid.

Benkei – Steadfast Position
Type: Anti-Army Secret Technique

Recreates an imitation of Musashibou Benkei’s body alone. The more faith she has in Benkei, the stronger the body becomes, resulting in a sturdy shield. It can defend against Anti-Army Noble Phantasms up to B Rank.

Dan-no-ura – Leaping the Eight Boats
Rank: C
Type: Anti-Unit Secret Technique
Range: 1
Maximum Number of Targets: 1 person

The materialization of the feat of leaping over eight boats that she displayed at Dan-no-ura. No matter how difficult the terrain is to get a foothold, if there is even the slightest place where she can place her foot on, it is possible for her to move through the terrain by jumping. Also, this technique further enhances her jumping power.

Hoemaru – Spider Slayer
Type: Anti-Army Secret Technique

Demonstrates Usumidori’s true “power”. It repels “demons” in the surrounding area and inflicts damage according to its sonic attack.

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First Pronoun: watashi
Second Pronoun: anata, **-dono / Master, my Lord (aruji-dono)
Third Pronoun: kare, kanojo

Personality

A beautiful swordswoman who is viewed as dignified. Despite her beautiful figure, showing an appearance like a flower blooming in the midnight, Ushiwakamaru is without self-assertion. She sometimes speaks as necessary, but she does not have a talkative disposition that can express a beautiful voice that would draw everybody in to listen to it in ecstasy. Also, she does not boast about her outstanding arts of war, instead proving it at the scene of battle and with nothing but results. It is possible to say that this person is a paragon of knighthood that discerns propriety and speaks with actions before words… and, someone simply seen as a genuine fighting machine.

Because her character is straightforward and not a falsehood, all the established things Ushiwakamaru undertakes completely becomes the “shortest, fastest straight line” towards the goal. When ordinary people do this, they usually fail and reflect on their failure, and subsequently from that, they consider… and polish a variety of plans... but the problem is that Ushiwakamaru is a super genius. Because she does not fail at these things, she has grown to as she is now with this unmanageable nature.

In battle, Ushiwakamaru is cold-hearted, cool-headed and the personification of the most suitable hand, but ordinarily, she is a young girl who earnestly wishes “to become her older brother’s power, to become the head’s strength, and to want to help this splendid figure.” To address this in a few words, “a faithful dog with a broken brake.” She is faithful, bright and friendly, but she is missing a screw in some respects… no, it becomes unclear of its whereabouts.

##Motivation/Attitude towards the Master

Her talents sublimated up to its utmost limits and her extraordinary loyalty becomes intertwined, and a person that notices “this unthinkable genius who, without thinking, is just unreasonably becoming emotionally attached to me for no real reason” will not understand why and might harbour fear at that characteristic. On the other hand, how Ushiwakamaru treats her subordinates is surely demonic. “Die so you can make an easy place for me to fight. That is your role.”

Dialogue Examples

“Ushiwakamaru, I've called on you. I humbly receive you, and I shall serve you as a samurai with my whole heart.”
“Even though I was betrayed many times, I still want to fight for someone’s sake. If you would allow me, my Lord, together until the end, let me… no, it's nothing.”
“Pompoko… lin.”

Historical Image and Character

Minamoto no Yoshitsune. In Japan, one can dare say her to be a figure where there is probably no person in existence who does not know that name. That recognition is also frequently apparent in the proverb called “Sympathy for a Tragic Hero”. Namely, a tragic military commander who, while was overflowing with charisma and holds an innate disposition of a genius, was driven off in defeat at the end of a confrontation with Yoritomo, her older brother who was jealous of this prominent figure’s nature————Apart from that matter of whether it was distinctly right or wrong… This Ushiwakamaru is unmistakably a monster.

In any case, Ushiwakamaru cannot read the hearts of men. She cannot understand this matter, perplexed at her own human being.

“Love, what is it?” Ushiwakamaru inquires. She was left under the care of a temple when she was very young, and she was raised up while as someone unaware of a father’s love, a mother’s love, a proper parents’ love, as well as a love spun from a significant other. If there is only one fact, Ushiwakamaru was a samurai. A samurai serves the lord and swears allegiance to the lord. Concerning her, that was the only truth, and with the exception of that, everything else did not matter. Separated from her parents when she was very young, she was disciplined by a Tengu deep in the mountains; subsequently, she was not able to nurture her “humanity”. That is the way of a faithful dog… Close to a pure beast, she fights for the sake of her master instead of herself. For the cause of being praised, Ushiwakamaru triumphed. She won thoroughly. That is, she removed all ostentation from herself because that is none other than a choice for a way to slaughter her enemies quite efficiently. Yoritomo was afraid of that, and Ushiwakamaru’s circumstances did not make her popularity rise. It may not be discovered that her fangs could turn towards her allies to tear off their attractive yet deceptive outward appearances… They were afraid of her inhuman nature that did not truly fit in with the relationship of gaining profit by having power.

After he destroyed the Taira clan, Yoritomo immediately began to obliterate Ushiwakamaru. Her social position has not yet settled within their clan, and if he does not destroy her, he will always become anxious about the future. At any rate, Yoshitsune does not understand politics. She does not understand the hearts of men. If that kin, similar to an antiquated beast, exists, then Yoritomo cannot make the era he is aiming for. It was rumoured in the public streets that Yoritomo killed his younger brother at the end of a power struggle. Ushiwakamaru consented. The synopsis is correct. Regardless of what intentions Yoritomo had, and regardless of what Ushiwakamaru was feeling, with the state of affairs around her, it was reasonable for Ushiwakamaru to dispose herself, and…

Since the Taira no longer existed. Ushiwakamaru was Yoritomo’s next political opponent. Also, as far as Masako Hojo, her older brother’s wife, was concerned, the likes of Minamoto no Yoshitsune is probably unneeded. Thus, she will behave as if she was her older brother’s enemy, doing nothing but fight and die in battle, all in accordance with what her older brother desires. Although Ushiwakamaru thought of such, her subordinates persuaded her, and she decided to escape to Oshu. And yet, Yoritomo persistently chased her. He saw her not as family, but as an inhuman monster, and chased after her.

————“That’s strange. This is somewhat unreasonable.”
————“Though, it was human beings that preferred emotions rather than gains and losses.”
————“I only wanted my older brother to praise me, but I was lacking something.”
————“I'm sorry, I could not change up to my last moments————”

Although Ushiwakamaru was defeated at Oshu, her name was carved into the history of Japan. Without understanding the essence of anyone.

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In Fate/Grand Order, Ushiwakamaru is a girl who really loves her brother, and is making great efforts as a girl who really loves her Master. That cool behaviour that does not get agitated by anything… from there is a ferocity one step short of an unleashed Berserker’s, and anyone would be bewildered at that.

If the Master is vexed about “If that enemy’s ship is usable…”, Ushiwakamaru will head towards the ship visibly like a gale while saying “My Lord, please leave the decisions to me!” A few minutes later, she would inform the Master about the ship and say “My Lord, this way to the ship!” However, except for the sailors operating the ship for the good of everyone, everybody else will be completely crushing the scene of carnage where it is like the enemies are bound for the netherworld.

Ushiwakamaru is a cool-headed subordinate, but she too is a person that draws from the blood of the Minamoto clan, a clan of which has the origin of the word “ruler” in the past. She is only a faithful dog towards the Master and will display a sadistic and cold-hearted side to anyone except the Master.

Connection with Characters

Musashibou Benkei

“The man calls himself Benkei… and I understand the gist of it, but it’s also extremely audacious of him to call himself Benkei. I’ll mess with him since he’s amusing. Then I can kill and dump him behind the temple when I’ve grown tired of him.”

Jing Ke / Martha

According to Artoria Alter, these three are classified as the “disappointing trio”. Each of them wears the skin of a person with common sense, but given that they are oddballs, their wavelengths greatly match.

“When I speak the things on my mind, mostly everybody gives me a serious look, but Jing Ke and Martha openly continues on the conversation like nothing strange happened. For the first time like this, there are people here that are so easy to talk with!”

Minamoto no Raikou

Shyly happy to have her as a great ancestor and to get to know her. Ushiwakamaru feels like Raikou is a mother. And for some reason or another, she feels like “Ah, our roots are similar.”

Comment from Illustrator

Because I added a lot of armour on her, my workload was enormous and largely became my way of doing things.

Notes:

[1] - Ushiwakamaru actually has a sixth secret technique that is considered a part of her Noble Phantasm despite not being listed. As seen in Onigashima, it's called Kikenjō - Icicle Cutting, a primarily defensive technique which allows her to cut through an incoming attack, primarily projectiles. This technique is based on Yoshitsune's feat of cutting down arrows that were fired at him, as if he was cutting through icicles.

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