Charles Babbage
Info
Bio-Data
Class: Caster
True Name: Charles Babbage
Height/Weight: 250cm (armor included)・more than 500kg (armor included)
Source: Historical facts
Region: Europe
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Gender: Male
Meta
Scenario Writer: Sakurai Hikaru
Character Design: I-IV
CV: Inada Tetsu
Main Appearances in Works: Fate/Grand Order
Stats
| Parameters | Values |
|---|---|
| Strength | B++ |
| Constitution | B++ |
| Agility | D++ |
| Magical Power | A |
| Luck | E |
| Noble Phantasm | A+ |
Class Skills
Item Construction (False): [A]
Babbage who was originally not a mage can not possess this skill, but by integrating with his Noble Phantasm, an ability equal to it is acquired. Specifically, it's his armor of steel manufacturing armaments and miracle drugs.
Personal Skills
Single-Minded: [C]
It displays the superhuman power of concentration by devoting oneself to a single thing. In Babbage's case, his behavior towards calculations, plans, production and the like is demonstrated. It functions as a bonus correction for his Item Creation skill.
Armor of Engine: [EX]
Always clad in a full-body mechanical armor that's equipped with a steam engine.
Due to this, Babbage looks like a giant gentleman of steel. Removal is impossible.
While physical strength and stamina's parameters are ranked up, at the same time, a temporary [++] correction is given by the built-in, strange-looking steam engine's boost function. Although the agility's parameter is ranked down, the boost is added.
By the way, Babbage's been smitten with automatons since he was 8. It's said, that the first one he saw was a female model he met in the workshop of an inventor called Merlin.[1]
Overload: [D]
Accepting the risk of self-harm, a "boost up" effect is intentionally applied.
In Babbage's case, the armor's steam engine is made to rampage on a purpose to raise its output and increase the offensive ability of his Noble Phantasm.
The damage the steam engine suffers from rampaging is received by Babbage too due to being integrated with the armor.
Noble Phantasm(s)
Dimension of Steam: Gorgeous World of Ashes
- Rank: A+
- Class: Anti-Army Noble Phantasm
- Range: 0~99
- Maximum number of Targets: 300
Dimension of Steam.
The brilliant civilized world of his steam engine that would have arrived if the 「Difference Engine」 and 「Analytical Engine」 that he designed during his lifetime had truly been completed――――In other words, this is Babbage's longing and dreams sublimated into a Reality Marble, his heart and the mechanical itself that he is clad in.
Basically, it's a continuously active Noble Phantasm. It is designated as a high ranked Noble Phantasm because of its special characteristics and rare nature, but its firepower aspect is only equivalent to the level of a B~C ranked Noble Phantasm.. In addition, when its True Name is released, the internal steam engine begins to work at its maximum output, releasing a high-powered ranged attack.
Since the unique steam engine he's manifesting is powered by the Reality Marble continuously expanding inside his sealed armor, he must never remove it. If the armor's removed even a single time, only a lump of steel that carries no meaning will be left behind.
For the specific effects of the armor, refer to 「Armor of Engine」.
Character
Pronouns
First person pronoun: ware
Second person pronoun: kisama
Third person pronoun: kano mono/yatsu
Personality
A giant gentleman of steel. His personality, is strict.
Although he is strict towards both himself and others, his conduct is that of a refined english gentleman.
He is weak to innocent girls and intelligent women. Even during his life, overwhelmed by the eyes of the daughter of poet George Gordon Byron, Countess of Lovelace, Augusta Ada (who's said to be the world's first female programmer) brimming with curiosity, he ended up in a situation where he was teaching her. It could be said that Babbage has gained a friend like no other as a result.
Attitude Towards Master
Obedient to the Master. Quiet.
He'll obediently follow orders too.
However, that manner of speech alone is very strict. It is strict, but what's said is done. "A robot with the ability to complain about this and that" is the impression he gives off.
His wish to the Holy Grail is 「the Advent of the Civilized World of Steam」.
However, as he observes the present world, he's starting to realize that it's not such a bad thing.
Depending on the Master, he could become a dependable ally.
Dialogue Examples
「This body is nothing more than convictions based on flawed ideas and dreams……」
「I've no valor, supremacy or glory.」
「Shuu……」※Sound of breathing
「Shu?」※Surprise
「（Fushuu）」※exhaust sound
Historical Character and Figure
A mathematician and scientist from the 19th century.
He was the one who invented the world's first computers 「Difference Engine」 and 「Analytical Engine」 using the steam engine, a scholar praised as a genius, however, he couldn't complete either machine during his lifetime. He's called 「The Father of the Computer」 in the modern era.
Character in FGO
Charles Babbage was a genius.
Early nineteenth century. As a young man freshly graduating from the University of Cambridge, while doing an enormous amount of calculations on the movement of the celestial bodies, he was wondering about something.
"It's not just the celestial bodies. The governmental research institutes and private businesses need dozens of people acting as human computers for the massive amounts of calculations necessary for almost every experiment and project. If we could use a steam engine to perform a portion of these innumerable calculations, then..."
And then, he thought more.
It can be done, he thought.
Machines that can perform complex and advanced calculations―――the Difference Engine.
In theory, it's not impossible at all. Then, it can be done in practice too.
Mathematics is used in every branch of science. Therefore, when this machine is completed, mankind will dramatically save time in every field, and civilization as a whole will flourish for several centuries. This was a thing of pipe dreams that nobody has accomplished before.
However, he was convinced he could do it.
Since he was a genius.
He was not only a talented mathematician, but a gifted mechanical engineer too.
In only half a year, he managed to make a miniature model of the real thing.
The blueprints he drew were correct, lacking even the smallest of errors in its theory.
The first component was intellect. There was more than enough of it.
However. The second component was insufficient. As in, time and equipment. To finance these, he needed funds.
With the Royal Society of the British Empire's authorization as the foundation, the British government acknowledged his theory and 「Difference Engine」 and provided him with fund at first, but eventually stopped supporting the projects.
However, instead of giving up, he started to work on a machine capable of even more advanced calculations, the 「Analytical Engine」.
This was a machine that could run the world's first program and it could make complete calculations (Turing completeness) a reality.
Halfway through his ambition, he died.
The Difference Engine and the Analytical Engine were both unfinished.
He died, leaving behind to the world the dream of an envisioned future that vanished into the 「threshold of the eras」.
Eventually, advanced computing machines intended for the same function were invented as electronical devices and the world flourished. Just the way he dreamed of it. However, this was not a world of the steam engine; a world powered by electricity that was produced by internal-combustion engines was realized.
And now, he manifested.
The future that could have been wrapped in grotesque steel.
The future he envisioned hidden in the shadow of a grotesque world.
The King of Steam who dreamed of revolutionalizing the world.
Related Characters
Leonardo Da Vinci
I respect her as a great pioneer.
The ornithopter is an excellent article.
Nikola Tesla
The electricity is annoying. However, he too, is an innovator.
Edison
The electricity is annoying. However, it's a lion.
Frankenstein
The electricity is annoying. However, she's an innocent young girl. It would be good if she grew up healthy.
Iskandar
The electricity is annoying. (His oxen are covered in Zeus' lightning)
Rama[2]
The electricity is annoying. (His Divine Father, Indra, is the god of thunder)
Minamoto no Raikou
The electricity is annoying. (She is the child of Gozu Tennou)
Sakata Kintoki
The electricity is annoying. (He's the child of a god of thunder)
Mordred
Electricity...? (Her magic power is released in the form of lightning)
Prince Nezha
Ooh. The ancient automata of the Orient. Beautiful.
Brynhildr
An...automata...?
〇〇〇〇
Ooh. This automata. What a lovely one.
Comment from the Illustrator
The request was 「A gentleman robot moved by a steam engine」.
"Just what is a gentleman, I wonder...a bowler hat and a bow tie with a tailcoat and a walking stick" is what I was thinking of the outward appearance as I tossed out elements for a gentleman.
I wrote practically everything down inside a train heading for a briefing session, and after that nothing has been changed other than the balance.
The memory of missing my station because I was too engrossed in drawing is no longer a bad memory now.
Because it had the setting of an 「armor」, I drew something that a person could wear.
On a closer look at the interior of the leg parts, it actually turns into a shape where a person's leg can enter and it's an armor with a large width due to its power suit like structure.
While I cheated a bit with the size of the knee armoring and the skirt part's position, the reason why the hand's long proportions give the impression that the lower body is a little short is because I had to accept the limitations known as 「human joints」.
On the other hand, since a person's arm can not enter the armor's arms, they were allowed to look that weird.
To the question of where the arms of the person inside are, the answer's the chest part where the human piloting the armor is contained. It's assumed that the arms are controlled from there.
Instead of the walking stick of a gentleman, the weapon was changed into a drill.
To be accurate it's not a drill, but a cross between a group of gears extracted from the Difference Engine and a tunnel boring machine.
The official stance on why a gentlemen is wielding something like a weapon of a savage tribe, is that a gentleman does not use uncivilized tools like blades or guns, and you can't beat others up with a calculator. (I-IV)
TL Notes
[1] This guy: John Joseph Merlin
[2] I assume this is a typo since Rama's father wasn't Indra. They probably meant Arjuna.
Material Images
(Lib will add after publish)
Dialogue
| Occassion | English | Japanese |
|---|---|---|
| Summoned |