Tomoe Gozen

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Info

Bio-Data

Class: Archer
True Name: Tomoe Gozen
Other Name: Archer Inferno
Sex: Female
Sources: “Heike Monogatari (The Tale of the Heike)”, “Genpei Jousuiki (Record of the Rise and Fall of the Genpei)”, the Noh drama “Tomoe”, etc.
Region: Japan
Alignment: True Neutral
Height: 162cm
Weight: 50kg

Meta

Character Creator: Sakurai Hikaru
Character Designer: Shirabi
Character Voice: Kanemoto Hisako
Major Appearances in Main Works: Fate/Grand Order

Stats

Parameters	Values
Strength	C
Constitution	D
Agility	C
Magical Power	B
Luck	A
Noble Phantasm	B+

Class Skills

Madness Enhancement: [E]

Tomoe retains her normal ability to think, but she does not receive the benefit of increased Parameters.

Magical Resistance: [B]

Nullifies Magecraft spells that were done with a chant of three verses or below. One practically does not suffer damage from Magecraft even if it was a Great Magecraft or Ritual Spell.

Independent Action: [A]

The ability to remain independent for a while even when rejecting the Magical Energy supply from one’s Master.

As Tomoe has Rank A in this, it is possible for her to remain materialized in this world for a week even if she is without a Master.

Personal Skills

Demon of the Oni Kind: [B]

A Skill that represents the superpower and demonic nature of an oni.

Knowledge of Melee Combat: [B]

Knowledge and techniques in regard to combat that consists of a large number of people in which enemies and allies are jumbled together. It is not the ability to command an army, but combat techniques for the sake of fighting hard as a single warrior among the troops of an army.

Tomoe is skilled in the battles of many vs. many and one vs. many.

Blood Excitation: [A]

A kind of self-suggestion Tomoe had unconsciously done during her lifetime. At the time of materializing as a Servant, it is defined as a Skill where the power she has as being part of the Oni Kind is temporarily amplified.

Noble Phantasm(s)

Oṃ Ārolik Svāhā: The Mantra of Aryāvalokiteśvara

Rank: B
Classification: Anti-Personnel Noble Phantasm
Range: 1~12
Maximum Number of Targets: 1 person

Oṃ Ārolik Svāhā (Salutations to the Pure One). An Anti-Personnel Noble Phantasm. Tomoe’s sadness and grief of not being able to meet her last moments together with Yoshinaka, coupled with her innate ability over flames and the superhuman strength of the Oni Kind she has, are sublimated together into this Noble Phantasm.

The Aryāvalokiteśvara Bodhisattva is the honzon (principal object of worship) of the Gichuu-ji Temple, which held the memorial services of her beloved Kiso no Yoshinaka————after ascertaining “the love towards Yoshinaka within herself” by chanting the mantra of the Aryāvalokiteśvara, Tomoe grabs and hurls her enemy away before shooting an arrow of scorching heat into them, giving them damage by means of Magical Energy that imitates the sun, which symbolizes her feelings towards Yoshinaka.

Namaḥ Samantavajrāṇāṃ, Hāṃ: A Seething Arrow of My Feelings

Rank: B
Classification: Anti-Personnel, Anti-Army Noble Phantasm
Range: 1~99
Maximum Number of Targets: 1~40 people

Namaḥ Samantavajrāṇāṃ, Hāṃ (Homage to all Vajras, Hāṃ). An arrow of death that leads one to boiling/evaporation/extinction. Tomoe changes her Magical Energy into heat, giving the arrow nocked to her bow flames, before shooting it violently at her enemy. The arrow itself is something ordinary (although they are shot at the speed of sound), but the arrow’s power is increased due to the flames bestowed to it. Something falsely similar to Magical Burst. Although the biggest difference is that it can be used for ranged attacks.

Tomoe does not hesitate in saying that this paranormal ability is “Something caused by the great power of Lord Yoshinaka, who was called the Shogun of Asahi”, but it appears likely that the reason is due to her oni blood being strongly expressed, an ability of which she possessed since her lifetime.

If she feels like doing it, Tomoe can bestow flames to her naginata as well.

Character

Pronouns

First Person Pronouns: Tomoe / watashi
Second Person Pronouns: anata / anata [only to females] / ○○-dono / ○○-sama
Third Person Pronouns: ano kata / kare / kanojo

Personality

A female warrior who is gallant, while simultaneously, a graceful good wife maiden. Tomoe should be strongly possessing a savage disposition due to being a “mixed-blood” descendant of the “Oni Kind”, but she is able to contain that because of her feelings towards her beloved Kiso no Yoshinaka, thus she has acquired an individuality as a peaceful human woman (or so it appears).

In times where there is no combat, Tomoe is a maiden who quietly obeys her master, while simultaneously, she shows a somewhat poorly informed behaviour about human common sense. Even when she has acquired knowledge of the modern era from the Holy Grail, it is too much information for her to the point that she cannot personally experience those. But if it is the battlefield, she will immediately be in high spirits as a female warrior, trampling down the enemy army while her red eyes are shining.

Attitude Towards Master

Although Tomoe often speaks of Yoshinaka’s name, she will never wish to the Holy Grail for his revival. Yoshinaka has already died. She too has already died. The dead are the dead. They should naturally not be brought back to the world.

Tomoe Gozen’s opinion on life and death is clear. As a temporary guest called a Servant, she believes and does not doubt that she should quietly vanish from this world sooner or later. Even in “The Absolute Demonic Beast Frontline – Babylonia”, she did not hesitate in choosing to strike the enemy general Girtablilu to simultaneously kill each other.

But secretly, and modestly… Tomoe constantly thinks about wanting to meet Yoshinaka again some time in the distant afterlife, even if for just a moment. And if possible, she would like that moment to also include her son, Asahina Yoshihide… (It is not a wish of hers, but memories she is reminiscing about.)

Summoned in Chaldea, Tomoe has decided to calmly watch over the future of her new lord (Master) who she is serving as a Servant.

Dialogue Examples

“I am called Tomoe. I have devoted this body to Lord Yoshinaka, but now, I shall serve you.”

“You want to hear more about Lord Yoshinaka?”

“Noriyori, Yoshitsune, and Sir Yoritomo… If I were to see those people, I do not have confidence that Tomoe would be able to control herself. I fear it is likely that————there will be an oni there.”

“How about… you? Do you find the Oni Tomoe terrifying?”

“Master… You are different from… Lord Yoshinaka.”

Historical Character and Figure

Her years of birth and death are unknown. A figure of the Late Heian Period/Early Kamakura Period. The favourite concubine of the great commander, Kiso no Yoshinaka (Minamoto no Yoshinaka), who was defeated by Minamoto no Yoritomo, the one who also acquired the rank of Sei-i Taishogun. A heroine who always acts in accordance with Yoshinaka and frequently accomplished merits of war. Tomoe Gozen is the daughter of Nakahara Kanetou, as well as the younger sister of Higuchi Kamemitsu and Imai Kanehira, whom were both said to be part of Kiso’s Four Heavenly Kings.

According to “Kiso’s Last Moments”, the 9th volume of “Heike Monogatari” – Kakuichi Text Edition, Tomoe was portrayed as “especially beautiful, with white skin, long hair, and charming features. She was also a remarkably strong archer, and as a swordswoman, she was a warrior worth a thousand, ready to confront a demon or a god, mounted or on foot.” That is surely Tomoe Gozen, a beautiful woman of fair skin and long hair, and an archer and mighty warrior with an outstanding face and figure who wields a heavy-draw-weight bow.

There is also an anecdote where Tomoe twisted the head of Onda no Hachirou Moroshige – a warrior of an enemy army known for his immense physical strength – off his body. (“Thirty riders came into view, led by Onda no Hachirou Moroshige, a man renowned in Musashi province for his great strength. Tomoe galloped into their midst, rode up against Onda no Hachirou, seized him in a powerful grip, pulled him down against the pommel of her saddle, held him motionless, twisted off his head, and threw it away.”)

In the first year of the Genryaku era (the year 1184), at the time when the military force of Minamoto no Yoshitsune – who received orders from Yoritomo to attack – drew near, Tomoe diligently made a name for herself together with Yoshinaka in the defensive battle against Yoshitsune, but later being persuaded by Yoshinaka, Tomoe withdrew from the frontlines. Afterwards, Yoshinaka lost his life and Tomoe ran away to Kiso.

According to the “Genpei Jousuiki”, it is said that Tomoe later became Wada Yoshimori’s wife and gave birth to Asahina Yoshihide, and she soon became a nun after that… but because there is quite an inconsistency when taking into account Yoshihide’s birth year (if calculating backwards based on an account of the “Azuma Kagami”, it would be the year 1176), it is also rumoured that Asahina Yoshihide is the child between Tomoe and Kiso no Yoshinaka.

Character in FGO

Even if Tomoe continued to have feelings for her lord Yoshinaka, she was not able to be together with him during his last moments————A female warrior who continues to keep this one regret to herself within her chest. In the “Seven Duels of the Heroic Spirit Blademasters” volume, that calm sadness was transformed into a flame of anger by Ashiya Douman, changing Tomoe into a wonder of savage flames who displayed the act of burning Sagami province into ashes. She was originally a graceful maiden. One who disliked quarrels between people and prefers the beauty of nature.

Those red eyes of hers may be evidence of a mixed-race heritage between a human and an oni (an oni of the unabashed type), which are now an extinct species in the modern era. Tomoe possesses the “Madness Enhancement” Skill at a low rank while being an Archer. Even if it is not significant enough to cause her reasoning to disappear, her physical ability still has improved, allowing her to show a ferocious battle style.

Tomoe likes games. She prefers video games as well as analog games. It appears her interest is particularly drawn to things that have to do with battles.

◆

Tomoe was summoned by a Sorcerer in the “Seven Duels of the Heroic Spirit Blademasters”, materializing as Archer Inferno, one of the Seven Heroic Spirit Blademasters. She stood in the way of the Protagonist and Miyamoto Musashi. For the Tomoe Gozen summoned in Chaldea, she held no records/memories whatsoever of that time. She is essentially a different person.

However, concerning the Pruning Phenomenon event in Shimousa, Tomoe is already aware of it by inspecting Chaldea’s database. Immediately following her inspection, it seems she visited several people involved in the event and bowed her head in apology, saying “Even if that woman is said to be a different shadow, she is still someone who concealed the same soul as this Tomoe’s. At that time, Inferno has caused you great trouble.”

Extra Info from In-Game Profile

(Usually Bond 6, or story clear bond, etc)

Standard Weapons

(...)

Amakusa Shirou Tokisada

“At that time… huh? You were a completely different person? Hmmm, I see, so that is how it is, huh?…”

Yagyuu Tajima-no-Kami Munenori

“Please look, Lord Tajima! I got to print all of these photos I took at great length during the occasion of our search for the Loco Moco!”

Ushiwakamaru / Benkei

“……”

Minamoto no Yoshitsune is the enemy of Tomoe’s husband, Yoshinaka. Attention is required!

Taira no Kagekiyo

“… You are fine. You are fine like this, really.”

Ashiya Douman

“Hmmmm…”

Medb

Medb occasionally preaches to Tomoe that “It’s not good to put on the widow character forever.”

“E-Even if you say such a thing…”

Thrúd / Hildr / Ortlinde

Tomoe’s gaming friends. Although it is fun to compete with them, it is also fun to watch the RPGs and love simulation games the girls play from the side.

Comment from the Illustrator

The concept of Tomoe Gozen’s design in the beginning was one where I tried to draw a warrior with little skin exposure and with an over-the-top armour like in her Second Ascension. However… because I had difficulties in getting everything about that concept going in that direction, I also got advice from Mr. Takeuchi, so I even added lightweight components like in her First and Third Ascensions while staying in that direction. As far as weapons are concerned, she is an Archer, but I got filled with the image where it seems warriors of that era can handle anything. I never thought she would clutch a game controller as well… In addition, by no means was I satisfied with my own abilities, so even in spite of submitting the Ascension drawings, I got to draw everything over again in order to improve her design and so forth, having changed things again and again, and she became a character I have an emotional attachment for as a result. (Shirabi)