Ushiwakamaru

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Info

Bio-Data

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

Meta

Character Creators: Higashide Yuuichirou and Nasu Kinoko
Character Designer: Sakamoto Mineji
Character Voice: Hayami Saori
Major Appearances in Main Works: Fate/Grand Order

Stats

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

Class Skills

Riding: A+

The ability for riding. One can manage every vehicle and beast, but they cannot manage the Dragon Kind.

Magical Resistance: C

Nullifies Magecraft spells that were done with a chant of two verses or below. Cannot defend against large-scale Magecraft such as Great Magecrafts and Ritual Spells.

Personal Skills

Tengu Art of War: A

A Skill based on the anecdote of being taught the art of war from a tengu, an inhuman existence. Provides a bonus to close-combat powers such as swordsmanship, archery and spearmanship, as well as Skills such as Military Tactics and Magical Resistance.

Charisma: C+

Although Ushiwakamaru has a calibre that is not liked by everybody, if one gets close to her, the closer they get, the more they become obsessed with her strange charm.

The Quick-Wittedness of the Swallow: B

A Skill based on the movements of Ushiwakamaru’s body being done lightly like a swallow. At Gojo Ohashi, Ushiwakamaru exchanged slashes again and again with the formidable Benkei without getting hit once.

Noble Phantasm(s)

Shana-Ou Ryuuritan (King Mahavairocana’s Wandering Tales)

Rank: A++
Classification: Anti-Personnel (Self) Noble Phantasm
Range: 1
Maximum Number of Targets: 1 person

The embodiment of Ushiwakamaru’s various legends, which were created from right after she became Minamoto no Yoshitsune to the moment she perished in Oshu. This Noble Phantasm comprises five secret techniques.[1]

Eyes of Jizaiten – Seeing with the Six Secret Teachings

Classification: Anti-Army Secret Technique

Eyes of Jizaiten (Eyes of the Great Lord)[2]. Ushiwakamaru 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

Classification: Anti-Personnel Secret Technique

Usumidori (Pale Green). A brilliant slash with Usumidori. This single attack, delivered by Ushiwakamaru after her Shukuchi movement that was executed according to a tengu’s footwork, is difficult to evade.

Benkei – Immovable Standpoint

Classification: Anti-Army Secret Technique

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

Dan-no-Ura – Eight-Boat Leap

Rank: C
Classification: Anti-Personnel Secret Technique
Range: 1
Maximum Number of Targets: 1 person

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

Hoemaru – Spider Killer

Classification: Anti-Army Secret Technique

Hoemaru (Howler). Ushiwakamaru demonstrates Usumidori’s true “power”. It repels “demons” in the surrounding area and inflicts damage according to its sonic attack.

Character

Pronouns

First Person Pronoun: watashi
Second Person Pronouns: anata, ○○-dono / To her Master: aruji-dono [My Lord]
Third Person Pronouns: kare, kanojo

Personality

A beautiful swordswoman with dignity and grace. Despite her beautiful figure, showing an appearance like a flower blooming in the moonlight, Ushiwakamaru is without self-assertion. She does not have a talkative disposition that can express a beautiful voice that would draw everybody in to listen to it in ecstasy, but she will decide to speak at a necessary event or occasion if needed of her. Also, she approves not of one boasting about their outstanding arts of war, but of one who proves their arts of war at the scene of battle and with nothing but results. It is possible to say that this person is a paragon of knighthood who discerns propriety and speaks with actions before words… and, someone openly seen as no more than a genuine fighting machine.

Because her character is straightforward and does not put on a falsehood, all the things Ushiwakamaru does completely become the “shortest, fastest straight line” towards the goal. When ordinary people do this, they usually fail and reflect on their failure, and they consider… and polish their plans and a variety of things subsequently from that… but the problem is, Ushiwakamaru is a super genius. Because she does not fail at these things, she has completely 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 girl who wholeheartedly wishes the following: “I want to become my older brother’s power, I want to be the head’s strength, and I want to help his splendid figure.” To address this aspect in a few words, “A faithful dog with a broken brake.” She is friendly, bright and faithful, but a screw got out of place somewhere… no, it becomes unclear of its whereabouts.

Attitude Towards Master

Ushiwakamaru’s talents sublimated up to its utmost limits and her extraordinary loyalty become intertwined, and to a person who does not notice that, they will not only think, “Even though this unthinkable genius does not truly have a reason to, she is becoming so emotionally attached to me”, it might not be evident that they will harbour fear at that peculiarity too. On the other hand, how Ushiwakamaru treats her subordinates is surely demonic. “Die on behalf of me so you can make an easy place for me to fight. That’s 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 Character and Figure

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 having natural talents and was overflowing with charisma, 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 in the world is it?” Ushiwakamaru inquires of such. She was left under the care of a temple from when she was very young, she was raised up while as someone unaware of either a mother’s love or a father’s love, and a proper parents’ love as well as a love spun from a significant other are unknown to her. If there is only one fact, Ushiwakamaru was a samurai. A samurai is a person who serves a lord and swears allegiance to them. Concerning her, that was the only truth, and with the exception of that, everything else was not worth worrying about. Separated from her parents since when she was a very young child, she was disciplined by a tengu deep in the mountains, and she was never able to nurture her “humanity”. That is the way a faithful dog ought to be… Close to a genuine beast, she fights for the sake of her master without concerning herself. For the cause of being praised, Ushiwakamaru triumphed. She even won thoroughly. That is to say, she removed all ostentation from herself, for that is none other than because she chose 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 if it is to tear off their veneers… They were afraid of her inhuman nature that did not truly fit in with the relationship of gaining profit by acquiring 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 an antiquated beast similar to that exists as his kin, then it will result in Yoritomo being unable to 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. That synopsis was correct. Regardless of Yoritomo’s intentions, and regardless of Ushiwakamaru’s feelings, if this is the state of affairs around her, then the sense of having herself be disposed of was reasonable.

Since the Taira disappeared, Ushiwakamaru was Yoritomo’s next political opponent. In addition, as far as Houjou Masako, her older brother’s wife, was concerned, the likes of Minamoto no Yoshitsune was probably unneeded. If so, Ushiwakamaru will behave as her older brother’s enemy and do nothing but fight and die in battle, all in accordance with what her older brother desires. Although Ushiwakamaru intended of such, her subordinates persuaded her, and it resulted in her escaping to Oshu. And yet, Yoritomo persistently chased after her. He deemed her not as family, but as an inhuman monster, and chased after her.

————“That’s strange, you know. 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… that I couldn’t change up to my last moments————”

Although Ushiwakamaru was defeated at Oshu, her name was carved into the history of Japan. All without understanding the essence of anyone as she is.

◆

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

If her Master is vexed about “If that enemy’s ship is usable…”, Ushiwakamaru will gallop and head towards that ship like a gale while saying “My Lord, please leave the decisions to me!”, and in a few minutes later, she would inform her Master about the ship and say “My Lord, this way!” 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 as expected, she too is a person who draws on the blood of the Minamoto clan, a clan of which its origin used to be the word “Ruler”. She is only a faithful dog towards her Master, and she will display a cold-hearted yet sadistic side to anyone except her Master.

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 him 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 one of them wears the skin of a person with common sense, but given that they are actually oddballs, their wavelengths greatly match.

“When I speak the things on my mind, mostly everybody gives me a serious look, but Lady Jing Ke and Lady Martha continue 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

Ushiwakamaru is shyly happy to have Raikou as her great ancestor and that she can get to know her. Ushiwakamaru feels like Raikou is a mother. And for some reason or another, she also feels like “Ah, our roots are similar I tell you!”

Comment from the Illustrator

Because I added a lot of armour on Ushiwakamaru, my workload was enormous and largely became my way of doing things. (Sakamoto Mineji)

TL Notes

[1] – Ushiwakamaru actually has a sixth Secret Technique that is considered a part of King Mahavairocana’s Wandering Tales despite not being listed. As seen in Onigashima, it’s called Kiken-jou – Icicle Cutting, a technique which allows her to cut through an incoming attack, mainly projectile attacks. This technique is based on Yoshitsune’s feat of cutting down arrows that were fired at him, as if he was cutting through icicles. Kiken-jou is the Japanese name of the living quarters of the Deity Taishakuten/Śakra. It is located in the Buddhist paradise called Touriten, which is the Japanese name for Trāyastriṃśa, the second of the six heavens of the Desire Realm.

[2] – Jizaiten is the Japanese name for Maheśvara, one of Shiva’s epithets meaning ‘The Great Lord‘.