Wu Zetian

TIP

This material is translated by u/Kinalvinopen in new window

Info

Bio-Data

Class: Assassin
True Name: Wu Zetian
Other Name: Assassin of the Nightless City
Sex: Female
Sources: Historical Fact
Region: China
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Height: 138cm
Weight: 35kg

Meta

Character Creator: Minase Hazuki
Character Designer: Harada Takehito
Character Voice: Izawa Shiori
Major Appearances in Main Works: Fate/Grand Order

Stats

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

Class Skills

Presence Concealment: D

Suppresses one’s presence as a Servant. It is suitable for espionage activities.

… But for the Empress, her concealment basically amounts to nothing but her shadily concealing herself behind a bamboo blind.

Personal Skills

Torture Techniques: A

One possesses excellent torture techniques. Plus modifiers are added to attacks when making use of torture devices.

The familiar-like beings Wu Zetian employs – the “Ku Li (Unsparing Officials)” – also possess these techniques at the same rank. In the case that she – or a Ku Li – uses this Skill on a criminal, they will “without fail” confess to their crimes. Also, in the case that they use this Skill on one of her subjects who possesses a secret that would threaten her lawful state administration, they can “without fail” obtain that secret.

… Although doing this may not guarantee the objective truth of the information obtained, it seems likely that the information obtained in the next torture done will result in the truth.

Imperial Privilege: B

Skills that essentially cannot be possessed by oneself can be acquired for a short time. The relevant Skills this covers are Riding, Swordsmanship, Fine Arts, Military Tactics, and many others.

This girl – who possesses an unshakable will and rose to become a consort of the Tang Dynasty’s Emperor – made every effort to raise herself up in order to have the Emperor’s eyes remain fixated on her. Pursuit of knowledge, fitness training, refinement of etiquette, improvement in the traditional performing arts… even knowledge of military matters; they all became necessary for Wu Zetian to keep up their lovers’ talks without having the Emperor lose interest in her. The foundation of an Emperor, who “naturally possesses everything”, was not something she was born with, but something she acquired by sheer effort at that time.

Charisma of the Empress: A

Wu Zetian’s ability to grasp human nature, starting from the time she became a consort of the Tang Dynasty’s Emperor to her time as the Empress who got to establish “Zhou”, her own country. State administration is feasible for her. Although she imposed a reign of terror, she is said to have excelled in the ability to select talented people for the higher positions within her administration.

Noble Phantasm(s)

Gaomi Luozhi Jing (The Manual of Accusation)

Rank: B
Classification: Anti-Personnel Noble Phantasm
Range: 1~3
Maximum Number of Targets: 1 person

The Manual of Accusation was an instruction book for the Ku Li (torture officials), said to be composed by Wu Zetian during the time of her reign. It was, so to speak, a how-to book on torture and interrogation for the purpose of fabricating criminals.

This Noble Phantasm is just like an embodiment of her national law where “Wu Zetian produces criminals at will.” That is to say, at the time of deploying this Noble Phantasm, she becomes “the one who tortures” towards everyone else, and those who opposes her unarguably becomes “the tortured”.

Originally, a great variety of torture methods can be used to punish the rogues, but lately, it appears that Wu Zetian often uses an arrangement of wine jars and poison that she once used to kill her political opponents for the use of torture.

“So, torture, torture, and even more torture!... Nyufu☆”

Character

Pronouns

First Person Pronoun: warewa
Second Person Pronouns: sonata / kisama, etc.
Third Person Pronouns: yatsu / ayatsu / ○○ (without honorifics)

Personality

An arrogant empress with high pride. Wu Zetian has a severe disposition where she is true to her desires, loves the things she loves from the bottom of her heart, and thoroughly smashes the things she is not pleased with. Nonetheless, her intelligence/refinement is high, and she can judge what is just as just.

————Moreover, Wu Zetian may pass herself off as an empress. But she is by no means a foolish empress. Even when she encourages anonymous reports and torture, she in fact possesses a defined ability in state administration.

Attitude Towards Master

The wish Wu Zetian wants to make on the Holy Grail is naturally, “another chance for her country.”

Wu Zetian sees her Master as “a helpful person for the time when she is creating her country.” Like an adviser. Like “It is fine if We put you to work at Our side.” There is also the impression that she is ascertaining her Master’s abilities during the time that they are serving her. She says somewhat delightfully, “It is fine if We put you to work as Our prime minister, or as an excellent torture official, or, er… aside from those, how should We put it… like another partner of Ours or something. Well, that depends on your work from now on.”

Dialogue Examples

“Our name is Wu Zetian. Trying to use Us or something… You are so arrogant that on the contrary, Our interest in you has surged, huh?”

“Master, this is boring, truly boring. Is there no secret information and the like on Servants who will not listen to what you have to say? It is even fine for me to personally execute a punishment on them on your behalf.”

“Hehe, what are you looking at? Can you not endure my captivation anymore?”

“Excuse me, Master. W-We particularly… do not exempt you from praising Us too, you know?”

Historical Character and Figure

A figure of the 7th~8th Century. The First Empress in the history of China.

In the beginning, Wu Zetian was one of the concubines and consorts of Emperor Taizong, the Tang Dynasty’s Second Emperor. Although she was given the status of a “talented person” and rose up the ranks within the inner palace, she could not show her presence in the imperial court to a great extent during Emperor Taizong’s reign. Moreover, in those days, a plausible rumour began to spread throughout Emperor Taizong’s surroundings about an ominous prophecy where “after Tang’s third generation, Queen Wu will prosper”, so it appears that she – who possesses that name – has been shunned by the others all the more. In other words, she could not curry favour with the most important people to seize power.

If so, what can Wu Zetian do?

It was then that she had her eyes on Emperor Taizong’s crown prince, Li Zhi (who later became Emperor Gaozong, the Tang Dynasty’s Third Emperor).

Naturally, the likes of a woman and the Emperor’s son making love to each other within the Emperor’s inner palace was not a topic that is ethically allowed. But Wu Zetian made use of every art of coaxing she has, stabbed at the crack within the system and the morality adhered within it, and furthermore used the antagonism between Emperor Gaozong’s wife, Empress Wang, and Emperor Gaozong’s favourite mistress, Consort Xiao, all to come back to the imperial court. Overcoming the hardships, Wu Zetian obtained the position that officially received the Emperor’s favour, and thereafter, she had all of her children with Emperor Gaozong, but————among them, the flame of one life – the life of a tiny baby – had gone out.

… After Wu Zetian entered the imperial court, the elimination of her obstacles was necessary. The woman decided that she herself should be the one to reach out her hand to the greatest power – the seat of Emperor, hold it close to her chest, and eventually steal that position for herself. Consequently, it is said that Wu Zetian questioned Empress Wang as the culprit who killed her child, causing Empress Wang and Consort Xiao together to be overthrown, and she sat on the throne as Emperor Gaozong’s Empress. When she did so, Wu Zetian executed Consort Xiao by cutting off her hands and feet, and on top of that, tossed her into a jar filled with wine. From this course of events, there are also some people who thought that perhaps, Wu Zetian killed her own child to pin the blame on the Empress, but————the truth… is not clear.

Moreover, it is said that because she was told at this time of a curse addressed to her by the dying Consort Xiao, who spoke “You will become a mouse. I will be reincarnated as a cat and bite you to death”, Wu Zetian absolutely prohibited cats to be kept within the imperial court thereafter. There is also a theory where Wu Zetian moved the capital from Chang’an to Luoyang due to becoming frightened of ghosts.

In any case, Wu Zetian seized the country’s political power from behind the bamboo blinds and further killed (assassinated) her hindering relatives/political opponents one by one after that. After Emperor Gaozong’s death, because she was finally on the imperial throne, she changed the country’s name to “Zhou” and gave herself the name “Shengshen Huangdi (Sacred and Divine Empress Regnant)”. At the time of governing her country, she laid out a reign of terror that encouraged anonymous reports. It is said that the populace were afraid of the brutal tortures done by the government officials – whom were called the “Ku Li” – from the bottom of their hearts————

Character in FGO

Wu Zetian was not a person who became Empress according to her birth. She is a being who climbed up to the top position due to effort. She herself does not even feel the likes of surprise for that in the slightest.

————Wu Zetian… became Empress by doing as much as she could.

It was a matter of course, because she absolutely resolved herself to become one.

It was a matter of course, because she continuously endeavoured for that sake.

The journey that was smeared with blood, starting from entering the inner palace, becoming an adult, and obtaining power… It was, so to speak, a throwaway match where everything has already been decided.

For the sake of becoming Empress, all that was absolutely needed was, simply, nothing more than having determination since the beginning.

When she was being oppressed during her childhood, Wu Zetian looked up at the heavens and swore————

A pure determination, where she would obtain this country without fail.

A noble determination, where she would guide this country properly.

She considers “that moment” to be “the golden age of her life”. Not as a title, but as a story of the way she ought to be————

If she was asked from when she became Empress, she would respond with “That moment”.

If she was asked of why she became Empress, she would respond with “That moment”.

If she was asked what day in her life was the most brilliant, she would respond with “That moment”.

Therefore, she has materialized in this figure of a young girl.

“Well, look… Is it not an obvious fact that a younger woman is better than an older one? Kuffuffuu!”

Carmilla, Elizabeth Bathory

“Hou, are those the torture techniques of the West? How about… you work for Us, then?”

Xuanzang Sanzang

“Hmm? That bonze… We have a feeling that We saw her somewhere… or not…”

Jing Ke

(Catches sight of Jing Ke from far away and QUICKLY hides behind the corridor’s corner) → (Observes her intently, thinking “That woman… Certainly not even Us…”) → (Jing Ke notices Wu Zetian’s gaze and starts to swing her dagger in a casual manner) → (Wu Zetian screams “Pyaaaa!” and runs away while still screaming)

Fou / Jaguar Man / Tamamo Cat

“A-Are you bringing those cats near UsssSSSSSS!?”

Comment from the Illustrator

There was a request for (in summary) a sexy, very sadistic and wicked loli empress, and I did my best so that she looks like she has sex appeal in a body that does not have sex appeal. Hey, I felt like saying ‘It seems there is no choice for me but to have her sharp eyes and forehead be like this.’ The rolls of her hair are the image of a Chinese crown from a portrait one would often see. The clothes on her chest is not a string, but a thin tube top bra… but it looks like a string, huh?... Something like a pig is obliquely there in the background; that is Ton-chan, a mascot-ified Tan[1] (a Chinese monster), and it is quite excellent in being a cushion. (Harada Takehito)

TL Notes:

[1] – The Tan is a divine beast in Chinese legends. It is depicted as having possession of many treasures, but due to its greedy nature, it is not satisfied and wants to eat the sun. In its greed to consume the sun, it eventually died by drowning, either from falling from the skies while trying to reach the sun, or by chasing after the sun’s reflection in the water. In ancient times, the Tan would be painted on a courthouse wall in order to warn officials to abstain from avaricious acts.