Fate Noble Phantasms

Noble Phantasms

Overview

Noble Phantasms are the weapons and/or abilities that a Heroic Spirit possesses. They are sacred artifacts that embody the hero’s existence. Noble Phantasms can range from weapons like swords and lances to support items like shields to abstract items or magic abilities. They are used by Servants during the Holy Grail War to give them an edge in battle over other Servants. However, since each Noble Phantasm is closely tied to the legend of a Heroic Spirit from history, using them reveals a Servant’s true identity. This, along with the fact that many Noble Phantasms take a considerable amount of mana to use, means that they must be used cautiously and strategically.

Characteristics

Noble Phantasms serve as symbols of the existence of Heroic Spirits and represent their legends. They are created by the Greater Grail along with the summoning of Servants using accumulated mana. Most Heroic Spirits only possess a single Noble Phantasm. However, there are some who possess several, including Gilgamesh who is said to possess all Noble Phantasms inside his Gate of Babylon, Achilles who possesses five, and Astolfo, Atalanta, and Jack the Ripper who each possess four.

Most Noble Phantasms take the form of a sword, lance, spear or other type of weapon wielded by the Heroic Spirit during their lifetime. However, they can come in any form, tangible or abstract. Some may be based on anecdotes about the Heroic Spirit such as Jack the Ripper’s From Hell, while others can even be gigantic fortresses such as Semiramis’ Hanging Gardens of Babylon, though this is very rare.

Since they are each linked to a different Heroic Spirit, Noble Phantasms usually can’t be used by other Heroic Spirits. However, in certain circumstances, a Heroic Spirit may grant the use of their Noble Phantasm to someone else, as in the case of Achilles giving Astolfo his Noble Phantasm Akhilleus Kosmos during the Great Holy Grail War.

In order for a Noble Phantasm to be activated, its true name must be spoken. Noble Phantasms that serve as weapons will function regularly until their power is activated. However, some Noble Phantasms are able to display passive abilities even without being activated. Also, some Noble Phantasms are able to be used by Masters. One such example is Saber’s Noble Phantasm Avalon, which can be sealed within her Master and give them regenerative abilities, which is what happens to Shirou Emiya in Fate/stay night.

*Classifications

Noble Phantasms are classified based on their effectiveness against different enemies and their specialization. There is a wide range of classifications for Noble Phantasms, and a single Noble Phantasm could have several classifications depending on its abilities. Some Noble Phantasms target the mind and deliver psychic damage (Anti-Mind), while others can deal damage on a wide scale ranging from a city (Anti-City) to country (Anti-Country) to even entire planets (Anti-Planet). Others still are used for defensive purposes (Barrier) or to negate the effects of magic (Anti-Thaumaturgy). Below are several notable classes of Noble Phantasms.

Anti-Unit
This type of Noble Phantasm specializes in dealing damage to a single opponent. While less powerful than other types of Noble Phantasms, they are able to be used continuously unlike others types that can only be used once. Examples of this classification of Noble Phantasms include Gáe Bolg (Cú Chulainn), Armor of Fafnir (Siegfried), Casseur de Logistille (Astolfo), Clarent (Mordred), and Kanshou and Bakuya (EMIYA).

Anti-Army
This type of Noble Phantasm specializes in dealing damage to many enemies over a wide area. Though more powerful than Anti-Unit Noble Phantasms, they cost a great deal of mana to use and can generally only be used once. Examples of this classification of Noble Phantasms include Clarent Blood Arthur (Mordred), Sikera Ušum (Semiramis), Prelati's Spellbook (Gilles de Rais), Phoebus Catastrophe (Atalanta), and La Black Luna (Astolfo).

Anti-Fortress
This type of Noble Phantasm specializes in heavy damage to fortified structures. They are much more powerful than other types of Noble Phantasms, such as Anti-Unit. Examples of this classification of Noble Phantasms include Excalibur (Altria Pendragon), Ochd Deug Odin (Cú Chulainn), Piedra Del Sol (Quetzalcoatl), Ramesseum Tentyris (Ozymandias), and System Keraunos (Nikola Tesla).

Barrier
This type of Noble Phantasm specializes in creating Bounded Fields that act as barriers. However, this classification does not include Noble Phantasms that are used to attack, only those that are used defensively. Examples of this classification of Noble Phantasms include Akhilleus Kosmos (Achilles), Avalon (Altria Pendragon), Luminosité Eternelle (Jeanne d’Arc), Crystal Palace (Marie Antoinette), and Apneic Beauty (Julian Ainsworth).