Fate/Apocrypha is a Japanese light novel series in Type-Moon's Fate franchise, written by Yūichirō Higashide and illustrated by Ototsugu Konoe. Type-Moon published five volumes from December 2012 to December 2014. A manga adaptation illustrated by Akira Ishida was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Comp Ace magazine from June 2016 to April 2024. An anime television series adaptation by A-1 Pictures aired from July to December 2017.
Plot Fate/Apocrypha focuses on Kairi Shishigō, a necromancer hired by the Clock Tower, who summons the Saber-class Mordred. The Red faction is led by priest Shirō Kotomine, though Shishigō remains independent, distrusting him. Shirō and his servant, Semiramis steal their command spells to control their Servants: Karna, Atalanta, Achilles, William Shakespeare, and Spartacus. Eventually the narrative switches to a malfunctioning homunculus who is named Sieg as well as the mediator of the Holy Grail War, Ruler Jeanne D'Arc. With the combined power of Siegfried and Frankenstein's Monster, Sieg can defeat Shirō, who is given a painless death by Semiramis via a poisoned kiss. The remaining Red servants vanish shortly afterwards.
Sieg and Astolfo, being the winners of the war, talk to the Grail's avatar Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern, who explains Shirō's wish will occur, but it will prevent humanity from evolving. Sieg requests that he be transformed into Fafnir. After the war, Astolfo sets off to explore the world. Sometime later, Jeanne's spirit reunites with Sieg, confessing their love as they began a new journey together.
Characters
He is introduced as a nameless homunculus, one of many Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia created to serve the unified clan. He possesses unexpected high-quality Magic Circuits, Sieg escapes his confinement and gets rescued by Astolfo with him hiding Sieg in his chamber. As Gordes and Siegfried are hunting him down, Sieg is mortally wounded and Siegfried gives him his heart to revive him. Although Jeanne gives him the opportunity to live a new life, Sieg becomes compelled to grant freedom to his fellow homunculi, joining the Greater Grail War and becoming Astolfo's master after Yggdmillennia is killed. Through Siegfried's heart, Sieg can temporarily transform into the Germanic hero, gaining his powers and Noble Phantasm. He further gains the ability to use the powers of Frankenstein's Monster after the lightning her suicide attack releases revives him. He also develops a romantic bond with Jeanne. Sieg and Astolfo ultimately win the Grail War, with Sieg wishing to transform into the dragon Fafnir and carrying the Greater Grail to the reverse side of the world to prevent Amakusa's wish from happening. He remains there for some time before reuniting with Jeanne. In Fate/Grand Order, due to the mixture of Siegfried's and Berserker's powers and his high quality magic circuits, Sieg is classified as a Caster-class Demi-servant. –
The spirit of the historical figure Jeanne d'Arc, who occupies the body of ordinary French high school student , whose appearance is very similar to Jeanne, though classifying her as a Pseudo-Servant. Laeticia mostly remains within Jeanne's subconscious, but occasionally interacts with other characters. At first, Jeanne is unaware why she was summoned as Ruler beyond ensuring the Greater Grail War occurs fairly. However, over time she learns her true purpose is to stop Amakusa from hijacking the war to fulfil his own wish. Jeanne aids Sieg in starting a new life, but has visions that he will join the war despite her attempts to prevent it. She falls in love with Sieg, but at first assumes these feelings belong to Laeticia. Jeanne is courageous, compassionate, humble, and honest, disbelieving that she is a holy maiden as she was canonized as. As Ruler-class, Jeanne can command other Servants using Command Spells. Jeanne has two Noble Phantasms, "Luminosité Eternelle", her military flag, which can repel enemy attacks; and "La Pucelle", which manifests the flames that killed her. Jeanne is defeated in the final chapters of Fate/Apocrypha, whilst Laeticia is spared. Her spirit later reunites with Sieg in the reverse side of the world. In Fate/Grand Order, Jeanne appears in Orleans as both an ally and antagonist, as the real Jeanne goes into conflict with her Avenger-Class Alter self, who became Orleans' demonic ruler. Alter-Jeanne also appears in other Singularities and Lostbelts as a recurring ally. –
Yggdmillennia's Servant and one of the Twelve Paladins of Charlemagne, who is androgynous in appearance. He is upbeat and optimistic, but also confident, courageous, and lacks caution, related to his mythical flight to the Moon. He finds his initial master, Celenike, to be unpleasant, and soon befriends Sieg, becoming Sieg's Servant after Mordred decapitates Celenike. Astolfo possesses four Noble Phantasms, including a hippogriff which serves as his mount, "La Black Luna", a large hunting horn that emits sound blasts, the golden lance "Trap of Argalia", and "Casseur de Logistille", a spellbook that allows Astolfo to overcome most forms of magecraft. Astolfo later becomes the last surviving Servant in the war, with Sieg tasking him to help out the world as he sees fit. Astolfo also appears in Fate/Grand Order as a recurring part-time servant in Chaldea, with his recent assistance in Agartha.
Saber of Red's Master, who is confident and pragmatic. He is a freelance necromancer who the Clock Tower hired to act as the seventh Master of Red, Shishigou is a confident, pragmatic man. In the past, Shishigou's ancestor made a deal to acquire the family's necromancing trait, but his bloodline was marked with a curse, making it difficult to reproduce. Shishigou adopted a daughter, but his attempt to transfer his Magic Crest to her led to her death, which he seeks to use the Holy Grail to undo. He gets along well with Mordred, with them acting independently from the rest of the Red faction. They side with Ruler, Sieg, and the remaining Black Masters to defeat Amakusa after he is revealed to be manipulating the war for his own benefit. Shishigou and Mordred defeat Semiramis, but Shishigou dies from his wounds. Kairi also appears in the Case Files of Lord El-Melloi, as a supporting character. –
Kairi Shishigou's Servant. She is known as the Knight of Treachery, and is the homunculus daughter of Artoria Pendragon and her sister Morgan le Fay. She appeared in Fate/stay night and Fate/Zero in flashbacks, but her face was not revealed until her appearance in Apocrypha. She has a good relationship with her Master and wishes to use the Grail to challenge her right to be King of Camelot and have her father's recognition as her heir. Artoria had previously slayed her, but not before she mortally wounded her father, leading to Artoria's ascension as a Heroic Spirit. Mordred is prideful, haughty, confident, and dislikes being addressed as a woman. She has two Noble Phantasms; her armor "Secret of Pedigree", which hides her identity from detection, and her magic sword "Clarent Blood Arthur", which fires destructive energy blasts. Mordred and Shishigou side with the surviving Yggdmillennia Masters and Jeanne to defeat Amakusa and fight and defeat Semiramis, but Mordred fades away after Shishigou dies from his wounds. In Fate/Grand Order, Mordred appears in London as an ally and guide to Ritsuka Fujimaru and Mash Kyrielight and would later be a recurring ally on other lostbelts assisting in SIN and Atlantis. An alternate version of Mordred where she never had a tumultuous relationship with Artoria appears in Camelot as an antagonist. –
A compassionate and virtuous member of the Holy Church who oversees the conflict between the Red and Black Factions as Semiramis's Master. His true identity is an incarnated Heroic Spirit named , a Japanese Christian who died leading the Shimabara Rebellion during the Edo period. In contrast to Angra Mainyu in the Fate/Stay Night timeline, the Einzberns summoned Shirou as a Ruler-class servant during the Third Holy Grail War and acquired a physical body before Darnic took the Greater Grail. Shirou exploits the conflict while manipulating the other Masters of Red, except for Shishigou, into transferring their Command Spells and Servants to him. After his faction acquires the Greater Grail ad the number of sacrifices for activation, Shirou makes his wish to turn all souls of humanity into immortal beings of conscience in bliss and free of sin using the Third Magic. While his wish is granted, Sieg fatally wounds him and Semiramis finishing him off with a poisoned kiss. Sieg prevents Shirou's wish from taking full effect by having the Grail grant his own wish to become Fafnir and carry it to the Reverse Side of the World, where no humans exist for the Grail to affect. Still a Heroic Spirit, Shirou possesses Noble Phantasms that include a replica of his katana that Shakespeare conjured and markings on his arms that allow him to perform miracles and use all types of magic.
Black faction Servants –
Yggdmillennia's Servant, who is known as the Dragon-Blooded Knight. Siegfried appears in the Nibelungenlied as a heroic figure who killed the dragon Fafnir, bathing in his blood and becoming immortal. However, a lone linden tree leaf covered a part of his back, leaving a weak spot that ultimately caused his death. After Gordes summons him, Siegfried is forbidden from speaking his true name to others, and silently obeys Gordes' orders. After Gordes mortally wounds Sieg, Siegfried removes his own heart and gives it to him, becoming the first Servant to die in the Greater Grail War. Sieg is able to transform into Siegfried for a limited time. He has two Noble Phantasms, his sword "Balmung", which emits energy waves, and "Armor of Fafnir", making his skin invulnerable to most attacks. In Fate/Grand Order, Siegfried appears in Orleans, with Jeanne and Ritsuka having rescued her, and recruits him to counter Fafnir, Alter Jeanne's main Wyvern. –
Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia's Servant. He is a Greek hero and centaur who appears as a human to hide his identity. He is calm, wise, and loyal and serves Fiore well, but convinces Caules that his sister does not have the fortitude to be a mage. Chiron's wish is to regain his lost immortality. Achilles, who is Rider of Red, was one of Chiron's pupils, and they share a combative rivalry. Chiron and Astolfo remain the final Servants of Black to participate in the battle against the Red faction. Chiron is ultimately defeated in a duel with Achilles, but uses his Noble Phantasm "Antares Snipe" to remove Achilles' immortality with a celestial arrow. –
Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia's servant and leader of the Servants of Black. He is a Romanian warlord and hero who wishes to rebuild his kingdom and erase the stain that Count Dracula made upon his family's reputation. He is intimidating, yet charismatic and modest leader, who dislikes Darnic's excessive flattery. Due to being in his old domain of Romania, Vlad's abilities are boosted, but he weakens after moving the battle to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Vlad has two Noble Phantasms, "Kazikli Bay", which creates endless stakes to impale enemies, and "Legend of Dracula", which transforms him into the mythical vampire he despises. Vlad refuses to acknowledge or use his second Noble Phantasm, but Darnic forces him to; he then imprints his soul onto Vlad, turning them into a vicious monster obsessed with acquiring the Greater Grail. Amakusa later slays them both using holy lances. In Fate/Grand Order, Vlad appears in Okeanos as an antagonist as one of the Beserker servants Alter Jeanne summons. –