Lancelot (Berserker)
Berserker / Lancelot – Fate/Zero
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A literal black knight with a full suit of dark, cursed armor.
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Silent and terrifying, with insane combat ability.
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Represents madness and lost nobility—a twisted take on the Arthurian knight.
Lancelot (ランスロットWP, Ransurotto?), Class Name Berserker (バーサーカー, Bāsākā?) is the Berserker-class Servant of Kariya Matou during the Fourth Holy Grail War of Fate/Zero.
He is one of the Servants of Ritsuka Fujimaru of the Grand Orders conflicts of Fate/Grand Order.
A literal Black Knight, Berserker appears in Fate/Zero clad in a full suit of dark, cursed armor. Once known as the legendary Knight of the Lake (Mizūmi no Kishi), Lancelot was celebrated as the mightiest among the Knights of the Round Table, and one of King Arthur’s most loyal and trusted warriors. However, he also became a tragic symbol of betrayal, guilt, and love twisted by fate—an echo of the doomed romance between Diarmuid Ua Duibhne and Gráinne, which his own tale is said to mirror.
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| Berserker Stage 1 in Fate/Grand Order, illustrated by Hirokazu Koyama. |
Appearance: From Knight to Madness
The contrast between Lancelot in life and Lancelot as Berserker is stark—two forms that reflect a fall from grace into madness.
In his Berserker form, Lancelot is a towering figure clad entirely in pitch-black armor, an imposing presence forged from both craftsmanship and sorrow. His helmet, rustic and battle-worn, bears only a narrow slit from which an eerie, ghastly glow emanates—his eyes, burning with suppressed rage. The armor itself is a masterwork, not overly ornate nor crude, but a seamless blend of elegance and lethality. It carries deep scars and scratches, each one a silent testament to countless battles fought and victories won—symbols of a once-glorious legacy now consumed by darkness. It is a suit of war so flawless and fearsome, it would stir envy in the hearts of even the noblest knights.
Yet this is not the Lancelot the world once knew.
In life, Lancelot was the ideal image of a knight—noble, gallant, and dignified. His appearance inspired admiration; his beauty and strength were matched only by his chivalry and honor. But that dignity has been lost. As a Berserker, twisted by Mad Enhancement and the weight of his inner torment, Lancelot’s once-handsome features have withered into the hollow face of a specter. His countenance is gaunt and pale, resembling the living dead—haunted by the curse of betrayal and remorse. The only spark that remains is in his eyes, glowing fiercely with hatred and anguish, the last remnants of his shattered soul.
Due to his Noble Phantasm “For Someone’s Glory”, all identifying marks of his armor are concealed, rendering him a faceless, silent wraith. Unlike Saber’s regal gleam or Gilgamesh’s golden brilliance, Berserker's armor offers no polish, no heraldry—only a void. It swallows light, giving him the appearance of a shadow made flesh, an embodiment of bottomless darkness. The armor erases all hints of identity, lineage, or honor, leaving behind only a ghost consumed by vengeance.
When this concealment is lifted, the armor is unmistakably that of Lancelot, but the soul within no longer shines with the pride or nobility of a Heroic Spirit. Instead of the radiant aura typical of legends, he exudes a negative energy, more akin to a vengeful spirit or an Assassin than a knight of old. His story, once filled with glory and tragedy, now lingers in his presence as a symbol of loss, rage, and the price of betrayal.
LANCELOT BERSERKER POWERS AND ABILITIES
Abilities: The Overpowered Knight Consumed by Madness
From the moment of his birth, Lancelot du Lac stood apart—his talents not merely exceptional, but bordering on the divine. His physical prowess, knightly virtues, and martial skill placed him beyond the realm of "high-spec" and straight into "completely overpowered." Wielding the sacred blade Arondight, he earned his title as the strongest of the Knights of the Round Table, unmatched in solo combat and considered unbeatable in his time.
His frequent brushes with madness during life, often tied to his tragic love for Guinevere, made him uniquely suited for the Berserker class—a vessel through which his suppressed fury could erupt unchained. Though his Magical Energy consumption becomes dramatically higher in this state, his terrifying power makes it all the more astounding that a weak Master like Kariya Matou, reliant on Crest Worms, could sustain him for as long as he did.
Combat Prowess
Clad in his ominous full-body black armor, Lancelot becomes a near-unstoppable force on the battlefield. The armor itself, forged with meticulous craftsmanship, balances beauty and brutality, marked with the scars of countless battles. His natural Endurance, paired with this near-impervious protection, makes him absurdly durable—capable of surviving the backdraft of an F-15 fighter jet, enduring multiple Noble Phantasms from Gilgamesh, and even reacting fast enough to avoid a direct trampling by Iskandar’s divine chariot.
Even when gravely injured, Lancelot’s reflexes and tactical instinct shine through. He has held his own against some of the greatest legends, such as Artoria Pendragon, using his intimate knowledge of her fighting style and weapon to relentlessly pressure her into a defensive corner. He could even predict the trajectory of her Invisible Air strikes based on his perfect recall of Excalibur’s dimensions.
Lancelot's strength is such that even Gilgamesh, Iskandar, and Charlemagne acknowledge his might—Charlemagne even remarking that he may be "a bit too strong."
Skillset
Class Skills
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Mad Enhancement (C Rank): Boosts all stats except Luck and Mana but strips Lancelot of speech and reason. His ferocity against Gilgamesh is credited to this power-up.
Personal Skills
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Magic Resistance (E Rank): Provided by an enchanted ring, this offers minimal defense against Magecraft, weakened by Mad Enhancement.
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Protection of the Spirits (A Rank): A blessing from the Elementals, this boosts his luck in battlefields, activating only in moments of combat.
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Eternal Arms Mastery (A+ Rank): A testament to his unrivaled martial genius. This allows Lancelot to perform flawless combat techniques even while insane. His skill with weapons remains fully intact despite his madness.
Noble Phantasms
Knight of Owner – The Knight Does Not Choose
Lancelot’s signature Berserker ability allows him to transform any object he wields into a D-rank pseudo-Noble Phantasm—but if the original weapon is higher-ranked, it retains that power. This makes him a nightmare for weapon-based opponents, particularly Gilgamesh, whose Gate of Babylon becomes a buffet of high-tier weaponry for Lancelot to steal and turn against him.
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He once caught one of Gilgamesh’s Noble Phantasms mid-air, using it to parry the rest.
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Engaged Gilgamesh in a duel that was evenly matched—until Gilgamesh doubled the number of weapons, overwhelming even Lancelot.
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Used a F-15J fighter jet, hijacked mid-air, as a weapon during his battle with Gilgamesh, piloting it while maintaining pursuit.
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Armed with the M61 Vulcan autocannon, he unleashed 12,000 magically enhanced rounds per minute—lethal even to Servants.
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Deployed Sidewinders and Sparrow missiles, enhanced to track targets by sheer hatred, forcing Gilgamesh to block them with defensive treasures.
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Even modern firearms provided by Kirei Kotomine became deadly under Lancelot’s touch, their magically boosted speed outpacing the reflexes of even Artoria.
For Someone's Glory – The Faceless Knight
This Noble Phantasm cloaks his True Name, parameters, and even his appearance, erasing all identifying traits. Under its effect, he becomes a shadow without a name—no light, no legend, just a void. While Berserk, Lancelot can no longer use its full functionality, including the ability to disguise himself as another Heroic Spirit, unless directly ordered via Command Spell.
Arondight – The Unfading Light of the Lake
Lancelot’s true Noble Phantasm, and his ultimate weapon. A Divine Construct with origins tied to Excalibur, Arondight was bestowed only upon the greatest knight of the age. When he calls upon it:
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His stats skyrocket, surpassing his Berserker form’s already monstrous power.
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He loses access to his other Noble Phantasms in exchange for raw destructive force.
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The blade deals extra damage to Dragon-type opponents, easily overwhelming even Artoria’s regenerative abilities.
In their final duel, Lancelot’s onslaught with Arondight shattered Artoria’s will to fight. Though she defended desperately, even at her peak she may not have withstood his blows. However, Arondight’s drawback is immense: its Magical Energy consumption is so high it drains power equivalent to sustaining a full-body Servant for hours in mere seconds. His battle against Artoria would have ended in her death—if not for him running out of energy at the last moment.
Final Thoughts
Even among Heroic Spirits, Lancelot is an anomaly. A being of exceptional talent and overwhelming tragedy, twisted into a monstrous warrior by guilt, rage, and loyalty. He is a knight who surpasses his peers not only through strength, but through sheer willpower—and even in madness, the brilliance of the greatest knight still shines through the shadows.
Origin and Rise
Lancelot was born and raised in France, orphaned as a child and taken in by Vivian, the Lady of the Lake. From her, he received the title Knight of the Lake and was raised with noble ideals and combat prowess. Curious and skeptical of Britain’s "King of Knights," he traveled across the sea to witness this supposed legend firsthand.
What he found changed everything. On a chaotic battlefield, he encountered a young boy astride a horse—Artoria Pendragon, unknowingly a woman disguised as a man—radiating resolve and strength as she fought valiantly. The experience humbled him. It wasn’t brute strength but unshakable conviction that defined a true king. He fought alongside her that day and, impressed by his valor, Artoria welcomed him to Camelot and the Round Table. Over time, he earned a place among her most trusted knights.
Lancelot’s life was filled with renowned exploits: from entering a horse race in disguise to fighting off armed enemies with nothing but an elm branch. He was admired not only for his skill but for his unwavering sense of duty.
The Fall from Grace
Lancelot’s downfall began when Sir Tristan, disillusioned, left Camelot, claiming that Arthur could never understand the emotions of others. These words resonated with Lancelot. Sharing a deep sense of sorrow and isolation, he grew close to Queen Guinevere, who, like him, bore the weight of royal expectations. She had given up her own identity and happiness to support Arthur’s reign and keep the secret of the king’s true gender hidden.
Their shared pain turned to love. Though torn between his loyalty to Artoria and his feelings for the queen, Lancelot ultimately gave in to his emotions. The affair was discovered and publicly exposed by Agravain, manipulated by Morgan le Fay. Guinevere was sentenced to death, and Lancelot tried to rescue her—slaying several of his own comrades, including Gareth and Gaheris, the siblings of Sir Gawain.
The betrayal shattered the unity of the Round Table. Though Artoria forgave Lancelot, Gawain never did, and the kingdom spiraled into civil war. Camelot, once the symbol of noble ideals, was destroyed by the fallout of one knight’s love and the king’s burdens.
The Mad Spirit
Exiled and broken by guilt, Lancelot eventually descended into madness. When summoned as a Heroic Spirit, his overwhelming regret and sorrow twisted him into the Berserker-class servant—a manifestation of rage, remorse, and despair. He no longer spoke, driven only by emotion, but his skill and loyalty still lingered beneath the madness. Even in his cursed state, Lancelot remained the eternal black knight—one who once served the light, only to fall into shadow.
