Gilgamesh

"Don't mind Gil. He's a bit... full of himself"

- Suzaku

Gilgamesh is an enigmatic Archer-class Servant from the Nasuverse. He appears familiar with Fuyuki City and claims to have a past relationship with Saber. Typically clad in an ornate golden armor, he possesses an immense number of Noble Phantasms, though none are representative of his true identity. He lives with his insane and combat-loving best friend, Suzaku Pendragon. He is an Honorary Member of The Survivor and his Emblem is Gold.

Noble Phantasms
Archer/Gilgamesh possesses countless prototypes of other heroes' Noble Phantasms inside his Gate of Babylon, but only two (besides Gate of Babylon itself) are truly representative of him as a Heroic Spirit: Enkidu and Ea.

However, he mostly uses Gate of Babylon when fighting, and, according to his belief that most servants are inferior to him and not even worthy of direct confrontation, he usually doesn't even bother to grab the weapons and use them individually, but rather shoots them out like a rain of arrows. Weapons fired this way return to his vault automatically after a short period of time. Incidentally, this way of fighting made him suitable for Archer class.

Life before
Gilgamesh makes no effort to conceal his identity as the legendary Sumerian King Gilgamesh. He is the son of Lugalbanda, the 3rd King of Uruk, and of a goddess, Ninsun. Born into great wealth with more divinity than most demigods, Gilgamesh grows into a conceited and tyrannical ruler. His subjects, feeling this reign too harsh, pray to Anu, the King of Sumerian gods, for assistance. Anu, recognizing Gilgamesh's cruelty as a consequence of boredom, creates a wild-man, Enkidu, as a diversion and rival for The King of Heroes.

Enkidu becomes a lord of beasts, fiercely attacking those who would hunt his animals. A trapper, irritated with the troublesome Enkidu, seeks the advice of Gilgamesh, who recommends the aid of a priestess, Shamhat. Enkidu is "civilized" through Shamhat's seduction, and becomes forever shunned from the beasts he once protected. He then lives a quiet life aiding trappers and shepherds, but his wanderlust drives him to the Sumerian capital of Uruk. He is attracted to a wedding, where he overhears a boastful Gilgamesh exclaim his right to sleep with the new virgin bride. As Gilgamesh approaches the lover's bedroom, a furious Enkidu bars his entry, and the two men engage in a wrestling competition.

Gilgamesh and Enkidu are evenly matched, but Gilgamesh briefly attains an advantageous position and manages to pin Enkidu. Impressed by his opponent's prowess, Enkidu compliments Gilgamesh, and the two swear an oath of friendship. Gilgamesh proposes an adventure into the Cedar Forest to slay the demigod Humbaba, a guardian of gods. Following a tremendous battle, Humbaba is beguiled by Gilgamesh into lowering his defenses, allowing Gilgamesh to quickly restrain the brute. Although Enkidu was initially averse to killing the giant, he realizes Gilgamesh will become world famous for Humbaba's death, and despite Humbaba's pleas for mercy, Gilgamesh decapitates him. They then cut down the tallest Cedar trees and, using the lumber, build a raft on which they sail down the Euphrates back and back to Uruk.

Impressed by his heroic feat, the goddess Ishtar appears to Gilgamesh and offers him the opportunity to become her mortal consort. Gilgamesh rebuffs her advances, citing a host of mortal men who have romanced the goddess and met grisly ends. Flustered at her rejection, Ishtar asks her father, Anu, to send the Bull of Heaven to kill Gilgamesh and destroy Uruk. The bull rampages around Sumeria for several years, but with Enkidu's aid, Gilgamesh proves capable enough to restrain and butcher it.

Outraged by the death of a divine beast, Ishtar demands either Gilgamesh or Enkidu be killed as retribution. The god Shamash appeals for their lives; Gilgamesh is spared, but the unfortunate Enkidu is condemned to die for meddling with divine will. Shortly after this trial, Enkidu is stricken with a dire illness and suffers for twelve days. During his last moments, he foresees a grim afterlife in a dream, and curses those who originally cultivated him. Gilgamesh mourns Enkidu's lifeless body for many days, and fearful of meeting the same fate, embarks on a quest for immortality.

Gilgamesh seeks out Utnapishtim, a former King of Shuruppak who survived The Deluge by constructing an Ark as advised by the god Ea. In repentance for the genocide of mankind, the Sumerian Gods gift Utnapishtim with immortality and spirit him away to Dilmun, the End of the World. After journeying over Mount Mashu and through a Garden of Gems, Gilgamesh crosses the River of Death and meets Utnapishtim.

Utnapishtim explains that immortality can be achieved if Gilgamesh remains awake for six days and seven nights; Gilgamesh makes the attempt, but soon succumbs to fatigue. Gilgamesh is frustrated with his failure, but Utnapishtim offers an alternative; a magical herb, which only grows on the ocean floor surrounding Dilmun, will bestow eternal youth onto whoever consumes it. Gilgamesh successfully retrieves the plant, but doubtful the shrub's properties, decides to test his prize on the elders of Uruk.

On the journey back, a serpent consumes the precious ambrosia while Gilgamesh bathes; horrified, he weeps at his loss. Upon arrival in Uruk, Gilgamesh stares at the imposing city walls he built and realizes mortal men cannot escape destiny, for true immortality can only be achieved through the legends dead men leave behind.

As a Servant
Archer/Gilgamesh was initially summoned by Tohsaka Tokiomi in the 4th Holy Grail War, who used a fossil of the first skin ever shed by a snake as a catalyst. With Tōsaka's death, Gilgamesh participated with Kotomine Kirei to obtain the Holy Grail, intending to cleanse the world of humanity, which he felt had become corrupted and vile, thus not worth of his reign (he wanted to rule a world inhabited with strong and dignified creatures, according to Suzaku). When Emiya Kiritsugu killed his Master, Gilgamesh remained in the physical world long enough to be drenched by the pollution within the tainted Holy Grail. Contact with this ichor normally corrupts a Servant's ego, but Gilgamesh resisted submission to the evil influence. However, the saturation converted his spiritual body to one of flesh and blood, and Gilgamesh also become more eccentric and excitable.

It was then he met Suzaku Pendragon - back then, a young girl with a case of mental instability and Hair Trigger Temper. He befriended this girl by giving her one of his earrings (though he's still always seen with two afterwards), and they travelled a bit, getting to know each other and growing closer in their friendship.

In the events Suzaku refers to as "Fate/Zero", Gilgamesh was responsible for delivering the deathblow to the Rider-class Servant Iskander, King of Conquerors. He fought in an epic final battle with Saber, but their battle was interrupted by the destruction of the Holy Grail.

Although able to exist independently of Kotomine, Gilgamesh continued to cooperate with his old Master, who had been resurrected by the Grail's malevolent power. With Kotomine's aid, he was able to stockpile Mana for his Noble Phantasms through the consumption of human souls from children orphaned by the fire at the end of the war. Gilgamesh also retrieved a potion of temporary youth from his vault that reduced his physical age and allowed him to smoothly blend in with society.

Gilgamesh is antagonist in each "scenario" of what Suzaku calls "Fate/stay night". In "Fate", he kills Caster as she assaults Shirō's residence, and later ambushes Shirō and Saber during their date. Ultimately, he is "killed" in a climatic battle with Saber at the Ryūdōji Temple atop Mount Enzō. Gilgamesh is more active in "Unlimited Blade Works", and reprises his role as the final antagonist; after easily killing Ilya and Berserker, he is "lent" to Shinji Matō after Shinji's Servant, Rider, is killed by Sōichirō Kuzuki. Gilgamesh attempts to use Shinji as the core of the Holy Grail, but he is "killed" by Archer after being cornered by Shirō. Gilgamesh has a small "role" in "Heaven's Feel", where he lacerates Dark Sakura with Gate of Babylon. However, he underestimates her regenerative abilities and is "devoured" by her shadows, only to be recovered by Suzaku's Light of Luxis.

In the events Suzaku refers to as "Fate/hollow ataraxia", Gilgamesh once again consumes his potion of youth, and holds a low-profile in Fuyuki City to avoid interacting with previous Servants or Masters. As a child, he is extremely popular with other children, retaining his royal charisma but also affable and amiable. When Shirō reunited with this younger Gilgamesh, Shirō did not recognize him and was dumbfounded as to how Gilgamesh would eventually grow into such a haughty and selfish person. During the Fuyuki eclipse, he reverts to his adult form and assists the other Servants in slaying the endless horde of Shadow Wolf Beasts, providing the opportunity for Avenger to make his way to Heaven's Feel.

Trivia

 * Gilgamesh and Suzaku often say nearly the same thing without even conferring, as shown when they they faced off against Sky and Sea.
 * Gilgamesh has only ever won in a game against Suzaku once, and Suzaku had blindfolded herself, to "make it even"