Kirei Kotomine

nihongo|Kirei Kotomine|言峰 綺礼|Kotomine Kirei is a character from the Japanese visual novel and anime series "Fate/stay night" by TYPE-MOON.

Through an agreement between the Mages' Association and the Church, the Holy Grail Wars are moderated by a priest. Kirei's father was the mediator for the 4th Holy Grail War, and when he died, Kirei felt obligated to replace him. His selection as mediator is unusual, for Kirei is a member of both the Church and Mages' Association, organizations on hostile terms with one another. Since the death of Rin's father, he has also acted as an indirect caretaker for Rin. Although ranked lower in the Church hierarchy than Ciel (from "Tsukihime"), Kirei employs many of the same techniques and weapons she does.

The voice acting for Kotomine is done by Jouji Nakata in Japanese and Taylor Henry in English. [cite web| url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=5394| title=fate/stay night (TV)| publisher=Anime News Network]

History

Kirei was not only a Master in the 4th Holy Grail War, but was also responsible for the monstrous conflagration in the ensuing turmoil following the war's end. He has lived a troubled and gloomy life, hounded by guilt and sorrow. Although Kirei understood the distinction between good and evil, he could only revel in committing sins. Like his father, Risei Kotomine, Kirei became a vicar, but he was trained as an exorcist and had an ironic talent for healing other people. With no alternative, Kirei prayed that, through marriage to a woman he loved, he could finally achieve respite from his tortured existence. When Kirei discovered marriage could not change him, he was on the brink of suicide; his ill wife, filled with concern, committed suicide to show to Kirei that he could still feel compassion for others. However, after her death, Kirei was disgusted to realize he would have preferred killing her himself; from that day on, he ceased pursuing salvation altogether.

As a representative of the Church, it is initially implied that Kirei summoned an Archer and gained entry into the 4th Holy Grail War. Fate/Zero reveals that Kirei actually summoned Assassin while Tokiomi Tōsaka, Kirei's mentor, summoned the Archer-class Servant. Risei Kotomine, the Manager of the 3rd and 4th Holy Grail Wars, died while trying to mediate a violent conflict. He took advantage of the ensuing chaos to murder Tokiomi and form a contract with Tokiomi's Archer. Toward the end of the war, Kirei clashed against Kiritsugu Emiya, but he was easily killed. In his last moments, the Holy Grail appeared to Kirei; filled with hatred and envy for Kiritsugu, he reached out and touched the cursed artifact. Kirei prayed for an end to humanity; his wish was granted in the form of fire. Amidst the roaring flames, Kiritsugu's Saber obliterated the Holy Grail, allowing its tainted water to soak Kirei's lifeless body, resurrecting him with an artificial, black heart.

In the aftermath of the war, Kirei became curious as to the capabilities of the Holy Grail; he decided contingencies in case another war began during his lifetime. After the Fuyuki fire died down, Kirei rounded up the surviving children and imprisoned them within the basement of his Church; he then allowed his Servant to consume their souls and stockpile Mana. While Archer took up residence in Fuyuki City, Kirei joined and participated on several missions for the Mage's Association, additionally acting as a distant supervisor for Rin Tōsaka. Nearly a decade after his death, Kirei was designated as Manager of the 5th Holy Grail War; at his request, Bazett Fraga McRemitz, a sorcerer-hunter Kirei met on one of his assignments, joined him in the conflict. Kirei then fatally wounded Bazett, stealing her Command Mantra by slicing off her left arm. Using these mantra, he formed an additional contract with Bazett's now orphaned Servant, Lancer.

In "Heaven's Feel", it was revealed why Kirei was so dedicated to have the tainted Grail to be completed. After he gave up on salvation, he questioned the meaning of his own existence. He questioned how a being like himself was allowed to be born. Kirei sought to find the answer by completing the tainted Grail. He figured that the tainted Grail was a large version of himself and by watching its birth, he would be able to find the answer to his question.

Role

Kirei Kotomine is an antagonist in all three scenarios of "Fate/stay night", though he is the primary villain only in "Fate". Kirei is almost always the first to have access to the Holy Grail, though he cares little for it himself; he is more interested in the results of wishes made upon a tainted artifact, especially with individuals who possess pure souls or good intentions. He uses the Grail as bait to tempt Saber and Shirō into using it during "Fate", and is later killed by Shirō in a cataclysmic final battle. Kirei's goals are unchanged in "Unlimited Blade Works", but he lends his Archer to Shinji Matō and is later killed by Lancer shortly after forcing Lancer to stab himself. He also wonders about the behavior and stability of an entity born of evil, but without knowledge of right or wrong; he pursues this objective in "Heaven's Feel", but his false heart expires before this comes to pass.
In "Fate/Zero", his main ambition is to find Kiritsugu, and ask to him what was his objective, what made him change his life, after reading about him in a report from a spy in the Magus' Association, the same that informed Kiritsugu about the other Masters.

Trivia

While fighting Assassin during the Heaven's Feel Arc, Kotomine wields a weapon similar to the Black Keys, swords that another character in the same universe, Ciel uses as well. As both characters are members of the Roman Catholic Church, it is possible that these weapons are a universal equipment of the organization.

References