Rider (Alexander the Great)

Anime Characters (332 items)
list by Massao Ikawa

Rider (ライダー, ?) is the Rider-class Servant of Waver Velvet in the Fourth Holy Grail War of Fate/Zero.

Rider's identity is Alexander the Great, also known as Iskandar and Al-Iskandar, the King of Conquerors (征服王, ?) who almost ruled the world. During his youth, he had a close friend who would drag him around everywhere with a personality similar to Taiga Fujimura. He attributes having expanded his horizons thanks to the friend and notes that the friend began to truly show his talent after Alexander's death. Usurping the throne of Macedonia in the far west part of Greece, the young king had since then subdued the neighboring countries in the blink of an eye. His ambition crossed over the Straits, and he had wanted to extend his insolent neck into this great empire of Persia.

The King spoke of his reasons. His goal was to reach the end of the world. His destination the furthest border of the East. He wanted to behold Oceanus with his own two eyes. He wanted to leave his footprints at the beach beside that endless sea. No one believed him, but this man brought his army away with him continuing towards the East. The defeated generals finally understood... the tyrant wasn't lying.
Even looking pitiful and deplorable, the soldiers suddenly thought. What would they see behind that mountain –? What would they see at the other side of the sky –? And they went after the back of the great king traveling to the east. The army of the King increased endlessly with his victories on his road of progress, towards the east, towards Oceanus, the endless sea. Until, together with the king, they behold the legendary beach. Across boiling deserts, over chilling snow-capped mountains, fording billowing rivers, chasing away ferocious beasts, and fighting for their lives for times out of count with those foreign tribes never seen before and the unknown weapons and strategies they deployed, they continued towards Oceanus.
Even when they died in battle after giving all they had, their faces still held a proud smile until the end. They’d be able to return to the image in their dreams, the evening-mist-covered seashore that they had once seen. A scene that they continued to long for in their hearts during their heroic crusading lives.
Their bodies may return to ash but they are loyal followers, they are true companions, one flawless cooperation with their king. The king had stronger desires than anyone else, was more magnificent than anyone else, was more easily angered than anyone else, pure and chaotic, a man who was more real than any other man.
At his death, Alexander's empire became four separate warring factions that quickly disappeared into the sands of history. He can grieve for it, he can shed tears... but never regret.