Fate/Grand Order Memorial Movie:
A Glimpse of Human History
Imagine being a magician, summoning Alexander the Great to battle alongside you to save the history of humanity. That’s Fate/Grand Order in a nutshell, and it just dropped an astonishing music video celebrating the game’s anniversary.
Fate/Grand Order, a gacha game, brings historical and mythical legends like Napoleon, Zeus, and Sherlock Holmes to life. Players, as Masters, summon Heroic Spirits (significant figures of all alignment and fields; even fictional characters such as Oberon and Sherlock Holmes are heroic spirits) from the “Throne of Heroes” to help in the quest for the Holy Grail, a relic granting any wish (In Fate/Grand Order, it acts as the cause of singularities that make humanity extinct in certain timelines). This bond between Master and Servant is complex, often reflecting the unfulfilled desires of these spirits.
Fate Memorial Movie is a short video that depicts Mash, one of the main characters of Fate/Grand Order reading books that contain stories and lore of heroic spirits that she met in her Journey to Save Humanity.
The video weaves a tapestry of emotion and history, opening with evocative symbols like Arthur’s Excalibur, Jeanne D’Arc’s flag, Arjuna’s bow, then transitioning to a boat journeying to the Isle of the Dead (based on Arnold Böcklin’s famous painting). This scene symbolizes the summoning of great heroes from the afterlife.
The narrative unfolds through contrasting moments of profound grief and joy. It portrays the mourning of Alexander the Great’s followers accompanying their lord on his deathbed, the homage paid by the Order of Assassins to Hassan-I Sabbah, and the tragic burning of Jeanne d’Arc. These scenes poignantly capture the sorrow of loss. Yet, the video also celebrates their life, showing Alexander marching with his troops, Jeanne walking alongside her companions, and the knights of the Round Table walking together.
War, an inescapable aspect of human history, is starkly portrayed in the Fate/Grand Order Memorial Movie. It shows Hassan gathering his forces, the disciplined Phalanx of Alexander’s army, and the climactic moment where Arthur confronts and defeats Mordred, her own daughter (Arthur and Mordred are female in the Fate series). These scenes poignantly remind us that war, despite its heroism, often culminates in tragedy and loss, claiming the lives and dreams of even the mightiest.
In the next scene, Alexander, dressed as his philosophy mentor, Diogenes, watches the downfall of his empire, the proof of his triumph and existence in the afterlife. Meanwhile, Merlin, a grand caster with the power of clairvoyance who can see everything that currently happening in the world, observes the horrors of war and violence, casualties of wars, elders, children, and troops, but still thinks that even with the rotten side of humanity, it is still worth fighting for. Even he stands as a pivotal figure in supporting the protagonist in their quest to save humanity.
The video then gracefully transitions to a scene of diverse individuals in prayer, beautifully illustrating a tapestry of faiths and beliefs, each invoking hope and dreams. This transitioned to a scene where Arthur, in the void, witnesses a hand reaching out to her. This hand, shifting in skin tones and even taking on abstract forms, represents players from around the world engaging in the summoning ritual. In striking contrast to her usual stoicism, Arthur’s face lights up with a smile as she extends her hand toward this universal call. The culmination of this scene is both triumphant and symbolic, as angelic beings in plate armor bestow upon her the legendary sword, Excalibur. This powerful imagery signifies the Servant’s connection to Masters from across the globe, uniting them to save humanity.
The Fate/Grand Order Memorial Movie is not just a celebration of the game’s anniversary; it’s an honor to the enduring stories of heroes that have shaped our understanding of history and humanity. Through its captivating visuals and storytelling, the video invites us to reflect on the complexities of heroism, the inevitability of war, and the undying hope that drives humanity forward. The video is freely available on YouTube, I believe it can even touch the hearts of non-fate players and has 2 versions, the English vocal version, and the Japanese vocal version.
