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| “ | A king must live a life more vivid than any other and be a figure for all to admire. The king is the one who collects the envy of all his heroes and stands as their guide. Therefore, the king is not alone.
— Iskandar
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” |
Iskandar is a Servant from the Fate franchise, having first appeared in the light novel Fate/Zero. Also known as Alexander the Great, Iskandar gained fame by conquering most of the known world, which earned him the title of King of Conquerers. He is based on the Greek conquerer Alexander the Great.
Ascending the throne at the age of 20, Alexander annaxed the hostile Greek city-states to the south before moving to the east, clashing with the Persian Empire, lead by Darius III. Victorious, Alexander adopted the name Iskandar and lead his men into India. Although he planned to conquer the lands beyond so he could see Oceanus, the mythical ocean at the end of the world, his men were tired of the endless war and forced him to return home where they could retire with their spoils. Upon reaching Babylon, Iskandar died and his empire shattared.
Like many who accomplished great deeds in life, Iskandar's soul ascended to the Throne of Heroes and became a Heroic Spirit. His spirit would be summoned by Waver Velvet in the Fourth Holy Grail War and by the Moon Cell in the Moon Holy Grail War, where he joined Altera's party and possibly became Hakuno Kishinami's Servant if they were the one to summon Altera. Ritsuka Fujimaru would also summon him to aid Chaldea in the Grand Orders.
At some point, Iskandar's spirit visted an adult Waver, now known as Lord El-Melloi II, in a dream, still sharing a strong connection to his former Master. Doctor Heartless planned to transform Iskandar into a Divine Spirit and summon him into the modern day to return men to the Age of Gods. Although successful in the former, the latter part of his plan was foiled by El-Melloi.
Battle vs. Zagreus (by Appelmonkey)[]
Hades collapsed to the snow-covered ground in defeat, clutching his side as he tried to hold onto life for a little longer. “Blast!” he groaned, the earth seemingly shaking at the curse. “How did you manage to beat me so swiftly? The Olympians have been generous with their boons again, haven’t they?” Victorious, Zagreus rested the Stygian Blade on his shoulder and grinned, taking no small amount of pride in his flawless victory. “I can’t deny that they have,” the prince replied. “But look at it this way, father, you can return to your parchment work sooner than normal.”
The Lord of the Underworld grunted in annoyance as the blood-red waters of the River Styx rose from the ground to claim his body. “If only you spend just as much time cleaning your chambers as you did gloating.” With that final remark, the Styx consumed its master, returning him to his court in the Underworld.
Taking a deep breath, Zagreus closed his eyes, savoring another victory over Hades. He simply couldn’t wait to return to the House and see the look on his lord father's face when he passes him on his way to the lounge. Just as the prince figured it was time to move away from the Underworld’s entrance and allow the Styx to take him as well, something peculiar reached his ears. It was the cracking of freshly laid snow as someone stepped on it, almost as if someone was approaching him. Opening his eyes, Zagreus turned towards the source of the footsteps, only to be met with a surprising sight indeed.
There stood a mountain of a man with fiery red hair and beard to match. His bronze armor and flowing cape added to the stranger’s apparent might and majesty, identifying him as someone of great importance. If Zagreus didn’t know any better, he would have believed he was in the presence of an Olympian. The man smiled upon noticing Zagreus and thoughtfully stroked his beard.
“Ah, so you must have been causing all that noise,” the man said, his voice dripping with pure masculinity. He glanced toward the broken pillars and charred trees that littered the area, a little smile spreading across his lips as he did. “Must have been quite the battle.”
“I don’t mean to interrupt your train of thought, sir, but who are you?”
The stranger let out boisterous laughter as if he heard a joke. “You don’t recognize me, boy?” Proudly, the stranger spread his arms, allowing Zagreus to take in his full glory. “I’m Iskandar, King of Conquerers!”
Zagreus let out a good-natured chuckle. This Iskandar reminded him of Theseus in a way, if less pompous and annoying. “Well met, Lord Iskandar. I’m Zagreus, Prince of the Underworld.”
The king’s eyes glinted with interest as his lips split into an eager grin. “Ah, you’re the son of dreaded Hades! Yes, you shall make a fine opponent to test my might against before I initiate my conquest of the Underworld.”
“I-I’m sorry,” stammered Zagreus. “You plan to do what?” A mortal wishing to enter his father’s domain wasn’t unheard of or even out of the ordinary, but to try to conquer it on their own seemed like a fool’s errand. It seemed Iskandar read the prince’s thoughts as he lowered his head and closed his eyes in quiet contemplation. “I have already conquered the world,” he said, a solemn sadness creeping into his voice. “I have led my men from Greece into Asia and beyond. There are no more lands left for me to conquer.” There was a brief pause as the cold wind brushed past the pair. “Except for the realms above… and below.”
Once again, Iskandar opened his eyes, staring right into Zagreus’ mismatched pair. “I do not care if I perish. If I am to die on my quest, my name shall go down into history, and the Muses will sing of my accomplishments. But if I were to succeed, I shall become even greater than my lord-father Zeus! So I ask you, son of Hades,” pulling the Sword of Kupriotes from its sheath the King of Conquerers pointed it right at his foe. “Will you try to stop me from my conquest of the Underworld? Or will you merely stand by and watch as I lay siege on your father’s realm?”
Zagreus was at a loss for words. The convictions of this warrior, no, king, were stronger than anything the prince had ever seen. Perhaps even matching his own will when he first embarked to escape the Underworld so many years ago. Finally, he nodded and smiled. “Very well, King Iskandar. I shall grant your request,” he said as he assumed a fighting stance. “I swear on my father’s name that you won’t enter the Underworld alive.”
Again, Iskandar laughed. “Then come at me!”
Zagreus dashed forward, disappearing into a blue blur as the waves of Poseidon rose from the ground, surrounding his form as he thrust his sword forward. Iskandar held steady against the wave and parried the blade with his own before preparing a counterattack. But before the king could do as much as swing his sword, Zagreus had already disappeared. Another strike hit Iskandar in the back, failing to penetrate his armor but hitting him with enough force to cause him to stumble and wince in pain as an electric shock ran through his body. Zagreus followed it up with a flurry of blows, ending in a slash that sent Iskandar flying into a tree.
Iskandar grunted from the impact and fell to the ground, barely managing to chuckle as he picked himself off the ground. “You’re strong, boy. I haven’t been beaten back like this since Darius.”
Zagreus once again rushed in, only for his strike to be blocked by the conquerer’s swift hand. “But thus far you have faced me outside of my element. Let’s see how you handle this. Gordian Wheel!” Lighting struck from the heavens with enough force to blow Zagreus back two meters. As he looked up, his eyes widened in shock as he saw the biggest chariot he had ever seen pulled by a pair of mighty oxen at the center of the impact. Zagreus had little time to ponder where it came from as Iskandar took the reins and urged the oxen forward.
Thunder echoed through the woods as the Gordian Wheel rushed forward, its sickles cutting through Zagreus with ease. Turning the chariot, Iskandar expected to see the body of the god on the forest floor, only to see him stumble back and grit his teeth as the wound on his chest closed.
“Of course, the son dreaded Hades wouldn’t fall so easily.” Turning the Gordian Wheel, Iskandar rushed in for another charge, reducing any trees in his way to splinters. This time, Zagreus was ready. Just as the Gordian Wheel rushed forward in a stream of lightning, the prince jumped out of the way, letting Iskandar harmlessly rush into the tree line. Figuring a different approach was needed, Iskandar took the sky, the lighting under the divine oxen’s hooves carrying him upwards before swooping down to hit his target, only to hit nothing but the trees again.
“You’re getting predictable, Lord Iskandar!” Zagreus yelled at his foe.
The Conquerer couldn’t help but grin at his foe’s taunt. “I wouldn’t get too cocky!”
For one last time, Iskandar swooped down, Iskandar swooped down just as Zagreus predicted and the prince dashed, Zagreus dashed to the side to avoid the charge. Just as the Cthonic god jumped towards the chariot, Iskandar cried out the name of his second Noble Phantasm. “Via Expugnatio!” With the nimbleness of a cat, the oxen changed direction mid-charge as the lightning under their hooves flared up. One of the oxen hit the overconfident prince head-on, breaking all the ribs in his chest as lightning fried his body.
However, Zagreus’ wounds regenerated quickly as he defied death once more before he climbed on top of the ox. Iskandar quickly slashed the Sword of Kupriotes at the defiant prince, only to have it be blocked by the Stygian Blade, causing sparks to fly off each other’s weapons as Zagreus narrowly managed to maintain his footing. Before the Gordian Wheel carried them too far from the entrance of the Underworld, Zagreus plunged his sword into it, creating a powerful wave of water that knocked Iskandar off the vehicle.
Zagreus lept after him, intending to plunge the sword into Iskandar’s neck, but the King narrowly rolled out of the way before scrambling to his feet. After knocking the god back with a mighty kick, the Servant whistled to summon the divine oxen to him. Acting quickly, Zagreus dashed past his foe and towards the chariot, gathering his bloodstones in his hand. Thrusting his hand forward, the god cast three feezing vortexes, slowing the oxen down with the cold of Lady Demeter as the blades of Ares cut them to ribbons. The mighty oxen whined in pain before falling to the ground, rendering the Gordian Wheel useless.
Zagreus allowed himself a moment to feel guilty for having slain living targets before turning his attention back to Iskandar. “You have fought well, mighty Iskandar,” Zagreus said, reading his blade for another attack. “But it seems like we have reached the end of our little bout.”
“Perhaps,” Iskandar nodded in agreement before that eager grin appeared on his lips. “But I have one ace left up on my sleeve. Behold, son of Hades!” Raising his sword in the air, the mighty king called out the name of his ultimate Noble Phantasm. “Ionioi Hetairoi!” A flash of light blinded Zagreus, who instinctively raised his hand to shield his eyes. By the time he lowered it, the prince found himself in a drastically different landscape. Instead of the frozen forest, he stood in the middle of a desert, its dry hot air gently blowing against his face.
Only adding to the shock was the army of warriors on the other side of the sandy landscape, each one of them looking like they were plucked right out of Elysium. Iskandar, now mounted on his trusty steed Bucephalus, addressed his men.
“Warriors of Hellas! You have traveled from your homeland into Persia, the Indus Valley, and the lands beyond. Now we embark on a new conquest, that of the Underworld! But first, we must slay the son of Hades himself. A worthy foe indeed. But I ask you, warriors of Hellas, do you fear death?” The soldiers responded by thrusting their spears into the air, shouting their battle cry. “Then follow me, my companions! For glory!” The battle cries of the warrior merged into a thunderous roar as they charged after their king, kicking up a giant dust cloud in the process.
From his side of the desert, Zagreus could only watch in shock and awe at the spectacle. Every bone in his body told him to run. That there were too many warriors, the odds of winning were too slim. Then he closed his eyes. For just a moment, he was alone, even the incoming stampede of warriors charging toward him seemed to be distant. Clutching the hilt of his blade, Zagreus uttered Achilles’ mantra. The phrase that gave him the courge needed to defy Hades in the first place.
“Fear is for the weak.”
Without thinking, Zagreus put a foot forth, and then another, and another, until he had broken out into a full sprint. With his free hand, the prince reached for Batty, the Cthonic Companion plushy that hung from his hip, and softly squeezed it, calling out the name of its previous owner: “Megaera!” The symbol of Hades appeared beside the god, from which First of the Furies appeared. “Zagreus, where the hell are we?” she asked, sounding confused and annoyed.
“I’ll tell you when I get back to the House. First, I need you to blow a hole in their lines.”
Megaera turned her attention towards the charging army, narrowing her eyes on them with disdain. “On it.” With a flap of her lone wing, Megaera took to the air. Noticing their new enemy, the charging mass of bellowing warriors tossed their javelins at the rising Fury, blotting out the sun itself. She was undeterred and unleashed a flurry of lashes with her whip, rendering the projectiles to splinters. Next, she raised her hand, causing a row of circles to appear underneath the soldier's feet, spanning the entire length of the army.
Noticing the patterns appearing beneath him, Iskandar turned to his men to bark orders, but it was already too late as a chain of explosions erupted underneath the army’s feet. Caught in the blast, the mighty king was blown off his steed.
Her duty fulfilled, Megaera nodded at Zagreus before disappearing in a red glow, returning to the Underworld. The prince whispered a quiet thank you to the Fury before dashing toward the army. Using the newly created gap and the swiftness of Hermes, he jumped between the two halves, using every boon given to him to their fullest potential. The mighty waves of Poseidon kept the warriors at bay as Demeter's frost slowed their advance, making it easy for the blades of Ares and electrifying bolts of Zeus to smite them. Iskandar’s companions weren’t deterred by this display of divine might and continued to charge toward their foe, spurred on by their loyalty to their king.
Climbing back to his feet, Iskandar watched the battle unfold, a spark of interest flashing in his eyes. “Dividing the army and taking on each part individually. It's the same tactic used to best Darius! Brilliant! It’s like I am looking at a younger mirror image of myself. I did well to pick the Underworld as my first conquest instead of Olympus.” Clutching the hilt of his sword, the King of Conquerers rejoined his men in the fray.
Zagreus felt his lungs burning as he continued to dash between the two halves. For every warrior he slayed, another one seemed to take its place like the bone hydra’s heads. The task of keeping the halves separated became equally tasking as they crept ever closer to each other, threatening to close on the prince.
Again, the god charged at Iskandar’s men, pushing a swordsman back with Poseidon’s waves before thrusting his blade into the warrior’s neck, killing him instantly. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Zagreus’ body as a spear pierced through his abdomen, robbing the prince of his life. But thanks to Skelly’s Lucky Tooth, Zagreus defied death for the fourth and final time. Slamming his forearm onto the spearhead, Zagreus broke it off the shaft before sending the spearman flying with a roundhouse kick to the jaw as he yelled out a battle cry. “Skelly power!”
Having finally managed to surround their enemy, a group of warriors lept at Zagreus ready to cut him down with their blades. Zagreus had anticipated the attack, however, and plunged his blade into the sand, creating another shockwave that knocked the warriors back. The prince decided it was once again time to call for aid. But instead of clutching Batty again, Zagreus turned his gaze skyward and called out the name of his Lord-Uncle. “ZEUS!”
Immediately, dark clouds gathered overhead, even blocking out the glistening sun. As they coalesced, the clouds formed into the unmistakable visage of the King of Olympus himself. Clutching his fist, Zeus gathered a bolt of lightning within it. “Don’t go too easy on my son now, Zagreus,” the thunder god said in a booming voice as he rained down bolts of lightning on any warrior unfortunate enough to come close to the Prince of the Underworld.
Assisted by his mighty uncle, Zagreus dashed through the sea of men, cutting down anyone who managed to survive the barrage of lightning. Finally, the clouds dissipated, leaving Zagreus to fend for himself again. Blast, Zagreus thought to himself. I should’ve gone after Iskandar instead. If I kill him, maybe this world and the warriors will disappear.
As if on cue, he heard a familiar voice roaring behind him and turned to see Iskandar charging right at him. Smiling, Zagreus blocked the king’s attack while thrusting his hand backward to cast a vortex at a group of soldiers. “I knew you wouldn’t stay away for long!” Zagreus said as they exchanged blows, sparks flying off each other's blades as they intercept each other’s attacks.
“What kind of king would I be if I didn’t join them?” replied Iskandar, locking blades with the Cthonic god. “A true conqueror leads from the front!” Both lept back, readying their swords for a final attack. “Let’s end this, son of Hades!” Both warriors roared as they charged at each other, thrusting their blades forward to land the final blow. Each strike hit its mark as they stabbed the other through the chest. Zagreus and Iskandar coughed up blood as they fell to their knees and held onto each other for support. Before their legs touched the ground the world around them grew hazy until disappearing entirely, returning them to the frozen forest where their fight started.
Iskandar forced out a chuckled through pained breaths. “My first defeat… Fitting that it would be my last…” Breathing out their last breath, the two warriors perished, at last, collapsing to the snow-covered soil as the River Styx rose up to claim their bodies.
Winner: Tie
Expert's Opinion[]
This battle was close. Iskandar is a mighty foe indeed, with the overwhelming force of the Gordian Wheel and great number of soldiers he could summon with Ionioi Hetairoi, he could easily taken on any opponent. Zagreus, however, proved to be more than a wrothy foe thanks to his greater skill and variety of abilities and boons. Ultimately, the voters disagreed who was the deadliest warrior, leading the battle to end in a tie.
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.
Battle vs. Altera (by Appelmonkey)[]
TBW
Expert's Opinion[]
TBW
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.
Battle vs. Lion El'Jonson (by GardenofSound)[]
TBW
Expert's Opinion[]
TBW