The strongest hosts in Fate/Stay Night

Key conclusions

• Masters in
  Fate/To spend the night
  have different abilities determined by the success of the draft and personal skills.
• Some masters, like Shinji, rely on external power sources, which hinders their potential.
• Powerful masters like Rin have bloodlines, artifacts, and skills that make them key players in battle.

Fate/To spend the night tells the story of the fifth Holy Grail War, in which several mages are called upon to summon powerful servants to fight a great royal battle. While some Masters already possess exceptional power, others are far less willing to use it or are completely unaware of their abilities. Each master's power is determined by the success of their summoning ritual, as well as their abilities and relationship with their servant.

Although relatively powerless in their own right, Masters often possess some form of latent ability, whether it be in the form of magical items or incantations. The rating of masters is evaluated only on the basis of their performances in fate/nightrather than in alternative terms.

6 Shinji Matu

Despite her family history, Cindy is not herself

Although Cindy born of a mage lineage, he is inept when it comes to participating in the Holy Grail Wars. His power is derived almost entirely from his family grimoire rather than any innate magical ability. Cindy has potential, but his ego prevents him from being a truly formidable Master.

Summoning Ryder as his epic hero, Shinji is definitely relying on her to survive tough encounters. He does show some strategic acumen by luring Saber onto the roof of a skyscraper, allowing Ryder to use her Noble Phantasm, but ultimately it's not enough for Shinji to survive.

5 Shiro Emiya

A reluctant hero takes some time to improve his abilities

Although Shiro is the central character Fate/To spend the nighthis powers are pretty weak for most of the series. His innate tracking ability, which allows him to create copies of any weapon he sees, is certainly a huge advantage, but he struggles to use it to his advantage until Saber's second encounter with Berserker.

Shirou's noble intentions and selfless willingness to put himself in danger for his servant had certainly put him in danger more than once. He relies on both Rin and Saber to revive him on several occasions, but he eventually grows to become one of the strongest Masters overall.

4 Kuzuki Suitira

A trained assassin on a personal mission

Kuzuku interesting case, because he is the only Master in Fate/To spend the night who has no magical abilities. However, this does not make him weak, as he is a trained assassin with a background in martial arts. His daytime disguise as a history teacher makes him look weaker than he really is, and especially with his augmented fists, he can hold his own against most other wizards.

While he may not be all that powerful on his own, his unique bond with Caster makes them a formidable pair of antagonists. Caster's willingness to serve him is also a unique advantage when it comes to master-servant relationships, as he does not require command seals.

3 Rin Tohsaka

A powerful mage with several key artifacts

Rin Tohsaka comes from a respected line of powerful wizards who previously competed in the Holy Grail Wars. As a result, she is imbued with all sorts of useful charms and items, and has many magical spells and sayings of her own. Along with numerous gems that increase her vitality and mana, Rin also wields the Azoth Sword, an extremely powerful dagger that ends up playing a major role in the final battle of the series.

Partnered with Archer, Rin demonstrates her skills several times, including during her summoning ritual. She is also a capable fighter, playing a key role in defeating both Caster and Berserker. Her knowledge and experience is the only reason why Shirou can survive and develop his abilities.

2 Iljasfil von Einzbern

A tiny master has ultimate control over a powerful servant

Ilya von Einzbern is one of the most tragic characters in the Fate series for many reasons. However, she is an extremely powerful mage who was essentially raised to fight in the Holy Grail Wars. Her summoning of the great Berserker is a testament to her strength, and she displays impeccable command of her servant unlike most other Masters.

Along with her servant, Illya possesses her own arsenal of magical talents, including the ability to hypnotize others and put them into a trance-like state, as she does with Shirou. She is also provided with an entire mansion from which she plans her strategies and captures. Although she may seem relatively innocent at first, Illya possesses a violent streak that also sets her apart from the more compassionate Masters, who may hesitate before killing anyone who stands in their way.

1 Kirei Kotomin

The key antagonist is strong in all areas

Kirei He is supposed to be an impartial overseer of the Holy Grail War, but it soon becomes apparent that he would like to intervene. Having previously won the Holy Grail War with Gilgamesh as a servant, Kirei now commands two servants along with his magical abilities.

Although Lancer is his main servant and Gilgamesh is more independent, Kirei still gives orders to both at times, but it is his abilities that make him the most powerful master. Along with his superior martial arts and marksmanship skills, Kirei is also highly skilled in magic, as evidenced by his Avenger challenge. Even though he was ultimately defeated this time, it's fair to say that Kirei is by far the toughest challenge any other Master could hope to face.