Saber's Fate Unveiled: The Shocking Betrayal in Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works Route

Saber, also known as Artoria Pendragon, is often portrayed unfavorably in various adaptations of the Fate Series, including Ufotable's versions of Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works and Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel. Throughout these stories, she endures challenges such as death, corruption, and abduction. However, in retrospect, a significant portion of Unlimited Blade Works in the TV anime stands out as especially disrespectful towards the character.

Because of The Implication

The anime adaptation of 2014's Unlimited Blade Works focuses on the second storyline from the popular 2004 visual novel Fate/Stay Night. This route places Rin Tohsaka as the main female lead and love interest for Shirou Emiya, the protagonist. Each of the three story routes explores different themes, the choices the hero makes, and the significant role played by one of the female characters - Saber, Rin, or Sakura - as the deuteragonist. In the first season of Unlimited Blade Works, Saber, who serves as Shirou's ally in the Holy Grail War, is abducted and Shirou loses his position as a Master, effectively removing him from the ongoing battle. This sets the stage for the second season, with Shirou and Rin dedicating their efforts to rescue Saber. However, the events that unfold during this rescue mission regarding Saber are quite disturbing.

When Caster stole Saber, it was a deeply tragic event. The audience's first glimpse of Saber in captivity below the Fuyuki Church creates a jarring shift in tone. The once proud and regal King of Knights is now dressed in an uncharacteristic white gown and bound by her hands. This captive princess appearance clashes with Saber's usual aesthetic, but if the description ended there, it would be somewhat acceptable.

However, Saber is not portrayed as just a helpless damsel in chains. Despite her bound hands, she is forced into a vulnerable position with her dress pulled up and covering her backside, thankfully not shown to the audience. In addition, she appears exhausted, yet she doesn't kneel in a realistic manner for someone whose mana is being drained. Instead, the unrealistic and suggestive pose implies that Caster may be sexually assaulting Saber.

Preserved from the original visual novel, this moment could have been completely cut if any creative liberties were taken. Whether or not the show acknowledged it, the entire scene would appear fetishistic. Some argue that Caster's actions towards Saber connect to their backstory and can be explained, but it still feels out of place. Unlike other works in the same universe with a darker tone, UBW doesn't present itself in the same way. Garden of Sinners, for example, also addresses sexual assault, but in a more tonally appropriate context and with a more direct execution, though it may still be unsettling to some.

UBW is significantly lighter than Gen Urobuchi's Fate/Zero, which itself has problematic depictions of women. In this instance, Saber's sudden sexualization is unexpected and made worse by her lack of agency. Throughout five episodes, she hardly protests or displays defiance.

Almost every scene in the basement treats Saber as mere decoration, like a doll used for discussions among other characters. The doll metaphor aligns with how Caster interacts with and treats Saber. Even if some argue it is intentional, the issue could be seen as a lack of commitment and crossing boundaries.

Shirou and Rin have been in the basement twice, but both times, it seems like Saber doesn't exist until she is rescued. It feels like they downplay her torment to avoid making it overwhelming, but this lack of emphasis takes away the urgency in saving her. Combined with the pacing of UBW, Saber's predicament feels insignificant, which is even more frustrating considering her unnecessary objectification in the story. Interestingly, committing more to this idea could have made it more impactful, although it would come with the risk of creating something worse. However, it might have also made it harder to sympathize with Caster later on.

No matter how you slice it, Saber's portrayal as a mere object during her captivity by Caster falls flat, particularly in the anime, and one could argue it is not an improvement from the original source material. The inclusion of a questionable sexual implication in Episode 13 only worsens the situation. In this instance, Saber would have been better off being underutilized rather than subjected to such treatment. It's not as though she hasn't experienced it before.

The Saber Problem

If it weren't for the multitude of impressive scenes and the overall circumstances of the productions, one could easily speculate that Ufotable harbors a grudge against Saber. Fate/Zero is an exceptional series, despite its debatable treatment of Saber and her character, which has sparked ongoing discussions among fans. Additionally, it's worth noting that this observation comes from a show that seemingly rushed to dispose of its female characters towards the conclusion, indicating that there are indeed multiple issues at hand.

In Fate/Stay Night, Heaven's Feel, two-thirds of the trilogy showcases Saber's transformation into evil. The only animated adaptation of Saber's route is the Studio Deen anime, which, although good, may not attract many viewers due to its inferior visual aesthetics compared to Ufotable's work. Among the studio's renditions, UBW, along with its alternate ending OVA, provides the best conclusion for Saber, despite the unfortunate inclusion of her kidnapping.

While the show is not completely ruined or egregiously offensive to her character, the kidnapping element feels out of place and detracts from the overall viewing experience. It can be considered the weakest aspect of the anime and significantly adds to a narrative stagnation that hampers the series, particularly right before some of its most captivating episodes.

Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works is generally considered to be a relatively faithful adaptation, although there are opinions suggesting it could have been even more faithful. Nevertheless, the unfortunate incident of Saber's kidnapping demonstrates that not every element needs to be retained. Moreover, it serves as a reminder that it may be high time for a remake of the Fate route.