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Kirei Kotomine (言峰 綺礼, Kotomine Kirei?) is the main antagonist of Fate/Zero and Fate/stay night. He acts as the Master of Assassin during the Fourth Holy Grail War, but then later forms a contract with Gilgamesh after Assassin's defeat. Their contract lasts into the Fifth Holy Grail War, where he also deals a fatal wound to Bazett Fraga McRemitz to seize control of her Servant, Lancer. While he is an ordinary Master during the Fourth War, he acts as the supposedly impartial mediator during the Fifth War.

Kirei Kotomine was born December 28, 1967 as the son of Risei Kotomine, who was gifted with Kirei on a pilgrimage. Kirei is a word of prayer, so Risei named him such so that he would be pure and beautiful. He grew up according to Risei's expectations, showing morals and good sense from a young age, and was insightful enough to seem precocious to others. He has been actively involved with the Church since his youth, and he often accompanied his father to the holy grounds. He worked diligently as an Executor-in-training from an early age, and he was once chosen as an Executor around the age of ten.

While he understood that he was living up to his father's expectations, he did not love his father. It was unrelated to having to meet expectations, and he grew up healthy. The problem was an intrinsic one, that he did not understand his father's notion of "beauty." He finally realized the inconsistency one morning, and wondered why it took him so long to figure it out. He simply woke up, raised his head, and knew at that moment that, while his father wished for him to be beautiful, he had always questioned why he had never thought the same of which that Risei had thought was beautiful.

Understanding that he was not in accordance with the world, he worked hard to correct this mistake, attempting to be pure and beautiful. All throughout his teenage years, he did everything he could to overcome his defect after accepting its existence. He suffered agony, though he never knew if it truly was agony, trying to pursue something he lacked from the start. Following that he, as a sinner by nature, should punish himself following the morals in which he believed to keep balance in the world, he tried methods like shaving away the skin, ripping off flesh, and dislocating bones.

Rather than surrendering himself to his condition by indulging in twisted pleasure, he tried looking within his own body for what could not be found in his mind, attempted to use mental pain, which is more significant than physical pain for missionaries, and attempted to abstain from eating during their pious acts. After ten years of such things, all of his purgatories and sufferings were useless to change him. Unable to reach an epiphany, he arrived at the single conclusion that he did not have the sense to feel normal happiness.

He turned to religion with fervor to turn himself into a normal person, believing that God may eventually bring him salvation. The path that became his creed was to become a priest and preach like his father. It is said that God forgives everything, so He should also save someone "who is not born with it." The result for him was tragic, as he abode by the rules of God, followed the law, and lived modestly with no results. He could not find greater pleasure than the pain of others, and while the Church's teachings forbid immorality, immorality was all he had at the time.

There was no anguish at this realization because had always sought after something that never existed. There was nothing lost, so there was nothing to grieve. He was only concerned about the "why?" behind himself as he matured. He wondered about the nature of his existence, that if the world hates evil, what was the purpose of something that was never wanted being given life. Those with a deficiency should not be born, yet there are beings that exist to be hated and die. He wished to know the crime of his existence, the simple, pure question of "why?" and held a feeling of anger towards something unknown behind his reward of years of anguish and blind devotion not being salvation.

He attended the Theological College of Manresa St. Ignacio where he skipped two grades and acted as the student council president. He graduated in 1981, and while he could have become a cardinal minister with his background, he focused on the inside of the Church. He entered the seminary at the age of twenty-two, and in the same year received a second baptism to graduate from a trainee to a full Executor who could operate independently. During his time there, he transferred three times to different departments, and eventually ended up in the Assembly of the Eighth Sacrament with his father.

Due to his twisted nature, he wished to have a family in an attempt to gain a normal sense of self. After all his attempts, his final chance was a woman, believing that every human wishes to love one of the opposite sex, have a family, and die peacefully. He was no exception, but he wished for it while feeling no true fascination for it. He eventually met and married Claudia Hortensia while still performing his duty of judging heretics. He then voluntarily left his position in the seminary, and abandoned the path of becoming an official priest.

The woman he chose was one with no future, as she was terminally ill with only a few years left to live. He doesn't know if he chose her because of that or if that had been his only choice. He tried loving her in order to earn happiness, and she truly did love him, and even bore his child, Caren Hortensia. Their time together only lasted for two years, and it was unable to change him. He derived happiness from her suffering and their daughter's despair, and the more he tried to love, the more their suffering saved him. This didn't cause him to suffer, and he still doesn't know if he did ever suffer. The only thing he does know is that the more she tried to cure him, the more he wanted to see her grieve.

He holds that, even if she was sickly, she was a saint to him. Her faithfulness and how deeply she understood his anger need not be questioned. The degree with which she understood him and tried to heal him is beyond any other human, but she could still not fill the void within him. Filled with despair at this fact, he concluded that his birth and existence were some kind of mistake, so it was best to disappear. He went to bid her goodbye before he was to die, as it was a natural duty to tell her, whom he made his wife as an experiment, of his end. Entering her room where she was dying, composed of only skin and bones, he relayed the simple fact "I could not love you."

With her final attempt to prove to him that he could love and that he deserved to live, she took her own life after responding, "No. You do love me." Believing that her death would bring sadness to him, she was happy to see that he was crying and smiled at him before finally passing away. That was only the way she saw it, and rather than crying for her death, he was instead sad over losing the chance of killing her himself and enjoying her death. He silently left the room and ceased pursuing salvation altogether. Their daughter was placed in the custody of her mother's relatives. Rather than killing himself, he worked for the Assembly of the Eighth Sacrament, concentrating on training as an Executor.

At night a few days later, three years before the Fourth Holy Grail War, he discovered the surfacing pattern of his Command Spells. Upon consulting his father, Risei immediately took him to Turin to meet Tokiomi Tohsaka the next morning. Even if he was unable to understand why he was selected, as he lacked any 'sense of purpose', ideal or aspiration, Kirei was instructed by his father to be temporarily transferred from the Holy Church to the Magi's Association and train under the tutelage of Tokiomi Tohsaka. He became acquainted with his family during this time, and he was disliked by Tokiomi's daughter, Rin Tohsaka.

Appearance

Kirei wears simple vestments and a golden cross around his neck during the Fourth Holy Grail War, and he wears a cassock as of the Fifth Holy Grail War. Participating in the 4th Holy Grail War at the age of 28. He is noted to be rather tall, standing at 185 cm in his mid twenties, and experiencing an unnatural eight centimeter growth spurt to 193 cm after the Fourth Holy Grail War for an unknown reason.

Personality

Unknown to all those around him, Kirei was born defective, possessing a warped mind since birth. He is an evil person, but not a villain. He is deviant, but not inhuman.  Despite his personal accomplishments, he never felt satisfaction. Despite his best efforts he could not enjoy what other people found happiness in, and instead found himself drawn to negative emotions like the pain of others. He is able to act like a normal person, even bringing pride to his father, but he intrinsically does not feel the same happiness others do.

He is very similar to Shirou in that he is a void human being without a clear sense of self, and can be called the opposite extreme of Shirou. If Archer is a light embossing of Shirou's defects, then Kotomine could be said to be the wall exposing those defects by darkness. He also pursued Kiritsugu fervently, mistakenly believing that Kiritsugu possessed the same hollowness.

Fourth Holy Grail War

After first learning of his defect as a child, he attempted to correct it through various methods because he believed that it was not in accordance with the world. He had nothing that could be called a "sense of purpose" like his father or teacher, so he was unable to consider an idea noble, find comfort in any quest, or find solace in pleasure. Though he still believed in God, he lacked the maturity to perceive it, and he only felt that there was a supreme existence, still clinging onto the small hope that the word of God would lead him to supreme truth and save him.

He already knew within himself that salvation would no longer come from the love of God for one such as himself, removed far from the sense of values held by the ordinary world. Unable to figure out a passion in which to throw himself, he was driven into masochism in his despair, forging his body under tortures and becoming Risei's pride for his perceived devotion and piety. He was ashamed by Risei's misunderstanding, which not even a lifetime's worth of shame could amend.

After over twenty years and various methods including an attempt at a family, he came to realize that it was his unchanging nature. Not even his wife could understand how much he lacked, and though he was planning suicide before his wife's death, he simply decided to devote his time to single-mindedly following the orders of the Church while ignoring his inclinations. Always calm and serious, he came to believe that joy itself was actually a sin, and, believing that finding joy in and from the pain of others is monstrous and inhuman, condemned the same atrocities that he would later perform.

He was confused as to why he was chosen by the Holy Grail as a Master, he who lacked sense of purpose, ideals, or aspiration. There should have been many other capable people to support Tokiomi, so he believed that explanation to be false. It chose him, which was a worrying inconsistency in that someone such as him had no reason to need an "almighty wish machine."

After acquainting himself with Gilgamesh, he fully accepts the fact that he feels joy from the suffering of others.

Fifth Holy Grail War

He has found the most enjoyable part of the year to be his all night mass on December 31. The event allows him to ruin both the past year and the coming year at the same time in the span of half a day. It is strange that the assembled people, while reduced to a state of "I'm sorry for even being born" by him, are all thankful to Father Kotomine afterward. While his words may make people depressed, he will give beneficial advice.

While knowing of the true nature of the Holy Grail, that he could always be the first to have access to a wish, he cares little for it himself. He is more interested in the results of wishes made upon a tainted artifact, especially with individuals who possess pure souls or good intentions.

He holds mixed feelings over the death of his wife. While he can no longer remember her voice or her face, he sometimes thinks "I wanted to kill her", but he doesn't know if it is a thought for his pleasure or grief for wanting to kill the one he loved with his own hands. He holds it as something that should be hidden forever, as her death was meaningless. Her devotion could not change him, but he doesn't want to consider her death to be worthless. He stopped searching for answers after that point. He warns Shirou not to kill a person he saved if she is a woman because "having her die in front of you hits you pretty hard."

While Kirei lacks normal worldly desires, he is still a living being and is therefore tormented by physiological needs, the foremost being food. He recognizes eating as a desire, but only as a necessity for survival. The act of eating is simply a procedure of placing food into the stomach to prevent it from becoming empty. During his various international missions, he had tried various dishes from both the East and West, and while he once anticipated that one of them could truly fill the emptiness in his heart, he found it to be a futile effort. While they could be called delicious and filling, they never brought any sense of fulfillment to his heart. Acting mechanically, he could only put the dishes served into his mouth to fill his stomach and leave his seat without any emotion.


He had no expectations for the taste of food until unintentionally tasting the mapo tofu of Fuyuki's Hongzhou Feast Hall: Taishan. That specific mapo tofu is the only food capable of touching his heart and the only delicacy he recognizes. While it looks like a mere disarrayed dish with chili peppers piled on top, he is enamored by the dish's spiciness and the stimulating scorch on his tongue that brings an indescribable taste. He believes that spiciness must be the ultimate experience of the sense of taste. He places several orders of it beforehand, eats it fervently enough that he begins to sweat, and he eats it at fast pace where he does not even pause once to drink.

Relationships

His family
Kirei could not feel any love for his father, wife or daughter despite doing everything he could to think and feel like a normal person and attempt to cherish them. He ends up regretting not being able to kill his wife and father himself. He abandons his daughter due to being unfit to be her caretaker.
Lancer
Kirei regarded Lancer as merely a disposable tool, and had forced Lancer to obey his orders through several Command Spells. As long as Lancer was present, Kirei did not need to approach the participants of the Holy Grail War personally, instead sending Lancer to scout out recently summoned Servants and to watch over Rin in one route. Unlike with Gilgamesh, Kirei concealed information from Lancer to ensure obedience, such as hiding Gilgamesh's existence and refusing to explain the real reason why Lancer needed to watch over Rin. The latter evidently backfired when, in that particular route, Kirei died by Lancer's hand.
Rin Tohsaka
Kirei regards Rin as a mere pawn to be discarded in his plans for the 5th Grail War. He manages to fulfill his role as her guardian well enough that Rin is good at martial arts and was able to grow into a powerful magi in her own right. Kirei makes an attempt on Rin's life in the Unlimited Blade Works route of Fate/stay night but fails due to Lancer's betrayal. It is also the only route where he confesses to the murder of her father, Tokiomi.

Role

Fate/Zero

Kirei summons Assassin while Tokiomi Tohsaka, his mentor, summons the Archer-class Servant. Gilgamesh 'kills' one of the Assassins in full view of the other Masters. This is in fact a ploy to fool the other masters into thinking that Assassin has been eliminated from the Holy Grail War. The Assassins initially acted as reconnaissance agents for Tokiomi and Kirei.

Kiritsugu recognized Kotomine as the most dangerous of the other Masters from the start and Kotomine knew about Kiritsugu Emiya well enough to be interested in him. During the first days of the war, Kirei followed Tokiomi's instructions and stayed in the church as a "defeated Master", but his growing interest in Kiritsugu lead him to search for him, engaging in some confrontations against Kiritsugu's assistant Maiya Hisau and his spouse Irisviel von Einzbern. Kirei won against them while Kiritsugu was fighting Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi, but seeing that Kiritsugu was a being that could be comprehended by others and not an empty man with the answers he sought, disappointment grew in Kirei, and he retreated.

Intrigued by Kirei's participation in the war, Gilgamesh suggests that to overcome his emptiness Kirei should determine the backgrounds and motivations of the other Masters and Servants as to why they wish to obtain the Holy Grail. Then, he decides that he should observe Kariya Matou’s fate too.

After Caster's defeat at the Mion river, Kirei brings Kariya to the Matou underground worm chamber and leaves, only to find the dead body of his father back at the Church. Kirei finds a dying message from him; a secret password that gives Kirei all the remaining extra Command Spells. Kirei sheds tears after seeing that his father cared about him until the end, but feels the exact opposite affection that a normal human being should. He wanted to see him die, just like when his wife died.

Kirei goes back to his room and has a conversation with Gilgamesh, but this time, Kirei is the devil tempting Gilgamesh. Kirei explains how Tokiomi will use his last Command Spell to kill his own Servant to open the gate. Hearing this, Gilgamesh accepts Kirei's plan to assassinate Tokiomi and take his position as Archer's Master. Tokiomi invites Kirei to his house one last time before Kirei heads back to the Church headquarters. Tokiomi wholeheartedly thought that he was a loyal apprentice and gave him an Azoth Sword as a parting gift. However, Kirei betrays and murders him with that knife as Tokiomi exits the room.

Kirei had made a deal with Kariya that if he helped him, Kirei will arrange a meeting with him and Tokiomi. Also, in return for kidnapping Irisviel using Berserker in the guise of Rider, he is promised victory and the Holy Grail. Zouken Matou appears in front of Kirei and says he must be plotting something interesting. Sensing Zouken as a dangerous threat, he attempts to kill him on the spot but Zouken cannot be killed by just being pierced by Black Keys. As he leaves, Zouken chuckles saying he senses in Kirei the same kind of broken personality he himself has. Kirei determines he is one of the enemies that he needs to kill one day. As Zouken noted, the "meeting" of Kariya and Tokiomi was an event arranged only for Kirei's amusement, and as Kariya finds Tokiomi already dead and Aoi walks in on him, she misinterprets the situation and blames Kariya for her husband's death. Kariya strangles her in desperate rage as Kirei and Gilgamesh enjoy the scene.

Kirei transfers his hideout to the underground sewers where Caster used to be, setting Irisviel as the vessel to the Grail, and orders Gilgamesh to go out and intercept the enemies that are coming this way and Kariya's Berserker to fight Saber.

Kiritsugu and Kirei finally have their fateful battle at the center hall. They have nothing to say to each other. Kirei performs fatal Ba Ji Quan blows on Kiritsugu, but Avalon quickly heals his body and the Magus Killer makes a comeback with his Innate Time Control. Kirei tosses all his remaining Black Keys in a spin, so that they will be right over Kiritsugu just as Kirei gets to him - Kiritsugu can either try to dodge sideways or backwards and get punched anyway, or jump away and get slashed by the Keys. Instead, he just stands there, reloads, and shoots Kirei just as Kirei's fist connects and crushes his skull. With the battle in stalemate, the black mud gushing out from the Holy Grail in the room above engulfs them both.

After Kiritsugu's Grail induced dream, which Kirei had also witnessed, Kirei wakes up to Kiritsugu pointing his gun at Kirei from behind. Kirei is surprised that Kiritsugu didn't accept the offer of the Holy Grail. Kiritsugu's answer is that it sacrifices too many things for what it gives. Kirei says that he wanted it even so and Kiritsugu shoots him in the heart saying that he does not understand Kirei.

In his last moments, the Holy Grail appeared to Kirei; filled with hatred and envy for Kiritsugu, he reached out and touched the cursed artifact. Kirei prayed for an end to humanity; his wish was granted in the form of fire. Amidst the roaring flames, Kiritsugu's Saber obliterates the Holy Grail, allowing its tainted water to soak Kirei's lifeless body, resurrecting him with an artificial, black heart. Kirei wakes up and finds Gilgamesh near him. He seems to have gained a flesh body from something that flowed to his body through the Master and Servant connection. After looking at the burning town, Kirei bursts out in laughter for the first time. He finally realizes and accepts what brings happiness to him in this world.

Half a year later, coming up with a plan to entertain himself, he gives Rin the Azoth Sword that killed her father as a gift, saying he received it from her father upon completing training. The rights to the Tohsaka lands are inherited by Aoi after Tokiomi's death, and subsequently inherited by Rin after Aoi's death. Kirei manages them as Rin's guardian, and because of his foolhardy and coarse management, the majority of profitable properties end up in the hands of others. It is possible that he believed the wealth was bad for her upbringing due to following the principle of humbleness and poverty.

In order to provide energy for Gilgamesh, he takes in children left orphaned by the conflagration under the guise of an orphanage to become a source of energy. Though he does not truly require it, Gilgamesh receives the energy and takes on his child form to be able to live adequately in the city. While continuing to act as Rin's guardian, he continues his work with the Church, and he is eventually assigned the Supervisor of the premature Fifth Holy Grail War after ten years.

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