William Shakespeare

AKA: Shakespeare, The Greatest Writer, Caster of Red Class: Caster Attribute: Man Height: 180 cm Weight: 75 kg Origin: History Region: England Alignment: Neutral-Balanced Gender: Male

Stats: Strength: E Endurance: E Agility: D Mana: C++ Luck: B NP: C+

William Shakespeare is a Heroic Spirit whose fame came from his work as an English playwright and poet. He manifests in the Caster class despite possessing little practical magecraft. His power comes from the stories attached to his name and from the influence his writings left upon human history. His Noble Phantasm First Folio creates a staged tragedy based on the memories and emotional wounds of its target.

During the Great Holy Grail War he served as the Caster of Red. His original Master was Jean Rum before Shirou Kotomine assumed control over most of the Red faction. Shakespeare supported Shirou and Semiramis through enchantment and psychological warfare. He used his Noble Phantasm against Jeanne d’Arc by reconstructing people and events from her past in an effort to destroy her resolve.

Shakespeare was later summoned within the London Singularity. He joined Hans Christian Andersen and assisted Ritsuka Fujimaru and Mash Kyrielight during their investigation of the demonic fog. He helped them confront the forces controlling London and later answered Chaldea’s call during the battle at the Temple of Time. He fought alongside the other Servants connected to the restored Singularities against the Demon God Pillars.

Appearance: Shakespeare has fair peach skin and a tall slender build with narrow shoulders a lean torso and long legs. He has pale gray eyes. His reddish blond hair reaches the nape of his neck with layered ends and loose strands around his ears. A short full beard follows his jaw and chin with a connected mustache. He wears a broad black hat with a flattened crown and wide uneven brim. A deep red band circles the base of the hat. A long black feather rises from one side beside a small gold knot shaped ornament.

He wears an elaborate black coat with extremely wide sleeves and a long split hem. Thick cream trim runs vertically down both front edges and continues around the sleeve openings. Additional cream geometric bands decorate the shoulders and lower side panels. The inner lining is deep red. A very high red collar rises behind his head in two sharp triangular points and carries pale interwoven knot emblems on each side.

Beneath the coat he wears a white pointed collar over a deep red neckcloth gathered into several layered folds. A narrow black vest runs down his torso with two vertical rows of round gold buttons. The center of his shirt is pale cream with vertical paneling and an exposed section across the abdomen. Thin dark straps and small gold fittings cross the upper torso beneath the neckcloth.

Dark brown gloves cover both hands. White ruffled cuffs extend beyond the wide sleeves. He carries a thick black book with a dark gray border and a red circular pattern surrounding a pale central profile. The book has reinforced angular corners and a rigid spine.

His lower body is covered by fitted black trousers ending above the ankles. Pale cream cuffs wrap around the lower legs. He wears black mid calf boots with loose shafts and pointed cream toes. A small red ribbon is tied near one ankle. The long coat ends in sharply angled panels with oversized cream knotwork decorating the lower outer sections.

Personality: William Shakespeare values stories above morality or personal loyalty. He seeks dramatic conflict and rejects ordinary outcomes. He may support either heroic or destructive actions when they produce a compelling tale. He prefers dangerous plans over cautious progress and often treats real events as material for tragedy or comedy. He is not driven by cruelty alone. His choices instead follow his desire to witness exceptional people face severe trials.

Shakespeare serves his Master through support rather than direct combat. He strengthens others and observes how they react under pressure. His loyalty is unreliable because he may encourage decisions that increase danger for everyone involved. He wants his Master to possess the strength needed to survive a turbulent life. He also hopes their journey reaches a worthy conclusion even when that conclusion ends in disaster.

Hans Christian Andersen is his fellow author and frequent companion. Their shared profession creates familiarity despite their different temperaments. Shakespeare also works with Leonardo da Vinci and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart on theatrical projects. He treats Blackbeard as a possible director despite questioning his suitability for the role. These relationships reflect his habit of assigning artistic positions to the people around him.

Noble Phantasm: First Folio First Folio seals the target within a theatrical world shaped by an unfolding script. Shadowed actors and reconstructed places from their past appear across the stage as their most painful memories are forced into a living performance. The vision ends as the curtain falls and leaves the target mentally overwhelmed.

Noble Phantasm Quote: "The stage play begins! Photography, recording, and talking are forbidden! My Noble Phantasm's title is First Folio! Raise the curtains!"

"Raise the curtains! Ladies and gentlemen, please give a heartfelt applause to their tragedy! First Folio! Encore!!"

"First Folio!! Ah, please enjoy this time. ─── Nothing makes my life like ovations!"

"A full house with an overcrowded audience ─── In other words, First Folio! Next I'll have to do it in a Broad Way."

"A full house with an overcrowded audience ─── In other words, First Folio! Next I'll have to go for a Western End."

Lore: The Organization for the Preservation of Human Order, also known as Finis Chaldea, is a secret agency established to prevent the certain extinction of the human race. Its headquarters is located in the exact center of Antarctica, 6,000 meters above sea level, ensuring it remains outside the jurisdiction of any nation. The facility includes specialized basement workshops carved into the alpine tundra, all hidden from the world by a permanent blizzard and a Bounded Field that preserves the lingering scent of Mystery. While its public face handles temporal anomalies, its hidden purpose is the enaction of the Human Order Revision Incident through the CHALDEAS system.

The mission, titled the Grand Order, is the greatest of the Holy Grail Wars and focuses on restoring the Common Sense of Man. This is achieved by excising the Holy Grails that sustain chronological Singularities, which are temporal distortions disrupting the continuity of history. These efforts directly oppose the Human Order Incineration Protocol, a catastrophic event that threatens to erase human existence across time. Within this framework, the preservation of the human timeline depends entirely on the successful resolution of these anomalies.

Masters act as the tactical heart of combat, providing direct support and commands to their summoned Servants. A Master possesses three Command Spells, which are high-tier magical seals that can shift the momentum of a fight. These seals require 24 hours to recharge once used. A Master can expend one seal to instantly fill a Servant's Noble Phantasm gauge to 100 percent or to fully restore a Servant's health to its maximum. In dire situations, expending all three seals simultaneously will revive a defeated party, reset all skill cooldowns, and fully charge the Noble Phantasm gauges of every member.

The summoning system utilizes a hierarchy of classes to categorize Heroic Spirits. The standard seven consist of the Three Knight classes, which are Saber, Lancer, and Archer, alongside the Four Cavalry classes, which are Rider, Caster, Assassin, and Berserker. Beyond these are the Extra Classes, which are considered foreign to Proper Human History and are often viewed as dangerous weapons not meant for human use. Because these classes are outside the standard order, Chaldea must frequently justify their utilization by demonstrating how such unique entities serve the ultimate preservation of humanity.