Faith/Stay Night part 3: The Extra classes (part 1)
Welcome back to the Faith/Stay Night series, where we take famous (and infamous) figures from the Bible and slot them into the Fate/Stay Night franchise. Yes, you read that title correctly. There are, at the time of writing this, seven Servant types that fit the Extra category (eight if you include Beast, but we’re not going there). For this part, we’ll look at some of the earliest Extra classes introduced to the franchise. In the Fate/Grand Order mobile game, these three follow the Rock-Paper-Scissors type advantages: Rulers, Avengers, and Moon Cancers.
Rulers
Ruler class Servants are meant to act as mediators during Holy Grail Wars, much like the faction-style war of Fate/Apocrypha. They are impartial and have no desire for the Holy Grail that the other Masters and Servants compete over. Usually, Rulers are some type of saint, though there have been some exceptions within the franchise.
Hero: Wisdom (Proverbs)
The book of Proverbs was written mostly by King Solomon, the wisest man in the world. Fun fact: there are thirty one chapters in Proverbs, and, at most, thirty one days in a month. So, if you’re looking for godly wisdom to enrich your life, read one chapter of Proverbs every day. I post a daily Proverb on the board in my classroom, because, as my pastor once said, “A Proverb a day keeps the stupid away.”
A common theme that we see throughout the book is the personifications of Wisdom and Folly as two women vying for our attention. Wisdom calls from the hilltops and crossroads, inviting us to leave our simpleminded lives and bask in wholesomeness and good judgement. Folly is brash and gets in our faces, attempting to drag us into infidelity and debauchery. It’s awfully similar to how things are in our digital age now. Rather than listen to our teachers calling from the front of the classroom, we’d rather pay attention to the brain rot and social media scandals on our bright, loud phones.
Chapter 31 gives a vivid illustration for a wise woman, a “wife of noble character.” She is diligent with her work, discerning in her finances and purchases, and highly praised by her husband and children. Yes, men would love to have a Proverbs 31 wife, but it’s going to incredibly hard to find her when you’re pursuing the women from Proverbs 5 and 7!
For our Fate spec list, the concept of Wisdom would manifest as the Proverbs 31 woman. It wouldn’t be the first time a concept took physical form in the Fate universe (just look at the bizarre nature of Nursery Rhyme). As her name suggests, Wisdom would know how to handle any given situation. Her Noble Phantasm would be support-based, either her call from the hilltops or creating a base of operations (her household from Chapter 31).
Antihero: Antichrist (1&2 John and Revelation)
For kids and teens who grew up in Christian homes during the early 2000s, a common theme we dealt with were books and movies about the end times, the Tribulation described in the book of Revelation. A popular franchise based on this was the Left Behind series, although I remember watching at least three different movies outside of it. Honestly, I’m surprised I didn’t develop a deeper trauma of how it was all presented.
A common character that arises in the end-times narrative was the Antichrist, a servant of Satan who leads the world into an age of evil and deception. However, the term “antichrist” shows up multiple times in the Bible, not just in Revelation. Although a specific antichrist is foretold, the author of 1 John mentions multiple antichrists that followers of Jesus already had to contend with back in ancient times. While certain people were alluded to, “antichrist” applied to anything that was against Jesus.
Much like what we did for Wisdom, our Ruler Servant Antichrist would be the embodiment of this concept, manifesting as the Revelation figure we’re more accustomed to. He would be a master of deception, capable of fooling even the wisest of opponents. Considering the apocalyptic events depicted in Revelation, the Antichrist’s Noble Phantasm would probably summon the prophesized Beast (yes, that is also one of the Extra classes in the Fate universe, but remember: we’re skipping that one).
Avengers
Avengers are a unique class born from powerful resentment. Based on Fate lore, the first Avenger ever, Angra Mainyu, was the reason why antiheroes were capable of being summoned into the Holy Grail War ritual. Each Avenger has a different reason and method for exacting vengeance, but all of them channel that rage into insurmountable power. There is a risk, of course, of them turning on their Masters.
Hero: Elisha (1&2 Kings)
Elisha was the apprentice and successor of the prophet Elijah. He witnessed his mentor’s final moments on Earth and immediately continued the mission to prophecy throughout Israel. Elisha performed many miracles on Elijah’s scale, too, such as curing leprosy and blinding an entire army.
One of his often overlooked miracles actually happened posthumously. A couple of men were trying to bury their friend in the same tomb Elisha happened to be buried in. They heard a commotion outside. Assuming it was a group of bandits, the men dumped the corpse and ran. What they didn’t realize was that they placed their friend’s body on Elisha’s remains. Immediately, the dead friend revived and ran after the other two.
Yes, it does seem weird for there to be a heroic Avenger, but Elisha does fit the bill. In 2 Kings chapter 2, Elisha had just purified a spring of water near Jericho when a group of boys (or young men, depending on the translation) started making fun of him. “Go away, baldy!” they chanted. Unfortunately for them, Elisha cursed them while invoking the name of the Lord. Two bears then came out of the woods and attacked them. The account says that forty-two of these boys were mauled, which means there must have been a lot of them who were name-calling.
As a Servant, Elisha would be capable of many of the same feats as Elijah, although not to the same potency, since notoriety does affect a Servant’s performance. His Noble Phantasm would involve the two bears he summoned. Regular bears can easily outrun a human, but a pair of supernatural spirit bears? Good luck!
Antihero: Lamech (Genesis)
In last month’s entry, we talked about Cain and how he was cursed for murdering his brother. As an act of mercy, God declared that anyone who killed Cain would receive punishment seven times greater.
Now we fast forward to one of Cain’s descendants, a man named Lamech. There isn’t much mentioned about him aside from the fact that he had two wives.
However, unlike most people in the genealogies from Adam to Noah, some of Lamech’s dialogue was recorded. In Genesis 4, he informs his wives that he had killed a man who had attempted to harm him. Lamech then makes a rather bold statement: “If someone who kills Cain is punished seven times, then the one who kills me will be punished seventy-seven times!’
Yes, there are a lot of sevens being used here. In biblical numerology, the number 7 represents completion or perfection. One might say that Cain’s retribution was complete, while Lamech tried to escalate it with even more vengeance.
However, we see this cycle of complete vengeance countered by Peter and Jesus with complete forgiveness. In Matthew 18, Peter comes up to Jesus and asks Him, “Lord, how many times should I forgive my brother? Up to seven times?” This matches up with Cain’s retribution.
However, Jesus’s response does not line up with Lamech’s seventy-seven. “No, not seven times, but seventy times seven.”
This wasn’t just a simple counter to Lamech’s desire for vengeance; it exceeded it by a wide margin. Jesus’s point was not to literally forgive someone four hundred and ninety times (who wants to keep a tally that big?). For an uneducated fisherman like Peter, that number was probably difficult to calculate. His point was to forgive regardless of how many times you have to do it. The forgiveness Jesus offered was greater than the revenge Lamech desired.
As an Avenger, Lamech would have very little in the way of offensive power. However, just as he wanted to have vengeance greater than Cain’s, his Noble Phantasm would have the same revenge mechanic we suggested for Cain in the previous installment. That being said, Scripture does not indicate whether or not Lamech’s enemies truly did receive seventy-seven times’ the punishment, so, since it was not guaranteed by God like Cain’s was, his curse would not be as potent.
Moon Cancer
The Moon Cancer class is…an odd one, to say the least. This class originated thanks to BB, an artificial intelligence program from the Fate/Extra series, which takes place in a facility on the moon. Moon Cancers are described as “the irregulars who threaten the world of the moon.” Aside from being approved by BB, not much else is given.
Hero: Bezalel (Exodus)
Another interesting element of biblical studies is the Law of First Mention. According to this rule, the first time a term or phrase is mentioned in the Bible, that is how it is defined throughout the Bible. That first instance creates the lens through which we observe future appearances.
The particular phrase we’re looking at today is the phrase “filled with the Spirit of God.” Some would called it the “indwelling of the Holy Spirit.” This sounds pretty profound. Although most people would assume this was first attributed to David, Abraham, or Moses, it was actually first said of a man named Bezalel.
When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and into the wilderness, God gave him a lengthy set of instructions. Some of those instructions had to do with how to build the Tabernacle, a sort of mobile temple. Along with all the cloth coverings, a ton of other things had to be sculpted by hand, such as utensils, altars, and basins. In Exodus 31, God had this to say regarding who He wanted building everything:
“Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft!”
It’s fascinating how this is where being filled with God’s Spirit is first mentioned. Rather than a military or spiritual leader, Bezalel, an artist and a craftsman, was the one God used to define this special state. God did create humans in His image. It stands to reason that we inherited His creative desire, too.
Although Bezalel wouldn’t fit the “threaten the moon” aspect that most Moon Cancers have, being filled with God’s Spirit certainly gives an out-of-this-world feel. One might say he is possessed by a heavenly being. As a Servant, Bezalel would be all about creating items, such as weapons, traps, fortresses, et cetera. To an outside observer, his feverish devotion to his craft could be seen as madness, but to those who know the source of his creative drive, it’s nothing less than divine.
Antihero: Goliath (1 Samuel)
The last entry on this month’s list is a very famous one, going hand in hand with the man who killed him.
Goliath was a champion of the Philistines, one of Israel’s greatest enemies. He was also much taller than the average man. Nine feet tall, to be exact. His equipment was no joke, either. His armor was all made of bronze, and the mail coat he wore weighed 125 pounds on its own. The tip of his massive spear weighed 15 pounds, and although their sizes aren’t clarified, he did carry a sword and shield. Goliath may not have been the first giant mentioned in the Bible, but he was one of the most intimidating.
If there was anything bigger than Goliath’s size, it was his ego. Twice a day for forty days, Goliath paraded himself in front of the Israelite army, demanding a challenger. He offered a wager: he and said challenger would duel one-on-one. Whoever won would gain the opposing army as slaves. Of course, no one, not even King Saul, who was ruling Israel at the time, was willing to take him on. This only boosted Goliath’s confidence and loosened his lips when it came to badmouthing the God of Israel.
Of course, we’d be remiss to mention Goliath without his final foe: David. At the time, David was still a young shepherd boy, not even a trained soldier in the army. He just happened to be delivering food to his brothers when he overheard Goliath’s taunts. Fueled by righteous fury, David declared to Saul that he would take Goliath down. It made no sense to send a kid his age against a giant. Only an act of God could get him to that battlefield. That must have been what happened, because Saul gave him the go-ahead. Saul did try to give David his armor, but David declined due to lack of mobility. He went to fight an enormous, well-trained soldier with nothing but a sling and the clothes on his back. David collected five smooth from a nearby stream and confronted Goliath.
The tale of their battle is popular enough that it doesn’t need too much detail. The fact that we call certain scenarios “David vs. Goliath situations” is testament enough. I will point out that, although the stone that struck Goliath’s forehead hit hard enough to cave his skull, it may not have been enough to kill him. At the very least, it stunned him long enough for David to get a sword and chop off his head. Ironically, it was Goliath’s sword that David used. David would later reclaim Goliath’s sword, which had been either stored or put on display, and wield it in later battles.
Someone commented on last month’s article that Goliath should have been categorized as a Berserker. Though a valid idea, I’d argue that he would fit the Moon Cancer class much better. Not only was he powerful, Goliath repeatedly taunted the Israelites and, by extension, God. He may not have “threatened the world of the moon,” but he most certainly challenged a celestial being. He would have an inherent weakness towards Archers, since David is an Archer Servant in the Fate franchise, but his intimidating presence and booming voice could no doubt make the bravest warrior tremble.
Thanks again for stopping by! I hope you’ve enjoyed the spec lists so far. We’ve got one more installment of the Faith/Stay Night series, so make sure to stay tuned!