Rex Quondom Rexque Futurus - Kingship in Fate/Zero
Who can compare to him in kingliness? Who like him can say, “I am king!” - The Epic of Gilgamesh
There are a few things that capture my interest every time they’re brought up. One is Fate/Zero, and another is monarchy. Unsurprisingly, then, one of my favourite episodes in Fate/Zero is episode eleven, “Discussing the Grail,” where the three kings, Gilgamesh, Iskander (Alexander the Great), and Saber (Arturia/Arthur), discuss over wine which among them is the greatest king and thus most deserving of the Holy Grail. I like the episode partly because of the characterisation it offers, as well as the action near the end, but also because popular culture rarely offers a lengthy discussion of kingship. It’s like fanservice for me, and though I’m probably about to give this more thought than the show’s writers - I believe Urobuchi admitted to not doing much research into these characters beyond the generalities of their stories - no self-respecting literature major can resist some overanalysis.