Fate/strange Fake Characters: Guide to the 6 "Fake" Masters

February 05, 2026

In Fate/strange Fake Episode 3, we learned an important fact from the Clock Tower’s Lord El-Melloi II: the 'Fake' Holy Grail War is the catalyst for the upcoming 'True' Holy Grail War. This is a terrifying prospect for Lord El-Melloi II and everyone in Snowfield; by combining the 'Fake' and 'True' factions of the Holy Grail War, there are now 13 pairs of Masters and Servants participating in the conflict held in Snowfield.

Although the Masters themselves won’t cause much harm to Snowfield, the 13 Servants possessing overwhelming power will be fighting each other—just imagining it is terrifying for us as viewers. The Masters and Servants of the 'True' side are entering the Holy Grail War one by one. Before Snowfield descends into chaos and destruction, let’s do a quick rewind of the 'Fake' side Masters first!

There are various types of Masters on the 'Fake' side; among the six of them, a few aren't even human! Each Master has different goals and perspectives, but once they join the Holy Grail War, there is no escape—the cruelty of the Great War is about to begin. Even though no Masters have been killed as of Fate/strange Fake episode 5, now that the 'True' side is entering one by one, it may be impossible for all the 'Fake' side Masters to survive.

Before I dive deep and introduce the characters, please be informed that this post only contains content from the Fate/strange Fake anime. While the series exists as light novels and manga, I am an anime-only viewer, so I will be sharing my opinions based solely on the show. Since this post contains episodic spoilers, if you haven’t watched the Fate/strange Fake anime yet, please leave now to avoid being spoiled!

Source: TVアニメ『Fate/strange Fake』公式 Official X account

Fake Archer’s Master - Tiné Chelc:

The first 'Fake' Master I want to introduce is the Master of 'Fake' Archer, Tiné Chelc. Among the six Masters on the 'Fake' side, Tine is one who truly wants to win the Holy Grail War because she has a real reason to fight. Tine belongs to the Protectors of the Land, a group that has watched over the Snowfield region for over a thousand years while receiving its protection. In the early twentieth century, they were driven out by the U.S. government and a group of magi looking to prepare the land for the False Holy Grail War.

Tine participates in the Holy Grail War with the intent to restore her people to their rightful place and drive out the Magi. Because she fights for her tribe rather than herself, she and 'Fake' Archer share a lot of significant dialogue. Although Tine has the will to fight alongside 'Fake' Archer and has no intention of losing, she is ultimately doing it for the sake of others.

All her actions are driven by duty to her people rather than her own ambition or will. Archer seems to have noticed this, so he tries to lead Tine to think for herself, fight, and create her own path through the war.

Among all six Masters on the 'Fake' side, Tine is the one who respects and worships her Servant the most. Tine is not the youngest Master, but because her Servant is one of the strongest and holds the highest rank, she shows him immense respect. This is definitely a good thing for the Servant; since Tine respects him from the bottom of her heart, 'Fake' Archer accepted her as his Master.

At the same time, 'Fake' Archer feels that Tine is pushing herself to do things she doesn't truly want. Because of this, he sometimes encourages Tine to become more independent and self-aware, hoping she will one day be able to act on her own desires.

Tine and 'Fake' Archer actually make a great team. Because Tine respects and adores him so much—letting him do whatever he pleases—'Fake' Archer is the only Servant seen entering a casino to have a great time. On the other hand, 'Fake' Archer provides Tine with everything she needs and protects her with absolute power at all times. In Episode 4, even though 'True' Archer attempts to attack Tine multiple times, she survives thanks to his protection.

Fake Lancer’s Master - Silver Wolf Chimera:

In Fate/strange Fake, a lot of strange things happen. One of the most unusual is that an animal becomes the Master of 'Fake' Lancer. The Master is a Synthetic Beast known as the Silver Wolf Chimera. While it might seem impossible for an animal to be a Master, 'Fake' Lancer can understand everything it says, so the two can still be considered a great team.

In Fate/strange Fake Episode 0: Whispers of Dawn, after 'Fake' Lancer is successfully summoned and accepts the Silver Wolf Chimera as his Master, he is even able to understand its thoughts and feelings. In that same episode, 'Fake' Lancer has an epic battle with 'Fake' Archer. During the fight, 'Fake' Lancer mentions that he will follow his Master's commands, making it very clear that they understand one another perfectly.

The Silver Wolf Chimera was actually prepared by a magus to be used as a catalyst for summoning a Heroic Spirit. However, because the Silver Wolf also manifested Command Spells, it ended up becoming the Master of 'Fake' Lancer. The magus tried to get 'Fake' Lancer to choose him instead, but Lancer still chose the Silver Wolf Chimera.

Unlike Tiné Chelc, the Silver Wolf isn't very active in the Holy Grail War. In fact, although 'Fake' Lancer had that massive fight with 'Fake' Archer in Whispers of Dawn, he hasn't fought anyone since then. As one of the highest-ranking Servants, 'Fake' Lancer has incredible intuition; he can sense many things, including the presence of other Servants. It would be easy for him to wipe out his opponents, but the Silver Wolf Chimera has chosen not to participate further, living quietly and peacefully in the forest instead.

Since 'Fake' Lancer and the Silver Wolf haven't been very active in the Holy Grail War, we know Lancer is strong, but whether the Silver Wolf is strong as a Master remains a big question. While a wolf is a powerful predator, I'm curious to see if it truly possesses the power to win against the other human Masters.

Source: TVアニメ『Fate/strange Fake』公式 Official X account

Fake Caster’s Master - Orlando Reeve:

The next Master I want to introduce is a crucial character for the series: the Master of 'Fake' Caster, Orlando Reeve. As the Police Chief of Snowfield, Orlando is fully in charge of and responsible for the city's safety. Although he is in a close alliance with Faldeus Dioland and Francesca Prelati—and is one of the main players behind the conflict—he genuinely cares about the safety of Snowfield.

When Orlando learned that the Master of 'Fake' Assassin, Jester Karture, is a powerful Dead Apostle, he became worried about Snowfield's safety. Since Jester is both strong and unstable, he could easily destroy the city if he wished. In Fate/strange Fake episode 4, after 'True' Archer launched a devastating surprise attack and battled 'Fake' Archer, Orlando still tried to take a stand for the safety of Snowfield—even though he stood no chance of winning.

Orlando and his Servant, 'Fake' Caster, have a unique and rather strange relationship. As the person responsible for the city's safety, Orlando is the exact opposite of Tiné Chelc. While Tine respects and adores her Servant, Orlando doesn’t trust, believe in, or even attempt to share information with him. I know it can be difficult for a mature man to share secrets or thoughts with a Servant, but Orlando takes it to an entirely different level.

Orlando refuses to trust the power of Heroic Spirits. He uses his Servant’s abilities at a minimum level and doesn't even fully understand his Servant’s Noble Phantasm. It is understandable for a powerful man responsible for Snowfield's security to want to be aware of everything and protect himself, but being overly cautious and cynical might lead to him losing the Holy Grail War.

As one of the main players in the Snowfield conflict, Orlando clearly plans to win, but his relationship with 'Fake' Caster is so poor that it may be difficult for them to succeed together.

In fact, in Fate/strange Fake episodes 2 and 3, because 'Fake' Caster wasn't by Orlando's side—and because Orlando didn't give him an effective way to stay in contact—Orlando and his team ended up being beaten by Jester Karture. Luckily, Hansa Cervantes was there at the time, or Orlando might have been wiped out by Jester. The weirdest part is that even when 'Fake' Caster tried to help, Orlando's first response was: 'How do you know this number?' From that sentence alone, we can tell that even though they have a partnership, Orlando doesn't want his partner anywhere near him.

Orlando and 'Fake' Caster are not weak. Although 'Fake' Caster is not a frontline fighter, he still managed to provide thirty humans with their own Noble Phantasms. Orlando and 'Fake' Caster could become a great team, but they need to fix their relationship first. The simple fact that 'Fake' Archer can enjoy himself at a casino while 'Fake' Caster remains restricted tells us everything we need to know about their partnership. There is clearly a lot of work to be done between them.

Fake Assassin’s Master - Jester Carture:

The mad Dead Apostle, Jester Karture, is actually participating in the Holy Grail War as a Master, not just a monster. Jester is the Master of 'Fake' Assassin. In the Fate universe, a Dead Apostle is typically something to be hunted and killed—not someone who participates in a Holy Grail War. But since even an animal can become a Master in Fate/strange Fake, perhaps it isn't so strange for a Dead Apostle to be one too?

Among the 'Fake' side, Jester Karture and 'Fake' Assassin share the worst partnership. 'Fake' Assassin is a beautiful, mysterious female Servant; although we still don’t know her full reasons, she is constantly trying to kill any Magi seeking the Holy Grail. For this reason, 'Fake' Assassin tried to kill Ayaka Sajyou in Episode 1 and attacked Sigma in Episode 5.

Fake Assassin did indeed use 'Zabaniya' to kill her Master in Whispers of Dawn, but since Jester is a Dead Apostle, he survived. He is even mad enough to fall in love with the person who killed him. Ever since the moment Fake Assassin reached out and crushed his heart, Jester has been completely obsessed with her—to the point where he says the most bizarre things whenever she is mentioned.

From a perspective of pure physical strength and power, Jester is the strongest Master—even including those on the 'True' side. If he and 'Fake' Assassin worked together, they could win the Holy Grail War quite easily; Jester demonstrated his ability to manifest powerful flames in Episode 3, and 'Fake' Assassin’s 'Zabaniya' is incredibly versatile and strong enough to handle almost any situation.

If Jester and 'Fake' Assassin shared the same will to obtain the Holy Grail and worked together, no other team would stand a chance. Luckily, 'Fake' Assassin hates Jester with a passion and refuses to lend him her power. Additionally, Hansa Cervantes is someone who lives to hunt Dead Apostles in Fate/strange Fake; he would never let Jester take the Holy Grail, so the other teams still have a chance.

Even without those factors, I personally don’t think Jester would put much effort into the Holy Grail War. For someone like him, who can achieve almost anything with his own power, having the Holy Grail grant a wish is meaningless—except perhaps as a way to continue playing with 'Fake' Assassin.

Source: TVアニメ『Fate/strange Fake』公式 Official X account

Fake Berserker’s Master - Flat Escardos: 

One of Lord El-Melloi II’s apprentices, Flat Escardos, flew to Snowfield to participate in the Holy Grail War. Among all the Masters in Fate/strange Fake, Flat has the simplest yet strangest goal: he isn't trying to gain or protect anything; instead, he wants to become friends with every Servant and Master.

Even without much knowledge of the Fate universe, we know that trying to befriend every competitor is almost meaningless—or even impossible—but since Flat is such an optimistic person, he is genuinely planning to do it, and not as a joke.

Flat is a unique character compared to others in Fate/strange Fake. He is extremely positive—unlike Ayaka Sajyou, who is pessimistic the whole time, or Tiné Chelc, who is constantly worried. Flat is optimistic and always 'chilling.' After meeting his 'Fake' Servant in Whispers of Dawn—who possesses a unique and useful ability—he didn't even bother preparing for the Holy Grail War; instead, he was just lying around on the ground.

Flat is definitely not stupid; he knows exactly what is happening at all times. He notices every change in Snowfield and was even able to take a photo of 'Fake' Archer during the intense battle between Jester Karture and Hansa Cervantes. From a potential perspective, Flat might be the strongest of all the Masters; he even noticed a strange fog covering the entirety of Snowfield, while his own Servant, 'Fake' Berserker, couldn't sense a thing!

Although 'Fake' Berserker is often left speechless by their interactions, I can understand why Flat is so positive. He remains optimistic because he is talented enough to overcome almost any situation; he simply has nothing to worry about.

In fact, Flat consistently notices every strange sight, knows exactly where a battle is taking place, and can even work toward his goals in the middle of chaos. He may seem like the comic relief of the series, but he is moving toward his objectives surprisingly fast, achieving them little by little. Even though it looks like he hasn't been in a direct fight, he has actually participated in every battle in his own way and always gains something from them.

Fake Rider’s Master - Tsubaki Kuruoka:

Among the six Masters on the 'Fake' side, the youngest is Tsubaki Kuruoka. Despite being a young girl currently in a coma, she still manifested Command Spells and summoned 'Fake' Rider. So many strange things happen in Fate/strange Fake—the fact that an animal and a Dead Apostle have become Masters is already unusual, but a little girl participating without even being conscious had blew apart everything I had imagined.

Among the six pairs on the 'Fake' side, little Tsubaki has formed the warmest yet scariest partnership with her Servant, 'Fake' Rider. Logically, since Tsubaki is currently in a coma, she shouldn't be able to communicate with her Servant or even have a wish; no matter what kind of Heroic Spirit she summoned, normally, no one would be able to hear her.

Whether this is good or bad is hard to say. The trickiest part—which no one in the real world, not even the doctors or nurses, realizes—is that although little Tsubaki is in a coma, she is constantly living in a dream world. While her physical body lies alone in a hospital without her parents by her side, from Tsubaki’s perspective, she is living in her large house and can even see the sun.

While the other teams interact and communicate in the real world, 'Fake' Rider is busy taking care of Tsubaki, constantly staying by her side within the dream world. For better or worse, because 'Fake' Rider is the only one there for her, Tsubaki views the Servant as the most important 'being' in her life, and she constantly shares her wishes with it.

Unlike other teams where Masters share their wishes in real life, Tsubaki shares hers through the dream world. After hearing her innocent little wishes, 'Fake' Rider naturally wants to grant them, just as any other Servant would. One by one, her desires actually begin to manifest. There is nothing wrong with Tsubaki herself; her wishes are cute and innocent. After being abandoned and used by her own parents, who wouldn't want friends, animals, or even the love of their parents? In her situation, it is only natural to long for the things she was never allowed to have.

Tsubaki is just a child; she doesn’t truly understand what is happening around her. I doubt she even knows the difference between right and wrong. All Tsubaki has done is share her true feelings with the only 'being' that is always there for her—the one who is always smiling, always by her side, and always trying to make her laugh.

Tsubaki is simply speaking her heart's desires, and 'Fake' Rider is granting them, just like any other team. But the scariest and saddest part about her innocent wishes is that there is no normal way to bring something from the real world into a dream. To ensure Tsubaki receives what she wants, 'Fake' Rider—the only one staying by her side—must do things that completely break the laws of the world for her sake.

Tsubaki and 'Fake' Rider are simply doing what they are supposed to do: a child is meant to speak their wishes, and a Servant is meant to fulfill them. They are just following their nature, so even though the laws of the world are beginning to fall apart because of them, I personally still find myself supporting Tsubaki and 'Fake' Rider.

Conclusion:

As the name suggests, Fate/strange Fake is full of bizarre elements compared to the standard Fate universe. Tiné Chelc, the Silver Wolf Chimera, Orlando Reeve, Jester Karture, Flat Escardos, and Tsubaki Kuruoka are the Masters of the 'Fake' side, and they have done a brilliant job of providing the series with an incredible opening.

Although the 'True' Masters are joining the conflict one by one, those on the 'Fake' side won't be defeated easily—especially Tine and Tsubaki. Tine possesses the strongest Servant, while Tsubaki commands the most terrifying one. With the 'True' teams now participating, the Holy Grail War will only become more dangerous and chaotic, but these young girls still have a high chance of winning this massive war!

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