Class: Archer
True Name: Ishtar
Sex: Female
Source: Ancient Mesopotamian Mythology
Regions: Mesopotamia, Uruk
Alignment: Lawful Good
Height: 159cm
Weight: 47kg
Creator Creator: Nasu Kinoko
Character Designer: Morii Shizuki
Character Voice: Ueda Kana
Appearance in Main Works: Fate/Grand Order
Parameters
Strength: B
Constitution: B
Agility: B
Magical Power: EX
Luck: A
Noble Phantasm: A++
Class Skills
Magical Resistance: A
A Skill that nullifies Magecraft spells that are Rank A or below.
Modern Mages would not be able to wound Ishtar with their Magecraft.
Independent Action: A
The ability to remain independent for a while even when rejecting the Magical Energy supply from one’s Master.
As Ishtar has Rank A in this, she can maintain materialization in this world for a week even if she is without a Master.
Divine Core of the Goddess: B
A Skill that expresses one being a perfected goddess since birth. It has the effect of preserving the absoluteness of the mind and body. It mitigates almost all mental interferences, prevents the body from growing up, and prevents the figure from changing no matter how many calories are absorbed. It is a composite Skill that comprises the Skill Divinity.
As Ishtar is a Pseudo-Servant, it results in the Rank stopping at B.
Personal Skills
The Shining Great Crown: A
A Skill that imitates even Authorities. The Shining Great Crown that expresses one among the many Authorities of the Goddess Ishtar, bringing out various effects.
Magical Burst (Gem): A+
An increase in offensive power, done by adding excessive Magical Energy to one’s weapon.
Originally, Ishtar’s divine energy is practically almighty since she can manipulate it with complete mastery, but perhaps due to the influence coming from her possessed vessel, she became unable to accumulate Magical Energy on anything but gems for some reason. It is a powerful Magical Burst (damage intensification) Skill, but because there is the necessary process of charging the gems before shooting them, its effects will be exhibited after 1 Turn from the Skill’s utilization. It is somewhat difficult to use.
Manifestation of Beauty: EX→B
The formidable charismatic nature one has as a Goddess of Beauty. A power to captivate others. Despite being in a state where it can only work as possession, it already exceeds the domain of man.
Naturally, it should be a composite Skill (Gauge Absorption, Curse, Skill Seal) that works with a powerful Seduction Effect at its core, but the Restriction Effects towards others were removed due to the strong inclinations of the human possessed by Ishtar, and it essentially became a simple Charisma Skill. (Its Rank was originally EX, but it has fallen to B.)
Noble Phantasms
An Gal Tā Kigal Shē: The Firewood of Venus that Shakes the Mountain Range
Rank: A++
Classification: Anti-Mountain Noble Phantasm
Range: 999~???
Maximum Number of Targets: ???
An Gal Tā Kigal Shē; it means “From the Great Heaven to the Great Earth.” In Sumerian Mythology, it is the most “devastating” and “atrocious” deed that Ishtar carried outーーーーparticularly from her anecdote of trampling down and annihilating the Sacred Mountain Ebih, which was feared and revered even by the King of the Gods, “Simply because I’m displeased with it.” Ishtar forced her way into Mount Ebih, increasing her heavenly might with each step, and in the end, she grabbed a hold of the mountain range’s summit and thrust her spear into the heart of its Ley Line, causing the Ebih Mountain Range to collapse. Another name for this is the Jabal Hamrin Breaker.
While in the middle of her Noble Phantasm, Ishtar warps to Venus; however, this is not the Venus in the outer space of the modern era, but rather, the Venus in the outer space of the Age of Mythology. Afterwards, grabbing (the concept of) Venus and loading it onto her bow as a bullet, the Venus Blaster shoots this Venus that had been turned into a bullet towards the Earth (surface), and from another person’s perspective, it casually warps into the modern era’s airspace through the utilization of Displacement Magecraft. The targeted mountain range perishes due to the destruction caused by this Venus, the destruction being a nuisance to Venus as well as to the Earth.
Gugalanna Strike: The Bull of Heaven
Rank: A+
Classification: Anti-Army Noble Phantasm
Range: 1~99
Maximum Number of Targets: 400 people
A Noble Phantasm that temporarily summons “The Bull of Heaven”, the greatest and strongest Divine Beast that was once dispatched to destroy Uruk on behalf of the Goddess Ishtar. “The Bull of Heaven” appears in the skies and pulverizes the ground with its very large hooves. A large destruction is done similar to a meteorite falling down (meteor strike). It looks like a shining sky is falling down. It is as if the sky is blanketed with the Morning Star emitting a beautiful light, but it is actually a large golden hoof coming down to pulverize everything that is in the space between the sky and the ground. The attack deals a large damage, regardless if one is friend or foe, and temporarily bestows a Rank-Down Effect (heavy pressure) to all of one’s Stats, but only Ishtar herself does not receive any of the damage and effects.
At the time of its True Name Release, Ishtar speaks words that are similar to the ones she speaks during the occasion of her utilizing a portion of the “Authority” that the (original) source of the Goddess Ishtar possesses, but in any event, one of Ishtar’s and the original source’s Noble Phantasms are exactly the same. Since it is not the case that it works as a physical materialization of the Bull of Heaven, it is also possible to employ this Noble Phantasm while confined by the space called “the indoors”, all done without destroying the structure. In “Fate/Grand Order”, it is not used because of some existing circumstances.
Character
First Person Pronoun: watashi
Second Person Pronouns: anata / ○○ (without honorifics) / (only towards the Protagonist) Master
Third Person Pronoun: anatatachi
Personality
Active, and extroverted. The goddess of war and good harvests who lives according to her own whims without being a slave to her own fixed position, all while having high intelligence and pride. Ishtar loves beautiful things, hates ugly things, and the things she desires are the things she will absolutely take hold of in her own hands. Even though she is smart, she is also impulsive and sometimes leaves with an unthinkable reckless abandon. In myths, Ishtar is commented by Gilgamesh as thus: “Inanna? Is she not the most annoying goddess in the world!? She will destroy something that certainly does not need to be destroyed, and she will also create something that does not need to be created!” If it is Ishtar, surely just like that, this world will become prosperous, but she will simultaneously invite chaos to it.
The root of Ishtar’s personality does not have any changes even when she materialized as a Servant. It cannot be helped that Rin, who is the possessed vessel, almost has the same nature as Ishtar’s as well. However, there is one thing that Rin has that Ishtar does not. That is “perseverance”. Rin is a hardworking person who is not negligent in her trainings even though she is a genius. She knows perseverance, which appears to be giving a little influence on this Ishtar. Incidentally, Rin became independent after losing her father at the time when she was very young, while Ishtar behaved like a spoiled child up to the very end towards her almighty father.
Ishtar is the exact opposite of Kongming (Zhuge Liang) – who is identical to her by being another Pseudo-Servant – in that the human personality, the basis of the possessed human, does not come out to the surface. Ishtar thinks and behaves as Ishtar to the very end. Although she thinks to herself “Is it because I’m just being a Deity of Destruction?”, Rin’s innate goodness is mixed in with that creed as this Ishtar, and the following changes were made:
- “I must be the most beautiful.” → (“If there’s someone more beautiful than me, then I will strive to become more beautiful.”)
- “I will kill anyone who opposes me.” → (“If I made someone cry because I went too far by killing someone, then I would rather stop.”)
- “I will tolerate anyone who’s faithful to me.” → (“I will lend my power only in proportion to the faith one has in me.”)
… Like this, Ishtar’s cruelty is held back, and when assessing this as Tohsaka Rin, it at least becomes “Ah, I became just a little higher than usual.” Also, Ishtar herself is not conscious of Rin, her possessed vessel. “I am myself. Whatever human this possessed vessel was is now the Goddess Ishtar herself. Think of it like this. Instead of saying this human was taken over by Ishtar, it is rather that, suddenly on one day, she became Ishtar as well.” Although it sounds like she is making light of Rin’s human rights, it actually means the exact opposite. Ishtar recognizes that “Tohsaka Rin is Ishtar, so that means Ishtar is Tohsaka Rin, regardless if this is from something like whoever ends up on top, to something like whichever one of us accepts this current state of things first.” Although she will absolutely not say this.
To say it in a few words, “a Tohsaka of Light (yet a devil)”.
Motive / Attitude towards the Master
A human worth teasing. Although she thinks of herself as someone celebrated, Ishtar will not do things such as looking down on someone given that there is Rin’s basis. She comes into contact with the Master with deep affections and friendship, although simply as “a toy that is worth teasing.” But as their bonds deepens, the virtue of taking care of people that she has since the beginning and her emotional weakness (of completely emphasizing with someone) work against her, and they grow from “a toy that is worth teasing” into “my cherished contractor, whose future is worth watching over.”
Speech Examples
“Ouch!!… Those cruel eyes… They unexpectedly shot up from the ground… Though, it was good luck that I suffered less damage than what I had thought I would. Since my usual high-handedness (actions) are also good for thisーーーーW-What are YOUーーーー!”
“I’m not doing that! A Master freely using their Servant, just as I thought it would be! Things like human logic or a goddess’ responsibilities… I wanted to come on board without those sorts of involvements! Gear, go and give it to them!”
“WーーーーWhaaaaat’s that luggage, and when did the storm lapis lazuli get in there!? A crown? By some chance, is that… not the seven-jeweled crown too!? If it’s just these, then I won’t be badly off with these gems being used for Magecraft… No way!… Eh? That one gave me this!? A god!?”
“I will not say things like, ‘I lied midway’, right? Awawa, my eyes have become dizzy; calm down me! And Ishtar (me)!”
“Although it’s a provisional contract, for THAT reason, Ishtar has become a Servant of Chaldea. You don’t think I’m boring, so since that’s the case, I will ask you for a favour: please treat me favourably, ok?☆”
Historical Image / Character Image
Ishtar is the goddess of beauty, lust and discord in Sumerian Mythology. Her Sumerian divine name is said to be Inanna, and that name is actually her older name. Ishtar is her Akkadian divine name. It means “The Mistress of Heaven”. A Goddess of Venus, a goddess who governs over the good harvests that bring prosperity to the people, and even a goddess who rules over war and destruction, she is a great goddess who, among the goddesses, was presented with many Authorities and rights from the gods. In Sumerian Mythology, she plays an active role as a dynamic goddess and as a goddess who is like a protagonist, possessing various anecdotes. Particularly among them, a famous one is her feeding the city of Uruk to “The Bull of Heaven”, an anecdote that caused the city to be on the brink of destruction.
At any rate, Ishtar is a whimsy deity who is free and uncontrolled, and it is said that she has many lovers, irrespective of them being from the domain of the gods or from the domain of man. She is an existence who was perfected as a deity, and someone who takes control and command as the usual state of things. There is no compromise. The motive for bringing out the Divine Beast onto the Earth is said to be the result of Gilgamesh – the Hero King from Uruk – having not responded to her temptations.
Role within the Game’s Story
In “Fate/Grand Order”, Ishtar has materialized as a Pseudo-Servant by possessing a human. Since Ishtar is egotistical, she behaves without paying any regard to the possessed human, but that nature of hers is receiving a big influence from the human that she possessed. Originally, Ishtar is both deeply compassionate and cruel, but because the personality of the possessed human is more virtuous, her cruelty has retreated to the bottom of her heart, and her good side appears to have come out ahead of it.
In Chapter 7, Ishtar appeared as the only living Sumerian Deity. By becoming a Pseudo-Servant, she manifested on the lands of Mesopotamia, attentively watching the Seventh Singularity and the future of humanity. Although she says… she is attentively watching them, she is watching over them… while letting out an evil sneer and saying “Well then. I wonder, will the humans survive this, or will they be destroyed?” By chance, she happens to see the Protagonist persevering as a mere human being while losing their Servants, the Protagonist becoming one of her favourites among those she teases, and she temporarily links a contract with them. In the end, she proves to be a literal “Goddess of Victory”.
Ishtar is always floating lightly because she is not the “Goddess of Earth”, but the “Goddess of Heaven”. The main weapon of her choice is “Maanna, the Boat of Heaven”, which is both an enormous bow and an airship. Maanna is the boat of the gods that soars across the Mesopotamian world, and it is also an interstellar teleportation stargate (gate) that connects between Earth and Venus, but because she is a Pseudo-Servant, its warp function is sealed except during the occasion of her using her Noble Phantasm. While called a Mesopotamian Deity, her image is like that of an invader flying in from Venus to attack the Earth. “Bibyu.”
Also, it is a digression, but regarding the battle against Ishtar in one section of the Seventh Singularity’s Tenth Chapter, she had a Passive Skill called “Broken Lapis Lazuli Necklace”. Because it is broken, its original effect becomes the exact opposite (Noble Phantasm Damage is reduced by 30%). Ishtar herself realizes that negative effect, but daringly wears it. Even if it is for this reason: “It’s still beautiful, and I wanted to flaunt it, plus, if I think about this conversely, even if it starts to act up violently and flare up, I’m not going to suffer damage because I’m already suffering from its debuff, right?” Or so she thinks. But she ignores pointing out that she had used her Noble Phantasm before, which caused it to act up violently in the first place.
Connections to Other Characters
Gilgamesh
“After losing all the money he has on hand through gambling, he returned back to his home to find his storehouse of treasures burning, and for the finishing blow, while he was still broke, his debt was being collected after the break period he had implored the collector for had just ended, and he died!”
Enkidu
“In the middle of its journey, its vehicle’s engine stalled and even its cellphone had a flat battery, so it wandered around without any decent food too, before in the end, it finally arrived at a diner, only for zombies to infest the place, and it died!”
Ereshkigal
“A Tohsaka of Darkness, huuh?…”
Artemis
“It seems that person is said to be a Greek Deity? I guess she’s a robot then?”
Comment from Illustrator
Although Ishtar’s pictures were finished up to total completion on one occasion, I felt that “Hmm… Somehow, I have a feeling that these are not it”, so I continued work into overtime on these pictures even in spite of them being completed already; the appearance of my state of being is like saying “It’s fine, it’s fine, since those drawings were already accepted”, but I went as far as continually dismissing that inside me, and then, I got to accept my drawings, saying “Haaaa… If it is with these drawings…” after making my third rough sketch, so it was those drawings of Ishtar that I immediately pushed to replace with.
Perhaps I was nervous, so the first pictures were pictures made with unpolished movements as I was scared stiff; that being the case, I recalled myself wondering if they were even good. If it happens to be said that, as a result of Ishtar being a deity who also rules over war, comparatively anything can properly be a reasonable Class for her, it then becomes a strained interpretation of her as an Archer as well; although, I thought that since she is a goddess, I wondered what can be more fascinating for an enormous Noble Phantasm that she can carry in her hand, so I took into consideration a weapon with a form that can work similar to a bow. However, that weapon that can work similar to a bow turned out to be something unexpected, and after saying “I will make that as Maanna, ok?”, this Maanna was added to the setting.
By the way, Maanna’s colouring references the blue and gold colours of the Ishtar Gate. And then, the earrings reference a statue of Ishtar. And finally, speaking of Archer’s appearance regarding Tohsaka Rin… I added a loincloth to her first look. Although she has a lot of skin exposure, considering the nature of the Goddess Ishtar and Mesopotamian culture, I wonder if that seems to show more skin in this mannery… Right, of course… I did not think that she would have screen time later on in the summer as well… Yeah. (Morii Shizuki)
Originally Posted by Zork Knight
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