Has it ever outright stated to be Pale Rider? I don't trust Narita with anything after the Edison actually Humbaba deal
I wouldn't call surprise Humbaba his fault, really. From what we've seen it was kind of a last-minute re-cast of Mazda.
I agree with Jennajayfeather, Humbaba wasn't a recast. During the summoning scene we are given that Haruri wanted Edison, and right next volume she and other characters start to wonder and doubt just what the hell did she summoned. People just forgot or outright ignore an entire volume questioning and foreshadowing that True Berserker wasn't Edison as Haruri, the master, has intended in the first place, not Narita doing a last minute recast.
At this point it's still perfectly possible that Berserker is both. Enkidu's second Interlude explains Humbaba as big mesh of humans, so it would make sense to throw in another one and have it was a new mainframe.
I think the fact that Pestilence wasn't one of the original four horsemen is what makes him perfect for the role of a "fake" Rider.
Nasuverse in a Nutshell
At this point that's just a possible theory based on what we know of Humbaba's abilities
The next volume will most likely give us more info to either confirm it or drop it, specially since we are only missing Rider, True Berserker and Watcher's profiles. My guess is we'll get the first two in the next volume
I’m guessing Rider and Watcher here, then Berserker and Σ next. The first is obvious, Tsubaki is the cover. The second is because Watcher is presumably out of the story when Σ becomes a Servant, so I don’t see their profiles going on the same volume. Also because Narita recently showed Watcher in the manga to prepare the Moby Dick reveal.
Interesting, I was thinking True Berserker because their "true name" was already established last volume so this would be the perfect volume to go into more details about Humbaba. But I would welcome Watcher's true name reveal (finally) and actual explanation on their abilities, so you won't hear me complaining about whoever of them we get in the end.
I saw a theory somewhere that said that rather than Moby Dick, Watcher was more likely to be something called "Apkallu" from Sumerian mythology. The design and the weapon it holds look like what Morii drew for Enkidu's original form and Ereskigal's (Nergal's) lance which would fit as well.
Could also just be syncretism bullshit.
Apkallu are antideluvian sages from Sumerian mythology. The first of them said to be part man, part fish. But you'd need to throw out "Gilgamesh is the oldest Heroic Spirit" rule to actually summon one as they are older than Utnapishtim (Ziusudra).
Given all the Sumerian stuff going on an Apkallu would make sense. Wound Narita do a red herring 'you thought it was this guy but actually it was this Sumerian guy instead" twice after just doing it with Humbaba though?
They could throw a curve ball and do a status sheet on a new temp Servant summoned by Ayaka. I refuse to believe Narita gathered 14 pseudo-Heroic Spirits to not use the temp summon system from the April Fools draft.
I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.Relevant Bible passages. Translations may vary.I looked, and behold, a pale horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.
The associations of pestilence with the White Rider presumably come from the last bit about it being mentioned alongside war and famine.
not really, since Gil is just the first hero recorded and thus the basis of the concept of hero. the indian guys do apparently predate him and there were notable individuals before him, just no one got into the throne before he did. enkidu is recorded and died before him too.
Predate in-universe.