Alright buckle up because this is not your average fight night recap This is Gilgamesh vs Saber in Fate/Stay Night aka the prettiest most stubborn sword swingers in anime history going head to head in a clash of egos explosions and golden flexing We’re taking all canon sources and cramming them into this fastpaced showdown with enough jokes to keep you awake and enough logic to keep it real
Raw Power
Edge Gilgamesh
Why Because this golden diva is basically anime’s walking cheat code He’s got Ea the sword that goes brrr and makes reality cry plus the Gate of Babylon stocked like a divine Costco full of deadly prototypes Meanwhile Saber’s Excalibur is crazy strong but compared to Gil’s weapon buffet it’s like bringing a lightsaber to a missile fight
Speed and Reaction Time
Edge Draw
Why Saber moves like she’s got auto-dodge enabled lightningfast and super instinctive in close combat But Gil pulls off longrange spam attacks at the speed of thought and has Clairvoyance which is just a fancy way of saying he sometimes sees stuff before it happens So in terms of reactions it’s a weird tie where one’s quick up close and the other’s got psychic WiFi
Technique and Combat Skill
Edge Saber
Why Saber is the type who’d win a swordfight blindfolded in a thunderstorm while giving a TED Talk She’s pure refined technique Gil on the other hand fights like a rich kid who throws money at problems He’s more I have 999 weapons why should I swing one when I can just yeet them all from a safe distance
Durability and Endurance
Edge Draw
Why Gil’s got that shiny golden armor like he’s ready for a medieval fashion show and it tanks a lot of hits Saber doesn’t have flashy armor but her stubbornness is armor enough She gets hit keeps going sometimes even powers up from the pain like an angry RPG character So they’re both hard to put down but in very different ways
Hax and Broken Abilities
Edge Gilgamesh
Why Gil’s got the wildest toolset ever Need a weapon to kill a god Boom it’s in GoB Need to trap someone divine Hi Enkidu He’s got plot-breaking gadgets for days Meanwhile Saber’s got Excalibur and Avalon but Avalon is kinda like a paid DLC she only gets with Shirou so it’s not always on deck
Transformation and Power Scaling
Edge Draw
Why Neither of them goes Super Saiyan but both need mana to go full boom Gil uses Ea Saber uses Excalibur and both can wipe the map if you give them a moment to charge up Like two wizards with nuke buttons waiting for someone to blink first
Environment and Adaptability
Edge Gilgamesh
Why Gil doesn’t care where he fights city desert underwater moon base he just opens GoB and turns the battlefield into a weapon graveyard Saber’s more of a sword-in-your-face fighter so tight spaces or weird terrain slow her down a bit unless she figures out how to anime-jump around it
Mindset Plot Armor and Mental Warfare
Edge Saber
Why Saber is locked in laser-focused queen mode all the time She’s got discipline drive and an allergy to giving up Gil is smart but tragically allergic to humility He walks into fights like he’s already won sips some wine midbattle and oops surprise Excalibur to the face That arrogance is Saber’s opening every time
Strategy Intelligence and Narrative Control
Edge Gilgamesh
Why Gil has Clairvoyance which is basically anime Google Maps for future events He could plan five steps ahead if he bothered But plot twist he usually doesn’t because he’s too busy monologuing about how amazing he is Saber doesn’t see the future but she adapts like a champ reads fights like a book and has no patience for golden egos
Weaknesses Limitations and Plot Holes
Edge Saber
Why Gil’s greatest enemy isn’t Saber It’s himself His arrogance delays his best moves like Ea until it’s too late Saber just needs to survive the opening spam close the distance and go Excalibur Gil’s got the better toys but Saber’s got better timing and less ego holding her back
Bonus Round If They Had Prep Time
Gilgamesh w Prep
He turns into Fate’s Batman but with divine bling He’d pick the best weapons do his homework plan a dozen counters maybe even show up on time for once Basically he’d be terrifying
Saber w Prep
She’d study Gil’s arsenal plan her approach boost her mana and go full Joan of Arc tactician mode While she doesn’t have the same arsenal she’d work smarter and hit harder at just the right moment
Final Verdict Who Takes the Win
Winner Saber
Because when Gil struts in like he owns the battlefield Saber waits for that one fatal moment of smugness then slices through it with pure tactical brilliance and Excalibur-sized humility In the main FSN canon she wins not because Gil is weak but because he’s too busy being fabulous to take her seriously until it’s too late Saber gets the win by outplaying him not overpowering him
Fan Verdict aka Chaos Incarnate
This debate breaks friendships One side screams Gil is the strongest Servant ever and just needs to stop monologuing The other side says yeah but he never does Saber actually wins and earns it fair and square So where do you stand Golden flex god or stoic sword queen
Let the flaming sword fights begin but keep it civilish
Key Points
- Arsenal vs. Single Weapon: Gilgamesh basically brings a cosmic Wal-Mart full of legendary weapons; Saber brings one really, really shiny sword that works really well.
- Combat Style: Gilgamesh prefers to play divine artillery commander from afar (“Get rekt, mongrel!”), while Saber actually gets her hands dirty with fancy sword choreography.
- Ultimate Offense: Gilgamesh whips out the universe’s biggest blender (Ea); Saber just points her glowstick of doom (Excalibur) and says “BEAM!”
- Primary Defense: Gilgamesh relies on plot-convenient armor and throwing shields from his closet; Saber just ducks, dodges, and hopes her invisible wind cloak works.
- Speed Application: Gilgamesh reacts instantly by telekinetically flinging stuff faster than sound; Saber reacts instantly because, well, she’s just that fast on her feet.
- Strategic vs. Tactical: Gilgamesh is great at five-dimensional chess but forgets the game board exists mid-match due to ego; Saber just focuses on not tripping while running at you really fast.
- Defining Weakness: Gilgamesh’s greatest enemy is himself (specifically, his inability to take anything seriously); Saber’s is running out of juice mid-fight (hey, magic is expensive!).
- Special Weaponry: Gilgamesh has anti-god dog leashes (Enkidu); Saber has, really fast wind? (Invisible Air is cool, okay!).
- Skill vs. Power: Saber has mastered the blade like a boss; Gilgamesh mastered collecting cool stuff and pressing ‘auto-attack.’
- Canonical Outcome Context: In FSN, Saber wins because Gilgamesh is too busy monologuing or trying to look cool. In other places (like CCC), Gilgamesh wins because he apparently had his coffee that morning.
Fun Facts
- Gilgamesh was summoned as an Archer in Fate/Zero using the oldest snakeskin Tokiomi could find. Apparently, ancient reptile shedding is the key to summoning the guy with all the gold.
- Saber was summoned by Shirou using her own sword sheath embedded in his body. Talk about bringing a piece of your old life to the new gig!
- Gilgamesh’s Clairvoyance is so strong it can see all possibilities. He probably uses it to find matching socks in the morning.
- Unlike most Servants, Saber isn’t technically dead in FSN; she’s just hitting the ‘pause’ button on dying, waiting for the Grail. Like putting your game on hold for 10 years.
- The Gate of Babylon contains the prototypes of all human treasures. Yes, all of them. Probably even the world’s first ever rubber chicken.
- Gilgamesh automatically masters any skill below A-Rank just by owning its prototype. He could probably bake a perfect cake if he had the world’s first whisk, but he’d probably just throw it at you.
- Saber’s Instinct skill is A-Rank. It’s basically her internal sat-nav telling her the optimal path to not get hit. Beep beep!
- Avalon, Saber’s sheath, is a Divine Construct. It’s so fancy and non-human Gilgamesh can’t claim it. “Ugh, made by fairies? So tacky,” he probably didn’t say, but thought.
- Gilgamesh can summon Vimana, an ancient spaceship from his vault. Because why walk when you can arrive in a flying golden chariot like a total diva?
- Saber’s “Dragon Reactor” makes tons of mana. Too bad her Masters can’t always keep up. She’s basically a supercar needing premium fuel, stuck with a scooter’s gas tank.
- Gilgamesh apparently has a Command Spell Scroll in GoB. He could technically order other Servants around. “Gilgamesh commands you to, polish my armor, mongrel!”
- Excalibur’s true nature is a “sword that scatters the light.” Sounds way more dramatic than “giant laser pointer.”
- Gilgamesh’s wisdom supposedly surpasses Solomon’s. Yet, he still falls for the same “underestimate the protagonist” trap. Maybe his wisdom-skill is passive-only.
- Saber had to learn basic chores from Shirou. Imagine the King of Knights trying to figure out a vacuum cleaner. The mental image is priceless.
- The Chains of Heaven, Enkidu, automatically track divine targets. They’re the ultimate anti-divine homing missile. “Must capture the shiny god person!” WHOOSH
- Saber is physically stronger than she looks. She could probably arm-wrestle a bear and win, but prefers to do it with a sword for style points.
- Gilgamesh likes modern technology and considers it humanity’s inheritance. He’d probably be addicted to online gaming, using GoB to acquire rare skins.
- Saber has a strong dislike for lion meat. Maybe a lion stole her lunch once? The mysteries of legend!
- Gilgamesh’s “King’s Order” can conceptually affect reality. He could probably order the rain to stop, but only if it bowed to him first.
- Saber’s initial summoning was rough due to Shirou’s lack of skill. She probably showed up looking like she’d been pulled through a hedge backward, thinking, “Well, this is awkward.”
