The Strongest Masters in Destiny/Stay the Night

Key things

• Masters in
  Fate/Stay Night
  they have different abilities that depend on success and personal skill.
• Some masters, like Shinji, rely on external power sources, which hinders their potential.
• Powerful masters like Rin have bloodlines, artifacts, and skills that make them key players in battle.

Fate/Stay Night follows the story of the Fifth Holy Grail War, in which several mages are called upon to summon powerful servants to fight in a massive battle royale. While some Masters they already have exceptional power, others are much less willing to use it or are completely unaware of their abilities. Each Master's power is determined by the success of their summoning ritual, as well as their abilities and relationship with their servant.

Although relatively powerless in their own right, Masters often have some form of hidden ability, whether in the form of magical items or incantations. Masters are judged solely on their performance in fate/stay night,rather than in alternate timelines.

6 Shinji Matou

Despite his family history, Shinji is out of his depth

Although Shinji was born of a line of Mages, he is inept when it comes to participating in the Holy Grail Wars. His power is derived almost entirely from his family grimoire, rather than any innate magical abilities. Shinji has potential, but his ego prevents him from being a truly formidable Master.

Shinji summons Rider as his Epic Hero and certainly relies on her to survive tough encounters. She shows some strategic intelligence by luring Saber to the roof of a skyscraper, allowing Rider to use her Noble Phantasm, but ultimately it's not enough for Shinji to survive.

5 Shirou Emiya

An unwitting hero takes a while to improve his abilities

Although Shirou is the central hero Fate/Stay Nighthis powers are relatively weak for most of the series. His innate tracking ability, which allows him to create replicas of any weapon he sees, is certainly a huge advantage, but he struggles to put it to good use until Saber's second encounter with Berserker.

Shirou's noble intentions and selfless desire to put himself in danger before his servant certainly put him in danger on more than one occasion. He relies on Rin and Saber to revive him several times, though he eventually grows up to become one of the strongest Masters overall.

4 Kuzuki Souichiro

A trained assassin is on a personal mission

Kuzuku is an interesting case because he is the only Master in Fate/Stay Night who has no magical powers. However, this does not weaken him as he is a trained assassin with experience in martial arts. His daytime guise as a history teacher makes him seem weaker than he really is, and especially with Augmented Fists, he can hold his own against most other Masters.

While he may not be all that powerful on his own, his unique bond with Caster makes them a formidable pair of antagonists. Caster's willingness to serve him is also a unique advantage when it comes to master-servant relationships, as he does not need command seals.

3 Rin Tohsaka

A powerful mage with several key artifacts

Rin Tohsaka he comes from a recognized line of powerful mages who previously competed in the Holy Grail Wars. As a result, she's imbued with all sorts of useful spells and items, as well as having plenty of magical spells and sayings of her own. Along with her many gems that increase her life force and mana, Rin also wields the Sword of Azoth, an extremely powerful dagger that ends up playing a major role in the final battle of the series.

Teaming up with Archer, Rin displays her skills on many occasions, including a summoning ritual. She is also a capable fighter herself, playing a key role in defeating both Caster and Berserker. Her knowledge and expertise is the only reason why Shirou is able to survive and develop his own powers.

2 Illyasviel von Einzbern

The little master has exceptional control over the powerful servant

Illya von Einzbern is one of the most tragic characters Fate series for many reasons. However, she is an extremely powerful Magi who was essentially bred to fight in the Holy Grail Wars. Her summoning of a large Berserker is a testament to her abilities, and unlike most other Masters, she displays flawless command of her servant.

Along with his servant, Illya has his own arsenal of Magi talents, including the ability to hypnotize others and put them into a trance like Shirou does. She is also granted an entire mansion from which to plan her strategies and take her captives. Illya, while she may seem relatively innocent at first, has a brutal streak that also sets her apart from the more empathetic Masters, who may hesitate to kill anyone in their path.

1 Kirei Kotomine

The key antagonist is strong in every area

Kirei he is supposed to be an impartial overseer of the Holy Grail Wars, but it soon becomes clear that he would rather interfere. Having previously won the Holy Grail War with Gilgamesh as his servant, Kirei now commands two servants along with his own magical powers.

Although Lancer is his main servant and Gilgamesh is more independent, Kirei still gives orders to both at times, but it is his abilities that make him the most powerful Master. Along with his superior martial arts and weapons, Kirei also has a strong knowledge of magic, as evidenced by his summoning of The Avenger. Even if he is ultimately defeated this time, it's fair to say that Kirei is by far the toughest challenge any other Master can face.