Who are the best FGO servants?

Popular mobile game Fate/grand order offers nearly 200 Servants for players to summon. Modeled after famous historical, mythical and literary characters, these Servants feature a dazzling array of gameplay styles across five rarity levels and thirteen playable classes. With so many options available, how can you possibly choose?

The player character, “Master of Chaldea” guides their army of Servants through an action-packed journey to save humanity. Along the way, Servants will encounter bulky bosses, brain-twisting Challenge Quests, and the never-ending grind for experience and materials. With so many gameplay modes available, a “strong” or “useful” Servant isn’t just one who hits hard. They must be versatile and synergize well with many different teammates.  

Ten well-rounded Servants stand head and shoulders above the rest. Some shine when it comes to damage dealing, while others support their allies and still others vastly speed up the daily grind. . Although every Servant in Chaldea has their uses, these ten are welcome additions to any Master’s army: 

10. Mash Kyrielight (Shielder)

Mash prepares her shield against an attack

Mash Kyrielight is the very first Servant to dedicate her shield to Chaldea’s cause. A rare fusion between a human scientist and an unidentified Servant, Mash possesses her own unique class, “Shielder”. She claims that her feelings for the player character are platonic, but her trademark blush and home-baked Valentine sweets say otherwise…

Mash is a top-ten Servant because she…

• is immediately available to all players upon beginning the game, and powers up further during key plot moments
• costs zero points to field, and can be included in any team without penalty
• protects the entire team with her shield, boosting defense, decreasing enemy damage and even granting temporary Invincible status to the ally of her choice
•  serves as an excellent “tank” by combining her high HP with the Taunt skill which draws enemy attacks to her

Servant Score: 75/100 – Humanity’s Best Friend

9. Arash (Archer)

Arash brags about his legendary bow

Who says a top-tier Servant has to be five star rarity? Personable Persian bowman Arash boasts only a single star, yet his unique gameplay style is practically unequaled in usefulness. His rain of arrows, “Lone Meteor Stella,” effortlessly eliminates entire waves of even the most irritating enemies. This always-smiling Archer truly lives up to his name – his last name,“Kamangir,” means “expert with a bow”!

Arash is a top-ten Servant because he…

• can unleash “Stella” to one-shot almost all enemy type, including the “Hands” and “Doors” which populate the daily grinding quests
• charges his own Noble Phantasm via  the skill “Arrow Construction,” letting him fire off much quicker than other Servants of similar rarity
• leaves battle after using “Stella,” allowing another powerful Servant to come to the front line immediately
• pairs perfectly with powerful bonus skills called Craft Essences, which debuff enemies or heal allies upon his removal from the field

Servant Score – 78/100 – Chaldea’s Definition of “Sustainable Farming”

8. Cú Chulainn (Lancer)

Cú Chulainn brandishes Gae Bolg as he faces his foe

Cú Chulainn’s iconic blue spandex suit first graced our screens  - and our hearts – in the 2004 visual novel Fate/stay night, the franchise’s very first entry. Hailing from Ireland’s mythological Ulster Cycle, this scrappy spearman was born "Setanta" but later earned his warrior name, which means “Hound of House Chulainn”. In battle, he gets straight “to the point” – his trademark lance, Gae Bolg, can cause instant death upon striking his target. Carved from sea monster bone and stained red with blood, Ireland’s most famous spear makes for a terrifying sight!

Cu Chulainn is a top ten Servant because he…

• survives the fiercest assaults utilizing a skillset focused around healing and avoiding damage, including the ability to Evade three enemy strikes in a row
• may kill his opponent outright upon activating “Gae Bolg,” dealing significant damage even if the insta-kill fails
• Heals himself and removes punishing debuffs such as Curse and Poison, further increasing his ability to outlast even the strongest bosses
• is available for summoning early in the game at the relatively common three-star rarity

Servant Score – 80 / 100 – Most Likely to Survive Thanos’ Snap

7. Tamamo-no-mae (Caster)

Tamamo-no-mae sends up a prayer to Amaterasu

Tamamo-no-mae is Chaldea’s foxiest servant – literally! This nine-tailed fox spirit is believed to have served in the courts of multiple Chinese and Japanese emperors as both a beautiful courtesan and a devout priestess. Perky-eared, bouncy-tailed “Tama” supports her allies through prayers, charms  and a sacred mirror on loan from  the sun goddess Amaterasu.

Tamamo-no-mae is a top ten Servant because she…

• casts powerful curses which significantly delay the frequency of enemy Noble Phantasms
• quickly charges up the Noble Phantasms of both herself and her allies using the skill “Fox’s Wedding”
• unleashes an effective support Noble Phantasm, “Eightfold Blessing of Amaterasu,” healing all allies and shortening the charge time of their skills
• combines healing and defense-enhancing skills, making her uniquely survivable among the usually fragile Caster class

Servant Score – 87/100 – Bless NP Chains Down in Chaldea

6. Gilgamesh (Archer)

The King of Heroes prepares his Noble Phantasm

You might think Gilgamesh is a poor fit for the Archer class, but he would disagree. This arrogant king uses the entire contents of his treasury as projectiles with which to fell his enemies. He is well aware of his place in history as the protagonist of one of the world’s first written stories, the Epic of Gilgamesh, and uses his fame to grant himself the title “King of Heroes”. Within Chaldea, he lends a hand only to Masters who agree to serve him as their true king. 

Gilgamesh is a top-ten Servant because he…

• possesses an extremely high Attack score for the Archer class at well over 12 thousand points
• further enhances his already kingly stats via his damage-boosting Divine nature and attack-raising skill “Charisma”
• shows off the wealth of his treasury with “Enuma Elish,” an attack which targets all enemies and deals bonus damage to many Servant bosses
• directs the absorption of Critical Stars towards himself, making him more likely to deal punishing critical hits

Servant Score – 90/100 for Power, 100/100 for Ego

5. Minamoto-no-Raikou (Berserker)

Raikou unleashes lightning!

History may remember Japan’s Minamoto-no-Raikou (born Yorimitsu) as a stoic male swordsman, but Fate/grand order reimagines her as a bold, brash, busty Berserker. Loving and kind, Raikou is a mother figure to all – except oni, the demonic beings she declares her mortal enemies. Accompanied by her motorcycle-riding retainer, “Golden” Sakata Kintoki, Raikou protects the player during annual oni-themed limited events. Just don’t get her angry, because once she loses her temper, she might just channel hidden oni powers of her own!  

Minamoto-no-Raikou is a top ten Servant because she…

• deals bonus damage against the highly common Demon-type enemies
• pairs a high Attack stat and inherent Berserker-class damage bonus with skills that enhance the power of her strikes even further
• shrugs off powerful enemy attacks with self-targeted temporary Evasion
• clears the field with a multi-targeted flurry of critical hits called “Vengeful Lightning of the Ox-King”

Servant Score – 92/100 – Mother, What Big….Damage Totals…You Have!

4. Cú Chulainn Alter (Berserker)

Cú Chulainn Alter utterly obliterates an enemy

It’s a dinosaur…it’s a dragon…no, it’s our old Irish friend, Cú Chulainn! Powered by bloodlust and desire for conquest, Ulster’s Hound switches into the Berserker class to become one of Chaldea’s deadliest damage dealers. His exoskeleton-like armor is made from bone and powered by the rage of two ancient sea monsters named Curruid and Coinchen. His motives for helping Chaldea are simple: the destruction of all who oppose him.

Cu Chulainn Alter is a top ten Servant because he…

• retains his original form’s survivability, with the return of the “Evasion” and “Guts” skills
• swaps out his Noble Phantasm for the more aggressive “Curruid Coinchen,” which hits multiple times for several tens of thousands of damage
• protects himself further by decreasing the Attack stat and critical hit chance of his enemies
• negates the lower defenses and durability of the Berserker class with the ability to buff his own stats significantly

Servant Score – 95/100 – Here There Be Monsters

3. Jeanne D’Arc Alter (Avenger)

What Jeanne Alter lacks in modesty, she makes up for in strength

Fate/grand order’s annual popularity polls have consistently featured a single decisive victor: Jeanne d’Arc Alter. . This corrupted version of France’s beloved saint has abandoned her faith after being burned at the stake by the very people she tried to save. The feisty “Jalter” is an asset for any Master – just keep her away from other versions of herself, as their disagreements typically lead to major property damage fees for Chaldea!

Jeanne d’Arc Alter is a top ten Servant because she…

• possesses the single highest Attack stat in the game, a crown she has managed to retain despite the release of hundreds of new Servants
• further boosts the Attack strength of both herself and every ally fighting alongside her
• unleashes the truly terrifying skill “Ephemeral Dream,” which combines an Attack boost with a full turn of Invincibility status
• belongs to the rare Avenger class, leaving her with few weaknesses and a hefty resistance to the game’s most powerful demonic bosses

Servant Score – 96/100 – Best For Your Team, Worst For Your Wallet

2. Zhuge Liang / Lord El-Melloi II (Caster)

Lord El-Melloi II proudly declares his opinion on his fellow mages

Attackers alone do not a victorious army make. All Masters need a Servant at their side who can boost the survivability of their damage dealers. This support-based Caster is a peaceful fusion between legendary Chinese strategist Zhuge Liang and experienced magecraft professor Lord Waver Velvet El-Melloi II. El-Melloi is one of franchise creator Kinoko Nasu’s favorite characters, and has gone on to star in his own anime, light novel series, and even stage musical!

Zhuge Liang / Lord El-Melloi II is a top ten Servant because he…

• immediately charges his own or an ally’s Noble Phantasm by up to 50%
• boosts the Attack, Defense, and Critical Hit frequency of his entire team
• de-buffs his foes by applying the punishing Stun, Curse, Defense Down and Phantasm Drain statuses
• matches attack-based Servants in survivability with his high defenses and HP total

Servant Score – 98/100 – Reigning Champion, Chaldea “Best Hair” Pageant

1. Merlin (Caster)

Merlin's impressive statline simply has no equal

Fate/grand order moves away from the traditional “wise old man” depiction of Merlin to instead present a youthful, fair-faced trickster with an arsenal of support skills up his billowing white sleeves. Merlin spends most of the plot working enigmatically behind the scenes, avoiding direct combat, and learning how to use the Internet. However, if you can get him to join the Chaldean forces permanently, he brings with him all the vast healing power of the mystical realm of Avalon!

Merlin is a top-ten Servant because he….

• uses his Noble Phantasm, “Garden of Avalon,” to heal all allies for five consecutive turns, making him the game’s most effective healer
• provides a turn of full-party Invincibility via the skill “Illusion,” utterly no-selling the Noble Phantasms of even the most powerful bosses
• buffs the Attack stats and Noble Phantasm charges of the entire party
• allows more fragile Servants to tank a greater number of hits with the max-HP boosting skill “Hero Creation”

Servant Score – 100/100 – Absolutely Irreplaceable (And Doesn’t He Know It)

Recruit these powerful Servants as you challenge gods and monsters, fix time-stream anomalies, and save history. With these Top 10 warriors, buffers, dodgers and healers at your side, nothing will be able to stand against the might of Chaldea!

Who are your favorite Servants in Fate/grand order?  Which future releases are you saving your Saint Quartz for? Comment and let me know!

You might also like:

• Top 5 Fate/grand order Best Sabers
• Top 10 Fate/grand order Best Lancers
• Top 10 Ultimate Best Free MMORPGs You Can Play Today