Which are the best Fate/grand order Sabers?

What comes to mind when you think of the word “Saber”? Odds are, it’s a blonde woman wearing distinctive blue-and-silver armor and wielding a glowing sword. This is the Fate/ franchise’s first heroine, Artoria Pendragon, a female re-imagining of Britain’s King Arthur and the first ever member of the Saber class.

With a class so iconic, you might expect Sabers to be common within the world of the mobile game Fate/grand order. But, in fact, the opposite is true. This Servant class is quite rare, available only at the higher three-, four- and five-star rarities. New Chaldean Masters might initially find summoning a Saber to be a difficult, frustrating task.

However, once you have one, a Saber is certainly worth the effort to level up and strengthen. These sword-wielding kings and knights deal powerful damage and boost themselves with unique class skills. The five Sabers on this list are truly the best of the best when it comes to defending humanity as members of Chaldea’s army.

5. TIE – Brave Elisabeth Báthory (Best Free Saber) & Bedivere (Best Low-Rarity Saber)

Accessibility is key for Sabers, and these two Servants have it. 4-star Elisabeth is given out for free as part of the Halloween event “Super Ghouls ‘n Pumpkins,” while Bedivere becomes available as an ally after completing the story chapter “Divine Realm of the Round Table: Camelot”.

Because both Sabers are known for their low rarity and fulfill a similar role in battle, they share an equal rating on this list.

The sound of victory - Brave Elisabeth unleashes a sonic attack

Serial killer? Vampire? Countess who bathed in blood? Nope, nope, and nope! Fate/grand order’s Elisabeth Báthory appears as a teenager. Her goal is to avoid her bloody legend by becoming an idol singer. Her Saber version takes up the sword, suits up in armor inspired by the Dragon Quest video games, and embarks on an epic adventure to save her castle from invaders!

What makes Brave Elisabeth Báthory Chaldea’s conquering hero?

• Strikes with a powerful single-target Noble Phantasm, then further drains enemies’ HP by inflicting them with the Burn status
• Amps up the strength of her Buster Attacks with her loud war cries
• Avoids her enemies’ most powerful attacks – even their Noble Phantasms – by granting herself Invincibility

Servant Score – 80/100 – Can she be the next Smash Bros DLC character?

A fully leveled Bedivere swears his loyalty to the player character.

Sir Bedivere is as loyal as he is beautiful. This Knight of the Round Table stood by his master Artoria’s side until her final moments. After losing his arm in battle, Bedivere was gifted a replacement made out of pure silver by the wizard Merlin. Dubbed “Airgetlam,” the arm somehow enhances his prodigious sword skills despite weighing 22 pounds!

What makes Bedivere shine as brightly as his silver arm?

• Uses Airgetlam to deliver intense single-target strikes which he can further power up with his tactical skills
• Charges his own Noble Phantasm up to 30% simply by keeping a peaceful state of mind – the skill’s even called “Calm and Collected”
• Buffs his own Defense and Debuff Resistance, making him the most survivable low-rarity Saber

Servant Score – 80/100 – Loyalty that lasts beyond death

4. Bride Nero Claudius (Best Supporter)

A newly summoned Bride Nero greets her Master

Her full name is “Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus” – try saying that five times fast! She’s hot-tempered and proud, but, deep down inside, she just wants to be loved. The white wedding dress she wears is a symbol of her search for the ideal spouse, something she never accomplished during her life as Emperor of Rome. Like Báthory, Nero loves to sing…but her vocal performances are known more for volume than actual talent. Masters, cover your ears!

What makes Bride Nero Claudius the perfect partner to walk down the aisle with?

• Weakens her enemies by decreasing their Defense and draining their HP with the Burn status
• Enhances her already high HP stat with powerful self-healing abilities
• Uses her three skills to enhance the Attack, Defense, Noble Phantasm charge, and Critical Star generation of the ally of her choice

Servant Score – 89/100 – Here comes the bride, there go the enemies

3. Mordred (Best Multi-Target Noble Phantasm)

Mordred never gives up!

Mordred, like so many other things in Fate/grand order, is Merlin’s fault. He turned Artoria into a male in what started as a harmless prank, but ended with sorceress Morgan le Fay stealing the King’s DNA. Mordred is a homunculus created from Artoria, a fact which she greatly resents. She totally doesn’t like or respect Artoria at all. Really. She totally promises.

What makes Mordred a worthy heir to the throne of Camelot?

• Strikes with her sword “Clarent Blood Arthur” to deal significant damage to every enemy on the field – plus bonus attacks against any version of Arthur or Artoria!
• Wipes crippling enemy de-buffs away after they have been cast using her unique skill, “Helm of Hidden Infidelity”
• Uses the rest of her skills to simultaneously boost her Buster Attack and gain Critical Stars, often slaying enemies in a single blow   
• Boasts an absolutely massive attack score, reaching nearly 12,000 points before any buffs or bonuses are added to the field

Servant Score: 95/100 – Surpassing the father

2. Lancelot du Lac (Best Single-Target Noble Phantasm)

Three Lancelots take on the enemy together

Was Sir Lancelot of the Round Table a hero or a villain? Fate/grand order refuses to take a side. He initially appeared as a rage-driven Berserker-class Servant, hoping to eliminate Artoria or die trying. However, his Saber version is much more heroic and still firmly believes in all Camelot stands for. He gladly wields his sword in defense of his king and all of humankind…although, he does lose his Berserker version’s ability to pilot many types of vehicles, including airplanes.

What makes Lancelot the shining star of the Round Table?

• Fights effectively without needing any backup, due to his unique Arts-based Noble Phantasm which begins recharging itself on activation
• Serves as one of the greatest Critical Star generators in the entire game, able to create them on the battlefield, absorb them, and use them effectively in powering up his critical hits
• Deals intense damage to a single enemy with his sword “Arondight,” the “dark” or “mirror” version of King Artoria's famous Excalibur
• Can even gain enough Critical Stars in a single turn to guarantee one hundred percent that his next hits will all be critical

Servant Score – 95/100 – A “Knight” to remember

1. Miyamoto Musashi (Best Overall Saber)

Musashi lets loose with a powerful double strike!

What are the downfalls to having Japanese swordswoman Miyamoto Musashi fight by your side? Well, first off, she absolutely refuses to get along with her number one rival, Assassin-class Servant Sasaki Kojiro. Their fights are constant and often destructive. Secondly, she’s Chaldea’s biggest eater – during one summer celebration, she ate 634 bowls of udon noodles in one sitting!  But, all of her quirks are more than worth it in exchange for her powerful, accurate, dual-wielding fighting style. When it comes to Sabers, she’s the best around! 

What makes Miyamoto Musashi Chaldea’s most heavenly sword-wielder?

• Accesses the completely unique skill “Fifth Force,” which doubles the number of hits made per attack, dealing massive amounts of damage, charging her Noble Phantasm and generating critical stars all at once
• Hits a single enemy several times with two Divine Blades– and yes, her Noble Phantasm  can be combined with Fifth Force
• Pierces through the Invincible status, delivering defeat to even the most heavily shielded of enemies
• Removes debuffs post-casting while simultaneously granting herself a turn of Invincibility, no-selling any Noble Phantasm thrown at her
• Boasts an attack score of nearly 13,000 points, making even her normal hits incredibly deadly  

Servant Score – 100/100 – The absolute top – or would that be “tip” – of the blade

Selecting and building a strong Saber can seem daunting. The class is both highly populated and surprisingly rare. However, with time, all Masters will  find a powerful swordsman or woman to fight with them in Chaldea. Every good defender of humanity needs a sword at their side, and Saber-class Servants are always more than happy to provide.

Who’s your favorite Saber in the game? Which Sabers are you looking forward to being added in the future? What piece of Artoria merch do you hope they’ll bring overseas next? (Personally, I’m eagerly waiting for that Excalibur-shaped umbrella!) Comment and let me know!

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