<P> This is a list of characters from the Japanese light novel series, Fate / Zero by Gen Urobuchi, illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi and a collaboration between Type - Moon and fellow developer Nitroplus . It is the direct prequel to the Japanese adult visual novel, Fate / stay night and was adapted into an anime series by Ufotable . </P> <Dl> <Dd> Voiced by: Rikiya Koyama, Miyu Irino (Young Kiritsugu) (Japanese); Matthew Mercer, Marianne Miller (Young Kiritsugu) (English) </Dd> <Dd> The Master of Saber and the main protagonist . Born in Fuyuki City, Kiritsugu was raised on Alimango Island, where he lived with his father, Norikata Emiya, the fourth family head of the Emiya family and a magus specializing in time magic . He became friends with Norikata's assistant, a local girl called Shirley who was four years older than him, developing a crush on her . However, disaster struck when Shirley became a vampire after drinking one of Noritaka's potions . She pled for Kiritsugu to kill her, but he fled instead . Shirley subsequently lost control and turned all the residents of Alimango Island into vampires . </Dd> <Dd> Their village was soon overrun by Executors from the Church and Enforcers from the Mages' Association, agents whose purpose was to destroy all the vampires and eliminate any trace of civilization and vampirism on the island respectively . Kiritsugu was the only survivor of the' cleansing', saved by Natalia Kaminski, a freelance Enforcer who wanted information on the magus responsible . Returning to the hidden Emiya residence, Kiritsugu confronted his father on his research and Shirley's death . Upon mercy killing Natalia in the process of killing another vampire, who at that point had become like a mother to Kiritsugu . It was then that he became disillusioned with the ideal of becoming a' hero of justice', as he realized it was impossible to save one person without losing another . </Dd> <Dd> Around eleven years before the fourth Holy Grail War, he took on a child soldier he had rescued as his apprentice, who he eventually named Maiya Hisau, training her in much the same way Natalia trained him . Two years later, Kiritsugu was hired by the Einzbern family to be their representative in the coming conflict . Believing that the Holy Grail could grant his wish for world peace, he left behind his former work . Despite being the true Master of the Einzbern family, Kiritsugu operates mostly in the background during the conflict, ambushing other Masters when they are otherwise occupied, while Saber is partnered with Irisviel and made to act out in the open . This is to avoid conflict between Kiritsugu and Saber, as the methodologies of the two conflict with each other too much . Over the course of the War, Kiritsugu's mask of stoicism begins to crack, revealing the cold assassin to be nothing but an unstable manchild who fears not being able to let go of his wife when the time comes . During his final fight with Kirei, Kiritsugu is dragged into the Grail and, after being confronted with the Grail's true nature (which was corrupted by Angra Mainyu in the previous Holy Grail War) and is shown only a twisted version of his wish to save as many people as possible where everyone dies . He resists it by killing manifestations of his wife and daughter created by the Grail, and orders Saber to destroy the Grail after realizing its corruption . However, the Grail is unable to be destroyed and its corrupted nature causes a huge fire . Kiritsugu desperately looks for survivors, discovering an amnesiac boy who he names Shirō and adopts . Kiritsugu then spends months trying to retrieve Illya, but Angra Mainyu's curse robbed him of his magical abilities and physical health while Acht strictly trains Illya to become the next vessel under the impression that her father abandoned her . Eventually, Kiritsugu dies while watching the moon with his adopted son and talking about his dream to become a hero, believing that at the very least he wouldn't grow up to be like him . Shirō, however, ends up taking his father's dream to heart and, as seen in Fate / Stay Night has the capacity to actually become a Hero . </Dd> </Dl> <Dd> Voiced by: Rikiya Koyama, Miyu Irino (Young Kiritsugu) (Japanese); Matthew Mercer, Marianne Miller (Young Kiritsugu) (English) </Dd>

Who is the main character in fate zero