The story of Aléxandros ho Mégas, better known as Alexander the Great, may sometimes seem like hyperbole, or even full on myth. But Alexander the Great was very real, and his personality is just as grand as his name suggests. In only 33 years of life, Alexander had created one of the largest empires in the world, spanning from the Himalayas to the Ionian sea, and was tutored by Aristotle himself. His settlements began the Hellenistic period, a span of Greek history between his death and the emergence of Ancient Rome.

Revered for his ability to band his army together, Alexander as a servant in Fate/Zero has a charisma status of A. This is above that of a king, which is rank B; it is the charisma needed not only to unite a kingdom, but an entire empire. The man was undefeated in battle and his loyal, experienced army is part of what guaranteed this. However, Alexander’s charisma carried not only to his people, but even to his most trusted steed (who is also a Heroic Spirit capable of being summoned in Fate/ canon). At ten years of age, Alexander tamed a horse that refused to be tamed by any other in the court, and his father Philip praised him, telling him that their kingdom of Macedon was too small for him and that Alexander must seek an empire befitting of his grand ambitions. Alexander named the horse Bucephalus, and until Alexander’s death, they were partners. Alexander had sensed fear in the horse and convinced him to trust him, and in Fate/Zero Alexander is shown to still carry this ability to see inside the hearts of others. He senses Waver’s fears and inspires the boy to dream, and accurately analyses the martyr-like rule of King Arthur. This characteristic of seeing into others and being able to inspire them is a trait on which his arc in Fate/Zero capitalises, showing that Alexander’s men will fight for him even to certain doom. His abilities even impress Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, who before had seemed unimpressed with his other adversaries.

Though in Fate/Zero Alexander’s actions seem brash and ridiculous, the characterisation is not far from historical accounts of the great leader. As inspiring and grand as Alexander is, he is not without fault-- nor is he without immaturity. In Fate/Zero he butts heads with his summoner, Waver, over the use of trousers. This is not simply a comical addition but a reference; the king was purportedly known for his disdain for wearing pants. Alexander is also known to have sulked for days at a time when displeased. His life was also not without love and pain; though he married twice, he married once out of love. His marriage with that wife, Roxana, was stable, but Roxana miscarried children and the child that survived was born six months after Alexander’s death.

For his time, Alexander was known to have an impressive gathering of female friends, companions of a platonic nature completely separate from his rarely-used Persian-style harem. He was noted for not having forced himself upon Roxana while also being thoroughly infatuated with her, and formed very strong bonds with women, including Ada of Caria who adopted him as her son and the mother of the father of Alexander’s second wife.

In Fate/Zero he’s known for his affinity for video games and other such things. He is noble, overbearing both physically (standing at almost 7 feet) and in personality, and genuine. Though inconsiderate and wild, his greed benefited the happiness of those he conquered and it was his preference to win over his enemies by defeating them without killing them and controlling them without humiliating them. This behaviour extends even to battles outside of his own; when Kayneth’s order to Diarmuid would have dishonoured Diarmuid in his battle with Arturia, Alexander fights on the side of Arturia and helps to convince Kayneth to take back his command. Though he seems to at first use Arturia’s gender to dishonour her it is not his intention, and he admires her abilities as an individual; he even wished for her to become his ally. With Waver, though the boy’s inexperience and temper give him many shortcomings, Alexander is quick to bond with him and lead him on a personal level, securing Waver as a part of his kingdom as his retainer.