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The Stories Behind Fate/Apocrypha's Servants of Black

But really, Caster of Black isn't all that rooted in the historical Solomon ibn Gabirol. He's just seen as an important historical Jewish guy that can be used as a vehicle for bringing that flavor of mysticism into this syncretic free-for-all. He's credited with inventing Kabbalah in the Fate universe, which isn't at all true to my knowledge. While Kabbalah is just another magical system in Fate, it's actually considered a set of techniques for interpreting the Hebrew bible and using knowledge to become one with God in our world. (Or something like that. If you have a good two-sentence summary of Kabbalah, please inform me. I have never found one.)

The Nasuverse hasn't pursued Jewish mysticism all that often, but it's rife for integration into the franchise's highly systematized articulations of mumbo-jumbo. Otherwise, the show's usage of Kabbalah has some added resonance in that Darnic is implied to be Jewish. That's how the story justifies his brief alliance with the Nazis, since he was just using them for his own purposes (obtaining the Greater Grail) and screwed them over as soon as he got it. This is also meant to explain his taste in decor – there's a menorah in every single room of this dude's house. Maybe that's why he needs so many homunculi minding the place; someone needs to keep all these damn candles lit all the time.

My favorite thing about Caster of Black is how much his combat style emphasizes golems, (reflecting Avicebron's thematic role as a "maker of fakes" who sees them as more real and perfect than humanity.) Golems are some of my favorite mythological creatures, and they go tragically misrepresented by most of their modern portrayals. While they're now mostly used as cannon fodder in Dungeons and Dragons-style fantasies, they were originally conceived as benevolent creatures that Jewish people created in order to protect themselves from persecution. In one story, a Rabbi built a golem out of river mud to protect the Jewish people of Prague from either expulsion or execution. It worked, and according to legend, the golem's body is still kept in the attic of the synagogue where he lived. Unfortunately, Fate/Apocrypha's golems are just violent mooks, but golem-like themes do pop up around a number of other characters. There's the homunculus army, for example, but also another servant, Berserker of Black, whose own story may have been inspired by the Golem of Prague.

Chiron is just hiding his horse butt for an appropriate time. He knows the times we're in, and is not interested in having a bunch of weirdos into him.

On a more serious note, I could do without the spoilers of stuff the show hasn't aired yet, like a couple of the Noble Phantasms. I don't mind it too much though.

F/A doesn't seem to have all that much Master-Servant ties as the others. I guess Fione really wanted legs so she got someone with 4 of them, and Caules was very lonely so he got someone who was also lonely, but what the hell does Gordes have to do with Siegfried? Was Astolfo summoned to that sado master only because she really likes girly boys? Is that how it works? I want in if so.

On a more serious note, I could do without the spoilers of stuff the show hasn't aired yet, like a couple of the Noble Phantasms. I don't mind it too much though.

Although, the Jack the ripper noble phantasm was never really explained in the anime was it not? Same for the part with how her master is a prostitute. It was never mentioned. It's kind of a spoiler. Also I get that you disagreed with her clothing and I agree, but saying it once was enough, repeating it again and again made reading that section kind of the worst part even if it is supposed to be pretty interesting.

Remember that rule they had back in Fate/stay night, where servants had to be real people and not fictional characters?

She functions a little like Vlad in this way, since her Noble Phantasm is the very concept of her iconic crime.