Zouken Matou

Zouken Matou is a major antagonist on the Heaven's Feel route. He presents himself as the grandfather of Shinji and Sakura but it was later revealed that he was present during the founding of the Fuyuki City Holy Grail War 200 years ago back when his family name was Makiri. Zouken is stern, cold, and absolutely single-minded and ruthless in his pursuit of his goal of ultimate power.

Background

Originally known as Makiri Zolgen (マキリ・ゾォルケン, Makiri Zoruken^?), he was the patriarch of the Zolgen family five hundred years before the Fifth Holy Grail War. They were a noble family that originated somewhere around Russia and were driven out of their homeland.^[2] The family later became known as Makiri when he changed his name to Zouken Makiri (マキリ臓硯, Makiri Zouken^?). The family gained ties to both the Einzbern and Tohsaka families through his friendship with Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern and Nagato Tohsaka, and he had enough of a relationship with Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg to be considered a potential inheritor of the Jeweled Sword of Zelretch if not for Zelretch appraising the family as fundamentally evil.^[3]

Zouken had the dream of creating a utopia, having pursued it since he was around two hundred years old. He wanted to eliminate and cure all hatred and suffering. He felt grief upon finding that "paradise" did not exist in the world and its creation was impossible with a human body, and he instead wished to go to a place where it could be accomplished. Humanity has set limits, so he wished for it to go outside the spiral of the brain and the limits of the body to reach the infinity called the soul. Obtaining all creation and knowledge where no human can reach, it was not to make a new world, but to change his human life.

He sought the Holy Grail to be reborn and reach the ideal utopia, the unimaginable land. With a miracle beyond human reach, he sought to eliminate all of the evils of the world, risking his life for an ideal that could not be fulfilled. Though his enemies died, he kept seeking it despite knowing it was meaningless. He believed it was his reason to exist, all while hoping that his existence would bring about a successor. In order to overthrow his youthful anguish, he came up with that answer even if his life should not be compensated.

He was around three hundred years old as of the establishment of the Holy Grail War to fulfill his dream along with the Tohsaka and Einzbern families. He moved his family to Japan under the name Matou, and while it was to hide the family's identity, they needed something tying into their real name and used a play on words. Zouken proposed the system of "Master" and "Servant",^[4] while Nagato provided his property Fuyuki City and Justeaze developed the Heaven's Feel system, offered the homunculi vessels for the Grail, and became the core of the Great Grail. Justeaze utilized her own body to become the magic circuit of the Grail.

At the time, Zouken admired her deeply, and was devastated to see her sacrifice. He had decided to ensure that her sacrifice would not be in vain by keeping himself alive long enough to witness the moment the Grail becomes completed and reaches the gate. However, as the time went on, the frustration due to the incomplete Grail and the deterioration of his body over such long period had slowly caused him to forget his original intention, and had left him only the abnormal obsession about obtaining immortality.

Shrewd, powerful, and ancient, he is known as the grandfather of Shinji and Sakura and the father of Kariya and his brother Byakuya^[5][6] To conceal his status as the Matous' ancestor, he masquerades as a relative to his descendants, though some members of his family have long suspected he is much older than he appears given how Zouken's name has repeatedly appeared in the family tree. He has amassed a large and extensive library of sorcerous knowledge, yet his lessons are strict and harsh. Zouken considers Shinji to be a disgrace of a sorcerer, and believes Sakura may have more potential than her brother.

Because the Matou blood has thinned and no longer produces heirs naturally capable of sorcery, Shinji was incapable of becoming a true sorcerer so Zouken offered to adopt Tohsaka Sakura into the Matou when her father, Tokiomi, decided to train only his older daughter, Rin, to become his successor. Sakura was implanted with Zouken's magical worms to prepare her as a vessel for Angra Mainyu in the fifth Holy Grail War.

Personality

Zouken is a shrewd old man with plenty of knowledge on magecraft due to the several centuries he has been alive. He is shown to be strict and harsh in the training of magi within his family and is becoming increasingly frustrated with the thinning bloodline of the Matou family preventing the birth of any natural-born magi.

Originally an idealistic young man, Zouken became cynical and ruthless as the years passed. He holds no affection for anyone apart from himself, happily manipulating and disposing members of his own family while laughing heartily.

Legends of the Multi-Universe: Mageddon Trilogy

Zouken Matou is one of the major recurring antagonists in the Mageddon Trilogy. Zouken was one of minor/important antagonists in Armageddon, one of the main antagonists in Weirdmageddon, one of supporting/important antagonsts in Tales from the Ultra Despair Knight as he was mentioned and was shown in flashbacks, and one of the main/secondary antagonsts in Darkmageddon.

Legends of the Multi-Universe: Armageddon

Zouken Matou debuts as one of the minor antagaonista in this story.

Legends of the Multi-Universe: Weirdmageddon

Zouken returns as one of the main antagonists in this story.

Legends of the Multi-Universe: Darkmageddon

Zouken returns once again but this time as one of secondary main antagonists where he will awakened Chernabog.

Gallery

"Zouken Matou's Insects"

"Zouken Matou as he appears in Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel

"Zouken Matou younger self: Makiri Zolgen"

"Chernabog and Zouken Matou"

"Shinji Matou and Zouken Matou"

"Yu Narukami and Zouken Matou"