Bartholomew Roberts
Bartholomew Roberts is a Rider-class Servant appearing in the mobile game Fate/Grand Order. Historically celebrated as the commander of the largest pirate fleet during the Golden Age of Piracy, he is depicted as a refined yet dangerous swashbuckler. He first appears in the limited event Madou Meihou-sou no Kousatsu under the amnesiac alias Salazar while assisting Chaldea's movie shoot, before becoming a playable Servant. Later in the main story, he plays a key supportive role in Lostbelt No. 5: Atlantis as a Servant of Pan-Human History who aids the protagonist's journey.
Overview
Bartholomew Roberts is a Rider-class Servant appearing in the mobile game Fate/Grand Order. Historically celebrated as the commander of the largest pirate fleet during the Golden Age of Piracy, he is depicted as a refined yet dangerous swashbuckler. He first appears in the limited event Madou Meihou-sou no Kousatsu under the amnesiac alias Salazar while assisting Chaldea's movie shoot, before becoming a playable Servant. Later in the main story, he plays a key supportive role in Lostbelt No. 5: Atlantis as a Servant of Pan-Human History who aids the protagonist's journey.
Appearance
Bartholomew Roberts is depicted as a tall, handsome young man with tan, dark skin, short black hair, and blue eyes. He wears elegant, aristocratic clothing paired with gloves. Around his neck, he sports a prominent gold chain bearing a diamond-studded cross rosary. For combat and personal defence, he carries a firearm alongside a cutlass saber.
Personality
Bartholomew Roberts presents himself as a suave, cool, and refined dandy who values courtly manners and etiquette despite his identity as a pirate. Historically famous for enforcing strict shipboard discipline to maintain order, he balances his calculated leadership with a pragmatic pirate philosophy regarding plunder. However, his sophisticated persona is contrasted by a comical obsession with individuals whose eyes are obscured by their front hair—a trait he finds deeply alluring. Additionally, he suffers from severe PTSD regarding sudden cannon blasts due to his historical cause of death, which can temporarily cause him to lose his composure.
Abilities
As a Rider-class Servant, Bartholomew Roberts fights using a stylish combination of cutlass swordsmanship, pistol fire, grenades, and temporary cannon summonings. He possesses the skill Voyager of the Storm at rank A+, granting him superior group leadership and naval command capabilities. His skills Pirate Gentleman and Swift Plunder provide extensive tactical support for his team, boosting offensive power while drawing attention away from himself. His Noble Phantasm, Black Dirty Barty Howling, deploys a meticulously calculated fleet encirclement to rain down a devastating simultaneous cannon barrage from all directions, which is especially effective against lower-rarity opponents.
Background
Historically active during the late Golden Age of Piracy in the Caribbean and West Africa, Bartholomew Roberts originally served as a navigator under Captain Howell Davis. After Davis was killed, Roberts led a successful revenge attack and assumed command of the crew, eventually building the largest pirate fleet in history. Known for instituting a democratic shipboard code with strict rules regarding discipline and voting, he amassed immense wealth through raids such as capturing a 42-ship Portuguese fleet. His career ended when he was killed by a cannon grapeshot during a battle against the British Royal Navy, after which his body was buried at sea by his crew. As a Servant, he assists Chaldea across various singularities and Lostbelts.
Relationships
Bartholomew constantly flirts with Mash Kyrielight due to her eye being covered by her bangs, which matches his aesthetic obsession. He vehemently dislikes being grouped together with Edward Teach (Blackbeard), looking down on Teach's barbaric and unrefined demeanor, even though the two share the exact same underlying outlook on piracy. In his past life, he held strong loyalty to Captain Howell Davis, whose death prompted Roberts to take command of the fleet. Towards Fujimaru Ritsuka and the Chaldea Master, he acts as a dependable, calculated ally while maintaining his trademark smooth persona.
Trivia
His moniker Black Bart stems from historical accounts of his dark complexion, with Bart serving both as a nickname for Bartholomew and an allusion to baronet. His visual design was created by the artist Mata, who also illustrated Servants such as Caster Cu Chulainn, Sasaki Kojiro, and Diarmuid Ua Duibhne. First introduced as an NPC in the Madou Meihou-sou no Kousatsu event, he was later added to the playable roster during the 4th Anniversary campaign as the game's first 1-star Rider Servant. He also received a summer costume named Smiley Summer Wear.
