Matou Byakuya
Matou Byakuya is a character appearing in Fate/Zero. He serves as the nominal head of the Matou magus household, being the father of Matou Shinji and the older brother of Matou Kariya. Possessing minimal magical talent, he holds no true authority in the family, which remains under the control of his father, Matou Zouken. To cope with constant fear and pressure, he turns heavily to alcohol. Though he participates in the harsh upbringing of Matou Sakura under Zouken's orders, he attempts to protect his biological son by sending him abroad.
Overview
Matou Byakuya is a character appearing in Fate/Zero. He serves as the nominal head of the Matou magus household, being the father of Matou Shinji and the older brother of Matou Kariya. Possessing minimal magical talent, he holds no true authority in the family, which remains under the control of his father, Matou Zouken. To cope with constant fear and pressure, he turns heavily to alcohol. Though he participates in the harsh upbringing of Matou Sakura under Zouken's orders, he attempts to protect his biological son by sending him abroad.
Appearance
Byakuya features short, wavy blue hair paired with blue eyes. He is seen dressed in a untidy, disheveled black suit. Following an interrogation, he suffers severe injuries, including a severed ear, gunshot wounds to his limbs, and the loss of his right hand.
Personality
Byakuya possesses the standard sensibilities of an ordinary human rather than the ruthless mindset of a typical magus. Lacking the fortitude to resist his terrifying father or the shamelessness to justify his actions, he crumbles under guilt and terror. He relies on alcohol to escape the horror of the Holy Grail War and the disturbing magic around him. While resentful of his powerlessness, he takes slight solace in avoiding deep involvement in the craft, enjoying the wealthy lifestyle provided to him. He displays a protective instinct toward his son, keeping him away from the family's dark reality.
Abilities
Byakuya has extremely weak magical aptitude, inferior even to that of his younger brother. Considered a disappointment by Zouken, he was never taught advanced magecraft nor viewed as a worthy heir, serving merely as a low-level assistant with virtually no combat capabilities.
Background
Originally not destined to inherit the family, Byakuya became the figurehead head of the house after his younger brother Kariya abandoned the magus path. Under Zouken's direction, he assisted in acclimating the adopted Sakura to the family's harsh training. During the Fourth Holy Grail War, Emiya Kiritsugu targeted and tortured Byakuya to locate Kariya, leaving him permanently crippled. Broken both mentally and physically, Byakuya passed away a few years prior to the Fifth Holy Grail War.
Relationships
He lives under absolute fear and submission to his father, Matou Zouken. He harbored deep resentment toward his younger brother, Matou Kariya, for fleeing the family and leaving him to carry the burden. He attempted to shield his son, Matou Shinji, from the world of magic, though he passed on no magical talent to him. Toward his adopted daughter, Matou Sakura, he acted as an unwilling executor of Zouken's cruel methods.
Trivia
His wife is believed to have died in the pit of worms after being abandoned by Zouken for giving birth to Shinji, who lacked a magic circuit.