Oda Nobukatsu

Overview

Oda Nobukatsu is a 1-star Archer-class Servant featured in the Fate series, notably Fate/Grand Order. Historically identified as the younger brother of Oda Nobunaga—also known as Oda Nobuyuki—he made his debut as a non-playable character in the GUDAGUDA Meiji Ishin event before becoming playable in GUDAGUDA Yamatai-koku. Boundlessly devoted to his elder sister, his worldview and actions revolve entirely around supporting her supremacy and facilitating her path as the Demon King.

Appearance

Nobukatsu is a slender youth who closely resembles his elder sister, Oda Nobunaga, though he is slightly taller than her. He has red eyes and black hair tied in a low ponytail whose tip constantly flickers with flame, featuring strands resting between his eyes and long sidelocks. His primary outfit consists of a military cap bearing his clan crest, long sleeves, gloves, and a coat with a cape whose colors are inverted relative to Nobunaga's. In his Second Ascension, he dons a swimsuit hoodie and sandals while carrying a plastic sword and a toy water gun in a purple rubber holster over a red undershirt. His Third Ascension shifts to a darker motif with red hair, a lower-face mask, and a black bodysuit lined with glowing red channels and a shining bellflower crest. His Final Ascension depicts him sitting in darkness among human bones, wearing only an outer coat while resting a skull in his lap.

Personality

Nobukatsu possesses an earnest yet thoroughly ordinary disposition, easily intimidated by forceful personalities and prone to panicking when reprimanded by his sister. His defining trait is an extreme, near-obsessive devotion to Oda Nobunaga, combined with deep humility regarding his own modest talents. He views himself strictly as an instrument to further her greatness, willing to play the villain and engineer his own downfall if it cleanses her path of opposition. While capable of intricate scheming, he lacks follow-through and often stumbles at critical moments. He detests the bloodshed of the Sengoku era, longing instead for simple, peaceful days spent with his sister.

Abilities

As a Phantom-level entity, Nobukatsu has exceptionally low base physical parameters for a Servant. In combat, he wields a katana, an antique pistol, and round bombs, switching to a plastic blade and water gun in his Second Ascension. He can call forth miniature units to fire matchlock guns or cling to targets to detonate. His skill set includes Magic Resistance and Independent Action, alongside abilities to confuse foes and lower their Buster defense, greatly empower party critical attacks—providing immense specific enhancements and star absorption to forms of Oda Nobunaga—and draw enemy attacks to himself while restoring party health upon his defeat. His Noble Phantasm, Maou Kaiten - Higanbana, triggers his own instant defeat to grant party-wide NP gauge and Buster damage, with amplified benefits reserved for Nobunaga. Additionally, he acts as a unique summoning anchor capable of repeatedly restoring Nobunaga's Spirit Origin if destroyed, granting her functional immortality while he remains on the battlefield. Outside combat, he exhibits strong administrative abilities in peacetime affairs, such as levee construction for flood control and grain storage management.

Background

Born as the younger brother of Oda Nobunaga, Nobukatsu was initially favored by traditional retainers over his seemingly eccentric sister to inherit the family headship. Recognizing Nobunaga's peerless genius early on, Nobukatsu deliberately staged rebellions against her to gather all internal dissidents into one place, allowing her to purge them and solidify her supreme authority as the Demon King. Following his execution, his lack of grand historic deeds left him as a weak Phantom rather than a true Heroic Spirit. He temporarily manifested in a temporal singularity using the residual energy of a Demon Pillar to establish an absolute realm intended to spare his sister from further bloodshed, though he was ultimately brought back into her fold. After participating in subsequent singularity events, he successfully stabilized his Spirit Origin and registered as a Servant in Chaldea.

Relationships

Nobukatsu dedicates his entire existence to Oda Nobunaga, prioritizing her above his Master. He responds to her various manifestations, including her swimsuit and Avenger forms, though he finds her male-presenting Kippoushi persona somewhat difficult to handle. He treats his niece Chacha with indifference despite their blood relation, though he acknowledges that her fierce temper resembles Nobunaga's. While he agrees with his father Oda Nobuhide's decision to pass leadership to Nobunaga, he harbors resentment toward him for burdening her. He felt pity toward his mother Tsuchida-gozen for her inability to recognize Nobunaga's genius. He treats his former supporter Shibata Katsuie harshly for lacking foresight, though he quietly sympathizes with Katsuie's past distress over internal clan conflicts. Conversely, he respects Mori Yoshinari's unwavering loyalty to Nobunaga. Though acting aloof toward Fujimaru Ritsuka, he appreciates their trust and their role in reuniting him with his sister. He feels intense jealousy toward Okita Souji over her closeness with Nobunaga, fears the stern visage of Hijikata Toshizo, and acknowledges Akechi Mitsuhide, who entered Nobunaga's service after his own death.

Trivia

In historical records, he is most commonly referred to as Oda Nobuyuki; his name was rendered as Nobukatsu within the franchise to prevent confusion with Nobunaga's second son. Designed by artist pako, his Saint Graph card illustrations are crafted to mirror those of Oda Nobunaga's respective ascensions; when aligned side-by-side with her cards, they form a single connected illustration depicting him standing beside his sister. He is widely known by the nickname Katsu among fans and official staff alike.