[Thread Saber's route VN]
Where to even begin with this amazing story. Many people have a very bad opinion of it, calling it the worst route and giving people a false impression. Doing a full review of it would be too long so we will stick on the subject that comes back often.

The main argument being Shirou's and Saber's characters/relationship. Calling Shirou naive and simple but well,that's kinda what you would expect from a 17yo highschool boy.What is very interesting right of the gate is his past.

Being the only survivor of the incident 10years ago. He could have easily be an edgy protagonist always wanting to be alone. But from jump,it is made clear he already accepted his past ofbeing the only one who had the chance to survive.

Still going to school,making friends,helping others,dreaming of justice is a way for him to continue on living,in honor for those who couldn't. Some people call Shirou sexist,useless or even an idiot during fights.

But,people are mistaken about the reason he goes in front with Saber. It's not because oh I am a male gotta protect the girl. It's because he belives in justice and can't bring himself to be always protected by someone who behind her armor,is a small girl hurting herself

For someone who doesn't even value his life. It's because Shirou values Saber's life higher than his that he is willing to fight for her. Thus,each fight they get closer and closer as a duo fighting together rather than a master and servant fighting.Going from Berserker

where Saber swings her sacred sword Excalibur with Shirou,accepting him as somebody who can fight for her to Gilgamesh where she shares Avalon accepting him as somebody who can defend her. And lastly,Kirei/Gilgamesh fight where Saber recognise Shirou has his equal

by letting him fight alone while she keeps excalibur and avalon,both a respect of love and equality. Now,onto Saber's character. A huge complaint is Saber and Shirou romance. That it doesn't make sense,they aren't made for each other etc...

Saber lived her entire life surrounded by people who considered her as a man, a king. Because of that, she naturally acted like a man toward Shirou,rejecting herself as a woman. However,he always saw her for her true nature and always treated her like a girl.

Respecting her privacy at bath,going into date,refusing to sleep in the same room. For the first time, she met a man who wanted to take care save and help the girl called Artoria Pendragon. Their romance is very subtle,blooming progressively at each portion of the story.

Saber breaks many cliche as a female lead in a shonen story.Not having a body with ridiculous proportions, stronger and smarter than the MC.She isn't in love day 1 with him. They progressively learn to love and know each other confronting their opposite ideals.

But our King doesn't stop there,she has on top of that a complex mindset with over a decade of a life as a King,perfectly contrasted with her cute expressions and actions when she acts normaly making her the cutest character in the series (behind Sakura).

Unlike Shirou,she couldn't accept the downfall and mistakes of her past,rejecting it. She highly values her life because she belives she is the only one who can save her country.Making her the opposite of Shirou who wants to change the present and futur.

Running in opposite direction, the goal of the route itself is to bring back Saber to Shirou's side,reality,where you cannot change the past. How ? With love,when Shirou rejects the grail in front of Saber,she finally understood that what matters isn't the past but the present

A present where a man is capable of throwing away the Holy-grail for the woman she loves to prove his beliefs instead of a past where she can't change. Realising it,she rejects the grail too and finally let go of her role as a King that ended long ago.

With the final scene of Saber saying I love you to Shirou,not in her armor,but in her dress,with her hair floating free in the wind just like herself,she can finally rest. Thus ends the story of a young boy saving a girl from her dutys

Projecting himself as an ally of justice who learned to value his life while fighting for her and the girl,who accepted it and changed her ideals,because they wanted to share the same heart,the same Fate.