Character Profile: Rider

Rider is the servant to Shinji Matou, and she's first encountered when scouting out the high school (though she makes her proper debut when she attacks Shirou). She is a loyal and sultry servant who will always protect her master no matter what. Not really suited for close-range battle, she uses the territory around her to her advantage, and throws sharp iron nails to her enemies with long chains attached to them.

In her previous life, Rider was Medusa the gorgon. In this life as the legend goes, she had been raped by Poseidon, and when his wife found out, Medusa was cursed into being the creature the world knows her as. Thus is why she wears the blindfold, to hide her Mystic Eyes. Which she will use if she sees it to be necessary.

Her noble phantasm is unlike any of the other servants'. While many of them use weapons for their noble phantasm, Rider's is summoned as the winged horse Pegasus, which had been born (according to the legends and myths) from Medusa's blood when she was killed. But her noble phantasm is truly in the bridle, which forces Pegasus to fight for it is far too gentle of a creature for battle.

Rider's strongest noble phantasm is Belerophon, which is where she summons Pegasus. It is called Belerophon for the Greek hero (of the same name) who tried to tame Pegasus, and was thrown from it's back. Her others are the Bloodfort Andromeda (which she uses to drain people to fuel her power), and Breaker Gorgon (which isn't seen in the series).

Rider's true master is Sakura Matou. Shinji is only Rider's stand-in Master.