Sakura Matou

間桐桜はFate / staynightの3人のメインヒロインの1人であり、マスターオブライダーです。

Sakura Matou is one of three main heroine of Fate/stay night and Master of Rider in Fifth Holy Grail War. Sakura Matou is also the Master of Avenger, Saber Alter, and the blackened Berserker in the Heaven's Feel route. Sakura Matou is the younger, adopted sister of Shinji Matou and biological sister of Rin Tohsaka. Sakura Matou has a long-standing and obvious crush on Shirou Emiya, who sees her as family. After Shirou's confrontation with Shinji, Sakura Matou would often visit Shirou's home to help him with his daily chores.

Born as Sakura Tohsaka, Sakura Matou is the biological younger sister of Rin Tohsaka and daughter of Tokiomi Tohsaka and Aoi Zenjou. Like most magi, Sakura Matou father chose only one daughter to carry on his family's tradition as he believed raising an additional child would introduce competition. Zouken Matou, an ancient ally of the Tohsaka House, offered to adopt Sakura with the intention of training her as the successor of the Matou's magecraft as his own heir, Shinji, was incapable of sorcery.

As a result of her natural abilities, Zouken sought to use Sakura Matou as one of his future vessels, empowered by the Angra Mainyu. Having to endure the cruel training under Zouken and Byakuya, Sakura Matou became an empty and emotionless shell resigned to her fate. When Kariya Matou, Sakura Matou 's adopted uncle and her mother's childhood friend, learned of Zouken's intentions, Kariya attempted to win the Fourth Holy Grail War in hopes of liberating her. Unfortunately, Kariya died in his attempt and Sakura Matou was unable to understand Kariya's motivation for trying to rescue her. His death demoralizes her and she convinces herself that Sakura Matou should not attempt to fight against Zouken.

After gathering the tainted fragments of the shattered grail from that war, Zouken hybridized the collected black ichor with several of his crest worm familiars. He implanted these parasitic worms into Sakura Matou 's body, which drain Sakura Matou Mana but feed on her carnal impulses Sometime later, Sakura Matou met her new brother Shinji (who was studying abroad at the time of the Fourth Holy Grail War) when he returned to Sakura Matou house. Though he later came to love and accept his new sister, he bullied her. This ended the day Shinji found out that Sakura Matou had become the heir to the Matou family instead of him and he became harsh with Sakura Matou , just like everyone else in the Matou house. Because Sakura Matou was apologetic and expressed pity toward him, Shinji took that as Sakura Matou submitting herself to him since she displayed no emotion. Sometime after the death of Byakuya, Shinji began raping Sakura Matou .

Although castigated and humiliated on a daily basis, Sakura Matou maintained her bearings with great stoicism. For the eleven years after her adoption, Sakura Matou grew to resent Zouken for his cruelty, Tokiomi for sending Sakura Matou away, and finally Rin, for never coming to save Sakura Matou . However, Sakura Matou still kept the ribbon Rin gave her. Sakura Matou drew her strength to endure such hardships from Shirou, whom she admired for his dedication. The inspiration she found came from watching him persistently attempt to jump a bar during a track-and-field practice session. Sakura Matou joined the Archery club in order to be closer to Shirou watching him from afar. Two years before the events of Fate/stay night, after Shirou was injured in an accident, Sakura Matou gathered enough courage to approach and help him; Sakura Matou has visited him ever since to assist with daily activities.