Kariya Matou is a central character in Fate/Zero, the dark anime prequel to Fate/stay night that first aired in 2011 and follows the Fourth Holy Grail War. As a reluctant Master driven by a desperate wish to protect someone close to him, he became one of the series' most tragic figures, and his anguished voice work is often singled out by fans. Short clips of his dialogue now circulate on anime soundboards and in fan edits, where his suffering is used to underline obsession, loss and moral collapse.