Thread by @EtherMinister

It is time. To celebrate my 20th birthday, I finally have decided to answer one of the biggest questions.

Why do I ship Ritsuka Fujimaru and Jeanne Alter the most?

This thread, I poured my heart and soul into showing why this ship is beautiful.

Here we go. #EtherJaltsukaThread

First thing to discuss regarding this ship, starts with Jalter. Who is she?

Jalter is an alter of the famous Jeanne d’arc, the holy maiden of France. Alters themselves are sort what-ifs of a historical figures in fate of the dark desires they had.

However it is said that Jeanne D’arc does not have any desires of her own. So how does Jalter come into existence?

In fate grand order a caster by the name of Gilles de Rais, brings her into existence through his dark desires to see France burn into his own angry image of Jeanne

It is through him and the grail, she decides to run amok in France for revenge thus leading to Orleans singularity against Chaldea

She was designed to hate and burn France, but was defeated. Upon her defeat, one thing was confirmed. She wasn’t meant to exist as per how Jeanne is

If this was any indication, this would’ve lead Jalter to be erased completely from history, because for when Jeanne d’arc had no desires, a possibility of an alter would not exist. Thus, Jalter would’ve disappeared eventually after getting defeated.

However, there was a twist.

So how does Jalter continue to exist and join the throne of heroes?

Because the same one who defeated her, Ritsuka, is the same who saves her.

How? In Jeanne d’arc’s interlude, she starts to gain a desire, a wish led to corruption which grants Jalter the ability to exist.

And that wish, was for Jeanne d’arc to be saved. Because of this wish, as I said, allows for that little bit of corruption that allows Jalter to exist in this world. The path of an alter becomes a possibility.

In other words, if Ritsuka didn’t save her, Jalter wouldn’t exist.

Another way to look at it is in Jalter’s own interlude.

First thing to keep in mind, was what Jalter was created for. She was created for another mans revenge. Her whole goal was to destroy France.

However, since she was defeated, nothing held meaning anymore for her.

During her interlude, in France, Jalter says that there a bunch of spirits haunting and harming citizens in a mini singularity.

In short, Jalter says they are revenge ghosts that grew mad and don’t know who to hate anymore.

However it was singularity Jalter who did this not her

Which leads to the question: Why is she doing all of this? She has no reason to be atoning for the singularity Jalter’s sins

Questions are asked about her avenger class (we’ll talk about that later), wondering if she’s doing for herself

If so she is not fit as Ritsuka’s servant

And her answer, is that she is trying to find that out herself.

Remember what I stated before? When Jalter was defeated, she lost everything. Pride, her goals, her motivation. All of it was gone when she was defeated in France.

It came to a point where not even killing is fun.

However, even with her defeat, she still has one thing to keep her going.

It’s not fame or salvation or anything like that.

It is bring Ritsuka victory.

To her, that’s the one thing she can never forget. And it keeps her going. That is a pure declaration of pure faithfulness.

Next up, we head towards the Shinjuku singularity. Where we truly see Jalter meet and join up with Ritsuka in his quest to continue to save humanity.

At first, she didn’t know he was here but as soon as he shows up with Salter, she asks to join him As if, she wanted to willingly

However, a brief summary for the Shinjuku singularity, it is a city closed off and walled, that is filled crime greater than Chicago.

The mastermind behind it all was the old math professor and archenemy of Sherlock Holmes. As he continued to orchestrate his plan to destroy it.

However, that is not the only thing that has been roaming the streets.

Hessian Lobo. The wolf king joined by the headless horseman who hates humans for what they did to his mate and his Cubs.

An avenger nothing more than rage that, similar to the ghosts don’t know what to hate

And after several encounters, for what seems like the third time in a hunt, Hessian Lobo comes back after Ritsuka and Co. defeated Yan Qing, the doppelgänger assassin of shinjuku

And this time it is more powerful and out for blood. And it’s target becomes none other than Ritsuka

However, just before it can attack, Jalter distracts Lobo for time for them to escape.

However, in nearly death, Jalter thinks to herself that she’s a fake. She knew she was an avenger, that she would never help the world.

And yet, she did... she helped him. And desire more.

Later, we see what Jalter says about avengers. They don’t hate because of pure revenge or claiming back what was there’s.

They hate because it gets their heart going. Their blood pumping. However, even when it’s satisfied, they’ll always end up wanting more.

Jalter included.

So, she gives one final advice before the final battle with Lobo.

If an avenger were to ever be around, Ritsuka can’t simply defeat it. He has to kill it.

It is like putting out a dog who has rabies. That it would be a mercy to kill them.

Question is... why does she say this?

However, at the climax and the final battle with Moriatry, Jalter, alongside some of others like Edmond Dantes, come back to help Ritsuka out in facing him before the meteor comes crashing down

As Ritsuka wanted her to live, Jalter was able to find a sewer and escape Lobo barely

Finally, after all that happen, it remains with just Ritsuka and Jalter alone.

And thus, she gets her final wish. To dance with Ritsuka. Not to get back at Salter, but because she wanted to dance with him.

Even if it wasn’t a proper ballroom, she still wanted to dance with him.

And they dance their hearts content tonight. All up until Jalter is about to disappear.

However, even after dancing, there was one more thing that she promised to Ritsuka.

It was that they both practice again, so they may dance again. This wasn’t made to anyone else but him.

Fast forward to Summer 3, in Hawaii, when Ritsuka and Co. we’re supposed to take a vacation, Jalter starts a booth in the ServantFes.

She decides to go with doujin making, to rival Jeanne d’arc and drags Ritsuka to join in.

While at first, it wasn’t his idea, he stays with her

Before getting into the important stuff know that Ritsuka and Jalter spend A LOT of time together even when they make doujins

Whether it would be eating together, walking on the beach, all of that

It comes to a point where she says Ritsuka is hers, and wouldn’t trade him at all

However, even through countless time loops, Jalter begins to become even more passionate about her doujins. She no longer wants it half baked

And even then, she feels guilty for dragging Ritsuka along even when he had a vacation.

But Ritsuka still stayed by her side all the way

And after all the hard work, Jalter later comes close to finishing her final doujin. However, something was still missing. A satisfying ending.

Who does she turn to? Not Jeanne d’arc. Not Robin. No, she turns to Ritsuka.

And when she does, they find an ending they can relate to

Now, I realize that I’m just giving all evidence, no explanation, so what does this all mean?

In my heart and in my eyes, this ship is not simply a good guy x tsundere.

No. Ritsuka didn’t just have her open up. He saved her. He saved her to a life of hate, and helped her dream.

People seem to underestimate this as a simple “uwu” tsundere ship, but we forget that Jalter had it ROUGH.

Imagine having to live that life of hate and anger all to know that you’re just a fake. What would the world mean to you?

And to Jalter, Ritsuka was her world.

People can also pass off Ritsuka as simply a self insert too, but I don’t believe that’s true either.

Who Ritsuka is, is a kind soul who is accepts everybody good or evil. He believes that he can love the good and even in evil there’s something to respect.

Perfect for Jalter.

Ritsuka has constantly been there for Jalter, both directly and indirectly. And Jalter’s life was saved.

She found something to compensate for her hatred. She found something to believe in. She found someone who can accept her.

To Jalter,... Ritsuka is her hero.

And that’s, I FIRMLY BELIEVE, that Ritsuka x Jalter is the best ship ever.

A ship of pure faithfulness. A heroic tale. A fiery couple. Ritsuka and Jalter deserve eternal happiness.

Even if the world is against me, I will support it to the end.

Thank you all for reading.