We prove the orthogonality of final functors and discrete fibrations. For , finality supplies an object of . Lift through the discrete fibration , obtaining
If in the comma category, then , and is a lift of with codomain . Uniqueness of that lift makes its domain equal to . Thus ; since the comma category is a connected category, equality propagates along every zigzag. Define to be this common object.
For , choose . Lift into , obtaining . Then lifts into , so its domain is by the preceding construction. Define . The unique lifting property of a discrete fibration proves and , and gives .
At , use ; its lift is , so . Both and are lifts of with the same codomain, hence agree. Therefore .
If is another filling functor, its arrow is the same unique lift of , forcing . Its arrows are likewise forced by their codomains and images under . The diagonal functor exists and is unique.