Arisunime — The Fate series, a sprawling universe of mages, heroic spirits, and epic battles for the wish-granting Holy Grail, can be a daunting prospect for newcomers. With multiple timelines, adaptations, and spin-offs, the question of “Where do I start?” is a common refrain. This guide aims to provide a clear watch order for the Fate anime series, complete with synopses, to help you dive into this rich and complex franchise.
While there’s no single universally agreed-upon “correct” order, the recommendations below are designed to offer a coherent and enjoyable viewing experience, primarily focusing on the core storyline before venturing into its many offshoots.
Understanding the Core: Fate/stay night and its Prequel
The heart of the Fate franchise lies in the visual novel Fate/stay night, which presents three distinct storylines or “routes”: Fate, Unlimited Blade Works, and Heaven’s Feel. These routes share a common premise but diverge significantly based on the main character Shiro Emiya’s choices and relationships. Fate/Zero serves as a direct prequel to these events.
Recommended Watch Order for the Main Story:
This order prioritizes understanding the world and characters as originally intended by many fans, saving the prequel’s revelations for after you’ve experienced the main routes of Fate/stay night.
- Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (2014-2015) – TV Series
- Synopsis: This series adapts the “Unlimited Blade Works” route of the visual novel. Rin Tohsaka, a prodigious mage, and Shiro Emiya, an amateur magus who stumbles into the Holy Grail War, form an unlikely alliance. Shiro summons the Servant Saber, and together with Rin and her Archer-class Servant, they navigate the deadly battles and complex ideologies of the Fifth Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City. The story delves into Shiro’s desire to be a “hero of justice” and his clashes with Archer’s cynical worldview.
- Why start here? Ufotable’s stunning animation and faithful adaptation of a core route make it an excellent entry point. It establishes the rules of the Holy Grail War and introduces key characters and themes effectively.
2. Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel (2017-2020) – Movie Trilogy
- Synopsis: This trilogy adapts the “Heaven’s Feel” route, the darkest and most character-driven of the original visual novel’s storylines. The focus shifts to Sakura Matou, Shiro’s close friend, who is deeply entangled in the sinister aspects of the Holy Grail War. As a dark shadow looms over Fuyuki and Servants begin to disappear, Shiro must make difficult choices that challenge his ideals and his relationship with Sakura.
- Movies in the trilogy:
- I. presage flower
- II. lost butterfly
- III. spring song
- Why watch next? This route explores different facets of the Fate/stay night narrative and provides crucial development for Sakura and other characters. Watching it after Unlimited Blade Works allows for a deeper appreciation of the contrasting themes and outcomes.
3. Fate/Zero (2011-2012) – TV Series
A Note on Fate/stay night (2006):
Synopsis: Set 10 years before the events of Fate/stay night, Fate/Zero chronicles the Fourth Holy Grail War. It follows Kiritsugu Emiya, Shiro’s adoptive father, a ruthless “Magus Killer” hired by the Einzbern family to win the Grail. The series features a cast of adult mages and their Servants, each with their own ambitions and tragic flaws, leading to a brutal and morally grey conflict. Notable characters include the proud Saber, summoned by Kiritsugu, and the charismatic priest Kirei Kotomine.
- Why watch here? By watching Fate/Zero after the Fate/stay night routes, the dramatic irony and tragic foreshadowing are fully realized. You’ll understand the origins of many elements and characters seen in the Fifth Holy Grail War, and the prequel’s events will have a greater emotional impact.
A Note on Fate/stay night (2006):
Studio Deen produced an earlier adaptation in 2006 simply titled Fate/stay night. This series primarily adapts the “Fate” route (Saber’s route) but also incorporates elements from the other two. While it was the first televised Fate anime, its animation and storytelling are generally considered weaker than Ufotable’s later works.
- Synopsis: Shiro Emiya, after accidentally summoning Saber, is drawn into the Fifth Holy Grail War. He learns about the war’s mechanics and forms a bond with Saber, striving to protect her and others while grappling with his own traumatic past and his ideal of becoming a hero.
- Placement: If you wish to experience an adaptation of the “Fate” route, you could watch it before Unlimited Blade Works (2014). However, many newcomers opt to skip it or watch it later due to its comparative age and mixed reception. Reading the visual novel for the “Fate” route is often recommended as the definitive experience.
Exploring the Sprawling Multiverse: Major Spin-offs
Once you’ve completed the core storyline, the Fate universe opens up into numerous spin-offs set in alternate timelines or focusing on different aspects of the world. These can generally be watched in any order after the main story, though some have their own internal chronologies.
Fate/Apocrypha (2017) – TV Series
Synopsis: In a parallel world, the Greater Grail was stolen from Fuyuki after the Third Holy Grail War and spirited away to Romania. Decades later, the Yggdmillennia clan declares war on the Mage’s Association, triggering a unique Great Holy Grail War with two factions of seven Servants each: the Black Faction (Yggdmillennia) and the Red Faction (Mage’s Association). The Grail itself summons a Ruler-class Servant, Jeanne d’Arc, to oversee the conflict. The story follows various Masters and Servants from both sides, as well as a homunculus boy who seeks his own purpose amidst the chaos.
Lord El-Melloi II’s Case Files {Rail Zeppelin} Grace note (2019) – TV Series
Synopsis: Set years after Fate/Zero and shortly before the events of Fate/stay night, this series follows Waver Velvet, now known as Lord El-Melloi II. A respected professor at the Clock Tower (the Mage’s Association headquarters), he solves various magical mysteries and conspiracies alongside his apprentice, Gray. While it features characters from Fate/Zero, it’s more of a detective-style series focused on the intricacies of the magical world rather than a Holy Grail War.
Prequel Episode: There’s an “Episode 0” that sets the stage for the series.
Fate/Grand Order Series: Based on the immensely popular mobile game, the Fate/Grand Order anime adaptations follow the Chaldea Security Organization’s efforts to save humanity by correcting temporal singularities. The watch order for FGO can be complex due to non-linear adaptations.
- Fate/Grand Order: First Order (2016) – TV Special
- Synopsis: Ritsuka Fujimaru and Mash Kyrielight find themselves in Fuyuki City in 2004, the site of a singularity that threatens to incinerate humanity’s future. They must investigate and resolve the anomaly linked to the Fifth Holy Grail War.
Fate/Grand Order – Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia (2019-2020) – TV Series
- Synopsis: Adapting the seventh singularity from the game, Ritsuka and Mash travel to ancient Mesopotamia in 2655 B.C. They must aid King Gilgamesh in defending the city of Uruk from an alliance of three goddesses and a horde of demonic beasts.
- Prequel Episode: Initium Iter (Episode 0) provides context for this arc.
Fate/Grand Order THE MOVIE – Divine Realm of the Round Table: Camelot – Wandering; Agateram (2020) & Paladin; Agateram (2021) – Movies
- Synopsis: These two films adapt the sixth singularity. Ritsuka and Mash arrive in a war-torn Jerusalem in 1273 A.D., where the Lion King (an alternate Artoria Pendragon) and her Knights of the Round Table have established a tyrannical holy city. They team up with Bedivere and other Servants to restore history.
Fate/Grand Order: Final Singularity – Grand Temple of Time: Solomon (2021) – TV Special
- Synopsis: This special adapts the climax of the first major story arc of the game, where Chaldea confronts the architect of the singularities, Goetia, in his temple beyond time.
- Other FGO entries: There are also comedic spin-offs like Fate/Grand Carnival and side stories like Moonlight/Lostroom. The game itself covers many more story chapters not yet fully adapted.
Fate/Extra Last Encore (2018) – TV Series
- Synopsis: Set in a virtual world called SE.RA.PH, created by the Moon Cell Automaton, this series adapts elements from the Fate/Extra PSP game. Hakuno Kishinami awakens with amnesia in a digital Holy Grail War where Masters and Servants battle for control of the Moon Cell. This is a more experimental and thematically dense series.
Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya (2013-Present) – TV Series & Movies
- Synopsis: This series is a magical girl spin-off set in an alternate universe where Illyasviel von Einzbern lives as an ordinary elementary school student. She is chosen by the Kaleidostick Ruby to become a magical girl and collect Class Cards, which contain the powers of Heroic Spirits. The series has multiple seasons and movies, gradually introducing a more serious overarching plot.
Today’s Menu for the Emiya Family (Emiya-san Chi no Kyou no Gohan) (2018-2019) – ONA Series
- Synopsis: A heartwarming and relaxing slice-of-life spin-off featuring the characters of Fate/stay night. Each episode sees Shiro Emiya preparing a delicious meal for his friends and family, offering a peaceful look at their daily lives outside the Grail Wars.
Fate/strange Fake (2023-Present)
In the Holy Grail Wars, Witches (Masters) and their Hero Spirits (Servants) fight for control of the Holy Grail-an omnipotent wish-granting tool that can supposedly fulfill any wish. Many years have passed since the end of the Fifth Holy Grail War in Japan. Now, signs point to the emergence of a new Holy Grail in the western American town of Snowfield.
By following the above sequence, you will have a more cohesive viewing experience and understand the storyline from the different perspectives that the Fate/Series franchise has to offer. Each adaptation offers something unique, making the franchise worth watching from multiple perspectives.***
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