
The Fate anime series is a sprawling Japanese multimedia franchise centering on the Holy Grail War, a supernatural tournament where mages called Masters summon historical or mythical figures known as Servants to fight to the death for a wish-granting device.
Core Story: Fate/stay night
The franchise began with the 2004 visual novel Fate/stay night, which splits into three distinct storyline routes featuring protagonist Shirou Emiya:
Fate Route: Focuses on Shirou and his Servant, Saber, exploring the core ideals of a hero. Adapted by Studio Deen as a 2006 TV series.
Unlimited Blade Works Route: Focuses on Rin Tohsaka and challenges Shirou’s self-sacrificing ideals. Adapted by Ufotable as a 2014–2015 TV series.
Heaven’s Feel Route: A darker, psychological path focusing on Sakura Matou and the corrupt mechanics of the Grail. Adapted by Ufotable as a three-part movie trilogy (presage flower, lost butterfly, and spring song).
Major Prequels & Spin-offs
Fate/Zero: A TV series prequel set 10 years before stay night, depicting the brutal Fourth Holy Grail War from the perspective of multiple tragic Masters, including Waver Velvet and Kiritsugu Emiya.
Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files {Rail Zeppelin} Grace Note: A mystery-focused spin-off following an adult Waver Velvet solving magical crimes in the Clock Tower rather than fighting a Grail War.
Fate/Apocrypha: A parallel-world story featuring a massive conflict with two competing factions of seven Servants each.
Fate/Grand Order: A massive mobile-game-turned-anime adaptation series following Ritsuka Fujimaru as they travel through time to repair historical anomalies (Singularities). It includes adaptations like First Order, Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia, the Camelot movies, and Solomon.
Other Spin-offs: Includes Fate/EXTRA Last Encore, Fate/kaleid liner PRISMA☆ILLYA, Carnival Phantasm, and Today's Menu for the Emiya Family (Emiya Gohan).
The Fate anime series is a sprawling Japanese multimedia franchise centering on the Holy Grail War, a supernatural tournament where mages called Masters summon historical or mythical figures known as Servants to fight to the death for a wish-granting device. Core Story: Fate/stay night The franchise began with the 2004 visual novel Fate/stay night, which splits into three distinct storyline routes featuring protagonist Shirou Emiya: Fate Route: Focuses on Shirou and his Servant, Saber, exploring the core ideals of a hero. Adapted by Studio Deen as a 2006 TV series. Unlimited Blade Works Route: Focuses on Rin Tohsaka and challenges Shirou’s self-sacrificing ideals. Adapted by Ufotable as a 2014–2015 TV series. Heaven’s Feel Route: A darker, psychological path focusing on Sakura Matou and the corrupt mechanics of the Grail. Adapted by Ufotable as a three-part movie trilogy (presage flower, lost butterfly, and spring song). Major Prequels & Spin-offs Fate/Zero: A TV series prequel set 10 years before stay night, depicting the brutal Fourth Holy Grail War from the perspective of multiple tragic Masters, including Waver Velvet and Kiritsugu Emiya. Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files {Rail Zeppelin} Grace Note: A mystery-focused spin-off following an adult Waver Velvet solving magical crimes in the Clock Tower rather than fighting a Grail War. Fate/Apocrypha: A parallel-world story featuring a massive conflict with two competing factions of seven Servants each. Fate/Grand Order: A massive mobile-game-turned-anime adaptation series following Ritsuka Fujimaru as they travel through time to repair historical anomalies (Singularities). It includes adaptations like First Order, Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia, the Camelot movies, and Solomon. Other Spin-offs: Includes Fate/EXTRA Last Encore, Fate/kaleid liner PRISMA☆ILLYA, Carnival Phantasm, and Today's Menu for the Emiya Family (Emiya Gohan).