Fate/stay night Movie: Unlimited Blade Works

The Fate franchise is well known for being ridiculously confusing for beginners. Fate/stay night originated from a visual novel and later evolved into different mediums with varying stories and characters, as seen in a few manga, fighting games, a gacha, and the tens of anime entries you may find here on MAL. What makes it so confusing is... where to start?

While some can certainly blind pick and still enjoy the Fate franchise, I suggest this order may be better for those looking to get into Fate with minimal spoilers and maximized fun. So, here is a very basic guide I have made if you are planning on starting (and maybe completing) the Fate franchise via the anime. I will not include specials, OVAs, PVs, or recap movies unless they are their own separate series or need to be mentioned for clarification. I will also not include sequels (2nd season, for example), unless needed for further clarification.

Note: After Fate/Zero, the next anime in the Fate franchise is entirely up to you, as every other series can be watched in any order. However, I listed them in an order I have previously seen them in (at least, most of them).

A comprehensive watch order of the Fate series, which includes every entry of the Fate franchise and the Nasuverse. Courtesy of AEGC (Fate Guide): https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=1866055

Since interest stacks only allow a maximum of 50 items, I'll do this one (1-50) and make another stack (part 2) which will include the remaining items that need watching (51-73)

Part 2: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/226

AEGC Interest Stack index: https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2017008

"*Sigh*, What happened here?"

Welcome to the Fate Universe, an introduction from the main story line and every spinoff you can imagine.

It's recommended to watch the main storyline first, then branch out to the spinoffs.

The stack is made as an easy watch order for beginners. Fate/Zero is a good introduction to the Holy Grail War, it takes it's time, it has incredible fights, character development and a brilliant ending. It spoils some details about the Fate/Stay Night characters, but not massive enough that you can't enjoy the routes of F/SN. Then you can continue with Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works, which adapts the second route of the Visual Novel which is just as well made as F/Z. Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel Trilogy will end the main storyline, adapting the 3rd route of the Visual Novel, which is pretty different from UBW, but is at least as enjoyable, being praised as some of the best anime movies in the last years. There is also the original anime series Fate/Stay Night from 2006, that adapts the Fate Route (1st Route of the VN), but it isn't a good adaptation, it brought some original content and overall it's much weaker in quality than the adaptations from ufotable (F/Z, F/SN UBW, F/SN HF). I don't recommend it, especially for beginners.

For the people that want to experience Fate Series at its best story wise, they can read from the Visual Novel Fate/Stay Night the Fate Route, which is about 15-20h and introduces you into the Fate Series with more detail, it has some extra content and bad endings. Then continue with the anime serie F/SN UBW, the movie trilogy F/SN HF and end with F/Z. For a Visual Novel reader, this is the original way to experience the storyline. Knowing the ending of F/Z can bring extra weight to the character's actions and their fates, being a Greek tragedy. You can also read the rest of the F/SN Visual Novel and the Light Novel of F/Z, they are worth your time.

Web version of the Visual Novel Fate/Stay Night: https://fatestaynight.vnovel.org/

As for spinoffs, there isn't an order to watch them, you can start with anyone you like.

For each spinoff, I've put their seasons and specials in release order. They come from Carnival Phantasm, Today's Menu for the Emiya Family, Lord El-Melloi II, Fate/Apocrypha, Fate/Extra, Fate/Grand Order, Fate/Grand Carnival to Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya.

All manga that fit the "Death Game" criteria. You can also look for the manga version.

Anime by Type-Moon sorted by release order. (NOT watch order!)
Part 2: (https://myanimelist.net/stacks/19329)

HEY Newcomer to the Fate Universe. Hop in. This will take longer than you expected.

Explanation how the anime connect to each-other, brief explanations to get the concept of the series, you'll probably discover media that you did not know were part of the Nasuverse.

Since Fate as an anime has the biggest debate on how to watch it, the release order is the way to go.

Spoiler free :)

Hope you enjoy!

PART TWO is out.

On part two I'll also explain the time line of events in the description box.

Everything here is listed in order of what I believe is the best way to navigate through the Nasuverse. Part 1 primarily covers the main TYPE-MOON/Nasuverse works with some of the more important spinoffs.


PLEASE view this stack in the detailed list layout to see my notes with my reasoning for placements, alternate placements, etc.

Part 2 can be found here: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/23651

--Not Included--
Recaps:
Fate/stay night TV Reproduction (2 Episodes)
Fate/Zero Remix (2 Episodes)
Fate/Apocrypha Recaps (2 Episodes)
Fate/Grand Order: Absolute Demonic Front - Babylonia Recaps (3 Episodes)

Commercials/Other:
Fate/strange Fake PV (31 sec.) (Commercial) [Watched]
Logres of Swords and Sorcery: Goddess of Ancient x Fate/Extella (15 sec.) (Commercial) [Watched]
Fate/Grand Order (15 sec.) (Commercials) [Watched Some]
Farewell to 2016 Guda Guda Order (6 min.) (Short Special)
Fate/Grand Order: Fujimaru Ritsuka Doesn't Get It (2 min.) (Short ONA)
Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya: Licht Nameless Girl Mini Anime (3 min.) (Short Special)
Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya Movie: Sekka no Chikai - Kuro Sakura no Heya (6 min.) (Short Special)

Nasuverse:
Lunar Legend Tsukihime (12 Episodes)
The Garden of Sinners Chapter 1: Overlooking View (Movie 1)
The Garden of Sinners Chapter 2: A Study in Murder - Part 1 (Movie 2)
The Garden of Sinners Chapter 3: Remaining Sense of Pain (Movie 3)
The Garden of Sinners Chapter 4: The Hollow Shrine (Movie 4)
The Garden of Sinners Chapter 5: Paradox Spiral (Movie 5)
The Garden of Sinners Chapter 6: Oblivion Recording (Movie 6)
The Garden of Sinners Chapter 7: A Study in Murder - Part 2 (Movie 7)
The Garden of Sinners Chapter 8: Epilogue (Special 1)
The Garden of Sinners: Future Gospel (Movie 8)
The Garden of Sinners: Future Gospel - Extra Chorus (Special 2)
Witch on the Holy Night (Movie) [Upcoming]

I will update the description boxes but I’m just lazy.
If you decide to start fate in this order do tell me you experience.

SOME MAIN TERMINOLOGY YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE GETTING INTO FATE:
1.Nasuverse: It is a fan nickname referring to the shared setting of a number of TYPE-MOON (game company that produces visual novels also) works. Their works are adapted in manga form, light novels and anime.
2.Holy Grail War: The Holy Grail War is a competition where in the end the Greater Holy Grail is achieved. Basically a wish-granter that uses a relic (a cup) that received the blood of Christ. 7 Masters who use magic to summon 7 servants (one for each) to fight among themselves until one pair gets left.
3.Master: They are a magus. They do usually come from a long family lineage of magus. They participate in the Holy Grail war by forming a contract with a servant. They have 3.a) Magic Circuits (think of it like veins and arteries but for magic to flow through). A master provides magical energy for their servants.
They use a 3.b) COMMAND SPELL - Masters have three of them. If a magus uses it, the servant is obliged to fulfill any command that comes from their master. It is usually saved to command a servant to commit suicide in order to reach the root via the Greater Holy Grail.
4.Servant (also known as Heroic Spirit)- They are historical, myths or legend figures that have achieved great deeds in their lifetime and are summoned by Masters to fight alongside them in the Holy Grail
They are placed in classed
SABER , LANCER, ARCHER, RIDER, CASTER, ASSASSIN, BERSERKER. - Each of these main seven classes has a GRAND class. A GRAND (saber/lancer etc) servant is summoned to prevent mankind extinction.
And there are extra classes. Here are the main ones.
RULER- oversees the Holy Grail War and does not have any desire for it.
AVENGER - They are founded on vengeance, born from powerful resentment that does not fade even after death.
ALTER EGO - Alter Egos are a phenomenon where one persona of a Heroic Spirit gains independence as a separate entity.
SHIELDER - They utilize shields.
Pseudo-Servants - are Servants that have manifested utilizing humans as their vessels. (The servant controls the human body)
Demi-Servants - are conceptual humans who have taken the Heroic Spirits into their bodies, functioning as Servants. (The human controls their bodies.
After they die during a Holy Grail War, their souls are stored in the Lesser Grail.
When they die in real life their soul gets transported to the Throne of Heroes that resides outside of the World. From here servants can be summoned in different parallel timelines. When summoned the servants are just copies of their Throne of Heroes body. So if they are summoned again, or in another timeline they are just a copy with no memories of other previous holy grail wars they fought in.
5.Grail Vessel (Lesser Holy Grail): It is designed to intake defeated Servants. Up until the third Grail War, the vessel for the Grail was a literal "cup". However, during the events of the third War it was damaged. Irisvel and Illya were created to be the physical embodiment of the Lesser Grail.
6.Greater Holy Grail: The prize after the completion of the War that grants a wish. It needs mana to be activated (that is why the War usually happens every 60 years). Once the vessel is filled with seven (or six) servants, the Greater Grail opens a hole to Akasha.(see no.16)
7.Noble Phantasm: Trump card for Servants. These are very strong abilities that they have, unique to their own.
8.Holy Church: a group of people who target people who insult God, kill, twist laws of nature etc. So they do get involved in the Holy Grail War to keep peace of mankind since they see it as an irregularity.
9.Mage Association: an organization formed, to hide and develop Magecraft.
10.The Root: is a metaphysical location that is the source of all events and phenomenons of the universe. It exists outside of time. It has all information, events, past, present and future. The ultimate ambition for a Magi is to reach this root to obtain all knowledge (one way which they try to reach it is via the Holy Grail).
11.Reality Marbel: A created world that is completely cut off from normal reality. It can only be used for a few minutes because the world will seek to crush it.
It is responsible for the Projection and Reinforcement abilities. Some can be activated inside the body of the user. (E.g. Emiya Shirou in Fate/HF)
12.Chaldeas - Utilized by Chaldea Security Organization in the World of Fate/Grand Order for the purpose of saving humanity. CHALDEAS can be used to look 100 years into the future. It is a form of intelligent machine with characteristics of a black hole. Humans can not go into contact with it. It recreates planet Earth in miniature which is 100 years into the future (its world copy is set in 2117) that is why people can look so far.
It is located in Chaldea Headquarters in Antarctica.
With this machine singularities can be discovered.
Laplace- Monitors the past.
Sheba- Observes in detail the information in Chaldeas and displays it in a monitor.
Fate- Summons Heroic Spirits
Trismegistus- utilized in reyshiftin (timetravel)
13.Singularities: Important for the Fate/ Grand Order anime. Singularities are unobservable regions that do not exist within Chaldea's recorded history. A Holy Grail is given to a certain individual within a key historical time period, typically someone who will use it to cause major disruption to history. The future is reduced to a mass of arbitrary possibilities. The era in which the Singularity manifests in will be destroyed completely under the strain of the impossible events that the Singularity forces into existence, causing the end of history itself.
The power of the Grails and the circumstances within the Singularities allow for the summoning of Servants and their continued existence in the world, even without a Master. Master-less servants are summoned by the Grail itself as a reaction to its abuse.
*Singularity F - that happens in Fuyuki City 2004 AD (Fate/Grand Order First Order)
First Singularity - France year 1431
Second singularity - Roman Empire Year 60
Third Singularity - Okeanos Year 1573
Fourth Singularity - London Year 1888
Fifth Singularity - North America 1784
*Sixth Singualarity - Fate/Grand Order: Divine Realm of the Round Table - Camelot 1273
*Seventh Singularity - Mesopotamia 2655 BC
*Final Singularity - Fate/Grand Order: Final Singularity - Grand Temple of Time: Solomon 2016
14.Dead Apostles: are humans that became Vampires either by the use of Magecraft or by the actions of another Vampire of similar nature.
15.Magic (Maho): It is different from Magecraft. It represents the actualization of events that are impossible to reproduce in a certain era, whether by humans or the Planet, even if given an infinite amount of time and resources. The acquisition of the capacity to perform Magic is considered the ultimate accomplishment of a Magus, and only within the grasp of those who have accessed the Swirl of the Root. Concepts like time manipulation, teleportation, spatial warping and quarantine, and the Resurrection of the dead are miracles thought to be possible only through the application of Magic.
So Magic is being able to do something that can’t be done by means of since or nature (like teleporting). Magecraft is the opposite (making flames with hands for example which can be done with science or by nature). However with the development of science, if something that can be achieved by magic turns achievable by other means, than this magic turns into magecraft.
There are 5 magics (keep the third magic in mind) :
- First Domain: Details about it are unknown. Though the exact domain of the First Magic is uncertain, it is related to the generation of Ether(or void, part of 5 Great elemts- Wind. water, Fire, Earth) Clumps, which have been called "materialized nothing". Witches are supernatural beings involved in the establishment of the First Magic. (A girl magus is not necessarily a witch)
-Second Magic: Operation of Parallel Worlds
- The Third Magic: Materialization of the soul.
- The Fourth Magic: The details regarding its domain are unknown.
The Fifth Magic: Abilities related to Time Travel.
16.ALYA: The Counter Force is a safety device formed by a World (keep reading for explanation) to defend itself against extinction and is synonymous with the World it represents. They are described as passive spirals of energy that respond to threats of planet destruction or human extinction.
The World, is two types. Gaia is the will of the Earth, the planet's intrinsic wish to survive and prosper. Alaya, on the other hand, is the collective unconscious will of mankind to avoid extinction.
17. Counter Guardian: The Counter Force empowers a "normal person" in life to remove the factor that can trigger destruction. They act with no autonomy of their own and only appear in response to an event.
17.Moon Cell- It is a large computer-like construct created by an unknown civilization one hundred million years before the existence of the Earth or the Moon. It has recorded everything that has happened on the planet since its formation. It faithfully simulates all life on Earth and is capable of providing a definite prediction of the future.
18.SE.RA.PH - A part of the Moon Cell. It is a world where Souls are transformed into information. The SE.RA.PH is responsible for the summoning of the Servants during Fate/EXTRA. The SE.RA.PH restricts the exit until the tournament participants (of Fate/ Extra’s Holy Grail) are reduced to one, as per the Moon Cell's rules. It is also responsible for the existence of the NPCs and all areas in the tournament.
The landscapes generated by SE.RA.PH are all independent Reality Marbles

Anime that have a reboot/remake or recut.
Not all, but notable ones that interest me.

I don't know if Akira's new anime will be a remake or not.
I don't know if Versailles no Bara's new movie will be a remake or not.

If you're new to the Fate series, it can be confusing to understand the connection between Nasuverse, Type-Moon, and the Fate franchise.

Don't worry, we've got you covered!
Our comprehensive guide will help you understand everything, making it easy for you to dive into the world of Fate.

First, we will talk about Type-Moon:
Basically, Type-Moon is a Japanese Game Company also known as Notes from which every Fate related concepts originates.

Second, we will talk about Nasuverse:
The Nasuverse is a fan nickname referring to the shared setting of a number of Type-Moon works.

This includes:
• Kara no Kyoukai (The Garden of Sinners)
• Mahoutsukai no Yoru (Witch on the Holy Night)
• Tsukihime Series
• Fate Series
• Tsuki no Sango (Coral of the Moon)

Third, Fate Series is part of the Nasuverse, including Fate/stay night, Fate/Zero, Fate/Extra, Fate/Apocrypha, Fate/Grand Order, and more.

Now, I hope you understand the basics!!

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First, It is highly recommended to watch Kara no Kyoukai (The Garden of Sinners) first above any Type-Moon Projects to understand the basic outline of how Type-Moon Universes Works.

Followed by Mahoutsukai no Yoru (Witch on the Holy Night) & Tsukihime Series to fully appreciate each mechanism of Fate World.

Kara no Kyoukai is arranged in chronological order.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Then, we will cover complete Fate Series.
Just follow the list in order as they are arranged in chronological order.

Fate/Zero - Either you can watch it First or after completing all three routes.

Fate/Stay Night is divided into three routes with different storylines.
1st Route - Fate/Stay Night
2nd Route - Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works
3rd Route - Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel

All three routes are compulsory.

After completing all three routes, Main Series of Fate is concluded.
Rest are alternative settings in the world of Fate.
All alternative settings are arranged in chronological order in their respective world.

i) Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya
ii) Fate/Apocrypha
iii) Fate/Extra
iv) Fate/Grand Order
v) Fate/strange Fake

Rest are covered in https://myanimelist.net/stacks/32642

For those wanting to get into the fate series.
PLEASE NOTE: this is not a watch order, but a guide. Since theres no real order to watch them in and everyone has their own opinion, I will just explain what they are and you can decide which one you want to watch :)

Fate/Nasuverse is a fan nickname for Type-Moons works that are listed below.

Can watch or read.
Fate Series
Shingetsutan Tsukihime (Lunar Legend Tsukihime)
Kara no Kyouki (The Garden of Sinners)

Only can be read.
Mahou Tsukai no Yoru (Witch on a holy night)
Tsuki no Sango (Coral of the moon)
Notes

Fate/Zero can be watched before Fate/stay night, though it contains major spoilers for the Fate/stay night series.It follows the fathers of our main "Fate/stay night" characters, but that's not the whole focus of the series.

The Garden of the Sinners and Lunar Legend Tsukihime can either be watched first if you want to get an understanding of the Fate/Nasuverse, or after you watched the Fate Series.

Disclaimer: This is a list based on my best opinion of what order it should go in. Whatever you watch is entirely up to you and this list only focuses on the (Main Series).

Optional: Emiya-san Chi no Kyou no Gohan, Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya,Carnival Phantasm,Fate/Grand Carnival,Canaan.

My preferred order for maximum enjoyment is the one listed below. Everything else is either an OVA or Spinoff and can be watched at your leisure.
Fate Zero is absolutely critical and should be watched before delving into anything else related to Fate.
The main canonical routes or timelines are,

Fate Zero,
Fate Unlimited blade works,
Fate Heaven's feel.

Think of them as different timelines or parts which aren't related to eachother except for the the in-universe rules and some overlapping plot points. They're almost standalone but you'll notice the difference as you watch them step by step.