New to Fate or have seen only Fate/Zero? Check out this FAQ.

ZeroDragon said:

Foreword

The anime "Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works" is not a remake nor a continuation of the "Fate/Stay Night" anime that premiered in 2006. The 2014 F/SN UBW adapts the Unlimited Blade Works route of the visual novel rather closely (though there are still things that were excluded) while the 2006 F/SN was an inaccurate and botched adaptation of the source material (though whether or not it's good as a standalone anime depends on the individual viewer).

If you have seen Fate/Zero before starting this show, then please keep an open mind and don't expect to be watching Fate/Zero 2. F/Z and F/SN were written by different authors with different approaches to the stories that are in themselves different in tone and what aspects they focus on, so to expect any of them to be like the other may hinder your full enjoyment.

This is what Kinoko Nasu (the author of F/SN and creator of the franchise) told the anime staff prior to the production of F/SN UBW:

"This might be a little extreme, but in terms of story and picture, please think of [Fate/Stay Night] as a different thing from Zero. Stay Night’s goals and Zero’s goals are different things. If we were to impertinently connect the two, the story and mood would be ruined. Stay Night and Zero were written by different authors and have different stories, so they must both be respected in such a way."

Credit for the quote regarding where to start goes to RedShadoww, taken from his awesome guide:

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http://www.reddit.com/r/anime/wiki/seriesfaq-fate

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^ a source that you will read if you're new to the franchise.

READ THE INFORMATION IN THE ABOVE LINK FIRST, then read below for additional Q&A, and then check out the Q&A thread http://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=1292653 if you still have any questions.

F/Z = Fate/Zero
F/SN = Fate/Stay Night

Subsections:
-General (general questions regarding the Fate franchise and the Type-MOON universe)
-F/SN vs F/Z (regarding the comparisons between them and the thoughts someone might have after watching Fate/Zero first)
-F/SN UBW 2014 vs F/SN 2006 and F/SN UBW 2010 (regarding the comparisons between them and the thoughts someone might have after watching the latter two first)
-F/SN UBW 2014 Specific (explanations to questions and thoughts an anime-only viewer might be wondering about after watching up to specific episodes)
-Additional Information


General

Q: There are so many spinoffs. Is there a visual that would help in making sense of the Fate branch of the Nasuverse?
A:

Credit: ???

Q: I don't feel that any of the three recommended viewing paths are a good fit for me.
A: While ultimately everyone can do as they please, it's fact that Fate/Stay Night (and naturally it's story) is the original source material. Fate/Zero was made AFTER Fate/Stay Night and its plot makes it very evident that it assumes the viewer has knowledge of F/SN. Additional discussion regarding the reasoning behind watching F/SN before F/Z and other works in the Fate franchise and can be found in the following thread:
http://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=1234355

Q: What are the Heaven's Feel movies?
A: http://myanimelist.net/anime/25537/Fate/stay_night:_Heavens_Feel
Heaven's Feel is the third and final route of Fate/Stay Night and will be adapted as one or more movies.

Q: I read only the Fate route of the visual novel, and I wasn't too fond of Shirou. Is he different in UBW and HF?
A: Yes. Shirou's reasoning and decision making changes across each route. He's most idealistic in Fate.

Q: [Insert character here] barely had any screen time, yet they were just barely introduced in this show or had played a role in F/Z???
A: Every route gives a different amount of focus to each character (not counting Shirou since every route is from his perspective). So, if you find that one character didn't have as much of a role in UBW as you'd like, then they'll most likely have a larger or even central role in the Fate and/or HF routes.


F/SN vs F/Z

Q: F/SN has teenage protagonists. Is this less mature than Fate/Zero?
A: Debatable, but it's best to just keep an open mind and see how the plot unfolds before you judge. Don't write off something just because there's a high school and teenagers until you actually know the plot.

Q: Is this less dark than F/Z?
A: Debatable. This could be more or less depending on your tastes. HF is the generally considered the darkest of the three routes.

Q: Why doesn't F/SN introduce all of the masters at the beginning like F/Z did?
A: F/Z has an ensemble cast whereas F/SN is focused on a smaller group of clear protagonists. You'll be introduced to the other masters as the story continues.

Q: I watched F/Z already. Did I screw myself over?
A: The shock factor from numerous revelations will be gone, but instead you can still enjoy the anticipation of when the characters discover those revelations and also enjoy the foreshadowing that you manage to notice.

F/Z and F/SN episode zero (prologue) spoiler:
Q: Why does this Archer look

F/Z and F/SN episode zero (prologue) spoiler:
Q: This Lancer looks



Q: I watched F/Z and so far they haven't really told us anything we didn't already know. Why is that?
Q: Why are Fate fans strongly recommending against watching F/Z before experiencing the story of F/SN?


A: Keep in mind that F/Z was a prequel made after F/SN. As well as F/Z might have done in getting newcomers up to speed, F/SN is a standalone story so it doesn't and can't make the assumption that everyone has already seen F/Z beforehand if it's to be faithful to the source material. Essentially this question is akin to watching a remastered version of the original Star Wars trilogy and asking why it explains things that you already know from watching the prequel trilogy or why it may appear to have a different feel or tone.

Follow up Q: But I watched F/Z first and I swear they're treating this anime as a sequel to it. Just look at all the references!

A: Many of the references that you see were already present in the original source material, though this anime plays them up more or less. They only appear to be references because they were the pieces of information used in creating F/Z. The other references were added in by Ufotable for this show as an acknowledgment that F/Z exists and that many viewers had already seen it. However, as good of a prequel that F/Z was and no matter how well it flows into F/SN, the fact remains that F/SN's story is standalone and was written first, and F/Z was meant to be complimentary material that goes in depth regarding the past that F/SN refers to. It's ok if you watched F/Z first, but don't act like it was the intended starting point of this franchise as it will spoil numerous things in F/SN (in particular the Heaven's Feel route which will be made into a movie or series of movies).

Additionally, here is an excerpt from the end of Volume I of the Fate/Zero light novel (in spoiler tags to reduce clutter)


F/SN UBW 2014 vs F/SN 2006 and F/SN UBW 2010

Q: Shirou is still the main character. Is he annoying like in the 2006 adaptation?
A: Again, the 2006 adaptation butchered many aspects of F/SN, especially Shirou's character.

Q: How much does the previous UBW movie adaptation by DEEN spoil this anime?
A: DEEN's UBW movie is essentially a brief summary of this anime and is mainly just action scenes with little context. You'll end up spoiling the plot for yourself without actually understanding much of it due to the lack of context and rob yourself of the full experience.

Where can I find additional discussion regarding F/SN 2006 vs F/SN UBW 2014?
A: http://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=1299915
Related (posted on the F/SN 2006 forum): http://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=635739

Spoilers up to episode two:
Q: I watched the original 2006 anime adaptation and so far this adaptation doesn't seem


F/SN UBW 2014 Specific

Spoilers up to episode three:
Q: In the fight, why didn't Archer just target

Spoilers up to episode four:
Q: I don't like the way that Shirou has been acting. Will he change? Is this just the result of bad characterization?


Spoilers up to episode five:
Q: What's up with the retreat of

Spoilers up to episode ten:
Q: What's the deal with Shirou's counterattack?

Spoilers up to episode ten:
Q: Why doesn't Rin bring

Spoilers up to episode ten:
Q: How did a human

Spoilers up to episode ten:
Q: So that retreat...

Spoilers up to episode 12
Q: Shirou used

Spoilers up to episode 12
Q: Just what exactly is that Noble Phantasm used by

Spoilers up to episode 12
Q: How did

Spoilers up to episode 12
Q: Why did Shirou stop

Q: Ok, so why exactly is Taiga so important?
A: Taiga's grandfather pays for and oversees the land that Shirou lives on, and Taiga herself is a big sister figure to Shirou and looked after him after Kiritsugu's death. So yes, she's kind of a big deal to Shirou. Keep in mind that it's

(Spoiler up to episode 12)


Spoilers up to episode 12
Q: But Shirou knew the

Spoilers up to episode 12
Q: Near the end of the episode, what's the


Additional Information

Q: What are the attributes, class abilities, skills, and noble phantasms of the servants that are shown in this anime?
A: http://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=1287299

Q: Despite all of the introductions and explanations presented in the early episodes, I'm still confused.
A: Things get will be explained at the appropriate time, just as most stories do. Stories present mysteries and information at the beginning which are then unraveled and explained as the plot progresses. But if you find that over time those questions aren't being answered, you could ask in a separate topic or check out Type-Moon's wiki.

Q: What does Type-Moon think of the DEEN adaptations?
A: http://images.sgcafe.net/2014/09/large__20140926234040ca7.jpg
Note that the Fate/Zero anime was included in the timeline. I think it speaks for itself.

Q: I have more questions. Where are good places for me to ask?
A: While you could create a new topic on here or ask in some other topic (however this could potentially lead to its derailment), here's a conveniently designated place for Q&A:
http://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=1292653

There's also the Fate/Stay Night subreddit:
http://www.reddit.com/r/fatestaynight/new/

Q: Where can I find more information on Type-Moon's works?
A: http://typemoon.wikia.com
However, be very careful of spoilers.


Closing Words
Lastly, if you are genuinely interested in truly experiencing or learning why Fate has received as much hype as it has, you will have to read the visual novel no matter how close this adaptation may be as there are numerous details and inner thoughts that have been excluded.