How to Watch the Fate Anime / Stay Series in Order

When Fate/stay night was first released, it was made as a spin-off of the popular anime franchise Fate/Zero. It focused on the side characters from that series, and told their stories in a separate arc. In its first season, we were introduced to two different story arcs. The first one dealt with Shirou Kotomine and his companions trying to defeat Gilgamesh. Within this storyline, we met Shinji Matou and his daughter Rin Tohsaka. The other arc dealt with the Holy Grail War and how some of the Servants known as Masters could join it. This is where we got to know Saber, Caster, Lancer and Rider. As you can tell from the list above, there are a lot of characters involved in each arc. Because of this, you will need to keep tabs on who’s who when it comes to watching all of these shows in order. Keep reading for more details about how to watch the Fate anime in order or even start from the beginning if you’re unfamiliar with the franchise so far!

Which Fate Anime Should You Watch First?

The first question we have to answer before we jump into anything is what Fate anime should you watch and when? This is a difficult question to answer because it depends on a lot of factors! One of those factors is the person watching the Fate anime. People who are more interested in the story may prefer to watch the Fate anime from the start. Another person may have played the Fate/Stay Night or Fate/Zero games and is looking for a recap. The best way to find out which Fate anime you should watch is by listening to your interests and watching what you’re interested in. The next thing to consider is how old you are and where you are in life. If you’re younger and more interested in anime, you may want to start with the Fate/Stay Night series. This is because the first anime adaptation of the Fate franchise is closer to the original novel than the other two adaptations are. The same can be said for the Unlimited Blade Works and Heavens Feel adaptations, but to a lesser extent. If you’re older and have less time to watch anime, you may want to start with the Unlimited Blade Works adaptation or the Heavens Feel adaptation. The first two Fate anime adaptations have a large amount of story and information that may be too much for someone who is less interested in anime. The Unlimited Blade Works adaptation has less narrative, but it does have the introduction to most of the Fate characters and their background stories. The Heavens Feel adaptation also has less narrative, but it features a lot of the Fate characters talking to each other and explaining their story. If you fall into either of these categories, you may want to start with the Fate/Stay Night series instead.

Fate Zero

The second Fate anime you should watch is called Fate Zero. This is a prequel to Fate/stay night and follows the protagonist Emiya Shirou as he joins the fight against the summoner Archer. It’s a short series that only has seven episodes, and it’s not as well known as the Fate/stay night anime. It does, however, have a better chance of being aired in its original form than the Fate/stay night anime would be. So, if you want to start with a less popular anime and have less issues with understanding it, you may want to watch this first.

Fate Stay Night

The next Fate anime you should watch is called Fate Stay Night. This is the original Fate anime adaptation and it’s one of the most popular Fate anime in the franchise. The story focuses on Shirou trying to save Rin from an evil mage who is controlling her mind. Throughout the series, Shirou is given the option to summon a number of different Servants to fight for him. The anime’s character designs are also very popular, and they can be seen in many other anime and live-action adaptations. The Fate Stay Night anime is widely available on streaming platforms like Hulu and Netflix, so it’s not hard to find.

Unlimited Blade Works

The next Fate anime you should watch is called Unlimited Blade Works. This is the second Fate anime adaptation and it also focuses on Shirou as he tries to protect Rin from the same evil mage. It’s a fairly similar story to the first Fate anime, but there are enough differences to make it worth watching. The most obvious difference is that the Fate/stay night anime’s story takes place in the past and the Unlimited Blade Works anime’s story takes place in the present. Also, the Unlimited Blade Works anime’s story is set in Japan, while the Fate/stay night anime is set in Europe.

Heavens Feel (Limited)

The next Fate anime you should watch is called Heavens Feel. This is an anime adaptation of the side story of Fate/stay night called Unlimited Blade Works. It’s the Fate anime that is the most similar to the original Fate/stay night stories. The main characters from the Unlimited Blade Works series are the same characters from Fate/stay night and the other Fate anime adaptations are minor characters that are only in the Heavens Feel anime.

Final Thoughts

The Fate anime is a popular franchise that has been around for a long time. As we mentioned above, there are a lot of characters involved, so keeping track of who’s who can be challenging. You can use the guide above to help you find your way through the franchise, though! The Fate anime offers a good blend of action and drama, so even if you’re not particularly into anime you may want to give it a shot!