Welcome to a thoroughly complex yet graciously rewarding anime franchise. Fate/Stay Night is a Japanese light novel series written by Kinoko Natsu. The series itself is called Death competition, just like a Battle Royale game. Well to get into this, one needs to know two things – 1. What is Fate? & 2. The Holy Grail War.

So, what is Fate? 

• It is a universe in which seven mages are chosen by the grail order [Randomly]. Then these mages summon their servants and form a small team of two individuals each, a mage and a servant. The last man standing in this Holy Grail gets a magical souvenir named the grail cup. It comes with the ability to grant any possible wish.
• Here is the catch! – The servants are historical figures like King Arthur, Hercules, etc. To stay in the current timeline, alongside the mages, the servants have established a mana pact, with the three seals of commandment. This is the ultimate order in which the servants shall follow their mage masters.

And, what is the Holy Grail war?

• It is a war among the most prestigious mages from all around the world. This is where each of the mage’s teams fights to the death like in a Battle Royale. The one who stands till the end is the winner of the Holy Grail war. However, there is more to this whole plot, and the viewers have to be patient with it. In every 6-10 years there occurs a Holy Grail War, and thus the cycle continues. 
• The fight is more likely to occur for the lesser Holy Grail, which will then call upon the greater holy grail. This constitutes The Great Holy Grail War. 

Well, there can be two approaches for the audience to get into the Fate anime series.

Approach-1: Narrative Order [Highly recommended – from weebs POV]

1. i)Fate/stay night (2006) aka “Fate Route”
2. ii)Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (2014)
3. iii)Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel I. presage flower (2017)
4. iv)Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel II. lost butterfly (2019)
5. v)Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel III. spring song (2020)
6. Fate/Zero (2011) (Season 1 & 2)
7. Fate/hollow Ataraxia (Visual Novel only)

Approach-2: Chronological Order [Good for Storytelling POV]

1. Fate/Zero (2011) (Season 1 & 2)
2. i)Fate/stay night (2006) aka “Fate Route”
3. ii)Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (2014)
4. iii)Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel I. presage flower (2017)
5. iv)Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel II. lost butterfly (2019)
6. Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel III. spring song (2020)
7. Fate/hollow Ataraxia (Visual Novel only)

Okay, get this mindset very clear as these are the golden rules:

1. The Animation can be termed awesome as per the given standards for the new Fate series. It is developed by Ufotable [ Except- Fate/Stay Night (2006) aka “Fate Route”]
2. The series is rich in story and content. [Highly manipulative] [Full of twist in plots and Betrayals]
3. Each timeline of the Fate anime series presents a different perspective for each of its audiences, and the end results are baffling. So don’t just skip.
4. Shiro Emiya is the Hero who upholds Justice, no matter which timeline you land in. [Exception]

Before jumping straight into the story, we will divide the Fate franchise into three segments:

• Fate/Stay Night Main Timeline (Past = Alternate)
• Fate Spinoffs – (i.e. Fate/Kaleid)
• Fate/Grand Order (Future Timeline)

1) Fate/Stay Night (2006) aka “Fate Route” ; [Overall Rating:- 7.8]

After a war that kills Shirou’s family, Shirou is saved and adopted by Kiritsugu Emiya, who teaches him the ways of magic and justice. Shirou struggles to find the fine line between a hero and a killer since his ideals clash harshly with the reality around him. This is because Shirou’s strongest ideal is to become a Hero that upholds Justice.

In this fate route, Shirou Emiya falls in love with his servant Saber. The whole arc is based on Shirou and Saber’s struggle to win the Holy Grail War.

The Animation is a bit shabby as the Fate series was first aired on 7th Jan 2006, by Studio Deen. – Then should you skip it? – I shall say not if you are keen on being an anime fan. Do watch it, because it will give you the basic knowledge of what the Fate series is all about.

It will give the audience some profound questions to ask, for instance –

• Why is this Battle Royale thing happening anyway?
• What is the real ending?
• Was he happy at the end? [So much for justice!]

2) Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (2014) ; [Overall Rating: – 8.5]

If you are looking for intense action with a dark taste for reality and betrayal, then this anime is perfect for you!

In this Fate route, Shirou Emiya falls in love with Rin Toosaka (the one and only Tsundere). This whole arc is based on Shirou & Rin’s struggle to win the Holy Grail War. The setting of the story is in order of Rin Toosaka’s perspective. 

The female protagonist is changed in terms of the previous Fate route. This changes the outcome of Fate. In the end, it gives the audience the most preferable and happy ending.

The Animation is one of the best in the Fate series. For starters, it is the same as Fate Zero but not quite as epic as Heaven’s Fall. If you are an avid viewer or even a newcomer, you shall know that this is the anime that people talk a lot about. 

It will give the viewers some basic answers to the questions raised in the Fate route (#saber). But if you are a zestful individual, it will give you the inquisition, to further ask questions like:

• Why abandon such leisure in day-to-day life?
• What happened to Sakura Matou and why not run away with her, to seek happiness?
• What more secrets does the clock tower hold?

3) Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel – I, II, III ; [Overall Rating – 9.01]

It is a dark and intense show. This anime has taken the Fate series to newer heights, as nothing compares to it.

• a)Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel I. presage flower (2017)
• b)Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel II. lost butterfly (2019)
• c)Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel III. spring song (2020)

“The wish of wanting everyone to be happy is merely a fairy tale!“

Shirou Emiya

In this Fate route, Shirou Emiya falls in love with Sakura Matou (our beloved lost butterfly of the Fate series). Thus this whole movie-based story is from Shirou and Sakura’s perspective. To win the Holy Grail War, she loses everything to her selfish desires. On the other hand, Shirou kept his promise to his beloved by giving us a reality-based answer.

The Animation is on another level if you ask me. The sheer epicness of the three movies is both heart-touching and eye-appealing. For the forthcoming viewers, this anime is by far the BEST. (Till this date, at least)

All of the probable questions have now been answered. If you are keen on watching, it is just a matter of connecting the dots.

4) Fate/Zero (2011) ; [Overall Rating – 8.5]

This anime is based on a Light Novel written by Gen Urobuchi. It demonstrates a completely chaotic plot, which demonstrates the true human nature of greed that includes extreme power and wealth. Fate Zero happens ten years before the events that took place in Fate Stay Night. This came to be known as the 4th Holy Grail War.

“To win, but not destroy; to conquer, but not humiliate: That is what true conquest is!“

Raider

In this Fate route, Kiritsugu Emiya (Known as ‘Magus Killer’) is hired by the wealthy Einzberns family. To win the Holy Grail War, the Einzberns bind Kiritsugu with a contract of marriage. This is done by offering their only daughter Irisviel Von Einzbern. Despite all the evil plot twists, the story arc is based on Kiritsugu’s perspective. His journey towards salvation shall bring justice to all humanity, but shall have no one by his side in the end.

The Animation is great without question, as the Ufotable studios brought it to life. Many people suggest watching this anime first before the others in the series, but I disagree since it disrupts the flow of the narrative. If you follow vague suggestions, then you will end up getting Spoilers. For Keen anime enthusiasts, I suggest following the flow of time to avoid the loopholes you might experience otherwise. In this way, one can fully comprehend the true intention of this anime.

5) Fate/Hollow Ataraxia ; [Overall Rating – 7.01]

Fate/Hollow Ataraxia is yet to be launched as in Anime for the masses. It is a visual novel/game created by TYPE-Moon back in 2005 and is a sequel to Fate/Stay Night. In Greek, the term “Ataraxia” means Tranquillity, which fits the title as combined means Empty (Or false) Tranquillity.

It slightly differs from its predecessor in its storytelling. It favors a slice-of-life and comedy-centric plot and retains the dramatic core of the story. This piece of art does not have an official translation.

In this Fate Route, The plot of Fate/hollow Ataraxia is set about eight months after the events of Fate/Stay Night, taking place in Fuyuki City. The story, like Kagetsu Tohya, takes place in a dream world and reflects multiple timelines at once. It is a story that “encompasses the endings of all of the routes [of Fate/stay night], [while] not being any of them.” It can be said to not follow any of the routes as a direct continuation, but rather act as a “counter” to the story of Fate/stay night itself

This Fate Route is about the 5th Holy Grail War.

For more info, please follow: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fate/hollow_ataraxia