Fate/stay night

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

Sometimes, anime characters in anime speak in English, either because they meet foreigners or because they go to other countries or just because they think it's cool. This often leads to funny moments.

This stack is a collection of anime where characters speak English (Engrish) in different situations. The focus is on anime which have longer segments of English or where the English is used to create funny situations.

Despite the Fate franchise sprawling tons of new spin-offs, reimaginings, and much more interpretations than the unacquainted person can grasp or handle, this media giant had a humble start - the original Fate/Stay Night visual novel.

I do believe this topic has been discussed and overanalyzed in the fandom far too much to say with absolute certainty if there is a correct answer. However, what I would like to present is the way I got into it. What I enjoyed about it and what I feel might be interesting for newcomers of the franchise.

I'd like to specifically cover the "main" shows which covered the three routes of the visual novel; The Saber route, named Stay Night, the route with Rin, Unlimited Blade Works, and the Sakura route, Heaven's Feel.

There's a lot of other media in the Fate franchise, but I personally believe that if you feel like you want to experience what this franchise is about at it's core, these shows presented are where you should begin.

(Written by Tyrrael, redacted by SophTheCommander)

Anime that is adapted from a video game.

These animes were the landmarks in anime industry. Critically acclaimed shows and popular for its story, characters, development, and the amazing experience that the audience might feel. Some of them are old and modern, but it has the same level of "masterpiece" that I've seen so far.

Anime that contain mature themes and elements, complemented by fantastical elements. Typically action-packed and contains a deep plot

*Addition: CASTLEVANIA (available on Netflix). Not an anime but it's one of the best dark fantasy cartoons)*

This is the watch order I used the main anime of the Fate franchise. As Fate is highly infamous for having many different watch orders, I do not claim this order to be the only one possible, however from my experience this order is optimal in the sense of minimizing spoilers. As Fate is originally a visual novel, I recommend watching the first three routes in order and save the prequel for last. The list does not include spinoffs, which are obviously only meant to be watched after you have completed the main series.

A numbering of the core Fate/Stay Night titles in the order you should watch them. Should be seen in the format where you can see the notes I made.

Alternatively, just play the visual novel and then go on to Fate/Zero. Sadly, Fate/Stay Night's sequel, Fate/Hollow Ataraxia, is not here due to having no anime adaptation.

Anything not here can be watched in any order after you have, in some form, finished Fate/Stay Night+Fate/Zero, with the obvious exception of not watching Kaleid Season 2 before Season 1, and Carnival Phantasm, which is a crossover with Tsukihime and so requires you to have read through that.

I researched a lot about fate watch order before watching it and this is what i think is the best watch order if you don't want to get confused from the beginning.

Lord El-Melloi II Sei no Jikenbo: this one is skip able because it's story revolve around a character from fate zero but i personally suggest it because this series has lots of characters that you are going to see in another spinoffs.

And as for spinoffs you can start with any one you want!

"*Sigh*, What happened here?"

The romance as a genre in it's typical sense, is a hit or miss for most of us, and this is understandable. Each of us has different outlook on life, our experience had shaped our personalities by particular ways and the way we comprehend the fragile and gentle feelings of affection within ourselves is something very personal.

But then again some stories, despite not having entirely romantic focus, can portray relationships in dynamic sense and with appropriate narrative depth. Series like these rarely gets the spotlight for this reason and are oftenly skipped by people who're usually interested solely in the romance aspect of the plots, which is one of the reasons this collection was made - as a showcase of various well written and emotionally expressive bonds of love.

The mentioned works are with broad range of genres, themes and moods, but in each of them one can find a well handled hint of, if not well explored, romance. As well as that, some romances that are breaking the mold of the usual adaptations are included, since they're rarely well explored within the medium and deserve our attention.

If you liked unlimited and zero then go on.

Was looking at some fan art one day and it came to my attention that fanart (and very good fanart) is an extremely good indicator of how important an anime is. So taking away the fanart factor from this list. Here is a list of very important anime.

This list is based on many objective factors.

Log:
30/05/2022
Removed:
- Hongse Jiangshan: Huangma Fenghuo; Jingzhong Baoguo - not very important.
- Haikyuu!! - whilst there are indeed hot boys, it has come to my attention that many anime are similar (with whole genres too). Even if this was hyped by normies.
Added:
- SAO, Fate/stay night, Ling Feng Zhe

This is a part of a series of stacks that are about artistic tendencies in anime (and that border the fine line between sophisticated and pretentious).

This stack is a work in progress.

Bibliography:
Sent. “Kiznaiver, Death Note, and the ‘Death Game’ Genre.” What’s wrong with just being here? 25 July 2018.
Tanaka, Motoko. “Trends of Fiction in 2000s Japanese Pop Culture.” Electronic Journal of Contemporary Japanese Studies. 14:2 (2014).
Wolf, Ian. “Death Games: A New Anime & Manga Genre?” Anime UK News. 22 October 2013.

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.

If you are reading this and are new to the Fate series, the biggest advice I can give you is to just pick the one that sounds interesting to you and start it.

I think the thing most people seem to forget is that you don't need to know every single intricate detail of the lore to be able to enjoy this franchise. Just treat each one as its own story set within this expansive world and you can experience them in any order you want.

Yes, one of the most satisfying parts of being a fan is to figure out how they all connect to one another. But that's not really something someone new to the series really needs to worry about, so just pick one, any one, and start. The only thing you will need to do is to watch entries with the same sub title together in order to get the most out of their respective stories, eg Fate/Stay Night (Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Bladeworks etc), Fate/Grand Order (Fate/Grand Order: Babylonia etc),

With that said, the following is my personal suggested order. The one last important thing to note is that Fate is only one of franchises that's set within this fictional world, it's just the most popular and most expanded upon. This shared universe is named the "Nasuverse" after it's creator, Kinoko Nasu. I have included as much of the other series in the Nasuverse in this list as well, as they really help expand upon the world building beyond what we see in just Fates Holy Grail Wars. If you are only interested in Fate itself, then feel free to skip over them, but you'd be missing out on some great stories in their own right.

The only things I haven't included are some of the shorts, specials or recaps as I don't think they are absolutely essential, and this has a limit of 50 entries, so it is what it is.

A list of action anime where the main fighting protagonist is female.

The following will be excluded -

1. Magical girl anime. There are too many of them. Besides there is a dedicated tag for them on MAL so they are easy to find. If an anime despite feeling like magical girl, doesn't have this tag, then I will add them.

2. Gender-bender anime. For example, a lot of Isekai anime where a male is reincarnated in a female body and vice-versa.

3. Anime where the protagonists are mainly female. For example, Lycoris Recoil, Release the Spyce etc. There are too many, so deserves their own list.

4. Anime where all combat is done by controlling something. For example, mecha or vehicular combat anime.

Anime based on classic literature that is popular in Western culture.