What order to watch the Fate anime series
And there is a lot of it...
If you've been watching anime in the fantasy genre for a while, there's a huge chance you've stumbled upon at least one of the many different Fate anime series.
Based off the 2004 visual novel video game Fate/Stay Night, the animated series Fate has been going strong since 2006. It's not hard to see why, with just how many different versions for you to get into. With so many, it shouldn't shock you to find out that the Fate anime watch order is pretty complicated.
With how complex it can be there, a newcomer looking to watch Fate may find it difficult to know when to start. That's not unusual for anime fans, particularly with long-lasting and ongoing series such as Dragon Ball or Naruto, who each have watch orders that are similarly complicated.
With so many series to watch, some with branching storylines and even direct sequels to the Fate visual novels, there are plenty of questions on where to watch and how.
So, where best to start? We've got just the answer for you. Here's the best way to way Fate in order, including the latest Fate/Strange Fake release, which is premiering now on Crunchyroll.
How to watch Fate anime series in order
If you want to watch the Fate anime series in order, you need to follow this list:
- Fate/Stay Night (2006)
- Fate/Zero (2011-2012)
- Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works (2010. 2014-2015)
- Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel (2017-2020)
- Fate/Strange Fake (2023-2025)
While Fate/Zero takes place before Fate/Stay Night, it does spoil some of the plot points of the show, and so should be watched after the original run.
Fate/Zero was the original anime series, coming some five years before Fate/Zero and kicking off the visual novel's adaptation.
Fate/Stay Night was released in 2006, and spans a 24-episode run, based on the first storyline of Type-Moon's visual novel of the same name.
It is a solid story with engaging visuals that lays out details about the Holy Grail War, starting with the fifth instalment -- though it never quite manages to reach the heights of the Fate/Zero anime.
Fate/Zero
There are advantages to starting out with Fate/Zero and its introduction to the all-important fourth Holy Grail War, but the prequel is best watched after the original Fate/Stay Night.
Set 10 years before the first series, it is among the more popular Fate anime storylines among viewers, despite not being part of the original visual novel.
Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works
You have a choice here. Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works is both a series and a movie, both telling the same story in very different timeframes. The series is the superior choice here without question and if you want to take in as much of the Fate world as possible then go for this.
As the film runs for just 105 minutes, it covers a smaller amount of the content in the original visual novel, which does instead feature in the Unlimited Blade Works series that ran for two seasons.
If you do just want the story basics and don't mind how rushed it feels, however, you can get it done in two hours with the film.
Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel (I - III)
Three movies come next in this list off, as the film route was chosen as opposed to adapting this into another Fate/Stay Night series. These were released between 2017 and 2020, adapting the Heaven's Feel finale of the original visual novel.
It is made up of three films:
- Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel I: Presage Flower
- Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel II: Lost Butterfly
- Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel III: Spring Song
Fate/Strange Fake
Rounding off the list is Fate/Strange Fake, the latest instalment in the franchise. As with the Unlimited Blade Works and Heaven's Feel films, these are spin-offs from the original Fate universe, so can be swapped around in your viewing order.
This latest Fate series originally aired on 2nd July 2023 as a film, and continues on from after the end of the Third Holy Grail War. Expected to follow in the footsteps of the light novels, Fate/Strange Fake takes a look at the London-based Mages association who have split off from the original organisation based in the United States.
If you don't want to miss any references or Easter eggs, we'd recommend definitely saving this for last.
Where to watch Fate in the UK
Episodes of Fate are currently available to stream on Crunchyroll, Netflix and HIDIVE.
Fate/trange Fake – Whispers of Dawn episodes can be found exclusively on Crunchyroll.
You can catch Fate on Crunchyroll.
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