Fate/strange Fake - Episode 1 discussion

*Fate/strange Fake*, episode 1

**Reminder:** Please do not discuss plot points not yet seen or skipped in the show. Failing to follow the rules may result in a ban.

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**Streams**

* [Crunchyroll](http://crunchyroll.com/series/G4PH0WJQZ)

**Show information**

* [MyAnimeList](https://myanimelist.net/anime/55830/)
* [AniList](https://anilist.co/anime/166617)
* [AniDB](https://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=18093)
* [Anime-Planet](https://www.anime-planet.com/anime/fate-strange-fake)
* [Kitsu](https://kitsu.app/anime/47682)
* [Official Website](https://fate-strange-fake.com/)
* **/r/fatestaynight**

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**All discussions**

Episode|Link
:-:|:-:
1|[Link](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1q32kin)
1|[Link](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1q32kvx)

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AnimeMod2026-01-03 19:48

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Iliansic2026-01-03 19:50

So is it the same episode from last year, or any new content?

Monztamash2026-01-03 19:52

I was about to post the exact same thing.

I remember we had a pilot, then much much later an EPISODE 1 ? I think it was called episode 1.

Ashteron2026-01-03 19:54

Yes. New content is next week.

Zeph-Shoir2026-01-03 21:47

Is this the official, weekly release for real or will we wait months for new content again?

Constellar-A2026-01-03 21:52

They have been very very clear in all the advertising that it's weekly now.

foxfoxal2026-01-03 22:37

We have been hurt for a long time, let us have some doubts.

Pretend-Tangerine-222026-01-03 19:57

They only changed FakeIt at the end into the actual opening song.

re62782026-01-03 20:34

Same episode but a bit better some scenes are better animated and have slight changes. Considering the old episode was already pretty darn good it's just minor improvements.

PiFlavoredPie2026-01-03 20:59

Were both Episodes 0 & 1 updated? Also wondering if Crunchyroll will update their versions...

Ebo872026-01-03 21:55

I don't think Whispers of Dawn (episode 0) was updated, only episode 1 it seems.

kts3252026-01-03 23:52

Was the old episode on Crunchyroll replaced with the updated one?

marioquartz2026-01-04 00:18

I watch it. No. They dont. But my memory trick me in some scenes.

the_3rdist2026-01-04 07:21

What's new in this version? And is the Crunchyroll version updated?

Shinkopeshon2026-01-03 21:45

It's been so long, I'll have to rewatch it anyway to know what the fuck is going on next week lol

minnieboss2026-01-03 19:56

This is my first time watching a Fate series! Was a little confused but I really like the Saber/Richard guy and the animation was really nice.

Edit: I am not gonna go back and watch other Fate series so please stop telling me to 😅

Ashteron2026-01-03 19:57

>This is my first time watching a Fate series! Was a little confused

Did you watch episode 0?

minnieboss2026-01-03 19:58

Yep!

Iyagovos2026-01-03 22:54

Is that the one that came out in 2023? I watched ep 1 but not 0

Ashteron2026-01-03 23:12

That's the one.

Dante2002026-01-03 19:58

Welcome to the wild ride! May it entice you to check out more.

_WrongKarWai2026-01-03 20:28

Welcome to the rabbit hole. I remember when I was an anime virgin years ago watching Fate Stay and Fate Zero w/ Ufotable - eyegasms galore.

MuseZeke2026-01-03 20:32

Hope you enjoy! You’ll probably get to understanding more as it progresses, and if you don’t feel free to ask someone on anything you feel confused about!

Gray_Tower2026-01-03 20:46

Welcome aboard, mate! Being confused is just part of the process, but enjoy the ride lmao

timpkmn892026-01-03 20:50

> Was a little confused

It's going to be slightly annoying because you won't know if things are callbacks to other Fate series, or just intentionally confusing, but overall it will be watchable.

For instance, the cackling girl thought that the Saber being summoned was going to be "Altry". You may have recognized the image shown as being Saber from the original F/SN.

Constellar-A2026-01-03 21:54

Yeah the author of this one (same guy as Durarara and Baccano) loooves making callbacks and references. I think a new viewer could follow the plot just fine but they'll definitely miss a bunch of "I understood that reference" moments.

8andahalfby112026-01-03 22:34

Narita also loves big casts. Pretty sure he asked Nasu how many of his characters he could use, Nasu said, "Whoever you like", and Narita proceeded to use all of them.

For a funny watch, look up Chaos Dragon. It's basically an adaptation of a tabletop game that Nasu and Narita played with Urobuchi and the personalities and writing styles come through loud and clear.

Intelligent_Eye21912026-01-04 01:01

Why did the show the original saber for a second?

AstroNerdBoy2026-01-04 01:27

Francesca expected OG Saber (Artoria) to be summoned. Plus, it gives a nod to "Fate/stay night".

AstroNerdBoy2026-01-04 03:07

\> For instance, the cackling girl thought that the Saber being summoned was going to be "Altry".

What's crazy is that in the Japanese, Francesca calls her "Artor-chan" for Artoria. It still boggles my mind why TYPE-MOON said "Altria" was official when they aren't even remotely pronouncing it that way.

Still, I love seeing OG Saber, even if in a flashback.

LeloThePGG2026-01-04 10:42

Due to how Japanese doesn't have an "L" sound and everything is in syllabes instead of single letters, there is actually no difference in pronunciation between "Artoria" and "Altria". They're both "Arutoria" in Japanese.

However, the specific choice to have her name be officially written as "Altria" is actually more complicated that many people think and it's a mess. Short story is that they can't change it now due to legal issues for old merch contracts and stuff.

PLAP-PLAP2026-01-04 18:19

Thats hell youre walking into

Bonesquidlet112026-01-04 21:11

For what it's worth I've watched 2 other fate series and read half the visual novel and I'm still pretty confused. I imagine the audience is being kept in the dark on purpose

Zeph-Shoir2026-01-05 05:09

Ngl respect. I do recommend checking them because Ufotable is a fantastic animation studio, but on the other hand, in just 2 episodes this already is the best Fate anime IMO. Much better paced and with way better characters and dynamics (don't @ me). Narita truly excels at having huge, fun casts of characters.

Frontier2462026-01-03 19:58

That dude with the headphones has great taste in music.

Anytime something doesn't go to Faldeous' plan, I smile.

I wonder what's up with Ayaka's thing with elevator?

I imagine Waver would definitely not care for this bastardization of the Holy Grail War after everything he and other sacrificed. The Holy Grail War isn't a good thing and certainly not one artificially constructed to occur like this.

Orlando tries to play hardball with Caster but you don't threaten to cut somebody off whose become an internet master and knows basically everything and can lord that over you. Who is really in charge in this Master and Servant relationship?

Seems like Ayaka was under some kind of magical influence that drew her to this Grail War even if she can't completely remember it (and when she does she's not happy about it).

It's not a proper Grail War without a Saber and I'm already liking the new Saber. He even did the "Are you my master?" line and everything! I'm curious about his identity because he's obviously got EXXXXCAAAALIBURRR! down to pat but he doesn't seem to be a male version of Artoria and talks about the Round Table. But he has such an earnestness and nobility, and that winning smile and suave Yuki Ono voice, that you can't help but like him. I really feel like he'll eventually win over Ayaka despite the rocky start to their relationship.

It's funny how Ayaka gets free from magic bindings and then minutes later ends up in handcuffs. This was not her day!

Watch out for Assassin! She's here to kill mages and look amazing while doing it! Though even she can't defeat Saber.

"I will no longer...be what you all want me to be!" - fitting stance from the ostensible Heroine of this series to not want any part of this False Grail War or what people are forcing her to be, while that very same steadfast resolve makes her the perfect spoiler TO said war. Though I wonder if getting arrested falls under her desire to not play by what others expect of her?

Well, this is probably one of the most surreal sights in Fate where a "Master and Servant" get arrested and perp walked on live TV...and then the Servant gives an impassioned and heartfelt speech in apology for the destruction of property in handcuffs while his Master is sitting in the back of a squad car looking like she'd rather be in jail than deal with all this. No wonder Francesca is having the time of her life watching this.

I want to see Waver's reaction to not only Ayaka and Saber's arrest but Flat basically camera bombing said arrest' broadcast.

Guess you couldn't have a Grail War without the involvement from the Church, and this new Church official and his quartet of cute nun girls seem like they'll add even MORE fun to an already crazy melting pot brewing.

_WrongKarWai2026-01-03 20:26

Isn't Saber's master dead? Ayaka's command signs are fake seemingly.

AbdDjamil_272026-01-03 21:16

Just cuz a servent master die doesn't mean the servent will die or vanish right away they can make contact with other suitable mages if they want too
( Archers and Casters class servent can stay in the real world for a considerable time without a master )

For example the one who summoned Gil was killed by Tinia right after and the command seals transfered to Tinia

Constellar-A2026-01-03 21:58

If a Servant's Master dies they can make a contract with someone else before they disappear from mana loss. That's what Caster did in Stay Night. The man who started Saber's summoning is dead but Saber contracted to Ayaka, just like how Tine killed Gilgamesh's summoner then took his contract.

time_axis2026-01-03 22:03

It looked to me like they turned real when they touched the magic circle, which is what caused the summoning to go through.

Nome_de_utilizador2026-01-03 22:17

Servants can stay materialized for a relative amount of time without mana from their masters (classes like archer even have stats that favour this scenario) and are free to form contracts with other masters, should their original one die. Likewise, masters don't lose the war the second they lose a servant, only when they lose their command spells or die. As long as they have command spells, they can technically form contracts with masterless/rogue servants.

_WrongKarWai2026-01-03 22:51

Def - going to need a energy source. It seems she's not a proper master and those are fake command spells though. Guess the mage could be wrong.

Ill_Act_18552026-01-04 01:31

They're real command spells, they were given by the Einzberns, one of the groups who created the holy grail war ritual in the first place. Command seals beyond the ones people get when summoning servants exist. A good example is Kirei in F/SN having a ton of command seals so he can act as overseer of the war

Ill_Act_18552026-01-03 20:40

I'll say that even in this episode alone there are enough clues to piece together who Saber is if you're paying enough attention and familiar with the figure. So have fun with that

timpkmn892026-01-03 20:53

> I'll say that even in this episode alone there are enough clues to piece together who Saber is if you're paying enough attention and familiar with the figure.

Even if not, there's enough info to get it in one good Google search

EDIT: not counting stuff like searching "who is saber in fate strange fake"

Nome_de_utilizador2026-01-03 22:14

Every website listing the VA is making 0 efforts to conceal his identity, it is as in the open as stay/night saber and darth vader.

timpkmn892026-01-03 23:18

Not really, most people don't go looking up VA websites

AstroNerdBoy2026-01-04 01:41

Since the episode had him all but identify himself as Arthur Pendragon, I had to cheat and look up this character. I wouldn't have even gotten the true identity of this Saber and would have assumed the Grail just pulled the male version from legend rather than the female version as seen in FSN. BUT, upon rewatch, I saw and HEARD the clues. 😅

DragoSphere2026-01-04 03:47

You have to listen to his wording carefully. He didn't say he IS Arthur Pendragon, but rather that the *foundation* of his chivalry was Arthur Pendragon.

It's an easy thing to miss, especially with him using Excalibur being much more in your face

AgentGuig2026-01-03 23:25

>That dude with the headphones has great taste in music.

That song sounds incredibly familiar and I'm pretty sure it's floating around somewhere in my Spotify. Do you remember the title or artist?

emeraldwolf342026-01-04 08:22

BELONG by Hiroyuki Sawano feat. The vocalist from Survive Said the Prophet. It was the insert song for the Fate/strange Fake LN TVCM 6 years ago.

kelvinkhr2026-01-04 03:21

One thing I love about the new Saber is just after being summoned, he drops like two references to his identity casually.

Horaji122026-01-04 11:35

About Ayaka and elevators, it's Fate Hollow Ataraxia thing. Learning about easy irc it's from very first few minutes long prologue, before even game starts...

G15968722026-01-03 20:05

So is this going to be a season full of 12-13 episodes or this like a special?

Ashteron2026-01-03 20:07

Full season.

G15968722026-01-03 20:13

Neat! Thanks

Intelligent_Eye21912026-01-04 01:03

24 episodes?

leolegendario2026-01-04 01:35

13 episodes.

DragoCrafterr2026-01-04 01:56

13 episodes counting episode 0 and this one, but another season sometime after

Dull_Spot_82132026-01-03 20:09

I am here for team dog and Enkidu.

JonnySpark2026-01-04 07:44

Dog distribution system, working as intended

Dialgak772026-01-03 20:16

I'll watch it next week if they actually release more episodes.

Prestigious_Taste6412026-01-03 20:17

Can I watch this without knowing any other Fate anime?

Ashteron2026-01-03 20:21

You can, but you need to start with episode 0.

257erIstDerBoss2026-01-03 22:15

Am I the only one who watches this episode without knowing there is an episode zero. An official disclaimer would have been nice haha

foxfoxal2026-01-03 22:41

Tbh that was released like 2 years ago, so most of us will have to watch it again lol.

timpkmn892026-01-03 23:19

Right when you load it up on Crunchyroll it says "Start Watching E0"

kingfirejet2026-01-03 20:26

Director and producer said they hope it gets people into the series. You should watch episode 0 though.

_WrongKarWai2026-01-03 20:27

Yup. It's basically a spin-off that you don't need to go too deeply.

makinamiexe2026-01-03 20:51

YES

timpkmn892026-01-03 20:55

The Fate series takes place in a bunch of parallel timelines

There will be cameos and callbacks to other series, but anything plot-important will be explained.

Nome_de_utilizador2026-01-03 21:30

You can, but strange/fake borrows a lot of elements and characters from other nasuverse titles (not only fate) and callbacks to events of other fates even if they are cannonically 'different timelines'. But overall the director said they will try to make this as friendly to newcomers as possible, since strange/fake is technically its own story. If you are confused (you will be) be free to ask in the episode threads.

CollectiveDeviant2026-01-04 04:53

Make sure to watch Episode 0 - Whispers of Dawn!

Otherwise, you can, but Strange Fake has tons of references (and outright characters) from other Fate works and other Nasuverse works that makes it amazing to Fate fans.

If you want to watch just for the spectacle that's all good, take a dip into one of the Fate Stay Night adaptions if you like sometime in the week between episodes and see of it vibes with you.

oneevilchicken2026-01-03 20:23

My only exposure up to now to fate was the star rail collab so I’m kinda disappointed that saber is not the same or even a cute waifu now. Even though it seems like they may have turned her into the master instead?

So like. Now that it’s in the us, do the competitors get NIL money? Is there a transfer portal? Will a master decide to leave their servant right before the finale and go to a rival servant?

Ashteron2026-01-03 20:31

>My only exposure up to now to fate was the star rail collab so I’m kinda disappointed that saber is not the same or even a cute waifu now.

You can just watch one of several series featuring her.

>Even though it seems like they may have turned her into the master instead?

They are completely different characters.

NeoBasilisk2026-01-03 21:35

>You can just watch one of several series featuring her.

Yep, good news! You have over 50 episodes of content prominently featuring Saber that you can go watch right now. They've been out for over a decade now.

himegimi2026-01-03 20:36

saber's in fate/zero and fate/stay night(which is a terrible adaption, so i've heard), unlimited blade works and a bit in the heaven's feel movies if you wanna check any of those out. the stay night vn is also on steam.

masters and servants dont fight for money but to get the holy grail to have their wish granted

n080dy1232026-01-03 21:14

Saber from Fate/Stay Night and Fate/Zero, the one in Star Rail, is not in this at all. Nor is Archer, also from FSN.

Each war has a different set of Saber/Archer/Lancer/Rider/Caster/Assassin/Berserker. Sometimes they can be the same- OG Saber (Artoria) is the Saber of both FSN and FZ, Archer here, Gilgamesh, is also appears as the Archer in FZ- and sometimes even as different classes as with Jack the Ripper here being a Berserker, opposed to their appearance in Fate/Apocrypha as an Assassin, but usually the summoned servants are entirely different in each series.

09jtherrien2026-01-03 20:34

I know fate series are popular but theres so many of them. Do you need to watch the other ones?

Ashteron2026-01-03 20:37

It is recommended, but not required.

-_Seth_-2026-01-03 20:49

In theory Fate/Strange Fake can be enjoyed without any prior show watched but without at least the two Ufotable FSN anime and Fate Zero you do miss out on quite a bit of character and world understanding.

timpkmn892026-01-03 20:55

The Fate series takes place in a bunch of parallel timelines

There will be cameos and callbacks to other series, but anything plot-important will be explained.

GoingSeafoam2026-01-03 21:22

Some reference each other (a lot) but some of them are more self contained, only Fate/Zero and Fate/Stay Night are directly connected. So you should be just fine to start with Strange Fake and then jump to another one if you felt like it. Most people say to start with Zero and Stay Night as a baseline for references and that is true but it’s not a requirement I would say

Nome_de_utilizador2026-01-03 21:34

All fate entries derive from the stay/night visual novel. If you read it you are free to get into any other fate, but the holy grail and servant system derives from there. Everything else is different timelines/universes.

Since the vast majority of the anime fanbase will not sink 60h in a visual novel, you can go just go with the anime ufotable adaptations (UBW series - Heaven's feel movie triology - fate/zero). Don't bother with DEEN 2006 version, no matter what purists will tell you. Its a shit adaptation, spoils multiple plotpoints and is dated as hell. If you get that hooked into fate then you can go play the VN

8andahalfby112026-01-03 22:39

You are encouraged to watch Unlimited Blade Works as it probably does the best of the bunch at explaining the lore and rules, but it's not strictly necessary.

You don't need to worry about the rest. Heaven's Feel skips over the newcomer explanations, Fate/Zero and Fate/Apocrypha are mostly about breaking or loophole-ing the rules. And Fate/Extra, Prisma Iliya, El Melloi, and Fate Grand Order are so far removed from the original rules that they wouldn't help much. And Stay/Night is just sort of a mess.

ScumBrad2026-01-04 02:01

I've only seen Fate/Zero and I understood 95% so far. Without I probably would've lost another 15% of context. Whispers of Dawn (Episode 0) by itself sets the story up nicely though.

Ex3rock2026-01-03 20:40

Wait so the episode they released is exactly the same episode we already watched?, please tell me its not, otherwise make no mf sense them re-release the same episode.

Ashteron2026-01-03 20:50

Lot of anime are actually broadcast on TV. It doesn't really make sense to start TV broadcast from episode 2, just because it aired during a special program one year earlier.

timpkmn892026-01-03 20:56

> otherwise make no mf sense them re-release the same episode.

Most TV shows start from episode 1

Affy112026-01-03 20:51

Finally it’s here!

_WrongKarWai2026-01-03 20:55

My boy Waver Velvet is back!

Diligent-Scallion-242026-01-03 21:04

Where is it?

NeoBasilisk2026-01-03 21:32

It's been over 2 years since the special originally aired, and we're finally about to get the actual series!

TheDanubianCommunard2026-01-03 21:40

Just watched it (along with episode 0) a few days ago in any case. And I do like this already.

Odd-Investigator65032026-01-03 21:53

A fate series set in America with no American servants? Kinda disappointing ngl. After playing fgo years ago I thought we’d get someone like Billy the kid or something

timpkmn892026-01-03 23:22

It makes sense the author wanted to focus their own characters

Gilgamesh is used here because Enkidu is

Labmit2026-01-03 23:41

American servants are actually near non-existant in Fate besides cowboys and Native Americans. Tesla and Edison are outliers in that regard.

RooeeZe2026-01-03 22:07

strange, is this finally coming out or is this fake?

kawaii_song2026-01-03 22:09

Been waiting six years for this adaptation! Was hooked in with the [CM](https://youtu.be/yHmQsWyCP3Q?si=5-92ic-wD0D1MsaF) advertising the LN.

After that I read a couple volumes, took a giant hiatus and got back into them again. So excited to see some scenes unfold.

I did watch the early screening at the Alamo theater so this whole month for me is also a recap.

Also, I just started playing Fate/Samurai Remnant to keep my whole month Fate themed.

Can't wait to read everyone's reactions!

MrCaption4042026-01-03 23:27

Bro! how long have they been making this??

fatalystic2026-01-04 00:42

I think it's just that that person's a LN reader.

They originally released episode 0 (whispers of dawn) as a special 3 years ago (go watch it if you haven't btw, it's required setup). I'm not sure if they actually had any plans to make a series at that point, but it laid the foundation for it anyway. It's only at the end of 2024 that they first released this episode, but the animation studio had a lot on their plate at the time so it's taken till now.

LeloThePGG2026-01-04 11:22

Strange Fake was often rated very high on polls about "What Fate series would you like to see animated?", and an animated PV for the light novel was released about six years ago, already featuring a similar artstyle to this series and a Sawano score. A Strange Fake anime has always been a matter of "when" rather then "if" pretty much from the start.

AccusingGojo2026-01-04 14:20

>Sawano score

This was so good! Hooked me to the anime instantly

Zeph-Shoir2026-01-05 05:16

I am not a fan of Fate nor of Nasu as a writer, but I am very thankful that his work has turned out so popular all so that this anime can be a real thing. Ryogo Narita is fucking goated and he deserves a lot more recognition and adaptations of his works.

LeloThePGG2026-01-05 09:13

Totally agree on Narita, he is one of my favourite writers and I love his style of storytelling.

Obviously I'm biased towards Nasu, as I'm a massive fan of his works (including non-Fate titles), but I am glad Type Moon as a company and body of works is getting more recognized so that even secondary works (which means especially works by other authors brought in by Nasu) are getting more attention. I don't like the idea of gacha games, but without FGO's massive success I doubt we would've had this massive increase in Type Moon titles, and I doubt non-Fate works (like the Tsukihime Remake and Witch on the Holy Night) would've even had an official English release.

n080dy1232026-01-04 12:07

That CM was never actually related to the anime, fwiw. It was purely an LN ad. You can see a couple fights depicted in the CM and PVs for the anime and they're depicted fairly differently.

The intro scene for Episode 1 does use the opening parts of the song in the CM though which is super cool.

wjodendor2026-01-03 22:28

In just the first two episodes we've got references to:

Fate/ stay night

Fate/ hollow ataraxia

Fate/ prototype

Fate/ zero

Fate/ grand order

Lord El Melloi II Case Files

Tsukihime

That's what I recognized at least

(Edit formatting)

ketrab20032026-01-03 22:35

There was also a Kitsy Land from Mahoyo mentioned

wjodendor2026-01-03 22:37

Ah right I forgot about that. That dude has a good memory cause that place would have been out of business for like 20 years at that point.

LeloThePGG2026-01-04 10:33

If it's a park-exclusive item, the souvenir he got probably has "Kitsy Land" written on it somewhere. Since he seems to have fond memories of the present and knows that it's still at his parents place, that's probably how he remembers the name.

ali941272026-01-04 00:19

I think technically apocrypha as well because Ruler is mentioned.

LordMonday2026-01-04 09:55

Yep, iirc the concept of Ruler class comes from apocrypha

ali941272026-01-04 10:00

FSF also predates FGO, so it really can only reference apocrypha.

LordMonday2026-01-04 10:04

Oh yea def, FGO gets its ruler class from apoc, I just wasn't 100 percent on our whether ruler was ever mentioned but not directly involved previous to apoc.

Since type moon loves to bring up one off lines or jokes and expand it into more relevant lore a decade later lol

n080dy1232026-01-04 11:54

Jack also makes very vague reference to Assassin of Black when explaining his identity to Flat.

ali941272026-01-04 12:41

That’s true yeah. I think the only major Type-Moon work that isn’t mentioned so far is Kara no Kyoukai, which is canon to Adventures of Lord El-Melloi II, which is itself referenced by a photo in the first two episodes.

JustARedditAccoumt2026-01-06 04:24

Because of the specific Ruler Francesca is referring to, it is specifically a reference to Fate/Apocrypha.

Wei8282026-01-04 01:46

Kitsy land is from mahoyo. There's a picture from Adventures of Lord El Melloi (Rin is in the picture). Zelretch Phone scene references tsuki/ Mahoutsukai no Hako. Ruler Jeanne from Apoc mentioned as well.

Myers1122026-01-06 07:09

What was the hollow/ ataraxia reference?

Also hollow/ataraxia anime when

wjodendor2026-01-08 02:43

[Hollow]>!hooded girl and elevator talk from the ghost story at the beginning!<

Shantotto112026-01-03 22:43

It’s good to see all of you again. I look forward to seeing all of you again for episode 2 next year.

Nesp22026-01-03 23:11

Just watched episode 0 and 1 in one sitting.

I'm so hyped.

Saber getting arrested.
So uhh what happens now that they can't conceal the holy grail war to the public?

Zeph-Shoir2026-01-05 05:12

The bomber of the opera house was simply in a cosplay outfit, what are you talking about? Are you gonna trust a random terrorist over what the official media and government officials tell you?

No_Extension40052026-01-12 10:07

Yeah; most people would just brush the guy off as crazy. He'd have to be caught on live camera doing something undeniably supernatural with visible consequences.

MrCaption4042026-01-03 23:30

They have worked on this for so long it seems, hope they cooked up something special!

bigxangelx12026-01-04 00:11

The dumbest questions in this thread is a direct result of gigguk and his incompetence

Terakomarii2026-01-04 00:45

Lmao bro chill, technically people can watch this show without watching other show it just there's a lot of Character who is on another series who is gonna appear in this series too and there's a lot of call back to other series. The only people too need to remember is what is Holy Grail war.....also from what i remember in the Light Novel as the series continues they will little by little gonna explain what the "Strange" and "Fake" about this series...not to mention the studio say they gonna make this series newbie friendly or a good way to start watching any fate

Intelligent_Eye21912026-01-04 00:55

Can someone explain - why was there not going to be a Saber in this war? What is going on?

Ill_Act_18552026-01-04 01:35

This is explicitly a mystery at this point and will become clear later.

Intelligent_Eye21912026-01-04 00:55

Why did it show King Arthur for a second even if she isn't in the story?

Constellar-A2026-01-04 01:13

The plan was to summon Artoria but they got this other Saber instead. That's why Francesca was confused, she was expecting to see Artoria.

Intelligent_Eye21912026-01-04 00:59

I'm confused is he King Arthur or King Richard the Lionhearted?!?!

Ill_Act_18552026-01-04 01:35

Not King Arthur who is explicitly Artoria here (same as F/SN). They were trying to summon her with a certain catalyst but ended up summoning someone else. A male Arthur does exist within Fate technically since Prototype Arthur is actually just a dude (and prototype Merlin is female instead lol), but this isn't him

VallenValiant2026-01-04 03:06

[removed]

lord_ne2026-01-08 08:31

Well we've got two versions of Jack the Ripper, why not two versions of King Arthur?

I guess Jack is a little special since both Servant versions are like Wraiths or something, but still it's not *so* crazy to imagine.

Key-Poem97342026-01-08 14:12

Jack Ripper is still a mystery though, they're an uncertain being who can be summoned in different ways. King Arthur was concretely recorded in legends and history with a set identity. Most stories in Fate just take place in the timeline where they were a woman

Fourth_Dimension_4D2026-01-04 01:40

Well in Fate Stay Night (the original) King Arthur was female, Artoria...
Soooooo...

n080dy1232026-01-04 12:17

Richard seems likely given the lion's roar when he fires off Excalibur, and his acquaintance with Robin Hood/Loxley.

Fun fact, when he deflects Assassin's Zabaniya, there's a flash of a silhouette of Fate's version of Robin Hood.

Pale_Letterhead40342026-01-04 01:13

quick question do i watch the whispers of dawn things first?

ScumBrad2026-01-04 01:59

Yes, Whispers of Dawn is episode 0. It's also really well made.

fatalystic2026-01-04 02:02

Yes. Whispers of Dawn (i.e. Episode 0) is the actual beginning and introduces many of the characters.

DragoCrafterr2026-01-04 02:08

yes!

JustARedditAccoumt2026-01-06 04:36

Yes, Whispers of Dawn is the actual episode one since it covers the events of volume one of the light novels.

Diligent-Scallion-242026-01-04 02:48

Does anyone know why the hell Crunchyroll has not updated with the episode yet? I am getting frustrated.

S9CLAVE2026-01-04 04:29

Almost certainly their janky back end had an aneurysm when it tried to write episode 1 into season 1 and it already had a season 1 episode 1.

It’s almost certainly pending human intervention.

This is all speculation of course and has no basis on actual fact, but fuck Crunchyroll.

Blue_Reaper992026-01-04 05:31

It's already on CR one year ago.

TwilightTenshi2026-01-04 03:56

Am I missing something here or is there not *actually* a new episode today? Are they counting the already released episode 1 as the episode released for today...?

WisperG2026-01-04 04:19

Correct. This episode was released early for promotional purposes, but is now airing on Japanese TV “for real” as part of the actual broadcast of the show.

TwilightTenshi2026-01-04 04:23

huh... I mean I get it, but wouldn't the Japanese have had a way to watch this when it came out before too? Even if it wasn't on TV which is their main way of watching anime for them I understand, it just seems misleading to me the way they went about adverting the new season :/ But thanks for clearing it up for me.

Blue_Reaper992026-01-04 05:53

Ep 1 wasn't distributed to JP streaming before this.

CosmicPenguin_OV1032026-01-04 03:57

As someone new to F/SF (not the whole Fate series though), I assume from what I can read on their official Twitter account that the reason Crunchyroll (and my local licensor in the Far East) didn’t update is this “Episode 1” is just a re-airing of the July 2023 special *Whispers of Dawn* + the “New Year’s Eve 2024 Episode 1”? So that I will be all good if I watch these two?

Were there any changes made since then?

Blue_Reaper992026-01-04 05:55

No, you can watch these eps.

shadowdra1262026-01-04 04:10

So there is a 55 mins episode and another one after that

Which is the new one? I know episode 0 came out a while back if I am understanding right

This is my first fate series and liked episode 0 quite a bit

marioquartz2026-01-04 05:22

There are no new episode. The one aired is episode 0 and 1. The new one (2) will be next week.

raknikmik2026-01-04 06:18

So is this actually airing now or is it just a couple of episodes and then more waiting?

LeonKevlar2026-01-04 08:21

Considering this is still pretty much the same episode with some minor improvements, [I think my comments from last year will still apply to this thread.](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1hqfrjz/fatestrange_fake_episode_1_discussion/m4pixsv/)

Korynaut2026-01-04 09:41

As one who never went deeply into the Fate realm for many years, I gave it a serious try [now.As](http://now.As) a newbie, my experience with this airing is very positive. Of course the Fate purists will tear their hair out seeing someone jumping in here with no knowledge nor preparation, but for me the composition of earlier stuff by Ep0 and Ep1 was nearly self-explaining.

Richard I has – at least in the German sub – mostly a very cheeky language which is amusing and perfectly fits to this new location of the fake war (if only our translator was more fit in grammar and spelling).

The rest of understanding perfectly reveals from reading the comments of this community's members. Thanks, guys!

So, no fear jumping in un-prepared! I'm looking forward to much more entertainment.

Mami-kouga2026-01-04 09:56

There's no amount of knowledge and preparation that will meaningfully "fully" help you for strange fake, it references so many parts of the franchise down to strictly anime original background choices that the best one can tell you is that you'll appreciate it more the more you delve into the franchise. Knowing at least the context of FSN and Zero helps to at least understand the war but honestly the focus characters are mostly new anyway.

Altruistic-New-41742026-01-04 10:44

On a scale from 1 to 10 how good would yall say this anime is?

Yeonii-2026-01-04 12:17

Like a 9. Very happy with the quality of production as a fate fan.
I'd recommend watching ep 0 if you never watched the Fate series.

Available_Bad_32252026-01-04 10:55

Can you explain what was Francesca talking about ruler? And what would happen if the ruler(Jeanne ig?) appears?

DragoSphere2026-01-04 12:03

It's just a cheeky reference to Fate/Apocrypha, where Jeanne d'Arc is summoned as a Ruler servant. They're meant to arbitrate a Holy Grail War for the sake of fairness

It's this type of thing when people say Strange Fake makes a bajillion references to other Fate and Nasuverse properties. Some say that you need to watch a bunch of prior series to understand it, but personally I'd say the majority of the references are either one-offs like that or elaborated in the story later on, so it's fine

Constellar-A2026-01-04 14:17

The Ruler class appears when the Grail War system is disrupted, like how in Apocrypha she got summoned because it was a 7v7 war instead of a free for all like it's meant to be.

Francesca was saying that Jeanne won't appear to fix this war because by the time the system realizes what's wrong it will be too late, but she still *wants* Jeanne to appear because she wants to torment her.

And it was specifically about Jeanne and not any other Ruler because when the Strange Fake novel came out Grand Order hadn't introduced other Rulers yet.

JustARedditAccoumt2026-01-06 04:34

>Jeanne ig

You are correct.

Anyway, it's a nod to Fate/Apocrypha, but it's also a hint to Francesca's true identity.

Also, Francesca wanted to "violate/corrupt" her in some way (Physically? Mentally? Sexually? All of the above? Who knows).

Quizziqualquetzal2026-01-04 11:40

I’ve never seen fate, but it looks awesome. Could I just pick up here?

promptotron50002026-01-04 12:07

Some concepts might be hard to understand at first, but it's entirely up to you how much you want to engage with it. Like you might enjoy it even if you don't understand some concepts, or you might have fun looking into some things you don't understand. I don't know how much hand-holding they will do for newcomers (I imagine they would have to do some), but the hilarious thing about all Fate adaptations is that even if they explain all the rules of a Holy Grail War to you, they will break their own rules from the get go.

You can pick it up from here though, and if you like it, you can always check out the older series while waiting for new episodes of this one.

lord_ne2026-01-08 08:13

The servants we know of so far:

* Gilgamesh. Presumably Archer class again. Master: Tiné Chelc, the Native American girl. Was initially summoned by some rando mage, who Tiné killed.
* Jack the Ripper (or at least a Wraith of him). Berserker class. Master: Flat Escardos, Waver's pupil. Summoned without a ritual or a real catalyst, since apparently the knife Flat used is just something Waver won in a giveaway for a game, which may explain why he's a Wraith or something like that.
* Assassin. True name unknown, but presumably related to the Hassan-i-Sabbahs since she used a Zabiniya (specifically I think she used Delusional Heartbeat, the Zabaniya of True Assassin from Heaven's Feel). Originally summoned by Jester Karture (the weird man who regenerated and swapped bodies), but
I'm not sure if he still has the command seals after regenerating; I didn't seem them on his hand at least.
* Caster (although his Master called him a "fake" Caster). True name unknown, although he makes it sound like he's a writer or something. Master: Orlando Reeve, the police chief guy.
* Enkidu (unless it's Kingu again or something). No idea of the class, I would've guessed Caster but that's already taken. Master: A wolf chimera that was created by some rando farmer-looking mage to use as a catalyst for summoning.
* The sick girl, Tsubaki Kuruoka, is shown to have Command Seals. It seems like her Servant might be that black shadow thing, heck if I know what it's supposed to be or what class it is.
* The unidentified Saber (presumably), who wields Excalibur. Master: Ayaka Sajyou, the girl who seemingly can't remember her own past (but has met the Einzberns) and wants no part in any of this. Was initially going to be summoned by some rando, but Assassin killed him in the middle of it.

Some open questions:
* Why is there a Saber? There was supposed to not be one in this war.
* Why did the police chief refer to his servant as a "fake" Caster?
* What the hell is that black shadow thing? Is it really a Servant? It doesn't even look like a person.
* What class is Enkidu (and that shadow if it's really a Servant)? Assuming there's no shenanigans going on, the only ones left are Rider and Lancer, neither of which seems like a very good fit.
* Ayaka had what appeared to be Command Seals even before that rando who was trying to summon Saber died. But there were already 6 other masters with command seals at that time, so including her and the rando makes 8 people with command seals at the same time. Does the Grail usually give out extras? The rando claimed that what was on her hand wasn't really Command Seals, but they certainly seemed to take the place of them when she summons Saber (they glow and everything). And if they weren't Command Seals, what were they?

NevisYsbryd2026-01-08 20:32

Note, there are a lot of hints as to Saber's identity already. Referencing Arthur and Excalibur, and he indicated that he knew 'Locksley' as a very nimble figure. As in, Robin of Locksley, aka Robin Hood. That strongly indicates a knightly figure or gentry/aristocrat from the High or Late Middle Ages with a King Arthur fixation who was involved in England and/or the Crusades, depending on the version of Robin.

Old Man of the Mountain refers to the leader of the League of Assassins, ie, the Hasans. That corroborates the indication that she is related to Cursed Arm, as well as further indicating that Saber was involved in the Crusades.

While the same Servant can potentially be summoned in different classes as emphasizing differenct aspects, Enkidu is summoned as a Lancer in Fate/Grand Order (although they have discussed how he could be a Berserker).

okletssee2026-01-10 18:43

There's a shot right after Jester Karture regenerates where the command seals are seen on his lower abdomen.

lord_ne2026-01-11 00:43

I wasn't sure if that's what those were. The pattern was shifting and swirling around a little, which I don't recall seeing Command Seals doing before. Also I can't think of another example where the Command Seals weren't on the hand/arm (except for those rare cases of people who have seals over their whole body).

okletssee2026-01-11 01:00

I agree that we haven't seen it on another body part, but I just watched [UBW] >!and it was mentioned that they could appear anywhere. Hence, Shirou asking his friend that lives at the temple to strip when he was trying to determine if his friend was a Master. !<