I wanna know what Fate series is
I have always seen clips of sick animation in all of the different Fate series and such. However I have no idea what it is or how to watch it. Everyone seems to have different thoughts on what order and stuff. Is each series like a different season of the same story? Are they different stories? Different characters? I just really would like some direction cause the new series looks awesome, but not sure if there is backstory in another one like Fate/GrandOrder or what.
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\- [Unlimited Blade Works Episode 0](https://myanimelist.net/anime/27821/Fate_stay_night__Unlimited_Blade_Works_Prologue)
\- [Unlimited Blade Works Season 1](https://myanimelist.net/anime/22297/Fate_stay_night__Unlimited_Blade_Works)
\- [Unlimited Blade Works Season 2](https://myanimelist.net/anime/28701/Fate_stay_night__Unlimited_Blade_Works_2nd_Season)
**Fate Stay Night Heavens Feel Movie Trilogy**
\- [First](https://myanimelist.net/anime/25537/Fate_stay_night_Movie__Heavens_Feel_-_I_Presage_Flower)
\- [Second](https://myanimelist.net/anime/33049/Fate_stay_night_Movie__Heavens_Feel_-_II_Lost_Butterfly)
\- [Third](https://myanimelist.net/anime/33050/Fate_stay_night_Movie__Heavens_Feel_-_III_Spring_Song)
**Fate Zero** this is actually a prequel to Fate/Stay Night, but is meant to be watched after as it's a prequel **sequel**. This is pretty much the end of the *main* fate series so everything after this is watchable generally whenever.
\- [Season 1](https://myanimelist.net/anime/10087/Fate_Zero)
\- [Season 2](https://myanimelist.net/anime/11741/Fate_Zero_2nd_Season)
**Today's Menu for the Emiya Family** (cute short 13min episodes with really nice art style from Ufotable. Features the Fate Stay Night cast. Last like 3-4 minutes of each episode is about a food recipe) Not a mandatory watch.
\- [Season 1](https://www.myanimelist.net/anime/37033)
**Lord El Melloi II** Best watched after Fate Zero. Takes place during and after Stay/Night.
\- [Episode 0](https://myanimelist.net/anime/38936)
\- [Season 1](https://myanimelist.net/anime/38959)
\- [Movie: Magic Lantern](https://myanimelist.net/anime/49361)
**Fate Apocrypha** Usually the first spinoff I recommend after El Melloi. The Third Grail War never concluded in this timeline so F/Z and F/SN don't happen.
\- [Season 1](https://myanimelist.net/anime/34662)
**Fate Extra** - This anime is a loose adaptation of the Fate Extra game. It adapts a route that does not actually happen in it. Not the greatest adaptation, but a unique one. It's animated by Studio SHAFT, having a very Madoka-iy look. (Season 1 is the first batch of episodes, the last 3 came out later due to production issues)
\- [Season 1](https://myanimelist.net/anime/33047)
\- [Last 3 Episodes](https://myanimelist.net/anime/37651)
Also the game is receiving a remake coming out next year. [Trailer here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJNxMqkgThs) (note it was delayed to 2026) I'd personally suggest seeing it after playing the game at this stage since it's so close.
**Fate Grand Order** An adaptation of the Fate/Grand Order gacha game. It's not the best but it generally serves its purpose. Some of it will be way better than the others. First Order is the prologue of the game, and then skips 5 arcs to Camelot so it's gonna be a bit of a jarring jump. Just keep that in mind and you'll be fine. Not totally 1:1 but if you've played the Persona games think of FGO as palaces on a world level.
\- [First Order](https://myanimelist.net/anime/34321)
\- [Camelot Movie 1](https://myanimelist.net/anime/38085)
\- [Camelot Movie 2](https://myanimelist.net/anime/38086)
\- [Babylonia Episode 0](https://myanimelist.net/anime/40206)
\- [Babylonia Season 1](https://myanimelist.net/anime/38084)
\- [Solomon Movie](https://myanimelist.net/anime/41497)
\-- [Moonlight Lostroom](https://myanimelist.net/anime/36915) (can honestly skip this ova. it is insanely confusing if you haven't played FGO.)
**Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya**
(this anime is ultra controversial, there are elementary school girls tongue kissing in it. A shame because it's **actually** a really good story. You can skip if you'd like. There's two really great characters that make an appearance in it that unfortunately don't have any other current anime appearances. They will show up in Carnival Phantasm at the bottom of this list, which is a gag anime.)
\- [Season 1: Prisma Illya](https://myanimelist.net/anime/14829)
\-- [Season 1 Shorts](https://myanimelist.net/anime/19109)
\-- [Season 1 OVA: Dance at the Sports Festival](https://myanimelist.net/anime/18851)
\- [Season 2: 2Wei!](https://myanimelist.net/anime/20509)
\-- [Season 2 Shorts](https://myanimelist.net/anime/25011)
\-- [Season 2 OVA: Hot Spring Inn](https://myanimelist.net/anime/26057)
\- [Season 3: 2Wei Herz!](https://myanimelist.net/anime/27525)
\-- [Season 3 Shorts](https://myanimelist.net/anime/31056)
\- [Season 4: 3rei!!](https://myanimelist.net/anime/31706)
\-- [Season 4 Shorts](https://myanimelist.net/anime/33456)
\- [Movie 1: Vow in the Snow](https://myanimelist.net/anime/34100)
\-- [Movie 1 OVA Sakuras Room](https://myanimelist.net/anime/36833)
\- [Movie 2: Licht Nameless Girl](https://myanimelist.net/anime/42030)
\- [Movie 3: Zoku-hen](https://myanimelist.net/anime/49703/Fate_kaleid_liner_Prisma%E2%98%86Illya_Zoku-hen) (release date unknown, probably the final movei?)
(For Fate Illya you can skip the OVAs and shorts. While there is some comedy that ISNT attached to lolicon bait, pretty much all of it is. The only one I wouldn't skip is Movie 1 OVA Sakuras Room)
**Fate Strange Fake** Fate Strange Fake is a love letter to the Fate series from Ryohgo Narita, author most famous for Baccano and Durarara (both excellent series with excellent anime adaptations). Strange Fake started airing on January 3rd 2026. If you're wondering why I put it down here, it's because it contains references big and small to pretty much everything above. You can technically watch it after Apocrypha, or El Melloi or even Zero, but you'd be missing some really cool references. It's a story that's greatly enhanced by knowledge, as much of it as possible.
\- [Episode 0: Whispers of Dawn](https://www.myanimelist.net/anime/53127) (watch this first)
\- [Season 1](https://myanimelist.net/anime/55830/Fate_strange_Fake) (started January 3rd 2026)
**Kara no Kyoukai: The Garden of Sinners**
Garden of Sinners is Nasu's first work, and these movies are PHENOMENAL. Animated by ufotable. You'll be immensely surprised how beautiful the animation is given they were releasing from 2007 to 2013. They're ordered in release order, Should be noted the stories themselves are chronologically all over the place but it's intended.
\--[Manners Movies](https://myanimelist.net/anime/23697) (these stop motion shorts played in theaters to tell the audience to mind their manners. Very cute. I suggest interweaving them with each movie.)
\- [Movie 1: Overlooking View](https://myanimelist.net/anime/2593)
\- [Movie 2: Murder Speculation Part 1](https://myanimelist.net/anime/3782)
\- [Movie 3: Remaining Sense of Pain](https://myanimelist.net/anime/3783)
\- [Movie 4: The Hollow Shrine](https://myanimelist.net/anime/4280)
\- [Movie 5: Paradox Spiral](https://myanimelist.net/anime/4282)
\- [Movie 6: Oblivion Recording](https://myanimelist.net/anime/5204)
\-- [Movies 1-6 Recap: Gate of Seventh Heaven](https://myanimelist.net/anime/6624) (recaps the movies if confused, can skip if not. Pretty good though.)
\- [Movie 7: Murder Speculation Part 2](https://myanimelist.net/anime/5205)
\- [Movie 8: Epilogue](https://myanimelist.net/anime/6954)
\- [Movie 9: Future Gospel](https://myanimelist.net/anime/14807)
\- [Future Gospel: Extra Chorus](https://myanimelist.net/anime/22763)
**Mahoyo/Witch on the Holy Night** (Technically prequel to Tsukihime, leads me to believe Ufotable will do a Tsukihime anime adaptation afterwards)
\- [Movie](https://myanimelist.net/anime/50668) (not out yet, but this is most probably where I'd put it.)
[Here's a trailer.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML10KNGEif8)
**Carnival Phantasm** - Time for the treats. Funny gag section of pretty much all of the Fate content you just watched. So many memes. Includes Tsukihime characters, but don't worry about it. Tsukihime will for sure get an anime adaptation at some point (totally not coping)
\- [Season 1: Carnival Phantasm](https://myanimelist.net/anime/10012)
\- [Season 1 OVA: Carnival Phantasm EX](https://myanimelist.net/anime/12187)
\- [Carnival Phantasm: HibiChika Special](https://myanimelist.net/anime/15927)
\- [Fate Prototype](https://myanimelist.net/anime/12565) This is the original draft of Fate Stay Night, animated in a short 12 minute episode.
\- [Fate Kaleid: Illya Prisma Phantasm!](https://myanimelist.net/anime/38897)
\- [Learning with Manga: FGO!](https://myanimelist.net/anime/38958)
\- [Fate Grand Carnival](https://myanimelist.net/anime/44248)
You could if you wanted to watch Fate 2006 at this point, as there's literally nothing else to watch but I'd play the VN for Fate route or wait hopefully for a ufotable adaptation.
Other things that might interest you (all steam links)
Games:
[Fate Stay Night Remastered](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2396980/Fatestay_night_REMASTERED/) - The remaster of the OG visual novel. Strongly recommend playing.
[Fate Hollow Ataraxia Remastered](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2396990/Fatehollow_ataraxia_REMASTERED/) - The Sequel to Fate Stay Night.
[Witch on the Holy Night](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2052410/WITCH_ON_THE_HOLY_NIGHT/) - Witch on the Holy Night visual novel. Getting an anime movie from ufotable as mentioned earlier.
Tsukihime - Visual novel of Tsukihime, not currently on steam but the remake is on switch and ps4.
[Fate Samurai Remnant](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1902690/FateSamurai_Remnant/) - Action RPG set in the Edo period. I have not yet played it myself but it has very positive reviews.
[Fate Extella](https://store.steampowered.com/app/511680/FateEXTELLA/) - Action RPG. Sequel to Fate Extra. Would recommend waiting for the Fate Extra Record game coming out in 2026 before playing.
[Fate Extella Link](https://store.steampowered.com/app/622220/FateEXTELLA_LINK/) - Sequel to Fate Extella
Where would you recommend we start?
2. Fate UBW (Ufotable adaptation)
3. Heaven's Feel
You can watch Fate/Zero anywhere in between, but at least watch Fate Stay Night first.
A mulitmedia franchise spawned from the Stay night visuel novel.
The anime adaptations are honestly just a small part of it
[But if you are happy with just anime alone look here](https://www.reddit.com/r/fatestaynight/comments/df8rvo/rfatestaynights_official_viewing_order_guide_v2/)
>Is each series like a different season of the same story? Are they different stories?
Spinoffs and sidestories
>Different characters?
Some do reappear, but mostly yes
>I just really would like some direction cause the new series looks awesome
The best place to start Fate is the original VN, no contest, if you just want to watch anime look at the link
>but not sure if there is backstory in another one like Fate/GrandOrder or what
Strange Fake has a lot of refernces to past works, but Stay night, the prequel Zero and the Case files spinoff should cover most of it
But the more you know the better
So in 2006 they made an anime based on one of the endings, and it became popular. F/S N: Unlimited Blade Works and Heaven's Feel is the same 'story' but with different story paths and endings based on the same game.
Fate/Zero happens chronologically right before the events in Stay Night.
The story is that every X years, there is a Holy Grail War waged among mages who get paired with heroic spirits, a sort of last-man-standing tournament where the winner is meant to get imbued with a 'wish' or power. Stay Night is meant to be the fifth Grail War, Zero is the fourth.
All the other anime are formed around a different Grail War, or a fake grail war, or somehow connected to mythos of the Grail itself and heroic spirits connected to it.
My personal recommendation is usually to start with Zero, then watch either Unlimited Blade Works or 2006 next. Most people would probably recommend starting with UBW.
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