Is there anything I need to watch before fake strange fake?

I’ve seen UBW, and heavens feel so far, but have yet to see other parts of the fate franchise. Will I still be able to enjoy fate strange fake or is there something else I have to watch beforehand? I’ve seen some really interesting clips so far and have heard some really spectacular things so far about it, so I want to enjoy it as it airs, but also don’t want to ruin it for myself if I’m not able to really enjoy it, or if I tarnish a future experience by watching it now

Voir le contenu lié

Commentaires

Born-Rhubarb11742026-01-29 03:10

Watch AOT and Naruto and preferably goon to some of the characters like I did. Unforgettable experience 👍

duncandun2026-01-29 06:17

lmao

timpkmn892026-01-29 03:13

The author is a big Fate fanboy, so there's references to literally everything (even to Nasu's other works), but it's a stand-alone story otherwise.

Honey_Flavored_Soda2026-01-29 03:13

I would say you could easily watch it without having seen any of the other shows in the franchise

the_Athereon2026-01-29 03:16

You should probably watch Fate Zero and Babalonia for Gilgamesh backstory. And because they're great shows.

timpkmn892026-01-29 03:17

> and Babalonia for Gilgamesh backstory

F/SF actually predates the Babylonia arc in FGO

the_Athereon2026-01-29 03:18

However the Enkidu / Gil story is very much worth watching.

JockstrapCummies2026-01-29 06:30

I tried to watch and enjoy Fate Grand Order Babylonia but just couldn't continue. Seeing Ishtar portrayed as basically Rin flying around in stripper underwear is just stupid.

Delisches2026-01-29 07:48

Babylonia at no point goes into detail about Gils backstory.

There is no reason in watching Babylonia just for that, you could just skim the epic of Gilgamesh on wikipedia and understand more.

But you get some other "points the finger at the TV" callbacks if you know Babylonia.

aeroslimshady2026-01-29 03:16

It's designed to be newcomer friendly. However you'll need to be able to keep up with a lot of new information quickly and be able to memorize several named characters on the fly.

Delisches2026-01-29 08:00

Fake is bascially a love letter to the entirety of all of Type Moon. Narita is a massive fanboy and puts references to literally everything in there.

While you probably can understand the core story as a stand alone, it is not designed for newcomer. And I argue that having those Leonardo Dicaprio points at the TV moments is half the fun.

Its basically the same as watching Gintama as your first anime, it is a good show on its own, but it is a great show if you can understand all the jokes about other anime.

Cole-Spudmoney2026-01-29 03:19

You should be fine, I think.

Watching things out of order isn’t so bad. Just sticking with the Fate franchise, I watched *Lord El-Melloi II Case Files* before I watched *Fate/Zero*, and that didn’t tarnish either of them for me, it just made rewatching *Case Files* better.

Pretend-Tangerine-222026-01-29 03:46

Don't forget to watch the special 'Whispers of Dawn' first.

notatoaster002026-01-29 03:47

You can technically just start with Strange Fake but it's a super fan servicey show with numerous references to other Fate series. If you want to have a real backbone for Strange/Fake you should consider watching these.

**Fate Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works**
\- [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**.

\- [Season 1](https://myanimelist.net/anime/10087/Fate_Zero)
\- [Season 2](https://myanimelist.net/anime/11741/Fate_Zero_2nd_Season)

**Lord El Melloi II** Best watched after Fate Zero. You could watch Strange Fake after this. If you want even more knowledge consider watching FGO as well.

\- [Episode 0](https://myanimelist.net/anime/38936)
\- [Season 1](https://myanimelist.net/anime/38959)
\- [Movie: Magic Lantern](https://myanimelist.net/anime/49361)

**Fate Grand Order** An adaptation of the Fate/Grand Order gacha game. It's not the best but it generally serves its purpose. 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.)

Also if you like visual novels you could [play that](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2396980/Fatestay_night_REMASTERED/) since it's the actual source material. Basically though you will appreciate Strange/Fake much more with as much knowledge you can muster, but it's not required. You could watch it airing and once this season is over, watch the rest of Fate and do a rewatch of Strange Fake that you'd very much appreciate with the additional knowledge before Season 2 comes out. (On the topic of the rest of fate, I can give you the full list of Fate content if you'd like.)

browert402026-01-29 04:46

I think Fate/Zero provides some context from a few things, it also complements what you have watched.

JustARedditAccoumt2026-01-29 05:29

You should watch Fate/stay night (2006) and Fate/Zero, but that's (mostly) all you'll need.

MrNewBooty12026-01-29 05:32

Zero. Case/Files wouldn’t hurt either. Get to know some of the characters better.

Level4Wizard2026-01-29 06:38

I don't envy people who want to start watching Fate in this day and age.

You need a week and a team of researchers just to understand Fate anime watch order.

And then you'll learn that there are Fate games as well.

alexanderneimet2026-01-29 06:54

Do I need to play the games to understand the lore? I thought they were just gacha money pits. Is there a flowchart or something at least?

Delisches2026-01-29 07:43

UBW and HF are both based on the original Stay night VN that started this franchise. Grand Order is the gacha game you heard of.

You don't need a flow chart, everything after Stay night is just stand alone spinoffs and side stories. People just love to overcomplicate Fate.

But it is true that the anime adaptations cut a lot of context

notatoaster002026-01-29 08:07

Here ya go. Everything you need in order.

**Fate Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works**
\- [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 didn't happen.

\- [Season 1](https://myanimelist.net/anime/34662)

**Fate Extra** - This anime is a loose adaptation of the Fate Extra game. It adapts an original route from a bad ending. 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 this year. [Trailer here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJNxMqkgThs) (note it was delayed to 2026) I'd personally suggest watching 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](https://myanimelist.net/anime/356/Fate_stay_night) 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)

[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.

[Fate Extella Link](https://store.steampowered.com/app/622220/FateEXTELLA_LINK/) - Sequel to Fate Extella