Fate series watch order

The Unlimited Blade Works route, following Rin. Two seasons, including an hour-long prologue episode. The best place to start.

The Fourth Holy Grail War in 1994, ten years before stay night. It reveals several stay night twists, so it's not the ideal first watch.

Sakura's route begins. Assumes you know how the war works.

The end of Sakura's route, and the end of stay night.

Waver from Fate/Zero, ten years later and two months before stay night, solving magical mysteries at the Clock Tower.

The Fate route, following Saber. The only adaptation of this route. It's older and uneven, and many fans skip it.

Cooking slice of life with the stay night cast. Pure comfort viewing.

Parody sketches crossing Fate with Tsukihime. Only funny once you know the characters.

A world where the Grail was stolen during the Third War, leading to a 14-Servant war in Romania.

Feature-length prologue to the Grand Order story: Ritsuka and Mash's first mission in the Fuyuki Singularity.

The Sixth Singularity, part 1: Bedivere and the Lion King's Round Table. Squeezes a long chapter into two films, so it moves fast.

The Sixth Singularity, part 2.

Optional. A short prologue episode for Babylonia, first shown at a Grand Order event. A nice warm-up, nothing essential.

The Seventh Singularity, in Mesopotamia during the Age of Gods. The best-regarded Grand Order adaptation.

The finale of Grand Order's first story. It assumes you know all seven Singularities, including the five that were never animated.

Optional. A half-hour mood piece made for game players, bridging Grand Order's first arc into the next. Despite its 2017 date it's set after Solomon, so watch it last.

A Holy Grail War fought inside a digital world on the Moon. Shaft's loose, deliberately disorienting take on the Extra game.

The magical-girl spin-off begins: in a world without a Grail War, Illya is drafted by the Kaleidostick Ruby to collect Class Cards with the mysterious Miyu. The lightest season.

Season 2. A botched Class Card leaves Illya with a double, Kuro, who has her own claim on Illya's life. Leans harder into fan service than Season 1.

Season 3, a direct continuation of 2wei! that finishes that arc: the eighth card, and Kuro settling into Illya's life.

Season 4. Illya is pulled into Miyu's ruined parallel world and the fight against the Ainsworth family. Much darker than the first three seasons; this is where the spin-off becomes a real Fate story.

A prequel film (released in English as Vow in the Snow) showing how Miyu's brother fought a Grail War to save her in her own world. Watch it after 3rei!!, not first: it's built on that season's reveals.

Continues the Ainsworth arc straight from 3rei!! and Oath Under Snow, centred on Tanaka. The current end of the animated story, until the FINALE TV anime arrives.

A one-hour prologue to strange Fake, aired in July 2023 ahead of the series.

A false Holy Grail War in an American city, animated by A-1 Pictures. Episode 1 pre-aired on New Year's Eve 2024; the full 13-episode season ran January to March 2026, and a second season is in production.

The Fourth Holy Grail War in 1994, ten years before stay night. It reveals several stay night twists, so it's not the ideal first watch.

Optional. Comedy shorts from the Fate/Zero Blu-rays in which Irisviel hosts a talk show for the war's casualties.

Optional. A prologue episode released on disc half a year before the series, introducing Waver's household.

Waver from Fate/Zero, ten years later and two months before stay night, solving magical mysteries at the Clock Tower.

Optional. An hour-long extra case that aired two years after the series, on the Fate Project New Year's Eve special.

The Fate route, following Saber. The only adaptation of this route. It's older and uneven, and many fans skip it.

The Unlimited Blade Works route, following Rin. Two seasons, including an hour-long prologue episode. The best place to start.

Optional. A ten-minute alternate ending for UBW from the last Blu-ray box, adapting the route's lighter "Sunny Day" epilogue.

Sakura's route begins. Assumes you know how the war works.

The end of Sakura's route, and the end of stay night.

Cooking slice of life with the stay night cast. Pure comfort viewing.

Parody sketches crossing Fate with Tsukihime. Only funny once you know the characters.

Optional. One extra episode of the parody, released with a Type-Moon anniversary box. A further short crossover special (HibiChika) followed in 2012.

A world where the Grail was stolen during the Third War, leading to a 14-Servant war in Romania.

Feature-length prologue to the Grand Order story: Ritsuka and Mash's first mission in the Fuyuki Singularity.

The Sixth Singularity, part 1: Bedivere and the Lion King's Round Table. Squeezes a long chapter into two films, so it moves fast.

The Sixth Singularity, part 2.

Optional. A short prologue episode for Babylonia, first shown at a Grand Order event. A nice warm-up, nothing essential.

The Seventh Singularity, in Mesopotamia during the Age of Gods. The best-regarded Grand Order adaptation.

The finale of Grand Order's first story. It assumes you know all seven Singularities, including the five that were never animated.

Optional. A half-hour mood piece made for game players, bridging Grand Order's first arc into the next. Despite its 2017 date it's set after Solomon, so watch it last.

Optional. Carnival Phantasm's successor by the same team, now starring the Grand Order cast. Watch any time after Babylonia.

A Holy Grail War fought inside a digital world on the Moon. Shaft's loose, deliberately disorienting take on the Extra game.

The magical-girl spin-off begins: in a world without a Grail War, Illya is drafted by the Kaleidostick Ruby to collect Class Cards with the mysterious Miyu. The lightest season.

Optional. Five-minute omake shorts from the Season 1 discs.

Optional. A comedy episode about the school sports festival, released on disc after Season 1.

Season 2. A botched Class Card leaves Illya with a double, Kuro, who has her own claim on Illya's life. Leans harder into fan service than Season 1.

Optional. Omake shorts from the 2wei! discs.

Optional. A hot-springs comedy episode released on disc after 2wei!.

Season 3, a direct continuation of 2wei! that finishes that arc: the eighth card, and Kuro settling into Illya's life.

Optional. Omake shorts from the Herz! discs.

Season 4. Illya is pulled into Miyu's ruined parallel world and the fight against the Ainsworth family. Much darker than the first three seasons; this is where the spin-off becomes a real Fate story.

Optional. Omake shorts from the 3rei!! discs.

A prequel film (released in English as Vow in the Snow) showing how Miyu's brother fought a Grail War to save her in her own world. Watch it after 3rei!!, not first: it's built on that season's reveals.

Optional. A six-minute comedy bonus from the Oath Under Snow Blu-ray.

Optional. An hour of non-canon parody sketches in the Carnival Phantasm mould, crammed with franchise in-jokes.

Continues the Ainsworth arc straight from 3rei!! and Oath Under Snow, centred on Tanaka. The current end of the animated story, until the FINALE TV anime arrives.

A one-hour prologue to strange Fake, aired in July 2023 ahead of the series.

A false Holy Grail War in an American city, animated by A-1 Pictures. Episode 1 pre-aired on New Year's Eve 2024; the full 13-episode season ran January to March 2026, and a second season is in production.

Optional. A 12-minute concept trailer animating Nasu's original draft of stay night, with a female Saber-equivalent and a male lead. A curiosity, not a story.

Nasu's seven-film murder mystery series, set in the same universe as Fate but telling its own story. Nothing in Fate depends on it. It has its own guide on this site with the full film order.

Same universe, different story: Kinoko Nasu's vampire tale of Shiki Tohno, from before Fate existed. A loose adaptation the fandom jokes doesn't exist. No Grail War connection; here for Nasuverse completeness.

Same universe, different story: Kinoko Nasu's vampire tale of Shiki Tohno, from before Fate existed. A loose adaptation the fandom jokes doesn't exist. No Grail War connection; here for Nasuverse completeness.

The Fate route, following Saber. The only adaptation of this route. It's older and uneven, and many fans skip it.

Nasu's seven-film murder mystery series, set in the same universe as Fate but telling its own story. Nothing in Fate depends on it. It has its own guide on this site with the full film order.

A compressed film of the UBW route by Studio Deen. The 2014 series replaces it.

Parody sketches crossing Fate with Tsukihime. Only funny once you know the characters.

The Fourth Holy Grail War in 1994, ten years before stay night. It reveals several stay night twists, so it's not the ideal first watch.

Optional. One extra episode of the parody, released with a Type-Moon anniversary box. A further short crossover special (HibiChika) followed in 2012.

Optional. A 12-minute concept trailer animating Nasu's original draft of stay night, with a female Saber-equivalent and a male lead. A curiosity, not a story.

Optional. Comedy shorts from the Fate/Zero Blu-rays in which Irisviel hosts a talk show for the war's casualties.

The magical-girl spin-off begins: in a world without a Grail War, Illya is drafted by the Kaleidostick Ruby to collect Class Cards with the mysterious Miyu. The lightest season.

Optional. Five-minute omake shorts from the Season 1 discs.

Optional. A comedy episode about the school sports festival, released on disc after Season 1.

Season 2. A botched Class Card leaves Illya with a double, Kuro, who has her own claim on Illya's life. Leans harder into fan service than Season 1.

Optional. Omake shorts from the 2wei! discs.

The Unlimited Blade Works route, following Rin. Two seasons, including an hour-long prologue episode. The best place to start.

Optional. A hot-springs comedy episode released on disc after 2wei!.

Season 3, a direct continuation of 2wei! that finishes that arc: the eighth card, and Kuro settling into Illya's life.

Optional. Omake shorts from the Herz! discs.

Optional. A ten-minute alternate ending for UBW from the last Blu-ray box, adapting the route's lighter "Sunny Day" epilogue.

Season 4. Illya is pulled into Miyu's ruined parallel world and the fight against the Ainsworth family. Much darker than the first three seasons; this is where the spin-off becomes a real Fate story.

Optional. Omake shorts from the 3rei!! discs.

Feature-length prologue to the Grand Order story: Ritsuka and Mash's first mission in the Fuyuki Singularity.

A world where the Grail was stolen during the Third War, leading to a 14-Servant war in Romania.

A prequel film (released in English as Vow in the Snow) showing how Miyu's brother fought a Grail War to save her in her own world. Watch it after 3rei!!, not first: it's built on that season's reveals.

Sakura's route begins. Assumes you know how the war works.

Optional. A half-hour mood piece made for game players, bridging Grand Order's first arc into the next. Despite its 2017 date it's set after Solomon, so watch it last.

Cooking slice of life with the stay night cast. Pure comfort viewing.

A Holy Grail War fought inside a digital world on the Moon. Shaft's loose, deliberately disorienting take on the Extra game.

Optional. A six-minute comedy bonus from the Oath Under Snow Blu-ray.

Optional. A prologue episode released on disc half a year before the series, introducing Waver's household.

Optional. An hour of non-canon parody sketches in the Carnival Phantasm mould, crammed with franchise in-jokes.

Waver from Fate/Zero, ten years later and two months before stay night, solving magical mysteries at the Clock Tower.

Optional. A short prologue episode for Babylonia, first shown at a Grand Order event. A nice warm-up, nothing essential.

The Seventh Singularity, in Mesopotamia during the Age of Gods. The best-regarded Grand Order adaptation.

The end of Sakura's route, and the end of stay night.

The Sixth Singularity, part 1: Bedivere and the Lion King's Round Table. Squeezes a long chapter into two films, so it moves fast.

The Sixth Singularity, part 2.

Optional. Carnival Phantasm's successor by the same team, now starring the Grand Order cast. Watch any time after Babylonia.

The finale of Grand Order's first story. It assumes you know all seven Singularities, including the five that were never animated.

Continues the Ainsworth arc straight from 3rei!! and Oath Under Snow, centred on Tanaka. The current end of the animated story, until the FINALE TV anime arrives.

Optional. An hour-long extra case that aired two years after the series, on the Fate Project New Year's Eve special.

A one-hour prologue to strange Fake, aired in July 2023 ahead of the series.

A false Holy Grail War in an American city, animated by A-1 Pictures. Episode 1 pre-aired on New Year's Eve 2024; the full 13-episode season ran January to March 2026, and a second season is in production.