Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works
The Unlimited Blade Works route of the original visual novel.
When to watch: First, following the recommended path above.
Open series sheetFate series guide
Where to start and how the different Fate stories connect.
Start here
Recommended starting point
Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works
Begin with the TV adaptation of Unlimited Blade Works. Watch episode 0, then both TV parts in order.
Open series sheetRecommended watch order
One recommended path for your first watch.
Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works
Episode 0, then TV Part 1 and Part 2
This is the recommended introduction to the main Fate/stay night anime story.
Open series sheetFate/Zero
Both TV parts, episodes 1–25
Zero is the prequel. Watching it second gives its backstory and reveals context.
Open series sheet
How the series connect
Main story
Stay night has different routes. Its TV adaptations tell alternative stories, while Zero supplies the earlier backstory.
Fate/Zero
The earlier Holy Grail War, before the events of Stay night.
When to watch: After Unlimited Blade Works.
Open series sheetFate/stay night (2006)
Primarily adapts the Fate route. Unlimited Blade Works is a different route, rather than its second season.
When to watch: Optional, if you want another Stay night route.
Open series sheetSeparate stories
These branches do not form one sequence. Choose the story that interests you and follow its own viewing order.
Fate/Apocrypha
A separate Fate story with its own Holy Grail War.
When to watch: No other Fate anime is required first.
Open series sheetFate/EXTRA Last Encore
A separate story based on the Fate/EXTRA game setting.
When to watch: No other Fate anime is required first.
Open series sheetFate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya
A separate series centred on Illya, with its own TV seasons.
When to watch: Start with its first TV season; follow the season order in its sheet.
Open series sheetFate/strange Fake
Its own Holy Grail War story, outside the recommended two-series path.
When to watch: Watch Whispers of Dawn before its TV episodes.
Open series sheetRelated stories
Both titles below belong to Grand Order, but one is a main story arc and the other is a separate comedy.
Fate/Grand Order – Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia
Adapts the game's Seventh Singularity, rather than the entire Grand Order story.
When to watch: Episode 0, then TV episodes 1–21. Other Fate branches are not prerequisites.
Open series sheetFate/Grand Order: Fujimaru Ritsuka Doesn't Get It
A separate short comedy adapted from its manga; it does not continue Babylonia's plot.
When to watch: Follow its seasons in release order. The regular Grand Order anime is not required.
Open series sheetGood to know
Do I need to watch every Fate series?
No. Begin with the recommended path, then choose other stories individually. The whole franchise is not one continuous anime sequence.
Is the 2006 series required before Unlimited Blade Works?
No. They adapt different routes of the same visual novel. The 2006 adaptation is optional in this first-viewing path.
Why watch the prequel second?
This recommendation introduces Stay night's story first, then uses Zero to explain its earlier backstory.
Where are episodes, filler and reading continuations?
Use Open series sheet on any title. The catalog sheets contain the full season counts, filler information, story status and reading continuation.
Updates
Last checked: