The world of Fate is expanding on FunimationNow! Meet the Masters of the Fourth and Fifth Holy Grail Wars, as well as their Servants, and get introduced to the alternate timeline that is Fate/Grand Order.
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Fate/Zero
The Fourth Holy Grail War has arrived on Funimation!
Meet Kiritsugu Emiya, Kirei Kotomine, Saber and more as seven mages and seven Heroic Spirits go all-out in an intense and mystical battle royale.
The first series in the franchise chronologically, Fate/Zero is the prequel to the Fate/stay night story, taking place in Fuyuki City ten years before the events of the Fifth Holy Grail War. Seven mages, referred to as Masters, each summon a Heroic Spirit to fight for them as a Servant, with the guarantee that the last Master/Servant pair standing will be granted a wish each by the Holy Grail.
The first three Holy Grail Wars ended inconclusively, leaving the Einzbern family – one of the contest’s founding families – desperate for a victory. Ready to do whatever it takes to win, they recruit Kiritsugu Emiya, a talented mercenary known as the “Magus Killer”. His dedication to winning the Grail is what makes him a strong competitor, but things aren’t always as simple as they may seem.
“The story underneath the tangle is a universal one, powerful and expertly told. Fate/Zero is about people, strong and weak, good and evil, and all shades in between.”
Jacob Chapman, Anime News Network
Originally released in 2011, Fate/Zero is based on a light novel written by Gen Urobuchi, who is known for creating dark works with tragic twists like Puella Magi Madoka Magica and PSYCHO-PASS.
Those watching Lord El-Melloi II’s Case Files {Rail Zeppelin} Grace note may recognize a young Waver Velvet, who eventually took on the name Lord El-Melloi II. Though he isn’t a main character, Fate/Zero does show what is essentially his origin story.
Stream Fate/Zero subbed and dubbed on FunimationNow in the US and Canada right now!
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Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works
Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works was first released in 2014 and was also produced by Ufotable, the studio behind other great series like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and Tales of Zestiria the X. The Fate/stay night visual novel has three separate routes, each of which have received their own anime adaptation either as a TV series or a movie series.
This series follows the “Unlimited Blade Works” route, focusing more heavily on Rin Tohsaka’s mysterious Servant Archer and his fixation on Shirou, the main character of the Fate/stay night story.
Known for its cinematic visuals and impressive fight sequences, Ufotable shows off its ability to seamlessly combine 2D hand-drawn and 3D CGI animations in this series. The way some of the quick-paced battles are framed makes it feel more like a Hollywood action movie than a typical anime fight.
After watching Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works is a great next series on your Fate journey. It clearly describes all of the details and concepts needed to understand everything that’s happening without feeling too slow or over-explanatory for anyone who’s already familiar with the franchise.
Stream Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works subbed and dubbed on FunimationNow right now!
Want to talk more Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works? Head on over to our forums.
Fate/Grand Order -First Order-
The first anime adaptation of the Fate/Grand Order game, Fate/Grand Order -First Order- is a TV film created by Lay-duce, a studio founded by former Bones producer Yonai Norimoto in 2013.
First released in 2016, the film covers the game’s prologue, introducing the alternate timeline that this Fate series exists in.
The story focuses on Chaldea Security Organization, an agency that watches over and protects the future. When an extinction-level event is suddenly detected, they recruit people to use an experimental time-travel technology to go back in time and figure out how to save the future.
RELATED: What to Know Before You Watch Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia
Ritsuka Fujimaru, one of Chaldea’s new recruits, and Mash Kyrielight, a mysterious girl who also works at Chaldea, are sent back to Fuyuki in 2004, where the Fifth Holy Grail War is taking place.
While Fate/Grand Order exists in a different timeline than the Fate/stay night series, viewers who’ve at least seen Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works will notice some familiar faces like Lancer and Archer.
Fate/Grand Order -First Order- is a great way to get quickly and easily familiarized with this timeline’s world and story before Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia starts airing in October.
Stream Fate/Grand Order -First Order- subbed and dubbed on FunimationNow starting September 27.
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