To many fans, jumping into the Fate franchise can feel intimidating. Between its unique terminology and not quite knowing where to start, finding the right introduction can be a challenge.
Fortunately, Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia is a great starting point for viewers who have no experience with the franchise. It is set in a completely alternate timeline from its sister shows, meaning you don’t need to know the history of Fate/stay night or Fate/Zero to enjoy Fate/Grand Order.
But you might need a little bit of help. So, if you’re ready to watch Episode 0 of Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia, here’s what you’ll need to know.
Heroic Spirits/Servants
At its core, the Fate franchise centers on Heroic Spirits, the spirits of historical and literary heroes who did great things in their lives and are revered for those incredible deeds. These spirits can be summoned through the power of a Holy Grail as Servants, beings who fight each other, usually under the orders of a Master, in hopes of obtaining the Holy Grail and having their wish granted.
Each Servant typically manifests in one of the seven standard classes: Saber, Lancer, Archer, Rider, Caster, Assassin, or Berserker. These classes influence what kind of power and fighting styles they’ll have. Some Servants are able to manifest as several different classes, but most fall under just one.
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There are rare exceptions where a Servant may have a unique, nonstandard class. Mash from Babylonia, for example, is a Shielder.
Chaldea Security Organization
Chaldea Security Organization is an agency that monitors and protects the future of mankind.
With the help of Sheba, a system designed by Lev Lainur to look into both the past and future , the organization can make sure that no mass-extinction event takes place. Or, if one does, they are able pinpoint where in history the change originated.
Singularities
Singularities are anomalies in the world’s known timeline. They’re a little like gaps that have suddenly emerged at a specific point in time and are unobservable to most. The seven main Singularities in Grand Order are created by manufactured Holy Grails that have been placed at various points in time to disrupt the future.
In response to this threat, Chaldea sends teams back in time to either correct the anomalies or destroy the Holy Grails causing them.
Holy Grail Wars
While Fate/Grand Order doesn’t focus on Holy Grail Wars in the same way other series in the Fate franchise do, it’s still important to understand the basics to know what’s happening in Marisbury’s flashback in Episode 0.
In Holy Grail Wars, seven people are selected by the Holy Grail as Masters to compete for ownership of the Grail itself. Each Master summons a Servant to fight on their behalf, forming seven pairs. They join a deadly battle royale, fighting until one pair is left. The winning pair can then claim the Holy Grail and wish for anything they want.
Marisbury’s flashback shows that he was once the winner of a Holy Grail War and wished for the completion of Chaldeas. He’s seen talking to his Servant, whose identity isn’t revealed.
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The 2004 event that Chaldeas first names as the source of the sudden disruption of humanity’s future—Spatial Singularity F—interrupted a Holy Grail War taking place in Fuyuki, Japan. This anomaly caused the city to go up in flames and all its inhabitants to vanish.
Any questions?
Who is Ritsuka?
Ritsuka, the black-haired boy Mash finds asleep on the ground toward the end of Episode 0, is a Master who joined Chaldea with very little knowledge of its true mission to protect humanity. In the game Fate/Grand Order, Ritsuka is the playable male protagonist.
Who were all those people at the end of the episode?
At the end of Episode 0, there are quick flashes of a lot of characters you might not be familiar with. These are Servants that exist during Singularity F, as well as Servants from each of the first six main Singularities leading up to the events that will take place in Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia.
Singularity F features Cú Chulainn and a Servant known as Archer. Who is the mysterious bow-wielding Servant? You’ll have to dive a little deeper into the Fate series for that one!
Singularity 1 – Hundred Years’ War of the Evil Dragons: Orleans features a great many Servants, including Jeanne d’Arc, Siegfried, Marie Antoinette, and Elisabeth Báthory.
Singularity 2 – Eternal Madness Empire: Septem focuses on many Roman Servants, including Nero Claudius, as they face an opposing force that includes Spartacus and Boudica.
Singularity 3 – Sealed Ends of the Four Seas: Okeanos stars Francis Drake along with many of the Argonauts and other Greek figures like Asterios the Minotaur!
Singularity 4 – The Mist City: London debuts an alternative form of King Arthur along with Arthur’s treacherous child, Mordred!
Singularity 5 – North American Myth War: E Plurbus Unum features a range of figures from American history, including Thomas Edison and Billy the Kid, others from English folklore like Robin Hood, and several from Hindu mythology, such as Arjuna and Karna.
And the story leading up to Babylonia is Singularity 6 – Divine Realm of the Round Table: Camelot, where members of the Order of Assassins and allies like Tawara Touta and Arash face off against a group of famous knights.
The Fate universe is packed with characters and lore, but don’t let that scare you out of diving into this breathtaking series. Trust us, it’s more than worth it.
If you want to learn more about these fascinating Servants and their struggle to save humanity, then head over to the Google Play Store or the iTunes App Store and download Fate/Grand Order for free today! This free-to-play mobile RPG features a deep, rich, and exciting story and a cast of characters from across human history and mythology. Come, join us and see why Fate/Grand Order remains one of the most popular mobile RPGs available to this day!
And don’t hesitate to jump into our forums to talk about your favorite series and characters.
Episode 0 of Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia is now streaming on FunimationNow!
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