A Beginner’s Guide to the Spin-offs and Side Stories of Fate Series

A Beginner's Guide to the Spin-offs and Side Stories of Fate Series

Highlights

  • Fate franchise is renowned for its diverse stories, crisp animation, and unique characters that engage fans worldwide.
  • Understanding the main storylines of Fate/stay Night is crucial; explore Fate, Unlimited Blade Works, and Heaven’s Feel routes.
  • Fate series includes spin-offs like Fate/Grand Order and Fate/kaleid liner PRISMA ILLYA, offering a variety of alternate stories.

As a dedicated fan of the Fate series who has spent countless hours immersed in its enchanting world, I must say that the watch order you’ve provided is nothing short of a treasure map leading us to untold adventures and emotional journeys. It’s like embarking on a grand odyssey, each step revealing new depths and dimensions within this captivating universe.


The Fate franchise, developed by Type-moon, has gained global recognition and stands among Japan’s most acclaimed multimedia franchises. Initially launched in 2004 as a story-driven erotic Visual Novel titled “Fate/Stay Night”, the narrative revolves around Emiya Shirou, a young man who unexpectedly enters a clandestine magical conflict teeming with Heroic Spirits. The objective of this war is to acquire the almighty magical artifact known as the Holy Grail, which can fulfill any desire for its victor. Central to the series is the concept of Mages, or Masters, who conjure Heroic Spirits, or Servants, to engage in a battle royale for the possession of the Grail. Yet, not every installment adheres strictly to this premise, as some deviate and explore alternate rules and settings.

Fans adore the Fate series for numerous standout factors such as its exceptional animation, complex narrative, and an array of unique installments and timelines. However, it presents a few challenges. Even seasoned viewers may struggle to grasp the sequence in which to watch the series, as well as handling its side stories and spinoffs. This is understandable given the vast and intricate universe of the series, filled with multiple tales and characters that share similarities yet are distinct in their own right, potentially perplexing fans who aren’t fully acquainted with the overall sequence of the series.

The Main Story

The Source Material

A Beginner's Guide to the Spin-offs and Side Stories of Fate Series

To fully grasp the grand narrative of Fate, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with the plot and themes from the initial visual novel. This foundation will help you follow the rest of the Fate series, whether it’s a light novel, game, or anime. The original visual novel follows a romantic narrative where the protagonist, Emiya Shirou, can take one of three different paths based on his decisions among three primary love interests. It’s important to note that while Fate, Unlimited Blade Works, and Heaven’s Feel are the main story routes, there are also prequels like Fate/Zero and Fate/hollow Ataraxia that serve as either prequels or sequels but are essentially alternate paths within the main storyline.

Fate/Stay Night

A Beginner's Guide to the Spin-offs and Side Stories of Fate Series

In the visual novel “Fate/stay Night,” the initial storyline is called the Fate route. This narrative centers around Shirou Emiya’s Servant and Heroic Spirit, Saber, during the fifth Holy Grail War. Saber, also known as Arthuria Pendragon, the legendary ruler of Camelot, serves as the main love interest for Shirou Emiya. It is essential to complete this route before moving on to the Unlimited Bladeworks and Heaven’s Feel routes. The Fate route was brought to life in a 2006 animated series named “Fate/Stay Night,” which was produced by Studio Deen.

Unlimited Blade WorksA Beginner's Guide to the Spin-offs and Side Stories of Fate Series

In the storyline known as “Unlimited Blade Works,” the primary focus is on the bond between Shirou Emiya and Rin Toshaka, who is a key character and also serves as a fellow Master in the Fifth Holy Grail War. She’s accompanied by her Servant, Archer. In this narrative, Rin Toshaka takes on the role of the heroine and romantic interest for Shirou Emiya. This tale delves deeply into the personal growth and evolution of the main characters, exploring their values and beliefs. To access this storyline in the visual novel, you must first complete the “Fate” route. The “Unlimited Blade Works” has been transformed into various media formats such as anime and manga adaptations.

  • Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works – The Anime Series
  • Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works- Anime Movie
  • Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works – Manga Adaptation
  • Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works – Stage Play
  • Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works- Audio Drama

Heaven’s Feel

A Beginner's Guide to the Spin-offs and Side Stories of Fate Series

Heaven’s Feel is the final route of the Fate/stay Night visual novel. This route can be accessed after finishing both the Fate and Unlimited Blade Works routes. Sakura Matou serves as Emiya Shirou’s primary love interest, and her Servant Rider is the major servant protagonist in this route. It is one of the longest and the most complex of the three featured in the visual novel. It goes in-depth on a lot of previously undiscovered history and lore of the Holy Grail highlighting the dark and twisted aspects of the war. Some of the adaptations of the Heaven’s Feel route include:

  • Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel I. presage flower: Anime Movie
  • Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel II. lost butterfly: Anime Movie
  • Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel III. spring song: Anime Movie
  • Fate/stay night Heaven’s Feel: Manga
  • Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel: Audio Drama
  • Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel: Stage Play

Side Stories

Alternate Stories Of The Series

In the Fate universe, you’ll find an array of side and supplementary tales that veer off from the primary narrative in various aspects. This could involve different main characters, alterations in the Holy Grail War’s overall plot, or changes to its structure. These narratives span a wide spectrum, encompassing grave alternate timelines and amusing, humorous tales, ensuring there’s something for every taste. You can find these stories in various forms such as anime, light novels, and everything in between.

Fate/Grand Order

A Beginner's Guide to the Spin-offs and Side Stories of Fate Series

The Fate/Grand Order series originates from a widely-played mobile role-playing game launched in 2015. This game predominantly focuses on an intricate narrative, with individual storylines dedicated to Heroic Spirits. The central theme revolves around an organization called Chaldea, whose mission is to preserve mankind. They foresee human extinction occurring in the year 2017, and attribute this catastrophe to historical anomalies termed Singularities. The storyline primarily follows Masters and Servants who collaborate with Chaldea in their quest to identify and neutralize these Singularities. Chaldea employs a technology called SHEBA to detect these Singularities, along with a powerful transport system called Rayshifting, which enables the Masters and Servants to be instantly transported to them. The Fate/Grand Order series has multiple anime adaptations.

  • Fate/Grand Order: First Order: TV Special
  • Fate/Grand Order: Moonlight/Lostroom: TV Special
  • Fate/Grand Order: Absolute Demonic Front: TV Series
  • Fate/Grand Order: Camelot: Wandering; Agaterám: Anime Movie
  • Fate/Grand Order: Camelot :Paladin; Agaterám: Anime Movie
  • Fate/Grand Order: Solomon: Anime Movie

Fate/kaleid liner PRISMA ILLYA

A Beginner's Guide to the Spin-offs and Side Stories of Fate Series

In an alternate world, the story unfolds of Fate/kaleid liner PRISMA ILLYA, a spin-off from Fate/Stay Night. Initially introduced as a manga, it presents a unique narrative where the central character, Illya, is a middle school girl living harmoniously with her adoptive brother Shirou Emiya. The tale takes an intriguing turn when Illya acquires a magical wand named Ruby, bestowing upon her the powers of a magical girl. Unlike the conventional Fate universe, this version does not feature Masters and Servants but rather collectible Heroic spirits that Illya gathers. The series has been adapted into several anime productions.

  • Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya: Anime Series
  • Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 2wei!: Anime Series
  • Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 2wei Herz!: Anime Series
  • Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 3rei!! : Anime Series
  • Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya: Oath Under Snow: Anime Movie
  • Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya: Prisma☆Phantasm: OVA
  • Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya: Prisma☆Phantasm: OVA
  • Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya: Licht: The Nameless Girl: Anime Movie
  • Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya: Prisma☆Phantasm: OVA

Watch Order

As a devoted fan, here’s my take on the watch order of the Fate Anime series: It’s not a complex task to navigate through. There’s generally an accepted sequence for both the primary storyline Fate/Stay Night, as well as its spin-offs and side stories. Extra content like OVAs and specials can be savored at your leisure, without worrying about their chronological placement.

Main Story

The main story can be watched chronologically in this order:

  • Fate/stay night (2006)
  • Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works
  • Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel I. presage flower
  • Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel II. lost butterfly
  • Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel III. spring song
  • Fate/Zero

Spin-off Order

  • Fate/Prototype (2011) – Concept Video
  • Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya
  • Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 2wei!
  • Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 2wei Herz!
  • Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 3rei!!
  • Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya: Oath Under Snow: Movie
  • Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya: Prisma☆Phantasm: OVA
  • Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya: Prisma☆Phantasm: OVA
  • Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya: Licht – The Nameless Girl: Movie
  • Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya: Prisma☆Phantasm: OVA
  • Fate/Grand Order: First Order: TV Special
  • Fate/Grand Order: Moonlight/Lostroom: TV Special
  • Fate/Grand Order: Absolute Demonic Front: TV Series
  • Fate/Grand Order: Camelot – Wandering; Agaterám: Movie
  • Fate/Grand Order: Camelot – Paladin; Agaterám: Movie
  • Fate/Grand Order: Solomon: Movie
  • Fate/Apocrypha
  • Fate/EXTRA Last Encore
  • Lord El-Melloi II’s Case Files (Rail Zeppelin Grace Note)
  • Fate/strange Fake: Whispers of Dawn: TV Special
  • Today’s Menu for the Emiya Family: TV Series
  • Carnival Phantasm: OVA Series

Following this, fans will be able to watch the franchise in a synchronized order.

Fate/Zero is now available to watch on Crunchyroll.

Read More

2024-08-18 20:34