# Fate Watch Order If you want the short answer, watch the Fate/stay night main line in chronological order: Fate/Zero, then Unlimited Blade Works, then the three Heaven's Feel films. Order matters more here than in almost any franchise, because animated Fate wasn't built in a straight line — Fate/Zero is a prequel, while Unlimited Blade Works and Heaven's Feel are two branches of the same Holy Grail War, the same characters walking very different roads. At its core it's the story of a recurring magical tournament in Fuyuki City, where seven mages each summon a legendary hero — from history, myth, and legend — to fight for a relic said to grant a single wish. We send newcomers straight down the timeline: Zero to set the stage, Unlimited Blade Works as the flagship route, and the Heaven's Feel trilogy to finish on the darkest, most emotional arc. There's a well-known argument for starting elsewhere — we get into it just below — but for a first watch, chronological wins every time. > The classic Fate argument is whether to watch Fate/Zero first or save it for later. We come down firmly on chronological — Zero first — because it's the most welcoming way in: it lays out how the war works and who everyone is before you're asked to care about them. Here's the honest catch, though: Zero was written as a prequel after Fate/stay night, and it quietly answers a few of stay night's biggest mysteries. Watch it first and you trade some of stay night's suspense for a clearer, sturdier timeline. For a brand-new viewer that trade is well worth it; if you're the kind who guards every twist, you can flip the first two blocks and watch Unlimited Blade Works before Zero. But our default stands — start at the beginning. ## The order 1. **[Fate/Zero](https://hozuna.com/anime/fate-zero)** — TV · 2011 · 13 eps The prequel and our on-ramp: 13 episodes set ten years before the main story, following Kiritsugu Emiya — the mercenary who will one day adopt stay night's hero, Shirou — through a merciless war of competing ideals. Start here, because it teaches you how the ritual works and who everyone is before the main story leans on it. Streams on: Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix 2. **[Fate/Zero 2nd Season](https://hozuna.com/anime/fate-zero-season-2)** — TV · 2012 · 12 eps Fate/Zero's back half — 12 episodes that cash in the first season's setups and carry the war to its bleak, unforgettable end. Zero aired across two seasons, so watch this straight after the first as one continuous story. Streams on: Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix 3. **[Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works](https://hozuna.com/anime/fate-stay-night-unlimited-blade-works)** — TV · 2014 · 13 eps The main event begins: Unlimited Blade Works follows Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya into the next war, retelling the ritual from the ground up so it flows naturally out of Zero. These are the first 13 episodes — the route runs across two seasons, and this is the opening half. Streams on: Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix 4. **Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works 2nd Season** — TV · 2015 · 13 eps The closing 13 episodes of Unlimited Blade Works, where Shirou's convictions face their hardest test and the route surges to its climax. It's one continuous story with the previous season — watch it right after. Streams on: Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix 5. **[Fate/stay night Movie: Heaven's Feel - I. Presage Flower](https://hozuna.com/anime/heaven-s-feel-i-presage-flower)** — Movie · 2017 · 1 eps Presage Flower, the first of three Heaven's Feel films, opens the darkest route — the same war seen anew, this time centered on Sakura Matou. Save it for after Unlimited Blade Works: it assumes you already know this world, and it cuts far deeper when you do. Streams on: Crunchyroll, Netflix 6. **[Fate/stay night Movie: Heaven's Feel - II. Lost Butterfly](https://hozuna.com/anime/heaven-s-feel-ii-lost-butterfly)** — Movie · 2019 · 1 eps Lost Butterfly, the middle film, is where Heaven's Feel turns and its horror and heartbreak deepen around Sakura. It only lands after Presage Flower — this trilogy is built to be watched in order, with nothing skipped. Streams on: Netflix 7. **[Fate/stay night Movie: Heaven's Feel - III. Spring Song](https://hozuna.com/anime/heaven-s-feel-iii-spring-song)** — Movie · 2020 · 1 eps Spring Song, the third and final Heaven's Feel film, brings the route — and this whole recommended run — to a close. Watch it last: it resolves everything the first two films set spinning and stands as the emotional peak of the main line. Streams on: Netflix ## FAQ **Where should I start with Fate?** Start with Fate/Zero. It's a self-contained prequel that sets up the war, the world, and the rules before the main story ever leans on them, which makes it the friendliest doorway into the franchise. From there, continue into Unlimited Blade Works and finish with the Heaven's Feel films — the exact order laid out above. **Should I watch Fate/Zero or Unlimited Blade Works first?** Both camps are right about something. Chronological (Zero first) is the smoothest for newcomers, and it's the order we recommend. The counter-argument: Fate/Zero was written as a prequel after Fate/stay night and reveals a few of stay night's mysteries, so purists watch Unlimited Blade Works first to preserve those surprises. If this is your first Fate and you mainly want it to make sense, start with Zero. **What about the older Fate/stay night, Prisma Illya, Apocrypha, Grand Order, Extra, and strange Fake?** None of those belong in this order. This page covers the modern Fate/stay night main line only — Fate/Zero, Unlimited Blade Works, and Heaven's Feel. The earlier Fate/stay night is a separate, alternate adaptation of the same story; Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya is a magical-girl spin-off; and Fate/Apocrypha, Fate/Grand Order, Fate/Extra, and Fate/strange Fake are their own standalone continuities set apart from this one. Each is enjoyable on its own, but none is a prerequisite for the run above. **Where can I watch the whole Fate main line?** Netflix is the one-stop option — it carries all seven entries in this order. If you'd rather split it up, the four TV seasons (both halves of Fate/Zero and both halves of Unlimited Blade Works) also stream on Crunchyroll and Hulu, and the Heaven's Feel films are on Netflix, with the first, Presage Flower, also on Crunchyroll. Regional catalogs differ, so confirm it's available in your area. **I've seen Unlimited Blade Works — do I still need Heaven's Feel?** Yes, if you want the full story. Unlimited Blade Works and Heaven's Feel are two different routes through the same Holy Grail War, not sequels to each other — they share a cast and a setup but branch into very different endings. Heaven's Feel shifts the focus to Sakura Matou and takes the darkest turn of the three routes, so it plays as its own distinct finale rather than a repeat of what you've seen.