# Fate Watch Order For the straightforward version, watch the Fate/stay night main line in chronological order. Begin with Fate/Zero, continue with Unlimited Blade Works, then watch all three Heaven's Feel films. The order needs some explanation because the anime adaptations were not released as one linear story. Fate/Zero is a prequel, while Unlimited Blade Works and Heaven's Feel follow two branches of the same Holy Grail War. They use the same characters and starting situation, but their stories go in sharply different directions. The series revolves around a magical tournament that returns to Fuyuki City. Seven mages each summon a legendary hero drawn from history, myth, or legend, then fight over a relic said to grant one wish. Our order gives newcomers the clearest path through it: Zero establishes the setting, Unlimited Blade Works serves as the main route, and the Heaven's Feel trilogy closes the run with its darkest and most emotional story. Fans do argue for a different starting point, as explained below, but chronological order remains our recommendation for a first viewing. > The long-running disagreement among Fate fans comes down to whether Fate/Zero belongs first or should be saved until later. We recommend the chronological approach, with Zero first, because it gives a new viewer a clear introduction to the war, its rules, and its participants before the later story expects that knowledge. There is a real cost to this choice. Zero was written as a prequel after Fate/stay night, and it reveals answers to several of stay night's major mysteries without drawing attention to them. Starting with Zero gives up some of the suspense in stay night in exchange for a timeline that is easier to follow. We think that exchange works well for a newcomer. Viewers who care most about protecting every surprise can reverse the first two blocks and begin with Unlimited Blade Works, then go back to Zero. Our standard order still begins at the earliest point in the story with Fate/Zero. ## The order 1. **[Fate/Zero](https://hozuna.com/anime/fate-zero)** (TV · 2011 · 13 eps) Start with Fate/Zero, a 13-episode prequel set ten years before the main story. It follows Kiritsugu Emiya, the mercenary who will eventually adopt Fate/stay night's hero, Shirou, as he enters a ruthless war driven by competing ideals. This is the best on-ramp for our order because it explains the summoning ritual, shows how the conflict operates, and introduces the people involved before the main story relies on that knowledge. Streams on: Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix 2. **[Fate/Zero 2nd Season](https://hozuna.com/anime/fate-zero-season-2)** (TV · 2012 · 12 eps) Continue directly into Fate/Zero 2nd Season. These 12 episodes form the back half of the same story, paying off the first season's conflicts and carrying the war through to its bleak, unforgettable conclusion. Fate/Zero originally aired in two seasons, but there is no story break that calls for another title in between. Treat the two seasons as one continuous prequel and watch this immediately after the first. 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) Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works begins the main story with 13 episodes following Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya into the next Holy Grail War. It explains the ritual again from the beginning, which lets the new conflict follow Fate/Zero naturally even though this is a separate route. Unlimited Blade Works spans two television seasons, and this entry is its opening half. Watch it after both seasons of Zero so the history behind the characters and the war is already clear. Streams on: Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix 4. **Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works 2nd Season** (TV · 2015 · 13 eps) Next, watch the 13 closing episodes in Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works 2nd Season. This half pushes Shirou's convictions into their hardest test and brings the route's central conflict to its climax. It continues directly from the previous season, with no alternate entry or film meant to sit between them. Watching it right away completes the Unlimited Blade Works route before the guide moves to a different version of the same war. 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) Fate/stay night Movie: Heaven's Feel I. Presage Flower is the first film in the three-part Heaven's Feel route. It revisits the same Holy Grail War from a new branch of the story, this time placing Sakura Matou at the center and beginning Fate/stay night's darkest route. Watch it only after finishing Unlimited Blade Works. The film expects familiarity with the setting and its characters, and its changes carry much greater weight once you know how the other route unfolded. 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) Fate/stay night Movie: Heaven's Feel II. Lost Butterfly is the trilogy's middle film. This is where the route takes its sharpest turn, with the horror and heartbreak around Sakura growing much more intense. It depends directly on the events of Presage Flower, so watch it second and do not place another Fate entry between the two films. Heaven's Feel tells one continuous story across all three movies, and none of its chapters should be 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) Finish with Fate/stay night Movie: Heaven's Feel III. Spring Song, the third and final film in the Heaven's Feel trilogy. It resolves the conflicts and consequences set in motion by the first two films, completes this version of the route, and closes the entire recommended run. It belongs last because its emotional impact depends on both Presage Flower and Lost Butterfly, as well as the broader understanding built through Fate/Zero and Unlimited Blade Works. Streams on: Netflix ## FAQ **Where is the best place to start with Fate?** Begin with Fate/Zero. This self-contained prequel explains the Holy Grail War, introduces the world, and lays out the rules before the main story expects you to understand them. That makes it the easiest entry point for someone new to Fate. After both seasons of Zero, move on to both seasons of Unlimited Blade Works, then finish with the three Heaven's Feel films in the exact order listed above. **Should Fate/Zero or Unlimited Blade Works come first?** Each side of the argument has a sound reason for its choice. Watching Zero first follows the chronology and is easier for newcomers, so that is the order we recommend. Purists often start with Unlimited Blade Works because Fate/Zero was written later as a prequel and gives away a few mysteries from Fate/stay night. Their order preserves those surprises. If this is your first time with Fate and your priority is following the story without confusion, start with Zero. **Where do the older Fate/stay night, Prisma Illya, Apocrypha, Grand Order, Extra, and strange Fake fit?** They do not belong in this particular order. This guide covers only the modern Fate/stay night main line: 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. Fate/Apocrypha, Fate/Grand Order, Fate/Extra, and Fate/strange Fake each take place in a standalone continuity apart from the one covered here. You can enjoy any of them separately, but you do not need any of them before watching the seven entries above. **Which services have the complete Fate main line?** Netflix is the only one-stop option listed here, with all seven entries in this order. You can also divide the viewing between services. Crunchyroll and Hulu carry the four television seasons, meaning both halves of Fate/Zero and both halves of Unlimited Blade Works. Netflix has all three Heaven's Feel films, while Crunchyroll also has the first film, Presage Flower. Streaming catalogs vary by region, so check each service in your area before you begin. **After Unlimited Blade Works, do I still need to watch Heaven's Feel?** Yes, if you want the complete story covered by this guide. Unlimited Blade Works and Heaven's Feel are different routes through the same Holy Grail War rather than one being a sequel to the other. They begin with the same cast and setup, then branch toward very different endings. Heaven's Feel puts Sakura Matou at the center and follows the darkest of the three routes. Because its focus, events, and conclusion are distinct, the trilogy works as the finale to this viewing order instead of repeating Unlimited Blade Works.