What order to watch the Fate anime series

The downside of having multiple series is that it can quickly become complicated. A newcomer looking to watch Fate may find it challenging to know when and where to start. That's not unusual for anime fans, particularly with long-lasting and ongoing series such as Dragon Ball or Naruto, which each have similarly complicated watch orders.

The latest news coming from Fate is that fans are still waiting for the Fate/Strange Fake season to actually start. It originally aired on 2nd July 2023 as a film, and the series first episode debuted on 31st December 2024. But since then, fans have been wondering whether the series will actually debut in 2025, or if they'll still have to wait a bit longer.

But until then, where is the best place for a fan of the Fate anime series to start? Fret not. We're here to help. Here's the best way to way Fate in order, including the latest Fate/Strange Fake release.

How to watch Fate anime series in order

If you want to watch the Fate anime series in order, you need to follow this list:

• Fate/Stay Night (2006)
• Fate/Zero (2011-2012)
• Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works (2010. 2014-2015)
• Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel (2017-2020)
• Fate/Strange Fake (2023-2025)

While Fate/Zero takes place before Fate/Stay Night, it does spoil some of the plot points of the show, and so should be watched after the original run.

Fate/Zero was the original anime series, coming some five years before Fate/Zero and kicking off the visual novel's adaptation.

Fate/Stay Night was released in 2006, and spans a 24-episode run, based on the first storyline of Type-Moon's visual novel of the same name.

It is a solid story with engaging visuals that lays out details about the Holy Grail War, starting with the fifth instalment -- though it never quite manages to reach the heights of the Fate/Zero anime.

Fate/Zero

There are advantages to starting out with Fate/Zero and its introduction to the all-important fourth Holy Grail War, but the prequel is best watched after the original Fate/Stay Night.

Set 10 years before the first series, it is among the more popular Fate anime storylines among viewers, despite not being part of the original visual novel.

Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works

You have a choice here. Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works is both a series and a movie, both telling the same story in very different time frames. The series is the superior choice here without question, and if you want to take in as much of the Fate world as possible, then go for this.

As the film runs for just 105 minutes, it covers a smaller portion of the content from the original visual novel, which is instead featured in the Unlimited Blade Works series, which ran for two seasons.

If you just want the story basics and don't mind how rushed it feels, you can complete it in two hours with the film.

Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel (I - III)

Three movies come next in this list off, as the film route was chosen as opposed to adapting this into another Fate/Stay Night series. These were released between 2017 and 2020, adapting the Heaven's Feel finale of the original visual novel.

It is made up of three films:

• 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/Strange Fake

Rounding off the list is Fate/Strange Fake, the latest instalment in the franchise. As with the Unlimited Blade Works and Heaven's Feel films, these are spin-offs from the original Fate universe, so they can be swapped around in your viewing order.

This latest Fate series originally aired on 2nd July 2023 as a film, and continues from after the end of the Third Holy Grail War. Expected to follow in the footsteps of the light novels, Fate/Strange Fake takes a look at the London-based Mages association, which has split off from the original organisation based in the United States.

However, since Crunchyroll debuted the first episode of the series, fans have been wondering when the series itself will start. It has been listed on MyAnimeList.net as part of the winter 2025 season, but with no actual confirmation, the best we can tell is that the series is set to release sometime in 2025. It doesn't look good, especially for fans who have been waiting for the next big thing since 2023.

Where to watch Fate in the UK

Episodes of Fate are currently available to stream on Crunchyroll, Netflix and HIDIVE.

Fate/Strange Fake – Whispers of Dawn episodes can be found exclusively on Crunchyroll.

You can catch Fate on Crunchyroll.

Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide or Streaming Guide to find out what else is on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.