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Fate/stay night

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Fate/stay night
File:FSN.JPG
Screenshot from the Fate/stay night anime television series
GenreAction, Drama, Fantasy
Video game
DeveloperTYPE-MOON
PublisherTYPE-MOON
GenreVisual novel, Eroge
PlatformPC
Manga
Written byNishiwaki Datto
Published byKadokawa Shoten
Anime
Directed byYuji Yamaguchi
StudioStudio DEEN

Fate/stay night (フェイト／ステイナイト) is a Japanese visual novel game created by TYPE-MOON in 2004 that has been adapted into an anime television series by Studio Deen. There is also a manga series, currently serialized in the monthly Shōnen Ace magazine. It has enjoyed immense popularity, especially in Japan, spawning numerous adaptations, merchandise, memorabilia and amassing an extensive fanbase around the world.

Fate/stay night was TYPE-MOON's first commercial work since transitioning from a dōjin soft group and when released in January 30, 2004, broke all records on its opening day, quickly becoming amongst the most popular visual novel games ever released. It appears to take place in the same world as their signature work, Tsukihime, although they explore different themes. A "fan disk" sequel, Fate/hollow ataraxia, was released on October 28, 2005. Both the original visual novel game and the sequel are adult-only eroge, but like many other visual novels such as Kanon or TYPE-MOON's own Tsukihime, it is well-known mainly for its expansive, comprehensive story and characters. Fate/stay night is scheduled to be released on the PS2 platform in 2006, in a version that will be intended for all ages.

The Fate/stay night anime television series, produced by Studio DEEN, TYPE-MOON and Geneon, ran from January 6, 2006, to June 16, 2006. The official announcement and teaser trailer were first shown at the Rondo Robe 2005 "-Gate to Date-" event in Japan on June 26, 2005, and a rapidly selling curtain-raiser DVD was released soon after in Japan during November 2005.

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Story

Fate/stay night chronicles a two-week period in the life of Shirō Emiya, an amateur mechanic who attends school at Homurabara Gakuen in Fuyuki City. Ten years ago, Shirō was caught in a massive inferno that incinerated his parents and consumed a large portion of the city; as he was dying, an enigmatic man finds and treats him. This man, Kiritsugu Emiya, adopts Shirō into his home, and eventually reveals his identity as a sorcerer. Kiritsugu also tells Shirō his failed life ambition of becoming a "Hero of Justice" (正義の味方 Seigi no Mikata), a guardian of mankind who could save every endangered life. Upon Shirō's request, Kiritsugu attempts to teach his son sorcery (魔術 Majutsu), but Shirō proves to be talentless in almost all the fundamental disciplines. When Kiritsugu dies, Shirō devotes his life and his sorcery to fufilling his father's dreams.

Unknown to Shirō, Fuyuki City is the setting for a secret and violent war among competing magi. For the past two centuries, seven sorcerers assemble and engage in a Battle Royale, each gambling his or her own life to obtain the Holy Grail, a legendary chalice capable of granting wishes. The past four Holy Grail Wars have typically occurred every sixty years, with the most recent concluding a decade ago, but the fifth war has eerily started prematurely.

These sorcerers, better known as Masters, are aided by spiritual familiars known as Servants, who are the reincarnations of legendary souls from all across time. These resurrected Epic Spirits (英霊 Eirei), in addition to possessing superhuman characteristics, wield powerful artifacts or abilities called Noble Phantasms (宝具 Hougu). A Noble Phantasm's hidden abilities may be released by invoking its true name, but casual brandishing of a Noble Phantasm is best avoided, for symbolic Noble Phantasms usually belie a Servant's identity, diminishing that Servant's competitive advantage. Specific legends may be summoned with the aid of catalysts, which are artifacts, ideas, or experiences similar or of value to the desired Servant. Only one Servant can be summoned in each war from one of seven classes: Saber, Archer, Lancer, Berserker, Rider, Assassin, and Caster.

The Holy Grail is a spiritual artifact, so only astral entities, such as Servants, are capable of touching it; this restriction forces Master and Servant to cooperate with each another against rival pairs, even if a situation entails fighting to the death. Masters control Servants with three Command Mantra (令呪、Reijyū), which are crystallized miracles issued by the Holy Grail that manifest on a Master's hand. When activated, Command Mantra permit a Servant to accomplish an incredible feat, or alternatively provide Masters with the authority to issue an irrevocable and absolute order to a Servant. In the event of a Master's demise, a Servant may choose to bind him or herself to another Master; if a Servant is slain, a Master may ally with a wayward Servant or pursue sanctuary with the Holy Grail War's impartial supervisor, who is traditionally a delegate of the Roman Catholic Church.

After cleaning his school's Archery Dojo late one night, Shirō stumbles upon two Servants, Archer and Lancer, battling in a courtyard. To avoid compromising the war's secrecy, Lancer hunts down and kills Shirō. For an unknown reason, Shirō's classmate, Rin Tōsaka, uses an heirloom filled with concentrated Mana (魔力 Maryoku) to resuscitate him. Shaken and dazed, Shirō stumbles to his back home, but is again attacked by Lancer. Shirō weakly defends himself but is soon overwhelmed by the powerful Servant and falls into his basement. Cornered, Shirō prepares for the worst; but before Lancer can inflict another fatal blow, a young woman outfitted in alabaster armor drives him away. She introduces herself to Shirō as Saber, and greets him with the words:

I ask of you, are you my Master?

Characters

As with Tsukihime, the character base in Fate/stay night is extremely comprehensive and expansive, with many of the characters possessing varied and extraordinary abilities.

Main Characters

File:Emiya Saber.jpg
Shirō Emiya and Saber
  • Shirō Emiya (衛宮 士郎, Emiya Shirō): The main character of the story. He is a serious yet helpful, hardworking, and honest teenager. His hobbies include fixing a variety of broken things, from VCRs to stoves, as well as cooking and cleaning. He has some slight talent with sorcery, though he was discouraged by his foster father Kiritsugu Emiya from improving his gifts. He is initially confused about the Holy Grail War and irrationally attempts to shield others from danger, including his own Servant, Saber.


  • Saber: She is Shirō's Servant, an agile but powerful warrior. Saber is loyal, independent, and reserved; she appears cold, but is actually suppressing her emotions to focus on her goals. Her class is considered the "Most Outstanding", with excellent ratings in all categories. Because her Master cannot effectively provide her with Mana, she minimizes her activity to preserve what she has. Saber is bewildered by Shirō's "protective" tendencies, and believes his erratic and reckless behavior jeopardize her chances of winning the Holy Grail War.


File:Rin Archer.jpg
Rin Tōsaka and Archer
  • Rin Tōsaka (遠坂 凛, Tōsaka Rin): A model student and idol of Shirō's school, Rin is secretly a sorceress and Master in the Holy Grail War. She is descended from a long line of sorcerers, and though lacks a formal magic education, is extremely powerful in her own right. Her father was killed in the 4th Holy Grail War, and she has trained since his death to succeed him. She is perceptive, resourceful and avidly competitive. Although she tried to summon a Saber-class Servant, she accidentally called Archer instead.


  • Archer: He is the Servant of one of the series' main heroines, Rin Tōsaka. Due to an incomplete summon, he apparently has no memory of his previous life or identity. Archer is sarcastic and cynical - but under his apparent hardened exterior lies a complex and dark persona that unfolds throughout the story. Although a ranged warrior, Archer can hold his own in mêlée combat, favoring a pair of twin Chinese swords, Kanshō and Bakuya. He considers Shirō Emiya to be weak and delusional in his idealistic endeavors, recognizing Shirō's mentality of "wanting to save everyone" as a foolish and impossible task.


File:Ilya.JPG
Illyasviel von Einzbern and Berserker
  • Illyasviel von Einzbern: A young German aristocrat, she traveled to Japan to participate in the Holy Grail War as a Master. Illyasviel has an angelic appearance and an unsurpassed degree of magical power. She lives in a castle on the outskirts of Fuyuki City, accompanied only by her Servant and two maids. Illyasviel asks those she feels comfortable around to simply call her "Ilya".


  • Berserker: The Servant of Ilya, he is a swarthy giant with adamantine skin and gross brawn. He wields a colossal stone Axe-Club, and is capable of causing massive destruction with the mere backlash of his swings. As a Berserker, he was stripped of his sanity and reason, acting feral and animalistic in combat. Berserkers are praised as members of the "Strongest" class, though they are difficult to control and always turn on their Masters. Illya, however, appears to have little trouble managing Berserker.


File:Shinji Rider.JPG
Shinji Matō and Rider
  • Shinji Matō (間桐 慎二, Matō Shinji): Sakura Matō's older brother, and a long-time friend of Shirō. Although chauvinistic and a narcissist, Shinji is very popular as Vice-Captain of the Archery Dojo. Like Rin Tōsaka, he is of a distinguished lineage of sorcerers, though the Matō blood has thinned and no longer produces heirs naturally capable of sorcery. Shinji feels uncomfortable with his sister's daily visits to Shirō's home. He has an open crush on Rin, but she does not return his favours.


  • Rider: She is the Servant of Shinji, first seen scouting around Homurabara Gakuen. Rider is silent, sultry, and vigilant, never hesitating to shield her Master from harm. With Shinji incapable of lending any Mana to her, she is forced to seek alternative means to augment her abilities. To compensate for this weakened state, Rider employs covert battle tactics and takes full advantage of any territory around her. Her weapon of choice is a pair of long iron nails fastened to opposite ends of a single chain, which she effectively thrusts from distances.


Supporting Characters

  • Sakura Matō (間桐 桜, Matō Sakura): A student in her first year of high school, and the sister of Shinji Matō. After Shirō's father Kiritsugu died, Sakura often visited Shirō's home to help him with his daily chores. Although from a family of sorcerers, Shinji asserts she has no knowledge of her family's craft or history. Sakura is outwardly shy and timid, but possesses great inner strength. She has a long standing and obvious crush on Shirō Emiya.
  • Kirei Kotomine (言峰 綺礼, Kotomine Kirei): Through an agreement between the Mages' Association and the Church, the Holy Grail Wars are moderated by a priest. Kirei's father was the mediator for the 4th Holy Grail War, and when he died, Kirei felt obligated to replace him. His selection as mediator is unusual, for Kirei is a member of both the Church and Mages' Association, organizations on hostile terms with one another. Since the death of Rin's father, he has also acted as an indirect caretaker for Rin. Although ranked far lower in the Church hierarchy than Ciel (from Tsukihime), Kirei employs many of the same techniques and weapons she does.
  • Lancer: The first hostile Servant to appear in this story, Lancer is a fierce but balanced warrior who enjoys combating a worthy opponent. He has a playful attitude and takes a very carefree approach to life, but is quick to work himself into a frenzy during a heated battle. Lancers are hailed as the "Most Agile" of Servant classes.
  • Kiritsugu Emiya (衛宮切嗣, Emiya Kiritsugu): Shirō's foster father, and also his savior from the aftermath of the massive Fuyuki fire. During his lifetime, Kiritsugu strived to be a Hero of Justice, a defender of all humanity. Although he failed to do so, his efforts were a source of inspiration for Shirō. He was also a sorcerer, although he never taught Shirō seriously and Shirō had little talent for the craft. Kiritsugu dies several years prior to the beginning of Fate/stay night.
  • Taiga Fujimura (藤村 大河, Fujimura Taiga): Taiga is an English teacher at Shirō's school, and the supervising teacher for the Archery Dojo. She is widely called "Tiger," a nickname she dislikes ("Taiga" and "Tiger" are homophones in Japanese), though Shirou refers to her as "Fuji-nee" (older sister Fuji). After Kiritsugu died, Taiga became Shirō's guardian and has been living with him for several years. Taiga and Shirō are very close, and she regards him as a younger brother.
  • Gilgamesh: An arrogant, selfish, and enigmatic Archer-class Servant, Gilgamesh appears familiar with Fuyuki City and claims to have a past relationship with Saber. Typically clad in an ornate golden armor, he possesses an immense number of Noble Phantasms, though none are representative of his true identity.
  • Sōichirō Kuzuki (葛木 宗一郎, Kuzuki Sōichirō): A well-built man with angular glasses, Kuzuki is the strict homeroom instructor of Shirō's class. He primarily lectures on World History, though he also holds classes in Ethics. Kuzuki is well respected among staff and students, but he is widely regarded as austere and impersonal.
  • Caster: An honored guest of the Ryūdō family, permitted to live at their temple until the preparations for her marriage have been finalized. A gorgeous and talented yet mysterious woman of high stature, her presence has attracted the attention of many trainee priests.
  • Assassin: Clothed in a traditional Japanese hakama and kimono with an indigo haori, this handsome Servant bars entry beyond the main gate of the Ryūdōji Temple. Quiet and composed, he maintains a degree of bushido and is eager to spar with other Servants. Although he has the same class, he is not to be confused with another Servant known as True Assassin.

Minor Characters

  • Leysritt and Sella: Illya's maids.
  • Ayako Mitsuzuri (美綴 綾子, Mitsuzuri Ayako): A stellar athelete, and Captain of the Archery Dojo. Ayako and Rin are competing to see who will be the first to snag a boyfriend. She was victimized by Rider early in the story, and was later found unconscious in an alleyway.
  • Yukika Saegusa (三枝 由紀香, Saegusa Yukika): The gentle manager of the Track Team, warmly loved by the majority of her class.
  • Kaede Makidera (蒔寺 楓, Makidera Kaede): A beautiful but loud and obnoxious sprinter. She is disliked by Rin.
  • Kane Himuro (氷室 鐘, Himuro Kane): One of Yukika and Kaede's friends, and a long jumper. Kane is considerate and intelligent.
  • Issei Ryūdō (柳洞 一成, Ryūdō Issei): The Student Body President of Homurabara Gakuen, and another close friend of Shirō. His father is the head priest of Ryūdōji Temple, and his brother was a classmate of Taiga and Neko-San.
  • Otoko Hotaruzuka (蛍塚音子, Hotaruzuka Otoko): Shirō's employer, and owner of a liquor store, The Copenhagen Bar. She dislikes her given name, Otoko (phonically identical to the Japanese word for "guy"), preferring to be called "Neko". She feels attached to Shirō and always addresses him by a pet name, "Emi-yan". Neko-san considers Taiga to be a bad influence on her hard-working employee.
  • Zōken Matō (間桐 臓硯, Matō Zōken): A shrewd, powerful, but ancient sorcerer, Zouken is patriarch of the Matō family and is known to be the grandfather of Shinji and Sakura. He has amassed a large and extensive library of sorcerous knowledge, yet his lessons are strict and harsh. Zouken considers Shinji to be a disgrace of a sorcerer, and believes Sakura may have more potential than her brother.
  • True Assassin: Very little is known of this character, and he appears in only one scenario (see below).
  • Zelretch: He is one of five living sorcerers capable of "true" magic (魔法 Mahō), or miracles that can accomplish impossibilities beyond modern science or sorcery. Zelretch's particular miracle is known as the "Kaleidoscope", and he has dominion over alternate possibilities. Originally introduced in Tsukihime, he makes a cameo appearance in the Heaven's Feel scenario of Fate/stay night.

Anime episodes

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Screenshot Title Original air date #

Scenarios

Main article: Fate/stay night scenarios

Fate, Unlimited Blade Works and Heaven's Feel are the three branching storylines found within the game. Each diverge at certain points from the story and, depending on player selection, then will end in one of several possible scenarios.

The Fate scenario features Saber as the main heroine. Although Rin Tōsaka is the main female lead in Unlimited Blade Works, the storyline focuses around her Servant, Archer. Heaven's Feel expands on the dark history of Sakura Matō.

The plot of the anime series is an amalgam of the three storylines, though it heavily favors the events of Fate over the other two.

These scenarios, as well as the plot of the anime series, are discussed in further detail on the scenarios subpage.

Sequels

Main article: Fate/hollow ataraxia

On October 28, 2005, TYPE-MOON released a sequel to Fate/stay night, entitled Fate/hollow ataraxia. Regarded more as a fun disc and a side-story rather than a serious sequel, its plot is based half a year after the events of Fate/stay night and features new characters such as Avenger, Bazette Fraga McRemitz and Karen Ortensia alongside Shirō Emiya and Rin Tōsaka.

Music

The original Fate/stay night visual novel game features two fully animated opening sequences, highly uncommon for visual novels, both consisting of the song "THIS ILLUSION", composed and arranged by NUMBER201, written by Haga Keita, and performed by M.H..

The music for the Fate/stay night anime series has been conducted by Kenji Kawai. The opening theme for the first 14 episodes of the anime series is "disillusion", a rearrangement of "THIS ILLUSION", performed by Sachi Tainaka, which has been released as a single on 26 February, 2006. From episode 15 onwards, a new opening theme is used, "Kirameku Namida wa Hoshi ni" (きらめく涙は星に, lit. Glittering Tears Change To Stars), also by Sachi Tainaka. The ending theme for the anime series is "Anata ga Ita Mori" (あなたがいた森, lit. The Forrest In Which You Were), by Jyukai, which has also been released as a single on 15 March, 2006. In episode 14 of the anime series, a special ending theme is used, "Hikari" (ヒカリ, lit. Light), also by Jyukai. The last ending song of episode 24 is currently unknown as there were no credits for that song.[on 5 july]

Trivia

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  • The Copenhagen Bar, a store from Fate/hollow ataraxia, is featured during a scene in episode one of the Fate/stay night anime.
  • In episode eight of the anime, the cat ears Rin wore as a magical girl in Fate/hollow ataraxia are seen on her desk.
  • As seen in episode seventeen, the news program that services Fuyuki City is called FSN NEWS, an acronym for Fate/stay night.
  • The music playing during Shirō's battle with Berserker in episode sixteen is a remix of the "Emiya" theme first heard in Fate.
  • Zōken Matō, a character exclusive to Heaven's Feel, appears in a limousine during episode eighteen.
  • Shinichiro Miki, the seiyu for Sasaki Kojiro in Fate/stay night, also lends his voice for Kojiro in the Pokémon series.

Translation projects

The original Fate/stay night visual novel game is currently being completely translated to the English language by the fan translation group, Mirror Moon, and the anime series is currently being translated into English, Chinese, Spanish, Hebrew, French, and Slovenian subtitles by fan translation groups. The trial version of the Fate/stay night visual novel has also been translated by the fan translation group, insani.

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Official sites

Anime profiles & synopsis

Walkthroughs

Fan sites

Translation Projects


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