The Fate series has no shortage of adaptations and spin-offs. With so many out there, you’re bound to find something just perfect for your tastes.
The Fate series has become one of the largest and most popular multimedia franchises in Japan. Starting with the Fate/stay night visual novel released back in 2004, the franchise has grown tremendously in the near two decades since. There has been a boom in Fate related media. Everything from games to manga, light novels, merchandise and of course, anime.
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Fate related media has spawned a bunch of different anime titles over the years. They’ve ranged from adaptations of the various original game routes, to spin-offs and reimagining’s. Even if you’re not into the original source material, the various Fate anime out there cover a whole bunch of different genres. There’s something for everybody. With that said, here’s every single Fate/stay night series and spin-off, ranked.
1 Fate/Stay Night
Staring off with the original adaptation, the Studio Deen anime is a bit of a mixed bag. Though it isn’t a terrible anime – it isn’t on part with the Ufotable adaptations in terms of animation quality and respect for the source material. The original anime released back in 2006 and does certainly look dated, but serves as an excellent introduction to the series for newcomers. Deen also adapted the Unlimited Bladeworks route into an anime film, but the Ufotable anime is far superior in every way – so we’ll count that as part of the original Deen production. anime pfp
2 Today’s Menu For The Emiya Family
One of the more recent entries on this list, Today’s Menu for The Emiya Family is an adorable, light-hearted spin-off that sees the main cast of the FSN series bonding over food. It’s probably the most mundane of the spin-offs, so don’t go into this looking for any action or big battles. But if you want to see some more peaceful interactions between characters – as well as some great Japanese food then this is the anime for you. Ufotable is also responsible for this title, though the animation style looks drastically different compared to their other entries in the series – it’s as clean and crisp as you’d expect.
3 Fate/Apocrypha
Based on the light novel series of the same name, Fate/Apocrypha is set in a parallel world to the original series, and focuses on a battle between two fractions; Red and Black. The conflict is a larger scale Grail War, and thus involves more servants than the original. Apocrypha certainly has its moments, and the premise is interesting enough. But there are times when the narrative just loses you and things feel a little too condensed – at least that’s how the anime adaptation feels. Still, if you’re into Fate lore this is a worthwhile watch as it features servants that up to that point were only featured in the light novels and FGO.
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4 Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia
Speaking of FGO, the currently airing Babylonia anime is staring off great. Though it’s still a little too premature to sing its praises, the anime seems to be doing a good job of adapting the games story while giving fans what they want in terms of seeing their favourite servants on screen. But who knows, by the time it finishes airing it could rank lower or maybe even higher. For now, this seems like a solid place to have it.
5 Fate/Extra Last Encore
Loosely based on the Fate/Extra series, Last Encore isn’t the best adaptation in the series. But it does have its positives. Sadly those don’t outweigh the show’s negatives – mainly a rushed and convoluted plot that doesn’t serve the source material well at all.
On the other hand, you get to see Nero animated. That’s something fans of the series have wanted for a while. Studio Shaft was in charge of the project, so while its narrative may have not come out great, it looks stunning.
6 Lord El-Melloi II’s Case Files
Another one of the newer spin-offs, Lord El-Melloi II’s Case Files is a great anime for fans who want to bypass the fighting element of the series, and focus more on the lore surrounding it. Case Files focuses on the often overlooked magical elements of the series, and presents it from a different and more refreshing angle than previous spin-offs.
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7 Carnival Phantasm
Of all the entries thus far, Carnival Phantasm might be the most drastically different of the Fate series anime. It’s a parody of all things Type-Moon, but essentially focuses on Fate/stay night and Tsukihime characters.
The show is packed with laughs, but you do have to be somewhat familiar with Type-Moon characters and lore to get most of them. This isn’t exactly a good starting point, but can be a real treat for series veterans looking for something light.
8 Fate/Kaleid Liner PRISMA☆ILLYA
Probably one of the most drastically different Fate spin-offs out there, the Kaleid anime is based off of the manga of the same name and is set in an alternate universe from the original series. As the name suggests, the anime focuses on Illya – though much younger here than her original universe counterpart – and reworks the series’ lore in a magical girl format. The anime has four seasons, with a fifth on the way and an anime film. Though things start off light hearted, the plot eventually picks up. It might not be for everyone, but it’s one of the more ambitious spin-offs considering just how different it is.
9 Fate/Stay Night: Heaven’s Feel Movies
Not yet complete, the Heaven’s Feel films cover the last and most infamous route in the FSN light novel. The Heaven’s Feel route is the darkest of the three, and so far the movies have done a great job of capturing the tone and atmosphere.
Another Ufotable production, the animation quality for the films has been what you’d expect thus far, and visually they seem to be the best looking Fate media put out thus far. This is another example of something that’s intended towards veteran fans of the series, so it’d be best to familiarize yourself with the Deen adaptation and the Unlimited Blade Works anime before checking the films out.
10 Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works
This is the anime that really put Fate on the map in the west. Unlimited Blade Works was a hit when it came out, and served as a gateway into the series for a lot of fans. The animation quality is superb and the narrative does an amazing job of recreating the game’s route, while condensing it for a TV audience.
If you’re new to the series, this is likely a good starting point as it outshines the Deen adaptations in every way and still manages to serve as an introduction while delivering for series veterans.
11 Fate/Zero
The spin-off that gets the m ost love from the majority of the community, Fate/Zero serves as a prequel to the original story and takes on a noticeably darker tone. While the original series wasn’t light-hearted by any means, it had moments of repose. With Zero, things hit the fan and they never quite come down. Be it its engaging narrative, solid animation or diverse cast of characters – Zero delivers in every way, and is the most exceptional Fate anime because of that.