Why settle for stories with ancient heroes when mages can summon these warriors to fight on their behalf? Type-Moon's Fate franchise combines noble warriors, historic figures, and mythological beings. Moreover, its premise requires them duke it out in a battle royale that rewards one wish to the victor. Originally just the Fate/stay night visual novel, the Fate franchise evolved its story across more VNs, light novels, and even anime and film.

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Of course, having this much material to view can make any newcomer feel overwhelmed with the Fate franchise. Thankfully, following a specific order can help viewers feel more acquainted with Fate and the machinations of its Holy Grail War.

10 Fate/Stay Night (Anime, 2006)

This anime adaptation stars Shirou Emiya, the sole survivor of an incident that engulfed an area in Fuyuki City in flames. A decade later, Shirou keeps himself busy by the day with schoolwork and some odd jobs. Meanwhile, he also secretly practices basic magic taught by his late adoptive father, Kiritsugu. Despite his ordinary nature, Shirou aspires to live by his adoptive father's code: becoming a hero of justice. Unfortunately, a series of events would drag Shirou to the Holy Grail War.

Being a 2006 adaptation, fans should only treat Fate/stay night as a base introduction to the franchise. Moreover, given the anime tries to incorporate all three routes in the VN, it's arguably kind of a mess. However, fans should strictly treat this 2006 anime as an interpretation of the "Fate Route," focusing on Shirou's relationship with Saber.

9 Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works (Anime, 2014)

At first glance, Unlimited Blade Works seems to copy the first few episodes of the original Fate/stay night adaptation. However, things begin to change when Shirou Emiya and Rin Tohsaka are forced to team up for their survival. This time around, Shirou begins to have a growing friendship with the more experienced magi Tohsaka. At the same time, Shirou explores his immense dislike of her Servant, the mysterious Archer.

This adaptation branches away out of the VN's "Fate Route" and takes its "Unlimited Blade Works Route," where Rin becomes Shirou's leading lady. Given its recent adaptation, UBW 2014 has quite the striking visuals and more fleshed out characters.

8 Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel I to III (Movies, 2017, 2019, 2020)

Again, as with Fate/stay night and UBW, the Heaven's Feel trilogy of films seem to copy the first few days of Shirou's life going into the Holy Grail War. However, this time around, Shirou becomes much closer to his childhood friend Sakura Matou. Unbeknownst to him, Sakura has a mysterious past connected not just to the Holy Grail War as a whole, but to the entity that has begun killing off the War's participants.

As with UBW, the Heaven's Feel films explore the titular route in the VN, where Sakura becomes Shirou's leading lady. Fans would greatly appreciate Heaven's Feel as it further expanded the personalities of the characters from the previous series. Moreover, the focus on Sakura greatly helped in building her as a solid deuteragonist in the films.

7 Fate/Zero (Anime, 2011)

Fate/Zero once again takes place in Fuyuki City, a decade before the events of Fate/stay night. As this setting implies, Fate/Zero serves as the prequel to Shirou's adventures. This time around, Kiritsugu Emiya becomes a participant of the Fourth Holy Grail War. Unlike the innocent Shirou, Kiritsugu has a noticeable edge as the world-renowned mage killer. He also receives the backing of the Einzberns, his wife's family.

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This anime serves as the adaptation of the Fate/Zero light novels. Unlike the main series, Fate/Zero has a profoundly deeper approach to the complexities of the Holy Grail War. Aside from its stellar animations, its exploration of the themes of sacrifice and ambition earned the praise of viewers and critics.

Fate/Zero serves as a great third piece of media to bridge the main Fate/stay night story and its spinoffs. After Fate/Zero, fans may also choose to play the /stay night sequel, /hollow ataraxia.

6 Fate/Apocrypha (Anime, 2017)

What if the Holy Grail War followed the conventional definition of a war? The story takes 60 years after the Third Holy Grail War, where the Yggdmillennia clan declares war upon the Mage's Association. In this new Greater Grail War, Black and Red teams (assigned to the aforementioned factions) are comprised of Master-Servant pairs who want nothing else for their side to become the victor. And like in the events in Fuyuki City, the Holy Grail War isn't always as straightforward as it seems.

Unlike the /stay night series, Fate/Apocrypha takes place in an alternate timeline. Given its older premise, fans who appreciate historical fiction will love the Servants and the overall narrative featured in this anime.

Likewise, viewers will love the separate story /Apocrypha shares, and the two sets of Servants that each have their own abilities, personalities, and aspirations. This is the perfect start to a renewed look into /stay night spinoffs.

5 Fate/EXTRA Last Encore (Anime, 2018)

Events of Fate/EXTRA Last Encore starts hazy, and that's by intention. In this anime, Hakuno Kishinami wakes up in a strange world accompanied only by a Servant. With no recollection of his past, he somehow apparently has to win the Holy Grail War and, hopefully, regain his identity in the process.

As with the mainline /stay night series, Fate/EXTRA Last Encore also adapts a game - this time, Fate/EXTRA. Fans will appreciate Last Encore for being a loose adaptation of the game. This means they can play the game and watch the anime in any order.

Moreover, fans of isekai will also love Last Encore for its TYPE-MOON take on the "inescapable VR game" genre. Likewise, some of its terminologies and concepts become relevant to Grand Order.

4 Fate/Grand Order: First Order (Movie, 2016)

Unbeknownst to the world at large, the Chaldea Security Organization relies on the analysis of various experts to determine potential extinction events to threaten mankind. Thankfully, their initial 2015 forecast predicts safety for the next century. However, the verdict suddenly announces the end of the world in 2016. With no apparent cause, Chaldea only knows of a link - the events of 2004's Fifth Holy Grail War, the setting of Fate/stay night. 

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In turn, Chaldea has announced a Grand Order: to change the past and restore the future. To do this, protagonist Fujimaru Ritsuka - a new Chaldea recruit - and the mysterious Mash Kyrielight need to go back in time.

Fans of the Fate franchise would fondly remember Grand Order as the hit gacha game - with a gripping narrative despite its mobile nature. This movie adapts the prologue of the game's "Observer on Timeless Temple" storyline.

3 Fate/Grand Order THE MOVIE - Divine Realm Of The Round Table: Camelot (Movies, 2020, 2021)

Courtesy of Operation Grand Order, Chaldea's Ritsuka and Mash travel in time to "repair" Singularities that would cause Earth's destruction in 2016. This time around, they stumble upon their sixth Singularity during the Crusades.

As with the other Grand Order media, the two-part Camelot films covers the sixth chapter of the Grand Order game. Newcomers who get to watch the films will appreciate the rather solid narrative, despite only being a part of a larger story. Likewise, fans will love how Camelot manages to tackle this chapter in both a self-contained story while sharing its larger implications to the overall plot.

2 Fate/Grand Order - Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia (Anime, 2019)

In Babylonia, Chaldea's Ritsuka and Mash travel in time to Mesopotamia in 2655 B.C. Their goal is to fix the Singularity in this era to prevent the Earth's destruction in 2016 - only for a monster-besieged region to surprise them.

The pair soon discovers that mankind's only hope against these monsters lies in Uruk, a fortress city. To their surprise, the King of Heroes Gilgamesh has taken leadership in humanity's last effort against these monsters. And he's been calling the aid of various Heroic Spirits to aid him.

As with First Order, Babylonia also adapts a chapter from the "Observer on Timeless Temple" storyline in the game. This time around, Babylonia adapts the seventh chapter of the main game. Thankfully, with the way the anime is written, newcomers don't necessarily need to play Grand Order to understand the ongoing events in Babylonia.

1 Fate/Grand Order: Final Singularity - Grand Temple Of Time: Solomon (Movie, 2021)

In Ritsuka and Mash's adventures to repair the world's timeline and prevent Earth's destruction, they stumble upon one final Singularity to fix. Surprisingly, their journey ends when the world is about to end, in 2016. Ritsuka and Mash need to stop Solomon's plans once and for all.

This upcoming film is slated for a July 30, 2021 release. As with the other Grand Order media, this story adapts a chapter of tis "Observer on Timeless Temple" storyline. In turn, fans would immediately realize that this film covers the Solomon Singularity, the final chapter of said storyline.

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