T5W#187-Top 5 Fate/Stay Night Entries

Wow 2019 is turning out to be a big celebration year.  We’ll get into Gundams 40th birthday next month.  Today though, we’re look at another relatively big Anime franchise that holds a special place in the hearts of many.  Love it or hate it, Fate/Stay Night has become one of the most impactful Anime franchises of the last decade.  Sure it got its first Anime adaptation back in 2006 with Studio Dean’s Fate/Stay Night but ever since 2011’s Fate/Zero, we’ve gotten a steady stream of Fate related titles from TV series to movies and a plethora of other video games to follow up the original visual novel.  Though all of them, we’ve gotten fascinating lore filled storytelling, action sequences that surpass most Shonen Anime through sheer presentation quality, and some of the greatest heroines in all of Anime (here’s looking at you Rin Tohsaka and Saber Nero).  To honor the franchises birthday, todays Top 5 Wednesday belongs to Fate as I choose my Top 5 Fate/Stay Night Entries.

#5-Today’s Menu for Emiya Family

I really wanna put this one higher on the list.  However if im being fair, ive only seen an episode or two whereas ive seen far more of the other entries.  Still, from those episodes alone, Emiya Family is a breath of fresh, optimistic air for an otherwise bleak and dreary franchise.  You have Master and Servants but no ones trying to kill each other.  They just want to hang out and cook some pretty tasty looking meals.  I give Shiro plenty of grief in any Fate story but kid can cook and id love to join a meal at his place with some awesome company.  Of all the Fate/Stay Night stories out there, this is the feel good member of the family.

#4-Fate/Kalied Liner Prisma Illya

Im kind of surprised this concept even made it to production but im glad it did.  Prisma Illya basically takes the Holy Grail War and fuses it with the Clow Card hunt and magical whimsy of Cardcaptor Sakura.  It’s cute (and sometimes way too inappropriate) but still finds ways to run with such a crazy premise while still being serious when it needs to be.  Also we get to see Illya and Rin infused with the powers of Archer and Lancer respectively and it is one of the most awesome sights you’ll ever see in any version of Fate/Stay Night.

#3-Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works

Ufotable’s follow up to Fate/Zero is far from perfect but damn if it isn’t trying its hardest to match its predecessor.  The action maintains Zero’s level of quality and manages to surpass it (and solidify that no one does action prettier or better than Studio Ufotable).  Theres actually a very likeable romance between Shiro and Rin that is one of the shows strongest elements (even when Shiro himself is the weakest).  And yeah, Rin gets a lot more chances to shine after the 2006 Dean series kind of short changed her towards the end.  UBW also gave us some of the best opening and ending themes of any Anime, particularly Aimer’s Brave Shine.  Like is said, it’s not perfect but there’s enough action, pretty images and strong female bad assery to recommend this to anyone looking to dig deeper into what makes Fate such a cool franchise.

#2-Fate/Zero

This is where I started with the franchise and id say this is where everyone should start.  The rules of the Holy Grail War, the intense battles it brings and the heartbreaking character studies, everything that should make for a good Fate series is outlined here almost perfectly.  This was also the first Fate entry to be done by Studio Ufotable and proves why any and all further Fate projects should be run through this group.  Amazing action, a career defining soundtrack by Yuki Kaijura and some of the most binge worthy moments to keep you coming back for more, you’ll be an emotional wreck by the time the last episode is over.  But it’s the perfect adrenaline rush to get you ready for a lot more Fate carnage down the line.

#1-Fate/Stay Night: Heaven’s Feel I-Presage Flower

After finishing Fate/Zero, I wondered just how bad things were going to be for Shiro and Rin after what Kiritsugu and Tokiyomi went through.  Turns out…the Fate and Unlimited Blade Works routes were more of a breeze for them compared to what we got in the debut chapter of the Heaven’s Feel trilogy…and I freaking love it.  This is the Fate I wanted to see post Fate/Zero and so far, the first film has hit all of the right beats and checked all the right boxes.  This is a far different beast than any Fate story before it.  The unexpected is happening, characters previously unexplored like Sakura are front and center, and Ufotable is back doing what it does best.  The bar has been set pretty high not just for the rest of this film trilogy, but all of Fate/Stay night going forward.  Bring on Lost Butterfly and Spring Song.