Fate/Stay Night Episodes

Fate/stay night episode summaries

Episode 1: The First Day

Ten years ago, a tragic explosion occurred in Fuyuki City. The only survivor was a young boy named Shirou Emiya. Now, 10 years later, the Holy Grail War, in which seven magicians known as "Masters" use powerful familiars called "Servants" of seven different classes to fight against each other for the coveted Holy Grail, is about to begin again. Shirou is a high school student living alone after the death of his father, Kiritsugu Emiya. One day at school, his friend Issei tells him about the mysterious events taking place in the city while he helps him repair a radiator using the skills Kiritsugu taught him. He returns home after school and meets a mysterious silver-haired girl who warns him that if he doesn't summon his Servant soon, he will die before she disappears. In a flashback, Kiritsugu tells Emiya to only use magic to help others, and Emiya vows to Kiritsutu to become a protector of justice. Later, Shirou's classmate, Rin Tohsaka, and her servant, Archer, observe the city and prepare for the upcoming battle.

Episode 2: The Fateful Night

Rin talks with Archer about how she has been training for the Holy Grail War for 10 years and expresses disappointment at not being able to summon Saber, whom she claims is the most powerful Servant. She asks Archer what her true identity is, but he does not remember. After school, Shirou stays late to help his friend Shinji by cleaning the archery dojo and accidentally witnesses a battle between Archer and Lancer. He unintentionally attracts Lancer's attention and runs away, but Lancer chases after him. He runs inside the school to hide, but Lancer finds him and stabs him in the heart. Rin soon runs into Shirou, and she uses a magic gem to heal him, fleeing before he can wake up. At the Tohsaka residence, Archer tells Rin that since he witnessed their fight, Lancer will come after Shirou until he is dead. Shirou returns home and is attacked by Lancer again. Before he can land a killing blow, however, Saber suddenly appears, shielding Shirou from the attack.

Episode 3: Opening

Saber calls Shirou her master, which confuses him, before running off to confront Lancer. Outside, Saber and Lancer duel, and during the fight, Saber is injured by Lancer's Noble Phantasm, Gae Bulga, which helps her deduce that her true identity is Cú Chulainn. After his attack fails to kill her, Lancer flees. Rin and Archer then approach and are attacked by Saber before Shirou calls out to her. Later, Rin explains the Holy Grail War to Shirou and is surprised that someone with such weak magical ability was able to summon Saber. The three then head to Kotomine Church to meet with the Grail War overseer, Kirei Kotomine. Shirou learns from Kirei that the fire he survived 10 years ago was the result of the previous Holy Grail War, and Shirou agrees to participate in order to prevent another calamity from occurring. On their way back, Shirou, Saber, and Rin are once again confronted by the mysterious silver-haired girl, this time accompanied by her enormous servant Berserker.

Episode 4: The Most Powerful Enemy

The mysterious silver-haired girl reveals herself to be Illyasviel von Einzbern and her Servant, a powerful Berserker, whom she quickly orders to kill Shirou, Rin, and Saber. Still injured from the previous fight, Saber is no match for Berserker, and Shirou shields her with a powerful blow that knocks him unconscious. With the fight over, Illya threatens to kill Rin the next time they meet and leaves. Shirou wakes up at home and learns from Rin that he is able to use Saber's regenerative ability to heal himself. Shirou thanks Rin for her help, but she reminds him that they are rivals and that he needs to start treating her as such, which troubles Shirou. Later, Shirou finds Saber in the dojo, who chastises him for interfering and almost getting himself killed. The two begin to bond as Shirou learns more about the kind of person Saber is.

Episode 5: The Two Wise Men (Part 1)

Feeling guilty about how he hid her, Shirou invites Saber to dinner with him, Sakura, and Fujimura. Fujimura is initially against Shirou and Saber living together, but reluctantly agrees when she loses a kendo match to Saber. Meanwhile, Rin and Archer investigate mysterious gas leaks in the city and realize that someone is stealing people's souls. The next day, Shirou goes to school alone, worrying Saber. Upon entering the school grounds, Shirou is struck by an eerie feeling. He learns from Issei that the archery club captain, Ayako Mitsuzuri, has been missing since the day before and that the last person to speak to her was Shinji. Shirou stays after school to investigate and runs into Rin, who confronts him in the hallway, aware that Saber is not with him. Shirou runs into a classroom to hide, and Rin casts explosive magic on him. Meanwhile, outside, a mysterious figure watches him from a distance.

Episode 6: The Two Wise Men (Part 2)

Rin tells him to give her his Command Seals and she won't kill him. Just then, a girl is heard screaming in the distance, and Shirou rushes to investigate with Rin following him. They find a girl's body lying in the hallway. Shirou thinks she's just unconscious, but Rin tells him that her life energy, the source of mana, has been sucked out and she will die without help. While Rin tends to the girl, Shirou is attacked by Rider. He faces him alone instead of summoning Saber and is easily defeated. Rin rushes to help just in time, and Rider retreats. After bandaging his arm, Rin tells Shirou that there are other masters at the school and that a barrier has been erected around the school. Rin goes on to explain that the barrier around the school is still incomplete, but once activated, it will kill everyone in the school. The two form a truce to investigate and stop the barrier before it is complete. Now that they are working together, Rin asks Archer to escort Shirou home, and Archer accuses Shirou of being naive and having unrealistic ideals.

Episode 7: Despicable Act

Saber chastises Shirou for not summoning her the day before when he encountered the Servant, who turns out to be Rider-class, and for not taking his role as Master seriously enough. At school, Rin and Shirou investigate the barrier, and Rin tells him that Ayako was found with her life energy drained. She speculates that the Master in question is ordering his Servant to drain the life energy of innocent people around town to strengthen his Servant and complete the barrier. Rin proposes that the two try to delay the barrier's activation by destroying its seals, which are used to extend it. After school, they work together to locate and neutralize the seals hidden around the school, with Shirou being able to detect their locations. After parting ways with Rin to return home, the strange feeling overwhelms Shirou again, and he returns to the school to investigate. Sensing that the archery dojo is the source of his feeling, he heads inside to discover a huge magical symbol on the wall and comes face to face with Rider once again. Suddenly, Shinji appears and introduces himself as Rider's master.

Episode 8: Discordant Melody

Shinji explains that he, like Shirou, was forced to participate in the Holy Grail War against his will and that he erects the barrier to protect himself from Rin, whom he knows is a powerful magician. Shinji tries to persuade Shirou to join him in defeating Rin. He tells him that there is a fourth master at the school and that another master lives at the Ryudou Temple. Shirou refuses to help him and leaves. Back home, Shirou tells Saber and Rin what he learned from Shinji. Saber suggests they attack the master at the temple, but Shirou refuses, which upsets Saber. After their conversation, Rin announces that she will live with Shirou while they work together, much to Shirou's dismay. Later, the two talk some more, and Rin suggests they focus on Illya and her servant Berserker. Rin reveals that Illya must have a huge amount of mana to be able to control Berserker, making her their greatest threat. However, Saber disagrees and believes they should attack the master at the temple. Much to her anger, Shirou dismisses her idea and says they will wait. Believing Shirou to be naive, Saber waits until he falls asleep and heads to the temple alone, where an Assassin-class servant awaits her at the gate.

Episode 9: Elegance in the Moonlight

Saber is confronted at the temple gate by Assassin, who reveals his true identity: Kojiro Sasaki. Rider watches from a nearby tree as the two begin to fight. At that moment, Shirou wakes up with a pain in his chest and knows something is going on with Saber, so he chases after her. Meanwhile, Rider uses the fight between Assassin and Saber to her advantage to sneak into the temple, where she confronts Caster. Shirou arrives at the temple just as Saber activates her Noble Phantasm, but she stops her attack when she senses another Servant nearby. With their fight interrupted, Assassin retreats. Exhausted from the fight, Shirou takes Saber home. The next day, Saber is confused by Shirou's actions, and Rin explains that Shirou cares for her and doesn't want her to get hurt. Accepting Shirou's feelings, Saber decides to allow Shirou to fight as long as she can train him to use a sword.

Episode 10: A Peaceful Interlude

Shirou stays home to train with Saber, and later learns that her wish for the Grail is to fulfill an obligation she was unable to fulfill while alive. Shirou leaves to get lunch for himself and Saber and meets Illya again, who persuades him to spend time talking with her. The two head to a nearby park where Illya talks about her home country and her upbringing. Shirou wonders how such an innocent girl could be Berserker's master. The two share a taiyaki together before Illya runs off, sensing that Berserker has awakened. That evening at dinner, Rin reveals to Shirou that earlier that day, Shinji asked her to team up with him, which she refused. Later, Shirou shows Rin his Trace ability, and she makes him swallow a magic gem that allows her to open her magic circuit and control her mana.

Episode 11: Temple of Blood (Andromeda Blood Fort)

Shirou stays home to continue his morning training with Saber and to practice magic with Rin. Afterward, Shirou receives a disturbing phone call from Shinji that draws him to the school alone. At the school, Shinji activates the barrier, which is Rider's Noble Phantasm, Blood Fort Andromeda, and Shirou sees a classroom of students whose life energy is drained before being confronted by Shinji. Shirou tries to stop him but is thwarted by Rider, and the two begin to fight. After being knocked through a window, Shirou summons Saber to fight Rider while he chases Shinji. Shirou corners Shinji and tries to convince him to give up his Command Seals, but before he can agree, Rider intervenes and uses his Noble Phantasm to escape, destroying the hallway and injuring Shirou. He later wakes up at home and is relieved to learn that everyone at school is okay and that the barrier has been destroyed.

Episode 12: Tearing the Sky Apart

Shirou, Rin, and Saber discuss their plan to pursue Shinji and Rider before they can harm anyone else. Shirou is convinced that Shinji will try to erect another barrier, so he and Saber focus on trying to find it. The two take a break at a nearby park, and Shirou tells Saber about that day 10 years ago and how the park they are in was part of the battlefield during the last war. Saber understands Shirou's willingness to fight to prevent other innocent bystanders from being harmed during the war, but warns him that one day he will regret always putting others before himself. Later, as they continue their search, they encounter Rider, and Saber rushes to attack. Their fight takes them to a high rooftop, and Shinji rushes to catch up. On the rooftop, Rider uses his Noble Phantasm, Bellerophon, while Saber uses hers, Excalibur, which eviscerates Rider. Nearby, Shinji begins to panic as his command seals fade and runs away. Shirou arrives on the rooftop just as the fight ends and rushes to help Saber, who is injured.

Episode 13: The Winter Castle

Shirou worries about Saber, who, exhausted from her previous fight with Rider, has rested. Rin tells him that using her Noble Phantasm has depleted her mana and warns him that she will disappear if her mana is completely depleted. She goes on to explain that since Saber cannot draw mana from Shirou, her mana reserves are limited and she will not be able to fully recover. That night, Shirou dreams of Saber's past life as King Arthur and learns of his true identity. The next day, Shirou clashes with Saber and goes to the park, where he encounters Illya again and learns that she was watching their fight against Rider on the rooftop. Illya uses magic to paralyze him, and he wakes up in her castle in the woods, tied to a chair. Meanwhile, Saber wakes up, still weak, and senses that Shirou is in danger. She and Rin go looking for him. Back at the castle, Illya tells Shirou that she will kill Saber and Rin, and then kill him himself. Before leaving, she reveals to Shirou, to his shock, that she killed Shinji the day before. Outside, Saber, Rin, and Archer approach the castle from the woods.

Episode 14: The End of the Ideal

As Saber, Rin, and Archer approach Einzbern Castle from the woods, Illya exits through the front door and leaves without noticing them. Inside, Shirou escapes from his restraints and is soon found by Saber, much to his surprise, with Rin and Archer not far behind. The four begin to escape the castle, but are stopped in the main hall by Illya and Berserker. Archer fights Berserker, giving the others time to escape, and they flee into the woods. Archer is able to injure Berserker using his Noble Phantasms, but surprisingly, he does not die. As a last resort, he uses his Unlimited Blade Works, but to no avail. Outside, Rin watches her Command Seals fade and knows that Illya and Berserker will soon come looking for them.

Episode 15: The Twelve Trials

Shirou, Saber, and Rin continue their escape through the woods and take refuge in some ruins to hide. In the meantime, Rin suggests transplanting some of Shirou's magic circuits into Saber to replenish her mana and aid her recovery, and begins the ritual, which is successful. The next morning, the trio discuss their battle plan against Illya and Berserker before returning to the woods to wait and ambush them. Illya and Berserker soon arrive at the ambush point, and Saber attacks, with Shirou in support. However, it soon becomes clear that Saber is outmatched. Remembering Archer's words to visualize himself at his peak, Shirou attempts to use projection magic to create a sword that could defeat Berserker. The three attack in unison, with Rin using her magic gems to inflict massive damage. However, to their surprise, Berserker is still alive. Illya reveals that he needs to be killed 12 times to be truly defeated and that Rin's attack was the fifth kill, meaning he has seven kills left. With Rin in his arms, Illya orders Berserker to crush him.

Episode 16: The Sword of Promised Victory

Illya tells Berserker to hurry and finish Rin off as Saber continues to strike, but her blows just graze Berserker. Desperate to save Rin, Saber begins to activate her Noble Phantasm, but Shirou uses a Command Seal to cancel the attack, knowing that if she uses her Noble Phantasm again, she will exhaust her mana and disappear. With Rin's life now in his hands, Shirou focuses and uses Projection magic to create a replica of Saber's Noble Phantasm, Caliburn. With Saber's help, the two attack together and manage to kill Berserker in one blow. Feeling sorry for Illya, Shirou takes her into his home, and she begins living with him. Meanwhile, Caster and her Master discuss the battle and their plan to use a human sacrifice to summon the Holy Grail by force. Just then, she sees the perfect candidate appear on her crystal ball - Sakura.

Episode 17: The Witch's Mark

Rin, Shirou, and Saber discuss their next course of action and agree that Temple Master Ryudou is running rampant and must be stopped. Illya joins them and says that Caster is solely responsible for the life-draining incidents and that Caster's true identity is Medea. She also tells them that there are two servants at the temple, but they do not have the same master, and reveals that Caster summoned Assassin and is his master. Rin believes that Caster will be no match for Saber one-on-one and says they should go after Assassin first. Later, Shirou learns from Issei that a teacher from the school, Mr. Kuzuki, lives at the temple. Believing him to be the master they are looking for, Shirou, Rin, and Saber decide to ambush Kuzuki on his way home from school. Later that night, Shirou, Rin, and Saber confront Kuzuki and confirm that he is Caster's master. Caster suddenly appears, and a fight breaks out between her and Saber, while Rin and Shirou fight Kuzuki. Caster reveals their plan to summon the Grail by force using a human sacrifice, and the two end the fight and disappear. The three rush to Shirou's house. Saber arrives first and finds Sakura, who is being controlled by Caster. Sakura stabs Saber with Caster's Noble Phantasm, Rule Breaker, and challenges Shirou and Rin to come to the temple if they want to save Sakura before flying into the sky.

Episode 18: Decisive Battle

Shirou, Rin, and Archer arrive at Ryudou's temple. The three hurry up the steps, knowing their time to save Sakura is short. Halfway up the steps, Rin suddenly stops and leads them into the woods, where she finds a hidden entrance to another temple. As the three enter, Rin smells blood and senses Sakura in pain. Meanwhile, Caster and Kuzuki stand over a paralyzed Sakura, and Caster senses that the three have arrived. The three find themselves in an illusory underground city created by Caster and fight their way to the temple in the center of town. Assassin appears on the temple steps and fights Saber while Shirou and Rin continue to save Sakura. At the top of the temple, Shirou fights Kuzuki while Rin chases Sakura. However, she is stopped by Caster. The two fight, and Rin is able to use a magic gem to free Sakura from Caster's spell and rushes to hug her.

Episode 19: The Golden King

The battles between Saber and Assassin, Shirou, and Kuzuki rage on. On the stairs, Assassin unleashes his Spinning Swallow, but it misses, and Saber manages to land a clean hit. Knowing he has been defeated and his time is up, Assassin tells him to pursue his friends before his body dematerializes. Saber rushes to join the others, and suddenly an unknown servant clad in golden armor appears. He points at Saber, saying that as king, she belongs to him, before sending a hail of swords at Caster and Kuzuki, killing them both. The servant tells Shirou, Rin, and Saber that they will meet again and leaves just as the city begins to collapse around them, and the three rush for the exit. Later, at Shirou's house, Saber reveals that the servant is an archer of the same class as the previous war, but she does not know his true identity. She also reveals, much to Shirou's shock, that she and Kiritsugu participated in the previous war and won. However, Kiritsugu rejected the Grail, and the city was engulfed in flames after he used his final Command Seal to order Saber to destroy it. With Saber's words still in his head, Shirou heads to Kotomine Church to try to get answers from Kirei, who is surprised to learn of the Gold-Clad Archer.

Episode 20: Distant Trace of a Dream

Shirou learns from Kirei that Saber could stay in the world permanently if she drank from the Holy Grail, but Shirou knows that Saber's wish is to return to her own time. He returns home and is conflicted about what to do, eventually realizing that he is in love with her. Later, Shirou invites Saber out on a date. They head to the city where they go shopping, see a movie, go to the aquarium, and have tea at a fancy restaurant. Afterward, Shirou tries to convince her to stop living for the past and live for herself now. They argue, and Shirou leaves, returning home without her. Later at home, Shirou is upset that he cannot save Saber no matter what he does. After realizing that Saber never came home, he goes looking for her and finds her exactly where he left her. The two reconcile and begin to head home, but are stopped by Archer who confronts Saber.

Episode 21: The Star of Creation That Divided Heaven and Earth

On their way back, Shirou and Saber are confronted by Archer, who reveals himself to be Gilgamesh. A fight ensues, incapacitating Shirou. Saber is also overwhelmed by Gilgamesh, who uses his Noble Phantasm, Gates of Babylon, against her. During the battle, Shirou confesses his love to Saber and uses his projection magic to create the scabbard for Excalibur, Saber's most powerful Noble Phantasm. Working together, they manage to damage Gilgamesh, and he retreats. The next day, Saber and Shirou agree that Gilgamesh must be defeated if they are to acquire the Grail. The two prepare a meal together and kiss for the first time. Later, Shirou goes to the Kotomine Church to speak with Kirei about Gilgamesh, but once there, he finds an underground chapel littered with human remains. Before he can escape, he is grabbed by Kirei and stabbed by Lancer before passing out.

Episode 22: The Result of a Wish

Saber is angry at herself because of her feelings for Shirou. She learns from Rin that Shiro went to the church alone. Sensing something is wrong, she hurries to find him. At the church, she finds Shirou collapsed and bloodied on the floor, and Lancer materializes to confront her. The two duel, but are interrupted when Kirei drags Shirou forward. He tries to persuade Saber to kill him and her wish would be granted, but she refuses and chooses him over the Grail. Saber heals Shirou just as Gilgamesh appears. Kirei confesses that Gilgamesh was his partner in the previous Holy Grail War, angering Lancer, who says he would rather die than work with Gilgamesh. Kirei then confesses that he had been defeated by Kiritsugu in the previous war and that the fire that engulfed the city and resulted in so many deaths was the result of him touching the Grail as it appeared. Kirei calls the Grail a weapon and says that it only grants wishes through destructive means. Saber is shocked to discover that the Grail she has been searching for all this time is actually a cursed chalice that destroys everything except its owner. Kirei leaves and orders Lancer and Gilgamesh to deal with Saber and Shirou. However, Lancer attacks Gilgamesh, giving them time to flee. Outside and safe from the battle, Saber tends to Shirou's wounds and tells him that the scabbard of Excalibur, a sacred Noble Phantasm that heals its owner and the source of his mana, exists within him. On the way back, Saber tells Shirou that she now realizes she was mistaken in wanting the Grail and thanks him, telling him that the path she must take is now clear to her. With newfound determination, the two agree that they will destroy the Holy Grail.

Episode 23: The Holy Grail

Shirou and Saber return home to find Rin gravely injured. She explains that Kirei is the Seventh Master and came for Illya, but she was unable to stop him. She tells him that Illya is pure magic in human form, and that Kirei will use her to conjure the Grail. She also says that Kirei is at Ryudou's temple and gives Shirou a magic dagger to use against him. Shirou and Saber head to the temple. Shirou tells Saber to take care of Gilgamesh while he pursues Kirei. Gilgamesh waits for them as they enter the temple grounds. Saber draws her sword just as Gilgamesh activates the Gates of Babylon, and Shirou runs off to find Kirei. Shirou soon finds Kirei in the middle of a ritual with Illya suspended in mid-air. The two fight, but Shirou is easily caught by Kirei's magic. Before casting the Holy Grail curse on him, Kirei tells Shirou that he placed a curse on Kiritsugu that ultimately killed him. Meanwhile, Saber is overwhelmed by Gilgamesh's attacks and the two release their Noble Phantasms simultaneously, illuminating the sky.

Episode 24: The Utopia Too Far Away

Shirou finds himself in an inky abyss with gruesome hands grabbing him and attempting to pull him down. However, he manages to free himself by remembering his goals, shocking Kirei. Meanwhile, Saber continues her battle with Gilgamesh, both unleashing their Noble Phantasms. However, Gilgamesh's proves more powerful, and Saber is injured. Sensing a connection between them, she and Shirou are able to combine their powers using the scabbard. She unleashes her Noble Phantasm once more, which overwhelms Gilgamesh, striking him right through. At the same time, Shirou manages to rush Kirei and plunges Rin's dagger into him, who explodes with magical energy. With both Kirei and Gilgamesh dead, Saber approaches and says she will destroy the Holy Grail, but Shirou must command her. Although he knows she will disappear, he uses his final command seal. She raises her sword, which begins to radiate energy, and with a swift blow sends a powerful blast into the Holy Grail portal, which destabilizes and explodes. With the war over, Saber tells him she is happy to have been his sword and protector, and she proclaims her love for him before vanishing. Saber returns to her previous life, mortally wounded, and with her guardian knight Bedivere laying her under a tree. She orders Bedivere to return his sword to the Lady of the Lake and, in peace, closes her eyes for her final rest. Back in the present, Sakura, Rin, Illya, and the others continue their lives, which have returned to normal. As he stands on the bridge looking out at the water, Shirou thinks of Saber and wonders if there is anything left to connect their hearts. He looks to the future and what lies ahead, knowing that if he keeps trying, he will one day achieve his goals.