Fate Zero / Fate 0
Fate/Zero Overview
Origin
Fate Zero began as a series of light novels ( The Untold Story of the Fourth Holy Grail War , The Mad Kings' Festival , The Scattered Ones , and The Flames of Purgatory ). Takashi Takeuchi proposed the idea of a prequel to Gen Urobuchi, who agreed to write the novels, which were supervised by Kinoko Nase. Four series of drama CDs were released between 2008 and 2010. The anime adaptation began airing in October 2011. A break between seasons allowed for improved animation quality in the second season.
Summary
Fate Zero is the story of the Fourth Holy Grail War that took place 10 years before the Fifth Holy Grail War in Fate/Stay Night. Seven Servants and seven Masters battle until only one pair of Servants and Masters remains to claim the Holy Grail and grant their wishes.
The servants
Saber (Artoria Pendragon/King of Knights/King Arthur): Servant of Kiritsugu Emiya. Her wish is to change the past of Great Britain, her kingdom.
Archer (Gilgamesh/King of Heroes): Servant of Tokiomi Tohsaka and then Kirei Kotomine, his wish is to have fun and prevent anyone from stealing the Holy Grail, which he already considers part of his treasure.
Lancer (Diarmuid Ua Duibhne): Servant of Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald. His wish is simply to fight as a noble knight alongside his master. Later in the story, it is a matter of restoring his master's health and magic circuits.
Knight (Iskander/Alexander the Great/King of Conquerors): Servant of Waver Velvet. His wish is reincarnation.
Caster (Bluebeard/Gilles de Rais): Servant of Ryuunosuke Uryuu. His wish is for Joan of Arc to be resurrected.
Berserker (Lancelot of the Lake/formerly the Black Knight): Servant of Kariya Emiya. His wish is to atone for his misdeeds against King Arthur.
Assassin: Servant of Kirei Kotomine. His wish is to regain his integrity after suffering from the splitting of his personality into multiple beings.
Main human characters
Emilie Kiritsugu: He is a hitman specializing in mages who uses every strategy and weapon at his disposal. His dream was to become a "hero of justice" and his wish was for world peace.
Irisviel of Einzbern: She is the wife of Kiritsugu Emiya and the mother of Illyasviel von Einzbern. She is a homunculus, a humanoid form of the Grail Container, sentient and capable of defending herself.
Kirei Kotomine: He is the son of Risei Kotomine and lives an unfulfilling life obeying his priest father's every command. His wish is to discover what he truly wants.
Tohsaka of Tokyo: He is the head of the Tohsaka family and a skilled battle mage trained in gem- and fire-based magic. His wish is to access the Akasha Root.
Aoi Tohsaka: She is the wife of Tokiomi Tohsaka and the mother of Rin Tohsaka and Sakura Matou.
Velours Waver: He is a young student at the Clock Tower who comes from a weak and almost non-existent lineage of only two generations of mages (him being the third). His wish is to be taken seriously and considered a talented mage by the Mage Association.
Maiya Hisau: She is Kiritsugu Emiya's assistant who is cold and professional due to her mysterious past which she later reveals to Irisviel Von Einzbern.
Kariya Matou: His wish is to save Sakura Matou from her training to become a mage.
Ryûnosuke Uryû: He simply wants to kill in an extraordinarily brutal way with Caster.
Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald: He simply wishes to improve his position within the Mage's Association.
Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri: She is the wife of Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald.
Risei Kotomine: He is the father of Kirei Kotomine, priest of the church and overseer of the Fourth Holy Grail War, though he works with Kirei Kotomine and Tokiomi Tohasaka to conspire to end it with Kirei Kotomine.
Minor human characters
Rin Tôhsaka: Daughter of Tokiomi and Aoi Tohsaka.
Sakura Matou: Biological daughter of Toiomi and Aoi Tohsaka adopted by the Matou to be ruthlessly trained to become a mage by Zouken Matou.
Illyasviel of Einzbern: Daughter of Kiritsugu Emiya and Irisviel von Einzbern.
Jubstachit d'Einzbern: Grandfather of Illyasviel Von Einzbern.
Matou Zouken: Father of Kariya Matou and head of the Matou family.
Glen and Martha Mackenzie: An elderly couple. Waver Velvet lives in their home after hypnotizing them into believing they are her grandparents.
Norikata Emiya: Father of Kiritsugu Emiya.
Shirley: Kiritsugu Emiya's childhood friend.
Natalia Kaminiski: Kiritsugu Emiya's mother figure.
Shirō Emiya: A boy that Kiritsugu Emiya saves and adopts.
Opening Themes
Episodes 1-13: “Oath Sign” by LiSA
Episodes 14-25: “In the Beginning” by Kalafina
Ending Themes
Episodes 1-13: “MEMORIA” by Aoi Eir
Episodes 14 to 17 and 20-24: “Sora wa Takaku Kaze wa Utau” by Luna Haruna
Episodes: 18 and 19: “Manten” by Kalafina
Episode 25: “In the Beginning” by Kalafina
