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 sole 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” from seven separate classes to fight against each other in vying for the coveted Holy Grail, is set to begin again. Shirou is a high school student who lives alone after the death of his father, Kiritsugu Emiya. One day at school his friend Issei talks with him about mysterious goings on around the city while he helps him repair a heater using the skills that Kiritsugu taught him. He heads home after school and runs into a mysterious silver-haired girl who warns him that if he doesn’t summon his Servant soon that 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, look out at the city and prepare for the battle ahead.

Episode 2: Fateful Night

Rin talks with Archer about how she has been training for the Holy Grail War for 10 years and shows disappointment that she wasn’t able to summon Saber, whom she says is the most powerful Servant. She asks Archer what his true identity is, but he can’t remember. After school, Shirou stays late to help his friend Shinji by cleaning the archery dojo and accidentally ends up witnessing a battle between Archer and Lancer. He unintentionally catches the attention of Lancer and flees only for Lancer to give chase. He runs inside the school to hide, but Lancer finds him and stabs him in the heart. Rin soon comes across Shirou and she uses a magic gem to heal him, fleeing before he could wake up. At the Tohsaka residence, Archer tells Rin that since he witnessed their battle Lancer will come after Shirou until he is dead. Shirou returns home and is again attacked by Lancer. Before he can deliver a fatal 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 face Lancer. Outside, Saber and Lancer duel and during the fight Saber is wounded by Lancer’s Noble Phantasm, Gae Bulga, which helps her deduce that his 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 her off. Later, Rin explains the Holy Grail War to Shirou and is surprised that someone with such low magic ability was able to summon Saber. The three then head to Kotomine Church to meet with the overseer of the Grail War, Kirei Kotomine. Shirou learns from Kirei that the fire he survived 10 years prior was the result of the previous Holy Grail War, and Shirou agrees to participate in order to stop another calamity from happening. On the way home, Shirou, Saber, and Rin are confronted by the mysterious silver-haired girl again, this time together with her massive Berserker Servant.

Episode 4: The Strongest Enemy

The mysterious silver-haired girl reveals herself to be Illyasviel von Einzbern and her Servant a powerful Berserker class, which she quickly orders to kill Shirou, Rin, and Saber. Still wounded from the previous fight, Saber is no match for Berserker, and Shirou shields her from a powerful blow which knocks him unconscious. With the fight over, Illya threatens to kill Rin the next time they meet and leaves. Shirou awakens 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 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: Two Magi (Part 1)

Feeling guilty about the way he has been hiding her away, Shirou invites Saber to have dinner with him, Sakura, and Fujimura. Fujimura is at first against Shirou and Saber living together but reluctantly agrees when she loses a kendo match against Saber. Meanwhile, Rin and Archer investigate mysterious gas leaks around the city and realizes that someone is stealing people’s souls. The next day, Shirou goes to school by himself, which worries Saber. Upon stepping onto the school grounds, Shirou is struck with a strange feeling. He learns from Issei that the archery club’s captain, Ayako Mitsuzuri, has been missing since the day before and the last person to talk to her was Shinji. Shirou stays after school to investigate and runs into Rin who confronts him in the hall, aware that Saber isn’t with him. Shirou flees to a classroom to hide and Rin casts explosive magic at him. Meanwhile, outside a mysterious figure watches from a distance.

Episode 6: Two Magi (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 after him. They find a girl’s body lying in the hall. Shirou thinks she is just unconscious, but Rin tells him that her life energy, the source of mana, had been sucked out and that she will die without help. As Rin tends to the girl, Shirou is attacked by Rider. He faces her alone instead of summoning Saber and is easily bested. Rin rushes to help just in time and Rider retreats. After bandaging his arm, Rin tells Shirou that there are other Masters at 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 it’s activated it will kill everyone at school. The two form a truce to investigate and stop the barrier before it is complete. Now working together, Rin has Archer escort Shirou home and Acher 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 female 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 the city to strengthen his Servant and complete the barrier. Rin proposes that the two try and delay the activation of the barrier by destroying its sigils, which are used to expand it. After school, they work together to locate and neutralize sigils hidden around the school, with Shirou able to sense their locations. After parting ways with Rin to head home, the strange feeling overcomes Shirou once more and he heads back into the school to investigate. Sensing that the archery dojo is the source of his feeling, he heads in to discover a huge magical symbol on the wall and comes face to face with Rider once more. Suddenly, Shinji appears, outing himself as Rider’s Master.

Episode 8: Discordant Melody

Shinji explains that he too, like Shirou, was forced into the Holy Grail War against his will and is putting up the barrier as protection against Rin, whom he knows is a powerful magician. Shinji tries to persuade Shirou to join him in taking down Rin. He tells him that there is a fourth Master at school and that another Master is living at 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’ll be living with Shirou while they work together, much to Shirou’s chagrin. Later, the two talk some more and Rin suggests they focus on Illya and her Berserker Servant. Rin reveals that Illya must have a tremendous amount of mana to be able to control Berserker, making her their biggest threat. However, Saber disagrees and thinks they should attack the Master at the temple. To her anger, Shirou shoots down her idea and says they will wait. Believing Shirou to be naive, Saber waits until he is asleep and heads to the temple alone, where an Assassin-class Servant awaits her at the gate.

Episode 9: Moonlit Elegance

Saber is confronted at the temple gate by Assassin, who reveals his true identity to be Kojiro Sasaki. Rider looks on from a nearby tree as the two begin to duel. Just then, Shirou wakes up with chest pain and knows something is happening with Saber and he goes after her. Meanwhile, Rider uses Assassin and Saber’s battle 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 carries Saber back home. The next day, Saber is confused at 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 in using a sword.

Episode 10: A Peaceful Interlude

Shirou stays home from school to train with Saber, and afterward he learns that her wish for the Grail is to fulfill an obligation she was unable to while alive. Shirou heads out to grab lunch for him and Saber and runs into Illya again, who persuades him to spend some time talking with her. The two head to a nearby park where Illya talks about her home country and upbringing. Shirou wonders how such an innocent girl could be the Master of Berserker. The two share taiyaki together before Illya runs off, sensing that Berserker has awoken. That night at dinner, Rin reveals to Shirou that earlier that day Shinji asked her to team up with him, to which she declined. Later, Shirou shows Rin his Trace ability, and she makes him swallow a magic gem which allows him to open up his Magic Circuit and control his mana.

Episode 11: Temple of Blood (Blood Fort Andromeda)

Shirou stays home from school again to continue his morning training with Saber and to also practice magic with Rin. Afterward, Shirou gets an ominous phone call from Shinji who lures him to school alone. At school, Shinji activates the barrier, which is Rider’s Noble Phantasm, Blood Fort Andromeda, and Shirou witnesses a classroom of students with their life energy drained before being confronted by Shinji. Shirou tries to stop him but is thwarted by Rider and the two begin fighting. After getting kicked through a window, Shirou summons Saber to fight Rider while he goes after Shinji. Shirou is able to corner Shinji and tries to convince him to give up his Command Seals, but before he can agree Rider intervenes and uses her Noble Phantasm to escape, which destroys the hallway and injures Shirou. He awakes later at home and is relieved to hear that everyone at school is okay and the barrier was destroyed.

Episode 12: Tearing the Sky

Shirou, Rin, and Saber discuss their plan to go after Shinji and Rider before they can hurt anyone else. Shirou is positive that Shinji will try to erect another barrier, so he and Saber focus on trying to find it. The two take a break in a nearby park and Shirou tells Saber about that day 10 years ago and how the park they’re in was part of the battleground during the last war. Saber comes to understand Shirou’s will to fight to prevent other innocent bystanders from being hurt in the war but warns him that he will one day come to 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 roof, Rider uses her Noble Phantasm, Bellerophon, while Saber uses hers, Excalibur, which eviscerates Rider. Nearby, Shinji begins to panic as his Command Seals fade and runs off. Shirou makes it to the rooftop just as the fight ends and rushes to help Saber, who is wounded.

Episode 13: Winter Castle

Shirou is worried about Saber, who, exhausted from her previous fight with Rider, has been resting. Rin tells him that using her Noble Phantasm exhausted her mana and warns him that she will disappear if her mana is ever fully depleted. She goes on to explain that since Saber cannot draw mana from Shirou, her mana reserves are limited and she won’t be able to fully recover. That night, Shirou dreams of Saber’s past life as King Arthur and comes to learn her true identity. The next day, Shirou is conflicted about Saber and heads heads to the park, where he once again runs into Illya 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 head off to look for him. Back at the castle, Illya tells Shirou that she’s going to kill Saber and Rin and then kill him. Before leaving, she reveals to Shirou’s shock that she killed Shinji the day before. Outside, Saber, Rin, and Archer approach the castle from the woods.

Episode 14: End of the Ideal

As Saber, Rin, and Archer approach Einzbern Castle from the woods, Illya exits the front door and leaves, not noticing them. Inside, Shirou escapes from his binds and is quickly found by Saber to his surprise, with Rin and Archer not far behind. The four begin to make their escape from the castle, but are stopped in the main hall by Illya and Berserker. Archer battles Berserker, giving the others time to escape and they flee into the woods. Archer is able to wound Berserker using his Noble Phantasms, but he surprisingly doesn’t die. As a last stand he uses his Unlimited Blade Works, but to no avail. Outside, Rin watches as her Command Seals fade and knows that Illya and Berserker will soon be coming 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. As they wait, Rin suggests transplanting some of Shirou’s magic circuits into Saber as a way to replenish her mana and help her recover and begins the ritual, which is successful. The next morning, the trio discuss their battle plan against Illya and Berserker before heading back into the woods to lie in wait to ambush them. Illya and Berserker soon arrive to the ambush point and Saber attacks, with Shirou providing support. However, it’s soon clear that Saber is outmatched. Remembering Archer’s words to visualize himself at his most powerful, Shirou ties to use Projection magic to create a sword that could defeat Berserker. The three attack in unison, with Rin using her magic gems to deal massive damage. However, to their amazement, Berserker still lives. Illya reveals that he has to be killed 12 times in order to actually be beaten and that Rin’s attack was death number five, meaning he has seven deaths left. With Rin in his grasp, Illya orders Berserker to crush her.

Episode 16: The Sword of Promised Victory

Illya tells Berserker to hurry and finish off Rin as Saber continues to strike, only for her blows to glance off Berserker. Desperate to save Rin, Saber begins to activate her Noble Phantasm, but Shirou uses a Command Seal to cancel attack, knowing that if she uses her Noble Phantasm again she will deplete her mana and disappear. With Rin’s life now solely in his hands, Shirou concentrates and uses Projection magic to create a replica of Saber’s Noble Phantasm, Caliburn. With help from Saber the two attack together and are able to kill Berserker with a single blow. Feeling sorry for Illya, Shirou takes her in 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 come into view on her crystal ball - Sakura.

Episode 17: Mark of the Witch

Rin, Shirou, and Saber discuss their next plan of action, and they agree that the Master at Ryudou Temple is running rampant and must be stopped. Illya joins them and says that Caster is the one responsible for the incidents of people’s life force being drained and that Caster’s true identity is Medea. She also tells them that there are two Servants at the temple but that they don’t 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 school, Mr. Kuzuki, has been living at the temple. Thinking he is 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 with her and Saber while Rin and Shirou go toe to toe with Kuzuki. Caster reveals their plan to summon the Grail by force by using a human sacrifice and the two cut the fight short and vanish. The three rush back 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 off into the sky.

Episode 18: Decisive Battle

Shirou, Rin, and Archer arrive at Ryudou Temple. The three hurry up the steps, knowing their time to save Sakura is short. Halfway up the steps, Rin stops suddenly and leads them off 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 at the center of the city. Assassin appears on the steps to the temple and fights Saber while Shirou and Rin continue on to save Sakura. At the top of the temple, Shirou fights against Kuzuki while Rin goes after 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 and Shirou and Kuzuki rage on. On the stairs, Assassin unleashes his Turning Swallow Strike but it fails and Saber is able to get a clean strike. Knowing he has been bested and that his time is at an end, Assassin tells her to go after her friends before his body dematerializes. Saber rushes to join the others and suddenly an unknown Servant clad in gold armor appears. He points to Saber, saying that as king she belongs to him, before sending a raining barrage of swords down on 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 crumble around them and the three rush for the exit. Later at Shirou’s house, Saber reveals that the Servant is an Archer class from the previous war, however she doesn’t know his true identity. She also reveals to Shirou’s shock that her 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 last Command Seal to order Saber to destroy it. With Saber’s words still in his head, Shirou heads out and walks to Kotomine Church to try and get answers from Kirei, who is surprised to learn of the golden-clad Archer.

Episode 20: Distant Trace of a Dream

Shirou learns from Kirei that Saber would be able to stay in the world permanently if she drank from the Holy Grail, but Shirou knows that Saber’s wish is to return to her time. He heads home and is conflicted about what to do, ultimately realizing that he is in love with her. Later, Shirou asks Saber out on a date. They head into 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 to live for herself now. They get into an argument and Shirou leaves, returning home without her. Later at home, Shirou is upset that he can’t seem to save Saber no matter what he does. After realizing that Saber never came home he heads out to look for her and finds her in the exact spot he left her at. The two reconcile and begin heading home but they are stopped by Archer who confronts Saber.

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

On their way home, Shirou and Saber are confronted by Archer who reveals himself to be Gilgamesh. A fight ensues that incapacitates Shirou. Saber is also outmatched 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 Excalibur’s scabbard, Saber’s most powerful Noble Phantasm. Working together, they are able to damage Gilgamesh and he retreats. The next day, Saber and Shirou agree that Gilgamesh will have to be defeated if they want to acquire the Grail. The two make a meal together and kiss for the first time. Later, Shirou heads to Kotomine Church to talk with Kirei about Gilgamesh, but once there finds an underground chapel littered with human remains. Before he can escape, he is caught by Kirei and stabbed by Lancer before passing out.

Episode 22: Result of a Wish

Saber is annoyed at herself over her feelings for Shirou. She hears from Rin that Shiro went to the church by himself. Sensing that something is wrong, she hurries to find him. At the church, she finds Shirou collapsed and bloodied on the ground, and Lancer materializes to confront her. The two duel, but are cut short 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, which angers Lancer who says he would rather die than work with Gilgamesh. Kirei goes on to confess that he had been beaten by Kiritsugu in the previous war and that the fire that engulfed the city and led to so much death 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 means of destruction. Saber is shocked to discover that the Grail she had been seeking the whole time is actually a cursed chalice that destroys everything but its owner. Kirei leaves, and he orders Lancer and Gilgamesh to take care of 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 Excalibur’s scabbard, a sacred Noble Phantasm that heals its owner and the source of her mana, exists within him. On their way home, Saber tells Shirou that she now realizes that she had been deceiving herself about wanting the Grail and thanks him, saying that the path she should take is now clear to her. With a 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 seriously injured. She explains that Kirei is the seventh Master and that he came for Illya but she couldn’t stop him. She tells him that Illya is pure magic circuits in human form and that Kirei will use her to bring forth the Grail. She also says that Kirei is at Ryudou Temple and gives Shirou a magic dagger to use against him. Shirou and Saber head to the temple. Shirou tells Saber to handle Gilgamesh while he goes after Kirei. Gilgamesh is waiting for them as they enter the temple grounds. Saber draws her sword just as Gilgamesh activates Gates of Babylon, and Shirou runs off to find Kirei. Shirou soon finds Kirei in mid-ritual with Illya suspended in the air. The two battle but Shirou is easily grappled by Kirei’s magic. Before blasting him with the curse of the Holy Grail, Kirei tells Shirou that he placed a curse on Kiritsugu which eventually killed him. Meanwhile, Saber is overwhelmed by Gilgamesh’s attacks and the two unleash their Noble Phantasms at the same time, lighting up the sky.

Episode 24: The All Too Distant Utopia

Shirou finds himself in an inky abyss with ghoulish hands grabbing him and attempting to pull him down. However, he is able to break free by reminding himself of his goals, which shocked Kirei. Meanwhile, Saber continues her fight with Gilgamesh with both unleashing their Noble Phantasms. However, Gilgamesh’s proves more powerful and Saber is wounded. Feeling a connection between each other, she and Shirou are able to combine their powers using the scabbard. She unleashes her Noble Phantasm once more and it overwhelms Gilgamesh, striking him through. At the same time, Shirou is able to rush Kirei and plunges Rin’s dagger into him, which explodes with magical energy. With both Kirei and Gilgamesh dead, Saber approaches and says she will destroy the Holy Grail but that Shirou must order her to. Though he knows that she will vanish, he uses his last Command Seal. She holds up her sword, which begins radiating brightly with energy, and with a swift swing sends a powerful blast into the portal to the Holy Grail, which destabilizes and explodes. With the war over, Saber tells him she is glad 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 knight caretaker Bedivere setting her down under a tree. She commands Bedivere to return her sword to the Lady of the Lake and, at peace, closes her eyes for her final rest. Back in the present, Sakura, Rin, Illya, and the others go about their lives, which have returned to normal. As he stands on the bridge staring out over the water, Shirou thinks about Saber and wonders if there is anything left that connects their hearts. He looks toward the future and what lies ahead for him, knowing that if he keeps trying he will one day accomplish his goals.