Fate/stay night

The Einzbern, Tohsaka, and Matou Families Establish the Holy Grail War System in Fuyuki

Three great magus families — Einzbern, Tohsaka, and Makiri/Matou — forged an agreement to pursue the Root and designed the ritual system of the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City. Einzbern constructed the Grail vessel, Tohsaka provided the land and the Servant-summoning framework, and Makiri devised the Command Spell system.

The First Holy Grail War Is Held in Fuyuki but Collapses Due to Incomplete Command Spell Rules

The three families held the first Holy Grail War, but the Command Spell system was not yet complete, making Servant control extremely difficult. The war collapsed into chaos without producing a victor, prompting the families to refine the rules for future iterations.

The Second Holy Grail War Ends Without a Victor as All Participants Are Annihilated

Held under formalized rules, the Second Holy Grail War saw combat so fierce that every Master and Servant was eliminated before the end, leaving no survivor to claim the Grail. The ritual concluded without reaching completion.

The Third Holy Grail War: Avenger Is Summoned and the Holy Grail Is Corrupted

Held during World War II, the Third Holy Grail War saw the Einzbern family summon the irregular Servant Avenger (Angra Mainyu). Though defeated in combat, Avenger's nature as 'All the World's Evil' seeped into the Grail's interior, corrupting all subsequent iterations of the ritual.

The Fourth Holy Grail War (Fate/Zero) Erupts; the Fuyuki City Fire Occurs at Its Conclusion

Around November 1994, the Fourth Holy Grail War began in Fuyuki City. Seven Master-Servant pairs, including Kiritsugu Emiya, fought for the Grail. At the war's conclusion, corrupted mud spilling from the tainted Grail triggered a catastrophic fire that killed hundreds and devastated part of the city.

Kiritsugu Adopts Shirou Emiya after the Fuyuki Fire; Kiritsugu Dies of Illness

Among the survivors of the Fuyuki City Fire, Kiritsugu found a young boy (the future Shirou Emiya) and adopted him. Shirou grew up learning the rudiments of magecraft from Kiritsugu, but Kiritsugu's body was steadily eroded by the curse of the corrupted Grail, and he died of illness approximately five years after the fire.

Rin Tohsaka Summons Archer and Enters the War as a Master

Rin Tohsaka, heir to the Tohsaka family, summons Archer as she enters the Fifth Holy Grail War. This pairing is established in the shared opening before the story branches into its three routes.

Vol.TVアニメ Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] #00 プロローグCh. — Official synopsis for Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] episode #00, which states that Rin summons Archer. ↗

Shirou Emiya Inadvertently Summons Saber and Is Drawn into the Fifth Holy Grail War

On the night of 2 February 2004, Shirou Emiya is attacked by Lancer at school and sustains a fatal wound, but is saved by Rin Tohsaka's emergency treatment. When Lancer pursues him home, the Avalon sheath embedded in his body by Kiritsugu acts as a catalyst and inadvertently completes the summoning of Saber.

[Heaven's Feel Route] Shirou Takes Sakura In and Forms an Alliance with Rin

In the Heaven's Feel route, as unsettling incidents spread through Fuyuki, Shirou decides to have Sakura stay at his home. He enters the Holy Grail War with Saber and an alliance with Rin. This configuration is labeled as route-specific and is not merged with the other routes.

Vol.劇場版 Fate/stay night [Heaven's Feel] I.presage flower — Official story for Fate/stay night [Heaven's Feel] I. presage flower. ↗

Seven Servants Gather for the Fifth Holy Grail War and Battles Break Out across Fuyuki

The Fifth Holy Grail War assembles seven Servant-Master pairs — Shirou/Saber, Rin/Archer, Shinji/Rider, Kirei Kotomine/Lancer (proxy), Illyasviel/Berserker, Assassin (Sasaki Kojirou), and Gilgamesh (intervening) — who wage battles across Fuyuki City, escalating the threat to civilians.

[Unlimited Blade Works Route] Caster Breaks Her Former Contract and Establishes Her Own Position

The official UBW episode synopsis recounts that Caster broke her contract with her former Master, killed him, and escaped that relationship. Shirou and Rin plan to defeat Caster before Saber can be controlled.

Vol.TVアニメ Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] #14 コルキスの王女Ch. — Official synopsis for Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] episode #14. ↗

[Unlimited Blade Works Route] Berserker and Gilgamesh Clash at Einzbern Castle

By the time Shirou and Rin reach Einzbern Castle, Berserker and Gilgamesh are already fighting. Berserker, while protecting Illya, is placed at a disadvantage by Gilgamesh's Noble Phantasms.

Vol.TVアニメ Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] #15 神話の対決Ch. — Official synopsis for Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] episode #15. ↗

[Unlimited Blade Works Route] After Caster Falls, Rin Forms a Contract with Saber

After Caster's defeat invalidates Archer's contract, Archer attacks Shirou. To save Shirou and Saber in their predicament, Rin forms a contract with Saber.

Vol.TVアニメ Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] #18 その縁は始まりにCh. — Official synopsis for Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] episode #18. ↗

[Fate Route] Shirou and Saber Move toward the Fifth Holy Grail War's Conclusion Together

In the Saber route, Shirou fights the Holy Grail War alongside the Saber he summoned. The official introduction presents this route as a story set in motion by their encounter, leading to an ending distinct from the other two routes. Archer's identity is not treated here as a Fate-route revelation.

— TYPE-MOON official Fate (Saber route) introduction. Late-route detail is deliberately limited. ↗

[Unlimited Blade Works Route] Archer's Identity Is Revealed in Connection with Shirou's Ideal

In the UBW route, Archer's identity is revealed, forcing Shirou to confront what his ideal of becoming a hero of justice means across his future. This revelation belongs to the UBW route and is not transferred to the Fate route.

Vol.TVアニメ Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] #19 理想の末路Ch. — Official synopsis for Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] episode #19. ↗

[Unlimited Blade Works Route] Shirou's Group Prepares for the Final Phase at Ryuudou Temple

After hearing Gilgamesh explain the Holy Grail War's true purpose, Shirou's group prepares for a battle at Ryuudou Temple, the ritual site in this iteration. Rin works out a countermeasure against Gilgamesh.

Vol.TVアニメ Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] #22 冬の日、遠い家路Ch. — Official synopsis for Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] episode #22. ↗

[UBW Route] Archer Confirmed as a Future Shirou; Shirou Defeats Him with Unlimited Blade Works

In the Unlimited Blade Works route, the Archer summoned as a Heroic Spirit is revealed to be a future Shirou Emiya who died while clinging to his ideals. Shirou affirms his current path and overcomes the confrontation using his own Unlimited Blade Works Reality Marble. Gilgamesh is subsequently defeated and the Grail is destroyed.

[Unlimited Blade Works Route] Before the Manifested Grail, Shirou and Rin Face Gilgamesh while Saber Faces Assassin

Gilgamesh blocks Shirou and Rin as they reach the manifested Grail. At the same time, Saber confronts Assassin at the temple gate, and the war moves into its closing phase.

Vol.TVアニメ Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] #23 顕現Ch. — Official synopsis for Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] episode #23. ↗

[Unlimited Blade Works Route] Shirou Accepts His Ideal and Moves toward a Final Confrontation with Gilgamesh

Even when Gilgamesh dismisses him as a counterfeit, Shirou resolves to continue carrying his ideal. The official episode synopsis presents this as the point where he gives form to that resolve and the Grail story reaches its decision.

Vol.TVアニメ Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] #24 無限の剣製Ch. — Official synopsis for Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] episode #24. ↗

[Heaven's Feel Route] Zouken Summons True Assassin as the Shadow Causes Further Losses

In the Heaven's Feel route, Matou patriarch Zouken enters the conflict by summoning True Assassin. An unidentified Shadow moves through the city, causing Masters and Servants to fall and radically distorting the Fifth War's usual structure.

Vol.劇場版 Fate/stay night [Heaven's Feel] II.lost butterfly — Official story for Fate/stay night [Heaven's Feel] II. lost butterfly. ↗

[Heaven's Feel Route] Sakura Matou Is Possessed by All the World's Evil; the 'Shadow' Ravages Fuyuki

In the Heaven's Feel route, Sakura Matou awakens as the vessel of the Holy Grail, possessed by the 'All the World's Evil' (Angra Mainyu) that has persisted since the Third Holy Grail War. A 'Shadow' emanating from Sakura absorbs Servants one by one, and Fuyuki City is engulfed in a massive magical crisis.

[Heaven's Feel Route] Shirou Loses Saber but Refuses to Abandon His Fight to Protect Sakura

As the Shadow's threat expands, Shirou loses Saber, his Servant. Even so, he chooses not to withdraw from the conflict because he wants to protect Sakura. This is recorded as a Heaven's Feel-specific choice.

Vol.劇場版 Fate/stay night [Heaven's Feel] II.lost butterfly — Official story for Fate/stay night [Heaven's Feel] II. lost butterfly. ↗

[Heaven's Feel Route] Rider Saves Shirou in His Crisis as the Remaining Parties Move toward the End

Late in the Heaven's Feel route, Rider saves Shirou in a crisis. After many Masters and Servants have fallen, Shirou and Rin confront the truth of the Holy Grail War while choosing to protect Sakura.

— TYPE-MOON official Heaven's Feel (Sakura route) introduction. ↗

[Heaven's Feel Route] Shirou Destroys the True Holy Grail to Save Sakura; the War Ends

Near the end of the Heaven's Feel route, the True Holy Grail is on the verge of fully manifesting through Sakura. Shirou pushes his body to its absolute limit with Projection magecraft, reaches the core of the Grail, and destroys it from within while saving Sakura. The Holy Grail War concludes, ending the chain of catastrophes that has plagued Fuyuki City for generations.