Fate Prototype Anime

Fate/Prototype

Overview

Fate/Prototype is a 12-minute OVA, or animated short, that is part of the Nasuverse. The Fate/Prototype anime runs more like bits and pieces of a trailer than a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end. The complete story has never been released as an anime.

It is actually the original concept behind the Fate/stay night story written by Kinoko Nasu. The story of Fate/Prototype takes place during the Second Tokyo Holy Grail War, which happens in an alternate reality to Fate/stay night’s Fuyuki Holy Grail Wars. In this Second Holy Grail War, the function of Commands Seals have been replaced with the similar Master Degrees that determine the rank of the seven Masters in the War. Another difference to the Fate/stay night universe is that Heroic Spirits are summoned by a Minor Grail, while a Major Grail is used to store many human souls. The Major Grail is said to grant one wish, but in reality is just a cooking pot to make a powerful being called the Beast, made up of human souls.

Fate/Prototype was produced by Studio Lerche and originally released alongside the third home release of the anime, Carnival Phantasm in 2011. A prequel to Fate/Prototype called Fate/Prototype: Fragments of Sky Silver has been released as drama CDs. It details the events of the First Tokyo Holy Grail War.

Story

In this universe, “Heaven’s Feel” is an alias for the First Holy Grail War. The story picks up during the Second Holy Grail War, which begins eight years after “Heaven’s Feel.” A girl named Ayaka Sajyou has been called on to be a Master in the war even though she wishes to put the ritual behind her and live a normal life. Her older sister and father were killed in the previous war, traumatizing her. Although she wants no part in the war, her father’s last words were “You have no choice but to enter into the Heaven’s Feel.”

On the eighth anniversary of their deaths, Sancraid Phahn (a member of the Church and this universe’s counterpart for Kirei Kotomine) tells Ayaka that she must participate in the Second Holy Grail War. Later a mysterious man (Lancer) and his familiars chase Ayaka and nearly kills her by running her through with his spear. In the last moment before she is about to be killed, the Servant Saber (Arthur Pendragon) appears and rescues her. Saber vows to protect Ayaka, and Ayaka joins the battle royale for the Grail.

Characters

Ayaka Sajyou
Ayaka is the main protagonist of the story. Her counterpart in Fate/stay night is Shirou Emiya. She is the Master of Saber. Her Master Degree is The Seventh, Princes. Although she does not want to take part in the Holy Grail War after the deaths of her father and sister in the previous one, she has no choice but to participate or die. Her physical appearance is somewhat like Mash Kyrirelight’s from Fate/Grand Order, but with brown hair instead of pink hair.

Saber
The First. His True Name is Arthur Pendragon, and he is the male counterpart to Saber from Fate/stay night. Like the female Saber, he is noble and has a strong sense of justice. He, like Artoria, is also fiercely loyal to his Master. He has short blonde hair and a silver armor from the neck down. His weapon is Excalibur.

Archer
The Third. His True Name is Gilgamesh. He detests being third in rank behind two other Servants. He wears golden armor from the neck down and has short spiky blonde hair. Like Gilgamesh in Fate/stay night, this version of him is extremely confident and self-centered. He falls for Ayaka when he sees her without glasses on. His Master is a wealthy businessman. Archer finds him boring and thinks he is a coward for not watching Archer’s battles directly.

Rider
The Fifth. His True Name is Perseus and his Master is Aro Isemi. At first he thinks his Master is weak and hates him for it. But later, he sympathizes with Aro and wishes to resurrect him after his death. He wears a mask that acts as a fake Master, giving him mana. He possesses several Noble Phantasms.

Misaya Reiroukan
Misaya’s counterpart in the Fate/stay night series is Rin Tohsaka. Her Master Degree is The Second, Cherubim. Like Rin, she is a beautiful, proud and calculating noblewoman. Unlike Rin, she is sadistic. She is Lancer’s Master and orders him to kill Ayaka.

Lancer
The Fourth. Fairly similar in appearance to the Lancer of Fate/stay night.

Sancraid Phahn
His Master Degree is VOID, Absence. He has a psychotic personality flipping from kind to evil. He is the Master of Berserker (Hercules).

Manaka Sajyou
Ayaka’s older sister who supposedly died in the First Holy Grail War. She is the prototype for Illyasviel von Einzbern in the Fate/stay night story. She is the Master of Beast, and her Master Degree is The First, Seraphim.

Beast
Beast is the personification of the sins and desires of humans. It is born from the souls and Evil of man that fill the Major Grail. Its appearance is somewhat similar to the blob that appears at the end of Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works.