Fate Zero / Fate 0

Fate/Zero Overview

Origin

Fate Zero began as a light novel series (The Untold Story of the Fourth Holy Grail War, The Mad Feast of Kings, The Scattered Ones, and The Flames of Purgatory). Takashi Takeuchi proposed the idea for a prequel to Gen Urobuchi who agreed to be the writer for the novels which were supervised by Kinoko Nase. Four sets of drama CDs were released from 2008-2010. The anime adaptation began airing in October 2011. A break between seasons resulted in an improvement of the animation quality of the second season.

Summary

Fate Zero is the story of the Fourth Holy Grail War which happened 10 years prior to the Fifth Holy Grail War of Fate/stay night. Seven servants and seven Masters battle one another until only one Servant Master pair remains to claim the Holy Grail and fulfill their wishes.

Servants

Saber (Artoria Pendragon/King of Knights/King Arthur): Servant of Kiritsugu Emiya. Her wish is to change Britain, her kingdom’s, past.
Archer (Gilgamesh/King of Heroes): Servant of Tokiomi Tohsaka and later Kirei Kotomine. His wish is to enjoy himself and prevent anyone from stealing the Holy Grail from him which he already deems part of his treasure.
Lancer (Diarmuid Ua Duibhne): Servant of Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald. His wish is to simply fight as a noble knight alongside his Master. Later in the story it is to restore the health and Magic Circuits of his Master.
Rider (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 Jeanne d'Arc to be resurrected.
Berserker (Lancelot du Lac/previously the Black Knight): Servant of Kariya Emiya. His wish is reparation for his wrongdoing against King Arthur.
Assassin: Servant of Kirei Kotomine. His wish is to be made whole again having been suffering from his personality being split into several beings.

Main Human Characters

Kiritsugu Emiya: He is a hitman specializing in mages that uses all strategies and weapons available to him. His dream was to become a “Hero of Justice,” and his wish was to world peace.
Irisviel von Einzbern: She is the wife of Kiritsugu Emiya and mother of Illyasviel von Einzbern. She is a homunculus which is a humanoid shape of the Grail Vessel which is conscious and can defend itself.
Kirei Kotomine: He is the son of Risei Kotomine and lives an unfulfilling life obeying all orders of his father who is a priest.. His wish is to find out what it is he really wants.
Tokiomi Tohsaka: He is the head of the Tohsaka family and a skilled battle mage trained in gem based magecraft and fire. His wish is to access the Root of Akasha.
Aoi Tohsaka: She is the wife of Tokiomi Tohsaka and mother of Rin Tohsaka and Sakura Matou.
Waver Velvet: He is a young Clock Tower student that comes from a weak, nearly non-existent line of only two generations of mages (him being the third). His wish is to be taken seriously and seen as a talented mage by the Mage’s Association.
Maiya Hisau: She is an assistant to Kiritsugu Emiya who is cold and professional due to her mysterious past she later reveals to Irisviel Von Einzbern.
Kariya Matou: His wish is to rescue Sakura Matou from her training to become a mage.
Ryuunosuke Uryuu: He simply wants to kill in extraordinary brutal ways with Caster.
Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald: He simply wants to increase his own standing 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 or Kirei Kotomine, priest in the church, and supervisor of the Fourth Holy Grail War though he works with Kirei Kotomine and Tokiomi Tohasaka to conspire it will end up with Kirei Kotomine.

Minor Human Characters

Rin Tohsaka: Daughter of Tokiomi and Aoi Tohsaka.
Sakura Matou: Birth daughter of Toiomi and Aoi Tohsaka adopted by the Matou’s to be ruthlessly trained to become a mage by Zouken Matou.
Illyasviel von Einzbern: Daughter of Kiritsugu Emiya and Irisviel von Einzbern.
Jubstacheit von Einzbern: Grandfather of Illyasviel Von Einzbern.
Zouken Matou: Father of Kariya Matou and head of the Matou family.
Glen and Martha Mackenzie: An elderly couple. Waver Velvet lives in their home having hypnotized them into thinking they are his grandparents.
Norikata Emiya: Father of Kiritsugu Emiya.
Shirley: Childhood friend of Kiritsugu Emiya.
Natalia Kaminiski: Motherlike figure of Kiritsugu Emiya.
Shirou Emiya: A boy Kiritsugu Emiya rescues and adopts.

Opening Themes

Episodes 1-13: "Oath Sign" by LiSA
Episodes 14-25: "To the Beginning" by Kalafina

Ending Themes

Episodes 1-13: “MEMORIA" by Aoi Eir
Episodes 14-17 & 20-24: "Sora wa Takaku Kaze wa Utau" by Luna Haruna
Episodes: 18 & 19: "Manten" by Kalafina
Episode 25: "To the Beginning" by Kalafina