List of Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works episodes
The plot of the episodes of the anime series Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works is primarily based on the Unlimited Blade Works storyline in the Fate/stay night visual novel, in which Shirou Emiya, a high school student and amateur mage living in Fuyuki City, Japan, is dragged into the Fifth Holy Grail War, a secret magical tournament. In it, seven participants, known as "Masters", and their "Servants", reincarnated personifications of legendary heroes of history, fight in a battle royale for the Holy Grail, an omnipotent magical chalice that can fulfill any wish or desire for its victor. Shirou and his Servant Saber, are forced to team up with Rin Tohsaka, another Master in the Holy Grail War, but Shirou finds himself earning the strong dislike of Rin's mysterious Servant Archer, whose motivations are unknown.
| Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works | |
|---|---|
 Promotional artwork for the Bluray box of Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works. | |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| No. of episodes | 26 + OVA |
| Release | |
| Original network | Tokyo MX, GTV, GYT, BS11 |
| Original release | October 4, 2014 – June 27, 2015 |
| Season chronology | |
The anime is jointly produced by Aniplex, Notes, and Ufotable, the same studios that co-produced the 2011–2012 anime adaptation for Fate/Zero. It is also directed by Takahiro Miura, with music composed by Hideyuki Fukasawa; character designs by Tomonori Sudou, Hisayuki Tabata, and Atsushi Ikariya, based on the original designs by Takashi Takeuchi; and art, 3D, and photography directions by Koji Eto, Kōjirō Shishido, and Yuichi Terao, respectively. The first half of the series ran from October 4 to December 27, 2014. The second half ran from April 4 to June 27, 2015.[1] An advanced screening online premiered on September 28, 2014, in several countries across the world, including Japan, the United States, France, Germany and South Korea.[2] A total of eleven DVD volumes collected the series in Japan. They were released from November 26, 2014 to September 30, 2015.[3] Two blu-ray disks compilations were also released. The first one containing the first season was out on March 25, 2015.[4] The second one was released on October 7, 2015.[5] In May 2020, Aniplex of America announced that a complete boxset, containing both seasons and the OVA "Sunny Day", is scheduled for a July 14, 2020 release.[6]
The first opening theme is "Ideal White" by Mashiro Ayano and the first ending theme is "Believe" by Kalafina. A cover version of "This Illusion" from the original visual novel was used as the ending theme for episode 12, performed by LiSA. The second opening theme is "Brave Shine" by Aimer and the second ending theme is "Ring Your Bell" by Kalafina. A remix of "Ring Your Bell", titled "Ring Your Bell (in the silence)", was used as the ending theme for episode 15. The song "Last Stardust", performed by Aimer, was used as an insert song for episode 20.
Episode list
First season
| No. | Title | Original airdate[7] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | "Prologue" Transcription: "Purorōgu" (Japanese: プロローグ) | October 4, 2014 | |
| Rin Tohsaka wakes up after having a dream about her last moment with her father Tokiomi Tohsaka. She arrives early to school, only to realize that the clocks at her home were set forward by an hour. She meets with other people at the school who arrived early, including Ayako Mitsuzuri, the captain of the archery club; Sakura Matou, a new member of the archery club; Shinji Matou, Sakura's older brother; Taiga Fujimura, one of the schoolteachers; Issei Ryuudou, the student council president; and Shirou Emiya, a boy fixing a heater for Issei. After school in preparation for the Fifth Holy Grail War, Rin performs a summoning ritual at home and summons the Servant Archer, who is initially dissatisfied with Rin. An irritated Rin then wastes one of her Command Seals and orders Archer into absolute obedience. While the order is worded vaguely and therefore seemingly pointless, Archer commends Rin for her skill as a mage. Archer has no memories of who he is after he was summoned, much to Rin's displeasure. The next day, Rin skips school and shows Archer around the city, revealing to him that she has no wish for the Holy Grail, only a desire to win. The following day, Rin senses a magical barrier being set up at school. As night falls, Rin attempts to destroy the barrier, but is then confronted by the Servant Lancer, who engages Archer in a sword fight. As they battle, Archer correctly deduces the true identity of Lancer as being the ancient Irish hero Cú Chulainn. The battle is witnessed by a student, whom Lancer pursues and mortally wounds before fleeing. Finding the student's body, Rin identifies him as Shirou and decides to use magic to revive him. After leaving, Rin and Archer realize that Lancer's Master will sense that Shirou has survived and have Lancer finish the job. As Rin and Archer head over to the suburbs, they are attacked by the Servant Saber. | |||
| 1 | "A Winter Day, A Fateful Night" Transcription: "Fuyu no Hi, Unmei no Yoru" (Japanese: 冬の日、運命の夜) | October 11, 2014 | |
| Shirou is woken up by his close friend Sakura. After having an interesting breakfast with Sakura and his legal guardian Taiga, Shirou goes to school and fixes a heater for Issei, which is briefly observed by Rin. Issei remarks that Shirou never hesitates in helping people in need and warns him that he may be taken advantage of by inconsiderate people like Shinji. While walking home from school, he encounters Illyasviel "Illya" von Einzbern, who warns him to summon a Servant soon before vanishing. The next day, while helping Sakura with the dishes, Shirou notices a bruise on her hand and assumes that Shinji is beating her. At school, he learns from Ayako that Shinji has recently been acting more aggressively. He is also informed by other female students of the murders of a family of four. While visiting the crime scene, Shirou recalls the time that he was rescued by Kiritsugu Emiya in the aftermath of a devastating fire that occurred ten years ago, later being adopted by him and learning that he is a mage. Shirou notes how he had devoted his life to Kiritsugu's ideals of becoming a hero of justice. The following day, Shirou stays late at school and confronts Shinji about Sakura's injury, but Shinji denies any involvement before asking Shirou to clean the school's archery dojo, which he decides to do. After finishing, Shirou witnesses the fight between Archer and Lancer, the latter of whom notices him. Running inside the school, Shirou is suddenly cornered by Lancer, who stabs him in the heart using a red spear-like Noble Phantasm, Gáe Bolg, and flees. Shirou nearly dies from his wound, but is revived by Rin, who quickly leaves before he can recognize her. Returning home, Shirou is attacked by Lancer again, being forced to escape into the backyard shed. There, he accidentally summons Saber, who wards off Lancer after a brief battle. After identifying Shirou as her Master, Saber engages Archer in a sword fight, but Shirou uses one of his Command Seals to stop her before she injures Archer. Shirou is then calmly greeted by Rin. | |||
| 2 | "The Curtain Rises" Transcription: "Kaimaku no Toki" (Japanese: 開幕の刻) | October 18, 2014 | |
| Back in Shirou's home, Rin tells Shirou that he is chosen as one of the Masters for the Holy Grail War, then explains the basics behind it. When Shirou is unable to comprehend the situation, Rin decides to take him to see Kirei Kotomine, a priest who is her legal guardian and also the overseer of the Holy Grail War. When they arrive at the church and meet up with Kirei, Shirou learns that the responsibilities of a Master are unavoidable once chosen. After hearing about the Holy Grail and the purpose of the Holy Grail War, Shirou learns that there were four Holy Grail Wars before the current one, with the latest one taking place ten years ago. Kirei, saying that there can be no action taken against a victor with dark intentions, realizes that Shirou has no interest in fighting. At the conclusion of the Fourth Holy Grail War, an evil Master touched the Holy Grail, resulting in the horrifying fire that Shirou survived. Kirei adds that before the evil Master appeared, a good Master won and held the Holy Grail, but the Holy Grail deemed the good Master unworthy due to his refusal to fight. Shirou regroups with Saber outside of the church, declaring that he finally accepts his responsibilities as a Master. They agree to fight in the Fifth Holy Grail War together. Archer informs Rin that they should attack since Shirou is now a proper Master. Rin responds by saying that she still has a debt to pay Shirou in return for saving her life, deciding to let Shirou and Saber return home. Moments later, they are confronted by Illya, who is revealed to be the Master of the Servant Berserker. | |||
| 3 | "The First Battle" Transcription: "Shosen" (Japanese: 初戦) | October 25, 2014 | |
| Illya introduces herself, and Rin seems familiar with Illya's family name. Rin and Archer evaluate Berserker before Archer moves to a farther position so he can attack Berserker from a distance. Berserker then attacks Saber, who is overwhelmed by his brute strength and agility. Archer and Rin try to provide support for Saber, but Berserker constantly winds up being unaffected by their strikes, due to his Noble Phantasm, God Hand, which grants him automatic resurrection and immunity to lower level attacks. When the fight moves away into the suburbs, Rin orders Shirou to run, but he remembers his agreement with Saber and follows them instead. As the fight progresses, Kirei is visited by Gilgamesh, as they both claim their intentions to witness the materialization of the Holy Grail in its fullest detail. The fight then moves through a forest and into a local cemetery, where Rin tries to kill Illya, but Illya counters with several bird-shaped homunculi. Rin is rescued by Archer's attacks. While running back to Saber, Rin runs into Shirou. They watch as Saber kills Berserker, but he suddenly resurrects and regenerates himself using God Hand. Archer projects and fires a sword-shaped arrow at Berserker, which engulfs him in a massive explosion, but it has no effect. Illya, impressed by Archer's strength, withdraws Berserker and flees. Seconds later, Shirou suddenly begins vomiting blood. | |||
| 4 | "Finding the Will to Fight" Transcription: "Sen'i no Arika" (Japanese: 戦意の在処) | November 1, 2014 | |
| An uninjured Shirou wakes up in his home, with Rin sitting at his side. Before she leaves, she tells him that they will be enemies when they meet again. Shirou then finds Saber in the apartment dojo, and she reveals that he has self-healing magical capabilities, explaining the absence of the injuries that he sustained in the battle with Berserker. Saber explains the mechanics of the seven Servants, as well as and the advantages and disadvantages of knowing a Servant's true identity. Since Shirou is an inexperienced mage, he approves of Saber's request of concealing her true identity from him. Shirou and Saber then go to school to deliver lunch to the archery club. There, Saber explores the school and has a tense encounter with Souichirou Kuzuki, one of the instructors, before they are interrupted by Shirou. Later that day, while still at the school, Shirou is approached by Ayako, who asks if he will rejoin the archery club before noting he has never smiled in his life. While walking home with Saber, Sakura and Taiga, Shirou explains that Saber will be staying with him temporarily. Sakura is seemingly horrified by the idea, but Taiga approves under the condition that she stay in the home as well during that time. Meanwhile, Rin and Archer investigate an office building purportedly having a gas leak, and they find it is actually the work of the Servant Caster, who absorbed the life force of the employees inside and is most likely residing at Ryuudou Temple. When Rin decides to pursue Caster, Archer notes that Rin is ignoring Shirou. However, Rin states to Archer that she will kill Shirou if he approaches her again. | |||
| 5 | "Dancing After School" Transcription: "Hōkago ni Odoru" (Japanese: 放課後に踊る) | November 8, 2014 | |
| Five years ago, Kiritsugu tells Shirou about how he once wished to become a hero of justice. Shirou promised Kiritsugu to fulfill that dream in his place, after which Kiritsugu passes away in satisfaction. In the present day, Shirou goes to school alone, despite Saber's insistence that she accompany him. At school, Shirou learns from Issei that Ayako had gone missing the previous day and that she was last seen arguing with Shinji, who is currently absent, with no one able to contact him. As school ends for the day, Shirou is confronted by Rin, who attacks him despite his protests. After a brief chase, Rin eventually corners Shirou and tries threatening him into handing over his remaining Command Seals. Before she can carry out her threat, they hear a scream. Shirou investigates and finds an unconscious female student who has most of her mana absorbed. As Rin treats the female student, Shirou is wounded after shielding her from an incoming attack by the Servant Rider. He then pursues Rider into the nearby woods, where he is restrained and nearly killed, only to be saved by Rin, whose appearance prompts Rider to flee. Rin treats Shirou's wounds and decides to call off their fight, taking him to her house to evaluate the situation. Once there, the two agree to have a truce and track down Rider and her Master together. The following night, Rin is outraged upon learning about Shirou's magical training, as Kiritsugu did not adhere to the tradition of magecraft and prioritized himself as a father rather than a mage. | |||
| 6 | "Mirage" Transcription: "Shinkirō" (Japanese: 蜃気楼) | November 15, 2014 | |
| Shirou senses Archer following him on his way home, and they have a brief conversation. However, Shirou is surprised that Archer has no interest in the Holy Grail. Archer explains that Servants are mere tools for their Masters and reveals that he died with no unfulfilled dreams before disappearing. Returning home, Shirou learns from Taiga that Ayako was found alive without any visible injuries. He then meets up with Saber at the apartment dojo, and she approves of the truce that he made with Rin. The next day at the school library, Shirou senses a sigil in one of the bookshelves, which Rin disables. They explore the school grounds and disable other sigils, which they realize were set up for strengthening the magical barrier placed over the school. While preparing to head home, Shirou is confronted by Shinji, who reveals himself as Rider's Master and also the one who set up the magical barrier, also exposing the entire Matō family as a former clan of mages. Shinji tries to convince Shirou to form an alliance, but Shirou turns the offer down with the promise to keep quiet about their conversation. The following night, Shirou wakes up and finds himself restrained at Ryuudou Temple. He is approached by Caster, who admits responsibility for a purported series of gas leaks all over Fuyuki City, enraging Shirou. Meanwhile, Saber senses Shirou's disappearance and heads to Ryuudou Temple, only to be halted by the Servant Assassin, who claims to be the Japanese swordsman Sasaki Kojirō. Then, he challenges Saber to a duel. Caster expresses her intention to remove Shirou's Command Seals and transplant them to her own Master. Before she can do so, Archer intervenes and prepares to engage Caster in battle. | |||
| 7 | "The Reward for the Fight to the Death" Transcription: "Shitō no Kotae" (Japanese: 死闘の報酬) | November 22, 2014 | |
| Outside Ryuudou Temple, Saber engages Assassin in battle, but she is shocked to find that she cannot break through his defenses despite her advantages in strength and agility. Inside Ryuudou Temple, Caster reveals that she summoned Assassin as her own Servant using magecraft. Archer claims that Caster broke the rules of the Holy Grail War and insults her tactics before engaging her in battle. After a while, Archer manages to critically wound Caster, prompting Assassin to prematurely finish his assault on Saber with his secret technique, Swallow Reversal, which is able to cut down a swallow in mid-fight. Archer refuses to finish off Caster, as his main goal is to ensure Shirou's safety, since he does not believe in senseless slaughter. Caster claims that Shirou and Archer are alike in their ideals, although the two reject her offer to join forces with her. Despite Shirou's protests, Archer allows Caster to flee, knowing full well that she will continue to kill innocent people. Shirou is disgusted by Archer's willingness to allow collateral damage, yet Archer defends his ideals that Shirou criticizes against, citing that the collateral damage would extend far beyond Fuyuki City if Caster were to win the Holy Grail War. Archer slashes Shirou in the back when the latter is unable to accept this. Shirou staggers out of Ryuudou Temple and is tended to by Saber, who survives Assassin's Swallow Reversal. Archer continues his assault, but is distracted by Assassin, who allows Saber and Shirou to escape after being impressed by Saber's power. At the apartment dojo, Shirou asks Saber to teach him the art of swordsmanship, now unwilling to lose to Archer again. | |||
| 8 | "Winter Days, Where the Heart Is" Transcription: "Fuyu no Hi, Kokoro no Shozai" (Japanese: 冬の日、心の所在) | November 29, 2014 | |
| After a sparring lesson, Saber notices that Shirou was using Archer's techniques as a basis for study to improve his stance. Shirou arrives late to school and is greeted ominously by Shinji. During lunchtime, Rin reluctantly forces Shirou to eat with her at the school rooftop, where she reveals that she used a Command Seal to prevent Archer from further attacking Shirou during their alliance. Rin tells Shirou that the bloodline of mages of the Matō family died off with each generation. She admits that she recently found out that Shinji was a Master, but she relented in attacking him because he lacked experience in magecraft, which now results in another Master present in the school. Rider activates a stronger magical barrier around the school, which absorbs the mana of everyone except Shirou and Rin. The two are attacked by skeletal beings called Golems, and Shirou summons Saber via Command Seal. Saber battles the Golems while Shirou and Rin go to the school's first floor to disable the barrier. After dispatching several Golems, Saber faces off against Rider and manages to stab her. Rider is revealed to be an apparition created by Caster, who disappears. Meanwhile, Shirou and Rin find Shinji and the corpse of the real Rider, which dissolves, causing the barrier to dissipate. Shinji refuses to identify the Servant who killed Rider and flees the school. After Shirou, Saber and Rin assess the situation and deduce that Caster killed Rider, Rin notes Shirou's ability to recognize the conditions of the unconscious students and employees. Shirou replies that he is used to seeing dead bodies, which confuses Rin. | |||
| 9 | "The Distance Between Them" Transcription: "Futari no Kyori" (Japanese: 二人の距離) | December 6, 2014 | |
| After Archer arrives following the battle, Rin informs him that Rider has been killed by Caster. At his home, Shirou allows Saber to sleep nearby him in his room, so she can prevent him from being taken by Caster again. Meanwhile, Shinji arrives at the church and pleads with Kirei to offer shelter and protection. However, when Kirei finds out that Shinji was the first Master to lose his Servant, the latter blames the uselessness of Rider as a Servant. Realizing Shinji still has a resolve to fight, Kirei tells him there is one additional Servant available for usage. After clearing Issei of being Caster's Master, Shirou encounters Rin, who is spying on Gilgamesh, who has been observing the Matō home for some time. Later on after Gilgamesh leaves, Rin asks Shirou his opinion about being adopted into another family without any say at all. While eating dinner, Taiga tells Saber about Shirou and Kiritsugu during Shirou's childhood, commenting that they seemed to be polar opposites of each other due to their personalities. When Saber asks him why he wants to become a hero of justice, Shirou vaguely replies that it is because he looks up to them. However, while in his room alone, he concludes that he only wants to follow in Kiritsugu's footsteps, but then remembers from Archer's words that his ideals are flawed. | |||
| 10 | "The Fifth Contractor" Transcription: "Goninme no Keiyakusha" (Japanese: 五人目の契約者) | December 13, 2014 | |
| Rin wakes up after having a dream about how Archer became a Servant in the first place. She later becomes upset with Archer, who suggests that Caster would have been a more reliable ally than Shirou. At school, Shirou and Rin learn from Issei that Kuzuki has been living at Ryuudou Temple with a mysterious woman, who is believed to be his fiancée. Rin theorizes that Kuzuki is Caster's Master and plans on attacking Kuzuki with a nonlethal magical attack to observe his reaction. The following night, Shirou, Saber and Rin set up their quarters at an abandoned gas station where Kuzuki usually passes by. When Kuzuki arrives, Rin fires the magical attack at him. Kuzuki is unaffected and Caster arrives for assistance. An outraged Shirou confronts Kuzuki and asks if he knew about Caster's attacks on innocent people. However, Kuzuki responds that he was unaware but did not care in the slightest, revealing himself to be a former killer. Rin then attacks Caster as a distraction while Saber tries to strike Kuzuki, but Kuzuki uses magically-strengthened fists to subdue Saber and Rin. Once Kuzuki brutalizes Shirou, the latter responds by summoning Archer's dual swords and uses them to repel Kuzuki's attacks. When Saber and Rin regain consciousness, Kuzuki and Caster flee. Rin asks Shirou how he was able to summon weapons, and he reveals that while he specialized in strengthening magic, he first succeeded at using projection magic. Meanwhile, Shinji meets his new Servant Gilgamesh, who dismisses the strategy to kill innocent people for their mana and reveals the plan to use the Holy Grail to kill most of the human population in the world. | |||
| 11 | "A Visitor Approaches Lightly" Transcription: "Raihōsha wa Karoyaka ni" (Japanese: 来訪者は軽やかに) | December 20, 2014 | |
| At night, Shirou and Saber return home after their battle with Kuzuki and Caster, but Shirou hides the fact that he is clearly in pain and off-balance as a result of using projection magic. The next day, he goes to school and finds that Kuzuki is absent due to what is claimed to be an illness. After school, Shirou returns home, where Rin suddenly arrives unannounced. Shirou, Saber and Rin proceed to formulate a viable strategy to deal with Caster, which is a full-frontal attack against Ryuudou Temple. However, Saber and Rin fear that Caster might opt to destroy the entire temple if she is cornered. After dinner, Shirou meets Rin in the courtyard, where she muses that Shirou's home is more welcoming than her own, and that perhaps it is better that Shirou did not adopt the lifestyle of a true mage. Although Rin became a mage because she personally enjoys studying magic, Shirou learned magic because he wants to help others. A frustrated Rin cites that it is not right for him to put the happiness of others above his own. She stays at his home for the night after telling him that she plans on punishing him the next day. Later that night, Shirou goes to the shed to practice strengthening magic. Saber comes in to check on Shirou and takes notices of the left side of his body being numb. Archer then arrives and is aware of the symptoms, knowing the precise side effects of projection magic. The pain that Shirou has been feeling is due to activating magic circuits that have long laid dormant. After repairing Shirou's magic circuits and noting of a similar experience, Archer warns Shirou that his ideals are meaningless and doomed to fail, something Shirou denies. | |||
| 12 | "The Final Decision" Transcription: "Saigo no Sentaku" (Japanese: 最後の選択) | December 27, 2014 | |
| In an attempt to make Shirou selfishly happy, Rin decides to take him out on a date into town, accompanied by Saber, but Rin teases Shirou the whole time to his chagrin. Shirou turns the tables by making Rin confess that she spent the night with him out of concern, and ultimately he is not satisfied. While returning home, the three find themselves inside a magical barrier, and they are ambushed by Caster and several water Golems. Caster reveals that she has Taiga in captivity, threatening Shirou to hand over his magical circuits to her. When Shirou refuses, Caster tells him that she knows about the fire that he survived ten years ago, then claims her knowledge of a method to summon the Holy Grail without any further fighting, which can only be accomplished by Saber's mana. Shirou allows Caster to take his Command Seals in order to rescue Taiga, but an ambivalent Saber engages Caster in battle. However, Shirou uses a Command Seal to stop Saber, allowing Caster to stab Saber's heart with her dagger-like Noble Phantasm, Rule Breaker. This takes Shirou's remaining Command Seals and gives Caster control over Saber. After releasing Taiga, Caster forces Saber to kill Rin, but Shirou is injured while taking the blow. Saber then resists against Caster's magic long enough for Shirou, Rin and Taiga to escape with assistance from Archer. Regaining consciousness at Rin's house, Shirou finds a red jewel pendant, the same one that Rin used to revive him after he was first stabbed by Lancer. Meanwhile, Caster arrives at the church and demands Kirei to tell her the location of the Lesser Grail, the vessel for the Holy Grail. She attacks him with Golems when he refuses to disclose the information. Shirou finds Rin at the top of a skyscraper. Rin tells Shirou that there is no longer a reason for him to be involved in the Holy Grail War without Saber as his Servant. As Rin leaves with Archer, she warns Shirou to stay out of the Holy Grail War from now on, otherwise he will die. | |||
Second season
| No. | Title | Original airdate[7] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | "Time of Departure" Transcription: "Ketsubetsu no Toki" (Japanese: 決別の刻) | April 4, 2015 | |
| Returning home, Shirou Emiya reminisces about the fire he survived that inspired him to become a hero of justice. At the church, Caster visits Saber, who is resisting her magical bondage. Caster is then confronted by Souichirou Kuzuki, who learns that her last two attacks had been of her own free will and that she intends to use the church to obtain the Lesser Grail. Rin Tohsaka wakes up from another dream about Archer. The two go to the church, where they find bloodstains, in which Rin concludes that Kirei Kotomine somehow managed to survive an attack made by Caster. Rin and Archer then confront Caster and Kuzuki, but when Rin tries to fight them, Archer suddenly defends them from her attacks. Citing Saber's change in alliegance to Caster's side, Archer pledges his allegiance to Caster, revealing that she is the ancient Greek princess Medea and allowing her to stab him with Rule Breaker, which removes Rin's Command Seals. Kuzuki tries to kill Rin, but she is saved by a recovered Shirou. When Caster counters with Golems, Archer stops her and has her release Shirou and Rin as a condition for him joining forces with her. While on their way back to Shirou's home, Rin confesses that Archer joined Caster because he knew Rin's strategies were hopelessly flawed. Shirou counters by telling her that even though she failed this time, it does not mean she was wrong. After comforting her, Shirou returns the red jewel pendant that he found at her house, telling her that he has another one at his home. When Rin asks why he rescued her, Shirou confesses that he loves her, which initially embarrasses her. However, she thanks him for saving her life. | |||
| 14 | "Princess of Colchis" Transcription: "Korukisu no Oujo" (Japanese: コルキスの王女) | April 11, 2015 | |
| At his home, Shirou tells Rin that he plans on continuing to fight in the Holy Grail War, even without a Servant. She replies that she has no choice but to let him before reaffirming their partnership. While discussing a strategy to defeat Caster and rescue Saber, the two decide to team up with Illyasviel "Illya" von Einzbern, since Archer had told Rin that Berserker is in fact the ancient Greek hero Heracles, which might give them an advantage against Caster. Meanwhile, Caster recounts the time when she was summoned for the Holy Grail War by a mage named Atrum Galliasta, only to be unsatisfied by his inefficient method of acquiring mana for her at his workshop. After Caster asked that she be allowed to acquire mana herself, Atrum realized that he could not trust a magic user better than himself. As a result, he contacted Kirei, who told Atrum to dispatch Caster first before making a pact with another Servant. Atrum then sent out a contract for Caster's death to his colleague, the Master of Lancer. When Atrum returned to his workshop, Caster destroyed it in flames. He tried to use his Command Seals to force her into committing suicide, but it backfired with her Rule Breaker. After she trapped Atrum in an illusion of a labyrinth and immolated him, she was gravely injured by Lancer and barely escaped with her life. However, she was saved by Kuzuki, who became her new Master. In the present day, Illya observes Shirou and Rin traveling to her villa and sends her out maids Leysritt and Sella to receive them. However, the villa is breached by Shinji Matō and Gilgamesh, the latter who reveals that the Lesser Grail is being held inside Illya's heart. When Leysritt and Sella try to protect Illya, Gillgamesh kills them with his Noble Phantasm, Gate of Babylon, which can summon swords through a mystical vault. He is then confronted by Illya, who orders Berserker to attack him. | |||
| 15 | "A Battle of Legend" Transcription: "Shinwa no Taiketsu" (Japanese: 神話の対決) | April 18, 2015 | |
| Ten years ago, in the aftermath of the Fourth Holy Grail War, Illya had a vision of her mother Irisviel von Einzbern, who claimed her husband and Illya's father, a participant in the war, betrayed them by refusing to accept the Holy Grail when it presented itself to him. At first, she refused to believe it, but realized the truth when her father did not return home. As time passed, she stumbled upon a pool in her home, containing numerous homunculi that were created to serve Illya's purpose, only to fail in their missions. Realizing she is also a homunculus from their dying messages, Illya became disillusioned with her life. Later on, she met Leysritt and Sella, who assisted her in summoning Berserker. However, she initially did not want him, resolving to participate and win the Holy Grail War by herself. During the final test of her link ritual, she was separated from Berserker and lost her way in the nearby snowy woods. A pack of wolves attacked her, but she was rescued by Berserker. She realized that he protected her of his own free will afterwards. In the present day, Illya and Berserker continue their battle against Gilgamesh as Shirou and Rin arrive to witness the event. Gilgamesh reveals Berserker's God Hand gives him twelve lives, one for each of the Labours of Heracles, and steadily depletes them with his countless Noble Phantasms from Gate of Babylon. As the battle reaches the main entrance, Gilgamesh eventually restrains Berserker using another Noble Phantasm, Enkidu, a set of unbreakable binding chains. Gilgamesh impales Berserker with a large spear, then blinds Illya and stabs her with a sword. As she crawls to Berserker's side, he breaks the chains and makes one last attempt to strike Gilgamesh, only to be killed. Shirou tries to intervene, but Illya dies in comfort, believing Berserker is still at her side. | |||
| 16 | "Winter Days, The Form Wishes Take" Transcription: "Fuyu no Hi, Negai no Katachi" (Japanese: 冬の日、願いの形) | April 25, 2015 | |
| As Gilgamesh tears out Illya's heart from her corpse, Shirou and Rin confront Shinji and Gilgamesh. Rin forces Shinji and Gilgamesh to leave when she threatens to kill Shinji and refuses to join his side. After burying Illya, Rin confronts Shirou about his ideals and tells him that he needs to value himself over others, otherwise he will break. Shirou refutes this by the example of being rescued by Kiritsugu Emiya ten years ago, something Shirou admires. However, Rin cites that Shirou will not truly understand happiness unless he lives for himself. Despite her argument, Shirou remains committed to his ideals. Later on, as they evaluate the power of Gilgamesh and conclude that Caster is still their priority, the two are approached by Lancer, who offers his assistance, which they accept. Meanwhile, Archer learns that Kuzuki is helping Caster return to her original era using the Holy Grail. Archer later confronts Shirou, Rin and Lancer as they arrive at the church. Lancer engages Archer to give Shirou and Rin time to breach the church. As they do so, Rin informs Shirou that there is only one red jewel pendant that exists in the world, which Archer had already returned such a item to her. | |||
| 17 | "The Dark Sword Bares Its Fangs" Transcription: "Anken, Kiba o Muku" (Japanese: 暗剣、牙を剥く) | May 2, 2015 | |
| In the church, Caster questions Kuzuki about the fact that he has no desires, yet he has an objective. Shirou and Rin soon come to confront and combat Kuzuki and Caster. Meanwhile, Lancer overwhelms Archer with his attacks, after which Archer infuriates Lancer by mocking his sense of loyalty and honor. As a result, Lancer tries to use his Gáe Bolg to strike him down, but Archer is able to barely counter it with a magical barrier, which expends most of his strength in the process and destroys the church. After praising Lancer's power, Archer reveals that he staged his betrayal of Rin so he could take advantage of Caster when she had her guard down, prompting Lancer to leave. Back at the church, Shirou and Rin are both overwhelmed by their opponents, but Archer suddenly appears and ambushes Kuzuki, firing several swords at him. Caster shields Kuzuki from the swords and is impaled herself. As she dies, she confesses to Kuzuki that her wish has already been granted. Kuzuki then tries to fight Archer, explaining that since he had participated in disrupting the usual proceedings of the Holy Grail War, he had to finish what he had started. He is then stabbed by Archer and crushed by a collapsing pillar. As Shirou attends to the captive Saber, Archer suddenly traps Rin inside a cage of swords and declares his intention as a Guardian to kill Shirou. | |||
| 18 | "The Beginning of the Circle" Transcription: "Sono en wa hajimari ni" (Japanese: その縁は始まりに) | May 9, 2015 | |
| Saber risks her existence without a Master, but still swearing an oath to protect Shirou. However, she is overwhelmed by Archer, forcing Shirou to intervene and take over in the fight. Rin takes advantage of this distraction to form a pact with Saber as Master and Servant. Fully restored, Saber subdues Archer, who mocks her for her wish of rectifying her legacy. Archer then uses his Noble Phantasm, Unlimited Blade Works, revealed as a Reality Marble, a spell that manifests an alternate reality, which consists of a barren wasteland filled with swords and floating gears that traps Shirou, Saber and Rin with him. After Archer creates and aims several swords at Saber, Shirou summons a sword of his own and destroys them, thereby dissipating Archer's Unlimited Blade Works. A weakened Archer grabs Rin, intending to use her as an "insurance policy" against Shirou and Saber while he recuperates for one day. Before he flees, Shirou tells him to meet with him at Illya's villa. Later on, a restrained Rin wakes up in the basement of Illya's villa after having yet another dream about Archer, and confronts him about his past as a Heroic Spirit. Then, Shinji and Gilgamesh arrive, and Archer agrees to give Rin to them for their own needs after he has finished killing Shirou. Back at his house, Shirou tells Saber to let him battle Archer while she saves Rin, also implying that he knows Archer's true identity. As they make their way to Illya's villa, they are joined by Lancer, who is also determined to rescue Rin. | |||
| 19 | "Idealism's End (The Answer)" Transcription: "Risou no Kotae" (Japanese: 理想の末路(こたえ）) | May 16, 2015 | |
| As Shirou, Saber and Lancer arrive at Illya's villa, they are met by Archer, who explains that Rin's pendant was the catalyst used for his summoning. While Lancer runs off to retrieve Rin from Shinji, Saber demands to know why Archer is so intent on killing Shirou. Archer fulfilled his aspiring ideals to becoming hero of justice, but he became disillusioned by it and chose to become a Servant so he could rectify it. Saber is forced to reveal her true identity as King Arthur, who hoped to use the Holy Grail to undo her decision to become the king of Britain, as she believes it was her rule that eventually resulted in the country's destruction. Although Saber remarks she is different from Archer in terms of living up to their ideals, Archer elaborates that he was dissatisfied when he was a Guardian, being forced to take lives in order to save many more. He concludes that his ideals were shallow and that it was impossible to save everyone as he envisioned. Archer then reveals his true identity as Shirou's future self from an alternate universe, the Counter-Guardian Heroic Spirit Emiya. Meanwhile, Shinji tries to molest Rin, only for Lancer to arrive and incapacitate him. Kirei suddenly appears and unveils himself to be Lancer's Master. He further discloses that he killed Rin's father in the previous Holy Grail War, and therefore was the Master with dark intentions. Kirei orders Lancer to kill Rin, intending to use her body as a vessel for the Holy Grail. When Lancer refuses, Kirei uses one of his many Command Seals and orders Lancer to commit suicide. Back at the main entrance, Archer tosses Shirou one of his swords and orders him to kill himself with it. However, Shirou declines, proclaiming that he will do all he can to avoid becoming Archer. As a result, Shirou and Archer prepare to engage each other in battle. | |||
| 20 | "Unlimited Blade Works." | May 23, 2015 | |
| During the battle, Shirou finds that while he is only barely able to hold off Archer's attacks, he is slowly becoming stronger the longer he clashes with Archer. Meanwhile, Kirei prepares to take Rin's heart against Shinji's protests. However, Lancer, mortally wounded but still alive, fatally stabs Kirei. Shinji, on the verge of insanity, takes this opportunity to try to molest Rin again, only to be chased off by Lancer. After freeing Rin, Lancer collapses to the ground and laments how he would have liked for Rin to be his Master. Both Rin and Lancer bid farewell to each other. As Rin leaves, Lancer sets a fire to destroy both himself and Kirei's corpse. Back at the main entrance, Shirou and Archer continue to battle, with Archer activating his Unlimited Blade Works and slowly gaining the upper hand. As their swords clash, Shirou begins to see Archer's memories and becomes aware of what his future holds in store for him. With his belief shaken, Shirou is quickly defeated by Archer and left on the verge of death. As he lies on the ground, Shirou begins to reflect on the memories he gained from Archer, as well as the memories of Kiritsugu saving him ten years ago. From this, Shirou concludes his ideals are not wrong, and he decides to continue fighting. At that moment, Saber's scabbard Avalon, which Kiritsugu had placed inside Shirou to heal the injuries he sustained from the fire, activates and heals Shirou's wounds. With his confidence in his ideals restored, Shirou prepares to battle Archer again, with the declaration that he will defeat Archer. | |||
| 21 | "Answer" | May 30, 2015 | |
| As the battle continues, Archer chastises Shirou for continuing to pursue his ideals, declaring he will wipe out every trace of Shirou's existence. However, Archer begins to realize that Shirou will never give up and that it is pointless to defeat him now. Finally, as Shirou explains the beauty he saw in his ideals, his spirit begins to overwhelm Archer's Unlimited Blade Works. Shirou rushes towards Archer, who becomes distracted by a flashback of Kiritsugu's last moments. Archer is wounded by Shirou just as Rin arrives. Suddenly, Archer is impaled by three swords fired by Gilgamesh. Declaring his hatred for fakes, Gilgamesh uses his Gate of Babylon to fire more swords, but Archer pushes Shirou out of the way and seemingly dies after taking the full force of the attack. Expressing a familiarity with Gilgamesh, Saber demands to know why he is here. Gilgamesh explains that after the end of the Fourth Holy Grail War, he bathed in the Holy Grail during its destruction at the hands of Saber ten years ago and took physical form. He further explains the true function of the Holy Grail as a container for thousands of curses, before announcing his intention to take it for himself and use it as a weapon to eradicate the human race, being disgusted by the lifestyle of modern humans and hoping to rule over any potential survivors. He then leaves the villa as the fire Lancer started spreads through the building, and later finds Shinji in the forest, learning from him about Kirei's death and the reason behind Rin's escape. When Shinji asks about finding a vessel for the Holy Grail, Gilgamesh implants Illya's heart into him, deeming him a worthy vessel, and leaves him as he begins to mutate into a massive, shapeless form of flesh. | |||
| 22 | "Winter Days, A Long Way Home" Transcription: "Fuyu no hi, Tooi Ieji" (Japanese: 冬の日、遠い家路) | June 6, 2015 | |
| Once Shirou, Saber and Rin return to Shirou's home, they all decide to avenge Archer and stop Gilgamesh by destroying the Holy Grail once and for all. Through the use of familiar spirits, Rin deduces that the Holy Grail is being summoned at Ryuudou Temple. She then explains that Shinji, the only other mage participating in the Holy Grail War, would be the only viable candidate as a substitute vessel, as it was apparent that Illya was supposed to turn into the Lesser Grail at the end of the war. While devising a strategy to defeat Gilgamesh, Rin realizes that Archer was the only one able to perfectly counter Gilgamesh, since Archer had the ability to summon a duplicate of any kind of weapon. She concludes that Shirou needs to master Unlimited Blade Works so he too can match up against Gilgamesh. Since he does not have the sufficient mana to do so, Rin improvises by performing a ritual that implants her Magic Crest from her left arm into Shirou, thus allowing them to share their mana storage. During the ritual, Shirou inadvertently taps into Rin's memories, including one where Rin once saw Shirou practicing the high jump and fell in love with him, which embarrasses her. Afterwards, Shirou finds Saber exploring his house, and she thanks him for showing her the way to her dream. She has him promise that he and Rin will survive the Holy Grail War. Meanwhile, Gilgamesh finishes transporting Shinji to Ryuudou Temple and summons the Holy Grail. | |||
| 23 | "Incarnation" Transcription: "Kengen" (Japanese: 顕現) | June 13, 2015 | |
| Shirou and Rin plan to breach Ryuudou Temple and rescue Shinji while Saber fights Gilgamesh and destroys the Holy Grail. Saber reveals that she can only use her Noble Phantasm Excalibur once before fading, since Rin cannot supply Saber with enough mana due to sharing it with Shirou. At Ryuudou Temple, Shirou and Rin observe Shinji's mutated form and a torrent of black ooze pouring out from the Holy Grail, pooling around Shinji and forming a lake. They are then confronted by Gilgamesh, who elaborates on his intentions and explains that there are too many people in the modern era without significance or purpose. At the main gate, Saber instead comes across Assassin, who is still guarding the temple despite Caster's death, as it is his anchor to the world. He reveals that he is not actually the fictitious Sasaki Kojirō, but a nameless swordsman similar to him, then expresses a desire to finish his duel with Saber before he fades. As Shirou duels Gilgamesh, the Holy Grail is bombarded by what Gilgamesh claims to be mankind's malevolent wishes. Rin approaches the mass of flesh and manages to remove Shinji from it, causing it to try and use Gilgamesh as a replacement vessel. However, Gilgamesh defends himself with his most powerful Noble Phantasm, a sword called Ea. Meanwhile, Assassin reveals to Saber that he is already starting to fade and uses his Swallow Reversal. Saber reveals Excalibur's blade, dodges his strike and fatally wounds him. | |||
| 24 | "Unlimited Blade Works" Transcription: "Mugen no Kensei" (Japanese: 無限の剣製) | June 20, 2015 | |
| Gilgamesh mocks Shirou with his ideals after the latter is largely incapacitated by the effects of Ea. Although Shirou admits the flaws in his idealism, he reaffirms his dream nonetheless. Saber arrives and blocks an attack made by Gilgamesh, but Shirou orders Saber to save Rin instead. Having an epiphany about the true nature of his powers, Shirou activates his Unlimited Blade Works and uses its infinite number of replica swords to counter Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon. Meanwhile, Saber approaches the Holy Grail and recognizes it as a corrupted Servant called Angra Mainyu, which has been summoned improperly. She locates Rin, who uses a Command Seal and orders Saber to destroy the Holy Grail with Excalibur, as Rin is being consumed by Angra Mainyu. When Rin loses hope of surviving, Archer's voice reprimands her for giving up, and a barrage of swords strikes Angra Mainyu, freeing her. With Rin free and using her final Command Seal to augment her attack, Saber unleashes Excalibur, destroying Angra Mainyu and the Holy Grail. As she fades, Saber admits that she would have liked to stay with Shirou and Rin, but accepts that her role is over. Inside Shirou's Unlimited Blade Works, Shirou begins to overwhelm Gilgamesh, who furiously draws Ea, but Shirou severs Gilgamesh's arm and slashes his chest before running out of mana. Gilgamesh, grievously injured but alive, prepares to finish him off, but a portal to the Holy Grail opens and engulfs him. He ensnares Shirou with Enkidu in order to pull himself out, but Archer, having survived Gilgamesh's previous attack, intervenes by shooting a dagger into Gilgamesh's head, fatally wounding him. As he speaks his last words, Gilgamesh is consumed by Angra Mainyu before the portal closes. Rin and Archer say farewell as he fades away, with Archer asking Rin to look after his past self. Shirou reunites with Rin, and they walk off together as a couple. | |||
| 25 | "Epilogue" Transcription: "Epirōgu" (Japanese: エピローグ) | June 27, 2015 | |
| Two years after the events of the Fifth Holy Grail War, Shirou and Rin are still dating and living together in an apartment in London while they both study under the Mage's Association at the Clock Tower, with Shirou apprenticing under Rin as protection for her. However, he is still struggling with following his ideals without walking the same path as Archer. One day, Rin loses a duel with fellow classmate and neighbor, Luviagelita Edelfelt, who repeatedly flirts with an oblivious Shirou, much to Rin's chagrin. Afterwards, Shirou and Rin talk about his invitation to officially join the Mage's Association, which conflicts with his ideals. One morning, Rin decides to take Shirou to Glastonbury, the final resting place of King Arthur, so he can say goodbye to Saber. During the trip back home, Shirou reminisces about when he graduated from his second year of high school. The next day, Shirou encounters Waver Velvet, a survivor of the Fourth Holy Grail War, who questions him about his reasons for coming to the Clock Tower and studying magic after surviving the Fifth Holy Grail War. Shirou walks away as he says that he wants to dedicate his life to being a hero of justice. Waver responds that this is a foolish endeavor, although not without its merits. Shirou returns to the apartment and informs Rin that he has declined the invitation, saying that he cannot change who he is even if he is destined to meet the same fate as Archer. Rin responds that Shirou will go farther in following his ideals even if Archer walked the same path. She then assures Shirou that she will always be by his side. In the epilogue, Archer is shown sitting inside his Unlimited Blade Works, reconsidering his life and purpose. While he admits his regrets and curses the path he took, he asserts in the end that he was never wrong in his ideals. | |||
| OVA | "Sunny Day" | October 7, 2015 | |
| In an alternate, "good" scenario during the final battle, Rin is able to save Saber from fading away by extending their pact and turning her into her familiar. Having fallen unconscious during the battle, Shirou wakes up back at his home and initially believes Saber to have disappeared. However, he is surprised to see her alive and well in the apartment dojo. Rin enters and congratulates everyone for their victory in the Holy Grail War. While the three are out in the city, Rin explains how she managed to save Saber to Shirou, and adds that they will need to work together to sustain Saber with mana to ensure she stays. Shirou argues that Saber became a Servant in exchange for the Holy Grail and that she should be set free now that it is gone. However, Saber assures Shirou that she is staying out of her own volition because she wanted to stay with him and Rin, and because she wanted to find an answer to her own ideals after Archer criticized them. Rin then decides to further train Shirou in magic, while Saber trains him in her combat techniques. | |||
References
- "New Fate/stay night TV Anime is 'Unlimited Blade Works'". Anime News Network. July 27, 2014. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
- "Hulu, Crunchyroll to Stream Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works". Anime News Network. September 10, 2014. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
- "Rental DVDs" (in Japanese). Type Moon. Archived from the original on August 5, 2015. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
- "Blu-ray Disc Box Ⅰ / 早期予約・店舗特典" (in Japanese). Type Moon. Archived from the original on August 10, 2015. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
- "Blu-ray Disc Box Ⅱ / 早期予約・店舗特典" (in Japanese). Type Moon. Archived from the original on August 18, 2015. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
- "Aniplex USA to Release Complete Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works Anime BD Box Set". Anime News Network. May 13, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
- "Episode". MXTV. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
External links
- Official Japanese website (in Japanese)
- Official English website
- Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
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