YOU WATCH FATE/STAY NIGHT BEFORE FATE/ZERO.
This series doesn't really have a complex hard-to-understand watch order. The reason people think like that is because not only were the anime adaptions released in the wrong order (given that a F/SN anime wasn't planned and the Zero anime was just a bonus for FSN fans) and because various anime only fans haven't really read the VN and so they spread the false watch order because of the fact that Zero came out first in terms of anime adaption.
Both the FSN author and the Zero author intended for you to read Fate/stay night first. There was even a note about in the original Fate/Zero light novel, I believe. It's really that simple. Unfortunately, this series has such a complicated fanbase that the whole watch order got overblown simply because Zero got an anime adaption first.
Fate/Zero was made to serve as a reminder to the Fate route of the Fate/stay night visual novel.
If you plan on going anime-only, this is the order you should be watching Fate in.
The best method to enjoy the Fate series is through the VNs. The UBW anime can be enjoyed generally for the fights and animation. That's about it. A majority of the UBW anime is filler, except for episode 20 which Nasu himself wrote.
TL;DR Read the visual novel or watch Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works and then Fate/Zero. Please stop ruining the series for other people by giving them the wrong order. Please.
credits: leon-kyun
This series doesn't really have a complex hard-to-understand watch order. The reason people think like that is because not only were the anime adaptions released in the wrong order (given that a F/SN anime wasn't planned and the Zero anime was just a bonus for FSN fans) and because various anime only fans haven't really read the VN and so they spread the false watch order because of the fact that Zero came out first in terms of anime adaption.
Both the FSN author and the Zero author intended for you to read Fate/stay night first. There was even a note about in the original Fate/Zero light novel, I believe. It's really that simple. Unfortunately, this series has such a complicated fanbase that the whole watch order got overblown simply because Zero got an anime adaption first.
Fate/Zero was made to serve as a reminder to the Fate route of the Fate/stay night visual novel.
If you plan on going anime-only, this is the order you should be watching Fate in.
In general, being an anime only tard is the worst possible option. Fate isn't something that's enjoyable through just the anime. Nasu's type of story telling is really unique and generally interesting in my option. It's along the lines of "open the boxes with the contents and then keep assembling it". The boxes being the stories and the assembly being your experience.Anime-only Order: Fate/stay night UBW anime -> HF movies (Not out yet. You might want to read the VN for this, or you can just skip to F/Z. Whichever works.) -> Fate/Zero.
The best method to enjoy the Fate series is through the VNs. The UBW anime can be enjoyed generally for the fights and animation. That's about it. A majority of the UBW anime is filler, except for episode 20 which Nasu himself wrote.
TL;DR Read the visual novel or watch Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works and then Fate/Zero. Please stop ruining the series for other people by giving them the wrong order. Please.
credits: leon-kyun
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