Where do I start watching Fate\stay?

It looks cool, but there’s like 6 of them on Netflix and I can’t tell where to start.

according to le reddit:

• Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works [2014] [Season 1 and Season 2].

• Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works 2nd Season - Sunny Day [This an OVA and should be watched after finishing the UBW show.]

• Fate/stay night: Heavens Feel [Film 1, Film 2, Film 3]

• Fate/Zero [ Season 1 & 2]

This series is the prequel to Fate/Stay Night. It takes place 10 years before the events of Fate/Stay Night.] (the prequel is meant to be watched after finishing Fate/Stay Night and not before! People always make a mistake of watching Fate/Zero first, but that spoils plot events in Fate/Stay Night, so make sure to watch Fate/Zero AFTER finishing all of Fate/Stay Night.)

• Lord El-Melloi II Sei no Jikenbo: Rail Zeppelin Grace Note
  
  

The series takes place 10 years after the events of Fate/Zero and 2 months before the events of Fate/Stay Night and revolves around the Clock Tower in the United Kingdom.

https://www.reddit.com/r/fatestaynight/comments/df8rvo/rfatestaynights_official_viewing_order_guide_v2/

watch fate zero first and then dont watch anything else lolz

From: Tiko at 2023-01-19 22:37:46
according to le reddit:

• Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works [2014] [Season 1 and Season 2].
  

What the fuck lol

If you go by the proper order, it should be

Fate/stay Night (2006)
Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works
Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel 1-3

Fate/Zero can be anytime after the 2006 anime.

For some reason, people really seem to hate the 2006 Deen adaptation of the “Fate” arc, but it’s kind of the essential introduction to many of the Nasu-verse concepts and I don’t think it was as bad as people said. I recently re-watched it in the last year.

I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong in starting with Fate/Zero either. It just comes down to a narrative order. You might come across a few terms that don’t make sense like “The Root” and the concept of Mage crests, etc because later shows are adapted under the assumption that people are already familiar with the source material. Purists will probably even tell you to read the VN first. I know people who became fans out of the 2006 anime, and who became fans out of Fate/Zero, and UBW, so there’s nothing incorrect about starting at a point that looks interesting to you if it gets you to learn more about the Fate world.

This stems from the way the original VN is structured. Fate/stay Night is 3 different arcs across 3 different timelines. The idea was that you play an introductory arc (Fate) and then as you replay the VN, the events change to reveal a lot more about the story (UBW, and then Heaven’s Feel).

Just watch Fate/Zero first
then Fate Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works (the series NOT the movie)
then Fate Stay Night Heaven’s Feel movies
then you can go back and watch the OG Fate Stay Night 2006 series if you want

from there you can watch any other Fate spinoffs in any order

That’s a lot of different information. I guess I’ll try to take it all into consideration and figure it out.

The main contention is almost always whether to watch Fate/Zero or UBW first. You’re going to be slightly confused regardless of which one you watch first, but things will quickly start making sense after a couple episodes.

The anime adaptation of Zero was made before the anime adaptation of UBW. Zero also occurs chronologically before UBW. But the original source material for Zero was written after UBW. They both “spoil” each other to some degree, which is why there is disagreement

Of course the simplest/best option is just to read the VN, so there’s no confusion. It’s a good VN especially if you go with one of the more modern versions that skips the cringey sex scenes.

People think badly of VNs for some reason but it’s basically just like reading a light novel but with audio and illustration. Reading is fun. And if you read the VN you’ll be able to better appreciate the ufotable adaptations that use an insane budget show things that the VN only told through text.