Fate/Zero

Fate/Zero is a Japanese light novel written by Gen Urobuchi, illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi, and is a prequel to all routes in Type-Moon's visual novel, Fate/stay night.

Fate/Zero is set ten years before the events of Fate/stay night, and tells the story of the Fourth Holy Grail War, a secret magical tournament held in Fuyuki City, Japan, where seven mages known as Masters summon Servants, reincarnations of legendary souls and heroes from all across time, where they fight in a deadly battle royale where the winner obtains the Holy Grail, a legendary magical chalice capable of granting wishes. The main protagonist, Kiritsugu Emiya, the foster father of Fate/stay night's protagonist, Shirou Emiya, is known as a ruthless assassin who joins the tournament on behalf of his wife's family, the Einzberns.

An anime adaptation was produced by Ufotable, the first season of which aired from October 1 to December 24, 2011, and the second season of which aired from April 7 to June 23, 2012. A manga adaptation was published by Kadokawa Shoten between 2011 and 2017. Dark Horse Comics licensed the manga and released it in English in North America.

Fate/Zero was praised for its animation, themes, characters, soundtrack, and story. The series has also been a commercial success, selling over 40,000 Blu-ray box-sets and winning several awards at the Newtype Anime Awards, including "Title of the Year".