A brief review of my experience with the Fate/stay night visual novel


After years of postponing, with the upcoming release of Fate/stay night Remastered, I finally dove into Kinoko Nasu’s universe. I had never watched the anime, and my knowledge was fresh, ready for new experiences. Fate/stay night is possibly the most popular visual novel of all time, even more than Steins;Gate, as it laid the foundation for the Fate universe. After the success of Tsukihime, Nasu decided to write a story about heroes rather than vampires, though many magical elements remained. Fate is a story about destiny itself.

At its core, Fate/stay night is about a young aspiring mage who gets unwillingly involved in a large-scale Battle Royale-style war, where mages make contracts with servants—heroic and mythological figures summoned to fight. Seven pairs of mages and servants compete for the Holy Grail, an artifact that grants any wish to its holder. Over time, questions about the Grail War, the origins of the mages and servants, and more are answered gradually, though Nasu’s detailed writing can feel overwhelming. However, this complexity makes the lore, especially the Magecraft system, deeply captivating.


Many believe Fate is about heroic spirits, and while that’s true, Fate/stay night is fundamentally about Emiya Shirou, the protagonist. The story is divided into three main routes, each focusing on different events in the Holy Grail War, portraying distinct versions of Shirou and the consequences of his actions, as well as his relationships with different heroines.

• FATE: This route introduces readers to the world, explaining many terms and systems while keeping several mysteries. It centers on Shirou’s accidental pact with the servant Saber, one of the most iconic and beloved figures in anime.
  
  
• UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS: This route explores Shirou’s ideals of becoming a hero of justice, a belief instilled in him by his adoptive father, Emiya Kiritsugu. The central dilemma here is that to be a hero, others must suffer. Shirou’s internal conflict is mirrored by Archer, Rin Tohsaka’s servant.
  
  
• HEAVEN’S FEEL: This final route forces Shirou to question and eventually abandon his ideals to save one person, Sakura Matou, the central heroine. It also answers the remaining mysteries of the Holy Grail War.

In summary:

• FATE: Introduction
  
  
• UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS: Development
  
  
• HEAVEN'S FEEL: Conclusion

The prologue begins from Rin Tohsaka’s perspective, but the story shifts to Shirou after three days, branching into the different routes depending on choices made. At the start, we encounter a poetic text that becomes central to the story:

Originally posted by Emiya Shirou:

I am the bone of my sword.

Steel is my body, and fire is my blood.

I have created over a thousand blades.

Unknown to death,

Nor known to life.

Have withstood pain to create many weapons.

Yet, those hands will never hold anything.

So, as I pray, Unlimited Blade Works.

At first, this incantation seems cryptic, but by the end of the FATE route, it gains meaning. It’s Archer’s chant for invoking his Reality Marble, a forbidden spell that projects his inner world, allowing him to replicate countless swords. The phrase becomes a defining element, symbolizing Shirou and Archer’s struggles.

This line asserts that Shirou’s very being is a weapon. It reflects his willingness to sacrifice himself for others, as his ideals demand.

This supports the first line, reinforcing that Shirou’s existence is entirely shaped by his ideals and the sacrifices he’s willing to make. In UBW, he’s willing to die for them, even when facing Archer, who represents a future Shirou disillusioned by these ideals.

This line reflects Archer’s experience in countless battles, symbolizing the weapons he has forged through suffering.

This line highlights Archer’s existence as a spirit who has endured countless battles without truly living or dying. His suffering has distanced him from his original ideals, leading to disillusionment.

Archer speaks of the immense pain he has endured in countless wars, crafting weapons to fight for others.

This is the most tragic line. It acknowledges that despite Shirou’s (and Archer’s) desire to protect others, they can never truly hold onto anything for themselves. Their sacrifices are for others, but they remain unfulfilled.

Why does Shirou have the power to project swords? It’s not just because he likes them—it’s because he has become a metaphorical sword, a tool for others. However, in the Heaven’s Feel route, when he abandons his ideals for Sakura, his identity starts to crumble.

When Shirou gives up his long-held ideals to protect one person, he finally achieves something meaningful, but at the cost of being “broken.” Heaven’s Feel provides a fitting conclusion to Shirou’s journey, showing the cost of sacrificing everything for a single individual.

After completing all endings, we unlock the final episode, where Shirou’s heroic spirit finally finds rest. After enduring so much pain and fighting for others, his journey ends. In the afterlife, he reunites with Saber, who has been connected to him since the beginning. Saber, the legendary King Arthur (Artoria/Altria), mirrors Shirou’s ideals, as she too sacrificed herself for a cause beyond her reach. Both faced unjust fates, but in the end, they find peace together.
This epilogue summarizes the key themes of Fate/stay night and perfectly encapsulates what the story is about. It’s a magical universe with many characters, each with their own goals and ideals. It’s truly a journey worth experiencing.