History Literature / FateZero

!Since this is a prequel series to ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', expect major {{Late Arrival Spoiler}}s for that series as well, as ''Fate/Zero'' ends with a ForegoneConclusion. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned.

!!Since this is a prequel series to ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', expect major {{Late Arrival Spoiler}}s for that series as well, as ''Fate/Zero'' ends with a ForegoneConclusion. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned.

!!Since this is a prequel series to ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', expect major {{Late Arrival Spoiler}}s for that series as well, as ''Fate/Zero'' ends with a ForegoneConclusion. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned.

''Fate/Zero'' is a collaboration, a series of four illustrated novels written by Creator/GenUrobuchi (of Creator/{{Nitroplus}} and ''[[Anime/{{PuellaMagiMadokaMagica}} Madoka Magica]]'' fame) and illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi of Creator/TypeMoon, under the direction of Kinoko Nasu. Set in the Franchise/{{Nasuverse}}, it is the prequel to acclaimed VisualNovel ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight''. The first volume was released in December 2006 and the last was released in December 2007. It was first adapted into a Drama CD, with music by ZIZZ Studio (composers for the majority of Creator/{{Nitroplus}} works). A manga adaptation illustrated by Shinjirō was serialized between 2010 and 2017, and a TV series (by Creator/{{ufotable}} of ''Literature/TheGardenOfSinners'' fame, with music by Music/YukiKajiura, and starring the Drama CD cast) aired its first season in Fall 2011 and concluded in Spring 2012.

The anime was streamed for free with subtitles in eight different languages by Aniplex on [[Website/NicoNicoDouga Nico Nico]] as it aired. The episodes are available on [[http://www.crunchyroll.com/fate-zero Crunchyroll]], in both English audio and Japanese audio with subtitles. The English dub by Creator/AniplexUSA, Creator/VIZMedia's and Creator/NeonAlley service is also currently available on Netflix.

* BroadStrokes: Officially, this story is acknowledged as taking place in a slight AlternateContinuity from ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' - not because of a differing outcome from the Fourth Holy Grail War, but instead because certain details in ''Zero'' don't exactly mesh with how characters in ''stay night'' described the Fourth War. For example, Saber mentions drying up the Mion River with her usage of Excalibur in ''stay night'', but when she uses it here [[spoiler:to annihilate Caster's gigantic horror]] the river does not dry up. The anime adaptation does take pains to line up with is version of ''Unlimited Blade Works'' and ''Heavens Feel'', though.

''Fate/Zero'' is a collaboration, a series of four illustrated novels written by Creator/GenUrobuchi (of Creator/{{Nitroplus}} and [[Anime/{{PuellaMagiMadokaMagica}} Madoka Magica]] fame) and illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi of Creator/TypeMoon, under the direction of Kinoko Nasu. Set in the Franchise/{{Nasuverse}}, it is the prequel to acclaimed VisualNovel ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight''. The first volume was released in December 2006 and the last was released in December 2007. It was first adapted into a Drama CD, with music by ZIZZ Studio (composers for the majority of Creator/{{Nitroplus}} works). A manga adaptation illustrated by Shinjirō was serialized between 2010 and 2017, and a TV series (by Creator/{{ufotable}} of ''Literature/TheGardenOfSinners'' fame, with music by Music/YukiKajiura, and starring the Drama CD cast) aired its first season in Fall 2011 and concluded in Spring 2012.

** The events and characterizations of ''Zero'' don't exactly match ''[[VisualNovel/FateStayNight stay night]]''[='s=] descriptions of the Fourth Holy Grail War. Most glaringly, in ''Zero'', Saber is summoned on the Einzbern lands in Germany, while in ''stay night'' Shirou summons Saber by accidentally activating an existing summoning circle inside his shed in Fuyuki, implying she was summoned there in the Fourth War as well. It would [[AllThereInTheManual later be revealed]] that ''Zero'' is indeed another timeline.

* TheArtifact: The [[RPGMechanicsVerse RPG-style character sheets]] for the Servants as introduced in ''stay night'' were explicitly the Grail magically presenting Shirou with this information in a way he could easily understand, due to his familiarity with video games. Nothing about Kiritsugu's background, along with ''Zero''[='s=] earlier setting in time, would suggest that this also applies to him, but the character sheets are an iconic quirk of the franchise.

** The events and characterizations of ''Zero'' don't exactly match ''[[VisualNovel/FateStayNight stay night]]''[='s=] descriptions of the Fourth Holy Grail War. Most glaringly, in ''Zero'', Saber is summoned on the Einzbern lands in Germany, while in ''stay night'' Shirou summons Saber by accidentally activating an existing summoning circle inside the Emiya storage shed in Fuyuki, implying she was summoned there in the Fourth War as well. It would [[AllThereInTheManual later be revealed]] that ''Zero'' is indeed another timeline.

* AlternateContinuity: The events and characterizations of ''Zero'' don't exactly match ''[[VisualNovel/FateStayNight stay night]]''[='s=] descriptions of the Fourth Holy Grail War, and it would [[AllThereInTheManual later be revealed]] that ''Zero'' is indeed another timeline. ''[[VideoGame/FateGrandOrder Grand Order]]'' features yet another continuity in the "Fate/Accel Zero Order" event, where [[spoiler:Irisviel and Kiritsugu never met, resulting in Iri actually being Saber's Master and Kiritsugu becoming a different version of Counter Guardian EMIYA]].

* ClueOfFewWords: a dying [[spoiler:Risei Kotomine]] writes "jn424" on the floor near him, which turns out to be a coded reference to John 4:24, [[spoiler:which helps his son inherit his Command Seals]].

* AlternateContinuity: [[AllThereInTheManual As later revealed]], this novel is similar to ''[[VisualNovel/FateHollowAtaraxia hollow ataraxia]]'' in that ''Zero'' is not the exact version of events preceding the ''[[VisualNovel/FateStayNight stay night]]'' routes. ''[[VideoGame/FateGrandOrder Grand Order]]'' features yet another continuity in the "Fate/Accel Zero Order" event, where [[spoiler:Irisviel and Kiritsugu never met, resulting in Iri actually being Saber's Master and Kiritsugu becoming a different version of Counter Guardian EMIYA]].

** Berserker's motivations. While the anime, like the light novels, eventually reveals that [[spoiler:Lancelot was essentially trying to commit SuicideByCop by obsessively targeting Saber as Berserker, it skips the story of Lancelot and Guinevere's affair in the [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Fate universe]], and how it led to the fall of Arturia's kingdom]]. As a result, the reason behind Berserker's guilt complex is left a little unclear.

* SurprisinglyGoodEnglish: Or German, in this case.
** Besides ''"Starlit Faith"'' above, the ''Return to Zero'' album also contains ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA3b9wSC4GU "Beginning Oath"]]''.
** Kiritsugu's dossiers on the other Masters are shown in the anime to be in clear English.
** Not to mention Kirei's prayer in the last episode, which, while a little stilted, is perfectly clear English, and in Jouji Nakata's voice, downright creepy.
** Zigzagged. The voice actor seems to know enough pronunciation to approximate proper German (making it a huge improvement over Rin or Archer), but the grammar is still gibberish.
** Natalia's fax messages are in passable German. Creator/ShowHayami also gets to recite a spell in German.

''Fate/Zero'' is a collaboration, a series of four illustrated novels written by Creator/GenUrobuchi (of Creator/{{Nitroplus}} and [[Anime/{{PuellaMagiMadokaMagica}} Madoka Magica]] fame) and illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi of Creator/TypeMoon, under the direction of Kinoko Nasu. Set in the Franchise/{{Nasuverse}}, it is the prequel to acclaimed VisualNovel ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight''. The first volume was released in December 2006 and the last was released in December 2007. It was first adapted into a Drama CD, with music by ZIZZ Studio (composers for the majority of Creator/{{Nitroplus}} works). A manga adaptation illustrated by Shinjirō was serialized between 2010 and 2017, and a TV series (by Creator/{{ufotable}} of ''LightNovel/TheGardenOfSinners'' fame, with music by Music/YukiKajiura, and starring the Drama CD cast) aired its first season in Fall 2011 and concluded in Spring 2012.

** Caster sees Jeanne d'Arc when he dies, who would go on to play a major role in ''LightNovel/FateApocrypha''.

** Episode 18 of the anime highlights Kiritsugu's backstory where his childhood friend Shirley [[spoiler:inadvertently causes an epidemic of [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Dead Apostles]] on their island.]] Among the responding mages sent by the Mage's Association is fire mage [[LightNovel/TheGardenOfSinners Cornelius Alba]].

* EarlyBirdCameo: Jeanne d'Arc, who later shows up in ''LightNovel/FateApocrypha'', appears in Caster's final moments.

* PressXToDie: In ''LightNovel/FateZero'' and ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', Masters have Command Seals (3 per contract) that force their Servants to do exactly what the Masters say, even if the only possible outcome of said action is losing the Holy Grail War. [[spoiler:Kayneth]] forces his Servant [[spoiler:Lancer]] to commit suicide, as part of the deal to let him walk away unmolested[[note]]Unmolested by the other party of the contract, [[LoopholeAbuse but not necessarily from anyone else.]][[/note]] from the war after he's crippled. Later, [[spoiler:Kiritsugu]] forces [[spoiler:Saber to destroy the Holy Grail itself]], although in that case he had to use ''two'' Command Seals since said Servant's [[AntiMagic Magic Resistance]] and willpower was high enough to resist the first one.

* BadassBaritone: Tokiomi Tohsaka, Kiritsugu Emiya, and Kirei Kotomine are all competent mages and/or fighters with deep voices.

* DepletedPhlebotinumShells: Kiritsugu's Origin Bullets contain ''his own'' powdered ribs, which he uses sparingly with his Contender. Because each bullet contains Kiritsugu's origin of severing and binding, a bullet used on a mage will destroy, then incorrectly heal their magic circuits. The resulting "short circuits" can be crippling or even fatal.

* DepletedPhlebotinumShells: Kiritsugu's Origin Bullets contain ''his own'' powdered ribs, which he uses sparingly with his Contender. Because each bullet contains Kiritsugu's origin of severing and binding, a bullet used on a mage will destroy, then incorrectly heal their magic circuits. Most targets are permanently crippled or killed by the resulting "short circuits".

* AncientConspiracy: The true purpose of the Heaven's Feel ritual is to [[spoiler:recreate the Third Magic, the eponymous Heaven's Feel, which deals with immortality of the soul]].

* ArrogantGodVsRagingMonster: Gilgamesh is by far the most powerful of the Servants invoked, and in general, of the whole Fate universe. Still, even if not capable of beating him, the anger-crazed Berserker is one of the few able to not only keep up with him, but of angering Gilgamesh enough to make him lose his cool, forcing him to open the Gate of Babylon almost entirely. Arriving to a point where Gilgamesh has to struggle to even land a hit on him, while Berserker struggles to even get near Gilgamesh.

* AlternateContinuity: [[AllThereInTheManual As later revealed]], this novel is similar to ''VisualNovel/FateHollowAtaraxia'' in that ''Zero'' is not the exact version of events preceding the ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' routes. ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' features yet another continuity in the "Fate/Accel Zero Order" event, where [[spoiler:Irisviel and Kiritsugu never met, resulting in Iri actually being Saber's Master and Kiritsugu becoming a different version of Counter Guardian EMIYA]].