A grand order to fight fate has been declared—an order to change the past and restore the future
Fate/Grand Order: First Order is an anime film based on the popular mobile game Fate/Grand Order, adapting the Singularity F prologue. The film was produced by Lay-duce and was first aired in Japan on December 31, 2016 as part of the Fate Project Ōmisoka TV Special ~First & Next Order~.In the year 2015, the Chaldea Security Organization has been formed by the United Nations and the Mage's Association to monitor potential threats to humanity's survival using a blend of magecraft and technology. Humanity's survival seems assured for the next century—until the verdict suddenly changes, and now the extinction of humanity is imminent by the year 2016. The cause is unknown, but appears to be linked with the Japanese town of Fuyuki and the events of 2004 during the Holy Grail War.
In response, Chaldea gathers teams of Masters who can command Servants, the spirits of legendary heroes. Using experimental Rayshift technology, they intend to travel to the past and investigate the mysterious Singularity F that threatens the continued existence of humanity.
However when disaster strikes, the fate of humanity rests in the hands of Ritsuka Fujimaru, Chaldea's newest Master candidate, and the mysterious girl Mash Kyrielight, bonded to an unknown Servant. Together they must fight to take back the future.
Fate/Grand Order: First Order provides examples of:
- Adaptation Distillation: The film streamlines the plot of the Prologue, cutting out the encounters with the other blackened Servants aside from Lancer, Archer, and Saber.
- Adapted Out: Musashibō Benkei thanks to Medusa taking his place as Lancer.
- Alternate Self: Cú Chulainn appears in his Caster form as opposed to his original Lancer self.
- Alternate Timeline: To the original Fate/stay night with a different Grail War and Servant lineup as well as to the Grail War of Chaldea's world.
- Bittersweet Ending: Heavy on the bitter. Singularity F is cleared, but seven new singularities have popped up, humanity has been wiped out save for Chaldea which has take a beating itself, and Director Olga Marie Animusphere is dead. However Fujimaru and Mash together with Dr. Roman and the remaining members of Chaldea, are ready to continue the fight and restore humanity.
- The Cameo:
- The game's female protagonist is shown among the other Master candidates at Olga Marie's speech
- Solomon's hand is briefly glimpsed grasping the Grail during the exposition about the Holy Grail War.
- Hassan of the Cursed Arm and Heracles appear over Caster's exposition.
- Jeanne D'Arc, Nero Claudius, and Francis Drake appear over Romani's speech at the end
- A number of other servants from the Singularities can be seen at the end including Marie Antoinette, Euryale, Asterios, Sakata Kintoki, Arjuna, and Mordred
- Canon Foreigner: Rider Darius III, as the character had only appeared in Berserker form.
- Clarke's Third Law: When Caster sees a holographic communication device, he says Chaldea's magic is impressive.
- Composite Character: Lancer Medusa provides a triple example as she takes over Lancer Benkei's role in story while her design amalgamates elements from her older Rider and younger Lancer selves.
- Continuity Nod: Several major locations from Fuyuki appear including the bridge, Homurahara Academy, Ryuudou Temple, and the cavern of the Greater Grail.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: Played for Laughs in a scene where Caster hits on Mash, causing Fujimaru to shove him away.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Olga Marie being thrown into CHALDEAS, causing her to experience infinite death as she's burned alive.
- Dead All Along: Poor Olga Marie, died when the bomb went off. Only her spirit-self made it to the past.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation: Assassin and Rider are killed off-screen by Caster, instead of being defeated by Chaldea.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: As the only Fate/Grand Order anime adaptation that aired before Cosmos in the Lostbelt, it does not feature Team A, Marisbury, or other Chaldea staff members like Meunière in any capacity, which would become hallmarks of all anime adaptations that came after Cosmos in the Lostbelt to be either be brought up or cameo in some way if it features flashbacks to Chaldea before the Singularity F crisis. The lack of Team A is especially prominent because there is a shot of all Master candidates brought in by Chaldea, with only Fujimaru's female counterpart cameo as a unique face, everyone else besides her and the male Fujimaru are just generic background characters.
- Establishing Series Moment: Although the protagonist solves the Fuyuki singularity, Chaldea has been dealt a massive blow and the world seems unavoidably doomed.
- Evil All Along: Professor Lev appears to be a rather affable person if slightly aloof, but seems to care about Chaldea's mission right up till the moment he reveals that he was the one who bombed the central room.
- Foreshadowing:
- Saber Alter mentions the Grand Order, a law among mages to pass on their family crests at all costs.
- During his rant, Lev mentions that Humanity has lost the favor of “their” king.
- He also mentions that he specifically wanted Dr Roman to be caught in the blast as well.
- Exposed to the Elements: Fujimaru asks Mash if she is cold in her skimpy armor. She says she is not and suspects bonding with a Heroic Spirit has given her immunity to the elements.
- Good Morning, Crono: Fujimaru was overstimulated by the entrance simulation and falls asleep from exhaustion, leading Mash and Fou to find them in the hallway.
- Graceful Loser: Saber takes her defeat with stoicism and gives her regard to her opponents.
- Inconsistent Spelling: Lev Lainur is rendered as Leff Lynor in the subtitles.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Olga Marie Animusphere is prideful and sharp tempered, but displays genuine concern for her subordinates.
- Kick the Dog: Lev Lainur horrifically murdering Olga Marie after previously blowing her up.
- Last Bastion: Everything outside of Chaldea's base is gone, with the facility only surviving thanks to the magnetic field of CHALDEAS.
- Mythology Gag: Features several to Fate/stay night thanks to being set in Fuyuki
- The Skeleton warriors resemble Medea's Dragon Tooth Warriors
- The statue Medusa decapitates has a strong resemblance to Shinji Matou, her much loathed substitute master
- Saber Alter played a major role in one path of the original visual novel
- EMIYA and Cú Chulainn's rivalry once again comes into play.
- Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Caster took down Assassin and Rider prior to the arrival of Fujimaru and co.
- Riddle for the Ages: The circumstances behind Singularity F's disaster are left unknown with even Caster admitting he's not sure what caused the calamity.
- Sequel Hook: The film ends with Fujimaru and Mash arriving in Orleans and seeing the light band of Ars Almadel Salomonis in the sky.
- Slasher Smile: Lev Lainur gives a really ugly one when he reveals his true nature.
- Spanner in the Works: Fujimaru falling asleep and getting kicked out of Olga Marie's speech means one Master remains in condition to fight the ensuing threat to humanity. Also, him talking to Dr Roman prevents him from being killed by Lev's trap.
- Title Drop: Saber Alter mentions the Grand Order to Olga Marie's surprise.
