# Fate/Zero (2011)

> Seven mages summon legendary heroes from history into a deadly tournament where only one pair can claim the Grail.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/41577

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 25
- Episode runtime: 25 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: action, fantasy, animation
- Created by: Gen Urobuchi
- Network: Gunma TV, TOKYO MX
- Cast: Rikiya Koyama, Ayako Kawasumi, Akio Otsuka, Akira Ishida, Ayumi Tsunematsu, Daisuke Namikawa, Hikaru Midorikawa, Jouji Nakata
- TMDB rating: 8.2/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2051178/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: dense
- Violence: graphic
- Tone: brooding, intense, cerebral, melancholic

## What critics say

Viewers broadly acclaim Fate/Zero as a dark, intricately plotted prequel with spectacular fight animation and morally complex characters.

## Synopsis

Fate/Zero (2011-2012) is a Japanese animated dark fantasy series created by Gen Urobuchi and produced by ufotable for Tokyo MX and Gunma TV, running two seasons and twenty-five episodes. Kiritsugu Emiya, a former assassin voiced by Rikiya Koyama, joins a secret war among seven mages who each summon a legendary hero from history, including Saber voiced by Ayako Kawasumi, to fight to the death for the Holy Grail. Rival mages such as Kayneth and Waver Velvet, voiced by Daisuke Namikawa, scheme and betray one another while the heroes clash in spectacular duels. The engine of the series is a tournament where every alliance is provisional and every victory costs someone dearly, with episodes built around tense strategic maneuvers, sudden ambushes and the moral compromises each mage must accept. Its two seasons form one continuing story told in a serialized format with a stylish, brooding atmosphere. Set in a modern Japanese city during a hidden magical conflict, the series blends ancient legend with contemporary grit. Its tones are melancholic, intense and cerebral, and its themes center on ambition, sacrifice and the cost of wishes. Fans of Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works, Death Note and Code Geass will find resonance here.

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