Fate/strange Fake took the world by storm in July 2023, and now it’s returning in January 2026. Born from the mind of Ryōgo Narita, what started as an April Fool’s joke has now become a story of epic proportions. With twists and turns and a huge cast of characters, you’ll be on the edge of your seats when the action starts.
Worried about feeling left out? I’ve got you covered with this guide to the plot, characters, and even what’s new courtesy of the December 9th sneak peek. Brace yourself, because we’re about to enter a world of heroes, madness, and monsters.
Plot
So what is Fate/strange Fake? Fate/Strange is an independent work that follows a Holy Grail War, an ancient ritual where seven mages fight in a battle to the death to seek the Holy Grail, a wish-granting chalice. In this endeavor, they all summon magic familiars known as heroic spirits to fight alongside them as servants, granting them the title of Master. But for the first time, a Grail War is being hosted in Snowfield, Nevada. With this unusual Grail War about to commence, who knows what other twists may come about?
Characters
Ayaka Sajō
After a chance encounter with Saber, Ayaka finds her world turned upside down. Now she has to deal with a bombastic partner and visions of a mysterious girl in a red hood haunting her. In this journey, she’s on a quest to help Saber and discover her lost memories.
Tiné Chelc
A member of a tribe of indigenous people, Tiné became the master of Archer class servant, Gilgamesh, after slaying his initial summoner. Hoping to reclaim her tribe’s ancestral lands, she’ll do anything to win. But Gilgamesh has other hopes for her and wishes to fight against his only friend, Enkidu.
Orlando Reeve
The Chief of Snowfield’s police, Orlando is a cunning man and the master of the caster servant Alexandre Dumas. With the combined forces of Orlando and his police force, Orlando has one goal: justice.
Jester Karture
A madman and the master of the nameless Assassin class servant, Jester is a vampire who has the goal of satisfying his sadistic desires and seeing Assassin tremble at his power.
Flat Escardos
After hearing how his professor once participated in a Holy Grail War, Flat finds himself enamored by the tale. He hops on a plane and flies to the United States to witness the ritual. There, he meets the Berserker servant, the mysterious Jack the Ripper.
Episode 0: Whispers of Dawn
We start with episode 0, Whispers of Dawn. Here, we meet the star players in this Holy Grail War. Assassin, upon being summoned, seemingly kills Jester. We also meet two secondary characters. Tsubaki is a comatose young girl who summons a mysterious spirit-like servant who reeks of the plague. In addition to her, we meet a wolf chimera who becomes the master of Enkidu in place of a normal mage.
Meanwhile, Flat summons his own servant, Berserker, after sneaking away from his professor, Lord El-Melloi II. Lastly, we’re introduced to Orlando and his band of elite soldiers armed with powerful magical weapons. The episode ends with an epic fight between Enkidu and Gilgamesh that’s interrupted by Tsubaki’s mysterious servant. The last scene sees a sneak peek at Ayaka and Saber.
Episode 1: The Heroic Spirit Incident
In Episode 1, we meet Ayaka, who arrives in Snowfield before the city is put on lock-down. Her memory is fuzzy and she keeps getting visions of a mysterious woman who tells her to come to Snowfield. After receiving directions from a convenience store attendant, she’s kidnapped to an opera house and slated to be a sacrifice to summon King Arthur. But the ritual is interrupted by Assassin and instead connects her with Saber who fights off Assassin to save her.
Meanwhile, Orlando and Caster are at odds with each other. Alexander seems to have not a care in the world. That is until he reveals his power beyond making magical weaponry. He knows about Orlando’s secret deals with Faldeus, a man who specializes in puppet making, and Francesca Prelati, an unhinged woman who organized Ayaka’s kidnapping.
In the aftermath of the battle with Assassin, Saber accidentally destroys the opera house. He stands above the people gathered and announces his determination to atone for the destruction before he and Ayaka are arrested and taken away for questioning. Our last scene introduces us to the war’s overseer, Hansa Cervantes, a priest of the Church.
Episode 2
Now we get to the new episodes. In Episode 2, we see the aftermath of the previous episode. We see Hansa and Orlando face off against Assassin and Jester. It’s a showdown between the might of the Snowfield’s Police Department against the mysterious power of Assassin. It’s a bloodbath that sees the police fight against Asassin and her “Zabaniya” attack. This fight continues until Hansa learns that Jester is a vampire and takes the fight to the streets.
Meanwhile, the police question Ayaka and Saber about the incident at the opera house. Saber claims responsibility and declares he will pay for the damage with his talents. He disappears and leaves to check on Ayaka who is in holding. Once the battle between Hansa Orlando and Jester commences, the duo make their escape and leave the station to find a new place to stay.
Episode 3
Hansa and Jester take the fight outside and the two of them tear up the streets. Jester craves wanton destruction while Hansa tries to keep the damage to a minimum. Hansa reveals he works for the Holy Church due to his village being destroyed by vampires. The fight is long, but finishes when the sun starts to rise, and Hansa uses his mechanical prosthetics to blow up Jester and weaken him. But he knows that the fight has just begun.
In the streets, Ayaka and Saber run into the attendant from Episode 1. He takes the duo with him and his friends to hang out. As they make their way to safety, Hansa’s assistants survey the damage and wipe the memories of any bystanders. In London, Flat’s teacher discusses the Grail War and the possibility of a Second Grail War on the horizon. It’s all but confirmed as some mysterious servants reveal themselves to their new masters, and Gilgamesh blocks an attack aimed at him and Tiné.
Episode 4
The Holy Grail War commences with new servants: Servant Alcides and Hippolyta. Alcides and Hippolyta face off against Gilgamesh and Tiné in a fight for revenge and honor. The three factions battle fiercely. But, a mysterious servant, courtesy of Francesca, interrupts the battle. Alcides and Hippolyta retreat and Gilgamesh reminds Tiné that she is a child and she should find her own dream, not the dream of her people.
Meanwhile, Ayaka and Saber hang out with their new friends. Saber reveals he and Ayaka share a special connection. She tells him to sever the contract and find a new master. But Saber ignores her pleas and reveals his true name, Richard of Lionheart.
All caught up?
I hope this at least clarifies what Fate/strange Fake is about and what to expect. Don’t worry about watching any other entries in the Fate franchise. It’s a work designed to stand on its own. Just sit back and enjoy the show when Fate/strange Fake releases in January!
