Fate/Stay Night is a popular H Japanese visual novel game created by TYPE-MOON in 2004. It appears to take place in the same world as their signature work, Tsukihime, although they explore different themes. It is the first commercial title of TYPE-MOON.
New Life Anime is currently working on translating the game. The demo has been completely translated by Insani
Fate/Stay Night is about events in the life of a high-school boy, Emiya Shirō, who lives in Fuyuki City. At a young age his parents died in a fire and he was adopted by Emiya Kiritsugu, an enigmatic man who called himself a sorcerer. Eventually, Kiritsugu passed away as well.
Unknown to him and the rest of Fuyuki City, their city is the battleground for a secret war. When the time is right, sorcerers from near and far gather with their Servants - the summoned spirits of heroes so mighty they exist outside of time - and fight a war for possession of the Holy Grail, a relic said to grant its owner a wish. The true names of the Servants reveal their weaknesses, and so they are usually referred to by a classification of type instead; Saber, Archer, Rider, Berserker, Lancer, Caster, and Assassin.
When returning from cleaning his archery club's dojo one day, Shirō accidentally sees two of the Servants, Archer and Lancer, battling in the school yard. To preserve the secrecy of the war, Lancer mortally wounds him; but a girl who up until now seemed a normal classmate of his, Tōsaka Rin, saves his life using a magical pendant. As he continues home, bewildered, Lancer attacks him again. Just before he's about to die for good, the servant Saber appears before him, greeting him with the words "Art thou my master?"
Inexorably, he is drawn further and further into the Grail War...
Main characters
Surnames are first when given, in the Japanese style (except for Ilya.)
- Emiya Shirō (衛宮 士郎) - The main character of the game. He is a serious boy and a hard worker, in the second year of high school. His hobbies are fixing all sorts of broken things, like VCRs and stoves, and cooking (although he denies that one.) He learned some sorcery from his adoptive father Kiritsugu, but was never very good at it. Initially, he is confused by the Grail War, and tries to fight only to protect himself or to defeat true evil. He has a secret crush on Tōsaka Rin.
- Saber - Shirō's servant. Looks like a young woman, but is very strong. The class of Saber is said to be the most powerful of the Servants. Very loyal, and doesn't reveal many emotions, but likes stuffed animals. She eats and sleeps an awful lot, seemingly because Shirō can't supply her with much mana and she needs to preserve what she has, but perhaps because she enjoys it as well...
- Tōsaka Rin (遠坂 凛) - Shirō's classmate, and secretly a sorcerer in the Grail War. Member of a family of sorcerers, and powerful in her own right. Her father died in the previous Grail War, and she is fighting in this one to succeed him, with no real wish of her own. It seems she likes Shirō as well, as she would have let him die if she hadn't known who he was. Her servant is Archer, whom she disliked at first (she wanted Saber.)
- Matō Sakura (間桐 桜) - A first-year in high school. After Kiritsugu died, she's been going over to Shirō's house to help him with living on his own. She's shy on the outside, but has an inner strength.
- Ilyasveil von Einzbern - "Ilya." A little girl, or so it appears, who came from outside the country to fight in the Grail War. Accordingly, she's a powerful sorcerer. She lives in a castle outside Fuyuki City with two maids. She acts strangely towards Shirō, alternately chatting amiably with him and asking her Servant, Berserker, to kill him.
- Archer - Rin's servant. Due to being summoned roughly, he lost his memory of his previous life and Grail Wars. He's sarcastic and cynical, which made Rin instantly dislike him, but once past that he's reliable and a good person at heart. Although he's an Archer class, he can hold his own in close combat as well, preferring to use a pair of daggers.
- Lancer - Considered the most agile of the Servants. Seems to be a honorable warrior, although he swears a lot. Calls his own Master a coward for hiding his identity.
- Berserker - Ilya's servant. The class of Berserker sacrifices their sanity for incredible power; they tend to destroy themselves due to their Masters losing control over them, but Ilya seems to do it with ease...
- Kotomine Kirei (言峰 綺礼) - Through an agreement between the Mages' Association and the Church, the Grail Wars are managed by a member of the Church. He's actually a member of both. He fought in the previous Grail War, where his father was the manager, and his father died protecting him; he feels obliged to take his place. Although far lower ranked in the Church then Ciel (from Tsukihime) was, he uses some of the same weapons as her.
Minor characters
- Matō Shinji - Sakura's older brother, a popular boy who is an old friend of Shirō's. He openly likes Rin, but she snubs him. He doesn't think it's good for his younger sister to visit Shirō's house every day.
- Ryūdō Issei - Another friend of Shirō's.
- Fujimura Taiga and Kuzuki Sōichirō - Teachers at Shirō's school.
- Mitsuzuri Ayako - Captain of the archery club. Rin's friend.
- Makidera Kaede, Himuro Kane and Saegusa Yukika - Rin's classmates. All three are on the track team.
- Leysritt and Sella - Ilya's maids.
- Rider, Caster and Assassin - At the start of the game, nothing is known about these three servants beyond their existence.
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