Remaking the Fate Route of Fate/Stay Night: The Reasons Why

The Fate/Stay Night visual novel, originally released in 2004, has been adapted into numerous anime series and movies over the years. However, despite most of the storylines being adapted by Ufotable, one route that still needs a second chance is the Fate route.

In a post-Fate/Zero world, when most people think of Fate/Stay Night in anime form, they think of Ufotable, even with the myriad spinoffs produced by Production I.G., A1 Pictures, and other studios. Ever since the success of the Garden of Sinners films and their early Fate works, Ufotable’s style and digital effects have become intertwined with the Fate universe and its legacy.

The three routes of Fate/Stay Night – Fate, Unlimited Blade Works, and Heaven’s Feel – have all been adapted to animation since the VN’s release. However, only the last two have been adapted by Ufotable, while the first route was only put to animation once in 2006 by Studio Deen.

Now, as we enter 2023, in the time since Heaven’s Feel’s theatrical trilogy concluded, fans have been clamoring more than ever for a revisit of the Fate route. But with that want comes a minefield of logistical quandaries, the biggest of which being whether it needs to be made and if anything is lost by not remaking it.

Despite being unfairly treated as the ugly stepchild of the series due to its more dated look compared to Ufotable’s iconic style, Studio Deen’s take on Fate/Stay Night does something unique. It adapts the Fate route while inserting elements of Unlimited Blade Works and Heaven’s Feel to create a more complete, all-encompassing idea of the story.

Deen/Stay Night came out at a different time for visual novel adaptations, where the anime would tend to decide on a canon route while adding pieces from other ones. Deen’s decision to pick the route with Saber as the main heroine made sense, as she is the most iconic woman in the Fate series. Deen later adapted UBW as a similar film, somewhat similar to what Ufotable later did with Heaven’s Feel.

However, Ufotable’s take on the universe has been slightly different. From their perspective, it might not have felt necessary to retread old ground after Fate/Zero was an excellent introduction to the world. They were uncertain about how to go about adapting Stay Night, with some wanting to readapt the Fate route, but it was decided that Studio Deen’s adaptation had already done the job. Furthermore, they argued that a UBW TV series would thematically tie well as a sequel to Fate/Zero.

While this has created a cohesive and tonally consistent story over the years, it has come at some cost to the mainstream audience. For instance, Saber, who is the most iconic Fate character and one of the trifecta of strong women at the center of Kinoko Nasu’s most celebrated story, has had quite a rough go of it in Ufotable’s adaptations. Her story in Fate/Zero is one of tragedy but also an example of Gen Urobuchi’s less-than-stellar treatment of her as a character. In UBW, Saber is stolen from Shirou halfway through and is made a prisoner of Caster for a while. In Heaven’s Feel, she is quickly replaced with the evil Saber Alter for the duration of the route.

As she plays a smaller role in the other two routes, Saber can feel like a somewhat secondary character when looking at the whole of Ufotable’s universe. The best ending fans could hope for was in the OVA titled “Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works – Sunny Day”. This OVA was released in 2014 and served as an alternate ending to the Unlimited Blade Works route. In this ending, Saber is able to stay in the present day world with Shirou, living a normal life together.

While this ending may not be considered canon in the overall Fate series, it was a satisfying conclusion for many Saber fans who wanted to see her happy and at peace. Additionally, Saber has remained a beloved character in the Fate universe, and continues to make appearances in various adaptations and spin-offs.

Overall, while Saber may not have had as prominent of a role in some routes of Fate/stay night, she remains a fan favorite and an iconic character in the series. Her popularity has even led to her being featured in other media, such as the popular mobile game Fate/Grand Order.

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