In a post-Fate/Zeroworld, when most people think ofFate/Stay Nightin anime form, they think of Ufotable, even with the myriad spinoffs produced by Production I.G., A1 Pictures, etc. Ever sincethe success of theGarden of Sinnersfilmsand their earlyFateworks, Ufotable’s style and digital effects works has become intertwined with the universe and its legacy.
The three routes ofFate/Stay Night-Fate,Unlimited Blade Works, andHeaven’s Feel- have all been adapted to animation in the time since the VN was released in 2004. However, only the last two have been adapted by Ufotable, whereas the first route of the beloved story was only put to animation once in 2006 by Studio Deen.
RELATED:Fate/Strange Fake’s Anime Special Has Been DelayedNow, going into 2023, in the time sinceHeaven’s Feel’s theatrical trilogy concluded, fans have been clamoring more than ever for a revisit of theFateroute. 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.
Deen/Stay Night
Studio Deen’s take onFate/Stay Nighthas often been treated unfairly as the ugly stepchild of the series, primarily for its far more dated look compared to Ufotable’s iconic style. So many will be introduced to the franchise through later works that the 2006 anime’s aesthetic can be a hard hump to get over in order to give the series a chance.
But it goes without saying thatDeen/Stay Nightcame out at a very different time for Visual Novel adaptations, where the anime would tend to decide on a canon route while adding pieces from other ones. For instance,Clannaddecided that Nagisa would be the final girl, but they also added tons of episodes meant to flesh out other characters, making it a full adaptation.
Deen/Stay Nightdoes something similar, adapting theFateroute while inserting elements ofUBWandHeaven’s Feelto create a more complete, all-encompassing idea of the story. It made sense to pick the route with Saber as the main heroine because she is the most iconic woman in theFateseries. Deen later adaptedUBWas a similar film, kinda similar to what Ufotable later did withHeaven’s Feel.
The Ufotable Fate Universe
TheFateroute is often considered, perhaps reductively, as an expository route meant to explain the mechanics of the Grail War and set up the key characters of the story. From Ufotable’s perspective, it might not have felt necessary to retread old ground afterFate/Zeroitself was an excellent introductionto the world.
Looking up the production history of theUBWseries more or less confirms this. Ufotable was eager to adaptStay Night, but they were uncertain how to go about it, with some wanting to readapt theFateroute. In the end, it was decided that Studio Deen’s adaptation had already done the job. Furthermore, they argued that aUBWTV series thematically tie well as a sequel toFate/Zero.
In a way, they were quite correct. If the originalFate/Stay Nightwent like this:1. Fate 2. UBW 3. Heaven’s Feel, then Ufotable’s take on the universe was:1. Zero 2. UBW 3. Heaven’s Feel. While this has created a cohesive and tonally consistent story over the years, it has come at some cost to the mainstream audience.
Saber’s Route
A primary goal ofUnlimited Blade Works' TV anime was for the creative teamto explore Shirou’s character morewithout relying too much on how he was reflected through romantic interests. This is an understandable approach, born out of a desire to do right by Shirou while respecting the female characters in their own right. With that said, many fans still characterize the routes by their female leads, and the romance is a large draw for the story.
Even with this renewed mindset, Rin Tohsaka and Sakura Matou were definitely Shirou’s romantic partners inUBWandHeaven’s Feelrespectively. Sakura’s relationship with Shirou is far more blatant as per the necessity ofHF’s plot, but plenty of fans swooned over Shirou x Rin as well. And yet, it wasn’t so easy to do that for Saber.
For fans who’ve only watched Ufotable’s adaptations, Saber has had quite a rough go of it. InFate/Zeroher story is one of tragedy but also an example ofGen Urobuchi’s less-than-stellar treatment of heras a character. InUBW, Saber is stolen from Shirou halfway through and is made a prisoner of Caster for a while. InHeaven’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 “Sunny Day,” named after the ending in the VN where Rin makes Saber her familiar, allowing her to keep on living.
But Saber is more than just a supporting character. Artoria Pendragon is the most iconicFatecharacter and one of the trifecta of strong women at the center of Kinoko Nasu’s most celebrated story. It is true that Shirou’s story inUBWfeels a lot stronger if consumed right afterFate/Zero.ButKiritsugu Emiya wasn’t the only characterwith an unfulfilled legacy.
By the end of Zero, Saber went through hell just like Kiritsugu did, banking everything on acquiring the Grail, only to have it snatched from her because of revelations she wasn’t privy to. All she was left with was the pain of believing that she’d failed the Round Table when she was alive. She deserved closure, the kind of closure that theFateroute could have provided.
Rewatch or Remake?
It isn’t as if that closure is lost to fans who want to look for it. After all, Studio Deendidadapt it, and the showisworth watching, especially for what it offers that a lot of the other adaptations don’t. There are elements of levity that don’t often get the credit they deserve for fleshing out the characters and these aspects echo the qualities thatmade the Visual Novel so sensational.
Fanscould also obviously read the VN, although it’s never been sold outside of Japan. Through the VN, fans not only could experience theFateroute, but they could witness things that not even Ufotable was able to translate perfectly, like Shirou’s survivor’s guilt. Still, among the options available, there remains a strong desire for an Ufotable remake of theFateroute.
Ufotable is the studio that has more or less defined the franchise today: the creators at Type-Moon, the executives at Ufotable, and the fans who have watched for ages understand that. It was only because of the new animated openings for the PS Vita release ofFate/Stay NightthatUBWwas even considered for a series. This studio is good at what they do.
They have also adapted works from the Nasuverse beyondFate, such asGarden of Sinners,the upcomingMahoyofilm, and if there’s aTsukihimeanime remake, it’s safe to say they’ll make it. Years from now when Ufotable’s recurring controversies with tax evasion catch up with them, it’ll be really silly if - in the end - they somehow adapted everythingexceptfor theFateroute.
MORE:Fate Anime: 15 Best Noble Phantasms, Ranked In Terms Of Strength
