Crunchyroll’s New Fantasy Gets Even Better After Watching This Anime

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Crunchyroll is seeing huge success with the Winter 2026 anime season, thanks to Fate/strange Fake – a particularly strong and noteworthy addition to the popular Fate franchise. Produced by A-1 Pictures with music by Hiroyuki Sawano, the series has already earned a 4.9-star rating on Crunchyroll from over 21,000 viewers. While past Fate series have sometimes been difficult for new fans to get into due to their complex timelines, Fate/strange Fake is designed to be enjoyed without any prior knowledge of the franchise.

The impact of Fate/strange Fake is even greater when experienced alongside Fate/Zero, widely considered a near-perfect anime that sets the standard for the entire Fate franchise. Fate/Zero, animated by Ufotable, boasts an impressive 8.2 rating on IMDb and remains highly regarded on MyAnimeList with a score of 8.26. Seeing Fate/Zero first elevates Fate/strange Fake from a great seasonal anime to a truly unforgettable experience, placing it among the most iconic anime series ever made.

Fate/strange Fake Reinvents the Holy Grail War for Crunchyroll’s Biggest Season

I’ve been following the Fate series, and Fate/strange Fake really shakes things up. Instead of the usual battles in Fuyuki, Japan, this one takes place in Snowfield, Nevada – a whole city built in the desert specifically for these magical conflicts. What’s interesting is that this American setting adds a whole new layer of political intrigue that we haven’t really seen in other Fate stories.

Okay, so this new development is huge! It turns out the conflict in Snowfield wasn’t some natural disaster – a secret, renegade magic organization within the US government actually engineered the whole thing, using stolen data from the original Holy Grail War in Fuyuki! And honestly, the setting is brilliant. Having it take place in the Nevada desert completely fixes one of my biggest issues with Fate/stay night. Seeing massive magical battles in a crowded city always felt a little…far-fetched. But out in the desert? It just works and feels so much more believable.

Ryogo Narita, known for writing Baccano! and Durarara!!, developed Fate/strange Fake as a Fate story that doesn’t focus on a single hero. Like his other works, this story follows many different characters. Each Master-Servant team – such as Gilgamesh and Tine Chelc, or Flat Escardos and Jack the Ripper – has its own complete storyline and motivations. These separate paths eventually come together in a climax that feels more exciting and satisfying than many typical anime stories.

Fate/strange Fake centers around two connected conflicts: a ‘Fake’ Holy Grail War involving six teams of Masters and Servants, and a hidden ‘True’ Holy Grail War with seven other teams. The ‘Fake’ war unknowingly fuels the events of the ‘True’ war.

Unlike many action-packed anime, Fate/strange Fake boasts a surprisingly intricate and layered plot. With thirteen teams of Masters and Servants battling it out in a single city over just seven days, and many participants unaware of the war’s real purpose, this installment features the most crowded and unpredictable Holy Grail War seen in the Fate series so far.

Ufotable’s Fate/Zero Set the Standard That Fate/strange Fake Now Builds On

Watching Ufotable’s Fate/Zero felt like seeing anime action completely reimagined. It wasn’t the typical, energetic anime battle; instead, it presented the Fourth Holy Grail War as a strategic, almost intellectual game played by flawed, complicated characters. The writer, Gen Urobuchi, clearly intended a tragic story, where the good intentions of each Master were slowly eroded by the harsh realities of the war. It honestly felt less like a standard anime and more like a high-quality drama series you’d find on television.

Both Fate/strange Fake and Fate/Zero explore grim themes. In Fate/strange Fake, Orlando Reeve equips an entire police force with magical weapons to battle powerful beings, while Bazdilot Cordelion sustains his monstrous Heracles through a horrifying number of human sacrifices. Similarly, Fate/Zero‘s Grail War concludes without a clear victor, leaving behind shattered dreams and immense destruction, making it unique in its honest portrayal of the consequences of pursuing one’s goals.

Like Fate/Zero, Fate/strange Fake shows that war always has devastating consequences. The Snowfield Grail War is intentionally designed to be unstable, with extreme measures like ‘Aurora Fall’ built in to destroy the city if things get out of hand. Both stories emphasize that there are no winners in war, and the Holy Grail War ultimately ruins the lives of everyone involved, no matter who ‘wins’ in the end.

Gilgamesh’s Reunion With Enkidu in Fate/strange Fake Earns Its Weight Through Fate/Zero

In Fate/Zero, Gilgamesh is portrayed as the arrogant King of Heroes who views the Fourth Holy Grail War as a game, only unleashing his full strength – and the powerful Sword of Rupture, Ea – against those he considers true rivals. But his character is seen in a new light when Enkidu appears in Fate/strange Fake.

Gilgamesh, a central figure in the Fate series, has carried the pain of Enkidu’s death for centuries, a loss that deeply influenced his cold behavior in Fate/Zero and Fate/stay night. Because these stories portray him as aloof and invincible, the depiction of him finding a true equal and falling in love in Fate/strange Fake is especially impactful and emotionally resonant.

In Fate/strange Fake, fans get to see Gilgamesh and Enkidu—both reimagined characters—team up in the Nevada desert. This is the first time the series fully brings to life the famous friendship from the ancient Epic of Gilgamesh, creating a powerful conflict. Enkidu, originally created from clay by the gods, died due to the goddess Ishtar’s anger in the original story, making their reunion in Fate/strange Fake a meeting across mythology itself. To capture the weight of this moment, the animation studio A-1 Pictures gives the confrontation between Gilgamesh and Enkidu a visually stunning intensity that reflects the deep emotional connection between them.

Fate/strange Fake Functions as the Fate Franchise’s Culmination on Crunchyroll

Fate/strange Fake has a stronger connection to Fate/Zero than any other series in the Fate universe. Sigma, a participant in the Snowfield Grail War, is the son of Maiya Hisau, who worked with Kiritsugu Emiya in Fate/Zero. Haruri Borzak joins the Snowfield War seeking revenge on Kiritsugu Emiya for killing her grandfather before the events of Fate/Zero. Furthermore, Lord El-Melloi II – the grown-up version of Waver Velvet from Fate/Zero – observes the Snowfield conflict and sends his students to participate.

Crunchyroll is making it easy to enjoy the Fate series by streaming both Fate/Zero and Fate/strange Fake. New episodes of Fate/strange Fake will be released weekly until March 28, 2026, giving newcomers time to finish all 25 episodes of Fate/Zero before the story reaches its exciting conclusion. Watching Fate/Zero first adds a lot of meaning to moments in Fate/strange Fake – things like Gilgamesh’s scenes, references to El-Melloi II, and battles between Servants – creating a richer and more rewarding experience than any other series currently offers.

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2026-03-16 03:10