Episode 1 (Fate/Zero) (2024)

Summoning the Ancient Heroes
Season 1, Episode 1
General Information
Series	Fate/Zero
Kanji	英霊召喚
Rōmaji	Eirei Shōkan
Air Date	Oct 01, 2011
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Plot[]

Irisviel holds her newborn daughter, Illyasviel, and Kiritsugu feels bad that Irisviel will die because of him. Irisviel knows that, yet she thanks Kiritsugu for giving her joy despite being a puppet. Kiritsugu states that he has no right to hold their child, and Irisviel reminds him of his dream which will become a reality. She asks Kiritsugu to hold their daughter with pride.Three years in Torino, Italy, Kirei explains to Tokiomi and Kirei has been chosen as masters due to the command seals. Tokiomi and Risei explain to Kirei about the Holy Grail war. Kirei asks if the being a participant and the son of the moderator is against the rules. Risei and Tokiomi explains that they have oversee the Holy Grail and make sure the Holy Grail will not fall in wrong hands. Kirei finds out he is helping Tokiomi to ensure victory, and Tokiomi informs him that they will act as enemies in public, yet they are allies in secret. Kirei asks them how does the Holy Grail chooses it masters. Later, Risei notes that this Holy Grail will help Kirei get over his grief, his wife's passing. Meanwhile in Japan, Kariya greets Aoi and Rin Tohsaka. He gives a present to Rin who asked Kariya. When Kariya asks about Sakura, Aoi explains that Sakura is no longer her daughter or Rin's sister. Aoi states that she is at the Matou manor. Kariya is angry about this, and Sakura tells him that this is way of the Tohsaka and Matou as well as for mage families.

At the Matou manor, Kariya finds Zouken. Zouken tells Kariya that the Matou family is in this state because Kariya has not inherited the mage secrets. He informs that Sakura will bear potential mages, and Kariya states that Zouken has no use for Sakura if he gets his hands on the Holy Grail. Kariya asks Zouken to let Sakura go if he gets the Holy Grail for Zouken by having the worms implanted in him. However, Zouken informs Kariya that it's too late since Sakura has been in the pit of worms for four days straight. Zouken asks if Kariya will accept his terms. Kariya answers yes, and Zouken states that he have Sakura continue her education and train for a year. He tells Kariya to go into the pit of insects for a week as a test.

Over at the Einzbern's manor, Kiritsugu reports to Irisviel about one of the masters in London, Kayneth who is the eldest son of the Archibald family. In London, Kayneth gives a lecture about how mages pass down their strength and knowledge because a student wrote a paper, How Wizardy Should Be in the New Century. He explains that the paper goes against his arguments and finds the beliefs delusional. Waver stands up, and Kayneth insults Waver about his family and Waver. In the hallway, Waver trips over a package, the man tells Waver to deliver it to Kayneth. Instead, Waver takes the Macedonian artifact and research about the Holy Grail War. He learns that three families, Einzberns, Makiris, and Tohsakas, have summon the Holy Grail 200 years ago. However, the Holy Grail can answer one prayer at a time which leads to the alliance between the three families to crumble. The Holy Grail appears every 60 years and chooses seven masters who compete with servants, heroic spirits of 7 classes. Waver is relieved that the Holy Grail picks the most talented mages, and that Pedigree does not matter. He notes that one needs a holy relic to summon a servant.

Underground in a secret place, Kirei finds the two empty spots unnerving. Hassan greets the two and reassures them that this place is safe. Tokiomi explains that he has been gathering information on the Einzberns and that the family has recruited an outsider. Furthermore, the Einzbern family has relied on alchemy instead of combat over the years. Tokiomi informs Kirei that they have recruited Emiya Kiritsugu, the mage slayer. Over at the Einzbern, the head of the Einzbern instructs Kiritsugu about the artifact obtained in Cornwall and orders Kiritsugu to destroy all the masters and complete Heaven's Feel once he obtains the Holy Grail. Back to Kirei and Tokiomi, Tokiomi states that Kiritsugu is a freelance assassin who uses tactics that mages don't use, and he finds Kiritsugu deplorable. Kirei asks Tokiomi why Kiritsugu became an assassin and to borrow the report. At the Einzbern place, Kiritsugu reviews their information on the four masters with Irisviel: Tokiomi, Kariya, Kayneth, and Kirei. Kiritsugu finds Kirei's story strange because Kirei abandon his education and join the church as an executor. He tells Irisviel that Kirei scares him because the man has no desire of his own. Both Kirei and Kiritsugu wonder about each other's motives.

Over at the Matou's place, Zouken finds Kariya on the floor and remarks that he has survived. He notes that Kariya only has a month to survive due to the worms. Zouken states that he has found a powerful relic. Meanwhile, Weaver is happy that he has a command seal on his hand. He greets his family who are concerned about the serial killings on the news. His parents notice that Weaver has a strange marking on his hand. Weaver needs to recast his spell on the two to make them think that they are his parents. Back at the Einzbern place, Kiritsugu and Irisviel glance at the scabbard. Kiritsugu find that he has problems in harnessing the power of the King of Knights. After Irisviel gives Kiritsugu the pep talk, Kiritsugu gets an idea. In the Tohsaka manor, Kirei finds Rin lugging a suitcase. Rin asks Kirei to promise to protect her father. When Kirei comments that he cannot do that, Rin states that she does not like him at all. When Aoi comes in, she asks Kirei to watch her husband, and Rin sticks her tongue out at Kirei as an insult. Upon meeting Tokiomi, Kirei learns that Tokiomi has the relic to summon the servant. Over at the Matou manor, Sakura sees Kariya who is a different person. Kariya tells her that he is going to the basement for the ceremony, and he tells Sakura that when his job is over, he will take Sakura somewhere fun with Aoi and Rin. When Sakura states that she has to forget that Rin and Aoi are her family, Kariya hugs her and tells her the same thing. In the basement, Zouken instructs Kariya to insert an incantation to give his servant madness in order to avoid having his servant's stats downgraded due to Kariya's status as a mage. Meanwhile, Weaver finishes drawing a seal using the blood of a rooster, and Tokiomi prepares to summon his servant. For Kiritsugu, the summoning seal is made of a metal that is similar to silver. After all the servants have been summon, Kiritsugu and Irisviel see a young woman.

Points of Interest[]

• This episode is 47 minutes long.
• There are seven classes of Servants: Archer, Assassin, Berserker, Caster, Lancer, Rider, and Saber.
• The Holy Grail is held every 60 years.
• The three main families are Einzbern, Tohsaka, and Makiris.

Masters and Servants[]

1. Kirei and Assassin
2. Weaver and Rider
3. Kariya and Berserker
4. Tokiomi Tohsaka and Archer
5. Kiritsugu and Saber