Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel

Part 1: Presage Flower

When Shirou was seven years old, a devastating fire that destroyed Fuyuki City left him orphaned and mentally traumatized. He was rescued and adopted by Kiritsugu Emiya, a mysterious magic-user who later inspired Shirou to pursue his ultimate goal to become a "Hero of Justice". When Kiritsugu passed away, his friend and neighbor Taiga Fujimura became Shirou's guardian, as well as his homeroom teacher. Shirou grew up to be the star of his high school's archery team alongside Shinji Matou, until an injury sidelines him. Around that time, Shinji's sister Sakura befriends Shirou and starts to regularly visit him at his home. This ultimately causes a rift between Shirou and Shinji but, over the course of 18 months, Sakura nevertheless forms a close bond with Shirou and Taiga. Shirou spends his nights practicing what little magecraft Kiritsugu was able to teach him before passing away.

However, Shirou's simple life with Sakura and Taiga is suddenly upended in a violent encounter with a blue-clad warrior of supernatural strength, wielding a red spear. Meanwhile, Sakura runs into a blond-haired man who says something that shocks her. After being impaled by the spear-wielder, Shirou is somehow revived from imminent death and later, when the spearman attacks him at home, accidentally summons Saber - an armored swordswoman with an invisible weapon. Saber protects Shirou from the spearman at the cost of an injury, driving him off before facing another superpowered foe, Archer, and nearly killing him in the process. However, Archer turns out to be in the service of Rin Tohsaka, a school acquaintance of Shirou. Noting that Shirou is utterly clueless regarding the current situation, Rin declares a temporary truce and takes Shirou and Saber to see Kirei Kotomine, a brooding priest at a nearby church.

Kirei explains to Shirou that he is now entangled in a deadly conflict between magi that occurs in Fuyuki every few decades, called the Holy Grail War -- a battle royale to claim an ancient, magical artifact that is said to grant a wish to the victor. Each of the seven chosen magi that becomes a participant, or Master, is given the responsibility and protection of a single Servant, which takes the form of a powerful hero of legend. He also explains to Shirou that Kiritsugu himself was a Master in the previous war, but he inexplicably ordered his Servant - the same Saber-class hero whom Shirou now commands - to destroy the Holy Grail, causing the catastrophic fire that devastated Fuyuki and orphaned Shirou. Resolved to prevent any other mage with evil intentions from claiming the Grail, Shirou resolves to remain a Master and confirms his pact with Saber.

En route back home, Shirou and Rin encounter Illyasviel von Einzbern, a mysterious white-haired girl, who attacks Shirou with her giant Servant Berserker. With Archer still injured, Saber defends Shirou alone but is hindered by the spearman's wound and begins losing badly. Unable to watch Saber be killed, Shirou intervenes and is nearly killed by Berserker's attack. Disappointed by the battle's outcome, Illya recalls Berserker and leaves Shirou to die. Later, Shirou wakes to find his wounds gone, which Rin reveals to be a form of magical healing coming from Shirou himself. Saber dissuades Shirou from risking his life in the future, as he is her lifeline and his death would kill her anyway. Rin and Shirou go their separate ways, with Rin making clear that, as they are both participants of the War, only one of them will survive in the end.

Some time later, Shirou and Saber run into Shinji, who reveals himself as the Master of Rider - a purple-haired Servant with a mask over her eyes, wielding two stake-like blades connected to chains. On Shinji's orders, Rider captured their classmate and fellow archery team member Ayako Mitsuzuri, who had insulted Shinji earlier, and fed on her like a vampire. Confident of his victory due to Shirou's scant training as a magus, Shinji hastily orders Rider to attack Saber. However, Saber proves a far superior combatant and defeats Rider in a single blow, seemingly killing her. Shinji panics and attempts to flee, but is stopped by the sudden appearance of his grandfather Zouken, who admonishes Shinji for his failure. Shirou asks if Sakura is involved in the war, but Shinji denies it as he bitterly departs, distraught and angered by his humiliating loss. Shirou then carries Ayako to the church so Kirei can treat her injuries. While Kirei is treating her, Shirou meets and is mocked by the blond-haired man.

Later, Saber half-truthfully claims to Taiga and Sakura that she is an old friend of Kiritsugu, so that she will be allowed to stay in Shirou's house. Despite Rin's warnings to stay away from her at school, Shirou confronts Rin about the news of citizens suddenly falling ill and dying. Suspecting the Servant Caster is responsible, Rin agrees that they should set aside their participation in the War until they find the cause of the disruption, forming another temporary truce with Shirou - despite criticism from Archer. Shirou insists that Sakura stays at the Emiya Residence for the time being, hoping to keep her safe with Saber, which Sakura accepts. However, over the next few days, Sakura becomes ill and begins to have nightmares.

At the nearby Ryuudou Temple, the Servant Assassin stands guard, but is suddenly killed by an entity emerging from within himself, after which a shadow appears and devours Assassin's body. The figure that emerged from Assassin goes on to kill Souichirou Kuzuki - a teacher at Shirou's high school - and his Servant Caster, revealing himself as the Heroic Spirit meant to be the "True" Assassin. A swarm of insects carries Caster's body away before it can dissolve. Back home, Shirou has a strange dream where Rin tries to seduce him, but he realizes something is wrong as she speaks and acts like Rider, revealing inhuman eyes as she bites him like a vampire. As Shirou starts to give in, Rin's image becomes Sakura and shocks him awake.

Later, Shirou notices bruises on Sakura's body and deduces Shinji as the culprit. When Shinji arrives and strikes his sister, Shirou nearly attacks him before Sakura pleads for him to stop, reluctantly letting Shinji leave. When Souichirou never returns to school, Rin meets with Shirou and deduces he was the Master of Caster, yet people are still falling ill as if Caster were alive. Investigating the matter, they encounter Zouken, who reveals he is controlling Caster's corpse like a puppet and attacks them with it. Saber and Archer fend off the corpse, which can still use Caster's powers, but the tense stand-off is suddenly interrupted by a shadowy figure that shocks even the old man. The shadow is unaffected by Caster's attacks and devours the corpse. Archer decapitates Zouken while he is distracted, but he reveals his true form - a swarm of insect familiars called Crest Worms - and retreats. The shadow attempts to swallow Rin, but Shirou pushes Rin out of the way. While he is injured, the shadow retreats.

The next night, Shirou and Sakura have a chat where she reveals when she first admired him; the day she saw him constantly fail a high jump and yet refused to give up. She asks him about how his life with Kiritsugu was like, hiding her expression when he says he was happy. She then asks what he would do if she was a monster, seeming satisfied when he says he would simply admonish her and then save her from her troubles. Meanwhile, the blue spearman, Lancer, is ordered to track down the new Assassin. After an intense duel across the city, Lancer overwhelms Assassin but is suddenly attacked by the shadow, which Assassin takes advantage of to extract Lancer's heart with his Noble Phantasm Zabaniya. The shadow devours a defeated Lancer as he laments the bleakness of the situation, while Assassin eats Lancer's heart to strengthen himself.

The next day, Kirei meets with Shirou at lunch to discuss the mysterious circumstances of the current Holy Grail War, revealing both Lancer's demise the prior night and himself as Lancer's Master. He admits having his own ambitions, but must cast them aside as the shadow's actions are a grave threat to the entire city, devouring any and every life it touches. Shirou declines Kirei's invitation to work together, though he follows the priest's suggestion to investigate Ryuudou Temple, where Souichirou was killed - as well as his warnings about encountering Zouken.

Later that night, Shirou and Saber go to Ryuudou Temple, where Assassin ambushes them. Assassin draws Saber away in a duel while Zouken corners Shirou, attacking him with his Crest Worms. Eventually, Saber is trapped between Assassin's fatal attack and the encroaching shadow, unable to break free. Shirou tries to recall Saber but his Command Seals - the marks on his hand that indicate he is a Master - suddenly vanish, signifying Saber's death. Shirou momentarily breaks free from Zouken's assault, intriguing the old magus, and nearly manages to strike Zouken before Assassin intervenes. Zouken leaves them to their battle and, hopelessly outmatched, Shirou nears defeat but is suddenly saved by Rider, who appears out of thin air. Displaying speed and strength greater than when she fought Saber, Rider handily defeats Assassin and drives him away. Rider confirms that Shirou will live and disappears, leaving him confused about her intentions. As he departs the temple, Shirou finds himself face-to-face with the shadow, but it disappears without harming him.

However, Saber is revealed to have survived, having chosen to let the shadow devour her rather than be killed by Assassin. Within the shadow, Saber reaches for a light but is discouraged by a familiar voice; she turns and is greeted by an altered image of herself in a black dress, bearing deathly pale skin and ominous amber eyes.

Meanwhile, Rin and Archer break into the Matou's basement and are horrified to find it infested with Crest Worms, alluding to Sakura's abuse. Upstairs, Shinji writes in his diary and considers a vial containing a strange substance. Illyasviel looks over the city from her castle and tells her maids that things have gotten interesting. In an alley, Zouken has his insects devour a woman and explains he must do this every so often to sustain his life. While slightly disturbed, Assassin says his attachment to life is admirable and he is worthy to be his Master.

Battered, defeated, and having just failed Saber, Shirou returns home and finds Sakura waiting for him in the snow. She displays her concern over him continually returning in an injured state, but Shirou consoles her and the two come back inside -- for Shirou is no longer a Master and can no longer fight.

Main characters

Shirou Emiya (衛宮 士郎, Emiya Shirō)

Voiced by: Noriaki Sugiyama (Japanese); Bryce Papenbrook^[9] (English)

The main character of the trilogy and the master of Saber. Shirou is a survivor of the Fourth Holy Grail War and is adopted by the magus Kiritsugu Emiya. Following in the footsteps of his adoptive father, Shirou decides to be a hero of justice. As the story progresses, he falls in love with his friend Sakura, but that implies a series of sacrifices in order to protect her and keep her safe from the war - both of himself and those close to him.

Sakura Matou (間桐 桜, Matō Sakura)

Voiced by: Noriko Shitaya (Japanese); Cristina Vee^[9] (English)

The main heroine and the driving force of the story. She is Shirou's long time friend and the true master of Rider. She has been visiting his house very frequently since they met and helping him the house work, especially when it comes to cooking. Sakura endures an abusive relationship with her brother, even though she tries to hide it. She appears to be related to the Fifth Holy Grail War more than it seems.

Rider (ライダー, Raida)

Voiced by: Yuu Asakawa (Japanese); Melissa Fahn^[9] (English)

Just like Saber was the focus in Fate and Archer was in Unlimited Blade Works, Rider is the servant protagonist in Heaven's Feel. She is Shinji's servant, summoned to fight for him in the Fifth Holy Grail War. Rider bonds with Sakura and seeks to protect her from her abusive family. Rider's identity is revealed to be Medusa, the Gorgon witch of Greek myth.

Illyasviel von Einzbern (イリヤスフィール・フォン・アインツベルン, Iriyasufīru fon Aintsuberun)

Voiced by: Mai Kadowaki (Japanese); Stephanie Sheh^[9] (English)

The secondary heroine. She is one of the seven participants of the Fifth Holy Grail War and the master of Berserker. At first, Illya appears to be an enemy to Shirou and Rin but later became very close to the former, becoming more like his older sister. She plays a vital role in the war and seems to have a past relationship with Kiritsugu Emiya, Shirou's adoptive father.

Rin Tohsaka (遠坂 凛, Tōsaka Rin)

Voiced by: Kana Ueda (Japanese); Mela Lee^[9] (English)

Rin is a model student and idol of Shirou's school. She is one of the seven participants of the Fifth Holy Grail War, being the master of Archer. Even though she starts as an adversary, Rin is Shirou's most prominent ally during the story and the one who introduces him to the world of the magus. Rin has an unusual connection with Sakura and they tend to keep an eye on each-other from afar.

Saber (セイバー, Seibā, lit. "Saber")

Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi (Japanese); Kari Wahlgren^[9] (English)

Saber is Shirō's Servant for the Fifth Holy Grail War. Loyal, independent, and reserved, Saber acts coldly but is actually suppressing her emotions to focus on her goals. Her class is considered the "Most Outstanding", with excellent ratings in all categories. Since her Master cannot effectively provide her with Mana, she minimizes her activity to preserve her energy. Saber is frustrated by Shirō's "protective" tendencies, believing his erratic and reckless behavior will jeopardize their chances of winning the Holy Grail War. She ultimately is devoured by the Shadow during her fight with True Assassin and, while trapped inside it, is confronted by a tainted copy of herself.

Zoken Matō (間桐 臓硯, Matō Zōken)

Voiced by: Masane Tsukayama (Japanese); Michael Donovan^[9] (English)

Zōken is a shrewd, powerful, and ancient sorcerer who is patriarch of the Matō family and is known to be the grandfather of Shinji and Sakura. He is the primary antagonist of Heaven's Feel. He was one of the original three Magi to propose the Holy Grail system, being the designer of the Command Seals and was originally a Russian magus under the name Zolgen Makiri. He has amassed a large and extensive library of sorcery knowledge, yet his lessons are strict and harsh. Zōken considers Shinji to be a disgrace of a sorcerer, believing Sakura may have more potential than her brother. He is the master of True Assassin.

Shinji Matō (間桐 慎二, Matō Shinji)

Voiced by: Hiroshi Kamiya (Japanese); Kyle McCarley^[9] (English)

The supposed master of Rider and Sakura's older brother. A very vain and self-assured person who prides himself as being an equal to Rin. He was once a good friend of Shirō's, but became more distant after Sakura started spending her time with the latter. He is later ousted as a false Master, as his spellbook is burned and Rider returns to her true Master - Sakura.

True Assassin (真アサシン, Shin Asashin)

Voiced by: Tetsu Inada (Japanese); Patrick Seitz^[9] (English)

Summoned by Zouken Mato, bursting out from within Assassin's flesh when Zōken uses the dying Servant's body as the catalyst to summon him. True Assassin manages to defeat Lancer by blindsiding him while the spearman is occupied by the Shadow, gouging his heart out and devouring it in order to increase his own mental acuity. He uses this same tag-team method to defeat Saber. Though she succeeds in slashing right arm off before he can remove her heart, it proves in vain as he manages to re-attach the limb while Saber is ultimately devoured by the Shadow. He attempts to kill Shirō immediately after but is defeated by Rider, who comes to Shirō's defense.

Kirei Kotomine (言峰 綺礼, Kotomine Kirei)

Voiced by: Joji Nakata (Japanese); Crispin Freeman^[9] (English)

The church priest and the mediator of the Fifth Holy Grail War. He is close to Rin and her personal mentor since her father's death. He is the master of Lancer and a former participant of the previous Holy Grail War, where he fought Shirō's father Kiritsugu.

Supporting characters

Archer (アーチャー, Āchā)

Voiced by: Junichi Suwabe (Japanese); Kaiji Tang^[9] (English)

Servant of Rin. He is injured early in the war by Saber, forcing Rin to sacrifice the second of her three Command Spells to save him and form a truce with Shirō. Archer harbors a desire to kill Shirō, but abandons his goal when he learns of what contaminated the Grail.

Berserker (バーサーカー, Bāsākā)

Voiced by: Tadahisa Saizen (Japanese); Michael McConnohie^[9] (English)

Servant of Illyasviel von Einzbern. As a powerful brute, he is nearly unstoppable. Waiting for Shirou and Rin to exit the church, he takes this opportunity to attack them. Saber intervenes and is almost defeated by him until Shirou takes a hard blow for Saber. Due to Illyasviel's confusion, they leave.

Gilgamesh (ギルガメッシュ, Girugamesshu)

Voiced by: Tomokazu Seki (Japanese); David Earnest^[9] (English)

Unknown to everyone, Gilgamesh is a servant. Seemingly out of nowhere, he pops up into the church while Shirou talks to Kirei. He is later seen standing in front of Sakura, chatting to her. Finally, he is seen standing in the way of Illyasviel and Berserker. He was consumed by the shadowed, revealed to be Sakura.

Caster (キャスター, Kyasutā)

Voiced by: Atsuko Tanaka (Japanese); Megan Hollingshead^[9] (English)

Servant of Souichirou Kuzuki. First seen in Ryuudou Temple with her master. She leaves to go check on Assassin who is watching the gate. When arriving, she sees his sword at the bottom of the steps as it disappears. She returns to the temple as she sees her master maimed by True Assassin. Threatening to kill her master, she is told to use her Noble Phantasm, Rule Breaker, on herself. After doing so, True Assassin stabs her and kills Souichirou. Zoken's bugs drag her body away, later to be reanimated and used to fight against Shirou, Rin, and Saber.

Taiga Fujimura (藤村 大河, Fujimura Taiga)

Voiced by: Miki Itou (Japanese); Julie Ann Taylor^[9] (English)

Shirō's homeroom teacher and legal guardian following Kiritsugu's passing, whom Shirō regards as an older sister. She is aware of how close Shirō is to Sakura and encourages - or occasionally teases - him to be more open to her about it.

Souichirou Kuzuki (葛木 宗一郎, Kuzuki Sōichirō)

Voiced by: Kazuhiro Nakata (Japanese); Lex Lang (English)

Master of Caster. A teacher at Homurahara Academy, the school where Shirou, Sakura, and Shinji attend. Meeting Caster at Ryuudou Temple, he is sliced up by True Assassin. As his limbs and head are cut but not severed, he is used as leverage for True Assassin against Caster. He is later killed once Caster uses Rule Breaker on herself.

Assassin (アサシン, Asashin)

Voiced by: Shin-ichiro Miki (Japanese); Todd Haberkorn^[9] (English)

Servant of Caster. When first shown, Assassin has dropped his sword down the steps of Ryuudou Temple. Bloodied and on the ground, True Assassin explodes out of his body. Later, he disappears.

Lancer (ランサー, Ransā)

Voiced by: Nobutoshi Canna (Japanese); Tony Oliver^[9] (English)

Servant of Kirei Kotomine. Obeying orders from his master, he follows Zoken to the Ryuudou Temple, where Caster is located. He sees True Assassin killing Caster as well as her Master. He pursues True Assassin through the city and to a lake where he has fallen for True Assassin's trap. The Shadow holds Lancer down long enough for True Assassin to gouge out his heart and consume it before the Shadow finishes him off.

Box office

Presage Flower in its opening weekend reached #1 at the Japanese box office, grossing ¥413,030,840 from 247,509 admissions within two days.^[23] Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel grossed $14,156,217 worldwide, including ¥1.5 billion ($13.7 million) in Japan^[24] and $456,217 overseas.^[25]

Reviews

Presage Flower received acclaim from critics and fans alike. Newcomers to the series gave a mixed reception, though newcomers are discouraged from watching this adaptation first. It was criticised on its pacing and lack of explanation of the scenario for newcomers, however, fans called that fact its strong point, calling it 'fast-paced' and 'to the point'. Anime News Network gave it an 'A', calling it a fine work of cinema and the best Fate anime ever ^[26].