You Are Not Prepared for Fate/Strange Fake Episode 2

Warning: The following contains spoilers for Fate/strange Fake: Whispers of Dawn and Fate/strange Fake Episode 1, now streaming on Crunchyroll. It also contains spoilers for the light novel, Fate/strange Fake Volume 2.

One of the most satisfying things about the Fate Series – not unlike most ensemble-driven dramas – is watching all the disparate factions that have been established collide in unexpected ways. Fate/strange Fake, the newest entry in the franchise, has already laid the groundwork for its “True and False Holy Grail Wars”, and Episode 2 will plunge viewers straight into the first battle.

The anime, based on the novel series by Ryohgo Narita, premiered as part of the annual Fate Project New Year’s Eve TV Special, with the rest of the season coming later this year. It follows a “False” Holy Grail War organized by rogue mages who have broken from the Association, hosted not in Fuyuki, Japan, but rather in the fictional city of Snowfield, Nevada, USA.

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The State of the War So Far

2023’s Fate/strange Fake: Whispers of Dawn chronicled the opening rites of the Holy Grail War in Snowfield, from the betrayal of the mage known as Faldeus to the summoning of all six Servants. “Six” because, given the artificial nature of the ritual, a Saber Servant wasn’t supposed to manifest, but as the viewer soon learns, few things go according to plan in this story. Something peculiar happens at every turn, and blood is shed before the war has even truly begun.

By the time all six Servants have been summoned, the False Archer Gilgamesh and the False Lancer Enkidu have reunited in battle, leaving a crater in the desert that isn’t easily covered up. Episode 1, “The Heroic Spirit Incident”, follows our protagonist, Ayaka Sajyou, who arrives in Snowfield as a mere puppet and ends up becoming the Master of Saber. Such begins the “True” Holy Grail War, created by unseen interests to counteract the False one.

How Much Has Already Been Adapted?

Everyone has an agenda, the magnitude of which the audience can only imagine, and it’s hardly hyperbole to call it the biggest Holy Grail War yet, to say nothing of how chaotic it is. Episode 1 ended with Saber, a Heroic Spirit of all things, arrested by the police, but not before making a declaration to the people of Snowfield, all broadcast on live television. “Strange” is more than apt for the title.

A lot has happened in just Episode 0 and Episode 1, but that’s not as surprising as you’d think when you realize that the anime has already adapted more than an entire novel. Currently, nine novels have been released, the eventual tenth of which will conclude the story, which means this adaptation couldn’t have come at a better time. Whispers of Dawn adapted most of the first novel, while Episode 1 finished it off and adapted the first few chapters of Volume 2.

Episode 2 Is Going to Be Insane

The title of the much-anticipated second episode, “Ensemble vs Pretense”, is named after the third chapter of Volume 2, in which the Holy Grail War’s first genuine battle commences. There have been skirmishes and plenty of deaths already, but nothing quite like this. Even Gil and Enkidu’s clash felt more like an opening ceremony. The upcoming fight is the real deal.

Saber and Ayaka are both in the custody of the police and, since Chief Orlando Reeve is a Master in the Grail War, that puts them in potentially even more danger. To make matters worse, Assassin is still hunting Saber after their brief but explosive exchange at the opera house, and she’s not afraid to break in to snuff them out.

All the while, Episode 2 sees the Church-appointed overseer of the Grail War, Hansa Cervantes, arrive in Snowfield, eager to introduce himself to Gilgamesh, as well as Reeve. However, Masters like Reeve aren’t keen on respecting the Church’s authority, having anticipated this War happening without their intervention. Hansa is hardly bothered, though, and his confident swagger is backed up by more than a few tricks hidden up his sleeve.

Clan Calatin vs False Assassin

The climax of the next installment will see Assassin on a collision course with Reeve’s proud ensemble of Noble Phantasm-bearing police, Clan Calatin. It is a battle that tests whether the weapons fit for Heroic Spirits can overwhelm a Servant, or if Clan Calatin’s power will be limited by the human hands wielding those weapons. Additionally, it’s a surprisingly even matchup, considering that Assassin possesses quite a few Noble Phantasms herself.

Hansa will be in attendance as a spectator given his impartiality as an overseer, but all it takes is the right threat for that to change. As the conflict evolves, the police station will welcome another violent visitor, this time in the form of Assassin’s Master, Jester Karture, a Dead Apostle – or vampire. It’s certain to come as a shock to Assassin, who is convinced she has killed her Master. More than that, a vampire seeking the Holy Grail isn’t something Hansa, an executor of the Church, can simply stand by and spectate.

A Battle, Years in the Making

If all that didn’t sound exciting enough, this episode is special in that it has at least been animated somewhat in the past already. The 2019 commercial promoting the light novels, seen above, by the same creative team, depicted this very battle. For many, this was the first glimpse of this story, which subsequently inspired a demand for an adaptation. The shot of Reeve readying his katana is practically a one-to-one recreation of the same one from that commercial.

Fate/strange Fake likes to keep fans waiting, but so long as what comes next is anything like what they’ve already shown, it will be a wait well worth it. Having read what translations of the novels can be found, there’s a lot to be excited about coming up, and depending on when Volume 10 releases in Japan, the anime won’t be far behind.

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Fate/strange Fake

Studio

A-1 Pictures

Based On

Light Novel

Creator

Ryōgo Narita