Fate/Strange Fake is a Japanese light novel series in Type-Moon's Fate franchise, written by Ryōgo Narita and illustrated by Morii Shizuki. It was originally showcased on Narita's website under the title of Fake/States Night on April 1, 2008, presented as a prologue and introduction for a role playing style game as an April Fool's prank. It was later removed, but was later re-released in the form of a novel included as an extra with the magazine Type-Moon Ace 2 in 2009, with illustrations by Morii Shizuki and an afterword by the author.
Article
Fate/Strange Fake (stylized as Fate/strange Fake) is a Japanese light novel series in Type-Moon's Fate franchise, written by Ryōgo Narita and illustrated by Morii Shizuki. It was originally showcased on Narita's website under the title of Fake/States Night on April 1, 2008, presented as a prologue and introduction for a role playing style game as an April Fool's prank. It was later removed, but was later re-released in the form of a novel included as an extra with the magazine Type-Moon Ace 2 in 2009, with illustrations by Morii Shizuki and an afterword by the author.
In 2014, it was announced that both a novel and manga series would be published and a brief trailer was made. An anime television special produced by A-1 Pictures titled Fate/Strange Fake: Whispers of Dawn premiered in July 2023, which adapts most of the chapters of the first volume. An anime television series adaptation also produced by A-1 Pictures premiered its first episode in December 2024 (with Whispers of Dawn being a prologue), while later episodes aired from January to March 2026. A new season has been announced.
Contents
Plot
The series focuses on a Grail War copied from the Third Holy Grail war in Fuyuki City. At the end, an organization from the United States that has magi separate from the London-based Mage Association as members took data from Fuyuki's Grail War and planned their own ritual. After 70 years, they used the city Snowfield as the Sacred Land for their own Grail War and failed to copy every aspect of the ritual, which led to it acting only as an imitation that has lost the Saber class.
The Mage's Association had sent Langal and his pupil, Faldeus, to investigate the city and the status of the war. Faldeus, a spy from the US organization, has Langal sniped upon arrival, despite knowing that Langal was simply a puppet. He announces that their Holy Grail War has been in development and that it is real, which causes an uproar at the Clock Tower, and wishes to "advertise" the project to the Association.
Characters
Main characters
Ayaka Sajyou (アヤカ・サジョウ, Ayaka Sajō)
Voiced by: Kana Hanazawa (Japanese); Anjali Kunapaneni (English)
The series' main protagonist, Ayaka is the seventh Master in the True and Fake Holy Grail Wars and the Master of Saber.
Saber (セイバー, Seibā; –) Richard I (リチャード一世, Richādo Issei)
Voiced by: Yūki Ono (Japanese); Ben Balmaceda (English)
A Saber-Class Servant accidentally summoned after Cashura's death and also Ayaka's Heroic Servant, known also as the Lionheart.
The Master of False Archer in the True and Fake Holy Grail Wars. Tiné's people are an indigenous people who had apparently kept watch over the Snowfield region for a thousand years before, in the early twentieth century, they were driven out by the government and the group of mages looking to prepare the land for the False Holy Grail War. Tiné participates in the War seemingly with the intent to return her people to their rightful place. She does not have a particular wish for the Holy Grail to grant.
Tsubaki Kuruoka (繰丘 椿, Kuruoka Tsubaki)
Voiced by: Aoi Koga (Japanese); Kimberley Anne Campbell (English)
The Master of False Rider in the True and Fake Holy Grail Wars. She was born to Eastern-Asian magi parents in their thirties seeking for ways to further their future in the world of magecraft. They were among those who managed to take the actual machinery underlying the Fuyuki Holy Grail War system, and while there, also obtained partial knowledge on Zouken Matou's magecraft.
Secondary characters
Clan Calatin
Clan Calatin is the codename of a group of magi police officers serving under Orlando, granted various Noble Phantasms created by Caster.
John Wingard is one of the officers, and after having his right hand cut by Jester Karture, Alexandre Dumas gives him an artificial hand that has a built-in dagger coated in Hydra venom. During the battle with Alcides, Dumas decides to make John into a hero, and uses his second Noble Phantasm, Musketeers' Masquerade, to empower John, allowing him to fight on par with Alcides.
Hansa Cervantes (ハンザ・セルバンテス, Hanza Serubantesu)
Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi (Japanese); Kevin Andrew Rivera (English)
Hansa is a priest and a member of the church.
Lord El-Melloi II (ロード・エルメロイII世, Rōdo Erumeroi Nisei)
Lord El-Melloi II is highly regarded in the Clock Tower and he is the professor of Flat.
Langal (ランガル, Rangaru)
Voiced by: Shunsuke Sakuya (Japanese); David W. Collins (English)
Langal was sent by the Mage's Association to investigate the Snowfield's Grail War. At some point in the past, Langal took Faldeus Dioland as his student, unaware that the younger man was a spy for the American organisation.
Fillia (フィリア, Firia)
Voiced by: Yui Makino (Japanese); Risa Mei (English)
Also known as "Dead Apostle of the Millennium Lock" (千年錠の死徒, Sennenjō no Shito) and the "Comedian of the Dead Apostles", Alcatraz is the 27th member of the Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors.
Cashura (カーシュラ, Kashūra)
Voiced by: Akihiro Mine (Japanese); Luis Bermudez (English)
Cashurais a magus who works for the US government. He tried to summon King Arthur for the False Holy Grail War, but was killed by Assassin, leaving the summoning incomplete. Richard I was summoned instead.
Kischur is one of five living Magicians capable of True Magic beyond modern science or Magecraft.
Yuukaku Kuruoka (繰丘夕鶴, Kuruoka Yūkaku)
Voiced by: Yoshihisa Hosokawa
Yuukaku is Tsubaki's father who was intended to summon Qin Shi Huang as a Servant before being infected by Pale Rider.
Mrs. Kuruoka
Voiced by: Yoko Fujita
Mrs. Kuruoka is Tsubaki's mother.
Master of Archer
Media
Light novel
Published by Dengeki Bunko (Kadokawa/ASCII Media Works)
Manga
Published by Type-Moon Books with sales by Media Pal
Anime
An official animated promotional video was released on December 31, 2019, it was animated by A-1 Pictures and uses the song "Belong" by Hiroyuki Sawano.
In September 2022, an anime television special adaptation was announced during the Aniplex Online Fest 2022 event. Titled Fate/Strange Fake: Whispers of Dawn, it is produced by A-1 Pictures and directed by Shun Enokido and Takahito Sakazume, with scripts written by Daisuke Ōhigashi, character designs by Yūkei Yamada, and music composed by Hiroyuki Sawano. It was licensed by Aniplex of America, and was originally set to air on December 31, 2022, during the annual Fate Project New Year's Eve TV Special, but was later delayed due to production issues. The film premiered on July 2, 2023, on Tokyo MX and BS11, following its world premiere in Los Angeles at Anime Expo. The theme song is "Fake It", performed by Hiroyuki Sawano.
During their panel at Anime Expo 2023, an anime television series adaptation was announced. The main staff members from the television film reprised their roles. The English-dubbed version of the first episode had its world premiere at the Fate 20th Anniversary Showcase event in Hollywood on November 23, 2024, and was released on YouTube on the same day. The Japanese-language version aired during the annual Fate Project New Year's Eve TV Special and was released on Crunchyroll on December 31. Later episodes starting from the second episode aired from January 10 to March 28, 2026, after being delayed from a 2025 premiere. The opening theme song is "Provant", performed by SawanoHiroyuki[nZk] featuring Jean-Ken Johnny of Man with a Mission and Takuma of 10-Feet, and the ending theme song is "Senzaiteki na Ai" (潜在的なアイ; lit. 'Potential Love'), performed by 13.3g. Aniplex of America has licensed the series for streaming on Crunchyroll.
A continuation was teased following the airing of the final episode. During a panel at Anime NYC 2026, it was announced that the series would receive a new season.
Article from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), where it is maintained by volunteer editors.
Orlando Reeve (オーランド・リーヴ, Ōrando Rīvu)
Voiced by: Wataru Hatano (Japanese); Christopher Wehkamp (English)
The Master of False Caster in the True and Fake Holy Grail Wars. He is the police chief of Snowfield. He is a magus who has gone to great lengths to prepare for the Holy Grail War. He has known of the ritual, and he is disappointed in the government for their decision to advertise it to outsiders.
The Master of False Assassin in the True and Fake Holy Grail Wars. He is a Dead Apostle known as the Six Hearted Revolver (六連男装, Rokuren Dansō) who has taken interest in the Holy Grail to grant his wish. As it is his first time participating in such a battle, he researched the nature of the ritual and plans to summon a Servant of the Assassin class.
Flat Escardos (フラット・エスカルドス, Furatto Esukarudosu)
Voiced by: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (Japanese); Khoi Dao (English)
Flat is the Master of False Berserker in the True and Fake Holy Grail Wars. He was born into the Escardos family, a line of magi living on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, as the eldest son. Although his teacher dislikes letting unprepared magi into the world, Flat came to regret keeping Flat around.
The Synthetic beast Silver Wolf (Chimera) (銀狼の合成獣（キメラ）, Ginrō no Gōseijū (Kimera))
The Wolf is the Master of False Lancer in the True and Fake Holy Grail Wars. He is a silver wolf familiar of the magus originally planning to participate in the Holy Grail War.
Sigma (シグマ, Shiguma)
Voiced by: Gakuto Kajiwara (Japanese); Paul Castro Jr. (English)
Sigma is the Master of Watcher in the True and Fake Holy Grail Wars. He is the product of the rape of Maiya Hisau by an unknown soldier.
Faldeus is the Master of True Assassin in the True and Fake Holy Grail Wars. He is a magus belonging to the government organization responsible for starting the False Holy Grail War, and despite seeming to be barely past his mid-twenties, displays knowledge of the events 70 years prior as if having had experienced them personally.
The Master of True Caster during the True and Fake Holy Grail Wars. She is originally the child of Átē, the Greek Goddess of madness and folly who was discarded by Zeus to the human realm onto the land where Troy would be built. Despite being originally male with her first death establishing him as a Heroic Spirit separate from his original self, Francesca survived by possessing numerous bodies over the years regardless of gender.
Haruri Borzak (ハルリ・ボルザーク, Haruri Boruzāku)
Voiced by: Hina Yōmiya (Japanese); Aria Saltini (English)
Haruri is the Master of True Berserker during the True and Fake Holy Grail Wars. She is the granddaughter of Odd Borzak, a magus killed by Kiritsugu Emiya as shown in Fate/Zero, which then left his surviving family to be attacked for his research, leaving only Haruri, his granddaughter, as the only survivor. Haruri wishes to use the Grail to render all methods of concealment used by Magi ineffective, compromising their society's secrecy.
Voiced by: Tomokazu Seki (Japanese); David Vincent (English)
The overly arrogant King of Heroes who once ruled Uruk with his friend Enkidu, appearing during the Fourth and Fifth Holy Grail Wars of Fuyuki. He was brought into the False Holy Grail War as a Servant of Tiné Chelc, who killed his original Master, a magus whose ancestor acquired the discarded key to Gilgamesh's treasure vault that he used for the summoning ritual instead of the first skin shed by a snake.
Lancer (ランサー, Ransā; –) Enkidu (エルキドゥ, Erukidu)
Voiced by: Yū Kobayashi (Japanese); Marin Miller (English)
Gilgamesh's only friend who was summoned as Lancer-class Servant by the Wolf during the False Holy Grail War. Shaped from clay by their parents Anu and Aruru, lacking any gender, Enkidu was placed in the wilderness where they met and befriended Gilgamesh before they died as a result of Ishtar's machinations.
Rider (ライダー, Raidā; –) Pale Rider (ペイルライダー, Peiru Raidā)
The Servant summoned by Tsubaki Kuruoka in the True and Fake Holy Grail Wars. Pale Rider the embodiment of pestilence given form by the False Grail, being different from those called Heroic Spirits, "he" is only one in name.
Voiced by: Showtaro Morikubo (Japanese); Frank Todaro (English)
Caster is the Servant summoned by Orlando Reeve in the True and Fake Holy Grail Wars. In life, he met Hans Christian Andersen while living in Paris around 1843. Caster is also the author of The Count of Monte Cristo, which features the fictional character Edmond Dantès.
Assassin (アサシン, Asashin) - No Name Assassin (名も無きアサシン, Namonaki Asashin)
The Servant summoned by Jester Karture in the True and Fake Holy Grail Wars, whose True Name has been forsaken as of her death before the time she became a Heroic Spirit.
Berserker (バーサーカー, Bāsākā) - Jack the Ripper (ジャック・ザ・リッパー, Jakku za Rippā)
Voiced by: Kenyu Horiuchi (Japanese); Joe J. Thomas (English)
Berserker is Flat Escardos' Servant who summoned during the True and Fake Holy Grail Wars. Having no true form or soul due being the embodiment of mystery behind another bestowed the moniker of Jack the Ripper, the Berserker servant is a shapeshifter who can disguise himself as a watch Flat keeps on his person and assumed the forms of those speculated to have been the killer as an "emblem of madness". His Noble Phantasms are From Hell, turning into a demonic representation of Jack the Ripper, and Natural Born Killers where he conjures multiple bodies depending on his Master's quantity of Mana.
Voiced by: Tadahisa Saizen (Japanese); Chris Jai Alex (English)
The Servant of Bazdilot Cordelion in the True and Fake Holy Grail Wars. He has also been granted attributes of an Avenger-class Servant through the machinations of his Master.
Voiced by: Akira Sekine (Japanese); Rebecca Wang (English)
The Servant of Verner Caesarmund and the rest of the El-Melloi Classroom in the True and Fake Holy Grail Wars.
True Assassin (真アサシン, Shin Asashin) - Hassan of the Fathomless Rift (幽弋のハサン, Yūyoku no Hasan)
Voiced by: Makoto Yasumura (Japanese); Bill Butts (English)
The Servant of Faldeus Dioland in the True and Fake Holy Grail Wars. He came to hold the title of "Old Man of the Mountain" by becoming the "shadow of death" rather than become one of the nineteen leaders of the Hashshashin.
The Servant of Francesca Prelati in the True and Fake Holy Grail Wars. François' appearance is based on Francesca's time with both Joan of Arc and Gilles de Rais, the latter helping him with financial difficulties through alchemy.
The Servant of Haruri in the True Holy Grail War. The beast of the Cedar Forest in Mesopotamian mythology. The Mesopotamian gods forced together the souls of 2,891 human children and gave them life as a complete being.
Watcher (ウォッチャー, Wocchā)
The Watcher-class Servant summoned by Sigma in the True Holy Grail War of Fate/strange Fake. Watcher's True Name is unknown, censored as "○○○-○○○○, also known as ○○○○○○○". Despite being described as a Heroic Spirit, she is said to be an abnormal phenomenon that would be hard to call a hero, god, or demon.
The Watcher also possesses Shadows, which appears as manifestations only Sigma can see and hear using the guise of seven heroic spirits, which includes:
The Captain
Voiced by: Naoya Uchida
Icarus (イーカロス, Īkarosu)
Voiced by: Shoya Chiba (Japanese); Kevin K. Gomez (English)
Voiced by: Nobutoshi Canna (Japanese); Tony Oliver (English)
Kanemaki Jisai (鐘捲自斎, Kanemaki Jisai)
Voiced by: Shinpachi Tsuji
Amelia Earhart (アメリア・イアハート, Ameria Iahāto)
Voiced by: Yoko Hikasa
Étienne of Cloyes (エティエンヌ, Etiennu)
Voiced by: Akeno Watanabe
Ishtar (イシュタル, Ishutaru)
Voiced by: Yui Makino (Japanese); Risa Mei (English)
The goddess of Mesopotamian mythology.
She is an Einzbern homunculus involved in the False Holy Grail War of Fate/strange Fake. For unknown reasons, she gave Ayaka her five special Command Seals and told her to go to Snowfield. As of the summoning of True Berserker, her body has been possessed by the goddess Ishtar.
El-Melloi Classroom
The students of Lord El-Melloi II and classmates of Flat. Many of the students of the El-Melloi Classroom travel to Snowfield after the death of Flat Escardos and the emergence of Thia Escardos. It is revealed they are collectively the Masters of Hippolyta in the True and False Holy Grail Wars, with the exception of Yvette, who was excluded as a liability that would betray them whenever she found it funny and thus was not granted a Command Spell by Verner. Although one of the Command Spells is shared among the entire class, Verner holds the other two completely. They consist of Verner Caesarmund, Svin Glascheit, Yvette L. Lehrman, Caules Forvedge, Nazica Pentel, Radia Pentel, Roland Berzinsky, Rin Tohsaka, Luviagelita Edelfelt, Fezgram vor Sembren, Org Rum, and Mary Lil Fargo.
Thia Escardos (ティア・エスカルドス, Tia Esukarudosu)
Thia Escardos is a being created as the culmination of the 1800-year-old plan devised by Mesala Escardos of the Escardos family. She aimed to make Earth's next prime species, that would stay behind and take over when either Human Order was over or humanity abandoned the planet.
The original Master of Archer in the False Holy Grail War of Fate/strange Fake before Tiné Chelc kills him to take over the contract.
Synthetic beast creator
Voiced by: Hironori Kondo
The creator of The Synthetic beast Silver Wolf.
Doris Lusendra (ドリス・ルセンドラ, Dorisu Rusendora)
Doris is a supportMagus contracted with Francesca Prelati to be the Master of True Rider. However, they could not contract her after she illegally crossed the border of the United States. She forfeited her right as Rider's Master and her Command Seals after losing a duel to Rin Tohsaka.
Van-Fem (ヴァン-フェム, Van-Femu)
Voiced by: Taiten Kusunoki (Japanese); Bill Butts (English)
The 14th member of the Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors, Van-Fem is nicknamed the Dark Lord of the Business World (財界の魔王, Zaikai no Maō). He is a "man of the world" who has an intense interest in human society despite being a vampire. Van-Fem holds a prominent position in public society under his real name, Valery Fernand Vandelstam (ヴァレリー・フェルナンド・ヴァンデルシュターム, Varerī Ferunando Vanderushutāmu).