This will with great extend be my favorite Anime battle. The same setting, the same producers and the same studios. Still, here they are ready to battle in 3 categories: Plot and Story Line, Animation and Style and Characters. Give it up for today's anime battle:
Fate/ Zero vs. Fate/ Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works. Enjoy!
PLOT AND STORY LINE
As most of you might know, both UBW (Unlimited Blade Works) and Zero have the same story setting, being the Holy Grail War. A battle royale between seven mages, the masters and their seven servants. Each master has the right to summon a servant, a Heroic Spirit from the past that fights for them in the war. There are in total seven different servant classes: Archer, Saber, Caster, Rider, Lancer, Assassin and Berserker. The setting of the Fate series is with great extend the best story I have ever seen. The way they merge legends and heroes from the past like Alexander the Great, Gilgamesh, King Arthur etc. into a magic fantasy world is just amazing. When it comes to the individual stories they are quite different. Fate/ Zero doesn't actually have a big story around a particular character. Its story is the setting and it doesn't actually concentrate on only one character, at least not in the beginning. You don't have an obvious main character and so the story is less predictable but more thrilling. It concentrates on each character and even though it is a shorter anime, you get the feeling that you had watched it for years because you get to know each character in detail. The story is deep, with a dark and mature tone, unlike the sequel Unlimited Blade Works.
Years later, after the happenings of Fate/ Zero, UBW starts off with Shirou as the main character. Now we have a main character and the story is about his way of becoming a hero and staying true to his ideals. Unfortunately, the story of UBW is in contrast to the story of Zero rather poor. There is no much development and it only focuses on that one stupid yet over powered main character (more about it in character discussion). that accidently enters the Holy Grail War and the actual heroine that always saves the day in the end, Rin. Zero did things different and still made the best of every single second of the anime. The story is amazing whereas the story of UBW is just good. So we get to the end of the first round with a clear winner-Fate/ Zero.
CHARACTERS
This is the category in which these two anime differ the most. Starting with Fate/ Zero. This anime should serve as an example of how to make characters. Every single one of them has a background story and an actual character and personality. They all contribute to the story and none is left out. They all have depth in their character and actually carry the story and develop it. My two favorites were definitely the servants Gilgamesh and Iskandar. As I hinted before for UBW, they really did screw up the characters. First of all, the main character. Shirou is just another overpowered yet stupid character that becomes the hero of the show for no reason. The female lead, Rin, is much stronger and independent, but ends up being just a random tsundere sidekick. There is little character development that resulted in a non-sense ending. Why? Well...***SPOILER ALERT***
The makers had to make Shirou the hero of the story and so gave the only original character in the anime, Gilgamesh, a pitiful death. His death was a huge non-sense because Gilgamesh had the potential to kill Shirou however he wanted.***END OF SPOILER***
As for the other characters...Well ,what other characters? other characters weren't given the chance for any development and you actually never get to know them.
I think it is pretty obvious who the winner is: Fate/ Zero.
ANIMATION
If there is one anime I want to watch again just because of the animation than it is UBW. I mean, it is breathtaking just as every other ufotable animation, so Fate/ Zero's. Still, I think UBW has a little better animation but only for a little bit. The reason for that is most probably because Zero has a dull and darker setting than UBW. UBW had the chance to impress us with bright colors. Still both anime have smooth motions, amazing fight sequences and epic backgrounds. And so, the winner is Unlimited Blade Works. CONCLUSION
The battle royale between two of the best anime I have ever seen. On one side, Fate/ Zero which intrigued us with an interesting story line and amazing characters whereas Unlimited Blade Works took our breath with its animation. In the end, with a win of 2:1 the winner of this battle: Fate/ Zero. I hope you enjoyed and see you in the next battle. If you have an idea of who an amazing battle duo might be, let me know in the comment section bellow.
