Line #7 YMMV/FateZero


1	* AccidentalInnuendo: Lancer declaring to Saber that she's "as good as naked before [his] spear" is supposed to be a straightforward reference to his spear's ArmorPiercingAttack, but that didn't keep it from getting its share of fanart making his line more literal.
2	* AdaptationDisplacement: Unlike its predecessor ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', where its original status as a visual novel is very well-known and frequently considered to be superior to any of its anime adaptations, a lot of people are unaware that ''Fate/Zero'' originated as a 4-volume light novel series. Comparisons between the ''F/Z'' LN volumes and the anime adaptation are almost non-existent in most discussions of the storyline, in stark contrast to how fans constantly compare the ''F/SN'' visual novel to its adaptations.
3	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
4	** Kirei provides an interesting case. We already know he enjoys the suffering of others, but it is unclear whether or not that is his greatest wish. While Angra Mainyu creates slaughter for him and he believes this to be his realization, one should not forget that the Grail interprets any wish in the most murderous way possible. Kirei's subconscious desire might have been something else entirely.
5	** Aoi Tohsaka, in the grand scheme of things, is a minor supporting character but her place in the story serves as the major driving force for Kariya Matou's actions. By all appearances, she's [[YamatoNadeshiko Tokiomi's submissive-housewife]]. Kariya interprets their relationship as Aoi being an ExtremeDoormat who goes along with all of Tokiomi's whims, so when the Tohsaka's willing gives up Sakura to the Matous, Kariya treats Aoi as the unwilling victim. But since all of this is interpreted from ''Kariya's'' perspective, it's hard to tell what her exact feelings where through all of this.
6	* AngstAversion: People familiar with VisualNovel/FateStayNight will know that the events of this story lead up to a pretty bleak ForegoneConclusion. The novel opens up with a warning not to get too attached to anyone because so many of the characters are DoomedByCanon.
7	* AwesomeEgo:
8	** Gilgamesh, especially with his newfound HiddenDepths.
9	** Also Rider, one of the few Servants not to resort to assassinations or petty tricks, but rather meet the enemy head on. Plus his TakeOverTheWorld agenda. He also believes he can convince the other Servants to become his subbordinates.
10	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: The score for the anime is composed by Music/YukiKajiura. [[AwesomeMusic/YukiKajiura Nothing more need be said]].
11	** The first opening, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJ4yehnerHQ Oath Sign]], by [=LiSA=], and the first ending, Memoria, by Eir Aoi, are just phenomenal to listen to.
12	** The second opening, To The Beginning by Music/{{Kalafina}}, and the second ending, Sora Wa Takaku Kaze Wa Utau by Luna Haruna, are just as very awesome to listen and capture the mood of the series. The ending of episode 18, Manten by Kalafina is just as epic and perfectly encapsulates the tragedy of [[BrokenAce Kiritsugu Emiya]].
13	* BaseBreakingCharacter:
14	** Saber herself, especially compared to her portrayal in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight''. Some fans didn't take too kindly to her HonorBeforeReason worldview for feeling that it clashes with the series' [[DarkerAndEdgier darker tone]], and feel that her [[WorfHadTheFlu initial weakness]] represents her poorly. Others argue that she's still a badass ActionGirl and feel that having an idealistic character among a cast of flawed and conflicted characters helps to alleviate some of the darkness. Fans who came to the Franchise/{{Nasuverse}} through ''Fate/Zero'' tend to have a lower opinion of her, while fans who played/watched the ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' visual novel/anime first are more forgiving ''unless'' they're part of the third camp of ''Stay night'' fans who absolutely ''loathe'' how she's portrayed in ''Zero'' due to how the series flanderizes her chivalric attitude unlike how she was established as victory-oriented and pragmatic in flashbacks during her reign as a king in ''Fate/Stay night'', an inconsistency in her character that ''Fate/Stay night'' fans quickly noticed.
15	** Kiritsugu himself is probably the biggest one in the series. Fans praise him for his complex character, his propensity for pragmatism during fights, his anti-heroic nature despite his wish, him being a gun-toting badass with time magic, his genuine love for his family in spite of the terrible things he does for the world's sake, and his backstory generates a lot of sympathy from fans. However, he's also equally despised for his unnecessarily cruel methods just to win the war [[spoiler:the worst of which, was his callous execution of an already defeated Kayneth and Sola-Ui]], his hypocrisy and complete inability to self-reflect and accept feedback when it comes to his ideals, his terrible treatment of Saber in general, and for him being an angsty and depressing manchild for most of the story. Fans even go as far to say that while his ultimate fate is [[JerkassWoobie tragic]], he also had it a ''long'' time coming as a result of his actions.
16	* BetterOnDVD: The pacing is much better when you can watch the episodes back-to-back.
17	* BrokenBase:
18	** Episode 24 of the anime, for cutting out important aspects of [[spoiler:Berserker's]] behavior and his [[spoiler:fight with Saber]], as well as altering Kariya's final scene in a way which made Sakura seem considerably more insensitive to him. Mainly splits along your opinion of his overall importance to the plot and [[spoiler:Saber's character]].
19	** Is this a good starting point for the ''Fate'' series? Supporters say that it technically does not require you to have seen VisualNovel/FateStayNight beforehand and the [[Anime/FateStayNightUnlimitedBladeWorks preferred anime adaptation for Stay Night]] expects you to have watched ''Zero's'' anime adaptation first, while others point out how ''Zero'' gives away [[LateArrivalSpoiler several vital twists from its predecessor]], especially ''Heaven's Feel'', although its [[Anime/FateStayNightHeavensFeel movie trilogy adaptation]] expects you to have watched both ''Zero'' and ''UBW'' [[ContinuityLockout beforehand]].
20	** And then there's the fact that this is written by Creator/GenUrobuchi, famous for making DarkerAndEdgier stories full of angst and nihilism. The fanbase is split about whether it's still a good GatewaySeries despite tonal and thematic incongruity with the rest of the ''Franchise/FateSeries'', or whether it often ends up [[AudienceColoringAdaptation making new fans think that this is a dark and gritty franchise where idealism only exists to be crushed and broken]], creating a faction within the ''Fate'' community that only likes ''Zero'' and often comes after installments for not being as "adult" as this one is.
21	* CompleteMonster: [[AxCrazy Ryūnosuke Uryū]] is the master of the equally sadistic and twisted Caster, UsefulNotes/GillesDeRais, but lacks the latter's care for [[UsefulNotes/JoanOfArc Jeanne d'Arc]], making him worse by comparison. He introduces himself by sacrificing a child to summon a demon and becomes ecstatic when he watches Caster kill said child. It is soon revealed that Ryūnosuke is a SerialKiller of women, children and whole families, whose MO involves luring his victims to Caster, which then proceeds to torture and mutilate them before slowly killing them. When their hideout was discovered and destroyed by Waver and Rider, Ryūnosuke convinces Caster to summon a demon in Fuyuki City River in an attempt to kill even more innocents. Despite [[StrangeMindsThinkAlike forming a bond with Caster]], this is simply a reflection of Ryūnosuke's murderous traits rather than any genuine care, which he loudly states on using it to cause death on a grand scale, while he won't have to worry about dirtying his hand. Taking joy in murder, suffering and death, Ryūnosuke is one of the most depraved masters in the history of the Holy Grail Wars.
22	* CrazyIsCool:
23	** Rider, who uses his Noble Phantasm to pop over to Saber's place for a drink. When they are surrounded by Assassins, he calmly invites them to sit down and drink with them, then utterly annihilates them all when they respond by attacking him.
24	** Berserker fits the variety that is actually completely batshit. The first time we see him he's playing baseball with the weapons from the Gate of Babylon, and almost kills [[LadyOfWar Saber]] with a lamppost. The second time, however, he turns this trope up to eleven when he hijacks a jet fighter to dogfight Gilgamesh and his Vimana.
25	* CreepyAwesome: Ryuunosuke and Caster. Also serves a rare in-universe example where they see themselves this way.
26	* DracoInLeatherPants:
27	** Gilgamesh, unsurprising since this also applies to his original incarnation. Perhaps justified as Creator/GenUrobuchi has stated in an interview that his favorite characters are Gilgamesh and Kirei.
28	** Disturbingly Caster and Uryuu also get some of this, with some labeling them {{Yandere}}s. Caster at least show a bit of a human side while talking about [[spoiler:his old companion Jeanne D'arc]], but Uryuu has no such soft spots, and the closest he gets to a ''dere'' side is with Caster, who he appreciates mostly because they're equally depraved.
29	* EnsembleDarkhorse:
30	** Lancer Diarmuid was a massive hit with fans upon the novel's original release, to the point that he was included as a bonus character in ''VideoGame/FateUnlimitedCodes''.
31	** Kayneth has also received an unexpectedly large fandom from /a/, Website/{{Pixiv}}, and Website/NicoNicoDouga due to being a FountainOfMemes. Even his Volumen Hydrargyrum ended up being extremely popular for a nonsentient mercury blob due to its connections to him as well as being considered {{Moe}} (which is probably why it got upgraded into a {{Meido}} in later series).
32	** Kariya is ''absolutely adored'' by fans, especially in Japan, to the point that the creators were surprised by his popularity. He's the WhiteSheep of the biological Matou Family, and a very well done TragicHero. Many applaud him for putting himself through so much pain to try and rescue Sakura, and appreciate that he still has his flaws, namely his jealousy over Tokiomi having Aoi, Rin, and Sakura. His fall from grace and [[DoomedByCanon eventual death]] made him a very sympathetic and compelling HeroAntagonist, especially when compared to some of the other more morally grey or black masters in the War.
33	** Despite being the least important Servant in the show and having no character development or storyline, the Assassins, especially the one female Hassan, are surprisingly popular with fans, and have a lot of fan art online. This female Hassan is eventually granted at least a 'nickname', Asako, and became the main face of Hassan of the Hundred Personas when this group of Assassins became summonable in ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder''.
34	** Ryuunosuke is impressively popular for a homicidal sadist and DiscOneFinalBoss. Apparently, he is loved by the female staff members of Creator/{{Ufotable}}.
35	** Probably the best example of this, however, would be Kirei's wife Claudia Hortensia, whose actual appearance in ''stay night'' lasts less then a minute; the only reason we know what she looks like is a minuscule appearance in the [[AllThereInTheManual Character Materials]], and so little is known about her that for a long time she didn't even have a ''name''. With the airing of the anime, Kirei's new fanbase on Pixiv has taken quite a liking to Claudia; fanart of her with Kirei is common and they have become a mildly popular ship, but she also gets surprising amounts of fanart depicting her alone, though her design probably helped with the latter.
36	* EpilepticTrees: When Rider activates Ionioi Hetairoi one of the more prominent figures is a man with long black hair. Many fans have speculated whether this is an aged-up Waver himself given that the NP pulls in Rider's supporters throughout all of time and Waver [[spoiler:declares his loyalty to Rider toward the end. Previously released character materials also gave Lord El-Melloi II a vaguely similar hairstyle]]. Eventually it was {{Jossed}} by ''Literature/LordElMelloiIICaseFiles'' and ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'', which confirmed that the man is [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eumenes_of_Cardia Eumenes]] and [[FandomNod acknowledge]] his similarities to Waver.
37	* [[EvenBetterSequel Even Better Prequel]]: To the Creator/StudioDEEN ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' anime series, from people who don't consider that one [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel a wash]]. It's so popular that Creator/{{Ufotable}} created [[Anime/FateStayNightUnlimitedBladeWorks another anime]].
38	* EstrogenBrigade: Although many of the people involved in this series were originally more known for their work on eroge, the series is very popular among female fans due to the dark and dramatic plot and the cast consisting largely of attractive males of varying personality and body types, several attractive women who appeal to lesbians and bisexual women, each of them having oodles of HoYay, LesYay, or some other simmering romantic tension with a [[GottaShipEmAll good chunk of the rest of the cast]]. Even the characters who are not conventionally attractive have quite a large fangirl following.
39	** Kayneth's goofy hairstyle is considered UglyCute by his fans, who also find his MemeticLoser aspects {{Adorkable}}, his sincere devotion to Sola-Ui endearing, and his crueler aspects, while bad, still forgivably mild by the standards of the other antagonists in this series and magus culture as a whole.
40	** Caster also nets a surprising amount of fangirls and even ''erotic doujinshi'' despite being a {{Gonk}}, due to his extremely HoYay-tastic relationship with Ryunosuke and his earnest ForTheEvulz attitude making him LoveToHate with a heavier emphasis on the Love part.
41	* EvilIsCool: Gilgamesh and Kirei are some of the most popular characters in the entire franchise, because of rather than in spite of all the villainy they're responsible for.
42	* FanNickname:
43	** Fastwheels or El Melon for Kayneth.
44	** Team [[{{Netorare}} NTR]] for the team of Kayneth, Lancer and Sola-ui.
45	** WAGA ARU G for Lancer.
46	** [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Ganondorf]] for Rider, since both are large and swarthy redheads.
47	*** Also known to some as Broskander the Great.
48	*** And now the English dub gives us '''[[Memes/BlazBlue GIGANTIC RIDER]]!'''
49	*** DUDE, due to the rather strange official translation of Waver referring to him as "anata"[[note]]A highly respectful way to refer to someone, which can even be interpreted as [[HoYay a term of endearment between spouses]][[/note]] in ''Literature/FateApocrypha'' as well as his personality being memetically summarized as "DUDE, video games and conquest LMAO".
50	** [=GARserker=]: for obvious reasons.
51	*** Also referred to as Jets after his aerial dogfight with Gil.
52	** Ryuunosuke and Bluebeard are affectionately referred to as Team Crazy.
53	* FanPreferredCouple:
54	** If Website/{{Pixiv}} is any indication who's preferred with Saber, Saber x Gilgamesh is the most popular, followed by Lancer x Saber. [[http://danseru-kun.tumblr.com/post/27902367932/a-bit-surprising-discovery-regarding-the-amount See here.]]
55	** The anime has created a veritable [[GottaShipEmAll Love Boat]] in its wake, to the point where nearly every character is shipped with at least one non-canon love-interest. As a corollary to the Saber x Lancer ship, [[HoYayShipping Lancer x Kayneth]] is widespread on Pixiv, often drawn by the same people drawing the Saber x Lancer and complete with {{doujinshi}}. [[http://thessaliah.tumblr.com/post/27944032452/danseru-kun-thessaliah-danseru-kun-a-bit Kirei Kotomine holds the top two records of the most number of shipping fanarts, paired with Gilgamesh and Kiritsugu respectively.]]
56	** Other popular non-canon couples are [[HoYay Caster x Ryuunosuke, Kotomine x Kariya, Kotomine x Tokiomi, Gilgamesh x Tokiomi, Tokiomi x Kariya, Berserker x Kariya, Rider x Waver, Waver x Lancer]], and [[LesYay Saber x Irisviel]]. You may have noticed a [[HoYayShipping trend]]. Given [[CastFullOfPrettyBoys the ratio of attractive male characters to female]], it was probably inevitable.
57	* FoeYayShipping:
58	** Kiritsugu and Kotomine. Kotomine's obsessive interest in Kiritsugu is akin to a StalkerWithACrush.
59	** Saber and Lancer. The two are formally enemies but their relationship is akin to a FriendlyRivalry with {{UST}}, and one of the Einzbern Consultation Room parody shorts has him [[ShipTease expressing a crush]] on Saber.
60	* FountainOfMemes: Kayneth. Pretty much everything he says, does, or has happen to him becomes memeworthy.
61	* FriendlyFandoms: Shares one with ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' due to both being Creator/GenUrobuchi works dealing with similar themes of cynicism and utilitarianism. Many memes have been made comparing the similarities between the characters from both series, such as Homura/Kiritsugu being cynical {{Gun Nut}}s, Saber/Sayaka's idealism, and Kyoko/Lancer's poor luck. Some of this may be deliberate, as the postface to Volume 1 of the ''Fate/Zero'' novel in 2006 contains a passage[[labelnote:Major ''Madoka'' Spoilers]]For all things in the world, if we just leave them alone and pay them no attention, they are bond to advance in a negative direction. Just like no matter what we do we can't stop the universe from getting colder. It is only a world that is created through a compilation of 'progresses of common sense'; it can never escape the bondage of its physical laws. Therefore, in order to write a perfect ending for a story you have to twist the laws of cause and effect, reverse black and white, and even possess a power to move in the opposite direction from the rule of the universe. Only a heavenly and chaste soul that can sing carols of praise towards humanity can save the story. To write a story with a perfect ending is a double challenge to the author's body and soul.[[/labelnote]] implying that ''Madoka'' is a thematic SpiritualSuccessor with the goal of [[{{Reconstruction}} reconstructing]] some of the aspects that ''Fate/Zero'' [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstructs]]).
62	* GatewaySeries: Before ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' came out, ''Fate/Zero'' was the introductory course to the Franchise/{{Nasuverse}} for a lot of fans.
63	* GeniusBonus:
64	** Alexander's messenger from Ionioi Hetairoi is [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithrenes Mithrenes]], as one of the many examples of ShownTheirWork.
65	** Careful observation in the anime will reveal some easy-to-overlook but brilliant details for lovers of CoolPlanes: [[spoiler:The F-15 that Berserker turns into a Noble Phantasm is shown activating the afterburners, thrust vectoring (which the actual plane, or at least that particular model of the F-15, simply can't do but thanks to Berserker's ability actively changing and enhancing the jet can), and crippling the Vimana using the jet's ECM package. For bonus points, several of the maneuvers Berserker pulls are actual dogfighting maneuvers.]]
66	** Gilgamesh's airship may seem like an AssPull at first, but no, that too is grounded in real-world mythology. The ship he's using is a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vimana Vimana]], a Hindu "Chariot of the Gods" that was said to fly through the air. It even looks like actual drawings of Vimana from real-world texts (particularly the ''Vaimānika Shāstra''), albeit edited to be more aerodynamic. Since Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon contains all ''treasures'' in the world, not just weapons, it makes sense that he would have one.
67	** The attack Gilgamesh unleashes from Ea, Enuma Elish, is shown to possibly have the ability to destroy an entire world, seeing that it destroyed a Reality Marble, which is infinitely large. Turns out that it shares its name with the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enuma_Elis Babylonian story of creation.]]
68	* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: ''Fate/Zero'' remains the favorite Nasuverse work of many a western fan. In Japan, however, the ''Unlimited Blade Works'' anime beat ''F/Z'' [[https://myanimelist.net/news/50582644 in a poll conducted by the NHK]]. Downplayed in that both works are very popular in both regions.
69	* HarsherInHindsight:
70	** Kiritsugu's line, "Even if I am to carry ‘all the evils of this world’--it won’t matter. If that can save the world, then I’d gladly accept it." [[spoiler:''Fate/stay night'' has already revealed (and ''Fate/Zero'' closes out on) that, having been immersed in the mud of Angra Mainyu, he bore, and after five years died from, the curse of All the Evils of This World.]]
71	** On a similar note, the narration for Kiritsugu's death, seen from Shirou's point of view in [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight its predecessor]], reveals that Kiritsugu allowed Shirou to take on his dream because he died fully believing that he won't turn out the same as him, and that's why he was able to die peacefully. [[spoiler:Not only is Archer more or less Kiritsugu with swords and bows instead of guns, Shirou quite explicitly becomes Kiritsugu in one of the Bad Ends of Heaven's Feel.]]
72	** Also, the episode where [[spoiler:Kiritsugu was forced to kill Natalia]], whom he considered a surrogate mother, aired on ''Mother's Day''.
73	*** Somehow manages to happen ''again'' when [[spoiler:Kiritsugu kills Iri and Ilya (or rather the Grail's illusions of them)]]. That episode aired on ''Father's Day''.
74	** Kiritsugu and Irisviel's final meeting manages to do this ''thrice'' in rapid succession. Irisviel wishes for Ilya to come see Japan someday (she does... as another Einzbern tool of war doomed to die), for her to see the cherry blossoms (which can be seen as a reference to the TragicDream in Heaven's Feel route) and the summer clouds (Shirou staring at the summer clouds while thinking about his loss and about how his life changed is a scene people might remember from the epilogue of the Fate route).
75	*** Even worse, later on, when Irisviel talks with Maiya, she hopes for the Fourth War to be the final one... so that Ilya won't have to take her place in the next one should they fail. Her asking Kiritsugu to bring Ilya to Japan is doubly effective because [[spoiler:after the end of the war, Kiritsugu spends several of the last years of his life trying to do that and failed because the Einzberns won't let him, and due to the curse he was too weak to break through their defenses.]]
76	** ''Literature/LordElMelloiIICaseFiles'' goes into detail about the trauma and PTSD that the events of ''Zero'' caused [[spoiler:Waver even a decade later. In addition all of the scenes of Waver and Rider bonding become a lot more sad due to the immense guilt Waver feels over Rider's death and how much he misses him, to the point that he attempts to participate in the Fifth Grail War despite these traumas for the chance to see him again. In addition it's implied that [[TheLostLenore Rider's death]] is the main reason for Waver's refusal to enter any romantic relationships later in life]].
77	** Likewise, if you know the backstory of [[spoiler:Gray]] in ''[[Literature/LordElMelloiIICaseFiles Case Files]]'', then you know that Saber's appearance has tragic consequences for them.
78	* HeartwarmingInHindsight: Although it was long well known in [[ForegoneConclusion character materials]] and later series portrayals that the man who becomes Lord El-Melloi II is a rather [[KnightInSourArmor jaded]] man, [[spoiler:Waver's experiences in ''Zero'' inspired him to take a path that he found fulfilling. And for all the enmity he bore towards Kayneth he ultimately valued and respected him greatly as a teacher, and did what he could to restore his research and family name to atone]].
79	* HilariousInHindsight:
80	** Ironically, despite being the prequel to an {{Eroge}} from a BishoujoSeries company, this series probably has had about as much {{Yaoi}} made of it during the airing of the anime as all the hentai and yuri that has been done for ''Stay Night'' over the years since it was released.
81	** Monty Python jokes about Saber and the Black Knight was inevitable. [[spoiler: It was revealed that the servant Black Knight's true identity is Lancelot. In ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'', John Cleese played both Lancelot ''and'' the Black Knight.]]
82	** Caster mistaking Saber for Jeanne d'Arc is pretty funny for westerners since Saber's voice actress, Creator/KariWahlgren, actually voiced [[VideoGame/JeanneDArc Jeanne]].
83	** Similarly, Jeanne's supposed resemblance to Artoria arguably made her the first [[IdenticalStranger Saberface]] in the series. Then the likes of [[VideoGame/FateExtra Nero]], [[Literature/FateApocrypha Mordred]], and (to a lesser extent) [[VideoGame/FateGrandOrder Okita]] came along, and compared to them, Jeanne looks nothing like Artoria.
84	** All the memes and jokes about Kayneth [[spoiler:in a wheelchair]] become doubly hilarious after ''Literature/LordElMelloiIICaseFiles'', where the same happens to Lord El-Melloi II for one of the cases.
85	** It's also revealed in ''Case Files'' that the many magical traps, furnaces, demons, and Mystic Codes Kayneth used to fortify his hotel were all [[StealingFromTheTill embezzled from the Clock Tower]], and responsible for a large portion of the El-Melloi family debt the second Lord has to pay off. Oops.
86	** During the banquet, Rider tells Gilgamesh that "the Holy Grail is no mere drinking cup." Cut to the end of ''Anime/FateGrandOrderAbsoluteDemonicFrontBabylonia'', where Caster Gilgamesh uses the Holy Grail...as a drinking cup before giving it to Ritsuka and Mash.
87	* HoYay:
88	** Kirei and Gilgamesh, Caster and Uryuu (Takeuchi even says that they "should get married already"), and Rider and Waver (who get an official 4koma implying they restored mana ''that way''). Especially since both Rider and Caster are [[WordOfGay canonically bisexual]], not to mention Gilgamesh's relationship with his friend Enkidu was brimming with homoeroticism in the [[Literature/TheEpicOfGilgamesh original epic]]. And that Gilgamesh's image song is basically him mourning Enkidu. Berserker and Kariya also have a bit with the brief [[spoiler: blood-sucking scene]] they get.
89	** It helps that Gilgamesh has been officially out of the closet with his pansexuality since F/HA and that he's from an era and culture when there were very different views on sexual orientation than today. Not to mention that one of the Type-Moon running gags is having Waver Velvet (old or young) totally ignore women who make moves on him such as ''Stay Night'''s Rider in a Drama CD (who as of ''VisualNovel/FateHollowAtaraxia'' is quite firmly established as bisexual), only perking up once she starts quoting Iskander.
90	** Uryuu refers to Caster as 旦那 (''danna''), which is a term used to refer to one's boss or superior, but is also a term for a wife to refer to her husband. The DoubleEntendre was not lost on the fans.
91	** Considering what we know of Waver later in his life, it's easy in retrospect to view Rider and his relationship as a classic case of [[LoverAndBeloved erastes and eromenos]], especially with Rider himself being an ancient Greek bisexual.
92	** Saber and Irisviel have a knight-and-lady relationship, and Irisviel treats Saber less like a tool and more like a human being, similar to Shirou's future attitude towards Saber. Irisviel was a little bit too enthusiastic when dressing Saber as a {{Bifauxnen}}. Also, Irisviel holds [[HealingFactor Avalon]] within her, which works strongest when Saber is in close proximity--after the fight with Kirei, where Irisviel lay mortally wounded, Saber's presence literally saved her life.
93	* HypeBacklash: While ''Fate/Zero'' is unanimously popular among anime-only communities, many old school ''Fate'' fans who were introduced to the ''Nasuverse'' via the original ''Fate/stay Night'' visual novel have a more mixed reception to it, believing that while it's mostly good on its own, it does not live up to the same high standards its [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight predecessor work]] set.
94	* IdiosyncraticShipNaming: While most shipnames use the standard PortmanteauCoupleName format, Kotomine/Tokiomi is known as Mapo/Wine after the pair's favorite respective foods.
95	* IKnewIt:
96	%%** Some people managed to figure out that Berserker's identity is [[spoiler:Lancelot]].
97	** The popular theory for the identity of the Waver lookalike in Ionioi Hetairoi, at least among those who didn't think it was literally Waver himself, was Eumenes, for a few reasons.[[note]]The historical Eumenes was from Thrace (modern-day Turkey) and is suspected to have Scythian ancestry; Scythians were known for their long black hair, whereas the Greeks would usually cut it short. Eumenes also began as Alexander's secretary rather than as a warrior or soldier, which would explain the character's outfit of a robe rather than armor. Coincidentally, Eumenes was known for his loyalty to Alexander and his lineage, a trait many associate with Waver.[[/note]]. Later series like the ''Sensha Otoko'' parody manga, ''Literature/LordElMelloiIICaseFiles'' and ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' would later imply this heavily before he was officially confirmed as such.
98	* IronWoobie: Irisviel. The matter-of-fact, almost cheerful way in which she explains that [[spoiler:her body has degraded too much for her to use magic alone, engage in her favourite hobbies, or even ''dress herself'' without considerable effort]] is downright heartbreaking.
99	* JerkassWoobie:
100	** Although his subsequent fall into insanity and serial murder do little to endear him, Gilles de Rais's despair over the unjust death of Jeanne d'Arc is genuine, and his original goal as Caster in the Holy Grail War was to resurrect her.
101	** Though antagonistic during the Holy Grail War, Berserker was once [[spoiler: Lancelot, the greatest of the Knights of the Round Table, whose affair with Guinevere lead to the destruction of Camelot and the death of his king and best friend (who he may or may not have also been in love with) Arthur. He was driven insane by his regret over his actions and inability to forgive himself despite Arthur forgiving him.]]
102	* LauncherOfAThousandShips: Saber, unsurprisingly given the highly skewed gender ratio. Kotomine as well due to his large amounts of HoYay and StalkerWithACrush undertones.
103	* LGBTFanbase: The series has a large LGBT following due to having multiple characters who are themselves canonically LGBT or heavily implied to be, as well as a lot of deliberate HomoeroticSubtext that is treated seriously and relevant to the plot and characterization as opposed to mere fanservice and comic relief. In particular, Rider is a massive hit with gay male fans due to his BaraGenre design, his relationship with Waver which is considered a source of heartwarming moments, and being openly bisexual just like the historical figure he's based on.
104	* LoveToHate: Caster and his Master Ryuunosuke Uryuu. In fact, they even [[{{DiscussedTrope}} discuss]] how they are exactly this, being the villains in the great act that God writes. Then just to make their point, they summon a Cthulhu-esque EldritchAbomination to spite God while "remaining aware" of their "role".
105	* MagnificentBastard: [[AntiHero Kiritsugu Emiya]], the Magus Killer, suffered a childhood of trauma that drove him to wish to end all battle no matter the cost. Under the belief "kill one to save hundreds," Kiritsugu resorts to extreme tactics, such as bombings to get his target even if it means sacrificing others in the process. Contracted by the Einzbern family to participate in the 4th Holy Grail War, Kiritsugu remains in the background while his wife Irisviel acts in public as Saber's Master, so he can scope out all competition with his assistant Maiya. When assaulted at the Einzbern Castle by Kayneth Archibald, Kiritsugu [[BatmanGambit conditions the magus with traps and gunfire]] until he fires an Origin Bullet that cripples his Magic Circuits. Later, Kiritsugu takes advantage of Kayneth's pride and love for his wife Sola to eliminate Lancer from the tournament by using a self-geas scroll that he loopholes out of by having Maiya snipe both of them. [[AwesomenessByAnalysis Even in the thick of battle]], Kiritsugu keeps a cold, calculated demeanor as he studies his opponent, be they magus like Kayneth or powerhouses like Kirei Kotomine. When tragedy strikes at the end of the Grail War, Kiritsugu saves a young boy named Shirou and vows to abandon his ruthless ways, hoping to turn his new son into the "Hero of Justice" he couldn't be.
106	* MemeticLoser:
107	** Kayneth. Despite being a genius-tier mage and one of the most powerful Masters in the war, his downfall from sheer hubris made him ripe for mockery as the show's biggest ButtMonkey.
108	** Diarmuid, thanks to [[spoiler:[[PsychicAssistedSuicide the events surrounding his death]]]]. It doesn't help that he's unfavorably been compared to fellow Lancer Cu Chulainn, who not only is a fan favorite but also [[spoiler:met a similar end in ''Unlimited Blade Works'', with the key difference between his Diarmuid's death is that Cu manages to combine DefiantToTheEnd with DyingMomentWithAwesome, taking Kirei down with him, saving Rin, and burning down the Einzbern castle before kicking the bucket, as opposed to Diarmuid, who merely just proclaims a DyingCurse]].
109	* MemeticMutation
110	** WAGA ARU G [[labelnote:Explanation]] Lancer consistently refers to Kayneth with "''waga aruji''", or "milord".[[/labelnote]]
111	** Being Lancer is suffering.[[labelnote:Explanation]] There is a perception in the fandom that Lancers tend to meet terrible ends. It didn't help that both Lancers have E-Rank Luck, making them each a CosmicPlaything. The phrase "Being x is suffering" itself was borrowed from the ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' community.[[/labelnote]]
112	** Website/NicoNicoDouga seems very fond of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=lSvOmu_ezbo remixing Kayneth's dialogue]], mostly to make fun of his CListFodder status.
113	** Team [[{{Netorare}} NTR]] [[labelnote:Explanation]] A FanNickname for team Kayneth, referring to how Sola-Ui falls in love with Lancer.[[/labelnote]]
114	*** In the same vein, other [[FanNickname Fan Nicknames]] for the teams include Team Cool/Team Crazy (Caster and Ryuunosuke) and Team Yuetsu [[spoiler:(Kirei and Gilgamesh)]]; see below for explanations.
115	** KFC: [[spoiler:Kayneth's Fried Circuits]] [[labelnote:Explanation]]Kiritsugu uses his Mystic Code--magic bullets--to fry Kayneth's magical circuits. Started by a thread on /a/ where Kayneth's face is photoshopped on the KFC logo.[[/labelnote]]
116	** Fast Wheels[[labelnote:Explanation]]Related meme for Kayneth after the events of the above leave him wheelchairbound.[[/labelnote]]
117	** Army of Bros [[labelnote:Explanation]] FanNickname for Iskandar's Ionioi Hetairoi.[[/labelnote]]
118	** [[MemeticBadass Tohsaka Rin]]: [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson Boots to asses]] since eight years old. [[labelnote:Explanation]] After she defeated Ryuunosuke in her DayInTheLimelight, people decided that The Rin was also The Rock.[[/labelnote]]
119	** Happy Mother's Day Kiritsugu! [[labelnote:Explanation]] The episode that aired on Mother's Day was a Flashback Episode that ended with Kiritsugu shooting down the plane his adoptive mother was on.[[/labelnote]]
120	** COOOOOOOOOL/KUUUUUUUUURU [[labelnote:Explanation]] Ryuunosuke's GratuitousEnglish CatchPhrase; see below under {{Narm}}.[[/labelnote]]
121	** [[GratuitousJapanese Yuetsu]]! [[labelnote:Explanation]] The Japanese word for "pleasure", alternatively translated as "joy" or "entertainment"; one of the plotlines involves Gilgamesh making Kirei realize what exactly the source of these things is for him. It's probably a result of the frequent use and the HoYay that comes with it that made it into a memetic word among the fandom.[[/labelnote]]
122	** REJOICE, ''insert character name here''. [[labelnote:Explanation]]Kirei Kotomine's line towards Shirou at the start of ''Fate/stay night'' has turned into a memetic CatchPhrase for the priest.[[/labelnote]]
123	** ''(Insert violent sequence here)'': [[http://i.imgur.com/RyzHul.jpg (IT'S) MORE FUN]] [[http://i.imgur.com/ZcilOl.jpg IN THE PHILIPPINES!]] [[labelnote:Explanation]] It's a reference to both the Philippines' current tourism slogan, and the revelation that Alimango Island, where Kiritsugu's StartOfDarkness took place, is an actual location from that country. Needless to say, a number of Filipinos couldn't resist.[[/labelnote]]
124	** Diarmuid's [[spoiler:DyingCurse]][[labelnote:spoilers]]Moments before his death, Diarmuid launched an anguished, full of anger rant against everyone he knew of for being denied of his one wish. Said rant turns out to be ripe for snowcloning for any sorts of griefs.[[/labelnote]]
125	* MemeticMolester: Kotomine's obsession with Kiritsugu (and to a lesser, but no more insignificant, degree, Kariya) gets milked for all its worth on Pixiv.
126	* {{Misblamed}}:
127	** There seems to be a lot of hate towards Aoi for [[spoiler:letting Tokiomi give up Sakura to [[AbusiveParent Zouken and the Matous]] and only complaining about it afterwards]], even though ValuesDissonance is in play and Aoi couldn't have known how badly [[spoiler:Sakura would be treated by the Matous]] (which really falls on Tokiomi).
128	** The cinematography of [[spoiler:Kariya’s death]] led to Sakura getting a great deal of undeserved hate from those who interpreted it as her [[spoiler:rejecting Kariya and shoving him to his death]]. The original novel states clearly that [[spoiler:Kariya’s body was already rapidly expiring, and he died in front of her before falling in]].
129	* {{Moe}}:
130	** Waver, due to his {{Adorkable}} traits and endearing childishness.
131	** Irisviel and Illyasviel both, whose sweet innocence makes people want to protect them as much as Kiritsugu does.
132	* MoralEventHorizon: See [[MoralEventHorizon/{{Nasuverse}} here]].
133	* {{Narm}}:
134	** The infamous "walking in circle" scene, in which Tokiomi and Risei decide that the best way to brief about the Holy Grail War is to walk around the listener in a 4-meter radius circle. It comes off as if they spent too much time rehearsing beforehand just to confuse the young man with visual symbolism.
135	** Berserker's battle cries in the anime sound more like the mooing of a cow as opposed to a menacing scream one would expect.
136	** Ryuunosuke's GratuitousEnglish CatchPhrase in the anime straddles the line between this and intentional comedy. Especially once [[TalkativeLoon Caster]] picks it up as a sign of respect.
137	*** Moreover, their conversation about faith and God in the 13th episode are incredibly narmy, so it's hard not to think that when talking about "the god who writes this story," they mean Urobochi.
138	** In Episode 8, the inexplicable zoom on Kotomine's behind as he uses bajiquan to destroy the tree he's tied to. Likewise, the jaunt he takes after defeating Irisviel and Maiya, which looks more like him taking a light evening jog than fleeing a battle.
139	** Some of the more pained expressions can come off as looking bizarre and cross-eyed, such as Kiritsugu's despair after [[spoiler:killing Natalia]] or Aoi screaming right into the camera.
140	** Then there's the birth of Illyasviel. Irisviel says to Kiritsugu that "she has [his] eyes". Anyone who has played/seen ''Fate/stay night'' knows that Illyasviel is basically a clone of her mother, so she obviously doesn't.
141	** Kiritsugu's huge eyes while he cries [[spoiler:about killing Natalia]]. His InelegantBlubbering, especially in the English dub ("SHUT YOUR FACE!") doesn't help.
142	* NauseaFuel: The animated version gives us a long, hard look at what Zouken did to Sakura in the first episode. [[spoiler:Insects, bugs, worms, [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil oh my]]]]. Yikes.
143	* RealismInducedHorror: What makes Ryuunosuke terrifying as a villain, even compared to malevolent mages and servants, is that he’s just a SerialKiller who’s killed multiple families and children. Unlike the above, someone like Ryuunosuke can very much exist in real life.
144	* SlowPacedBeginning: Some people dismiss the anime after watching the first episode, which consists of forty minutes of introductions and InfoDump. However, after that episode, things start to really pick up.
145	* SpecialEffectFailure: The integration of the CG and hand-drawn animation can be... spotty sometimes. The opening minute of Episode 6 and Berserker in particular, although the Berserker case may be an intentional attempt to convey just how ''wrong'' he and his armor feel.
146	* {{Squick}}:
147	** What Ryuunosuke does to those children. Words cannot describe the absolute horribleness of what is shown.
148	** What Zouken has been doing to Sakura.
149	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Maiya is largely underused in the story. Most of what's known about her is given through either her backstory or exposition, and her role in the story is largely to be Kiritsugu's partner and MoralityChain alongside Iri. Problem is, it leaves her a SatelliteLoveInterest to Kiritsugu, and unlike Iri who gets to interact with Saber, she gets little to no focus of her own. It's turned up to eleven when its revealed via Literature/FateStrangeFake that, due her backstory of having been raped by soldiers, she has a ''[[ChildByRape son]]'', Sigma. While this is mentioned in the Light Novel of ''Fate/Zero'', its only a minor detail quickly glossed over, when it could have been used to explore her character, about how she had to give up the child she gave birth to and how the experience affected her.
150	* UnintentionallySympathetic: The writers have expressed surprise at the popularity of [[FailureHero Kariya]] [[WhiteSheep Matou]]. They describe him as a {{Chuunibyou}} making an ass of himself while trying to win over his married childhood friend and her children. Though Kariya is SecretlySelfish, he is far more sympathetic compared to everyone around him. He was spurred into action by learning that Aoi's daughter Sakura was given to [[TheWormThatWalks Zouken Matou]], who he knew would put her through horrifying and invasive tortures in the name of magecraft. Sakura's father, Tokiomi Tohsaka, did this to protect her from a FateWorseThanDeath at the hands of the Mage's Association, but Sakura ultimately fared no better in Zouken's hands. Tokiomi's explanation of this to Kariya is supposed to be a miscommunication, but it's hard to blame Kariya when Tokiomi, as per WordOfGod, [[BlueAndOrangeMorality wouldn't have cared about the horrors Sakura went through— only that Zouken wasn't training her to be a mage]]. Even Kariya's most unsympathetic moment when he snaps and [[KickTheDog strangles Aoi to near-death]] is understandable: He's lost the Holy Grail War, has been framed for Tokiomi's death, and is being EatenAlive by Zouken's parasitic familiars, so [[ExtremeDoormat Aoi]] finally standing up for herself and wrongly blaming Kariya for the loss of her husband and daughter was clearly the last straw for him.
151	* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: [[AdaptedOut Due to the anime adaptation leaving out the real reason behind Tokiomi giving up Sakura]] to the Matou family, he comes across less as a desperate father who is a HorribleJudgeOfCharacter and more as a by-the-book {{Jerkass}} who is still a HorribleJudgeOfCharacter. Even disregarding the kind of person Zouken is and what he did to Sakura, Tokiomi still tells Kariya that he's fine with the idea of his daughters [[CainAndAbel fighting against each other]] in the Grail War, which understandably enrages Kariya.
152	* ViewerGenderConfusion: A lot of first-time viewers have this initial reaction to Waver (at least until he speaks), since his small build and feminine hairstyle make him look very similar to Maiya Hisau.
153	* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: It's done by Creator/{{Ufotable}}. The next episode preview sequence also is worth a mention; showcasing work that almost looks like something from [[Creator/IndustrialLightAndMagic ILM]] or Creator/{{Pixar}}.
154	** Want proof? [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7OYPb3fTP0 Here]] (warning: spoilers). And remember ''that still isn't as high a quality as it goes.'' That's only in non-Blu-Ray 720p. Imagine that... ''but in 1080p Blu-Ray quality.''
155	* TheWoobie:
156	** Kariya Matou. Severely contaminated with the same worms which permeate Sakura's body, constantly forced to undergo BodyHorror to participate in the Grail War, and in the end, he was barely acknowledged as a participant of the war ''or'' as an opponent to Tokiomi. And Sakura, whose freedom was his reason for joining the war, stays in Zouken Matou's clutches, further demoralized by Kariya's failure.
157	** Lancer and Saber both get the short end of the sticks as servants. [[spoiler: All the two want to do is fight a honorable battle but they get their ideals trampled upon. Lancer dies cursing everyone for spitting on his ideals while Saber is forced to destroy the Holy Grail and live with the guilt that her martyrdom led to the destruction of her Kingdom.]]

Context YMMV / FateZero