Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works

Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works is ufotable's stunning 2014 anime adaptation of the second route of Type-Moon's landmark visual novel — the story of Shirou Emiya and Rin Tohsaka working together in the Fifth Holy Grail War while the truth of Archer's identity gradually reveals itself. UBW is the most action-focused route of the Fate/stay night trilogy, with ufotable deploying their extraordinary animation capabilities to deliver Holy Grail War battles of almost absurd visual splendor. The Shirou vs. Archer confrontation — a battle about different philosophies of heroism, sacrifice, and what kind of future is worth fighting for — is one of the most philosophically engaging action sequences in anime. Archer's backstory and his complex relationship with his own idealism are at the emotional core of the series. Beautiful production, strong character writing, and the finest version of Gilgamesh vs. Archer make UBW essential Fate viewing.