Ep 1. The Summoning of Heroes

The show Fate/Zero season 1 episode 1 is named The Summoning of Heroes. It starts by introducing the characters who are all representatives of different factions to obtain the Holy Grail, the ultimate prize that grants any wish to the winner. The factions include the Einzbern family, the Matou family, the Tohsaka family, and the Church. Each faction has their own reason for wanting to win the Holy Grail, and they all believe that their method is the right way to achieve their goals.

The episode begins with the Einzbern family preparing for the Holy Grail War, which is a battle between the factions to obtain the Holy Grail. They summon their representative, the powerful and mysterious Saber, who has a noble aura about her. At the same time, the Matou family summons their representative, the cold and calculating Assassin, who has a more subtle presence. The Tohsaka family, who have been preparing for the Holy Grail War for years, summon their representative, the fiery and determined Archer, who seems to have a lot of confidence in his abilities.

Meanwhile, Kirei Kotomine, a priest from the Church and one of the judges of the Holy Grail War, is approached by his mentor and father figure, Risei Kotomine. Risei tells Kirei that he has been chosen to participate in the Holy Grail War as the observer and that this will be his last mission before he retires from the Church. Kirei is initially hesitant about participating but eventually agrees to take on the role.

As the representatives are summoned, they are each given a command spell, a powerful means of controlling their respective servant. The spell allows the master to issue three commands to their servant, which the servant is obligated to follow to the letter. As the episode progresses, we learn more about the motivations of each family and their servants, and it becomes clear that the Holy Grail War is not simply a battle for a magical artifact but a conflict between different ideologies and philosophies.

The episode climaxes with the first battle of the Holy Grail War between Saber and Lancer, the representative of another unknown faction. Lancer is an honorable warrior who seems to have a lot of respect for Saber, but the battle quickly devolves into a brutal and bloody confrontation. Saber uses her swordsmanship and agility to try to gain an advantage over Lancer, but Lancer's magical abilities allow him to keep Saber at bay. The fight ends abruptly and unexpectedly, leaving both Saber and Lancer shaken and perplexed.

Overall, The Summoning of Heroes is an excellent opening episode for Fate/Zero. It introduces the key players and factions in the Holy Grail War, sets the stage for the battles to come, and provides a glimpse of the philosophical underpinnings of the series. The action is compelling, the animation is top-notch, and the characters are complex and multi-dimensional. If the rest of the series lives up to the promise of this first episode, Fate/Zero is sure to be a modern classic of the anime genre.