Fate-strange Fake Episode 3 Review: True vs Fake - The real Holy Grail War Begins

Fate/strange Fake aired its third episode on January 17, 2026. Just like the first two episodes, episode 3 featured incredibly high-quality animation; it even reached a 9.4/10 on IMDb, which has sparked a lot of discussion across the internet. Episode 3 is really great. Not only does it dive deeper than episode 2, but it also touches on the mysteries introduced in episode 1.

Before watching episode 3, I was really excited and had super high expectations because the first two episodes were incredible. I didn't want episode 3 to be a "downward" turning point for the series. I hoped it would fulfill my expectations and reveal even more about the world of Fate/strange Fake. I knew I might be being a little greedy, but I truly hoped it would continue its legacy. Luckily, episode 3 delivered everything I hoped for—and even managed to take the whole series to a higher level.

Fate/strange Fake Episode 3 gave us the full fight between Hansa Cervantes and Jester Karture, while touching on the mysteries of the Holy Grail War and introducing the "True" and "Fake" servants. As the name suggests, Fate/strange Fake started with the "Fake," but with the appearance of Richard I, everything is now turning "True."

After watching episode 3, I have a lot of thoughts that I want to discuss in this post. However, before diving deep into them, I would like to mention again: this post will be full of spoilers. So, if you haven’t watched episode 3—or even the first two episodes—please stop and turn back right now!

Source: TVアニメ『Fate/strange Fake』Official X account

Holy Grail War & Executor & Dead Apostle:


The first key highlight of Fate/strange Fake Episode 3 is the intense battle between Hansa Cervantes and Jester Karture. Picking up right where episode 2 left off, the anime team gave us a complete, full-length fight instead of just finishing it with a few simple cuts or scenes. The entire fight is quite long, lasting over 7 minutes, and every scene is done with incredibly high-quality animation.

Even without any knowledge of the Fate universe, it's clear there is no way for a human to win against a monster who easily defeated the police force in episode 2. Everyone, including Jester Karture, thought it would be an easy fight, but it turns out Hansa Cervantes had hidden a great secret. Because of it, even with his bare hands, he can fight evenly with Jester.

Hansa Cervantes looks like a human, but he actually has many mechanical body parts that allow him to fight in a “superhuman” way. Between his agility, speed, attack, and defense, Hansa might not be a servant, but he isn't a normal human either. As the battle continues, there are even scenes where Hansa overwhelms Jester. They are great scenes because Jester is such a "sick weirdo," but more importantly, they lead to a big question: why does Hansa Cervantes possess this much power?

Throughout the entire battle, Hansa is so focused—partly because he hates Jester and really wants to kill him—that he doesn't have time to share anything about himself. Luckily, Jester mentions a lot of important "Fate" universe keywords instead. Observer, Dead Apostle, Burial Agency—Jester mentioned a lot of keywords, and among them all, it seems Hansa’s true identity is that of an Executor.

What is an Executor? That is a big question for me as well, since I am enjoying Fate/strange Fake without much prior knowledge of the "Fate" universe. However, based on the dialogue, it seems Hansa has been fighting all kinds of monsters for a long time. From the brief conversation between Archer (Gilgamesh) and Tine Chelc, it appears that in the world of Fate/strange Fake, there are not only Servants and humans, but other creatures as well—and Hansa seems to be someone who has spent his life fighting them.

The entire battle was animated with high quality from start to finish. However, since this is only episode 3, it would be too early for either of them to die and exit the series, so the fight ended in a draw. Hansa and Jester caused quite a scene—destroying several buildings and cars—but in the end, they both survived.

To be honest, this kind of "draw" might feel like a waste of time to some, but this battle actually fulfilled its purpose. Through the ongoing fight between Hansa and Jester, we as viewers learned several important keywords. Meanwhile, the characters in the show have realized that a Dead Apostle has joined the Holy Grail War and will likely start taking action. In fact, Caster is already planning something for Orlando Reeve, and Flat Escardos even managed to snap a picture of Gilgamesh during the chaos.

What is Caster planning to build, and what kind of story will the picture of Gilgamesh lead to? These are really exciting points that make us look forward to episode 4.

Source: TVアニメ『Fate/strange Fake』Official X account

Holy Grail War& True & Fake:

The second key highlight of Fate/strange Fake Episode 3 is the introduction of the "True" and "False" Servants. In the high-quality opening theme, "Provant," we noticed several new Servants alongside Richard I and the original six. But who are these newcomers? Are they actually new Servants, or just individuals like Jester who possess monstrous power? Their identities have been a massive mystery, but in episode 3, we finally get some answers.

In episode 3, Lord El-Melloi II, voiced by Daisuke Namikawa, had a lot of great facial expressions that were really funny to watch. Through his dialogue, we were able to learn two very important facts. The first fact—even though it sounds unbelievable—is that a "Fake" and a "True" Holy Grail War are happening at the same time.

The "Fake" Holy Grail War essentially consists of the six Masters and Servants we saw first—excluding Richard I and Ayaka Sajyou. Since the initial summoning didn't include a Saber, it's considered "Fake." Additionally, these six Servants were summoned slightly earlier in the Fate/strange Fake timeline.

Lord El-Melloi II didn't know the true meaning of the "Fake" Holy Grail War until he saw Richard I. Once he realized that Richard was a Saber, he noticed something terrifying. The "Fake" Holy Grail War is not just a simple battle for the Grail, but also a preparation for the "True" Holy Grail War—the one that contains seven Masters and Servants, including Richard I and Ayaka Sajyou.

Even without much knowledge of the Fate universe, we can already see a terrifying future: 13 Servants, each possessing the power to destroy the world, will be fighting each other non-stop. While this will be an incredible watching experience for us as viewers, for the characters living in that world, the real nightmare is just beginning.

The second fact is that the "True" Servants are finally appearing. Following the arrival of the True Saber, Richard I, the other "True" classes are showing up one by one. In fact, at the end of episode 3, the one who appears to be the "True" Archer fired an arrow, launching an incredible assault against Tiné Chelc.

Besides the "True" Archer, another "True" Servant appeared in episode 3. At the end of the episode, Faldeus Dioland performed a summoning. At first, he thought he had failed, but then he received a letter that read: "I ASK YOU, ART THOU MY MASTER?" So, in the end, he did successfully summon a "True" Servant.

Who did Faldeus Dioland summon? Actually, I have no idea since there are so many possibilities, but we might have some clues regarding the Class. In the opening theme, "PROVANT," there is a Servant with a skull mask standing beside Faldeus. In the "Fate" universe, Servants with skull masks are normally of the Assassin Class, so the Servant Faldeus summoned is highly likely to be the "True" Assassin.

Source: Fate/strange Fake Official X account

Fake Archer & True Archer:

The third key highlight of Fate/strange Fake Episode 3 is the first strike by the "True" Archer against the "Fake" Archer. Even though the scene is quite short—lasting barely 10 seconds and not even really qualifying as a full battle—personally, I think this moment meant a lot for the Fate/strange Fake anime.

Personally, there are two reasons why this first strike is so important. The first is the arrival of the "True" faction. Even though Tiné Chelc will be terrified and confused by the attack—since she likely doesn't know much yet—her servant, Gilgamesh, will definitely notice which class the attack belongs to. So, sooner or later, Gilgamesh will realize that something is wrong with this Holy Grail War and that the "True" participants have finally appeared.

The second reason is the fact that Gilgamesh has finally been challenged. Ever since he was summoned and teamed up with Tiné Chelc, he has been the "dark horse" of the "Fake" Holy Grail War, with the highest probability of winning. In fact, among the "Fake" participants, only Enkidu dared to challenge him alone.

Among the "Fake" participants, including Flat Escardos’s team, no one has even tried to face Gilgamesh directly. They have been looking for sneaky ways to approach him the entire time. But now, with the arrival of the "True" participants, everything has changed. There is no way for the "True" participants to be scared of the "Fakes." No matter who you are, the "True" faction will find you and hunt you down.

Sooner or later, the war between all 13 teams will begin. While we as viewers will be excited for the battles, for the participants, this is no laughing matter. Fighting every single team is impossible, but avoiding combat is also impossible since Servants can locate one another if they wish. Therefore, the only options left are to join forces or play dirty to win the Holy Grail War.

This X post might catch your interest:

先日公開されたFate/strange Fake 告知CMの原画を担当致しました。コンテ演出は坂詰さん(@to__kage)、作画監督はUKさん(@uk_yamada_)です。
原作と合わせてCMも楽しんでいただけると嬉しいです！#strangeFake　#FakeCMメイキング pic.twitter.com/9Lrla6cNFJ

— えのきど ShunEnokido (@mayuge1017) January 6, 2020

Conclusion:


Personal rating: 10/10

Continuing the legacy of episode 2, Fate/strange Fake episode 3 was another incredible installment. Almost every scene featured super high-quality animation, and every line of dialogue pushed the story forward perfectly. Personally, I’ve watched episode 3 multiple times already, and I still find it incredibly exciting. It is definitely worth revisiting again and again.

Between the battle between "True" and "False," the introduction of the other "True" teams, and the difficult decision facing our poor protagonist, Ayaka Sajyou—who just wants to run away from it all—there is so much to look forward to in episode 4. Even though episode 3 has only just aired, I am already incredibly curious and eager for the next installment. Please stay tuned, as I’ll be back to share more thoughts with you soon!

Youtube: Provant

Youtube: Episode 3 Trailer

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll IQIYI

This X post might catch your interest:

◤『Fate/strange Fake』第3話
ご視聴ありがとうございました！◢

第3話は #相音光 さんのイラストをお届け！

第4話「半神達の追走曲」
1月24日(土)23:30～放送予定📺
お見逃しなく！

各プラットフォームでも順次配信開始⚡️https://t.co/oO0dMGcECv#strangefake #ストレンジフェイク pic.twitter.com/uTHIY9UAxS

— TVアニメ『Fate/strange Fake』公式 (@Fate_SF_Anime) January 17, 2026