Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs

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Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs
Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs.jpg
Screenshot of the title screen from Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs
Genre Space Western, mecha
Created by World Events Productions
Based on Star Musketeer Bismark
by Studio Pierrot
Directed byFranklin Cofod
Voices of
Music byDale Schacker
Country of origin
  • United States
  • Japan
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes52
Production
Executive producer Peter Keefe
Producers
  • Franklin Cofod
  • Courtney Leigh
  • Kimberly Frances
Production companies
Original release
Network First-run syndication
ReleaseSeptember 14, 1987 (1987-09-14) 
September 2, 1988 (1988-09-02)

Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs is an American-Japanese animated television space Western, similar to the series The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers and BraveStarr . The series premiered in the United States in 1987 and had a run of 52 episodes. [1]

Contents

The show was based on Star Musketeer Bismarck (星銃士ビスマルク, Seijūshi Bisumaruku), a Japanese anime series created by Studio Pierrot that achieved moderate success in Japan. The English language rights to the series were purchased by World Events Productions (WEP), the same company behind the English-language version of Voltron, in 1986. [2] WEP reorganized and rewrote the series, incorporating most of the original episodes with some editions and creating 6 new ones, before releasing it under the name Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs.

Plot

"Together we've made a commitment to the spirit of the frontier freedom fighters. Wherever danger leads us, wherever the people need us, that's where you'll find...the Star Sheriffs!"

- from the episode "Star Sheriff Round-Up"

The series is set in the distant future. Humans have spread beyond living on Earth and have colonized planets across the universe, creating a New Frontier of man. In order to protect these new settlers and maintain law and order in the New Frontier, Earth's Cavalry Command was created. Cavalry Command is a military organization that maintains an army and fleet of ships to protect the New Frontier and the residents of the planets within it known as Settlers. Within Cavalry Command is a unit of special operatives known as Star Sheriffs that function as the organization's field agents, investigating any crimes and plots that threaten the security of the New Frontier.

The main foe of Cavalry Command and the Star Sheriffs is a race of non-human creatures known as Vapor Beings (also sometimes called Outriders) that have jumped into our dimension in order to conquer it. They attack the Settlers, destroy settlements, and kidnap humans in order to mine various metals or crystals from the soil of various planets.

Outriders are superior to humans in battle technology. They control a legion of gigantic robots ("Renegade Units") with weapons greatly superior to the weapons and defenses of the space-going fleets of Cavalry Command. In response to the Outriders's threat, Cavalry Command develops a prototype spaceship known as the "Ramrod Equalizer Unit" (or simply Ramrod) that has the ability to transform from a spaceship into a powerful robot that can fight the Outriders's Renegade Units on equal terms.

Characters

Protagonists

Saber Rider
Original name: Richard Lancelot
The title character in the American version of the series, Saber Rider is the team's leader and captain of the Ramrod Equalizer Unit. He is occasionally referred to by the nickname "Top Sword." He is a young man, yet is described as having legendary sword skills and marksmanship. Saber Rider hails from the Scottish Highlands and is an expert with both swords and horses. He is generally depicted as being a gentleman with a cool head for tactics and decision-making. The American version retained the British Union Jack on the upper arm and the helmet design of Saber Rider's armored uniform; this helmet's design appears to incorporate a bearskin hat.
Saber Rider often rides a robotic horse, responding to the name of "Steed," who has high–powered thrusters, and the ability to fly, run, and function in space. Steed is not capable of long–range space travel, so he is kept stored in Ramrod's cargo bay during journeys. He is used mainly to travel to planets from orbit, or utilized on a planet's surface. Steed has so sophisticated an artificial intelligence as almost to be sentient, as he is capable of recognizing his master's voice commands, and working independently when Saber Rider is in danger.
He is voiced by Rob Paulsen.
Fireball Hikari
Original name: Shinji Hikari
Shinji a.k.a. Fireball, a former race car driver, was the youngest driving champion in history. He now serves as the pilot of the Ramrod Equalizer Unit, and also has secondary control of the heavy weaponry located in Ramrod's chest region. He drives the "Red Fury Turbo Racer," a race car armed with an extensive arsenal of weapons. He has a somewhat quick temper, and at one time boasted of having a perfect memory. In the original Sei Jūshi Bismarck, Fireball is the Japanese leader of the crew. The Japanese flag is on his sleeve and his helmet.
During the course of the series, he discovers that his father was a fighter pilot who fought alongside King Jaray of the Legendary Kingdom of Jarr when the Outriders first attacked fifteen years prior to the series's time frame. Sacrificing himself, Fireball's father sent his ship into Nemesis's command ship, robbing Nemesis of his body and sending them both into the Outrider dimension, where he remained lost as of the time frame of the series.
Coincidentally or not, Fireball's real name is strikingly similar to Shinji Ikari of Evangelion.
He is voiced by Pat Fraley.
Colt Willcox
Original name: William "Bill" Willcox
Bill, also called Colt, is introduced in the series as a bounty hunter on the trail of Vanquo, an Outrider spy. Colt has an almost infallible accuracy with firearms and serves as the gunner on board Ramrod. His character is depicted as somewhat of a loner, but also as an outrageous flirt; he flirts with nearly every woman he meets. His parents were attacked and presumably killed by Outriders just after Colt left to join a traveling rodeo. This event prompted him to become a bounty hunter.
For personal transportation and solo battles he uses a blue and white one-man spaceship he calls the "Bronco Buster." In Sei Jūshi Bismarck, the character comes from the United States, therefore a US flag is seen as a patch on his armored uniform; the design of the armor's helmet incorporates a simulation of a "ten-gallon hat."
He is voiced by Townsend Coleman.
Commander Charles Eagle
Original name: Charles Louvre
Commander Eagle is the leader of Cavalry Command, which includes all of the fleets and armies that protect the United Star Systems, including the Star Sheriffs. Charles takes his responsibilities seriously, but underneath has a warm heart and caring nature.
He is voiced by Peter Cullen.
April Eagle
Original name: Marianne Louvre
April Eagle is the daughter of Commander Charles Eagle. She is the engineer who designed, and was in charge of, Project Ramrod. Before joining the Star Sheriffs, she was a professional tennis player. She was trained at Cavalry Command under General Whitehawk. April has a robotic horse, responding to the name of "Nova;" who has the abilities (and, presumably, the limitations) of Saber Rider's Steed.
April is the subject of several romantic plot arcs. In early episodes of the series, April had an unrequited crush on Richard a.k.a. Saber Rider. In later episodes, Jesse Blue had an unrequited love interest in April. Finally, April and Shinji did begin a romantic relationship. Unlike most similar series, in Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs the heroine does not end up in a romantic relationship with the main hero. This is because her eventual love interest, Shinji a.k.a. Fireball, was the hero in the original Japanese version.
In the Japanese version, April is French, which is why her armored uniform bears the French tricolor.
She is voiced by Pat Musick.
Ramrod
Original name: Bismark
The Ramrod was developed by April Eagle as the technological "miracle weapon" that would allow humans to counter the threat of the Outriders. Although it can be flown by one person, the ship is designed to be operated by four people, each sitting in separate units that control specific functions: navigation (April), weapons (Colt), pilot (Fireball) and the commander/tactician (Saber Rider).
A highlight of nearly every episode is Ramrod's transformation from an airborne battleship into a giant fighting robot. When the Ramrod Equalizer Unit undergoes the "Challenge Phase" (usually activated by Fireball pressing a button in the center of his unit console), April calls out that Ramrod is taking over the navigational controls during the transformation. Ramrod acknowledges this while the 4 control units are shifted to new positions inside of Ramrod's head. As it completes the transformation it calls out its rallying cry in a heavy Western drawl, "Head 'em up, move 'em out...power stride, and ready to ride." The Ramrod vehicle will transform into a giant robot packing an over-sized six-shooter at the hip and appears to be wearing a cowboy hat and a cape. The battle conversion to robot form is used mainly when the Star Sheriffs encounter the Outriders' giant robots, which are known as either a Renegade or Desperado Unit. In "Maverick Quick-draw" mode, an array of assorted cannons will be deployed at Ramrod's chest, delivering the final blow to send an Outrider "Renegade Unit" back to the Vapor Zone. The Star Sheriffs sometimes refer to Ramrod's robot form as the "Big Sheriff."
In the final episodes of the series, the original Ramrod was dismantled as part of a peace treaty brokered between the Outriders and Cavalry Command. However, when the Outriders broke the treaty by attempting to invade the New Frontier dimension, Cavalry Command issued the Star Sheriffs a more powerful version of Ramrod known as "Ramrod 2" with double the power of the original. Ramrod 2's Challenge Phase transformation was the same as the original Ramrod, only April now said "Ramrod 2 will now take navigational control."
Ramrod was named Bismarck in the Japanese version, hence the series' name Sei Jūshi Bismarck. The Americanized name for the battleship possibly originates from a cowboy slang referring to the person-in-charge of an outfit, the leader of the pack, or the person who gets the job done.
The Ramrod Equalizer Unit Challenge Phase is essentially the sequence in which Saber Rider And The Star Sheriffs becomes similar to a "monster-fighter (kaiju) series;" otherwise the series, in American form, is mainly Western-oriented.
It is voiced by Peter Cullen in imitation of John Wayne.

Antagonists

The main antagonists are called the Outriders who are humanoids from the Vapor Zone, an alternate dimension. They do not require oxygen, but do require great quantities of water. They have the ability to disguise themselves as human beings, to the point where even a medical examination will not reveal their true identities.

Their personal existence is bleak, as is their home dimension. They have squandered all the resources on their home planet, forcing them to move to an artificial planet. The Outriders' goal is to conquer mankind and control the universe unhindered—they think the human dimension has much more to offer than their own. When an Outrider is shot or wounded, they do not die, but rather dimension jump, a process where they vanish and return to their home dimension. After dimension jumping, a wisp of poisonous, green gas, and a smudge where the Outrider stood remain. A self-initiated dimension jump leaves no trace at all. Outriders who are shot or killed in the vapor dimension will turn to a human. Under unique circumstances an Outrider, while in the human dimension, is in a situation that prevents them from making a dimension jump may also turn them to a human.

Nemesis
Original name: Hyuza
Nemesis, a huge, darkly clad, masked being, is the evil genius in charge of the renegade Outriders. He created the Vapor Trail that allows the Outriders to cross from their dimension into the human dimension. His primary motivation for ordering an invasion of the New Frontier is the unbearable boredom he feels in the Vapor Dimension. In the last episodes of the series it is revealed Nemesis is a cyborg, and his consciousness also existed as the Nth Degree, a powerful computer on the Outrider's artificial homeworld.
Saber Rider is the only member of the Star Sheriffs to meet Nemesis one-on-one. In the episode "Stampede", the two faced each other in a laser sword duel after Saber crossed into the Vapor Zone in the wake of an Outrider ship travelling along the Vapor Trail. When Saber Rider was on the verge of winning the duel, Nemesis saved himself by emptying the oxygen from the chamber where they were fighting, rendering Saber Rider unconscious.
He is voiced by Peter Cullen.
Jesse Blue
Original name: Perios
Jesse Blue is a man with odd traits; he has blue-green hair and a sarcastic streak. He was a promising cadet at Cavalry Command, until he fell in love with April Eagle during a training exercise. When April rejected his advances and inadvertently embarrassed him in front of the other cadets, he turned against the Star Sheriffs.
Jesse cultivated a personal grudge against Saber Rider because he thought it was April's affection for Saber Rider that made her refuse his love. He planted a bomb aboard Ramrod, in an attempt to kill Saber Rider. When he learned April would be aboard at the time it would detonate, he panicked and confessed what he'd done to Saber. While it was too late to stop the bomb from exploding, Saber Rider was able to reach Ramrod in time to prevent the ship from being destroyed. Jesse Blue escaped and became a fugitive, turning his back on Cavalry Command and joining forces with the Outriders. He became obsessed with defeating the Star Sheriffs and conquering the New Frontier.
He is voiced by Rob Paulsen.
Gattler
Original name: Zatora
Gattler (occasionally referred to as Gattler the Rattler) wears a foreboding, fanged space mask. When his mask is removed, his form is revealed to be a glowering, dark villain. He is heavy-handed with a heart of stone, and answers only to Nemesis.
Vanquo
Vanquo is a ghostly Outrider with vacant eyes and a long pale face. He is a sinister character with a chilling laugh. Dressed in a serape and sombrero, he is an incredibly fast draw.
Vanquo ultimately had a strange fate for an Outrider: he became human. He was confronted by Saber Rider in the Vapor Zone shortly after Saber Rider's duel with Nemesis in the episode "Stampede". Vanquo presented a rather piteous figure, abandoned by Nemesis and knowing he was defeated, he was at Saber Rider's mercy. Saber Rider reasoned that if he shot Vanquo inside the Vapor Zone, he would not be able to dimension jump and reform anew since he was already in his own dimension. This meant that shooting Vanquo would make him a solid being. Saber Rider consoled Vanquo by telling him he might like being a human. Afterwards, Vanquo looked down at his new human body and said, in somewhat teary happiness, "I think I might."

Supporting characters

Additional characters include Buck (voiced by Neil Ross), Grimmer (Neil Ross), Philip (Cam Clarke), Robin (Tress MacNeille), Sincia (B.J. Ward), Snake Eyes (Michael Bell), Colonel Wyatt (Lennie Weinrib), and Emily Wyeth (B.J. Ward). Peter Cullen provides the show's narration.

Music

The program's music score was composed by Dale Schacker, who was given complete artistic freedom in his composition of the whole score. The score features guitar based music in a fast, rhythmic, yet very fashionable Country Western style. Despite the fact that the music uses synthpop elements, its predominant instrument is the electric guitar rather than a synthesizer, creating a unique sound. Just like a Western movie score, the music is sometimes enriched by whip cracks, rattle snake, harmonica or similar Western sound effects. The music is also intentionally composed with a recurring musical theme, so that the show can be easily recognized, adding a sense of familiarity each time the show is viewed. Despite this aspect, the music does not sound repetitious, since only key elements of the composition are repeated. The opening and closing credits vocals were also sung by Schacker himself.

Two soundtrack compilations are available, each containing 2 CDs.

Other media

Video game

Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs - The Game is an upcoming video game developed by a German group called "Team Saber Rider", [3] under license from both World Events Productions and Studio Pierrot. The game was planned for multiple platforms, after a successful funding campaign on Kickstarter. [3] [4]

Originally announced in 2010, the game's development faced several problems, including the shuttering of the original developer Firehazard Studio. The head of development, Chris Strauss, originally worked on an earlier video game adaptation project, a 2D side-scrolling shooter initially planned for the Game Boy Advance, and later the Nintendo DS. However, the original game was then scrapped due to notions that more "casual" games sold better on the Nintendo DS. [5]

Comic book

A comic miniseries based on the show was released on March 16, 2016. The four-issue miniseries is a reboot of the show's premise in order to appeal for a new generation. The miniseries is written by Mairghread Scott, and illustrated by Sendol Arts. [6]

VHS UK history

VHS video titleVHS StudiosYear of releaseEpisodes
Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs – It's How the West Will Be WonVideo Gems1987Cavalry Command,
Jesse's Revenge,
Greatest Show On The New Frontier,
Little Pardner

Episodes

The series premiered in the United States in 1987 and had a run of 52 episodes (46 of 51 original episodes plus 6 extra episodes).

#Episode NameOriginal air date
01"Star Sheriff Round Up"
Transliteration: "Uchū no Bōkenyarō" (Japanese: 宇宙の冒険野郎)
September 14, 1987 (1987-09-14)
02"Cavalry Command"September 15, 1987 (1987-09-15)
03"Jesse's Revenge"September 16, 1987 (1987-09-16)
04"Iguana Get To Know You"
Transliteration: "Ore to Aitsu to Ano Yarō" (Japanese: 俺とあいつとあの野郎)
September 17, 1987 (1987-09-17)
05"Little Hombre"
Transliteration: "Rasuto Shuutingu" (Japanese: ラスト・シューティング)
September 18, 1987 (1987-09-18)
06"Greatest Show On The New Frontier"
Transliteration: "Kyōfu no Robotto Shoo" (Japanese: 恐怖のロボット・ショー)
September 21, 1987 (1987-09-21)
07"Little Pardner"
Transliteration: "Chiisana Nahoankan" (Japanese: 小さな名保安官)
September 22, 1987 (1987-09-22)
08"Brawlin' Is My Callin'"
Transliteration: "Desukyuura Supai wo Ute!" (Japanese: デスキュラ・スパイを撃て!)
September 23, 1987 (1987-09-23)
09"Wild Horses Couldn't Drag Me Away"
Transliteration: "Nazo no Supeesu Hoosu" (Japanese: 謎のスペース・ホース)
September 24, 1987 (1987-09-24)
10"Castle Of The Mountain Haze"
Transliteration: "Yomigaeru Kishido" (Japanese: よみがえる騎士道)
September 25, 1987 (1987-09-25)
11"Oh Boy! Dinosaurs!"
Transliteration: "Kyōryu no Sei" (Japanese: 恐竜の星)
September 28, 1987 (1987-09-28)
12"Four Leaf Clover"
Transliteration: "Yotsuyō no Kuroobaa" (Japanese: 四つ葉のクローバー)
September 29, 1987 (1987-09-29)
13"The Highlanders"September 30, 1987 (1987-09-30)
14"What Did You Do On Your Summer Vacation?"
Transliteration: "Saikai, Soshite Tabidachi" (Japanese: 再会、そして旅立ち)
October 1, 1987 (1987-10-01)
15"Jesse Blue"
Transliteration: "Andoromeda Kara Kita Otoko" (Japanese: アンドロメダから来た男)
October 2, 1987 (1987-10-02)
16"Show Down At Cimarron Pass"
Transliteration: "Gekitotsu! Kouya no Kessen" (Japanese: 激突!! 荒野の決戦)
October 5, 1987 (1987-10-05)
17"The Saber And The Tomahawk"October 6, 1987 (1987-10-06)
18"All That Glitters"October 7, 1987 (1987-10-07)
19"Sole Survivor"
Transliteration: "Bishōjo Erisu no Himitsu" (Japanese: 美少女エリスの秘密)
October 8, 1987 (1987-10-08)
20"Legend Of The Santa Fe Express"
Transliteration: "Chīsana Ai no Monogatari" (Japanese: 小さな愛の物語)
October 9, 1987 (1987-10-09)
21"Snake Eyes"
Transliteration: "Shinigami Kiddo" (Japanese: 死神キッド)
October 12, 1987 (1987-10-12)
22"Famous Last Words"
Transliteration: "Ganimede no Kishogun" (Japanese: ガニメデの鬼将軍)
October 13, 1987 (1987-10-13)
23"Sharpshooter"
Transliteration: "Oitaru Fushicho" (Japanese: 老いたる不死鳥)
October 14, 1987 (1987-10-14)
24"The Monarch Supreme"
Transliteration: "Hoshizora no Kurisumasu Karoru" (Japanese: 星空のクリスマスカロル)
October 15, 1987 (1987-10-15)
25"Gattler's Last Stand"
Transliteration: "Ganimede Saigo no Kessen" (Japanese: ガニメデ最後の決戦)
October 16, 1987 (1987-10-16)
26"Dooley"
Transliteration: "Desukyuuran Hantaa" (Japanese: デスキュラ・ハンター)
October 19, 1987 (1987-10-19)
27"The Hole In The Wall Gang"
Transliteration: "Ashita He no Takakai" (Japanese: 明日への戦い)
October 20, 1987 (1987-10-20)
28"The All Galaxy Grand Prix"
Transliteration: "Bakuhatsu!! Shi no Reesu" (Japanese: 爆発!! 死のレース)
October 21, 1987 (1987-10-21)
29"Snow-Blind"
Transliteration: "Hagukin no Kettō" (Japanese: 白銀の決闘)
October 26, 1987 (1987-10-26)
30"Tranquility"
Transliteration: "Kimi no Te De Mura wo Mamore" (Japanese: 君の手で村を守れ)
October 27, 1987 (1987-10-27)
31"Bad Day At Dry Gulch"
Transliteration: "Yūrei Sentai o Takate!" (Japanese: 幽霊戦隊を叩け!)
October 28, 1987 (1987-10-28)
32"Snowcone"
Transliteration: "Magokoro ga mieta toki" (Japanese: 真心が見えた時)
November 2, 1987 (1987-11-02)
33"Sneaky Spies"
Transliteration: "Ma no Reto Sei Fiirudo" (Japanese: 魔のレト星フィールド)
November 3, 1987 (1987-11-03)
34"Stampede"November 4, 1987 (1987-11-04)
35"The Challenge (1)"
Transliteration: "Atanaru Ketsui Akuto Wan" (Japanese: 新たなる決意 ACT-1)
November 9, 1987 (1987-11-09)
36"The Challenge (2)"
Transliteration: "Atanaru Ketsui Akuto Tsuu" (Japanese: 新たなる決意 ACT-2)
November 10, 1987 (1987-11-10)
37"Born on the Bayou"
Transliteration: "Mōbaku! Burasutaa Purusu" (Japanese: 猛撃! ブラスター・パルス)
November 11, 1987 (1987-11-11)
38"April Rides"
Transliteration: "Go-juu Paasento no Kake" (Japanese: 50%の賭け)
November 16, 1987 (1987-11-16)
39"The Walls Of Red Wing"
Transliteration: "Wampaku Woosu!" (Japanese: わんぱくWARS!)
November 17, 1987 (1987-11-17)
40"Jesse's Girl"
Transliteration: "Jōsenshi Chiruka" (Japanese: 女戦士チルカ)
November 18, 1987 (1987-11-18)
41"The Amazing Lazardo"
Transliteration: "Jigoku Kara Kita Seija" (Japanese: 地獄から来た聖者)
August 18, 1988 (1988-08-18)
42"I Forgot"
Transliteration: "Himitsu Ansatsukeikaku o Abake" (Japanese: 秘密暗殺計画を暴け)
August 19, 1988 (1988-08-19)
43"Lend Me Your Ears"
Transliteration: "Niji ni Negai o!" (Japanese: 虹に願いを!)
August 22, 1988 (1988-08-22)
44"Born To Run"
Transliteration: "Desukyuura no Himitsu" (Japanese: デスキュラの秘密)
August 23, 1988 (1988-08-23)
45"The Legend Of The Lost World"
Transliteration: "Hoshi no Shinwa" (Japanese: 星の神話)
August 24, 1988 (1988-08-24)
46"The Rescue"
Transliteration: "Dakkai! Ruveeru Hakushi" (Japanese: 奪回! ルヴェール博士)
August 25, 1988 (1988-08-25)
47"Eagle Has Landed"
Transliteration: "Bisumaruku Kaitai" (Japanese: ビスマルク解体!)
August 26, 1988 (1988-08-26)
48"Cease Fire"
Transliteration: "Senshi no Fukkatsu" (Japanese: 戦士の復活)
August 29, 1988 (1988-08-29)
49"Alamo Moon"
Transliteration: "Haipaafoton Pōhassha" (Japanese: ハイパーフォトン砲発射!)
August 30, 1988 (1988-08-30)
50"The Nth Degree"
Transliteration: "Heruperidesu wo Gekihaseyo!" (Japanese: ヘルペリデスを撃破せよ!)
August 31, 1988 (1988-08-31)
51"Who is Nemesis?"
Transliteration: "Heruperidesu Dasshutsu" (Japanese: ヘルペリデス脱出)
September 1, 1988 (1988-09-01)
52"Happy Trails"
Transliteration: "Yume Ginga" (Japanese: 夢銀河)
September 2, 1988 (1988-09-02)

Release

Ten episodes of Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs were released in America on DVD [7] by the U.S. rights-holders, World Events Productions. Several episodes were also released on VHS. At Otakon 2008, WEP announced that the entire series would be released on DVD through VCI Entertainment. The first of three DVD sets was released on November 18, 2008. [8] The second DVD set was released on August 25, 2009. [9] The complete Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs DVD boxset was released on October 20, 2009. [10]

In the UK, one DVD, titled Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs – Volume 1, has been released by Anchor Bay Entertainment. Two additional DVDs have been released under their Kids Entertainment label. The entire series (46 of 51-original episodes + 6 extra episodes + 5 "Lost Episodes" of Bismark) has been released in German by Anime House on 10 DVDs. Special Editions of Volumes 5 and 10 featured a slipcase to hold 5 DVDs each. A limited-edition box featuring the complete series as well as three tin figures was also released. The entire Series is also released in standard definition on Blu-ray in Germany. The First Volume was released on July 25, 2014 and the second on September 26, 2014. [11] [12]

On July 11, 2016, the anime-focused television channel Toku began airing the series, and months later, it was added to its Amazon Prime channel. [13]

On January 31, 2023, it was announced the series will be released on Blu-ray by Discotek Media. [14]

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Fate/stay night is a Japanese visual novel game developed by Type-Moon for Windows on January 30, 2004. Initially released as an adult game, a version titled Fate/stay night Réalta Nua, which replaced the sexual content with alternate scenes, added an extended ending scene to the Fate storyline, and featured voice actors from the 2006 anime series, was released on April 19, 2007 for the PlayStation 2. It was later ported to Windows in 2011, PlayStation Vita in 2012, and iOS and Android in 2015. A remastered version of Réalta Nua was released for Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam in 2024, marking the first time the game was made available outside Japan. The plot focuses on a young mage named Shirou Emiya who becomes a warrior in a battle between "Servants" known as the Holy Grail War. Shirou bonds with a heroine through each route and confronts different adversaries participating in the war. The author, Kinoko Nasu, summarised Fate/stay night as:

...the story about legendary heroes and "a boy meets a girl."... The main theme is "conquering oneself." There are three story lines in Fate, each has a different themes. The first one is the "oneself as an ideal." The second one is "struggling with oneself as an ideal." The third one is "the friction with real and ideal." This game is describing the growth of the main character Emiya Shirou. The first storyline shows his slanted mind, the next storyline shows his resolve, and the last storyline gives another resolution for him as a human. All three storylines are essentially equal, but they have different forms.

<i>Fireball XL5</i> British childrens science fiction TV series (1962–1963)

Fireball XL5 is a 1960s British children's science-fiction puppet television series about the missions of Fireball XL5, a vessel of the World Space Patrol that polices the cosmos in the year 2062. Commanded by Colonel Steve Zodiac, XL5 defends Earth from interstellar threats while encountering a wide variety of alien civilisations.

<i>Transformers: Armada</i> Anime television series (2002-2003)

Transformers: Armada, known in Japan as Super Robot Life-Form Transformers: Legends of the Microns, is a Japanese anime series which debuted on August 23, 2002. As the first series co-produced between the American toy company Hasbro and their Japanese partner Takara, Armada begins a new continuity/universe for Transformers, with no ties to any of the previous series, including its direct predecessor Transformers: Robots in Disguise in 2001. It inspired two sequels, Transformers: Energon (2004) and Transformers: Cybertron (2005).

<i>Super Dimension Century Orguss</i> Anime science fiction series

Super Dimension Century Orguss is an anime science fiction series. It inspired an OVA sequel series called Orguss 02. Orguss was the second part of The Super Dimension trilogy from Big West, preceded by The Super Dimension Fortress Macross and followed by The Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross.

<i>GoShogun</i> Japanese animated TV series

GoShogun is a super robot anime series created by Takeshi Shudo. It was produced and aired in 1981 in Japan, with a movie special released in 1982 and a film sequel, GoShogun: The Time Étranger or Time Stranger, in 1985. Its title has been variously translated into English as "Demon God of the War-Torn Land GoShogun", "Warring Demon God GoShogun", and "Civil War Devil-God GoShogun", but in the US and parts of Europe it is primarily known as Macron 1, the title of its North American adaptation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Events Productions</span> American entertainment company

WEP LLC, doing business as World Events Productions, is an American-based animation and distribution company in St. Louis, Missouri, best known for releasing the anime titles Voltron, Defender of the Universe and Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs, as well as producing the original animated series Denver, the Last Dinosaur.

<i>Bismark</i> (TV series) Japanese animated television series

Star Musketeer Bismark, also known as simply Bismark, is a Japanese anime television series created by Studio Pierrot.

Characters of <i>Fate/stay night</i>

The Japanese adult visual novel Fate/stay night features a number of characters created by Type-Moon, some of whom are classified as Servants with special combat abilities. The characters listed have appeared mainly in two anime television series adaptations with a movie trilogy adaptation produced by Studio Deen and Ufotable respectively, and its visual novel sequel, Fate/hollow ataraxia. A Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works animated film was released prior to its TV series.

<i>The Brave Fighter of Legend Da-Garn</i> 1992 Japanese mecha anime television series

The Brave of Legend Da-Garn, sometimes simply Da-Garn, is a Japanese anime television series that aired in 1992, created by Takara and Sunrise under the direction of Shinji Takamatsu, and is the third of the long running Yuusha or "Brave" series. The official Japanese title does not include the word "Fighter" in the title, despite the fact it appears on the Japanese DVD box art.

Marc Handler is an American writer, producer, and voice director. He has contributed to various animated series, including Cowboy Bebop, Astro Boy, FLCL, Stitch & Ai, and Voltron. Handler is noted for his role as a story editor on the 2003 Astro Boy series, marking a significant collaboration between American and Japanese production teams.

<i>Star Blazers: Space Battleship Yamato 2199</i> Television anime

Star Blazers 2199, known in Japan as Space Battleship Yamato 2199, is a 2012–2013 Japanese military science fiction anime television series that is a remake of the first Space Battleship Yamato television series created by Yoshinobu Nishizaki and Leiji Matsumoto in 1974, known in the United States as Star Blazers. The series is a space opera, and was originally screened back-to-back in theaters across Japan, a few episodes at a time prior to release on home video, and aired on television from April 7, 2013, to September 29, 2013. Voyager Entertainment currently licensed the series outside Japan, with Funimation streaming their English dub of the series starting on November 8, 2017.

<i>Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works</i> (film) 2010 Japanese film

Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works is a 2010 Japanese animated fantasy action film directed by Yūji Yamaguchi. Unlimited Blade Works covers the events of the second route of the visual novel Fate/stay night by Type-Moon. The film primarily focuses on two young mages, Shirou Emiya and Rin Tohsaka, and their servants, who participate in a conflict known as the Holy Grail War. During the fights, Shirou often crosses paths with Rin's servant, Archer, who seeks his death despite being an ally.

<i>Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works</i> (TV series) 2014–2015 anime series directed by Takahiro Miura

Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works is an anime series produced by Ufotable. It is based on the visual novel Fate/stay night produced by Type-Moon. The narrative is primarily based on the Unlimited Blade Works storyline in the visual novel, and follows Shirou Emiya, a high school student and amateur magus living in Fuyuki City, Japan. Shirou is unexpectedly brought into the Fifth Holy Grail War, a secret magical tournament in which seven participants, known as "Masters", and their "Servants", reincarnated personifications of legendary historical heroes, fight in a battle royale for the Holy Grail, an omnipotent magical chalice that can fulfill any wish or desire for its victor. When Shirou and his Servant Saber are forced to team up with Rin Tohsaka, another Master in the Holy Grail War, Shirou finds himself earning the strong dislike of Rin's mysterious Servant Archer, whose motivations are unknown.

<i>Fate/stay night: Heavens Feel I. presage flower</i> 2017 anime fantasy film directed by Tomonori Sudō

Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel I. presage flower is a 2017 Japanese anime fantasy action film produced by Ufotable, directed by Tomonori Sudō, written by Akira Hiyama and featuring music by Yuki Kajiura. The film is the first installment in a trilogy of films adapting Heaven's Feel, the third and final route of the visual novel Fate/stay night. As in previous routes, the story focuses on a teenage mage named Shirou Emiya who takes part in a conflict known as the Holy Grail War to protect his city. However, this time Shirou encounters not only other mages and Servant warriors, but also a mysterious shadow killing most of the participants.

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