"I am the bone of my sword. Steel is my body, and fire is my blood. I have created over a thousand blades. Unknown to death. Nor known to life. Have withstood pain to create many weapons. Yet, those hands will never hold anything. So as I pray, Unlimited Blade Works." — from intro

Emiya Shirou finds himself an unwilling participant in a deadly competition where seven Mages summon heroic spirits as servants to duel each other to the death. They compete for the chance to make a wish from theHoly Grail, which has the power to grant any wish. Shirou is unskilled as a mage and knows nothing of the Holy Grail War, but he and his servant, Saber, enter into a temporary partnership with another Mage, Toosaka Rin. However, problems arise between Shirou and Rin's servant, Archer, who seems to despise him.