Fate/stay night (TV)

The fate/stay night anime is based off of a bishoujo game from Type-Moon that was the best selling game in Japan for 2004.

As is know, Team Rocket villains, Kojirou and Musashi, where named after two famous samurai; Sasaki Kojirou and Miyamoto Musashi. The reference goes to Shinichiro Miki, who plays as Sasaki Kojirou, heroic spirit of Assassin, in Fate/Stay Night and Kojirou, in Pokemon.

The original Fate/stay night game had three possible scenarios, each featuring both Emiya Shirou and a female lead; Fate (Saber), Unlimited Blade Works (Tohsaka Rin), and Heaven's Feel (Matou Sakura). The anime primarily follows the events chronicled in "Fate", with a few sequences from "Unlimited Blade Works" meshed in.

Follows the same universe as Tsukihime- also by Type-Moon

Track 10 on the OST, titled "Eirei Chinkon" in romanji, is actually the movement 'Lacrimosa' from Mozart's Requiem. The Japanese title translates as "Requiem for Fallen Warriors".

At episode 18, when Shiro arrives at the temple, he is seen wielding a sword but in a small camera view switch, he somehow loses then regains his sword. (occurs around 6:20)

the assasin is not the only servant who isnt based on folklore, the archer is actually an adult shiro, it is noted in the game but not the anime.

The summoned servant of Rin Tohsaka, Archer, is actually an adult form of Emiya Shiro. This is made known during the Unlimited Blade Works scenario of the original Fate/Stay Night PC game.

The iconic Red Bridge featured many times in the anime is based off Kobe Oohashi Bridge - a real bridge in Japan.

Though he dances around the issue a fair bit in episode 3, Lancer as much as admits that he's the spirit of Cuchulainn, the mythic hero of Ulster, whose exploits are chronicled in the Tain Bo Cuilaigne and other Irish legends. His name is pronounced "kuh-HOO-linn." It's worth noting that while Fate depicts his weapon as a long spear, in fact no surviving writing describes exactly what the Gae Bolga was. The Tain only describes its effects, which according to that particular legend were quite horrific.

In episode 4, the piece that plays while Shirou dreams about his father after being stabbed by Ilya's Servant is from Mozart's Requiem in D minor, Lacrimosa, originally for choir and orchestra (here sung by a solo singer with orchestra).

In episode 8 in the scene of Rin's bedroom, you'll see a pair of cat ears on her desk. This is more likely a cute reference from a "fun/fan disc" called Fate/hollow ataraxia.

Unlike his fellow Servants, who belong almost entirely to legend, Assassin is the spirit of a historical figure. Sasaki Kojiro (he identifies himself in episode 9) ranks among the most notable swordsmen of Japan's feudal era. He is perhaps second in fame only to Miyamoto Musashi, who killed Sasaki in the famous duel at Ganryu Island in 1612.

In episode 17, the news program showing on TV is "F.S.N. News", using the first letter from each of the words in the series title, "Fate/Stay Night"

In episode 17, Taiga suggests Ilya to call her "Fujimura-onee-sama". There might be a little reference to a famous character her seiyû, Miki Itô, has played: Sachiko Ogasawara (from "Maria-sama ga miteru").