Based on the popular light novels by Reki Kawahara, Sword Art Online is ane of the best-known anime of the past decade. The fantasy sci-fi series has captured the imaginations of viewers beyond the globe with its adventures through unlike game worlds and often blurs the lines betwixt virtual reality and existent life.

As the series continues to grow, information technology can be intimidating to newcomers with its unique timeline and lengthy titles for story arcs and films. Here'due south a breakup of the full SAO timeline and the best order in which to sentinel it.

Season 1: Sword Fine art Online (Aincrad/Fairy Trip the light fantastic toe)

The outset flavor that started it all is split into two arcs: the "Aincrad" Arc and the "Fairy Dance" Arc. "Aincrad" introduces protagonist Kazuto "Kirito" Kirigaya, who in November 2022 is trapped, forth with x,000 other players, within the VR world of Sword Art Online. The threat is real: anyone who dies in the game dies in real life, and all 100 floors must be cleared in order to escape the game and render to the existent world. It's filled with exciting battles and heartbreaking deaths — love even blossoms in the midst of the life-or-expiry struggle.

"Fairy Trip the light fantastic toe" begins two months after the terminate of "Aincrad." 300 players from the SAO incident remain trapped for reasons unknown, including Kirito's dearest girlfriend Asuna. She remains unconscious and extremely frail in the real earth as Kirito finds out she is being held hostage in another VR game, ALfheim Online. The globe and cast starting time to aggrandize hither equally Asuna's family and connections are introduced, along with a mysterious authorities representative whose influence grows with each successive season.

Sword Art Online: Actress Edition (Film)

This brusque film features Kirito giving a full recap of Flavour 1'south events to authorities official Seijirou Kikuoka. In that location'due south also some brand new content as the girls have a swimming adventure in the real world and the full cast finally enjoys a not-life threatening quest in ALO.

Flavor 2: Sword Art Online II (Phantom Bullet/Calibur/Mother's Rosario)

Season two begins with the "Phantom Bullet" Arc, a total year afterward the SAO incident. As the new shooter VR game Gun Gale Online grows in popularity, two mysterious incidents involving a player named Death Gun alarm the authorities. When Decease Gun shoots a thespian'due south avatar, that player likewise ends up dying in the existent world. Due to Kirito's gaming knowledge and expertise, he is asked to dive into GGO and investigate. He teams upwards with sniper extraordinaire Shino "Sinon" Asada and learns the antagonists are more familiar than he realized.

The "Calibur" Arc is a short but fun filler adventure for the full cast — at present including Sinon — back in ALfheim Online. A lighthearted story that sits in between two significantly heavier ones.

"Mother'south Rosario" is an emotional story that gives Asuna her long-awaited plough in the spotlight. Back in ALO, she hears of an expert sword fighter named Zekken who is undefeated in one-on-1 battles, including a victory over Kirito. Asuna and Zekken, real name Yuuki, get fast friends and Asuna joins her guild for a time. Reality, yet, isn't and then lighthearted every bit Yuuki carries a devastating existent-globe burden connected to her want to compete in ALO. Have tissues at the ready.

Sword Art Online Culling: Gun Gale Online

SAO Alternative is a divide series with a whole different cast of characters. Based on the light novels past Keiichi Sigsawa, the but similarity to the main series is that information technology takes place in the already-established world of Gun Gale Online. It can exist viewed completely on its ain, although a couple of easter egg references to Sinon and Kirito might be missed without watching the "Phantom Bullet" Arc first.

Shy college student Karen Kouhirimaki struggles with socializing and making friends due to her exceptionally tall peak. She decides to try VR games as an escape and comes to love the thrill of Gun Gale Online, which too allows her to create her own avatar and become the short, pinkish-clad daughter she e'er wanted to be. Now full of confidence as Llenn, she guns downwards all who stand up in her fashion as she competes in a tournament that means life or death for one particular player.

Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale (Picture show)

Back in the primary timeline, theOrdinal Scale film takes place a few weeks later on the end of the "Mother's Rosario" Arc. Information technology also has the stardom of being an anime-exclusive story, not appearing in author Kawahara's low-cal novels.

A new augmented reality device called the Augma is all the rage, with a combat-based game chosen Ordinal Calibration becoming the first ARMMORPG. Kirito shows piddling interest in AR until Asuna and the others tell him that boss monsters from the original Sword Fine art Online game have started appearing. The mysteries chemical compound when the game's second-ranked player, Eiji, purposely injures Klein and his club, leaving them in the infirmary. Multiple SAO survivors who interact with Eiji, including Asuna, begin to lose the memories of their time in SAO.

Season 3: Sword Art Online - Alicization (Alicization/War of Underworld)

The tertiary and still-ongoing season of SAO is its longest and most expansive and so far. Split into iii arcs — "Alicization,""War of Underworld" Part one" and "State of war of Underworld Role 2" — information technology begins a few months later on the events of Ordinal Calibration.

"Alicization" sees Kirito working with the top cloak-and-dagger government-run company Rath to examination a new experimental total-swoop machine chosen the Soul Translator (STL). After beingness attacked in the existent globe by a member of the Expiry Gun plot from Season ii, Kirito suffers significant encephalon damage and is only kept alive thanks to the STL. Equally Kirito wakes up in the Underworld with his real-world memories intact, he must figure out how to survive in a much more realistic VR world than ever before while Rath's true goals for the STL get clear.

The subsequent "War of Underworld" arc continues the events of Alicization as a world-spanning war breaks out in the Underworld with major international consequences for the real world equally well. "Part two" is currently airing and available to stream on Crunchyroll.

It tin exist confusing, merely the SAO anime'due south chronology does fit in a proper lodge — though Culling can be viewed independently —fifty-fifty though many of the stories begin very before long after their preceding arcs. Seems Kirito and friends go fifty-fifty shorter spans of peace and quiet than the Dragon Ball cast.

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Joe Ballard (159 Articles Published)

Joe Ballard is an Illinois-based Editor for CBR and incurable anime lover. Anime was first injected into his veins every bit a teenager thank you to Dragon Ball and Yu Yu Hakusho airing on Toonami'south Midnight Run. Since graduating from Illinois Country with a BA in English language, his journey has taken him from the music business to public relations to writing about anime and popular culture. He dreams of one day trying every single dish shown in Nutrient Wars. You tin can detect him on Instagram @JoeBallard88 or accomplish out via email at joe.b@cbr.com!

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