The saga ofSword Art Onlinebegan with a series of novels written by Reki Kawahara between 2002 and 2008. Almost two decades later, the franchise has grown to include other various forms of media and also includes light novels, several anime television series, and movies for both television and theaters.
The anime series section of theSAOlibrary has an aesthetic based on a mix of romance and dark fantasy, so the setting and characters might seem fantastical or even inconsistent even if viewed in the recommended watch order. It’s easier to have a viewing guide for those who want to enjoy the anime series. Although Netflix has owned the rights to a live-action production since 2018, there are no plans to make anything yet, and perhaps the streaming service is waiting as the anime series continues with theGun Gale Onlinearc.
Updated Aug 06, 2025, by Kristy Ambrose:Thevideo game sectionof theSword Art Onlinefranchise alone has 17 titles. The most recent was added this year,Fractured Daydream,as part of the PR campaign for the upcoming anime series. It’s an example of the sheer volume of media for this one franchise. Other lists are required for separate categories, which is why the following entries focus only on the animated series. The anime doesn’t dramatically deviate from the manga or light novels, and reading the literature isn’t mandatory to understand the anime — which is fortunate, because that’s also an impressive collection.
This series neatly explains everything in the very first episode, including the development of the new “virtual reality massively multiplayer online role-playing game” or VRMMORPG, its flagship title being the newSword Art Online.
The originalSword Art Onlineanime series has a widespread appeal for those who like fantasy, romance, or gaming-related anime. It’s also a great story and is beautifully rendered with some of the best combinations of CGI and hand-drawn animation that existed at the time.
The plot follows the main character Kirito, a dedicated gamer who was also active in the beta-test version, as he and the other players become trapped within the game world. He seeks to beat the game and free himself along with all the other players. The series takes place in two virtual worlds.
Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria Of A Starless Night
The Original Story From Asuna’s Viewpoint
Although this movie is a more recent addition to the extensive anime library of theSAOuniverse, the story takes place during the same time as the first season that was released in 2012. This time, however, the story is told from Asuna’s point of view instead of Kirito’s. It is a retelling of the Aincrad and Fairy Dance arcs from Asuna’s point of view.
For those who have seen the first series, many of the tentpole events are still the same. That includes the moment when the head developer, Kayaba, refuses to let the players leave and insists that they fight for their lives. It also features the famous fight scene when Asuna first meets the solitary Kirito. The plotline follows her rise from a nervous level one player to “a floor-clearing badass” by the time they meet again.
Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo Of Deep Night
More Of A Prequel Series With Asuna’s POV
The next movie in theProgressivearc,Scherzo Of Deep Night,continues theSword Art Onlinechronology. It also features Asunaand her first experienceswhile leveling in Aincrad, putting it earlier in theSAOwatch order. This concludes that plotline but from Asuna’s POV, and although this is a unique take, neither fans nor critics were impressed by the lack of new material.
The story recalls the second meeting of Kirito and Aincrad, this time when Asuna is geared to the max and one of the leaders of the server’s biggest and most powerful guild. Viewers might recall the storyline from the original series about the journey to the final boss and how the guilds rallied together as one, even accepting the help of an outsider, loner, and “beater” Kirito to defeat it.
Sword Art Online Extra Edition
A Made-For-TV Movie That Condenses Previous Events
For those who would rather take a shortcut to the second anime series, there’s the option of watchingSword Art Online Extra Editionfirst instead and skipping the original anime entirely through part of the entireSAOwatch order. On the other hand, those who are familiar with the first series can skip this movie and not miss anything.
It’s a synopsis of the previous anime season condensed into about an hour and a half. There’s also some new footage added in, so it’s not a total bore for viewers who have already seen the original season. The film is intended more as promotional material for the upcomingSword Art Online IIthan a conventional movie that’s intended to stand on its own.
The Phantom Bullet Arc
An Introduction To Gun Gale Online
Sword Art Online IIis a direct sequel to the first series, bringing viewers toStory Arc 3: Phantom Bullet. It begins with the two main characters who have now returned to their real-life selves, doing their best to live normal lives.
However, the hero, who now uses his real name of Kazuto, has gained some notoriety as some sort of expert when it comes to issues with VRMMORPGs. So when yet another new game, this time a first-person shooter (FPS) calledGun Gale Online, starts to have some unique problems,the authorities ask Kazutoto investigate the game on their behalf.
The issue with Gun Gale Online is that the in-game weapons are actually injuring and even killing players. The first season is referenced to the point where the viewer can’t help but smell some fan service, but it’s an exciting story all the same. It’s almost the same length as its predecessor, consisting of 24 episodes.
Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale
Takes Place Four Years After The Original Series In The SAO Universe
The appeal of theSAOfranchise is partly due to the clever twist that seems to form the basis for each subsequent plotline. The new game this time is combat-based and calledOrdinal Scale, which is one of many games using a new VR technology called The Augma.
This is an alternative to the previous FullDive technology and is the real focus of the plot. When Aincrad bosses start to appear in Ordinal Scale, our heroes create new avatars to investigate. Much of the story is tied to the first series again, but it makes more sense in the wider scope of the plot this time.
Unlike the previous movie, which was a summary of the first season with some new footage,Ordinal Scaleis intended as a direct sequel toSword Art Online II. However, it isn’t assigned a story arc like the anime series are, so it’s hard to know where to put it when deciding about the bestSword Art Onlineviewing order. Generally, it should be watched after the original but before theAlicizationarc.
The movie ends with a moment that everyone was waiting for even though it was coming, and it feels like it could be a satisfying end to the anime series. There’s plenty more to come, however, although after this point the story takes on a more unconventional style.
Sword Art Online: Alicization
Parts 1 to 3, Story Arc 4
The third season of the Sword Art Online series is labeledStory Arc 4: Alicization. This arc looks extensive on paper because it’s broken into so many parts, but it’s still only as long as a regular season with 24 episodes.
It’s revealed that the opening sequence was a dream and the setting returns to the “real” world where Kazuto is back with his usual friends playingGun Gale Online. The same day, he’s attacked, poisoned, and ends up in a coma, where he returns to his strange dream and lives as Kirito again.
Sword Art Online: Alicization – War Of The Underworld
Introduction To The Underworld
The first part of the seriesis about the new MMORPG known as Underworld, and this exposition and character development consists of 25 episodes. Kirito is comatose for much of it, haunted by disturbing dreams. He regains consciousness in Part 7 in time to join his friends as they learn the true secret of the child that Kirito thought was his avatar’s younger sister, Alice.
In yet another compelling twist, the character that lent their name to the series is the key to everything. It turns out Alice is the world’s first true AI, and despite the attempts to find and capture her, she manages to escape with Kirito’s help.
Sword Art Online: Alicization – War Of Underworld Part 2
Parts 4 to 7, Story Arc 4
This season starts where the first one left off. The Administrator has been gone for several months, but the army she amassed has already been given their orders.
Part of the marketing was that this was the conclusion to not only the Alicization arc but the whole anime franchise. However, that only refers to this timeline. The anime series continued with the story ofGun Gale Online.
The Game Clearing Event Commercial
Part Of The Hype For The Next SAO Anime
According to the lore of Sword Art Online, Kirito beat the final boss of the original game on November 7th. This live action “news update” even records the time, 2:55pm, and shows the scene immediately after the final battle when the world starts to erode.
This commercial is a tribute to the character’s victory, and also part of the PR campaign that included both the release of the video gameFractured Daydreamand the debut of the next anime series. The commercial is in Japanese and describes the final boss and announces that 6000 surviving players are waking up from their MMO-induced comas.
Cast
The story ofGun Gale Onlinehas now been released, this time without many of the characters from the original series, making this feel like more of a true spinoff. The first season was released in 2018 and was the first SOA-related series not to feature any of the main characters.
Even Shinon fromSword Art Online II: Phantom Bullet,which is another incanrnation of Kazuto Kirigaya’s avatar, is absent from the cast, but his legacy lives on in another online game with an equally immersive game called Gun Gale Online. The system that ran the originalSAOwas deemed too dangerous to be used again and destroyed, but there’s a new system called the AmuSphere that’s been developed, and it’s led to a resurgence of MMOs, includingGun Gale Online.
Karen Kohiruimaki isthe main character this time, and one of her defining features is being self-concious of her height, and has chosen to playGun Gale Onlinebecause the game has the perfect avatar. In the game, her name is Llen, and she has a distinctive pick outfit which includes a matching gun.
Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online II
Six Years Later, Season Two Launches
The second season ofSword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Onlinebegins with the same protagonist, the avatar of Llen as played by Karen, engaged in some co-op team action. This continues neatly from the previous season, which ended with Llen and Pitohui returning to the game together.
Pitohui and Llen combine their teams to work together instead of against each other, as the gaming area is slowly reduced to a small island. Rather than just an FPS fight, the players are also given a survivalist challenge. The show is currently only up to episode five and our heroes are still trapped between several others also vying for the winning position, which at this point is just a question of not getting killed.
