Sword Art Online Anime Mainpage

The Sword Art Online anime adaptation is produced by A-1 Pictures, with the direction of Tomohiko Ito. It began airing on July 7, 2012.

Staff

 * Director: Ito Tomohiko
 * Music: Kajiura Yuki
 * Character Design: Adachi Shingo
 * Art Director: Nagashima Takayuki, Takeda Yusuke
 * Chief Animation Director: Adachi Shingo, Kawakami Tetsuya
 * Sound Director: Iwanami Yoshikazu
 * Director of Photography: Hirooka Takeshi
 * Action Animation Director: Yanagi Ryuuta, Shikama Takahiro
 * Art Setting: Taniuchi Yuuho
 * Color design: Nakajima Kazuko
 * Effects: Konno Yasuyuki
 * Main Animator: Saito Atsushi
 * Monster Design: Yanagi Ryuuta
 * Prop Design: Shikama Takahiro, Tsuchiya Yuta
 * Sub-Character Design: Kawakami Tetsuya

Companies

 * Animation Production: A-1 Pictures
 * Project Generalisation: GENCO
 * Sound Production: Dax Production

Cast

 * Tomatsu Haruka as Asuna
 * Itou Kanae as Yui
 * Matsuoka Yoshitsugu as Kirito
 * Taketatsu Ayana as Lyfa
 * Takagaki Ayahi as Lisbeth
 * Hidaka Rina as Silica
 * Yamadera Koichi as Kayaba Akihiko
 * Hirata Hiroaki as Klein
 * Yasumoto Hiroki as Agil
 * Hiyama Nobuyuki as Diabel
 * Hayami Saori as Sachi
 * Akabane Kenji as Tetsuo
 * Eguchi Takuya as Ducker
 * Seki Tomokazu as Kibaou
 * Toyonaga Toshiyuki Keita
 * Shiori Izawa as Argo
 * Toyoguchi Megumi as Rosalia
 * Tokuyoshi Kawashima as Caynz
 * Yamamoto Nozomi as Yolko
 * Koyama Tsuyoshi as PoH
 * Ohsaka Ryota as Johnny Black
 * Yusa Kouji as Kuradeel
 * Narita Ken as Grimlock
 * Inada Tetsu as Covatz
 * Ohkawa Toru as Heathcliff
 * Ebara Masashi as Godfree

Episode List
{|class="wikitable" width="100%" align="center" !width="5%" |No. !Title !width="20%" | Original Air Date Ken no Sekai (剣の世界) Bītā (ビーター) Akahana no Tonakai (赤鼻のトナカイ) After four months inside the game, Kirito has reached well above level 40. After assisting a small group of players on a lower floor, Kirito is asked to join their guild The "The Black Cats of the Fullmoon." When asked about his level, Kirito lied and told them that he was around level 20. Kirito was told to train Sachi to use a one-handed sword. Eventually, Sachi confesses to Kirito that she is afraid of dying. Kirito promises her that he would never let her die. Sachi begins to sleep in Kirito's room because she felt safe. After days of leveling, the group had almost reached a level capable of fighting on the frontlines. On June 12, 2023 Keita, the guild leader, decides that it was time to buy a small house to act as the guild's headquarters. While he was gone, the remaining party members decided to go into a higher level dungeon to surprise Keita with new items when he comes back. While in the dungeons, the group stumbles upon a hidden room that contained a treasure chest. Not heading Kirito's warnings, the group opens the chest and triggers a trap. Kirito watches as all of the members die and especially feels guilty for Sachi's death. After learning of the news, Keita commits suicide by jumping off the side of the town.
 * align="center"|1
 * World of Swords
 * World of Swords
 * align="center"|July 7, 2012
 * colspan="3" |Sword Art Online has been officially released as the first VRMMORPG. Kirito, a beta-tester of the game, returns to the world of Aincrad to meet a beginner named Klein who he teaches the basics. Later, as they try to log out, they find that they are trapped within the game. After being teleported back to the starting town, Kayaba Akihiko appears as the game master and tells them that he has purposely removed the log-out button with the intention of having them clear all 100 floors. As Akihiko leaves, he reveals the player's true identities through a mirror that he placed in their inventory. Kirito leaves the starting town with only the thought of survival in mind because he knows that the rest of the beta testers will dry out the good hunting grounds. Before leaving, Kirito asks Klein to follow him to which Klein declines, saying that he was going to wait for his friends in the starting city. By the end of the first month, 2,000 out of the initial 10,000 are dead with the first floor yet to be cleared.
 * align="center"|2
 * Beater
 * align="center"|2
 * Beater
 * align="center"|July 14, 2012
 * colspan="3" |A month has passed since the game started, 2,000 people are already dead, but they haven't cleared the first floor yet. To deal with this situation the first floor boss strategy meeting commences. The meeting is directed by a guy named Diabel, after a brief talk everyone was told to make parties, since he didn't knew anyone he allied with a girl named Asuna. A guy called Kibaou's interrupts the meeting, but after a man named Agil interferes the meeting is resumed. That night Kirito talks to Asuna and the next they they head to the boss room. During the fight Diabel commands everyone and the battle flows as planned, but at the last moment Dibel attacks the boss alone but it made an unexpected move, and takes him down with a single blow. Kirito then attacks the boss, and with Asuna and Agil's help he defeats it. Kibaou the confronts him for being a beta tester, creating disconfort between the other players, so Kirito takes all the blame to himself, takes the title of Beater and leaves to the second floor.
 * align="center"|3
 * The Red-Nosed Reindeer
 * align="center"|3
 * The Red-Nosed Reindeer
 * align="center"|July 21, 2012
 * colspan="3" |
 * colspan="3" |

During christmas, Argo the Rat reveals to Kirito a special quest that yielded an item that could revive the dead. Kirito heads off to face Nicholas the Renegade. He bumps into Klein and his guild and later the Holy Dragon Alliance. Klein tells Kirito to go face the boss while he held off the Holy Dragon Alliance. After defeating the boss, Kirito learns that the revival item only worked on a person within 10 secs of their death. He gives the revival item to Klein and leaves to go sulk in his room. Suddenly, a recorder crystal shows up in his inventory. Upon activation, Sachi's voice tells Kirito to not blame himself for her death. She was glad that she had met him and that he had wanted to protect her. She then sings him "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" before telling him to live on. Kuro no Kenshi (黒の剣士) Kennai Jiken (圏内事件) Maboroshi no Fukushū-sha (幻の復讐者) Kokoro no ondo (心の温度) Kuro to shiro no kenbu (黒と白の剣舞) Seigan no Akuma (青目の悪魔) Kurenai no Satsui (紅の殺意) Asatsuyu no Shōjo (朝露の少女) Kirito and Asuna talked to Heathcliff and he let them leave the guild for a while, but ordered them that they should return to the frontlines soon. In their house in 22nd floor, Kirito asked Asuna if their love will only last as long as they're on the game, but she argued and told him that she'll look for him in the real world and will still love him. They spent time together in a forest until they found a girl that suddenly fell unconscious, which was the rumored 'ghost' in the 22nd floor. She's no ghost, nor a player, nor even an NPC. They took her to their house and took care of her until she woke up. She claimed that she doesn't remember anything, aside from her name "Yui". She can't say Asuna and Kirito's name, and she called them "Mama" and "Papa" instead. They believed that she got separated from her family, they went to the Town of Beginnings to look for her her parents and for her to recover her memories. Instead, they find a young woman named Sasha and the children she's taking care of being harassed by the Army for not paying the taxes. Asuna attacked their leader and the soldiers ran away in fear. As Sasha and the children thanked her, Yui reached for the sky and kept saying "Everyone's heart...". Asuna rushed to Yui and asked if she remembered anything. Yui then tells Kirito and Asuna that she realizes she has never been to the Town of Beginnings before. Suddenly her eyes widened and mysterious static sound spread out and affected everyone before Yui faints. Yui no Kokoro (ユイの心) Edge of Hell's Abyss Naraku no Fuchi (奈落の淵) The End of the World Sekai no Shūen (世界の終焉) Kikan (帰還)
 * align="center"|4
 * The Black Swordsman
 * The Black Swordsman
 * align="center"|July 28, 2012
 * colspan="3" |Kirito finds a beast tamer called Silica, who just lost her familiar, Pina, and decides to help her recover it. On the way to the Inn he finds out that she's very famous, loved by some and hated by others. While explaining the procedure to recover Pina he discovers someone evesdroping on them. The next day he helped Silica gain some levels on their way to the Pneuma Flower needed to revive Pina. After they find the flower they're ambushed by the Titan's Hand guild, who want the flower. After Kirito explains his motives, he is attacked by the members of the guild, just to overwhelm them with his high level and finally sends them to Prison. On the Inn he talks with Silica and they agree to meet in the real world and Silica finally resucitates Pina.
 * align="center"|5
 * A Crime Within the Walls
 * align="center"|5
 * A Crime Within the Walls
 * align="center"|August 4, 2012
 * colspan="3" |Kirito is sleeping in the outskirts of a Town and Asuna arrives to wake him up, Asuna fells asleep and Kirito watches for her. To thank him she invites him to dinner, but the they hear a scream, just to discover someone was killed inside the Safe Area. They start investigating and find various clues, but nothing seems to explain how that man was killed, so they talk to Agil. After Agil tells them that the sword was made by a player called Grimlock the talk to Yolko at a cafe, who tells them about her former guild the Golden Apple. They decide that they must also talk to the other member of it, Schmitt and they invite him to Yolko's room in an Inn, after a brieft talk Yolko looses her composture and nears a window, suddenly she turns and falls with a dagger stabbed on her back, Kirito rushes to safe her, but he only manages to see her dissappear in polygons on the floor.
 * align="center"|6
 * Phantom Avenger
 * align="center"|6
 * Phantom Avenger
 * align="center"|August 11, 2012
 * colspan="3" |After Yolko falls from the window Kirito looks in the roof nearby and starts chasing a hodded guy but didn't managed to catch him. After dispatching Schmitt the have dinner, Kirito accidentally drops his sandwich and when he sees it dissappear figures out everything. He realized that Yolko and Cainz were alive and they were trying to trick Schimitt to make him confess what he did. They were ambushed by the Laughing Coffin top three but Kirito arrived just in time and save them. Later Asuna finds Grimlock and brings him to them to confess that he planned the Griselda's murder. Schmitt and the others take Grimlock, leaving Kirito and Asuna alone, before leaving they see Griselda's ghost giving the thanks to them.
 * align="center"|7
 * Warmth of the Heart
 * align="center"|7
 * Warmth of the Heart
 * align="center"|August 18, 2012
 * colspan="3" | Looking for a sword that can rival his Elucidator, Kirito visits a shop run by Asuna's friend Lisbeth. During his visit he proves that Lisbeth's strongest sword is not strong enough by accidentally breaking it. After a little chat he and Lisbeth decide to look for a mysterious material that is said to be obtainable in a quest on floor 55. When they arrive Kirito confronts a White Dragon. However, Lisbeth is blown away so Kirito jumps to save her, with both of them falling into a pit. Unable to get out, where they spend the night there. The next morning Kirito finds the ingot they were looking for. When the dragon returns, Kirito takes Lisbeth and rides the Dragon to outside the pit. On Lisbeth's shop he gives the ingot to her and she makes a new sword called Dark Repulser. Before Lisbeth can express her feelings to Kirito, Asuna arrives and Lisbeth realises that she is also in love with him. Lisbeth runs away to hide her feelings but Kirito finds her and comforts her promising that she'll be his exclusive blacksmith.
 * align="center"|8
 * Black &amp; White Sword Dance
 * align="center"|8
 * Black &amp; White Sword Dance
 * align="center"|August 25, 2012
 * colspan="3" |Kirito get's a rare and very valuable ingredient, since he can't cook it he visits Agil and tries to sell it, during their conversation Asuna arrives, atells them that she mastered the cooking skill. After Kirito shows her the rare ingredient they depart to Asuna's home, after eating and chatting Kirito leaves. The next day Kirito is waiting, and suddenly Asuna appears, followed by her bodyguard, who was watching outside her house. The bodyguard tries to take Asuna back, but when he's stopped by Kirito, devides co challenge him to a duel, Kirito breaks his sword easily and wins the duel. A few hours later, Kirio and Asuna are fighting in the dungeon in floor 74, the arrive at the boss room and open the door.
 * align="center"|9
 * Blue-eyed Demon
 * align="center"|9
 * Blue-eyed Demon
 * align="center"|September 1, 2012
 * colspan="3" |Kirito and Asuna enter the boss room to gather information, but after the starting sequence finishes they run all the way back to the Safe Area, where they talk while having lunch. Klein enters the area with his guild, and after a brieft talk a squadron from The Army too, they request the map info from Kirito and he agrees. The Army's squadron departs toward the boss room, Kirito and company follow them, but when they finally reach the boss room the leader of the squadron is killed, Asuna jumps in to safe the others, and Kirito follows, giving time to Fuurinkazan to save the others. After some hesitation, Kirito decides to reveal his secret, and after 10 seconds of changing his equipment, he enters back to the fight with his Dual Blades equipped. Kirito defeats The Gleameyes by himself, but only at the edge of death, he faints for a few seconds, when he recovers conciousness everybody is around him, and Asuna hugs him, Kirito explains about the Dual Blades to Klein and let's him activate the gate to the next floor. Asuna tells him that she'll take a break from her guild to be with Kirito; the next day Kirito is hiding in Agil's shop, when Asuna suddenly enters. In the Knights of Blood HQ, Kirito is challenged by their leader, Heathcliff, to decide Asuna's future.
 * align="center"|10
 * Crimsom Killing Intent
 * align="center"|10
 * Crimsom Killing Intent
 * align="center"|September 8, 2012
 * colspan="3" |Kirito accepts the duel against Heathcliff, they finally meet in a stadium on the floor 75. It becomes an intense battle, but Kirito finds and opening in Heathcliff moves, but just when he's going to land the finishing blow, Heathcliff moves at an impossible speed, blocking his attack and striking him instead. Kirito joins the guild and tells Asuna about his time with the Black Cats of Full Moon, she promises to protect him, and the head to the KoB HQ, where they talk to Godfree, who is taking Kirito to a training in floor 75's dungeon by Heathcliff order. For his surprise, Kirito finds out that Kuradeel will acompany them. They stop to rest and eat, Kirito and Godfree are paralyzed by a poison Kuradeel put in the water. Kuradeel kills Godfree and reveals that he's part of Laughing Coffin, when he's about to kill Kirito, Asuna appears and takes him on, Kuradeel surrenders and begs for mercy, Asuna lowers her guard and Kuradeel attacks her, Kirito jumps in time and kills Kuradeel with his Martial Arts skill. Kiritos asks Asuna to spend the night together, to what she agrees, later Kirito proposes to Asuna and she agrees.
 * align="center"|11
 * Morning Dew Girl
 * align="center"|11
 * Morning Dew Girl
 * align="center"|September 15, 2012
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 * align="center"|12
 * Yui's Heart
 * Yui's Heart
 * align="center"|September 22, 2012
 * colspan="3"|Kirito, Yui and Asuna are in the first floor talking with Sasha about her duty taking care of the children and the recent events involving The Army, when a member of such guild arrives. She presents herself as Yulier and explains everything that has happened as she asks for help to recue Thinker, the real leader of the Army, who was trapped in a high leveled dungeon hidden in the first floor. They enter the dungeon and Kirito enjoys himself killing everything along his way until they are able to see the safe zone where Thinker was, but when Yulier was running towards it she was attacked by The Fatal Scythe.
 * align="center"|13
 * align="center"|13
 * align="center"|13
 * align="center"|September 29, 2012
 * colspan="3"|While fishing near a lake, Kirito encounters Nishida, an old man and a network security manager who oversaw the game's development, who claimed that despite honing his fisherman skill, he is unable to create delicious dishes with them. Kirito then invites him to his home for Asuna to cook the fish he just caught for them. During their meal, Nishida mentions a huge fish he tried to catch many times but failed, thus he asks Kirito to help him. Nishida manages to hook the fish and gives the rod to Kirito to pull it away. The fish is revealed to be a huge monster whom Asuna slays. Soon after, Kirito receives an message from Heathcliff, and upon meeting him, they learn that a scouting party was trapped and killed in the 75th level's boss room, thus a team of players from several guilds is being assembled to confront it. As the time for the battle approaches, Kirito asks Asuna to stay behind fearing for her safety, but Asuna refuses, claiming that she would rather die than live without him. She also mentions that all players' real bodies must be currently being treated in hospitals and their condition can not be kept indefinetly, thus fleeing to live by themselves trapped in the game forever is also out of question. As the players enter the boss room, they are confronted with "The Skull Reaper", a powerful monster capable of killing players with one blow. Kirito, Asuna and Heathcliff confront the creature head on while the other players attack it from the sides.
 * align="center"|14
 * align="center"|14
 * align="center"|14
 * align="center"|October 6, 2012
 * colspan="3"|After the group defeats the Skull Reaper, losing 14 men in the process, Kirito deduces that Heathcliff is, in fact, Akihiko Kayaba himself. Paralysing everyone but Kirito, Akihiko offers Kirito the chance to face him in a one-on-one duel where, should Kirito win, Akihiko would log out all the remaining players. After giving his best wishes to the others, Kirito accepts the challenge but is unable to overcome Akihiko's advantage over him. As Akihiko prepares to make the final blow, Asuna overcomes her paralysis and takes the hit instead, losing all of her HP and disappearing as a result. Distraught by Asuna's death, Kirito loses the will to fight and receives a fatal stab from Akihiko. However, at the point of death, Kirito remembers Asuna's belief in him and manages to regain enough substance to defeat Akihiko using Asuna's sword. They are both killed simultaneously and the game is declared cleared. Kirito then awakens high above the game world where he finds both Asuna and Akihiko, who reveals he has logged out all the other players as promised and explains his motives for making Sword Art Online. As the world falls apart, Kirito and Asuna reveal their true names, Kazuto Kirigaya and Asuna Yūki, and embrace each other as the world disappears. To his surprise, Kazuto awakens in a hospital in the real world and, despite being physically weak, sets off to search for the real Asuna.
 * align="center"|15
 * Return
 * align="center"|15
 * Return
 * align="center"|October 13, 2012
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