Sword Skills

«Sword Skills» are «Sword Art Online's» combat movements assisted by the system, activated when a player performs the appropriate initial movement (such as raising a sword above one's head) and then allowing the program to take over and automatically complete the movement and combo. The player's weapon typically glows in a color specific to a Sword Skill when activated.

Sword Skills are later introduced to ALfheim Online with minor modifications, including elemental attributes, and allowing the players to create their own skills, though it is rumored that about ten skills were removed during the adaptation, however, whether this is true or not has yet to be confirmed. Sword Skills are also present in Underworld.

These skills fall into four properties: Thrust, Slash, Pierce, and Blunt. There is also another beginner ability: Final Thrust. The amount of available Sword Skills and their type depends on the Weapon Skills that the player has trained.

One-Handed Sword

 * Slant - (1-hit strike) A simple sword skill slashing diagonally.
 * Vertical - (1-hit strike) A simple sword skill slashing vertically.
 * Horizontal - (1-hit strike) A simple sword skill slashing horizontally.
 * Uppercut - (1-hit strike) A simple sword skill delivering an uppercut.
 * Rage Spike - (1-hit strike) A basic, weak skill that leaps at the enemy and follows with an upward strike.
 * Sonic Leap - (1-hit strike) A charge-type sword skill that dashes toward the enemy to deal a downward strike.
 * Vertical Arc - (2-hit combo) A simple sword skill creating a 'V' shape trajectory.
 * Horizontal Square- (4-hit combo) A mid-level sword skill tracing the shape of a rhombus.
 * Vertical Square - (4-hit combo) A mid-level sword skill tracing the shape of a square.
 * Snake Bite - (2-hit combo) Two left and right swings that target the opponent's weapon, with a chance of breaking the weapon.
 * Sharp Nail - (3-hit combo)
 * Vorpal Strike  - (1-hit strike) A heavy one-handed sword skill with a reach that is double the length of the blade and has high attack power. It has a long cool-down. 30% physical, 30% Fire, 40% Darkness.
 * Savage Fulcrum - (3-hit combo) A sword skill that trace number "4" in the air. 50% physical, 50% Ice.
 * Serration Wave - a single-hit area of effect (AOE) one-handed sword skill, a technique meant to impede movement and barely dealing any damage.
 * Howling Octave - (8-hit) Five high-speed continuous thrusts then cut downward, upward, before another full force upward cut. 40% physical, 60% Fire.

One-Handed Curved Sword

 * Reaver - (1-hit strike) A basic sword skill.
 * Fell Crescent - (1-hit strike) A high-class charge-type sword skill that delivers a downward blow and covers a distance of 4 meters in 0.4 seconds.

Two-Handed Battle Axe

 * Whirlwind - (1-hit strike) A basic spinning strike.

Two-Handed Sword

 * Avalanche - (1-hit strike) A high hitting high-level two-handed sword skill.

Rapier Sword

 * Linear - (1-hit strike) - The first rapier skill learned that delivers a single thrust at the enemy at a great speed.
 * Star Splash - (8-hit combo) - A high-level one-handed thrusting sword skill.
 * Flashing Penetrator - (1-hit strike) - A high-level strike that produces a sonic boom and looks like a comet.
 * Quadruple Pain - (4-hit strike) A rapid four-hit thrust that can immobilize the target.
 * Shooting Star - A charging rapier sword skill.

Dagger
Martial Arts (Extra Skill)
 * Rapid Bite
 * Fud Edge
 * Embracer - (1-hit strike) An unarmed skill that pierces the enemy with the fingers.
 * Flash Hit - «Martial Arts» basic skill.

Katana (Extra Skill)

 * Tsujikaze - (1-hit strike) - "Whirlwind" A straight, long-ranged strike.
 * Gengetsu - (1-hit strike) - "Phantom Moon" A half-circle that moves irregularly.
 * Tsumujiguruma - (1-hit area strike) - An omnidirectional 360-degree whirling spin.
 * Ukifune - (1-hit strike) - "Floating Boat" Knocks opponent high into the air.
 * Hiōgi - (3-hit combo) - "Scarlet Fan" Upward, downward, then thrusting combo.
 * Iai - (1-hit strike) - One of the top techniques of Katana Skill.

Dual Blades Sword (Unique Skill)

 * Double Circular - (2-hit combo) - A dash-type skill that swiftly attacks with the right and left sword consecutively.
 * Starburst Stream - (16-hit combo) - A high-class dual-blades sword skill.
 * The Eclipse - (27-hit combo) - The highest level dual-blades sword skill.
 * Snake Bite - (2-hit combo) - a quick strike that cuts through the opponent from both sides

Holy Sword (Unique Skill)

 * Divine Sword - (1-hit strike) - Releases a strong light from the sword to blind the opponent.

Other Techniques

 * Meteor Break - (7-hit combo) - A seven-hit combo, needing unarmed and one-handed sword skills, that uses tackles to chain together strong attacks.
 * Minimal Side Step Defense - A defensive skill that simply involves an evading side-step. It has higher counterattack speed than parry or block, but it involves greater risks if it fails.
 * Armor Pierce

List of known Sword Skills in Underworld
Generally, all Sword Skills available in Underworld (called «Secret Art Finishing Moves» or just «secret moves» in this world) are the exact same ones that existed in Sword Art Online, but the residents of Underworld have given each of them a new name. Although, unlike in SAO, the «Sword Skills» that can be used by a person are determined by the «Priority» class of the weapon used, the higher the Priority, the higher combo skills can be used. Currently, only up to 4-hit combo skills have been used.

Additionally, several Sword schools have been created in Underworld, each focusing on specific Secret Arts to ensure that both swordsmen in battle would know what skills each of them could use to prevent accidentally dropping the «Life» of one's opponent.

Aincrad-style
A style "invented" by Kirito due to his knowledge of various Sword Skills in SAO.

Note: All moves of this class are named after the «Sword Skills» in SAO and all skills available in SAO are also part of this style, but only skills up to 4-hit combos can be used right now.

Zakkalight-style

 * «Azure Wind Slash» -> SAO one-handed diagonal attack «Slant»

Serlut-style
A style created by the Serlut family after they were forbidden from inheriting the High level Norlangarth style


 * «Linker» -> SAO two-handed spinning sword slash «Cyclone»
 * «Still Water»
 * «Active Water»
 * «Whirl Current»

Norlangarth-style(Norkia-style)

 * «Lightning Slash» (or «Lightning Flash Slash») -> SAO «Vertical»

High Norlangarth-style(High Norkia-style)

 * «Heavens and Mountains Break» (or «Splitting Wave of Heavens and Mountains» or «Heavenly Mountain Rending Wave») -> SAO «Avalanche»