Sword Skills


 * This article is about the original and canon Sword Skills that are available in Sword Art Online and are later introduced to New ALfheim Online and Underworld. For a list of Original Sword Skills that are introduced in New ALO, see Original Sword Skills. For a list of Sword Skills in the non-canon game adaptation, Hollow Fragment, see HF Sword Skills.



«Sword Skills» (ソードスキル) are «Sword Art Online's» combat movements that are assisted by the system. Most Sword Skills are named in English, the only exception being Katana and certain Martial Arts category skills, which are named in Japanese, but written in the English alphabet.

Sword Skills are later introduced to «New 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.

Mechanics
Sword Skills are activated when a player performs the appropriate «Pre-Motion» (予備動作)  for a skill (such as raising a sword atop one's shoulder). As soon as the system recognises the motion, the player's weapon begins to glow in a colour specific to a Sword Skill. The player can then allow the system to take over and automatically complete the skill at a speed that is normally near impossible for a player to achieve and dealing much more damage than a regular sword swing.

After a skill is completed, the user is temporarily rendered rigid in a state called a «Post-Motion» (技後硬直), during which the user is made vulnerable to any counter-attacks. The higher the level of the Sword Skill used, the longer the «Post-Motion» period is.

After a Sword Skill has been used, the skill enters a «Cooling» (冷却) period, which is displayed as a cooling icon at the bottom of the player's view. Until this period ends, the same Sword Skill cannot be used, however, any other learned skills that are not in a cooling period can still be used.

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 (上段斬り) - (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) A left and a 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 (セレーション・ウェーブ) - a single-hit area of effect (AOE) one-handed sword skill, a technique meant to impede movement and barely does any damage.
 * Deadly Sins (デッドリー・シンズ) - (7-hit combo)
 * Howling Octave - (8-hit) Five high-speed continuous thrusts then cut downward, upward, before another full force upward cut. 40% Physical, 60% Fire.
 * Lightning Fall - a heavy ranged attack that involves kicking off the ground with full force and then stabbing the sword into the ground, shooting out blue sparks in all directions.
 * Parallel Sting (パラレル・スティング) - (2-hit combo)
 * Horizontal Arc
 * Nova Ascension (ノヴァ・アセンション) - (10-hit combo)

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.
 * Cyclone (1-hit strike) - A two-handed spinning sword slash.
 * Back Rush (バックラッシュ) (1-hit strike) - A countering technique to spin around when an opponent has the player's back.

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 (フラッシング・ペネトレイター) - (1-hit strike) - A high-level strike that produces a sonic boom and looks like a comet.
 * Quadruple Pain (カドラプル・ペイン) - (4-hit combo) - A rapid four-hit thrust that can immobilize the target.
 * Shooting Star - A charging rapier sword skill.
 * Neutron (ニュートロン) - (5-hit combo) - a high-ranking extreme speed Sword Skill that delivers 5 consecutive thrusts. 20% Physical and 80% Holy damage (New ALfheim Online).
 * Crucifixion (クルーシフィクション) - (6-hit combo) A skill composed of six strikes, the first three being vertical thrusts, and the latter three being horizontal thrusts, creating a figure of a cross.

Dagger

 * Rapid Bite (ラピッドバイト) - a middle class charge-type dagger skill.
 * Fud Edge (ファッドエッジ)

Martial Arts (Extra Skill)

 * Embracer - (1-hit strike) An unarmed skill that pierces the enemy with the fingers.
 * Senda (閃打) - a basic «Martial Arts» thrusting skill.
 * Gengetsu (弦月) - a backflip kick technique.

Knife Throwing

 * Single Shot - (1-hit strike) - A beginner Knife Throwing skill.

Katana (Extra Skill)

 * Tsujikaze (辻風) - (1-hit strike) - A straight, long-ranged strike.
 * Gengetsu (幻月) - (1-hit strike) - A half-circle that moves irregularly.
 * Tsumujiguruma (旋車) - (1-hit area strike) - An omnidirectional 360-degree whirling spin.
 * Ukifune (浮舟) - (1-hit strike) - Knocks the opponent high into the air.
 * Hiōgi (緋扇) - (3-hit combo) - Upward, downward, then thrusting combo.
 * Iai - (1-hit strike) - One of the top techniques of Katana Skill.
 * Zekkū (絶空) - (1-hit strike) - A skill that consists of a slash combined with a drawing motion.

Dual Blades (Unique Skill)

 * Cross Block (クロス・ブロック) - A defensive skill that is composed of crossing both of the user's swords to block.
 * Double Circular (ダブル・サーキュラー) (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 (ジ・イクリプス) - (27-hit combo) - The highest level dual-blades sword skill.

Holy Sword (Unique Skill)

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

Weapon Defense

 * Spinning Shield - A defensive skill that involves spinning one's sword like a windmill, forming a half-transparent shield with the sword.

Two-handed Long Bow (ALO only)

 * Explode Arrow (エクスプロード・アロー) - arrows shot with the bow become fire arrows that explode upon contact. 10% physical, 90% flame damage.

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.
 * Meteor Fall - (2-hit combo) - A Sword Skill that combines a punch with the user's right fist and a slash with a sword. The sword is thrown into the air before the first hit of the skill.

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 exactly the 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. Also, when a Sword Skill encounters another Sword Skill in Underworld, the two skills will not reflect each other occasionally, due to user's will, unlike in the original system in SAO.

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 «Slant»)

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


 * «Whirling Current» (SAO two-handed spinning sword slash «Cyclone»)
 * «Still Water»
 * «Active Water»

Norlangarth-style (Norkia-style)

 * «Lightning Slash» (SAO «Vertical»)

High Norlangarth-style (High Norkia-style)

 * «Heavens and Mountains Break» (SAO «Avalanche»)

Baltoh-style

 * «Head Sea» (SAO «Back Rush»)

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