Sword Art Online Episode 01

The first episode was aired in July 7, 2012.

Plot
Humanity had finally developed a fully Virtual Reality Mass Multi Online Role Playing Game (VRMMORPG) on the year 2022. By Sunday November 6th, Sword Art Online (SAO), the renowned game of the year, highly praised from its beta version, has already sold 10,000 copies.

The episode begins with the protagonist, a young 14 year old male player, accessing the game at the time 13:00 (1pm). Using the commonly known helmet game console identified as the «Nerve Gear»; he enters the online virtual world of «Aincrad» using his game avatar «Kirito» from his beta-version gameplay after the «Nerve Gear» has finish calibrating his virtual body.

Once the game have dropped him off into the main town of the 1st floor: the «Town of Beginnings», Kirito tries to manoeuvre himself into one of the game shops, until a new player called «Klein» ask for Kirito’s help on the basic gameplay instructions after noticing that Kirito was a previous resident of the game. While engaging in the battle against a level 1 monster: «Frenzy Boar», Kirito taught Klein about the necessary motion for the use of «Sword Skills»; the essential feature of the SAO virtual world as no magic skills were available. Another feature of the game that Klein learn was that the player cannot feel any pain; instead there will just be an unpleasant weird feeling in its place, in addition with a depletion on the player’s health gauge when get hit.

Even though eating the virtual food in the game world can get rid of the unpleasant hungry feeling when playing, it does not help the player’s body in the real world. So Klein decided to log out when the time was nearly 17:30 (5:30pm). After saying their goodbyes, Klein open his virtual screen to use the «LOG OUT» option, however to his and Kirito’s surprise, the option was not included and they could not exit the virtual game world. After waiting around for some time with no word from the game administrators, the town bells from the 1st floor central town started ringing. Suddenly all the current players were forcibly transported to the centre of the «Town of Beginnings» by the teleportation feature of the game.

On the virtual screens at the sky, there was a system announcement that alerted everyone’s attention. There was a sudden appearance of a giant robed no-face Avatar who declares himself as «Kayaba Akihiko»; the creator of the game and also the only person who is controlling the game. Responding to the question about the missing «LOG OUT» option, he announces to the players that he had purposefully removed it from the game as another of its feature, trapping them in the game world of «Aincrad». While all the players were alarmed by his announcement, he continue on by pointing out that trying to forcibly escape by removing the «Nerve Gear» will result in killing the player by electrocuting the brain with the internal battery of the helmet. Already spoken to the outside world, he reported that some friends and family of the players had already ignored his warning; therefore already 213 players have already died.

Kayaba declare that the revival option is now terminated, so when a player loses all his health and dies, their real body will also be killed by electrocution. As well as the only way to exit is by completing the game; clearing all 100 floors of «Aincrad» and eliminating the final boss. Also reminded in the beta version, the «beta tester» players took one month to only reach the 8th floor. With his speech finished, as a parting gift, he left a «Mirror» item in everyone’s inventory and each one engulfed the player in a blinding white light and exposed their true appearance; sharply dropping the amount of female players, and revealing that many male players were masquerading as female characters. Finally Kayaba vanishes after his «Tutorial» was finished and left with his motive still greatly unclear.

Afterwards, as everyone were still in distress after Kayaba’s departure, along with the cameo appearances of Asuna, Silica and Lisbeth. Kirito quickly acted and try to bring Klein with him to the next nearby village as the surrounding resources of «Colls» (Game money) and experience will be limited. However, Klein could not leave behind his friends at the town plaza. Kirito was troubled as even with the knowledge from his previous play through, he does not think that he can protect more than one other player with his current skills; as well as troubled that if one of the other people had died, he would be blame as the cause by the others since he was the one who suggested leaving.

Klein notice Kirito’s worries and politely told him that he should go ahead by himself, as he planned to go back to lead and to protect his friends with the lessons that Kirito had taught him. After trying to cheer Kirito up with a little joke about his slight feminine appearance, and Kirito jokingly retaliate by stating the Klein’s bandit face suit him better, they both finally part ways. Alone by himself with no one else to depend on, Kirito ran through the town and roaring through outside the gate, vowing that he will survive in this game world and be free from the virtual imprisonment.

Brief preview for the next episode shows that in December 2nd 2022; in already about one month time, 2,000 players have died since then, their departed name cross out on a giant black stone, and the 1st floor has not yet been cleared.

New Characters

 * Kirito
 * Kirigaya Suguha (cameo)
 * Klein
 * Kayaba Akihiko
 * Asuna (cameo)
 * Silica (cameo)
 * Lisbeth (cameo)