Vorpal Strike

«Vorpal Strike» (ヴォーパル・ストライク) is a heavy, high-level 1-hit, One-handed Straight Sword category Sword Skill in Sword Art Online, New ALfheim Online and Project Alicization. In Sword Art Online, the skill is unlocked when a player's «Single-handed Sword Skills» reaches level 950.

Description
«Vorpal Strike» consists of a single ultra high-speed and powerful thrust and induces a long delay after a player uses the skill. However, the reach of this Sword Skill is double that of the actual blade, possibly damaging more than 1 target if they are close together, and its power is comparable to that of a two-handed heavy pole-arm, which is more than enough to make up for the long delay.

The skill is mostly effective against monsters, as players can easily read the timing of the skill and dodge it, while monsters are unable to counter it with their simple Artificial Intelligence. When used, the skill lets out a sound similar to that of a jet engine.

The skill is activated by folding an arm with the sword towards the shoulder and slightly twisting the body. In New ALfheim Online, the skill has a damage property of 30% Physical, 30% Fire and 40% Darkness.

Usage

 * Volume 1 Chapter 13/Episode 10:
 * Kirito used this Sword Skill against Heathcliff in their duel after the paladin finished a 8-hit combo Sword Skill. Heathcliff successfully blocked the skill with his unbreakable shield, but his HP did drop by a bit due to the impact.


 * Volume 2 Red-nosed Reindeer Part 1:
 * Kirito used the skill, along with several others, multiple times while fighting against several Giant Ants.


 * Volume 5 Chapter 6/SII Episode 05:
 * Kirito used «Vorpal Strike» without the system assistance to finish off Uemaru.


 * Volume 6 Chapter 14:
 * Kirito attempted to use this skill against Sterben after Sterben's sniper was destroyed. However, Sterben skillfully calculated the timing and successfully the dodged the blow and then counterattacked by stabbing Kirito's left shoulder.


 * Volume 8 Caliber Part 3:
 * «Vorpal Strike» was the 4th skill that Kirito chained against the Gold Minotaur.


 * Volume 14, Chapter 13, Part 1 through Part 2:
 * Kirito used «Vorpal Strike» against Chief Elder Chudelkin and attempted to boost the range of the skill with the power of Incarnation.


 * Volume 14, Chapter 13, Part 5:
 * Kirito attempted to use the skill against Quinella, but was blown away by her «Zekkuu».
 * Both Kirito and Quinella used this skill against each other, slicing each other's arms, while Kirito also made a second hit with the skill that pierced Quinella's chest.

Trivia

 * The adjective "vorpal" is a word coined by Lewis Caroll in the poem "Jabberwocky", which Reki later references in the Alicization Arc.
 * «Vorpal Strike» is Kirito's most commonly used Sword Skill in SAO. Kirito considers Vorpal Strike as a mark of the black swordsman.
 * The anime portrays the light effect of «Vorpal Strike» to be yellow, while in the novel it is stated to be crimson in all instances.
 * «Vorpal Strike» is one of the three Sword Skills in the Sword Art Online series which share their names with Incarnate attacks in the Accel World series, written by the same author. The other two skills being Starburst Stream and The Eclipse.
 * A modified version of Vorpal Strike was included in the Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax.

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