Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-25908228-20141222101442/@comment-1200981-20160501053519

To answer all together:

No, he's still Kirito. He lacks his SAO stats but his skill hasn't changed. And while he initially suffered some temporary amnesia due to brain damage, he quickly regained his memories during his first trip in PA and started applying his knowledge of Sword Skills.

And in regards to his friends, that wasn't what you were arguing. You stated that Reki wants Kirito to maintain his position as the best amongst his friends and allies, when actual evidence in the novels swiftly contradicts that claim:


 * Asuna is alluded several times in the series to be his equal due to her speed and precision surpassing his while he exceeds her in other areas.


 * Kayaba outright beat him in their final duel *without* System Assist. (Note: I don't consider Kayaba amongst Kirito's friends for obvious reasons, but I figure he somewhat loosely fits into the Ally category after he helped him beat Sugou and rescue Asuna in ALO)


 * Eugeo grows to be his equal in a short span of time thanks to Kirito's training.


 * Yuuki is explicitly stated to have faster reaction times than Kirito due to spending far more time VR gaming than he has.


 * Alice is flat-out stronger than him. Period.

Also, suggesting that Kirito smiling was indication of him holding back is insulting. First of all, Kirito himself admitted in a Q & A that he doubted that even if he used Dual Wielding, he wasn't sure that it would help him against Yuuki in a straight-up fight. Secondly, as her friend, he would not belittle her by toying with her. If that had been the case, she would've resented him for it.

He smiled for the same reason Asuna did when she fought Yuuki, because he enjoyed the fight.

And as I pointed out, he needed his friends' help to win those life-or-death battles or he would've died a long time ago. This doesn't even just extend to battles but his situations. For instance, if not for Asuna managing to get the administer's card key in ALO, as well as the help of Yui and the Guilds, his attempt at saving Asuna would've been utterly fruitless.