"This wasn't in the beta test. There's no way to get information." This article is a stub. You can help Sword Art Online Wiki by expanding it.
Sword Art Online - Aincrad 1 (ソードアート・オンライン アインクラッド１,Sōdoāto Onrain Ainkuraddo 1?) is the first volume of the Aincrad manga adaptation. The volume consists of stages 1-6, originally serialized in Dengeki Bunko Magazine from August 10, 2010 to June 10, 2011. It was released on September 27, 2012, with volume 2 released on the same day. The American paperback release is an omnibus with volume 2, with the digital versions released separately.
During a battle with The Gleam Eyes, many members of The Army died. Kirito and Asuna were there at the scene and they also joined the fight. The scene ends there with Kirito manipulating a skill window.
Two years ago, at the official opening of the game called Sword Art Online (SAO), Kirito met Klein. Klein asked for Kirito's guidance after he realizes that Kirito was one of the Beta testers. After Klein successfully defeats a «Frenzy Boar», he tried to log out. Failing to find the logout button, Kirito and Klein discussed whether or not it was a bug. Without warning, they were both teleported to the central plaza of «Town of Beginnings». The Game Master (GM) informed them that the only way to logout was by clearing all one hundred floors of the floating city of «Aincrad». Their appearance was also changed to their real identity in the real world.
Stage.002[]
The Game Master revealed he was actually Kayaba Akihiko, the creator of Sword Art Online and the NerveGear. He warned that any external means of removing or shutting down the NerveGear would cause the player's brain to be destroyed by microwaves. The Game Master then revealed that authorities and media in the outside world had already been informed of the situation and that there would be a two-hour offline leeway to transport the player bodies to hospitals. Additionally, Akihiko warned that if a player's hit points (HP) reached zero, their avatar would be deleted and their brain would be destroyed, killing them in real life. Kirito realized that the NerveGear gained their physical appearance data from a facial and body calibration scan.
As all the other players began a riot over what they had been told, Kirito asked Klein to come with him to the next village so they could form a team and level up quickly before anyone else. However, Klein responded that he had to stay behind to make sure his friends were okay. Realizing he could not protect everyone at only Level 1, Kirito proceeded to the next village himself, crying as he left his first friend in SAO behind.
2,000 people died within the first month, each death leading to a name on the monument in Black Iron Palace being crossed out. The first floor was cleared in a month and the second one was cleared in ten days. Two years later, there were only twenty-six floors and only 6,000 survivors remaining.
In the 74th Floor Labyrinth, Kirito fought against a «Lizardman Lord» and exited the Labyrinth after defeating it.
Stage.003[]
Stage.004[]
Stage.005[]
Stage.006[]
Adaptation Notes[]
In stage one, Klein performs the Sword Skill before Kirito explains it.
The mirrors appear in the players' hands and the avatars of the players are transformed to look like their real life bodies before Kayaba appears during the tutorial; in the light novel Kayaba Akihiko appears first and the mirrors appear in the players' inventories.
In the novel, only three members of the Army died to The Gleam Eyes.
The manga showed Asuna's, Agil's, and Kuradeel's reactions to Kayaba's announcement. In the novel, only Kirito's and Klein's reactions were described.
Cordial Chords (2017, OS BD/DVD) - Distant Journey (2019, Alicization BD/DVD Vol.1) - If We Could Walk Together (2020, Alicization WoU BD/DVD Vol.8) - If You Were Here (2019, Alicization BD/DVD Vol.8) - If You Wish It (2020, Alicization WoU BD/DVD Vol.2) - Rainbow Bridge (2014, Extra Edition BD/DVD) - Sugary Days (2015, Season 2 BD/DVD Vol.5) - Sisters' Prayer (2015, Season 2 BD/DVD Vol.9) - The Day After (2013, Season 1 BD/DVD Vol.9) - The Day Before (2012, Season 1 BD/DVD Vol.1)
How LLENN Stopped Fretting and had Her Fire for Combat Sparked by Pitohui (2018, AGGO BD/DVD Vol.6) - The Mountain Rabbit Never Sleeps ~I shouldn't have paid him any attention~ (2025, AGGO2 BD/DVD Vol.2)
Girl Meets Gun ~P90 ni tsuite Yoku wakaru Online (PYO)~ (2018, P-90 Airsoft Gun bonus) - Her step, step (2019, ReoNa's Prologue Album) - Minami no Island Online (MIO) (2018, Dengeki Island!) - MZO (2016, Dengeki Splash) - Pitohui, Elsa, and a Fine Day for Handguns (2021, AM.45 Airsoft Gun) - Sugoimizugi Jam (2015, Dengeki Girls Swim Wear Festival) - The Untold Tale of the Vorpal Bunny's Birth ~Otherwise Known as the Worries of Two Gun Nuts~ (2020, Vorpal Bunny Airsoft Gun bonus)
Idle Talk - The Shinobi's Reckless Remarks (2017, Dengeki Bunko Magazine Animate bonus) - The Story of the Matchmaking Bakeneko (2016, Clover's Regret Vol.1 Animate bonus) - The Strange Tale of Makuwa Melons (2016, Clover's Regret Vol.1 Melonbooks bonus)
The Story of the Mysterious Jam Vendor (2023) - The Story of Eating a "Tanmen"-Inspired Dish at a NPC Restaurant (2023) - The Story of Making "Dongpo pork" with "Frenzy Boar" Meat (2023) - The Story of "Pot Helm", an Armour Equipment That Can Also be Used For Cooking (2023) - Service Meatball (2024)
Melodies Go Beyond the Forgetting Curve... - The Grand Plan for a Summer Festival Performance! - The Grand Plan to Overcoming Picky-Eating! - When Asuna and Yuuki Changed into Swimsuits (2015)
Ichiban Kuji Ordinal Scale
A Brief Instant of Reminiscing Right Below the Concert - From Asuna's Diary on a Certain Day in Late April (2017)
SAO x KYOTO NIPPON FESTIVAL
The Great Barrier of the Old Capital of Kyoto (2019)
