Sword Art Online is a Japanese light novel series, first written as a web novel series, by Kawahara Reki and illustrated by abec. The light novels began publication on ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Bunko imprint from April 10, 2009. The series has also spawned several light novel spin-offs, multiple manga adaptations, an anime adaptation and multiple game adaptations.
A spin-off series, titled Sword Art Online: Progressive, was launched in October 2012. The series expands the story of the Aincrad Arc by focusing on the adventures of Kirito and Asuna throughout each floor of Aincrad.
Another spin-off series, titled Sword Art Online Alternative "Gun Gale Online", written by Sigsawa Keiichi, illustrated by Kuroboshi Kouhaku, and supervised by Kawahara Reki, began publication in December 2014. The series focuses on an original cast of characters and their adventures in Gun Gale Online.
A third spin-off series, titled Sword Art Online Alternative "Clover's Regret", written by Watase Sōichirō and supervised by Kawahara Reki, began publication in June 2016. The series focuses on an original cast of characters and their adventures in Asuka Empire.
The original novel series, the Progressive series, and Alternative "Gun Gale Online" have been licensed for an English release by Yen Press in North America. The original novel series was also licensed in France by Ofelbe Editions, in Germany by Tokyopop, in Poland by Kotori, in Russia by Istari Comics, in Spain by Planeta Comic, in Italy by J-Pop, in Brazil and Mexico by Panini Comics, in China by Tianwen Kadokawa Animation and Comics, in Taiwan by Kadokawa Taiwan, in South Korea by J-Novel, in Vietnam by Innovative Publishing and Media, in Indonesia by m&c! Publishing and in Thailand by Zenshu Publishing.
History[]
The story of Sword Art Online was written in the fall of 2001 and finished in the spring of 2002 as a competition entry for ASCII Media Works' Ninth Dengeki Game Novel Prize (now Dengeki Novel Prize), but the author refrained from submitting it as he had exceeded the page limit and did not want to shrink the size of the story. The unsubmitted work was instead published as a web novel under the author’s previous pseudonym, Kunori Fumio.[1] The author continued writing new arcs and stories for his series until he finished writing the 4th main arc, Alicization, in 2008. After Kawahara Reki’s second series, Accel World, was successfully entered in the Fifteenth Dengeki Novel Prize and won the grand prize, Kawahara Reki was requested to get his previous series, Sword Art Online, published by ASCII Media Works as well.
Light Novel Publications[]
Trivia[]
- Numerous changes occurred when the original web novel was adapted into paperback format. The changes can be read in the Adaption Notes section on the respective article for every novel volume and side story.
References[]
- ↑ Volume 18 afterword.
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 1 page on Yen Press' official site
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 2 page on Yen Press' official site
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 3 page on Yen Press' official site
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 4 page on Yen Press' official site
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 5 page on Yen Press' official site
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 6 page on Yen Press' official site
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 7 page on Yen Press' official site
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 8 page on Yen Press' official site
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 9 page on Yen Press' official site
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 10 page on Yen Press' official site
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 11 page on Yen Press' official site
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 12 page on Yen Press' official site
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 13 page on Yen Press' official site
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 14 page on Yen Press' official site
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 15 page on Yen Press' official site
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 16 page on Yen Press' official site
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko page for Sword Art Online Volume 17
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 17 page on Yen Press' official site
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko page for Sword Art Online Volume 18
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 18 page on Yen Press' official site
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko page for Sword Art Online Volume 19
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 19 page on Yen Press' official site
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko page for Sword Art Online Volume 20
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 20 page on Yen Press' official site
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko page for Sword Art Online Volume 21
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 21 page on Yen Press' official site
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko page for Sword Art Online Volume 22
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 22 page on Yen Press's official site
- ↑ Kadokawa store page for Sword Art Online Volume 23
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 23 page on Yen Press's official site. Last accessed on September 22, 2021
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko page for SAO Volume 24
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 24 page on Yen Press's official site.
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko page for Sword Art Online Volume 25
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 25 page on Yen Press's official site. Last checked on August 8, 2022.
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko page for Sword Art Online Volume 26
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 26 page on Yen Press's official site. Last checked on October 10, 2023.
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko page for Sword Art Online Volume 27
- ↑ Sword Art Online Volume 27 page on Yen Press's official site. Last checked on October 10, 2023.
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko listing for SAO28
- ↑ Sword Art Online Progressive Volume 1 page on Yen Press's official site.
- ↑ Sword Art Online Progressive Volume 2 page on Yen Press's official site.
- ↑ Sword Art Online Progressive Volume 3 page on Yen Press's official site.
- ↑ Sword Art Online Progressive Volume 4 page on Yen Press's official site.
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko page for Sword Art Online Progressive Volume 5
- ↑ Sword Art Online Progressive Volume 5 page on Yen Press's official site.
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko page for Sword Art Online Progressive Volume 6
- ↑ Sword Art Online Progressive Volume 6 page on Yen Press's official site.
- ↑ Kadokawa Store page for Sword Art Online Progressive Volume 7
- ↑ Sword Art Online Progressive Volume 7 page on Yen Press's official site. Last checked on October 21, 2021.
- ↑ Kadokawa Store page for Sword Art Online Progressive Volume 8
- ↑ Sword Art Online Progressive Volume 8 page on Yen Press's official site. Last checked on May 18, 2022
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko's page for AGGO volume 1.
- ↑ Sword Art Online Alterantive Gun Gale Online Volume 1 page on Yen Press's official site.
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko's page for AGGO volume 2.
- ↑ Sword Art Online Alterantive Gun Gale Online Volume 2 page on Yen Press's official site.
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko's page for AGGO volume 3.
- ↑ Sword Art Online Alterantive Gun Gale Online Volume 3 page on Yen Press's official site.
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko's page for AGGO volume 4.
- ↑ Sword Art Online Alterantive Gun Gale Online Volume 4 page on Yen Press's official site.
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko's page for AGGO volume 5.
- ↑ Sword Art Online Alterantive Gun Gale Online Volume 5 page on Yen Press's official site.
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko's page for AGGO volume 6.
- ↑ Sword Art Online Alterantive Gun Gale Online Volume 6 page on Yen Press's official site, last accessed on December 25, 2019
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko's page for AGGO volume 7.
- ↑ Sword Art Online Alterantive Gun Gale Online Volume 7 page on Yen Press's official site, updated on November 5, 2020
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko's page for AGGO volume 8.
- ↑ Sword Art Online Alterantive Gun Gale Online Volume 8 page on Yen Press's official site, updated on January 26, 2021
- ↑ Rakuten Books
- ↑ Sword Art Online Alterantive Gun Gale Online Volume 9 page on Yen Press's official site.
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko's page for AGGO volume 10.
- ↑ Sword Art Online Alterantive Gun Gale Online Volume 10 page on Yen Press's official site.
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko's page for AGGO volume 11.
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko's page for AGGO volume 12.
- ↑ [2]
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko's page for AGGO volume 13.
- ↑ [3]
- ↑ Kadokawa's page for AGGO volume 14.
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko page for Sword Art Online Alternative Clover's Regret Volume 1
- ↑ Sword Art Online Alternative Clover's Regret, Vol. 1 (light novel) - Yen Press
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko page for Sword Art Online Alternative Clover's Regret Volume 2
- ↑ Sword Art Online Alternative Clover's Regret, Vol. 2 (light novel) - Yen Press
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko page for Sword Art Online Alternative Clover's Regret Volume 3
- ↑ Sword Art Online Alternative Clover's Regret, Vol. 3 (light novel) - Yen Press
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko page for Sword Art Online IF Official Novel Anthology
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko page for Sword Art Online Alternative Gourmet Seekers
- ↑ Kadokawa's page for Sword Art Online Alternative Gourmet Seekers 2
- ↑ Dengeki Bunko page for Sword Art Online Alternative Mystery Labyrinth - Murder in the Labyrinth Pavilion
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