It is not an exaggeration to say that Sword Art Online is the reason behind the isekai genre’s rise to global fame. Not only that, Sword Art Online made isekai anime(s) so prominent that it is a force to reckon with – at least, that’s what the numbers say.
However, Sword Art Online’s journey to popularity isn’t full of roses – while some love it, some don’t. Regardless of that, one cannot deny the impact of the Sword Art Online media franchise. And, looking at the decade-long run, it is far from over because an original movie is said to be under production following the release of the second SAO: Progressive movie in 2022.
Sword Art Online anime has many seasons, movies, spin-offs, and specials – which is overwhelming for someone trying to set foot in this world of VR gaming. That is why I have created this Sword Art Online Watch Order – which includes breakdowns of the story arcs according to episode number for your convenience.
For those who don’t have the time to go through the whole article, here are the Release Date and Chronological watch order of Sword Art Online.
Note: Recaps, summary episodes, and specials like chibi shorts are not present in the order as they are irrelevant to the main storyline.
Table of Contents
Release Date Order of Sword Art Online
| Date | Name | Type |
| July 8, 2012 | Sword Art Online | TV Series |
| December 31, 2013 | Sword Art Online: Extra Edition | Movie (Special) |
| July 5, 2014 | Sword Art Online II | TV Series |
| February 18, 2017 | Sword Art Online Movie: Ordinal Scale | Movie |
| April 8, 2018 | Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online | TV Series (Spin-Off) |
| October 7, 2018 | Sword Art Online: Alicization | TV Series |
| October 13, 2019 | Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld | TV Series |
| July 12, 2020 | Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld Part 2 | TV Series |
| October 30, 2021 | Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night | Movie |
| October 22, 2022 | Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night | Movie |
Chronological Order of Sword Art Online
1. Chronological Order of SAO (Seasons & Movies)
This is the chronological order for those who want to complete Sword Art Online anime without watching any spin-offs or specials – irrelevant to the main storyline.
| Order | Name | Type | Can You Skip it? |
| #1 | Sword Art Online | TV Series | No |
| #2 | Sword Art Online II | TV Series | No |
| #3 | Sword Art Online Movie: Ordinal Scale | Movie | No |
| #4 | Sword Art Online: Alicization | TV Series | No |
| #5 | Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld | TV Series | No |
| #6 | Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld Part 2 | TV Series | No |
2. Chronological Order of SAO (Including Specials & Spin-Offs)
This chronological order consists of the specials and spin-offs that might not be important to the original storyline but are worth watching if you are craving extra SAO content.
| Order | Name | Type | Can You Skip it? |
| #1 | Sword Art Online | TV Series | No |
| #2 | Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night | Movie | Yes |
| #3 | Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night | Movie | Yes |
| #4 | Sword Art Online: Extra Edition | Movie (Special) | Yes |
| #5 | Sword Art Online II | TV Series | No |
| #6 | Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online | TV Series (Spin-Off) | Yes |
| #7 | Sword Art Online Movie: Ordinal Scale | Movie | No |
| #8 | Sword Art Online: Alicization | TV Series | No |
| #9 | Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld | TV Series | No |
| #10 | Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld Part 2 | TV Series | No |
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Sword Art Online Watch Order in Detail
For those who have time, continue reading if you want to know why you should or shouldn’t skip any spin-off or movie.
SPOILER WARNING:
If you are new to Sword Art Online and are simply looking for a detailed guide on how to watch it, please avoid reading the plot sections.
#1 Sword Art Online
Release Date: July 8, 2012
Total Episodes: 25
Studio: A-1 Pictures
No. It is the first season of Sword Art Online.
Sword Art Online Season 1 consists of two arcs – Ainard Arc and Fairy Dance Arc (also known as ALfheim Online Arc).
Aincrad Arc: Episodes (1-14)
Kazuto ‘Kirito’ Kirigaya and 10,000 players join Sword Art Online – a role-playing game using NerveGear for a better experience of the virtual reality world.
Following the log-in, Akihiko Kayaba, the game’s creator, mentions that all the players are trapped in this virtual world, and the only way out is to complete all 100 floors of the world of Aincrad.
If the players die in Aincrad, they die in real life too.
Although Kirito is confident of clearing the levels of this game being a beta tester, he soon realizes that it isn’t that easy and teams up with Asuna, with whom he bonds over time.
Eventually, Kirito joins Knights of the Blood Oath – a high-level guild led by Heathcliff, later revealed to be the 100th-floor boss and the creator of the game, Akihiko Kayaba.
Fairy Dance Arc: Episodes (15-25)
Two months following the log-out from the game, Kazuto finds out that among 6147 surviving players, 300 players, including Asuna, have been trapped in ALfheim Online – a fairy-themed virtual reality game resembling Sword Art Online.
Kazuto joins the game and discovers that Asuna has been held captive by Fairy King Oberon and fights him to set Asuna free.
#2 Sword Art Online: Extra Edition
Release Date: December 31, 2013
Total Episodes: 1
Studio: A-1 Pictures
Yes, you can skip Sword Art Online: Extra Edition because it is a recap of the first season with added content – that is mostly fan service.
This special is a compilation of the first season with added slice-of-life elements. Kazuto has been summoned for ‘emergency counseling’ by Seijirou Kikuoka – a government official, to learn more about the Sword Art Online incident to figure out the real motive of Akihiko Kayaba, the creator.
Meanwhile, Suguha, Asuna, Rika, and Keiko enjoy their time at the pool.
#3 Sword Art Online II
Release Date: July 5, 2014
Total Episodes: 24
Studio: A-1 Pictures
No. It is the second season of Sword Art Online.
Sword Art Online Season 2 consists of three arcs – Phantom Bullet Arc, Calibur Arc, and Mother’s Rosario Arc.
Phantom Bullet Arc: Episodes (1-14)
It’s been a year since Kazuto successfully escaped Sword Art Online. A new game titled Gun Gale Online has been doing rounds on the internet for all the wrong reasons – people are getting killed in real life after getting shot in the game.
And the name Death Gun is common in these incidents. Kikuoka Seijiroua, a VR Crime Division Official, approaches Kazuto to investigate the killings. Kazuto enters Gun Gale Online as Kirito and meets Sinon, a highly skilled sniper. Together they enter a tournament titled the Bullet of Bullets to lure out Death Gun. Soon, Kirito discovers that he knows Death Gun from Sword Art Online.
Calibur Arc: Episodes (15-17)
During their time in ALfheim Online, Kirito and Leafa could not beat the guardian of the dungeon, where the most powerful sword in ALO – Holy Sword Excalibur remains.
After getting reminded by Suguha (Leafa), Kazuto (Kirito) decides to form a party with Leafa, Asuna, Sinon, and a few other players to obtain the sword and prevent the Ragnarok upon ALfheim – the land of the fairies.
Mother’s Rosario Arc: Episodes (18-24)
On the 24th floor of New Aincrad, a player named Zekken has thrown a challenge, and on winning, they will get Mother’s Rosario – an Original Sword Skill as a reward. When several players, including Kirito and Leafa, are defeated, Asuna challenges Zekken – who turns out to be a girl named Yuuki.
Although she gets defeated by Yuuki, Asuna gets invited to join Yuuki’s guild, to defeat the floor boss to etch their names on the Monument of Swordsmen – a stone tablet.
An emotional rollercoaster ride awaits.
#4 Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online
Release Date: April 8, 2018
Total Episodes: 12
Studio: Studio 3Hz
Although Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online is a spin-off of Sword Art Online, I recommend you not to skip it.
The reason is, Kirito plays the game – Gun Gale Online in Season 2 (Phantom Bullet Arc), which is part of the main storyline. So you can watch this spin-off after Phantom Bullet Arc before moving on to Calibur and Mother’s Rosario Arc.
Why should swords have all the fun?
SAO Alternative: Gun Gale Online is a spin-off where a shy university student – Karen Kohiruimaki – insecure about her height, finds solace in a character in the virtual reality game Gun Gale Online.
Known as the Pink Devil, Karen’s in-game avatar LLEN comes across Pitohui, a woman who invites her to join a battle royale titled Squad Jam, where the last team standing wins.
#5 Sword Art Online Movie: Ordinal Scale
Release Date: February 18, 2017
Total Episodes: 1
Studio: A-1 Pictures
No, Sword Art Online Movie: Ordinal Scale introduces characters and technology that get referenced later in the Sword Art Alicization.
Four years after the Sword Art Online incident, in 2026, Augma – a console using the Augmented Reality system gets launched to compete against NerveGear and its successor, Amusphere. Ordinal Scale has emerged as the most popular Augmented Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (ARMMORPG) in Augma, making it an instant hit in the market.
However, upon hearing rumors about monsters from Sword Art Online appearing in Ordinal Scale, Kazuto joins the game as his in-game avatar Kirito with a couple of friends to look into the truth behind the rumors.
Note: The original story got a manga adaptation.
#6 Sword Art Online: Alicization
Sword Art Online: Alicization, i.e., Sword Art Online S3, has a total of 47 episodes divided into three parts. To avoid confusion – the arcs are divided based on the total no. of episodes (47) and not the individual parts of Season 3.
Release Date: October 7, 2018
Total Episodes: 24
Studio: A-1 Pictures
No. It is the third season of Sword Art Online.
Sword Art Online: Alicization (Part 1) consists of three arcs – Alicization Beginning Arc, Alicization Rising Arc, and Alicization Uniting Arc.
Alicization Beginning Arc: Episodes (1-13)
A couple of months following the Ordinal Scale incident, Kazuto gets hired by Rath – a private company, to test Soul Translator – a new Full Dive machine.
In reality, Rath’s intention isn’t to test the machine; instead, their motive is to use Kazuto’s experience to train their special AI for military purposes. To achieve this — a virtual world named Underworld was created where the times flow a thousand times faster than the real world.
Kirito enters the Underworld as a child without memories from the real world. There he befriends Alice and Eugeo. After breaking a taboo index, Alice was taken away by the Integrity Knights and was forced to become one of them with her memories sealed away.
While returning to the real world after the experiments, Kazuto gets attacked and finds himself again in the Underworld.
Alicization Rising Arc: Episodes (14-20)
After returning to the Underworld, Kirito and Eugeo embark on a journey to bring Alice back. On the way, Kirito encounters Fanatio – vice commander of the order of the Integrity Knights and defeats her.
Moving forward, Kirito and Eugeo meet Alice, but it doesn’t pan out as they want it to due to the sealed memories of Alice.
Quinella, the founder of Axiom Church, manipulates Eugeo to join the Integrity Knights with a chant.
Alicization Uniting Arc: Episodes (21-24)
Following the fight, Eugeo regains consciousness and breaks free from the manipulation. During their final fight with Quinella, Eugeo loses his life. Finally, when Kirito contacts the real world, the Ocean Turtle is under sudden attack.
#7 Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld
Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld (Part 1)
Release Date: October 13, 2019
Total Episodes: 12
Studio: A-1 Pictures
Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld (Part 2)
Release Date: July 12, 2020
Total Episodes: 11
Studio: A-1 Pictures
No, because Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld is the sequel to Sword Art Online: Alicization.
Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld consists of four arcs – Alicization Invading Arc, Alicization Exploding Arc, Alicization Awakening Arc, and Alicization Lasting Arc.
Alicization Invading Arc: Episodes (25-29)
After the sudden disruption in the connection to the real world, Kirito is in a coma. Alice decides to take Kirito to Rulid Village to take care of him. Everything was peaceful until Alice noticed that the Dark Territory was planning to invade the Human Territory and decided to protect the world – for which Kirito and Eugeo gave their everything.
Alicization Exploding Arc: Episodes (30-34)
The barrier between the Dark Territory and the Human Territory has fallen, and the invasion begins. Soldiers from both territories are losing their lives. Even in his coma, Kirito recognizes Asuna’s voice, and tears roll down his cheeks.
Alicization Awakening Arc: Episodes (35-41)
20,000 American players were tricked into slaughtering the players in the Underworld by misinforming it as a “beta test”. Sinon and Leafa join the war. Meanwhile, the traitor in the real world gets caught.
Alicization Lasting Arc: Episodes (42-47)
Kirito wakes up from his coma. After his final fight, Kirito realizes he must spend 200 years in the Underworld. Asuna decides to stay back with him. All the players return to the real world.
#8 Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night
Release Date: October 30, 2021
Total Episodes: 1
Studio: A-1 Pictures
Technically, yes. But if you enjoyed Sword Art Online, then you should definitely watch this movie because Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night retells the Aincrad Arc in detail through Asuna’s perspective.
#9 Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night
Release Date: October 22, 2022
Total Episodes: 1
Studio: A-1 Pictures
No, because Scherzo of Deep Night continues the retelling of Aincrad Arc following its prequel — Aria of a Starless Night.
Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night is a sequel to Aria of a Starless Night and continues the story of Aincrad’s arc. However, there are some original additions to the movie, be it the characters or the plot in general.
FAQs
How Many Seasons and Episodes Are There In Sword Art Online?
Sword Art Online has three seasons with a total of 96 episodes.
- Sword Art Online
- Sword Art Online II
- Sword Art Online: Alicization
Keep in mind that Sword Art Online: Alicization is divided into two parts, due to which some online streaming services refer to the second part as Season four.
How Many Movies Does SAO Have?
There are three Sword Art Online movies.
- Sword Art Online Movie: Ordinal Scale
- Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night
- Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night
Is Sword Art Online complete?
As of now, the sequel of Alicization Arc – the Unital Ring Arc is still ongoing in the light novels. The producers might wait for it to finish before announcing Sword Art Online Season 4, i.e., the anime adaptation of Unital Ring Arc.
Can You Skip Sword Art Online Movies?
Except for Sword Art Online Movie: Ordinal Scale, you can skip every other Sword Art Online movie.
Are The Sword Art Online Movies Canon?
Yes, the three Sword Art Online movies are canon.
However, it is to be kept in mind that unlike Ordinal Scale – where some characters get referenced in Alicization Arc – the Progressive movies retell the Aincrad Arc with some anime-original characters that are not part of the original storyline.
Can You Skip Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online?
Yes, you can skip SAO Alternative: Gun Gale Online.
But, as the spin-off mainly focuses on the Gun Gale Online – a game that Kirito plays in Phantom Bullet Arc of Season 2 – it’s worth a try if you are looking for something different from the Sword Art Online universe.
With that, I present to you the Sword Art Online watch order. Although I have tried my best to answer your questions and clear any doubts, it is up to you to decide what to watch and what to skip.
I hope the chronological order helps you watch Sword Art Online without any complications. If there are any suggestions, feedback, or recommendation regarding this watch order, feel free to reach out to averagebeing.com’s Instagram handle.
