The Best Episodes of Sword Art Online

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Fan Favorite
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   9.2/10(12 votes)

   #1 - Awakening

   S4:E198/23/2020

   Escaping his nightmares, Kirito regains consciousness at last. With the Night-Sky Blade in his right hand and the broken Blue Rose Sword in his left, he faces off against Vassago, armed with the Mate-Chopper, now enormous in size.

   Director:Shunsuke Nakashige

   Writer:Kohei Urushibara

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   Director:Shunsuke Nakashige

   Writer:Kohei Urushibara
2. 

   8.9/10(14 votes)

   #2 - Taboo Index

   S3:E1012/9/2018

   Ronie and Tiese are late getting to the dorm. Kirito rushes out in search of them, but no sooner has he gone than Frenica appears. She tells Eugeo about how she's suffered at Humbert's hands, and that Tiese and Ronie went to confront him about it.

   Director:Shunsuke Nakashige

   Writer:Muneo Nakamoto

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   Director:Shunsuke Nakashige

   Writer:Muneo Nakamoto
3. 

   8.9/10(14 votes)

   #3 - My Hero

   S3:E243/31/2019

   Carrying the hopes of Cardinal, Eugeo, and Alice in his heart, Kirito stands yet again and visualizes the Black Swordsman, the top player who cleared SAO. For the sake of everyone he’s encountered in this world, Kirito, faces off with Administrator.

   Directors:Takashi Sakuma, Manabu Ono

   Writer:Yukito Kizawa

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   Directors:Takashi Sakuma, Manabu Ono

   Writer:Yukito Kizawa
4. 

   8.9/10(11 votes)

   #4 - Sword and Fist

   S4:E912/8/2019

   Upon seeing Alice, Gabriel orders his entire army to capture her. The pugilists guild races ahead of the main force. As Alice and Bercouli try to come up with a strategy to counter them, the silent Integrity Knight Sheyta Synthesis Twelve steps forward.

   Director:Hiroshi Kimura

   Writer:Kohei Urushibara

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   Director:Hiroshi Kimura

   Writer:Kohei Urushibara
5. 

   8.9/10(11 votes)

   #5 - Stacia, the Goddess of Creation

   S4:E1012/15/2019

   Asuna has logged into the Underworld using the superuser account of Stacia, the Goddess of Creation. After she descends, she is reunited with Kirito, thanks to Ronie and Tiese. But soon Alice arrives, leading to a precarious situation!

   Director:Takashi Sakuma

   Writer:Kohei Urushibara

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   Director:Takashi Sakuma

   Writer:Kohei Urushibara
6. 

   8.8/10(14 votes)

   #6 - Swordsman's Pride

   S3:E811/25/2018

   Kirito finds himself in a duel against the Elite Disciple Volo Levantein, using real swords. As the curious crowd looks on, Kirito is encouraged by Sortiliena, and the duel begins.

   Director:Shigeki Kawai

   Writer:Yukito Kizawa

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   Director:Shigeki Kawai

   Writer:Yukito Kizawa
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7. 

   8.8/10(16 votes)

   #7 - In the Far North

   S4:E110/13/2019

   Six months have passed since the fierce battle against Administrator. Alice has brought Kirito to her childhood home, Rulid Village, where they live peacefully. Gazing out at the world that she saved with Kirito, Alice reflects on all that’s happened.

   Director:Takashi Sakuma

   Writer:Muneo Nakamoto

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   Director:Takashi Sakuma

   Writer:Muneo Nakamoto
8. 

   8.8/10(11 votes)

   #8 - The Night-Sky Blade

   S4:E208/30/2020

   Alice and Asuna head to the World’s End Altar as Kirito confronts Gabriel. Unless he can defeat Gabriel and return to the real world before the maximum-acceleration phase begins, Kirito will have to spend the next 200 years in the Underworld.

   Director:Masakazu Obara

   Writer:Muneo Nakamoto

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   Director:Masakazu Obara

   Writer:Muneo Nakamoto
9. 

   8.8/10(10 votes)

   #9 - New World

   S4:E239/20/2020

   Rinko informs Kazuto that Alice is missing. He’s about to rush to the Rath Roppongi branch when the doorbell rings. In a panic, Kazuto throws open the door, only to find a deliveryman there with a huge cardboard box.

   Director:Takashi Sakuma

   Writer:Muneo Nakamoto

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   Director:Takashi Sakuma

   Writer:Muneo Nakamoto
10. 

    8.7/10(13 votes)

    #10 - Ray of Light

    S4:E1212/29/2019

    Due to Gabriel's scheme, U.S. players were given black knight accounts, and are now continuously logging in to the Underworld. They begin mercilessly slaughtering soldiers from both the Human Empire Army and the Dark Territory Army.

    Directors:Shunsuke Nakashige, Kenji Seto

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto

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    Directors:Shunsuke Nakashige, Kenji Seto

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto
11. 

    8.7/10(11 votes)

    #11 - Memories

    S4:E188/16/2020

    Sinon manages to severely damage Gabriel, but her strength has been sapped. Leafa collapses after wiping out the American players. And Asuna, her situation now hopeless, gazes at Kirito. But the Black Swordsman continues to wander through his dreams.

    Director:Yuya Horiuchi

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto

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    Director:Yuya Horiuchi

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto
12. 

    8.7/10(12 votes)

    #12 - Alice

    S4:E229/13/2020

    The “Rath Attack Incident,” masterminded by the American National Security Agency, is over. Now head of the newly formed Oceanic Resource Exploration & Research Institution, Rinko unveils Alice to the world as an authentic artificial general intelligence.

    Director:Akira Yamada

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto

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    Director:Akira Yamada

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto
13. 

    8.6/10(14 votes)

    #13 - Raids

    S4:E210/20/2019

    A force from the Dark Territory is attacking Rulid Village. Though she’d lost her purpose in battle, in order to fight for her family, and for the people that Kirito and Eugeo tried to protect, Alice takes up the Osmanthus Blade once again!

    Director:Takehiro Miura

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto

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    Director:Takehiro Miura

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto
14. 

    8.6/10(12 votes)

    #14 - Battle of the Knights

    S4:E611/17/2019

    The Final Load Test has begun, and the Eastern Gate has collapsed. Incited by Gabriel, now Emperor Vecta, the massive army of the land of darkness pushes on towards the Human Empire.

    Director:Takuma Suzuki

    Writer:Yukito Kizawa

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    Director:Takuma Suzuki

    Writer:Yukito Kizawa
15. 

    8.6/10(12 votes)

    #15 - Heartless Choice

    S4:E1112/22/2019

    Asuna has created a bottomless chasm. The dark knights and the pugilists attempt to cross over to the other side, where the Human Empire Army waits. Meanwhile, Critter releases an announcement about a limited-time beta test for a bizarre new VRMMO.

    Director:Akira Yamada

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto

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    Director:Akira Yamada

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto
16. 

    8.6/10(11 votes)

    #16 - End to Eternity

    S4:E147/19/2020

    Despite its modest size, the Human Empire Army and Asuna valiantly battle the wave of American players surging towards them. But they’re hopelessly outnumbered, and the Human Empire soldiers start to fall one after another.

    Director:Toru Hamasaki

    Writer:Kohei Urushibara

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    Director:Toru Hamasaki

    Writer:Kohei Urushibara
17. 

    8.5/10(51 votes)

    #17 - The World of Swords

    S1:E17/8/2012

    It's launch day for one of the most highly-anticipated video games of all time. Join the character "Kirito" as he begins his journey in the virtual world of Sword Art Online.

    Director:Tomohiko Ito

    Writers:Yukie Sugawara, Yukito Kizawa

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    Director:Tomohiko Ito

    Writers:Yukie Sugawara, Yukito Kizawa
18. 

    8.5/10(13 votes)

    #18 - The Relentless Knight

    S3:E151/20/2019

    Kirito and Eugeo are on their way up the stairs of the Central Cathedral when they encounter two girls named Linel and Fizel. As they stand, wondering what two children are doing there, they let their guard down and...

    Director:Hirotaka Tokuda

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto

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    Director:Hirotaka Tokuda

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto
19. 

    8.5/10(13 votes)

    #19 - The Osmanthus Knight

    S3:E161/27/2019

    Though riddled with wounds, Kirito manages to activate his Perfect Weapon Control art. Continuing on their way to the top floor of the Central Cathedral, Kirito and Eugeo find themselves standing before a strange-looking floating platform.

    Director:Saori Den

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto

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    Director:Saori Den

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto
20. 

    8.5/10(13 votes)

    #20 - Truce

    S3:E172/3/2019

    When Kirito and Alice both unleash the Perfect Weapon Control art in the Cloudtop Garden, the impact rips a hole into the seemingly impregnable Central Cathedral wall, which sends them both flying outside.

    Director:Michiru Itabisashi

    Writer:Yukito Kizawa

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    Director:Michiru Itabisashi

    Writer:Yukito Kizawa
21. 

    8.5/10(14 votes)

    #21 - The Legendary Hero

    S3:E182/10/2019

    Eugeo reaches the ninetieth floor of the Central Cathedral, which turns out to be a vast bathing area. The perplexed Eugeo encounters Bercouli Synthesis One soaking in the bath. Meanwhile, Kirito and Alice are still climbing the Central Cathedral wall.

    Director:Ken Takahashi

    Writer:Yukito Kizawa

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    Director:Ken Takahashi

    Writer:Yukito Kizawa
22. 

    8.5/10(11 votes)

    #22 - Stigma of the Disqualified

    S4:E711/24/2019

    Integrity Knight Renly Synthesis Twenty-Seven, in battle for the first time, flees his position, allowing goblins from the forces of darkness to infiltrate to the tent where Kirito is.

    Director:Yuya Horiuchi

    Writer:Kohei Urushibara

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    Director:Yuya Horiuchi

    Writer:Kohei Urushibara
23. 

    8.5/10(12 votes)

    #23 - The War of Underworld

    S4:E137/12/2020

    Sinon has logged in with the super-account of Solus, the Sun Goddess and rescues Asuna and the others at the last minute. Meanwhile, Leafa logs in with the super-account of Terraria, the Earth Goddess, and descends to the Underworld.

    Director:Masakazu Obara

    Writer:Kohei Urushibara

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    Director:Masakazu Obara

    Writer:Kohei Urushibara
24. 

    8.4/10(14 votes)

    #24 - Ruler and Mediator

    S3:E131/6/2019

    Kirito and Eugeo have been rescued by the young girl, Cardinal, who has secluded herself inside the Central Cathedral’s Great Library. Cardinal explains to Kirito how the Axiom Church and the Taboo Index came to be, starting with Administrator’s past.

    Director:Hiroshi Kimura

    Writers:Muneo Nakamoto, Yukito Kizawa

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    Director:Hiroshi Kimura

    Writers:Muneo Nakamoto, Yukito Kizawa
25. 

    8.4/10(14 votes)

    #25 - The Seal of the Right Eye

    S3:E192/24/2019

    Seeing Alice’s reaction when he mentioned the name Selka, Kirito decides to tell her the truth about the Integrity Knights. Meanwhile, after being knocked unconscious during his battle with Bercouli, Eugeo awakes on the top floor of the cathedral.

    Director:Shunsuke Ishikawa

    Writer:Yukito Kizawa

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    Director:Shunsuke Ishikawa

    Writer:Yukito Kizawa