7.9/10395 votes#1 - In the Far North
Season 4 Episode 1 - Aired 10/13/2019
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
7.7/10337 votes#2 - Raids
Season 4 Episode 2 - Aired 10/20/2019
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
7.5/10320 votes#3 - The Final Load Test
Season 4 Episode 3 - Aired 10/27/2019
The mysterious group that attacked the Ocean Turtle turns out to be a secret unit under orders from the U.S. National Security Agency. And its leader, Gabriel, has battled Kirito and Sinon before.
Director: Hiroshi Kimura
Writer: Muneo Nakamoto
7.8/10329 votes#4 - Dark Territory
Season 4 Episode 4 - Aired 11/3/2019
Shasta, commander of the Dark Territory's dark knights, had intended to use Administrator's death as a chance for peace with the Human Empire. But his plans are thwarted by Emperor Vecta's return to the land of darkness.
Director: Takashi Sakuma, Naomi Nakayama
Writer: Yukito Kizawa
7.8/10323 votes#5 - The Night Before Battle
Season 4 Episode 5 - Aired 11/10/2019
Resolved to fight for humankind, Alice joins the forces of the Human Empire, bringing Kirito with her. But while the forces of darkness boast overwhelming numbers, only thirteen Integrity Knights are available to fight for the Human Empire.
Director: N/A
Writer: Yukito Kizawa
8.4/10376 votes#6 - Battle of the Knights
Season 4 Episode 6 - Aired 11/17/2019
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
8.0/10314 votes#7 - Stigma of the Disqualified
Season 4 Episode 7 - Aired 11/24/2019
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
8.2/10323 votes#8 - Blood and Life
Season 4 Episode 8 - Aired 12/1/2019
The powerful formal art unleashed by the Integrity Knight Alice inflicts severe casualties on the forces of darkness. Alice encounters an enemy survivor and learns that Emperor Vecta's objective is to find the "Priestess of Light."
Director: Shunsuke Nakashige
Writer: Muneo Nakamoto
8.6/10399 votes#9 - Sword and Fist
Season 4 Episode 9 - Aired 12/8/2019
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
8.0/10336 votes#10 - Stacia, the Goddess of Creation
Season 4 Episode 10 - Aired 12/15/2019
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
8.1/10331 votes#11 - Heartless Choice
Season 4 Episode 11 - Aired 12/22/2019
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: N/A
Writer: Muneo Nakamoto
8.3/10365 votes#12 - Ray of Light
Season 4 Episode 12 - Aired 12/29/2019
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.
Director: Shunsuke Nakashige, Kenji Seto
Writer: Muneo Nakamoto
7.7/10323 votes#13 - The War of Underworld
Season 4 Episode 13 - Aired 7/12/2020
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
8.7/10451 votes#14 - End to Eternity
Season 4 Episode 14 - Aired 7/19/2020
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
7.7/10276 votes#15 - Instigation
Season 4 Episode 15 - Aired 7/26/2020
Bercouli pursues Vecta, who’s abducted Alice. After a long, vicious battle, Bercouli unleashes his secret sword skill, Uragiri, and finally defeats Vecta, despite having sustained severe injuries himself.
Director: Takehiro Miura
Writer: Muneo Nakamoto
7.4/10273 votes#16 - Code 871
Season 4 Episode 16 - Aired 8/2/2020
The traitor inside Rath turns out to be a researcher named Yanai. When Higa attempts to restore Kirito, Yanai tries to thwart the operation by holding him at gunpoint. Meanwhile, in the Underworld, Sinon confronts Gabriel, who has logged back in.
Director: Takashi Sakuma
Writer: Kohei Urushibara
7.9/10300 votes#17 - Prince of Hell
Season 4 Episode 17 - Aired 8/9/2020
Asuna and the others succumb to Vassago and the Chinese/Korean players. Discovering the catatonic Kirito, Vassago kicks his wheelchair over. Enraged, Klein lunges at Vassago, only to be pinned down by enemy players. Just then, someone unexpected appears.
Director: Akira Yamada
Writer: Muneo Nakamoto
8.5/10379 votes#18 - Memories
Season 4 Episode 18 - Aired 8/16/2020
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
8.2/10337 votes#19 - Awakening
Season 4 Episode 19 - Aired 8/23/2020
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: N/A
Writer: Kohei Urushibara
8.3/10345 votes#20 - The Night-Sky Blade
Season 4 Episode 20 - Aired 8/30/2020
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
7.2/10262 votes#21 - Beyond Time
Season 4 Episode 21 - Aired 9/6/2020
The maximum-acceleration phase has begun. Alice successfully logs out of the Underworld, but Kirito doesn’t make it in time. In the real world, Higa and Kikuoka rush to shut down the STL, in order to disable the maximum-acceleration phase, but…
Director: Tomonari Tanaka
Writer: Muneo Nakamoto
7.5/10261 votes#22 - Alice
Season 4 Episode 22 - Aired 9/13/2020
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
7.5/10290 votes#23 - New World
Season 4 Episode 23 - Aired 9/20/2020
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
The Best Episodes of Sword Art Online Season 4
Every episode of Sword Art Online Season 4 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Sword Art Online Season 4!
In the near future, a Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (VRMMORPG) called Sword Art Online has been released where players control their avatars...
Genres:AnimationSci-Fi & FantasyAction & Adventure
Season 4 Ratings Summary
"In the Far North" is the best rated episode of "Sword Art Online" season 4. It scored 7.9/10 based on 395 votes. Directed by Takashi Sakuma and written by Muneo Nakamoto, it aired on 10/13/2019. This episode is rated 0.2 points higher than the second-best, "Raids".