The Worst Episodes of Sword Art Online
Every episode of Sword Art Online ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Sword Art Online!
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 with their bodies using a piece of technology called Nerve Gear. One day, players discover they cannot log out, as the game creator is holding them captive unless they reach the 100th floor of the game's tower and defeat the final boss. However, if they die in the game, they die in real life. Their struggle for survival starts now...
Lowest Rated Episodes Summary
The worst episode of "Sword Art Online" is "The Seal of the Right Eye", rated 5.9/10 from 241 user votes. It was directed by N/A and written by Yukito Kizawa. "The Seal of the Right Eye" aired on 2/24/2019 and is rated 0.3 point(s) lower than the second lowest rated, "The Queen of the Lake".
5.9/10 241 votes#1 - The Seal of the Right Eye
Season 3 Episode 19 - Aired 2/24/2019
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: N/A
Writer: Yukito Kizawa
6.2/10 458 votes#2 - The Queen of the Lake
Season 2 Episode 15 - Aired 10/18/2014
It's reported that the Holy Sword Excalibur has been discovered inside ALO. Hearing the news, Kirito and Leafa decide to take possession of Excalibur before other players get to it first.
Director: Shu Watanabe
Writer: Muneo Nakamoto, Atsushi Takayama
6.5/10 444 votes#3 - The King of the Giants
Season 2 Episode 16 - Aired 10/25/2014
Kirito and the others are tasked with subjugating the Frost King Thrymr, and a quest to recover Excalibur. It's Yui's guess that this isn't a quest planned by the game admins, but something automatically generated by the system. And if that's the case…
Director: Hidetoshi Takahashi
Writer: Muneo Nakamoto, Ryousuke Suzuki
6.7/10 672 votes#4 - To the World Tree
Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 11/4/2012
Leafa is making enemies leaving her area and group to team up with Kirito. On their way to neutral Territory, they speak more of the rules and areas of the ALO.
Director: N/A
Writer: Yukito Kizawa
6.7/10 667 votes#5 - The Truth about Alfheim
Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 11/25/2012
While Asuna continues her attempt to escape, another woman in Kirito’s life tries to make sense of her emotions.
Director: Ho Pyeon-gang
Writer: Muneo Nakamoto
6.7/10 439 votes#6 - Excalibur
Season 2 Episode 17 - Aired 11/1/2014
Kirito and the others are taking on Thrymr, the Boss lurking at the bottom level of the dungeon. But unable to make much of a dent in Thrymr's HP, they soon find themselves in grave danger. Just then, their new ally, Freyja, raises her voice…
Director: Hirokazu Yamada
Writer: Yukie Sugawara
6.8/10 460 votes#7 - Crimson Memories
Season 2 Episode 7 - Aired 8/16/2014
The man in the ragged cloak is an SAO survivor, and he might also be a player Kirito fought with to the death... This thought consumes Kirito, and his anguish is palpable - to the point that it worries Suguha.
Director: Shu Watanabe
Writer: Yukito Kizawa
6.8/10 429 votes#8 - Forest House
Season 2 Episode 18 - Aired 11/8/2014
In an upcoming update of ALO, Floors 21-30 of New Aincrad will be unlocked. Asuna, Kirito and Yui revisit their dream of once again living together in their log cabin on Floor 22.
Director: N/A
Writer: Muneo Nakamoto
7.0/10 668 votes#9 - Captive Queen
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 10/28/2012
As Kirito learns about the game from Leafa and the hatred between the races, Asuna learns the truth of her role from the Fairy King.
Director: N/A
Writer: Yoshikazu Mukai
7.0/10 656 votes#10 - The Lugru Corridor
Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 11/11/2012
Something isn’t right; Recon has sent Leafa a message “I was right. Be careful. S." What does he mean and will Leafa and Kirito have the time to figure it out?
Director: Ho Pyeon-gang
Writer: Shuji Iriyama
7.1/10 823 votes#11 - The Girl of Morning Dew
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 9/16/2012
The newly married couple is enjoying their time away from the front lines. But a new guest will take them all the way back to the beginning.
Director: Ho Pyeon-gang
Writer: Yukie Sugawara
7.1/10 693 votes#12 - Land of the Fairies
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 10/21/2012
A new MMO allows users to fly and encourages player killing. Kirito has joined this new game in search of Asuna and is pleasantly surprised with what he finds.
Director: Yasuyuki Fuse
Writer: Yukie Sugawara
7.1/10 591 votes#13 - The World of Guns
Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 7/5/2014
A year has passed since SAO was cleared. Summoned by Kikuoka of the Virtual Division at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Kazuto learns of a series of bizarre murders linked to the popular VR game, Gun Gale Online (GGO), the only game in Japan played by pros.
Director: Tomohiko Ito
Writer: Tomohiko Ito
7.1/10 487 votes#14 - Memories of Blood
Season 2 Episode 3 - Aired 7/19/2014
In real life, the player Sinon is a high school student named Shino Asada. On her way home from school, she’s dragged into an alley by delinquent girls. Their leader, Endo, tries to extort money from Shino, but she bravely refuses.
Director: N/A
Writer: Muneo Nakamoto
7.2/10 737 votes#15 - Return
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 10/14/2012
Kirigaya is adjusting to his life outside of the game, but he hasn't forgotten about Asuna. A recent visit to her in the hospital, he meets Sugou Nobuyuki.
Director: N/A
Writer: Muneo Nakamoto
7.2/10 449 votes#16 - What It Means To Be Strong
Season 2 Episode 11 - Aired 9/13/2014
After escaping from Death Gun, Kirito and Sinon lay low in a desert cave. There, Kirito speculates on how Death Gun murdered other players. In doing so, he hits upon a certain terrifying possibility.
Director: N/A
Writer: Muneo Nakamoto
7.2/10 428 votes#17 - Zekken
Season 2 Episode 19 - Aired 11/15/2014
Hearing rumors about a brilliant player known as Zekken, Asuna decides to mount a challenge. But when Asuna logs out, she is told by her mother to take an exam to transfer into an academically oriented high school.
Director: Shigeki Kawai
Writer: Muneo Nakamoto
7.2/10 428 votes#18 - The Sleeping Knights
Season 2 Episode 20 - Aired 11/22/2014
Asuna is asked to help the guild “Sleeping Knights,” which has decided to disband soon due to the members’ circumstances. Before they do, they want to defeat a Floor Boss with only their party.
Director: N/A
Writer: Muneo Nakamoto, Ryousuke Suzuki
7.3/10 871 votes#19 - Murder in the Safe Zone
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 8/5/2012
A player has been killed inside a safe zone and not by the known means. Asuna and Krito take it upon themselves to find out how and why this is happening.
Director: Yasuyuki Fuse
Writer: Yukito Kizawa
7.3/10 455 votes#20 - One Little Step
Season 2 Episode 14 - Aired 10/4/2014
Kyouji attacks Shino, saying he'll kill himself after she's dead. Kazuto saves her at the last second by jumping Kyouji. During the fight, Kazuto is hit with Kyouji's poison syringe, but miraculously it doesn't work and Kirito is saved. The next day Kazuto and Shino go to meet Kikuoka, and discuss the incident. Kikuoka has a message from one of the captured Death Guns...
Director: Tomohiko Ito
Writer: Yukie Sugawara
7.3/10 342 votes#21 - Ocean Turtle
Season 3 Episode 5 - Aired 11/4/2018
In the real world, Kazuto Kirigaya lies unconscious. At Kikuoka’s request, Kazuto is moved to a well-equipped hospital, but when Asuna and Suguha try to visit, they’re turned away. Suspicious, Asuna and the others split up to find out more about Rath.
Director: Koji Kobayashi
Writer: Yukito Kizawa
7.3/10 322 votes#22 - Ruler and Mediator
Season 3 Episode 13 - Aired 1/6/2019
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
Writer: Muneo Nakamoto, Yukito Kizawa
7.3/10 258 votes#23 - 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
7.4/10 838 votes#24 - Illusionary Avenger
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 8/12/2012
Kirito has figured out the how and now he has to figure out the why.
Director: N/A
Writer: Yukito Kizawa
7.4/10 671 votes#25 - General of the Blazing Flame
Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 11/18/2012
Kirito and Leafa have made it to the meeting and Kirito’s bluff as an ambassador has been called out. If he can survive in a fight against the Salamanders General Eugene, his plan to prevent a war might work.
Director: Makoto Hoshino
Writer: Naoki Shouji