Sword Art Online Watch Order

This small and precise Sword Art Online Watch Order will help you to watch SAO in the best possible way, just like the Monogatari Watch Order, Durarara!! Watch Order & The Seven Deadly Sins Watch Order.

The anime started off in 2012 on Tokyo MX. Subsequently, MBS, RKB, AT-X, and other Japanese networks picked up the series to broadcast. A-1 Pictures served as a developer of the adaptation. Aniplex acted as a licensor of the series in North America. SAO aired on Adult Swim in the US.

The world of Virtual Reality is pretty amazing when we think about the experiences we can gather just by lying on our bed. This animation will not only fill teenagers with intrigue but also adults.

Season 1 of SAO has received a positive response from the target audience. According to the data of MyAnimeList, the first season of the series has a score of 7.22/10 ~ 1,600,000+ votes. Season 2 of the anime debuted in July 2014. The second season was a success as well, given the positive statistics on MAL, 6.73/10 ~ 1,000,000+ votes. The season concluded in December of 2014. Sword Art Online Season 3 debuted on October 7, 2018. The 3rd season currently has a score of 7.56/10 based on ~ 400,000+ according to MyAnimeList.

SAO is the leader in the “Virtual Reality” genre of anime, and, hence as a result has produced anime, manga, movies, specials series, games, and whatnot. Although it has its flaws and hated by most of the audience, you can still enjoy it. But it has a particular order to follow and that way you can enjoy it to the fullest.

But don’t you worry, we’ve got the best Sword Art Online watch order guide for you. If you follow this order, you’ll have a great watch. So, let’s dive right into it.

Sword Art Online Release Watch Order

I. TV Series

Season 1: Sword Art Online (2012)
Season 2: Sword Art Online II (2014)
Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online (2018)
Season 3, Part 1: Sword Art Online: Alicization (2018–19)
Season 3, Part 2: Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld (2019–20)
Season 3, Part 3: Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld Part 2 (2020)

II. Movies

Sword Art Online: Extra Edition (2013)
Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale (2017)

III. ONAs

Sword Art Online Fatal Bullet: The Third Episode – Pilot-ban (2018)

IV. Specials

Sword Art Online: Sword Art Offline (2013)
Sword Art Online: Extra Edition (2013)
Sword Art Online: Sword Art Offline – Extra Edition (2014)
Sword Art Online II: Debriefing (2014)
Sword Art Online II: Sword Art Offline II (2014)
Sword Art Online Movie: Ordinal Scale – Sword Art Offline (2017)
Sword Art Online Fatal Bullet: The Third Episode (2018)
Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online – Refrain (2018)
Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld Reflection (2018)
Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld Recap (2020)

V. Upcoming Series

Sword Art Online: Progressive (2021)

Sword Art Online Chronological Watch Order (Recommended)

Season 1: Sword Art Online
Sword Art Online: Extra Edition
Season 2: Sword Art Online II
Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online
Sword Art Online Movie: Ordinal Scale
Season 3, Part 1: Sword Art Online: Alicization
Season 3, Part 2: Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld
Season 3, Part 3: Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld Season 2

Where To Watch Sword Art Online

Watch Sword Art Online on:

Sword Art Online Action

The setting of the anime is the virtual reality world. The story is happening in the near future, where the technology moved to another level, allowing thereby for complete integration with the game process. The first VR game made using this engine was Sword Art Online (SAO). The day of launching promised to be the greatest in the whole game industry. Thousands of gamers connected their VR to join the MMORPG.

However, an unpleasant surprise awaited them in the new virtual world. To exit the game, the players will have to pass through all of a hundred levels. If anyone would attempt to log out, this player must die in the natural world. Thus, ten thousand gamers logged in found themselves in a trap.

Kazuto Kirigaya, nicknamed “Kirito,” was among them. To exit the game, he will have to use all his skills, cooperate with the allies, and deal with foes, in an attempt to survive. Fortunately, Kirito is an experienced player as he served as a beta-tester of the game for a while. This advantage allows him to rapidly becoming a leader, despite the fact that he used to play the games alone. He teams up with Asuna, who later becomes his wife. Their joint mission is to free all the players to allow them to exit the game. The subsequent story follows Kirito’s adventures in the virtual world.