Sword Art Online

One film sits between two seasons and is not optional, and one pair of films retells the first arc from scratch.

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Where to start with Sword Art Online

Watch the 2012 series, then Sword Art Online II, then the film Ordinal Scale, then Alicization. Release order is correct for this franchise. The only real decisions are where the films go and whether to bother with Progressive, and both are easy once somebody tells you.

  1. 1
    Sword Art Online, 25 episodes Sword Art Online

    Covers two arcs, Aincrad in episodes 1 to 14 and Fairy Dance in 15 to 25. The tone shift between them is abrupt and is not a sign you have skipped something.

  2. 2
    Sword Art Online II, 24 episodes Sword Art Online II

    Three arcs across one run. The recap labelled 14.5 contains no new material, and some streaming services renumber everything after it by one, so expect episode numbers to disagree with your list.

  3. 3
    Ordinal Scale Sword Art Online the Movie: Ordinal Scale

    The 2017 film is set between season two and Alicization, and Alicization picks up shortly after it. Treating it as a skippable side film is the most common mistake made with this franchise.

Then what? Then Alicization, 24 episodes, followed by War of Underworld in its two parts, 12 episodes in 2019 and 11 in 2020. That is the current end of the main line until the announced film Integral Domain. The Progressive films are a separate matter: they retell the first Aincrad year in far more detail from Asuna's point of view, they are only two films deep and cover floors 1 and 5, and they are best watched after the 2012 series rather than instead of it.

A suggested way in, not an official one. The full list is below: tick anything off in either place.

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The main line

  • Sword Art Online 2012, 1 season, 25 episodes
  • Sword Art Online: Extra Edition 2013
  • Sword Art Online II 2014, 1 season, 24 episodes
  • Sword Art Online the Movie: Ordinal Scale 2017
  • Sword Art Online: Alicization 2018, 1 season, 24 episodes
  • Sword Art Online: Alicization, Recollection 2019
  • Sword Art Online: Alicization, War of Underworld 2019, 2 seasons, 23 episodes
  • Sword Art Online: Alicization, Reflection 2019
  • Sword Art Online: Alicization, Reminiscence 2020
  • Sword Art Online the Movie: Integral Domain 2028, not out yet

Progressive: the first arc told again

  • Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night 2021
  • Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night 2022

Spin-offs

  • Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online 2018, 2 seasons, 24 episodes
  • Sword Art Online: Unanswered//butterfly 2026

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