Season 2 begins with the "Phantom Bullet" Arc, a full year after the SAO incident. The threat is real: anyone who dies in the game dies in real life, and all 100 floors must be cleared in order to escape the game and return to the real world. It's filled with exciting battles and heartbreaking deaths - love even blossoms in the midst of the life-or-death struggle. "Aincrad" introduces protagonist Kazuto "Kirito" Kirigaya, who in November 2022 is trapped, along with 10,000 other players, within the VR world of Sword Art Online. The first season that started it all is split into two arcs: the "Aincrad" Arc and the "Fairy Dance" Arc. RELATED: War of Underworld Brings Back One of SAO's Most Despicable Villains Season 1: Sword Art Online (Aincrad/Fairy Dance) Here's a breakdown of the full SAO timeline and the best order in which to watch it. The fantasy sci-fi series has captured the imaginations of viewers across the world with its adventures through different game worlds and often blurs the lines between virtual reality and real life.Īs the series continues to grow, it can be intimidating to newcomers with its unique timeline and lengthy titles for story arcs and films. Based on the popular light novels by Reki Kawahara, Sword Art Online is one of the best-known anime of the past decade.