The End of Sword Art Online

Today, November 7 at 14:55 JST, marks the day Kirito beat Sword Art Online (SAO)! For fans, today is more than just an anniversary; it’s a reminder of why we fell in love with this world and its characters.

The Deeper Meaning

The Aincrad arc is the namesake of the show - players are trapped in a virtual reality MMORPG where if they die in the game, they die in real life.

However, SAO isn’t really about the death game; it’s about the blurred lines between technology and reality… and how they affect the main cast.

Clearing the death game only sets the stage for the virtual worlds that follow: Alfheim Online (ALO), Gun Gale Online (GGO), the Underworld, and Unital Ring.

In Season 1 (2012), we see the effect of being granted immense freedom at the cost of facing powerful, corrupt, and perverted game administrators. Who really pulls the strings behind the tech we’re so deeply embedded in today? Will anyone release an open-source SDK to build games like SAO?

In Season 2 (2014), we explore how technology can serve as a force for psychological care. Kirito and Sinon begin to overcome their trauma by confronting their pasts in GGO. Yuuki, while in palliative care, makes her way into the history books of ALO.

Most recently, in Season 3 (2018-2020), the Japanese government starts Project Alicization to develop AGI agents in the Underworld. How would you control consciousness, memories, and morality in lines of code? This feels especially relevant today, with the current AI boom and the restrictions now being applied to chatbots we use.

Kirito

Here is the top Urban Dictionary definition of Kirito:

To be incredibly overpowered compared to the average person; to solo 30-man raid bosses using a single skill; a loner who acts independently of others; to not follow the meta game

While written as a joke, I’d argue that to master a skill or prepare for a crucial event, your work should feel like overkill. If there are moments where you lose yourself in it, you’re doing it right. From my own experience, with how intense software engineering interviews are today, you need to know your field inside-out and find a way to stand out. It’s necessary to be a Kirito nowadays in an increasingly competitive market.

There are lesser-known traits about Kirito that are admirable as well. For example, one quote that speaks volumes about his character is:

I’d rather trust and regret, than doubt and regret.

That bias for action and lack of hesitation is inspiring. Getting started is often the hardest part, and I’ve seen that quality in many great engineers I’ve worked with.

One last thing people often overlook is how much Kirito shows emotion throughout the anime. Despite his tough demeanor, he regrets a lot of his actions and feels deeply when losing people he cares about. It’s hard to keep a straight face all the time.

Music and Cinematics

Objectively top-notch! Crossing Field, ANIMA, and ADAMAS are easily songs you can listen to hundreds of times. The fight scenes consistently give you goosebumps and keep you on the edge of your seat.

Here is the official Spotify playlist!

Closing Remarks

Most of my life revolves around computer programming now, but I would never have become a programmer without SAO’s influence. It seems funny looking back, since the Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest we have now are so far from Full-Dive technology, but at the time, I believed that any skill that could help us get there was worth pursuing.

I’m looking forward to A-1 Pictures adapting Unital Ring, where every virtual world is going to merge into an intense survival game and the gang restarts from Level 1.

The light novels are still being written, leaving many questions unanswered. When will Kirito tie the knot with Asuna IRL? Will they stay in Japan or move to the U.S. for college? One thing is for certain: they’re going to keep gaming, whether they like it or not.