Sword Art Online: Alicization (2018)

Sword Art Online: Alicization is the third season of the anime series Sword Art Online, produced by studio A-1 Pictures based on the light novels by Reki Kawahara. It adapts the "Alicization" arc (volumes 9–14) and aired from October 7, 2018 to March 30, 2019. The season consists of 24 episodes.

Plot

After the "Death Gun" incident, Kirito (Kazuto Kirigaya) receives an offer from the company Rath to participate in testing a new full-dive technology, the Soul Translator. He finds himself in the virtual world of Underworld, where time flows 1000 times faster than in reality. Kirito meets a boy named Eugeo and a girl named Alice, who live in the village of Rulid. Together they set out for the Central Cathedral to save Alice, who was taken by the Integrity Knights. Gradually, Kirito realizes that Underworld is not just a game, but an experiment in creating artificial intelligence "bottom-up", where the inhabitants have real souls. The season ends with an epic battle against the Administrator, after which Kirito loses contact with the real world.

Main Characters and Voice Actors

• Kazuto Kirigaya / Kirito — Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
• Eugeo — Nobunaga Shimazaki
• Alice Synthesis Thirty — Ai Kayano
• Asuna Yuuki — Haruka Tomatsu
• Administrator — Maaya Sakamoto
• Cardinal — Sakura Tange
• Eydis Synthesis Ten — Yuka Terasaki
• Bercouli Synthesis One — Junichi Suwabe
• Fanatio Synthesis Two — Hitomi Nabatame
• Deusolbert Synthesis Seven — Hiroaki Hirata
• Sheyta Synthesis Twelve — Lynn
• Ronye Arabel — Reina Kondo
• Tiese Shtolienen — Haruka Ishida
• Selena Schuberg — Aoi Yuki
• Seijiro Kikuoka — Takehito Koyasu

Crew

• Director — Manabu Ono
• Screenwriter — Yukito Kizawa
• Composer — Yuki Kajiura
• Character Designer — Shingo Adachi
• Studio — A-1 Pictures

Sword Art Online Franchise Chronology

• Sword Art Online (2012) — 25 episodes. The first season, covering the "Aincrad" and "Alfheim" arcs. Kirito is trapped in a deadly VRMMORPG where death in the game means death in reality.
• Sword Art Online: Extra Edition (2013) — a special episode summarizing the first season with new scenes.
• Sword Art Online II (2014) — 24 episodes. The second season, arcs "Phantom Bullet", "Calibur", and "Mother's Rosario". Kirito investigates the mysterious player Death Gun in the game Gun Gale Online.
• Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale (2017) — a feature film. Events take place between the second and third seasons. The new AR game Ordinal Scale threatens players' memories.
• Sword Art Online: Alicization (2018–2019) — 24 episodes. The first part of the third season, described above.
• Sword Art Online: Alicization — War of Underworld (2019–2020) — 23 episodes. The second part of the third season. War between the human empire and the Dark Territory, Kirito in a vegetative state, the final battle for Underworld.
• Sword Art Online: Progressive — Aria of a Starless Night (2021) — a feature film. A retelling of the first arc from Asuna's perspective.
• Sword Art Online: Progressive — Scherzo of Deep Night (2022) — a feature film. Continuation of Progressive, the fifth floor of Aincrad.
• Sword Art Online: Integral Domain (planned for 2028) — a new original feature film, events after Alicization.

Where to Watch

• Crunchyroll — official streaming with subtitles and dubbing: Sword Art Online: Alicization on Crunchyroll
• Aniplex of America — licensee in North America, releases Blu-ray/DVD.
• Wakanim — available in some European regions (France, Russia, etc.).
• iQIYI — available in some regions: Sword Art Online -Alicization on iQIYI
• UAKino — search in Ukrainian: Search on UAKino

Note: availability may depend on region.