Sword Art Online (2012)
Kernel Score: 87% · 2,045 ratings
Genres: Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure
First aired: 2012-07-08
Seasons: 4 · 96 episodes
Where to watch Sword Art Online
- Stream: Hulu, Crunchyroll
- Buy: Apple TV, Google Play
US availability, updated 2026-10-23.
Overview
In the near future, a Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (VRMMORPG) called Sword Art Online has been released where players control their avatars with their bodies using a piece of technology called Nerve Gear. One day, players discover they cannot log out, as the game creator is holding them captive unless they reach the 100th floor of the game's tower and defeat the final boss. However, if they die in the game, they die in real life. Their struggle for survival starts now...
Sword Art Online parents' guide: ages 14+
Parents need to know that Sword Art Online is a TV-MA anime about players trapped in a deadly virtual reality game where death is real.
- Violence & scariness: Strong — Death-match survival stakes in a virtual game where in-game death is fatal in real life, rated TV-MA.
Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from the official TV-MA rating, publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.
Shows like Sword Art Online
If you liked Sword Art Online, these are the shows we'd watch next.
- Log Horizon (2013) — 82%
- Overlord (2015) — 90%
- Full Dive: This Ultimate Next-Gen Full Dive RPG Is Even Shittier Than Real Life! (2021) — 83%
- Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody (2018) — 84%
- Shangri-La Frontier (2023) — 84%
- Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online (2018) — 82%
- Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest (2019) — 88%
- Solo Leveling (2024) — 91%
Cast
- Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Kirito (voice)
- Haruka Tomatsu as Asuna (voice)
- Hiroaki Hirata as Klein (voice)
- Ai Kayano as Alice Synthesis Thirty (voice)
- Rina Hidaka as Silica (voice)
- Hiroki Yasumoto as Agil (voice)
- Isshin Chiba as Critter (voice
- Kaori Maeda as Selka (voice)
- Taku Yashiro as Iskahn (voice)
- Yuhko Kaida as Dee Eye Ell (voice)
Sword Art Online FAQ
Is Sword Art Online good?
Sword Art Online has an 87% Kernel Score on Fresh Kernels from 2,045 audience ratings.
Where can I watch Sword Art Online?
In the US you can stream Sword Art Online on Hulu and Crunchyroll and buy it from Apple TV and Google Play.
Is Sword Art Online OK for kids?
Sword Art Online is rated TV-MA. Fresh Kernels suggests ages 14+. Parents need to know that Sword Art Online is a TV-MA anime about players trapped in a deadly virtual reality game where death is real.
What shows are like Sword Art Online?
If you liked Sword Art Online, try Log Horizon, Overlord, Full Dive: This Ultimate Next-Gen Full Dive RPG Is Even Shittier Than Real Life! and Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody.