Sword Art Online Alicization

Sword Art Online: Alicization is the third season of the Sword Art Online anime television series, based on the light novel series written by Reki Kawahara. It was produced by A-1 Pictures and directed by Manabu Ono. It covers the first part of the "Alicization" arc, adapting from the novel's ninth volume, Alicization Beginning, to the fourteenth volume, Alicization Uniting. The second part of the anime, titled Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld, adapts from the novel's fifteenth volume, Alicization Invading, to the eighteenth volume, Alicization Lasting. The story takes place after Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale and incorporates elements from the film. The first part premiered on October 7, 2018, and the second part premiered on October 13, 2019, with a broadcast delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The series follows Kirito's entanglement in a virtual world called "Underworld" where he encounters new characters and experiences a series of thrilling adventures and battles. The Alicization arc delves deeply into the ethics of artificial intelligence, consciousness, and virtual reality, making it one of the longest and most complex story arcs in the series.