Sword Art Online: Alicization will begin airing in the fall of 2018 and will run for four seasons! This time, the main character, Kirigaya Kazuto, also known as Kirito, dives into a new virtual world called the Underworld! The first episode of the anime shows Kirito's childhood in the Underworld... What does that mean? What is Kirito like in the real world? We'll be revealing all the details you need to know!
Who is Kirito?
Source: Sword Art Online © Reki Kawahara/ASCII Media Works/SAO Project
First, a brief introduction to Kirito for those who have never seen the SAO series. Kirito is his in-game nickname; his real name is Kazuto Kirigaya. He is an SAO survivor, a death game in which if his HP runs out in the game, his brain is burned and he dies in real life.
The Black Swordsman.
Kirito, who played an active role in SAO, was nicknamed the "Black Swordsman" due to his all-black clothing and sword. His kind-hearted nature and strength led him to become embroiled in various incidents and even drew the attention of a murderous guild called "Laughing Coffin." Even though Kirito claimed it was self-defense, he has been haunted by the fact that he killed three members of the Laughing Coffin ever since. And he and the Laughing Coffin have maintained a feud ever since...
He's so popular!
Source: Sword Art Online © Reki Kawahara/ASCII Media Works/SAO Project
Kirito is incredibly popular! In SAO, he and Asuna Yuuki, also known as Asuna, are attracted to each other and marry in the game. They later become lovers in real life, and it's no exaggeration to say that every girl he meets falls in love with him. He has a lot of popular qualities, such as his tendency to say some cheesy things naturally, his desperate attempts to protect his party members, and of course his handsome and well-proportioned face... There's no way Kirito wouldn't be popular!
The Story of the Underworld
Source: Sword Art Online © Reki Kawahara/ASCII Media Works/SAO Project
Kirito was working part-time as a test subject for the new Full Dive Vehicle, thanks to an introduction from Seijiro Kikuoka of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, who questioned him after the SAO incident. Then, one day, on his way home from talking to Asuna and Sinon about his part-time job, Kirito is injected with a poison in front of Asuna by Johnny Black, a survivor of the Death Gun Incident and a member of Laughing Coffin, and goes into cardiac arrest...
Kirito in a coma...
While investigating Kirito's destination, Asuna and her friends arrive at Ocean Turtle, a RATH research facility where Kirito was working as a test subject for a new Full Dive machine. There, they meet Kikuoka and learn that a new Full Dive machine is being used to treat Kirito, who remains in a coma.
Kirito wakes up from his unconscious state to find himself in a forest with a large tree... He has made a Full Dive into the Underworld.
A memory that shouldn't exist.
Source: Sword Art Online © Reki Kawahara/ASCII Media Works/SAO Project
Kirito grew up peacefully with his childhood friends Eugeo and Alice in the village of Rulid, located at the northern end of the Underworld. However, one day, Alice was arrested by the Integrity Knights for trespassing on the Dark Territory, a forbidden territory... It was a memory that Kirito, who grew up in the real world, should not have had.
Are those memories fake?
Where did these memories come from? They were memories of Kirito's time in the Underworld, during a three-day full-dive as part-time work. Time flows differently in the Underworld and the real world, and while only a few hours or days have passed in reality, Kirito has actually spent years in the Underworld.
Reuniting with Eugeo.
Source: Sword Art Online © Reki Kawahara/ASCII Media Works/SAO Project
The first boy Kirito meets after waking up in the Underworld is his childhood friend, Eugeo. The two then leave the village to rescue their childhood friend, Alice. Attending the Sword Training Academy with the goal of becoming an Integrity Knight, Eugeo showed his natural talent and was promoted to a higher rank than Kirito, even becoming able to apprentice alongside the two of them.
Reunion with Alice.
Source: Sword Art Online © Reki Kawahara/ASCII Media Works/SAO Project
One day, two apprentice attendants, Ronie and Tiese, are threatened with violence by a nobleman. Trying to protect them, Eugeo slashes at the nobleman. Kirito and Eugeo have become criminals, and the person who arrives to take them away is an Integrity Knight who calls herself Alice Synthesis Thirty and looks just like Kirito's childhood friend, Alice.
Farewell to Eugeo.
Source: Sword Art Online © Reki Kawahara/ASCII Media Works/SAO Project
After being taken away by Alice, Kirito and Eugeo head for the top floor of the White Tower, where Administrator, the high priest of the Axiom Church and ruler of the Underworld, resides. Along the way, Kirito and Alice end up being thrown out of the tower after a fierce battle, leaving Eugeo alone inside the tower. After a conversation with Kirito, Alice becomes suspicious of the Administrator and chooses to fight alongside Kirito and his men.
【Sword of the Night Sky】
Kirito and Alice clamber around the outside of the tower, aiming for the top floor, while Eugeo climbs alone through the tower. However, after facing numerous formidable foes, Eugeo is captured and brainwashed by the Administrator's allies. Although he points his sword at Kirito, Kirito's words bring him to his senses, and he launches a suicidal attack in the face of the Administrator's overwhelming strength.
Fatally wounded, Eugeo encourages Kirito until his last moments, naming Kirito's unnamed black sword the "Sword of the Night Sky." Eugeo, the kindest of all, dies with the message that he wants Kirito to embrace this small world as gently as the night sky.
Defeat the Administrator!
Source: Sword Art Online © Reki Kawahara/ASCII Media Works/SAO Project
Kirito took the Red Rose Sword left behind by Eugeo and defeated the Administrator. However, the shock of losing Eugeo left him deeply traumatized and he fell into a state of insanity. Alice chose to live with Kirito. At the same time, in the real world, the RATH research facility where Kirito is located is invaded by American soldier Gabriel Miller, putting him in a difficult situation.
I want to help Kirito!
Source: Sword Art Online © Reki Kawahara/ASCII Media Works/SAO Project
Kirito has been driven into a difficult situation in the real world, and in order to save him, Asuna, Sinon, Leafa, and others who have helped Kirito in the past also dive into the Underworld! This really shows how much Kirito is loved by those around him. However, the final stress test, the Underworld Battle, had already begun in the Underworld...
Kirito's Resurrection!
With so much love from everyone, there's no way Kirito wouldn't be revived! Even Eugeo would be sad if Kirito remained a wreck forever... Learning that Gabriel and his allies are after Alice, Kirito fights with all his might to help her escape to the real world. He defeats Gabriel, bringing the Underworld Battle to a safe conclusion.
Kirito the King?
Source: Sword Art Online © Reki Kawahara/ASCII Media Works/SAO Project
Kirito decides to remain in the Underworld for a while, rather than returning to the real world, in order to rebuild it. Upon learning this, Asuna decides without hesitation to stay with Kirito in the Underworld. After defeating the forces of darkness in the Underworld Battle, Kirito becomes king, and Asuna becomes queen. However, in reality, Kirito was just hanging out with the people of the Underworld and leaving the monarchy to Asuna. lol
Also, Alice, who escaped to the real world during the Underworld battle, waited for Kirito's return throughout the 200 years that Kirito and Asuna spent in the Underworld.
Asuna and Alice.
Source: Sword Art Online © Reki Kawahara/ASCII Media Works/SAO Project
After spending a lot of time with Kirito in the Underworld, Alice falls deeply in love with him, and the moment he returns to the real world, she drops everything to go and see him. Of course, in real life, Kirito is devoted to Asuna, but he has a hard time dealing with Alice, who is overly aggressive and often puts her at odds with Asuna. Will the day ever come when Asuna and Alice become friends? lol
Kirito Summary!
Source: Sword Art Online © Reki Kawahara/ASCII Media Works/SAO Project
What did you think of all the information we've shared about Kirito in Alicization? In previous SAO series, Kirito has often faced close calls, such as dying in the real world if his HP runs out in the virtual world, or being ambushed in the real world. In Alicization, he starts off on the edge, so you can't let your guard down right from the start!
In previous series, Kirito has often fought alongside girls, but this time he fights alongside Eugeo, and his scenes are cool, so be sure to check them out! It looks like this is going to be a year we can't take our eyes off Alicization.
