Ever since the dawn of video games, people have dreamed of somehow entering the world of their favorite game and living the experiences they love firsthand. For better or worse, that’s exactly what Kirito gets as he enters the world of Aincrad in one of the most well-known isekai anime: Sword Art Online.
Ever since its release in 2012, Sword Art Online, also known as SAO, has had numerous seasons, movies, shorts, and a spin-off series. The franchise has even made a couple of games. Because of this, it can be confusing for new watchers to find out what to watch first. Here’s the proper Sword Art Online watch order to help you start off the series.
Sword Art Online Recommended Watch Order
The best way to watch Sword Art Online is to follow the release order of each entry. The only thing that might confuse you is the last two movies. They return to the first season and reveal new events and information about it.
- Sword Art Online (Season 1)
- Sword Art Offline (Chibi Shorts)
- Sword Art Online Extra Edition (Recap Special)
- Sword Art Offline: Extra Edition (Chibi Shorts)
- Sword Art Online II (Season 2)
- Sword Art Offline II (Chibi Shorts)
- Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online (Spin-Off Series)
- Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale (Movie)
- Sword Art Offline: Ordinal Scale (Chibi Shorts)
- Sword Art Online: Alicization Parts 1 – 3 (Season 3)
- Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night (Movie)
- Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk (Movie)
These are all the entries that are canon to the SAO universe. However, there is another “spin-off” show called Accel World. Reki Kawahara, the creator of SAO and Accel World, has openly said that the two series aren’t connected, but certain objects and events seem to say otherwise. They may just be nods to his other works, but the show is worth looking into.
Should You Watch The Sword Art Online Movies, Shorts & Spin-Offs?
All of the Sword Art Online movies are canon and should be watched. Even though the Sword Art Online Progressive movies take you back to the first season, it covers a lot of new stuff that fills in gaps in the show.
If you’re only interested in the main story, you can skip the Gun Gale Online spin-off series. The show is canon but doesn’t really affect the main story. It’s still a well-loved show, though, so try watching it if you have the time.
The chibi shorts are entirely skippable. They add nothing to the plot and are just comedic bonuses for fans of the series.
Where To Watch Sword Art Online
Here’s a list of where to watch each entry in Sword Art Online:
- Season 1 is available on Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Netflix, depending on your region.
- Season 2 and the Ordinal Scale movie are only on Crunchyroll and Netflix.
- Season 3 and the Sword Art Online Progressive movies are only available on Crunchyroll.
- Blu-ray and DVDs are other options and are the only way you can watch the chibi shorts which are bundled along with their respective season or film.
Each season and movie in an anime can have their licenses owned by different companies. As a result, long shows with multiple entries can get spread out over different streaming services.
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