Sword Art Online (ソードアート・オンライン) follows Kirito (キリト), a skilled gamer trapped in a virtual reality MMORPG where death in the game means death in real life. Alongside other players, including Asuna (アスナ), he must navigate dangerous quests and defeat powerful enemies to escape the virtual world.

The series began as a light novel in 2009 and debuted as an anime in 2012, becoming a milestone in the isekai and gaming genres. Its popularity has spawned multiple seasons, movies like Ordinal Scale, and adaptations across media, solidifying Sword Art Online as a cultural phenomenon in the anime industry.