Sword Art Online Revisits Aincrad Arc for its New Movie Set for Fall Debut!

Did you really think 2021 would go through without anything SAO? While there isn’t a new season this year, Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night movie will be a blast from the past that you’ll be happy about.

Whatever your thoughts on Sword Art Online might be, there is no denying its influence over the anime scene. The franchise is one of the major reasons why the isekai genre is so popular today. 

Season 4 of the anime could not be adapted as the Unital Ring arc is not finished yet. Because of this, they decided to go back, where it all began.

A new key visual for Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night movie has been revealed. The movie is set to premiere on 10th October 2021 in Japanese Theaters.

The visual shows Kirito, Mito, and Asuna standing on a reflective floor with Aincrad in the background. Surprisingly, everyone except Asuna is in their signature battle outfits.

The movie is based on the Sword Art Online Progressive light novels, which act as an expanded retelling of the Aincrad Arc. 

Even amongst its loyal fanbase, the popular complaint about the plot is the lack of discovery of all floors of Aincrad, which would have made for a better story.

READ: 
Can Sword Art Online Be Real? Can It Happen In Real Life?

The author was forced to condense his original ideas for the arc due to the nature of the novel contest he was in. However, he has since begun the Progressive novels to flesh out that story.

Sword Art Online Revisits Aincrad Arc for its New Movie Set for Fall Debut!
Kirito and Asuna | Source: Fandom

With all the old cast returning for the movie and A-1 Pictures back in action, this will surely match the initial glory of SAO. Finally, we just might see the first encounters between the Flash and the Black Swordsman.

About Sword Art Online

Sword Art Online is a Japanese light novel series written by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by Abec.

The series occurs in the near future and focuses on the protagonist “Kirito” Kirigaya Kazuto and Asuna Yuuki as they play through various virtual reality MMORPG worlds.

At the launch of the game, 10,000 people had connected themselves to the virtual reality of Sword Art Online. The plot takes a twist when people realize that they can’t quit the game.

Protagonist Kirito, a pro gamer and was present for the beta launch of SAO, starts planning to clear levels as soon as possible. Throughout his quest to finish the game, he meets many friends and also a love interest, Asuna.

The plot and the whole premise of the show are remarkably unique and quite believable in some futuristic sense.

Source: Sugoi LITE Twitter

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