'Sword Art Online' Season 3 Begins With A Major Cliffhanger

Sword Art Online is finally back on television, and the anime didn’t hold back with its season [...]

Sword Art Online is finally back on television, and the anime didn't hold back with its season three premiere. The special went live with thousands watching, and it ended with a cliffhanger fans cannot get over.

For those caught up with Sword Art Online, they will know how the anime's long-awaited comeback went down. The show kicked off in a different world where Kirito was a kid. The dark-haired lead is seen adventuring with two newcomers named Alice and Eugeo, but things get dark when the former is suddenly sentenced to death for a crime.

Working backwards, Sword Art Online explores what Kirito has been up to. The boy is working part-time with a new type of virtual reality tech called FullDive. The catch-up ends with Kirito taking a walk with Asuna, but the duo are interrupted soon enough. A deranged stalker makes his presence known, and Johnny Black sets off a stunning cliffhanger.

As the episode wraps, fans are left to watch Johnny as he charges Kirito with a dose of poison in hand. The hero acts on instinct to save Asuna, pushing her back as he goes in to push back Johnny with his umbrella. However, his clumsy moves give the stalker an opening, allowing Johnny the chance to stab Kirito. The premiere leaves with the hero knocked out on the ground, and Asuna can do little but panic as she hovers over her lover who has been poisoned with a very lethal cocktail.

For anime watchers, the end came out of nowhere, and they have yet to calm down over the cliffhanger. After all, Kirito isn't a person Sword Art Online can write off so easily, and manga readers know how true that is. Anyone who has read on knows Kirito survives the attack just barely, but it leaves him severely brain damaged. The only thing that can save his life is experimental at best, and it may hurt Kirito far more than it helps in the end.

So, what do you think about these new leads? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

For those unfamiliar with Sword Art Online, the series was originally created by Reki Kawahara with illustrations provided by abec. The series follows a boy named Kirito after he and thousands of gamers get trapped in a virtual reality video game known as Sword Art Online. The gamers must band together to defeat the game's final level to escape, but Kirito and his guild learn there is more behind their prison than they were originally told.

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