'Sword Art Online' Reveals Its New Virtual World

Sword Art Online is back with a new season, and the anime is ready to show off its goods. While places like Aincrad wowed audiences back in season one, the franchise is ready to launch a new kind of virtual world, and fans got their first real look at it this weekend.

Not long ago, Sword Art Online stepped into its on-going 'Alicization' arc even further, and it did so with the introduction of the Underworld. After the land was briefly seen during the premiere of season three, the mysterious world reappeared in episode two, and it was far more fleshed out that before.

However, as fans were quick to notice, this virtual place is far different from the likes of Aincrad or even the post-apocalyptic wasteland of Gun Gale Online. After all, no one is trying to kill each other in Underworld... Well, that fans know of so far.

Kirito is introduced to the Underworld and given a brief tour through the land which comes from a simpler time. The boy, despite having been to the world before, has no recollection of his time in the Underworld. Kirito does realize on some level he's in a virtual reality, but the authentic layers building up the Underworld are easy to slip into.

While the origins of the Underworld aren't known in the anime, fans do know it seems to be set in the past. Kirito and his friend Eugeo are seen in old-fashioned clothing, and their peers are tasked with manual labor jobs. The small-scale towns are as cozy as you'd expect from villages, and the stark absence of technology is a key indicator Kirito isn't in Tokyo any more.

So, what do you think is lying behind this brand-new world? 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.