Sword Art Online Marks 10th Anniversary with Special Poster

July 31, 2022, 11:11am

The isekai genre is one of the biggest things in anime right now, and though it has been around for decades, nothing popularized it quite like Sword Art Online. The hit series put world-hopping on the map with help from Kirito, after all. With more lore to explore, Sword Art Online has lots to do still, but it never hurts to remember when you began. And as the anime celebrates its 10th anniversary, a new poster has gone live hyping its best heroes.

As you can see below, the colorful poster highlights our heroes from the anime. From Sinon to Eugeo and Leafa, the whole gang is here with Kirito as he leads the pack. Of course, he is joined by Asuna to the left, and the gang is all armed to the teeth as they prepare for a new adventure.

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Of course, Sword Art Online planned its big anniversary with care, so the franchise has several things on the horizon worth celebrating. The IP will host a special anniversary event this fall with several of the anime’s stars, and that is not all. When September rolls in, the anime’s latest film will be released in Japan, so Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk is on everyone’s mind. The film will act as a sequel to the anime’s last film in October 2021 which covers the first portion of the ‘Progressive’ light novels.

For those who aren’t familiar with Sword Art Online, the anime made its debut in July 2012, and its original series was met with overwhelming praise. The isekai title leaned into the growing world of virtual reality to craft a compelling fantasy tale. After all, the series follows Kirito as he becomes trapped in a video game with thousands of others where an in-game death would spell their end in real life. After meeting Asuna and a few more allies, Kirito must use his talent to free everyone from Aincrad, but his first foray into VR kicks off a chain of events no one saw coming.

If you want to know more about Sword Art Online, you can check out its current seasons on Crunchyroll. The series’ official synopsis can be read below for those wanting to know more:

“In the year 2022, gamers rejoice as Sword Art Online – a VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) like no other – debuts, allowing players to take full advantage of the ultimate in gaming technology: NerveGear, a system that allows users to completely immerse themselves in a wholly realistic gaming experience. But when the game goes live, the elation of the players quickly turns to horror as they discover that, for all its amazing features, SAO is missing one of the most basic functions of any MMORPG – a log-out button. Now trapped in the virtual world of Aincrad, their bodies held captive by NerveGear in the real world, users are issued a chilling ultimatum: conquer all one hundred floors of Aincrad to regain your freedom. But in the warped world of SAO, “game over” means certain death – both virtual and real…”

Are you keeping up with Sword Art Online after all these years? Which of the anime’s seasons is your favorite? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.