The Anime Order 
Watch order
Sword Art Online Watch Order
The Sword Art Online franchise runs to 13 entries — five TV series, five films and three OVAs and specials — spanning 2012 to 2028, 103 episodes in all. The list below follows release order: start with Sword Art Online (2012) and work down.
- Entries13
- Episodes97
- TV series5
- Films5
For most franchises release order is also the best viewing order. The common exception is a prequel — released late, but set first — so check the years in the table if a title looks out of place.
The order
| # | Title | Type | Year | Episodes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Sword Art Online Watch on Crunchyroll Hulu +3 | TV | 2012 | 25 |
| 2 |  | Sword Art Online EXTRA EDITION Sword Art Online: Extra Edition Watch on Hulu Crunchyroll +1 | SPECIAL | 2013 | 1 |
| 3 |  | Sword Art Online II Watch on Crunchyroll Hulu +3 | TV | 2014 | 24 |
| 4 |  | Sword Art Online the Movie: Ordinal Scale Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale Watch on Hulu Netflix +1 | MOVIE | 2017 | 1 |
| 5 |  | Sword Art Online Fatal Bullet -The Third Episode- Pilot-ban | ONA | 2018 | 1 |
| 6 |  | Sword Art Online Fatal Bullet -The Third Episode- | SPECIAL | 2018 | 1 |
| 7 |  | Sword Art Online: Alicization Watch on Crunchyroll Hulu +2 | TV | 2018 | 24 |
| 8 |  | Sword Art Online: Alicization - War of Underworld Watch on Crunchyroll Hulu +4 | TV | 2019 | 12 |
| 9 |  | Sword Art Online: Alicization - War of Underworld Part 2 Watch on Hulu Crunchyroll +3 | TV | 2020 | 11 |
| 10 | | Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Aria of a Starless Night Sword Art Online: Progressive - Hoshinaki Yoru no Aria Watch on Crunchyroll | MOVIE | 2021 | 1 |
| 11 |  | Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Scherzo of Deep Night Sword Art Online: Progressive - Kuraki Yuuyami no Scherzo Watch on Crunchyroll | MOVIE | 2022 | 1 |
| 12 |  | Unanswered//butterfly: Sword Art Online | MOVIE | 2026 | 1 |
| 13 |  | Sword Art Online: Integral Domain | MOVIE | 2028 | — |
Where to watch Sword Art Online
Crunchyroll carries the most of it, 9 of the 13 entries. Each link goes to the earliest entry that service carries, so you start at the beginning rather than wherever its search drops you.
These links open in a new tab.
Streaming destinations as listed by AniList, checked September 26, 2026. Catalogues differ by country and change often — check the service for your own region.
Where to start
Sword Art Online (2012) is the earliest entry. In the near future, a Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (VRMMORPG) called Sword Art Online has been released where players control their avatars with their bodies using a piece of technology called Nerve Gear. One day, players discover they cannot log out, as the game creator is holding them…
What to watch after Sword Art Online
614 people who watched Sword Art Online recommend The Rising of the Shield Hero as the next thing — more than any other title. These are votes cast by viewers on AniList, not genre matches:
More like this
Sword Art Online is filed under 5 genres on this site. Each one lists every other franchise that shares it, with its watch order and filler figures.
Franchises sharing the most genres with Sword Art Online — a rough match by subject, not the vote-ranked suggestions above.
Frequently asked
How many episodes of Sword Art Online are there?
Sword Art Online has 97 episodes across 5 TV series, plus 5 films, which are counted separately.
How many Sword Art Online entries are there?
13 in total: 5 TV series, 5 films, and 3 OVAs and specials.
What order should I watch Sword Art Online in?
Release order works for Sword Art Online — start with Sword Art Online (2012) and follow the table on this page.
Do I need to watch the Sword Art Online films and OVAs?
Most films and OVAs in a long-running franchise are side stories that sit outside the main continuity. They can be watched at any point, or skipped entirely, without losing the thread of the main series.
Last refreshed August 13, 2026