Sword Art Online - Q & A

[chaos_alfa]

Originally Posted by Lexxus

Spoilers

Spoiler for questions

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Spoiler for Answers:

1. It wasn't very clearly explained how they both survived. For Kirito's case we have this:

My HP bar vanished completely as if mocking my anger. A purple message appeared within my vision: [You are dead]. It was the command from the god to die.

An icy coldness permeated my body. My senses dulled. I felt the innumerable blocks of code unraveling, severing, and destroying my very being. The cold crept up my neck and into my head. Touch, sound, sight, everything became hazy. My entirely body was starting to dissolve— becoming shards of polygons— before scattering in all directions—

You think I would let that happen?

I opened my eyes widely. I could see. I could still see. I could still see the face of Kayaba, whose sword was dug deeply into my chest, and the expression of surprise on him.

Perhaps my accelerated senses returned, as the death of my avatar, which normally happened within a single moment, felt like it was slowing down. The outline of my body was hazy, and particles of light broke off and disappeared here and there. But I was still existing. I was still alive.

“Hiiiiyaaaa!”

I screamed with all my strength. I screamed and resisted. Resisting the system, the absolute god.

Just to save me, the shy and spoiled Asuna had shaken off the incurable paralysis with her willpower and thrown herself against an attack that was impossible to block. How could I fall now without doing anything. I couldn't fall now, absolutely not. Even if I couldn't avoid death— I had to— at least—

2. In the Phantom Bullet arc Asuna only appears a bit at the beginning and in a a small scene later on. It is mostly about Kirito and Sinon, who is a new female character.

To compensated the lack of Asuna screen time she is the main character in the Mother's Rosario arc and Kirito has only a small roll in it.

I'm not sure how it is divided for the Project Alicization yet.

PB and MR take for the most part place online. But there are more offline scenes in them than ALO.

3. No characters of the Aincrad arc and the ALO arc except Kirito and Asuna appear in the Phantom Bullet and Mother's Rosario arc as anything more than a cameo.

4. If there is going to be a second season PB and MR will fit both in a 26 episode season with room for a side story or two.

Project Alicization, which also seems to be the last arc of Sword Art Online seems to be able to fill up a whole third season of 26 episodes.

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by Lexxus

1. I still can't believe that's the reason why both of them were still alive. I mean, did the show say anything other than that? or is that it? It feels like they only survived because they were main characters

I always took it that they survived because they, together, beat the game. If you die as part of the final act of a story, you still "win" even if it's "Game Over". In the end, we never see how quickly someone dies in the real world after they "die" in the game. Their death in the game is not actually what kills them, after all.

[Rising Dragon]

My guess was that it was her "reward" for transcending the rules of the world, same as Kirito when he defeated Heathcliff.

[Rageth]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

I always took it that they survived because they, together, beat the game. If you die as part of the final act of a story, you still "win" even if it's "Game Over". In the end, we never see how quickly someone dies in the real world after they "die" in the game. Their death in the game is not actually what kills them, after all.

Well, given that the revive item only works within a 10 second mark, I'd say it's safe to say that after 10 seconds, the signal to kill is sent...

But even then, that would mean only Kirito would have survived, seeing as after Asuna "died", Kirito had moped for some time... The only possibilities would be that Heathcliff decided to temporarily preserve her, probably either because he promised Kirito that if he died, to make sure she wouldn't die, or because he was interested in how she broke the paralysis..

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by Rageth

Well, given that the revive item only works within a 10 second mark, I'd say it's safe to say that after 10 seconds, the signal to kill is sent...

It's possible. It's also possible that this is just some sort of arbitrary limit that was set by the game programmers with absolutely no regard for the "kill signal" (since most of the programming team had no idea what Kayaba was going to do). They may have just thought revival potions should be used quickly from a game balance perspective. (We at least know that the signal can be sent no sooner than what that revival item allowed.)

In the end, I do think there are a good number of possible explanations, but we're stuck without an official answer (so I guess that takes it out of the scope of this thread, technically speaking).

[Rageth]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

In the end, I do think there are a good number of possible explanations, but we're stuck without an official answer (so I guess that takes it out of the scope of this thread, technically speaking).

True enough... The only thing that is known for certain is that when the HP bar reaches 0, there is ample time before the kill signal is sent (No sooner than 10 seconds)

Therefore a number of possible reasons could explain their survival. (Though, one could just explain it as "plot armor" and say the entire period of time from Asuna's HP depleting, to Heathcliff's HP reaching 0 was only 10 seconds/however long the kill signal takes to be sent, even though in the anime that scene took a couple minutes.. lol... )

Plot Armor > All...

[Wild Goose]

The simplest thing is that the Cardinal System holds something that's similar to Accel World's Incarnate System: transcending the boundaries of the system by the force of one's will.

Note that earlier, when Asuna ran to save Kirito, she was running at a speed of 60km/h (my calc), which Kirito notes in the LNs to be flat-out impossible, as it exceeds the system parameters.

Also, by pure will, she managed to stand up and tank Heathcliff's blow, despite being under the Paralysis status effect.

[xland44]

Wait, it's still airing? I thought it ended after Alfheim Online.

[chaos_alfa]

Originally Posted by xland44

Wait, it's still airing? I thought it ended after Alfheim Online.

It isn't airing anymore, but there are more light novel volumes which could be adapted in to a second season.

[Rageth]

Originally Posted by Wild Goose

The simplest thing is that the Cardinal System holds something that's similar to Accel World's Incarnate System: transcending the boundaries of the system by the force of one's will.

Note that earlier, when Asuna ran to save Kirito, she was running at a speed of 60km/h (my calc), which Kirito notes in the LNs to be flat-out impossible, as it exceeds the system parameters.

Also, by pure will, she managed to stand up and tank Heathcliff's blow, despite being under the Paralysis status effect.

Err, the Cardinal System isn't the same as Incarnate System. The Cardinal System is like a hands-free monitoring system, that maintains a balance in the world.
We haven't been told what the system that "exceeds system parameters" is called in these instances... I'm guessing it hasn't been named at all by this point in time...

[Wild Goose]

Originally Posted by Rageth

Err, the Cardinal System isn't the same as Incarnate System. The Cardinal System is like a hands-free monitoring system, that maintains a balance in the world.
We haven't been told what the system that "exceeds system parameters" is called in these instances... I'm guessing it hasn't been named at all by this point in time...

You're right; I should have specifically said The Seed, given that there's something in that engine that allows players to exceed the system parameters. What's for sure is that it's something Kayaba wasn't quite expecting.

[ultimatedragonknight]

will there be another season of the anime coming soon?

[Rageth]

Originally Posted by ultimatedragonknight

will there be another season of the anime coming soon?

It's generally assumptions at this point. Most fans believe so, seeing how well it supposedly sold. It's not unlikely, given that the next arc was better than the last...
I sure hope so. Want to see GGO Kirito, LOL

[Haiprbim]

Hello.

I have one question.
In the last episode of Sword Art Online at the ending, the girl with Blue-haired character, saying "Come, Kirito, Leafa" is Asuna, right?

Thanks.

[Rising Dragon]

Yeah, that was Asuna. She's playing as an Undine in ALO.

[Haiprbim]

Yeah, I figured as much.

Well, due to the profit Sword Art Online is giving, do you personally think that the Second Season will be released in the future? That would be the 3rd arc, GGO.

I would really like the ending to be with Kirito and Asuna, not his cousin. :3
Although, that was necessary, since she was sad at the "party".

But to keep on topic, do you think there will be a second season?

I know that it is not confirmed anywhere, but I'm really wondering.

The Anime brought a lot of profit, however, the publisher is A-1 Pictures, they usually do only season 1, unless it is something extremely successful.

Are personal opinion questions allowed?

[Rising Dragon]

Q&A threads are mainly meant for factual answers and not personal opinions. That said, there's no confirmation for a second season yet, but sales are good enough that it's entirely possible. There'll probably be an announcement about it.

[Haiprbim]

I see.
Thanks, if I'll have any questions, I'll come here again.

Have a good day.

[Knowledgeseeker01]

I was wondering about a few things that happened:

I know that the best members of the Army were wiped out on the 25th floor, and it reduced their ability to be clearers. However, does anyone know a specific date when it happened?

I remember that the Knights of the Blood were supposedly formed after that disaster. Does anyone know the specific date when Heathcliff/Kayaba began recruiting for the guild?

According to the timeline, they reached the 50th floor at around January 2024 which was also around the time when the Laughing Coffin guild was formed. The 50th floor is where Kirito lived until he married Asuna right or am I mistakened?

[Rageth]

Originally Posted by Knowledgeseeker01

I was wondering about a few things that happened:

I know that the best members of the Army were wiped out on the 25th floor, and it reduced their ability to be clearers. However, does anyone know a specific date when it happened?

There is no known specific date that has been given, as to when that happened.

Originally Posted by Knowledgeseeker01

I remember that the Knights of the Blood were supposedly formed after that disaster. Does anyone know the specific date when Heathcliff/Kayaba began recruiting for the guild?

I believe that he started recruiting as soon as the 25th floor was cleared, as its formation was a direct result of the disaster on the 25th floor boss battle. Exact dates are also not known.
For the two bits of information above, we'll probably have to continue waiting for further releases of the Progressive series...

Originally Posted by Knowledgeseeker01

According to the timeline, they reached the 50th floor at around January 2024 which was also around the time when the Laughing Coffin guild was formed. The 50th floor is where Kirito lived until he married Asuna right or am I mistakened?

that is correct, (Though I'm not sure where you heard the thing about Laughing Coffin xD I forgot exactly WHEN it was formed, personally)