Sword Art Online

**Sword Art Online** is a 2017 anime film. The film is a sequel to Tales of Zestiria the X: Civil War and is the sixteenth installment in the Anime Cinematic Universe, as well as the fourth installment of Phase Three.

## Synopsis

A young Kazuto Kirigaya (using the name Kirito), who made his sensational debut in Tales of Zestiria the X: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the sword-wielding hero in **Sword Art Online**. Thrilled by his experience with the Jump Force, Kirito returns home, where he lives with his sister Suguha Kirigaya, under the watchful eye of his new mentor Edward Elric. Kirito tries to fall back into his normal daily routine – distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood swordsman – but when Death Gun emerges as a new villain, everything that Kirito holds most important will be threatened.

## Plot

Following the Battle of Amestria, Edward Elric and the federal government create the Department of Damage Control (D.O.D.C.), driving salvage company owner Spiegel out of business. Spiegel convinces his crew to not surrender the Hollow technology already scavenged from the Battle of Amestria and use it to further a criminal agenda. Years later, the crew are making big on exotic weapons deals, and Spiegel begins using advanced VR tech that gives him many outstanding abilities in the real world.

Following the Jump Force's internal dispute and the battle in the Hidden Leaf Village, Kirito resumes his studies after Edward tells him he is not yet ready to become a Jump Force member. Over the objections of his sister, Kirito quits his school's decathlon team in order to spend more time focusing on his "Elric Industries Internship", which is a cover for his crime fighting activities as "The Black Swordsman." One night, after preventing Spiegel's associates from robbing an ATM, Kirito returns to his apartment, where his best friend, Klien, discovers his secret identity.

The next day, Klien pesters Kirito all day about his abilities as The Black Swordsman. During gym class that day, Klien accidentally says Kirito knows The Black Swordsman after hearing a conversation with Asuna and her friends. That night, Kirito is forced to go to Asuna's party.

While changing into The Black Swordsman (a "fairy version" with the ability to fly and wield larger swords), Kirito comes across Spiegel's associates XaXa and Nobuyuki Sugou selling Hollow weaponry to local gangsters. Kirito nearly drowns while intervening, but is rescued by Edward, who is monitoring the The Black Swordsman fairy suit he gave Kirito and warns him against involvement with the dangerous criminals. Later, angry with XaXa for jeopardizing the operation, Spiegel accidentally kills him with one of their weapons, and Nobuyuki takes his place.

Retrieving a Hollow weapon left behind by XaXa, Kirito works with Klien to remove the power core. A tracking device leads Nobuyuki to Midtown School of Science and Technology, but Kirito and Klien manage to evade him. After planting his own tracking device on Nobuyuki and learning that it leads to Amestria, Kirito rejoins the decathlon team and accompanies them to Amestria for Nationals. Working with Klien, Kirito disables the tracker implanted in his Black Swordsman Fairy Suit NerveGear and unlocks all its secret features, including some powerful magic spells.

He later tries to stop Spiegel from stealing weapons from a D.O.D.C. truck but ends up being overpowered and trapped inside the truck, causing him to miss Nationals. When he discovers that the Hollow power core is unstable, Kirito tracks Klien to the King Bradley Monument, arriving just as the core explodes and traps Klien in an elevator. Evading local authorities, Kirito manages to save Klien and his fellow classmates, including his love interest, Asuna, before the elevator plummets.

Returning to Japan, Kirito persuades a thug to reveal Spiegel's whereabouts. Confronting Spiegel and his associates on a ferry, Kirito captures the group's new buyer Itsuki, but Spiegel escapes after a malfunctioning weapon tears the ferry in half. Edward helps Kirito save the passengers before admonishing him for his recklessness and takes the Fairy NerveGear away. With his newer abilities gone and him going back to being the regular Black Swordsman, Kirito spends the following days bored at school.

While picking up Asuna for Midtown's annual homecoming dance, Kirito learns that she is Spiegel's cousin. Deducing Kirito's secret identity, Spiegel threatens retaliation if he continues to interfere with his plans. During the dance, Kirito realizes Spiegel is planning to hijack the Edward cargo plane transporting weaponry from Elric Tower to the team's new headquarters in upstate Amestria. He leaves the dance, dons his original Black Swordsman NerveGear and races to Death Gun's lair to confront him.

He is first ambushed by Nobuyuki, but defeats him with the help of Klien. Kirito then confronts Death Gun in the lair, who attempts to persuade him to his side. When Kirito refuses, Death Gun destroys the building's support beams and leaves him to die under the rubble. Kirito overcomes his self-doubt and escapes, before intercepting Death Gun onboard the now-damaged plane and steering it towards the beach near Shirahama. The two engage in a confrontation that ends with Kirito saving Death Gun's life from his own unstable equipment and leaving him for the police.

Sometime later, Kirito learns that Asuna is moving away and that classmate Shino "Sinon" Asada will be replacing her as president of the decathlon team. After receiving a call from Major Armstrong, Kirito was asked to visit the Jump Force Facility. Later, Edward offers Kirito the new Photon Berserker NerveGear and an invitation to join the Jump Force. Kirito declines Edward's invitation and inspires Edward to bring an engagement ring to a press conference where Winry Rockbell is present. Upon returning home, Kirito discovers that Edward has returned his Black Swordsman Fairy NerveGear and puts it on just as Suguha walks into his room.

In prison, an incarcerated Itsuki approaches Spiegel inside the prison and explains that several criminals are banding together to exact vengeance against The Black Swordsman. When pressured by Itsuki about The Black Swordsman's identity, Spiegel denies any knowledge.

In a post-credits scene, Sorey takes part in a public service announcement centering on the importance of patience, and explains how patience can be the key to victory but can also lead to something disappointing after waiting so long. Tired, he then asks how many more announcements he has to make.