Sword Art Online: Alicization - War of Underworld

Sword Art Online: Alicization - War of Underworld is the final part of the long Alicization story in the Sword Art Online anime. It was made by A-1 Pictures and has 23 episodes. The first 12 aired in Japan from October to December 2019. The rest were planned for April 2020 but were pushed back because of COVID-19, so they aired from July to September 2020. The series is based on the light novels by Reki Kawahara, with art by abec. Kawahara first wrote the story online in the 2000s before it became a book series.

This part continues straight from Alicization, so it is not a good starting point for new viewers. Underworld is a huge virtual world created by a company called RATH. RATH runs its research from the Ocean Turtle, a large floating base out at sea. The people who live in Underworld are artificial minds. They think and feel like humans, and the people in charge want to see if one of them can grow beyond the rules it was given. That one is called A.L.I.C.E.

When the season begins, the big fight inside the central church is over, but at a high cost. Kirito, the hero of the whole franchise, is in very bad shape. His mind is badly damaged, he does not speak, and he cannot use his right arm. He is cared for by Alice Zuberg, a skilled knight who fought next to him. She has gone back to the quiet farm village she came from, and she spends her days looking after him. The sadness of this quiet time is a strong part of the first episodes.

Meanwhile, trouble comes from two sides. In the real world, an armed group from the United States attacks the Ocean Turtle because they want A.L.I.C.E. for themselves. Their leader, Gabriel Miller, logs into Underworld and takes the body of a dark god called Vecta. Inside Underworld, he rallies the forces of the dark lands, with their goblins, orcs, and other fighters, to march on the human nations. The human side is led by the Integrity Knights, including the old and powerful commander Bercouli. A great war begins between the two halves of the world.

Asuna Yuuki, Kirito's partner, plays a big role as well. In the real world she learns what is happening and enters Underworld to help him. Other familiar faces from earlier seasons also return. Much of the season is about large battles, but it also asks serious questions. If an artificial person can love, hurt, and choose, is it right to treat them as a tool? What does it mean to be human?

The tone is darker and more violent than most earlier Sword Art Online seasons. It has many battle scenes and some very harsh moments. It serves as the big ending to the Alicization story, which ran across about two years of TV. It brings together nearly every major character in one final, all-out fight.