New characters introduced after "Aincrad" are given more agency from the get-go, like "Phantom Bullet's" Sion, who enters the story with her own full backstory not really connected to Kirito at all. Asuna, the heroine, goes from being the skilled fencer who still ends up needing her boyfriend's help when things get tough to the hero of her own stories, most notably in the "Mother's Rosario" arc. RELATED: 'Altered Carbon' Creator Laeta Kalogridis on Avoiding "Whitewashing" in 'Sword Art Online'Īs Sword Art Online goes on, it takes great efforts to make other characters feel more complete and interesting. In early Sword Art Online, Kirito can do no wrong, even when his supposed flaws are on display. It's also just another way his competence is able to be shown off - he rarely, after all, needs support to get by. It manifests as selflessness beta players of Sword Art Online are initially demonized by other trapped players because they're seen as cheaters who had an unfair advantage of knowledge at the beginning, and Kirito uses his solo style of play to his advantage by distracting all that hate towards himself because he doesn't need allies anyway. He's charismatic, making friends at every turn and charming every girl he meets.Īn attempt is made to make him feel flawed early on by playing up his tendency to be anti-social - a key factor in the early part of the story, as he finds it hard to play well in groups that would make the game easier - but this, too, is quickly spun into a hidden positive. But that isn't enough to make him cool - he's also athletic, a trait that makes him even stronger in the virtual reality world of Sword Art Online where one's real-life physical prowess can be utilized in-game to enhance your abilities. He's a highly competent gamer, his skills in all things MMOs and RPGs being what literally saves the day every time a problem arises. In the first arc of the story, "Aincrad," where Kirito and friends are trapped in the titular Sword Art Online game, Kirito is painted in simplistic terms. Now, with his revisit of the story that started it all getting a movie adaptation with Sword Art Online Progressive, we're seeing the fruits of Kawahara's decades of experience, and nothing exemplifies this better than how different the story's hero Kirito is in Progressive. Over time, though, Kawahara's writing has matured, with more recent arcs showing a more thoughtful side to his world and - importantly - his characters.
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