Sword Art Online Arc Episode Count Comparison (Anime Arcs)
How many episodes per Sword Art Online arc? Compare 10 screen counts from Calibur (3) to Alicization (24). Aniplex TV totals plus special and film labels.
Visual comparison
All values
Click any row to load it as Entry A.
| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aincrad 14 episodes. Kayaba boss finale. | 14 episodes | Ep. 1-14, Season 1, SAO death game cleared on floor 75 | Aniplex SAO TOC: Aincrad ep. 1-14, 14 episodes |
| Fairy Dance 11 episodes. Sugou defeated. | 11 episodes | Ep. 15-25, Season 1, ALO rescue of Asuna | Aniplex SAO TOC: Fairy Dance ep. 15-25, 11 episodes |
| Extra Edition Special 1 special. Labeled SPECIAL, not a TV episode. | 1 episodes | 2013 TV special, Recap plus Calibur seed preview | SAO Wiki and Aniplex: Extra Edition special 1 |
| Phantom Bullet 14 episodes. Sinon recruited. | 14 episodes | S2 Ep. 1-14, Overall 27-40, GGO Death Gun case | Aniplex SAO II TOC: Phantom Bullet S2 ep. 1-14, 14 episodes |
| Calibur Shortest TV arc at 3 episodes. | 3 episodes | S2 Ep. 15-17, Overall 41-43, Excalibur quest in ALO | Aniplex SAO II TOC: Calibur S2 ep. 15-17, 3 episodes |
| Mother Rosario 7 episodes. Fan voted best arc. | 7 episodes | S2 Ep. 18-24, Overall 44-50, Yuuki Sleeping Knights | Aniplex SAO II TOC: Mother Rosario S2 ep. 18-24, 7 episodes |
| Ordinal Scale Film 1 film. Labeled FILM, canon AR story. | 1 episodes | 2017 film, AR Ordinal Scale incident with Yuna | Aniplex SAO Wiki: Ordinal Scale film 1 |
| Alicization Opening Longest here at 24 episodes. Pontifex war. | 24 episodes | Alicization Ep. 1-24, Overall 51-74, Underworld plus Administrator | Aniplex Alicization TOC: Opening ep. 1-24, 24 episodes |
| War of Underworld 1 12 episodes. Ocean Turtle siege. | 12 episodes | WoU Ep. 1-12, Overall 75-86, Final Load Test invasion | Aniplex WoU TOC: Part 1 ep. 1-12, 12 episodes |
| War of Underworld 2 11 episodes. Star King finale. | 11 episodes | WoU Ep. 13-23, Overall 87-97, Alice extraction and farewell | Aniplex WoU TOC: Part 2 ep. 13-23, 11 episodes |
About this converter
Sword Art Online by A-1 Pictures ran 96 TV episodes plus one special and one film across the arcs below. This page compares 10 screen arcs, from the 14 episode Aincrad death game to the 24 episode Alicization opening. TV counts come from Aniplex episode lists, cross checked against the SAO Wiki episode pages. The Extra Edition special and the Ordinal Scale film each count as 1 screen entry and are labeled as such. Season 1 holds 25 episodes, season 2 holds 24, and Alicization with War of Underworld holds 47.
How to use it
Pick two arcs and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. Try 1 Alicization arc against Calibur to see the 24 to 3 gap. Then test Phantom Bullet against Fairy Dance to compare 14 episodes with 11.
Alicization splits into three rows that match its broadcast cours: the 24 episode opening, then War of Underworld parts 1 and 2 at 12 and 11. Progressive films retell the Aincrad floor campaign and sit outside these rows since they rework TV material. Gun Gale and Underworld episode numbering restarts per season on some lists, so overall numbers 1-97 are used here for clarity. Aniplex Blu-ray volumes group the same episodes.
FAQ
Which SAO arc has most episodes?
The Alicization opening at 24 episodes.
How many SAO episodes exist?
96 TV episodes, plus the Extra Edition special and the Ordinal Scale film.
Why include a special and a film?
Yes. Extra Edition is a recap special and Ordinal Scale is a canon film, and both rows are labeled so TV counts stay clean.
Does this include Progressive?
No. The Progressive films retell Aincrad floors 1-2 and sit outside these TV rows.
Sources
- Aniplex Sword Art Online episode lists: S1 ep. 1-25, S2 ep. 1-24, Alicization ep. 1-47
- SAO Wiki episode pages (Aniplex TOC cross-check for Aincrad through War of Underworld)
- Wikipedia list of SAO episodes (season totals cross-check: 25 plus 24 plus 47)
- Aniplex Blu-ray volumes (episode grouping cross-check)
Last verified: 2026-10-06 · 10 entries
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