The Best Episodes of Sword Art Online Season 4

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Fan Favorite
   

   8.8/10(806 votes)

   #1 - End to Eternity

   S4:E147/19/2020

   Despite its modest size, the Human Empire Army and Asuna valiantly battle the wave of American players surging towards them. But they’re hopelessly outnumbered, and the Human Empire soldiers start to fall one after another.

   Director:Toru Hamasaki

   Writer:Kohei Urushibara

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   Director:Toru Hamasaki

   Writer:Kohei Urushibara
2. 

   8.7/10(720 votes)

   #2 - Sword and Fist

   S4:E912/8/2019

   Upon seeing Alice, Gabriel orders his entire army to capture her. The pugilists guild races ahead of the main force. As Alice and Bercouli try to come up with a strategy to counter them, the silent Integrity Knight Sheyta Synthesis Twelve steps forward.

   Director:Hiroshi Kimura

   Writer:Kohei Urushibara

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   Director:Hiroshi Kimura

   Writer:Kohei Urushibara
3. 

   8.6/10(706 votes)

   #3 - Memories

   S4:E188/16/2020

   Sinon manages to severely damage Gabriel, but her strength has been sapped. Leafa collapses after wiping out the American players. And Asuna, her situation now hopeless, gazes at Kirito. But the Black Swordsman continues to wander through his dreams.

   Director:Yuya Horiuchi

   Writer:Muneo Nakamoto

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   Director:Yuya Horiuchi

   Writer:Muneo Nakamoto
4. 

   8.5/10(691 votes)

   #4 - Battle of the Knights

   S4:E611/17/2019

   The Final Load Test has begun, and the Eastern Gate has collapsed. Incited by Gabriel, now Emperor Vecta, the massive army of the land of darkness pushes on towards the Human Empire.

   Director:Takuma Suzuki

   Writer:Yukito Kizawa

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   Director:Takuma Suzuki

   Writer:Yukito Kizawa
5. 

   8.4/10(668 votes)

   #5 - Ray of Light

   S4:E1212/29/2019

   Due to Gabriel's scheme, U.S. players were given black knight accounts, and are now continuously logging in to the Underworld. They begin mercilessly slaughtering soldiers from both the Human Empire Army and the Dark Territory Army.

   Directors:Shunsuke Nakashige, Kenji Seto

   Writer:Muneo Nakamoto

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   Directors:Shunsuke Nakashige, Kenji Seto

   Writer:Muneo Nakamoto
6. 

   8.4/10(656 votes)

   #6 - The Night-Sky Blade

   S4:E208/30/2020

   Alice and Asuna head to the World’s End Altar as Kirito confronts Gabriel. Unless he can defeat Gabriel and return to the real world before the maximum-acceleration phase begins, Kirito will have to spend the next 200 years in the Underworld.

   Director:Masakazu Obara

   Writer:Muneo Nakamoto

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   Director:Masakazu Obara

   Writer:Muneo Nakamoto
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7. 

   8.3/10(605 votes)

   #7 - Blood and Life

   S4:E812/1/2019

   The powerful formal art unleashed by the Integrity Knight Alice inflicts severe casualties on the forces of darkness. Alice encounters an enemy survivor and learns that Emperor Vecta's objective is to find the "Priestess of Light."

   Director:Shunsuke Nakashige

   Writer:Muneo Nakamoto

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   Director:Shunsuke Nakashige

   Writer:Muneo Nakamoto
8. 

   8.3/10(634 votes)

   #8 - Awakening

   S4:E198/23/2020

   Escaping his nightmares, Kirito regains consciousness at last. With the Night-Sky Blade in his right hand and the broken Blue Rose Sword in his left, he faces off against Vassago, armed with the Mate-Chopper, now enormous in size.

   Director:Shunsuke Nakashige

   Writer:Kohei Urushibara

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   Director:Shunsuke Nakashige

   Writer:Kohei Urushibara
9. 

   8.1/10(597 votes)

   #9 - Stigma of the Disqualified

   S4:E711/24/2019

   Integrity Knight Renly Synthesis Twenty-Seven, in battle for the first time, flees his position, allowing goblins from the forces of darkness to infiltrate to the tent where Kirito is.

   Director:Yuya Horiuchi

   Writer:Kohei Urushibara

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   Director:Yuya Horiuchi

   Writer:Kohei Urushibara
10. 

    8.1/10(614 votes)

    #10 - Heartless Choice

    S4:E1112/22/2019

    Asuna has created a bottomless chasm. The dark knights and the pugilists attempt to cross over to the other side, where the Human Empire Army waits. Meanwhile, Critter releases an announcement about a limited-time beta test for a bizarre new VRMMO.

    Director:Akira Yamada

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto

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    Director:Akira Yamada

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto
11. 

    8.0/10(699 votes)

    #11 - In the Far North

    S4:E110/13/2019

    Six months have passed since the fierce battle against Administrator. Alice has brought Kirito to her childhood home, Rulid Village, where they live peacefully. Gazing out at the world that she saved with Kirito, Alice reflects on all that’s happened.

    Director:Takashi Sakuma

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto

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    Director:Takashi Sakuma

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto
12. 

    8.0/10(623 votes)

    #12 - Stacia, the Goddess of Creation

    S4:E1012/15/2019

    Asuna has logged into the Underworld using the superuser account of Stacia, the Goddess of Creation. After she descends, she is reunited with Kirito, thanks to Ronie and Tiese. But soon Alice arrives, leading to a precarious situation!

    Director:Takashi Sakuma

    Writer:Kohei Urushibara

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    Director:Takashi Sakuma

    Writer:Kohei Urushibara
13. 

    7.9/10(574 votes)

    #13 - Prince of Hell

    S4:E178/9/2020

    Asuna and the others succumb to Vassago and the Chinese/Korean players. Discovering the catatonic Kirito, Vassago kicks his wheelchair over. Enraged, Klein lunges at Vassago, only to be pinned down by enemy players. Just then, someone unexpected appears.

    Director:Akira Yamada

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto

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    Director:Akira Yamada

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto
14. 

    7.8/10(626 votes)

    #14 - Raids

    S4:E210/20/2019

    A force from the Dark Territory is attacking Rulid Village. Though she’d lost her purpose in battle, in order to fight for her family, and for the people that Kirito and Eugeo tried to protect, Alice takes up the Osmanthus Blade once again!

    Director:Takehiro Miura

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto

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    Director:Takehiro Miura

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto
15. 

    7.8/10(614 votes)

    #15 - Dark Territory

    S4:E411/3/2019

    Shasta, commander of the Dark Territory's dark knights, had intended to use Administrator's death as a chance for peace with the Human Empire. But his plans are thwarted by Emperor Vecta's return to the land of darkness.

    Directors:Takashi Sakuma, Naomi Nakayama

    Writer:Yukito Kizawa

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    Directors:Takashi Sakuma, Naomi Nakayama

    Writer:Yukito Kizawa
16. 

    7.8/10(603 votes)

    #16 - The Night Before Battle

    S4:E511/10/2019

    Resolved to fight for humankind, Alice joins the forces of the Human Empire, bringing Kirito with her. But while the forces of darkness boast overwhelming numbers, only thirteen Integrity Knights are available to fight for the Human Empire.

    Director:Tomohisa Onoue

    Writer:Yukito Kizawa

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    Director:Tomohisa Onoue

    Writer:Yukito Kizawa
17. 

    7.8/10(607 votes)

    #17 - The War of Underworld

    S4:E137/12/2020

    Sinon has logged in with the super-account of Solus, the Sun Goddess and rescues Asuna and the others at the last minute. Meanwhile, Leafa logs in with the super-account of Terraria, the Earth Goddess, and descends to the Underworld.

    Director:Masakazu Obara

    Writer:Kohei Urushibara

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    Director:Masakazu Obara

    Writer:Kohei Urushibara
18. 

    7.7/10(555 votes)

    #18 - Instigation

    S4:E157/26/2020

    Bercouli pursues Vecta, who’s abducted Alice. After a long, vicious battle, Bercouli unleashes his secret sword skill, Uragiri, and finally defeats Vecta, despite having sustained severe injuries himself.

    Director:Takehiro Miura

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto

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    Director:Takehiro Miura

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto
19. 

    7.7/10(576 votes)

    #19 - New World

    S4:E239/20/2020

    Rinko informs Kazuto that Alice is missing. He’s about to rush to the Rath Roppongi branch when the doorbell rings. In a panic, Kazuto throws open the door, only to find a deliveryman there with a huge cardboard box.

    Director:Takashi Sakuma

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto

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    Director:Takashi Sakuma

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto
20. 

    7.6/10(605 votes)

    #20 - The Final Load Test

    S4:E310/27/2019

    The mysterious group that attacked the Ocean Turtle turns out to be a secret unit under orders from the U.S. National Security Agency. And its leader, Gabriel, has battled Kirito and Sinon before.

    Director:Hiroshi Kimura

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto

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    Director:Hiroshi Kimura

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto
21. 

    7.6/10(539 votes)

    #21 - Alice

    S4:E229/13/2020

    The “Rath Attack Incident,” masterminded by the American National Security Agency, is over. Now head of the newly formed Oceanic Resource Exploration & Research Institution, Rinko unveils Alice to the world as an authentic artificial general intelligence.

    Director:Akira Yamada

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto

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    Director:Akira Yamada

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto
22. 

    7.5/10(549 votes)

    #22 - Code 871

    S4:E168/2/2020

    The traitor inside Rath turns out to be a researcher named Yanai. When Higa attempts to restore Kirito, Yanai tries to thwart the operation by holding him at gunpoint. Meanwhile, in the Underworld, Sinon confronts Gabriel, who has logged back in.

    Director:Takashi Sakuma

    Writer:Kohei Urushibara

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    Director:Takashi Sakuma

    Writer:Kohei Urushibara
23. 

    7.4/10(538 votes)

    #23 - Beyond Time

    S4:E219/6/2020

    The maximum-acceleration phase has begun. Alice successfully logs out of the Underworld, but Kirito doesn’t make it in time. In the real world, Higa and Kikuoka rush to shut down the STL, in order to disable the maximum-acceleration phase, but…

    Director:Tomonari Tanaka

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto

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    Director:Tomonari Tanaka

    Writer:Muneo Nakamoto