Echoes of Aincrad Anime Guide - Which SAO episodes to watch to catch up with the game's core lore
Echoes of Aincrad is a new game based on the popular Sword Art Online franchise. You may have also heard that the long-running series has since been getting newer arcs that take place in multiple in-universe games, so it may feel a bit overwhelming if you are just getting into the series through this game.
However, this game takes place only in the first arc that covers the eponymous VR MMORPG in the series universe. In addition, it also particularly only covering the early segments of the arc. With those in mind, it should not be too overwhelming to catch up with the relevant anime episodes, which we will cover right below.
As a side note, the Sword Art Online franchise originally appeared as a series of light novels, and it also has manga (comic) adaptations released as well. But this article will, so far, have a specific focus on the anime adaptation episodes.
The essential Sword Art Online anime episodes to watch before playing Echoes of Aincrad
Echoes of Aincrad has been reported to cover only the first 2 Floors of the 100 total Floors in Aincrad, the world setting behind the Sword Art Online MMORPG. However, the major catch here is that while the 1st Floor has been more extensively featured in the anime series, the 2nd Floor has not been covered at all there, unless you are also planning to read the SAO Progressive light novels and manga volumes... or you are playing the free-to-play game Sword Art Online: Integral Factor, which has original story deviations from the canon lore.
To catch up with the official major events on the 1st Floor via the anime adaptations, you will want to watch the first two episodes of the 2012 TV show. You will see how the series protagonist Kirito tackles the challenges in the early phases of the arc's story.
Echoes of Aincrad is also confirmed to include content from the Sword Art Online Progressive series. The Story Trailer confirms the inclusion of the purple-haired character Mito, who debuted in Progressive and did not appear in the original TV run.
It is therefore also recommended for you to watch the Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night movie that launched in 2021. This movie also pretty much covers the same period as the first two TV anime episodes, but the difference is that you are seeing the events unfold from Asuna's point of view instead.
If you want to catch up with the rest of the arc after Echoes of Aincrad
If Bandai Namco were to continue Echoes of Aincrad with more floors, some of the anime episodes would provide references for the next few direct ones. The Unanswered//butterfly anime show that is included in this game's Digital Ultimate Edition is confirmed to include coverage of the 3rd Floor. The 2022 movie Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night was the next straight continuation with Floors 4 and 5.
The rest of the TV anime show beyond Episode 2 would cover much higher floors due to a distant time skip in what would be originally a two-year adventure. But without spoiling too much, if we are following the canon story, the players did not have to go through all 100 floors, as their journey would actually conclude around three-quarters of the way.
The Sword Art Online MMORPG arc would formally end in the TV anime series at Episode 14. Episode 15 provides a closure to the arc in the real-world setting, but it would also connect to the start of a new arc taking place in an entirely different game.