Sword Fine art Online , being as popular as it is, has been a series that has received more than than its fair share of criticism over the years. While some of it is off-white and merited, most seems to be superficial and surface level. Yet while everyone is entitled to their own views on the serial (you either like it or you don't), and while much of the critiques over the series are addressed over time. There has been ane accusation thrown at Sword Art Online that has stuck around more than all others.

Kirito's 'harem.'

The thought that Sword Art Online is a harem anime, that all the girls are in love with Kirito, and that they are just there to be part of said harem, it something that has been lobbied at the series time and over again. Even in my short time amid this fandom, I have seen the critique thrown out as some sort of 'gotcha' moment. Having watched many, MANY harem anime over the years, and having seen almost all of Sword Art Online , I today to examine that critique, where it comes from, and how yes, in some ways it exists, just how information technology is also not true. Let's get into it afterward the cut.

((Spoilers for the catastrophe of War of the Underworld up ahead. Anime simply viewers, delight be aware))

SAO Girls
Fourth dimension to beat this dead equus caballus.

For those who may not be aware, in terms of anime. A harem is when there is a group of girls who have a romantic interest in a single male graphic symbol. That male graphic symbol in plow, whether paralyzed by indecision, stupidly unaware, or merely disinterested will non just not pick one of the girls to be with, leaving things forever undecided. That idea is one of the bread and butter principles not merely of it's own genre, but of Isekai and many anime across. At present while I am certain people are about to become for the piece of cake answer to our question of Kirito's harem. We'll get to that at the very finish. I want to instead talk about how nosotros got to this issue starting time, and why, information technology I exercise understand it.

If you desire Sword Art Online's first flavour, most notably the Aincrad arc. Up until the betoken where Asuna and Kirito get together, information technology isn't hard to see the harem situation start to build up. The episodic nature of Aincrad's start half mostly consists of Kirito going around and helping different female characters with their bug. Whether information technology is Silica trying to revive her pet dragon, Lisbeth trying to detect some magic ore, or even Sachi with trying to survive. Those adventures, and the closeness they take with Kirito can make information technology pretty articulate that they all have interest in him. Furthermore, Kirito's blank slate and generic Isekai template that defines him in Aincrad'due south first one-half doesn't do the character any favors. Even when this is put to bed with his farther development in the later on arcs, those arcs themselves often star Kirito and another new female character, Suguha in Fairy Trip the light fantastic, Sinon in Phantom Bullet, and Alice in parts of Alicization.

Kirito and Alice
Kawahara'south tendency to tell his stories by having Kirito with a dissimilar girl each arc doesn't do the testify any in favors in this regard, only it doesn't prove annihilation either.

It is understandable that someone who looked at Sword Art Online, whether through the first half of flavor one, or but at the posters could instantly presume the show is a harem. As the bandage is largely female eccentric, and Kirito remains the only real primary male person atomic number 82, anime fans who take been effectually the block a few times, will accept the knee-wiggle reaction of going "Oh, anime has a harem in it," and that I think is very understandable. I go that, I do. Withal I do retrieve, when you look at the serial that argument mostly falls apart. Now, before I go into the main reason, I want to talk about the other female person characters and their human relationship to Kirito. Many viewers believe that Silica, Suguha, Lisbeth, Sinon and Alice all have a romantic involvement in Kirito, or at the very least 'similar him' in a teenage trounce sort of way.

And honestly? They're right.

One of things I remember people forget about the characters of Sword Art Online, is that they are teenagers, and teenagers are often whirlwind hurricanes of emotions and feelings. Teenage girls especially, and too ofttimes than though, feelings of dear and affection aren't something you can plough off, something you can't wish away. Even when the story directly addresses those feelings and puts them to bed, as is done with Lisbeth in Aincrad, and Suguha in Fairy Trip the light fantastic toe, those feelings and fondness are nonetheless left over. Suguha may have accepted that a relationship with her supposed brother might not happen, but it doesn't mean her feelings only stopped. And that's OK.

Suguha and Lisbeth
Sword Art Online goes out of its way to address the feelings the other girls have to Kirito. Lisbeth has it done in her introduction episode. Fairy Trip the light fantastic toe'southward B-story is all well-nigh that for Suguha.

Despite them knowing that Kirito is pretty much spoken for, that he is devoted to Asuna and vice versa, the girls themselves can't help only experience fondness and amore towards Kirito. It'due south not difficult to run across, when Kirito is frequently going to extreme lengths to protect his friends, fight their enemies or just being an all around good, thoughtful, kind and mature person. For Sinon in Phantom Bullet, Kirito offers her a kindred spirit who understands her trauma, but gives her the space and independence to deal with it. Instead of Shinkawa who wants to suffocate Sinon in his obsessive affection. In many ways he shows off the best in what a potential boyfriend could be, and for these girls, who are nonetheless in the throes of teenage puberty, information technology is non hard to see that hold affection for him, even if they, and the anime have gone to lengths to put them to bed. If the girls get jealous or comically upset that Kirito and Asuna are beingness all romantic, can you really blame them? When Kirito is the only guy (and the just positive instance) of a guy they constantly see?

Kirito badass
When this is the only guy near your historic period that you hang around with. Can you blame the girls for crushing on him?

Then of grade, there is Asuna.

Kirito and Asuna Aincrad
I should merely leave this film upwardly and terminate it hither, because their relationship and information technology is for the serial speaks for itself.

From the 2d of half of Aincrad, to the very climaxes of War of the Underworld, Kirito and Asuna'due south human relationship has been the emotional courage of Sword Art Online. From Aincrad to Death Gun, from Yuuki to Rath, Kirito and Asuna have remained together and devoted to each other. At that place is trust and understanding, because when Kirito has to run off on his own, often with a new daughter at his side, Asuna doesn't get upset, or jealous, or clingy. She understands that Kirito, the human she loves volition ever come up back to her. Kirito in plow, like when he is confronted by Suguha's affections, e'er has his eyes on Asuna and has never strayed from his delivery to her, even when there are plenty of other women who would happily take her identify. Even Alice, who tags along after the events of War of the Underworld, and remains probably the but female in the story who has actual existent and true feelings of dearest for Kirito probably won't cause him to stray. His relationship with Asuna is one of the key pillars of the series, and afterward so many episodes, then many arcs, and an entire movie, it would take something along the lines of a Domestic Girlfriend level bait and switch to change that up now. And I'one thousand pretty sure of Reki Kawahara did do that, it would be received exactly the aforementioned fashion it was with Domestic Girlfriend.

Asuna and Alice
Alice is probably the merely other girl who is every bit devoted to Kirito equally Asuna is, but fifty-fifty she doesn't actually have a adventure.

Like I said at the commencement of this, I practice fully understand why people practise think that Sword Art Online , and Kirito in full general has a harem. Looking at the series with no context, it is easy to make snap judgment. Simply if you actually sit downward and scout the series, await at the characters, the stories they tell, and their relationships, that idea falls apart rather quickly and definitively. Could the anime and serial exist more than forceful in making it clear that it is not a harem? Information technology could. Do I wish that Sword Art Online had introduced some other male person character like Eugeo (and kept him effectually) in social club to balance out the bandage? Hell yep. Does the anime does like to flirt with the thought now and once more? It does, and there are 'harem-moments' sprinkled throughout the series (Alicization literally has a scene where a agglomeration of the girls sit downwards and discuss how awesome Kirito is), but I chalk up those as either tropes of the anime medium, or fun indulgences by Kawahara, with no real stake to the plot. Those are OK, just information technology is OK for the girls to have these affections for Kirito. That doesn't get in a harem, Sword Art Online never was.

I hope this little post helped make that little clearer for you.

Suguha best daughter.

Suguha breasts
Still the only REAL criticism to be leveled at the series.