The action of Sword Art Online mostly takes place within the virtual world, especially in the early seasons. Kazuto Kirigaya, or Kirito as he’s known in-game, goes through a lot of hardships in general, but it’s during the initial death game within Aincrad that he meets many fellow players who not only become his online friends, but also eventually real life friends too.
The later seasons that follow also introduce new characters who Kirito befriends in some way, shape, or form. While many of these characters may feel more than platonic affection for Kirito, all the relationships can still easily be classed as close friendships.
10 Kirito Made It Possible For Yuki To Go To School Against The Odds
Yuki Konno is initially introduced as a mysterious and powerful swordsman in the Mother’s Rosario arc, with her showcasing her talents by defeating Kirito. After fighting Asuna, Yuki deems her worthy and asks Asuna to help her and her team clear the 27th level’s boss, ensuring they get their team’s name immortalized on the Monument of Swordsmen.
Not only does Kirito help fend off rival guilds, allowing them to move on and get their victory, but he also helps construct a system that allows Yuki to accompany Asuna and see their school when he learns that Yuki is ill and is a Medicuboid user. Yuki spends the rest of her short life with Asuna and becomes friends with Kirito in the process, thankful for what he’s done for her.
9 Silica Reminded Kirito Of His Sister
Keiko Ayano, known as Silica in-game, meets Kirito when she’s at a loss after losing her friend and creature companion, Pina. Kirito helps Silica find an item that can restore Pina, although it’s later revealed that he had an ulterior motive in going with her, luring some player killers and criminals out of hiding.
Like some of his other friends, Silica shows signs of having deeper feelings for Kirito, but he says that he values her as a friend because she reminds him of his sister. Silica later becomes a part of the bigger group that continues to hang out and play together, including Lisbeth, Klein, and others.
8 Lisbeth Was A Good Friend And Trusty Blacksmith
One of many examples of female characters who have feelings for Kirito, Lisbeth is arguably one of the most useful to Kirito during the initial game within Aincrad. As a blacksmith, she supplies Kirito with weapons and equipment, as well as accompanying him to go and get the ingredients needed for her to work her magic.
She admits defeat to Asuna regarding Kirito but never truly seems to give up. Her desire and passion are ultimately concentrated and used for helping her friends, best shown when rallying fellow SAO players to join the fight during Alicization – War of the Underworld.
7 Agil Was Kirito’s Go-To Merchant In-Game And Barman In Real Life
Agil is one of few people that Kirito comes to rely on for advice and help during the initial Aincrad playthrough. As a merchant who also helps out on the frontlines trying to clear the game, he has helped Kirito out on several occasions, both in a business sense and just by being a friend.
When they all meet in real life, Agil’s bar becomes a frequent meeting place for all the friends to hang out outside of any virtual world they could alternatively meet in.
6 Kirito Training The Newbie Klein Essentially Helped Him Survive Aincrad
Klein is the first friend that Kirito really made in SAO, teaching him the basics to the extent that he could survive just in time for the death game stipulation to be made common knowledge. Fans ultimately hoped that this would lead to more of a prominent role for Klein, but due to Kirito’s preference for being a lone fighter, Klein only makes a handful of appearances during the initial season.
Klein and Kirito do ultimately become closer friends when the latter decides to let other people in, but Klein certainly had the potential to be best friend material from the start.
5 By Saving Sinon, Kirito Gained A Loyal Friend
Shino Asada, or Sinon, is Kirito’s main companion during his Gun Gale Online adventures in the Phantom Bullet arc. Kirito and Sinon first meet when the former is getting used to his new feminine avatar and Sinon agrees to help him out, thinking he’s a girl.
After working through their initial differences, the two become useful allies for one another when a new installment of the death game ensues. Due to events that transpire in this arc, the two become close, and after Kirito saves Shino in real life, he introduces her to everyone and instantly integrates her into their group.
4 Despite Them Technically Being Cousins, Kirito Still Viewed Suguha As A Sister And Dear Friend
Suguha Kirigaya has a somewhat bizarre relationship with Kazuto, in that they are introduced as siblings at first but then revealed to actually be cousins instead. Suguha is also fighting feelings for Kazuto and unwittingly meets him and falls for him again in ALO, with her being Leafa and him being Kirito so neither of them know they’re family.
After the Fairy Dance arc, Suguha moves forward to being a supportive “sister” or family member to Kirito, while some of the other girls aren’t as willing to move on.
3 Alice And Kirito Had Each Other’s Backs
In Alicization, Alice appears to just be a childhood friend of both Kirito and Eugeo, but as her future and purpose change, it becomes clear that she’s so much more. The virtual world that they inhabit is in fact the Underworld, with Rath creating it in order to raise and nurture potential true bottom-up AI units to use as weapons for military defense.
Kirito spent Alicization helping Eugeo search for Alice, with him eventually finding her and eventually ensuring her safe extraction to the real world. Going into War of the Underworld following the events of Alicization, Alice takes on a new role as carer for a comatose Kirito, becoming protective over him and thinking of him as hers.
2 Eugeo Felt Like A True Best Friend For Kirito
When Kirito enters the Underworld, his past gets written into the world’s reality, with him being childhood friends with Eugeo and Alice. Kirito and Eugeo share the sacred task of cutting down the Gigas Cedar tree and later set off together on an adventure to not only progress up the ranks, but also to find Alice.
Eugeo and Kirito’s friendship is above most others in the anime as it feels like a true brotherhood, with each treating the other as their equal. The fact that Eugeo lives on in sword form, staying by Kirito’s side, is both touching and heart-breaking.
1 Asuna Would Do Anything For Kirito
Back in the original series when players were trapped within the game world of SAO, Kirito and Asuna meet and team up almost immediately before taking very different paths. After Asuna grows tired of the regimented and restricted life that belonging to a guild entails, she becomes curious about Kirito and tags along on his usually solo antics.
The two quickly become a pretty solid team — and gradually, much more. Every journey within Sword Art Online has either been Asuna and Kirito together, or one of them fighting tooth and nail to get back to the other. While many of the female characters in Sword Art Online seem to have feelings for Kirito, Asuna is the only one whose feelings he reciprocates.
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