Kirito

Kirito, short for Kirigaya Kazuto, is a fictional character and the primary protagonist of Sword Art Online (SAO), a light novel series by Reki Kawahara illustrated by abec. Since its 2009 debut, the character has been adapted into multiple anime seasons, manga, and video games, making him one of the franchise’s most recognizable figures. In-universe, Kirito is a highly skilled gamer who becomes trapped in the virtual reality MMORPG Sword Art Online and must clear all 100 floors to escape. He is portrayed as introspective, resourceful, and capable of taking on leadership roles, often operating as a solo player. The name Kirito derives from his surname Kirigaya, and he is frequently referred to as the Black Swordsman, a moniker tied to his dark attire and prowess with blades. He also wields two swords simultaneously, a rare ability that becomes one of his defining traits.

Across the series, Kirito forms key relationships, most notably with Asuna Yuuki, with whom he develops a deep partnership and eventual marriage. The character appears across multiple arcs, including Alfheim Online, Gun Gale Online, and the large-scale Alicization/Underworld narrative, guiding the development of the franchise’s world-building and mythos. Kirito has been voiced in Japanese by Yoshitsugu Matsuoka and in English by Bryce Papenbrook.

Reception of Kirito is mixed; he is widely recognized as a central and influential figure in modern anime, praised for action and character determination, while criticized by some for embodying a power fantasy and for certain narrative devices.