Summary
Sword Art Onlineis a fan-favorite Isekai animethat follows the protagonist Kazuto Kirigaya, popularly known by his in-game name, Kirito, as he journeys through virtual reality worlds. The anime adapted from a popular light novel sold over thirty million copies worldwide and set the pace for the Isekai anime genre. The Mother’s Rosario arc is a side story between the Phantom Bullet and Aliciziation arcs in the anime. Though the protagonist, Kirito, has faced danger innumerous MMORPG gamesthrough multiple seasons of the anime, he takes a secondary role within this arc, and Asuna Yuuki takes the main stage in this side story.
The arc follows Asuna Yuuki in the world of New Aincard, catching wind of a mysterious player called Absolute Sword, an unknown player rumored to have transferred from another game who offered any player who could beat them an eleven-hit Original Sword skill. The character’s infamy quickly rose as they beat every player in their wake,even beating players like Kirito. Asuna quickly took the challenge and discovered the identity of the duelist, embarking on an adventure to defeat the next-floor boss. The arc delves fans into an emotional story of players facing terrible odds but making the best of it as they try and play their favorite game so far for what seems like the last few times in their lives.
The Premise Of The Arc
The Sleeping Knights Legacy
The Mother’s Rosario Arc is a side story ofSword Art Onlinethat focuses onthe interaction between Asuna and Yuuki, also known as Absolute Sword. The purpose of Yuuki challenging players in New Aincard was to find a player strong enough to help their guild, Sleeping Knights, defeat the next floor boss, and etch their name into the Monument of Swordsmen before their guild had to disband. The Sleeping Knights guild comprises terminally ill players who use Fulldive Technology to explore various games to escape their various situations and make close bonds with people like them.
As Yuuki’s terminal AIDS takes a turn for the worse and she approaches the end of her life, she deems Asuna worthy of helping her guild achieve their final dream to eternalize their legacy in Alfheim Online. Asuna and Yuuki, as well as the rest of the members of the Sleeping Knights guild, create close bonds with each other, and Asuna sees a new perspective of legacy and human tenacity and begins to reshape her worldview. This arc shines a light on the human tendency for immortalization and legacy as the central characters of the story battle through tragic circumstances.
A New Friendship Blossoms
Asuna And The Sleeping Knights
Asuna accepts Yuuki’s invitation as a temporary member of the Sleeping Knights; she quickly hits it off with the members. Asuna quickly bonds with all members of the party, listening to their vulnerabilities and gaining insight into some parts of their lives without knowing about the specifics of their circumstances. Although Asuna was brought aboard the party because of her impressive sword skills, they quickly took a liking to her because of her warm demeanor and understanding nature. These interactions at the party led them to open up about the true nature of their quest, causing them to get even closer. With this, Asuna finally understood the true stakes of their boss battle; it was more than just a game; it was life or death.
The interactions between Asuna went far beyond just empathy and pity for the unfortunate circumstances of the people she had begun to call her friends. Asuna’s journey with the Sleeping Knight guild gave her admiration and respect for the strength of players who faced much tougher circumstances than she did but still enjoyed the time they spent and approached their journey with everything they had. Though the time these players spent with each other was limited, it would be one that would leave a long-lasting impact in their lives, however long that would last.
The Driving Conflicts Of The Protagonists
Yuuki And Asuna Face Vastly Different Challenges
While Yuuki was facing a life-changing event, Asuna was also dealing with some of her issues with her family. As the arc progresses, Asuna conflicts with her mother, who believes that she is wasting time by constantly using Fulldive technology to play her virtual reality games. Asuna, during this arc, strikes a balance between her long-lasting virtual reality relationships and her real-life responsibilities and goals. Yuuki, on the other hand, must battle with her illness as her health takes a turn for the worst. She tries her best to leave a legacy of her achievements from her favorite thing to do, playing games. In the face of an imminent end, Yuuki overcomes her mortality and remains steadfast in her pursuit, approaching her guild’s final quest with the utmost urgency.
The Mother’s Rosario Arc takes Yuuki and Asuna side by side as they approach the quest with different mindsets and urgencies.As the two protagonists become closerthrough their interactions and preparations, they gain insights and new worldviews. Asuna learns of Yuuki’s circumstances and begins to think critically about her responsibilities and her life outside of virtual reality. The arc takesSword Art Onlinefans on a journey with Asuna and Yuuki as they face issues of varying magnitude but considerable nature.
Yuuki’s Legacy
The 11-hit Skill: Mother’s Rosario
Konno Yuuki, or just Yuuki, was one of the mostpowerful duelists in Alfheim online. After playing numerous games with her guild, they decided they wanted Alfheim Online to be the final game they played together. Through numerous duels and sixty-seven consecutive wins in Alfheim online, Yuuki was dubbed Absolute Sword, andher eleven-hit original sword skillwas one of the most powerful in the entire game. The skill was so powerful that it won her numerous battles with powerful players and bosses and gave her admiration from players around her, most especially Asuna.
The floor boss battle that the Sleeping Knights would embark on would be a means for Yuuki to show what she was made of for the last time, but most especially be her collective legacy with her friends in their favorite game. But Yuuki’s legacy in Alfheim Online was her powerful sword skill. The skill birthed from her hard work and abilities as a master duelist would be her parting gift to someone who she considered worthy of it.
Asuna’s willingness to fight with her newfound allies and her sympathy towards their cause made her a prime candidate to pass on the sword skill to. At the end of the arc, Konno Yuuki shares her original sword skill with Asuna before she eventually passes on from her illness. Asuna’s possession of Yuuki’s skill symbolized the legacy of Yuuki; what she stood for, her achievements, and her beliefs live on in her favorite game and in the last friend she ever made.
