Last updated on June 23rd, 2022 at 09:01 pm

Sword Art Online has begun to make it’s presence known here at SHJ. This is one of my favorite anime series to date and has been a ton of fun to work with. There are several arcs to work with here and so many characters who have come and gone with the series. 

And bringing this massive roster down to a top ten has been like pushing through the floors of Aincrad…

Many characters in the series deserve recognition, but only 10 shall be chosen. However, I will be sure to throw in some runner-ups as well. 

You’ll be seeing a name on here from our Most Powerful Female Anime Characters Of All Time…

And yes you’re guess very well may be right!

BUT, before I get into the power of these characters, I want to mention that SAO is a part of our ever growing Workout Database. 

We are continuing to work here at SHJ on getting a mini-database together for you guys, as well as a placement quiz to help you find your ideal workout from the SAO roster!

Feel free to check out our Anime Workout Database in the meantime.

If you like listicles like this one, here are a few more I think you might like:

• Best Anime To Watch On Netflix Right Now
• Best Anime To Watch On Hulu Right Now
• The Most Powerful Anime Characters Of All Time

Of course we’ve also done a handful more “Most Powerful” and “Most Popular” for other anime so if you’d like to check those out you can visit our other listicles here.

For this one I scoured the internet for help and almost every single listicle has a different take on who The Most Powerful SAO Characters are. So what I decided to do was compile ALL of them together and then took the average of all the compiled ratings and placed them in their slot accordingly. Additional characters who did not make it in the top ten that I want to mention as well can be seen in the runner-up section. 

As always, leave your comments below if you were expecting other characters!

MOST POWERFUL SWORD ART ONLINE CHARACTERS

Number Ten: Leafa

Real Name: Kirigaya Suguha

Weapon(s) of Choice: Katana, Magic

Starting off our list of the most powerful SAO characters is ironically the adoptive sister of our number one hero, Kirito: Leafa!

And ironically she’s the real sword expert in reality…

Leafa enters into the SAO series herself during the ALfheim Online arc. She is primarily a user of both wind-attribute and stealth magic during her online experience. She is also a very proficient flier, eventually landing her the nickname Speedaholic.

Leafa’s attack magic takes the form of multiple blades or needles that she can fire at range against her foes. She is capable of concealing herself in a membranous shell as well as create a shield for herself and others. She is also capable of providing several healing spells and buffing the strength of her team members. This makes her a fairly useful team member to have along with you.

Leafa at SHJ:

Coming Soon!

Number Nine: Quinella

Real Name: Quinella

Weapon(s) of choice: Rapier, Sacred Arts

Coming in at number nine on the list of the most powerful SAO characters of all time is the Administrator herself: Quinella!

Yeah that’s right she has Admin privileges…

Quinella is the immortal leader of the Axiom Church during the Alicization arc. She is virtually a goddess, and some may say god-modder, figure in the series as she holds powerful enhanced abilities, as well as the ability to utilize Sacred Arts to their fullest.

Quinella is capable of healing most fatal wounds inflicted upon her instantly, which are difficult to inflict when she has her impenetrable shield up. She has full elemental manipulation and is able to negate status effects such as poison. Every inch of her being is able to be manipulated into becoming weapons for her to attack her foes with.

With powers like that, how is it she ranked ninth here!

Quinella at SHJ:

Coming Soon!

Number Eight: Sinon

Real Name: Asada Shino

Weapon(s) of choice: Sniper Rifle, Bow

At number eight among the most powerful SAO characters of all time is the danger from afar: Sinon!

Sinon is a major character during the Gun Gale Online arc of SAO who continues with the Kirito squad from that point forward. She is a strong character who utilizes her range to mitigate a childhood trauma which she eventually begins to overcome as the GGO arc comes to an end.

Sinon at base level may seem simply dangerous because of her range, but her childhood traumas with firearms does not make her any less capable with them. She has a special ability known as Hawk Eye which brings her sniping capabilities to a whole new level. When wielding a rifle, she is able to zoom in her sight and take targets out at 1.8 to 2.2 kilometers away.

That is over a mile of effective range…

She is able to use a similar ability with a bow and take targets out at 200 to 400 meters away. In later arcs such as the ALO arc, she is able to tame beasts to fight for her as well.

Sinon at SHJ:

Coming Soon!

Number Seven: Alice

Real Name: Alice Zuberg

Weapon(s) of choice: Sword

Alice was born within the simulated world of Underworld. She is an Integrity Knight who had her original memories lost when she decided to join forces under the Administrator, Quinella. She eventually turns on the Human Realm Empire to take down Quinella as she realizes that it was not what she thought it would be.

It’s a good thing too, because she possesses similar strength to Quinella and sits higher on rankings…

Alice, like Quinella, is capable of utilizing Sacred Arts. Her most noteworthy ability is known as the Perfect Weapon Control Art, which when utilized allows her to create hundreds, if not more, of petal like blades that she can use at will. She can also send these blades into an unrestricted rampage that massively multiplies the output of blades for a short time. She also possesses a very similar skillset, including enhanced strength and immortality, to that of Quinella.

Alice at SHJ:

Coming Soon!

Number Six: Yuuki

Real Name: Konno Yuuki

Weapon(s) of choice: Sword

Coming in at number six is the master swordsman: Yuuki!

Yuuki is the leader of the ALfheim guild the Sleeping Knights. As are all members of this guild, Yuuki in real life is a terminally ill patient who is utilizing her experimental medical tech to play ALO.

Trust me you would never expect her circumstances when you see her tearing through her targets…

Yuuki is mostly known for her extremely powerful Original Sword Skill (OSS), Mother’s Rosario. This skill performs 11 stab attacks, 10 of which form an X pattern while the last performs a powerful strike through its middle. This attack is the highest known combo performed within ALO.

Yuuki at SHJ:

Coming Soon!

Number Five: Oberon

Real Name: Sugou Nobuyuki

Weapon(s) of choice: Sword, Magic

Coming in at number five is a despicable villain: Oberon!

Oberon is a self-proclaimed fairy king created more-or-less from Nobuyuki’s own beliefs of supremacy and thirst for power. Utilizing his real world riches and knowledge of hacking, he is able to garnish administrative control over the SAO system and truly become the great Fairy King Oberon within ALO.

Utilizing his control over the administrative and operating systems of ALO, he at one point gathers the mind of 300 players in a sick mind control experiment. He is also capable of using his administrative privileges to cast immense magical skills such as causing the total paralysis of a player. He at one point utilizes his immense control to kidnap Asuna and pin Kirito in place with that very paralysis skill while he attempts to have his way with her.

Trust me this is only the surface of the horrifying horrible things he does with his power…

Oberon at SHJ:

Coming Soon!

Number Four: Yui

Real Name: Yui-MHCP001

Weapon(s) of choice: Cardinal System Access

At number four among the most powerful SAO characters of all time we have the adorable mental health AI: Yui!

Yui was originally created as a mental health support AI that was installed within the Cardinal System. When Aincrad became a death pit, Yui began to lose herself as she was incapable of assisting players as she was originally programmed. She is restored when she meets Asuna and Kirito and experiences the joy they emanate together.

Yui may not seem the typical powerhouse that other names on this list generally are. But she possesses an immense level of intelligence that holds unlocked power within the Cardinal System. She is capable of accessing any data within the system including the weaknesses of enemies and special accesses that otherwise may not be known to normal players. This ability is in part what provides Asuna and Kirito such immense power as well as eventually brings about the destruction of SAO and it’s corruption.

And speaking of the corrupted SAO system…

Yui at SHJ:

Coming Soon!

Number Three: Heathcliff

Real Name: Kayaba Akihiko

Weapon(s) of choice: Sword and Shield

Coming into the top 3 we have the Game Master himself : Heathcliff!

Kayaba is the very development director of SAO as well as the creator of NerveGear. His intent for NerveGear and SAO itself is made very clear in the beginnings of the series. The system was created as a sick experiment that went beyond the normal confines of virtual reality and dragged the very minds of its players into the game, which was capable of causing them brain failure in real life.

Heathcliff originally was the leader of the number one guild in SAO, Knights of the Blood. He was seen as an impenetrable wall that could quickly shift from offense to defense at will with his unique Holy Sword skill. He also possessed a sword skill, Divine Sword, that could blind his opponent, furthering his already strong combative abilities. Due to his administrative privilege, Heathcliff was also able to use a System Overassist which allowed him to temporarly boost his movement immensely and bring himself back into a defensive position even if his shield was knocked aside by a powerful attack.

Heathcliff at SHJ:

Coming Soon!

Number Two: Asuna

Real Name: Yuuki Asuna

Weapon(s) of choice: Rapier

Coming in at number two among the most powerful SAO characters of all time is the the deadly wife of Kirito: Asuna!

Asuna was orignally the sub-leader of the Knights of the Blood…

Just to give you an idea of how powerful of a swordswoman she is…

Throughout the series, Asuna acquired many sword skills that she utilizes with the rapier. There are several skills of particular note however. Her Flashing Penetrator allows her to perform a devastating charge attack which is capable of blowing away any enemies that are near her as she charges toward her target. Star Splash is a massive 8-hit combo that rapidly penetrates multiple points of the body before ending at the chest with a powerful jab. Later, Asuna also inherits Yuuki’s massive combo, Mother’s Rosario, giving her two of the highest attack combos ever known.

Asuna at SHJ:

Asuna Inspired Workout Routine

Asuna Jump Rope Workout

Number One: Kirito

Real Name: Kirigaya Kazuto

Weapon(s) of choice: Sword, Dual Blades

Coming in at number one is The Black Swordsman: Kirito!

Kirito is an absolute monster…

And no I don’t mean in the same way Nobuyuki is…creep…

Before I even get into his later abilities of immense capability, let me go over some basic combat skills he possesses. His Embracer skill allows him to take his hand with extended fingers and impale it through an opponents chest plate…

Ok if that doesn’t scare you enough let me start talking about his sword skills…

Meteor Break is a 7-hit barrage of attacks mixing his sword and unarmed attacks. Vorpal Strike is the signature Black Swordsman move, where Kirito thrusts forward with supersonic speed, and jet engine sounds are included. Finally, to wrap up this discussion I give you The Eclipse. Kirito is capable of a 27-hit, high powered assault with his dual blades…

Yeah you read that right…27 damn strikes…

Now let’s talk about a little magic and unique abilities. During ALO, Kirito is capable of casting a smokescreen as well as performing a metamorphosis which turns him into a powerful and quick beast illusion. Kirito is capable of utilizing the Incarnation System, which allows him to utilize his mind and imagination to change the world around him and manifest unique abilities. This ability is also the basis of the Sacred Arts in the later arcs of SAO. Kirito possesses a particular Sacred Art that can encase an area in ice, which then can bloom blue roses which are capable of draining the very life from his oppenents.

Yeah I think that makes the point..

Kirito at SHJ:

Kirito Inspired Workout Routine

Kazuto Jump Rope Routine

---

But I’d also love to hear who YOU think should be on this list!

The Most Powerful Sword Art Online Characters of All Time (Runner Ups):

• Death Gun
• General Eugene
• Eugeo
• Bercouli
• Poh

Don’t forget to comment your thoughts below.

As always, remember that all these routines should be paired with our Nutrition Pillars; and you can even check out our article on The Top Diets Used Among Celebrities as well.

If you want to step it up a notch on top of these workouts then you can also check out our Superhero Academy and Superhuman System as well.

Now get out there and begin unleashing your inner superhuman!

—–

Until next time,

Garrett

SHJ’s Green Arrow/Uncle Iroh

Looking to step it up a notch?
Join The Superhero Academy and start unleashing your inner SuperHuman.