SWORD ART ONLINE is a multi-media franchise based on an original Japanese light novel series of the same name. One thousand players were trapped in a virtual reality massively multiplayer online role-playing game (VRMMORPG) and the hardware that connects them to the game and forced to play through various virtual reality worlds for their freedom. An in-game death means death in the real world. Protagonist Kazuto "Kirito" Kirigaya has an advantage as a previous beta tester, an inclination to protect the other players, and an in-game love interest. But an even larger conspiracy is unfolding in an out of the game(s). The SWORD ART ONLINE franchise consists of light novels, many manga adaptations, anime and video games.