Best Sword Art Online Openings

1. Crossing Field - LiSA

   

   Crossing Field, the original song from the original anime, stands out because of its originality and how well it fits the anime's themes.

   There are no low points or buildups, but it truly captures the Aincrad Arc.

2. ANIMA - ReoNa

   As we finally get to see the long-awaited War of Underworld Part 2, Anima, the opening song, answers the bell in a phenomenal way and gives fans what they wanted to see. The song captures Kirito's mind and what he's thinking in so many ways.

   From his past adventures in Aincrad and GGO to his new ones with Eugeo in the Underworld, the opening finishes off grandly with Kirito dual-wielding. The song also seems to represent the Underworld as a whole.

3. ADAMAS - LiSA

   

   Another masterpiece by LiSA, Adamas alludes to a childhood that Kirito doesn't remember and features action-packed battles with the Integrity Knights. The music is chilling in a good way.

   The opening also pays tribute to characters who played a big role in making the Underworld possible. All in all, it captures his and Eugeo's friendship, which is the overarching theme.

4. courage - Haruka Tomatsu

   

   The Caliber Arc is one of the smallest, but the opening magnifies its significance with soft music and great lyrics.

   It highlights the friendship and tight bond between all the main characters, and the footage is also good.

5. RESISTER - ASCA

   

   Resister isn't as continuous or fluent, but it still does a pretty good job of capturing Kirito and Eugeo's entire journey to the top of the Cathedral with a great, varied set of music and lyrics.

   It's action-heavy but lacks finesse.

6. Catch the Moment - LiSA

   

   Though Ordinal Scale technically doesn't have an opening, Catch the Moment is the main theme song. It lacks lyrical variety and only seems to capture part of the movie, without a strong overarching theme.

   The music is very good though, and the visuals go well with the song.

7. IGNITE - Eir Aoi

   

   While very engaging, Ignite by Eir Aoi is heavily focused on action and doesn't capture anything beyond Kirito and Sinon's feud with Death Gun and each other, either in music or visuals.

   The music gets you riled up at the start, while the bulk of the content comes at the end. Ignite still does well with visual storytelling in other ways.

8. Resolution - Haruka Tomatsu

   

   While not bad, Resolution seems to lack content, action, and excitement. Songs like Anima and Crossing Field do a much better job in those areas.

   Resolution focuses on Alice's imagination and future, as she serves as the main character for much of the arc. However, very little buildup is given for anyone other than Alice. I would've liked to see more of Asuna and Bercouli. The moderate music does work well with the crossovers.

9. INNOCENCE - Eir Aoi