Humanity is still far away from Sword Art Online’s full-immersion technology.
But when it comes to crafting colossal and sophisticated fantasy worlds, we’re going in the right direction.
Skyrim felt revolutionary back in 2011. Oblivion was already pretty big, but Skyrim felt larger than life.
It’s not only the size of the map, but the intricate stories woven into it, and the possibility for a thousand unique adventures that give us that sense of scale.
Sword Art Online happened to come out that same year. And playing through the best open-world RPG I had ever experienced while watching a show about living inside a similar game was unforgettable.
If you’d love some kind of crossover with these fantasy worlds, then you’ll love these SAO-themed mods.
Booting up Skyrim is a lot like logging into SAO… minus the complete immersion VR tech and the possibility of getting your brain fried.
If you want to feel even more like you’re about to plunge into the floating castle of Aincrad upon booting up The Elder Scrolls V, this SAO Menu Replacer by Drag0nHunt3r55 is a great asset.
Not only does it change the background image to an SAO-related one, but also the music as well.
It’s a small but enjoyable mod, and it’s even better if paired with the SAO Font Replacer.
Rather than change characters or locations to make Skyrim more like the world of Sword Art Online, this Sun Replacer by modder Tenma injects a fair bit of anime into Nirn’s closest star.
Instead of a dull old orb, the sun has a halo and cool beams of light extending in all cardinal directions.
It won’t illuminate the world differently, but it makes for some amazing screenshots.
After a night spent killing Draugr inside an ancient Nord temple, you’ll love having such a beautiful sun to admire while you dust yourself off and head to your next adventure.
I usually focus on Skyrim Special Edition mods because it’s the most recent and widely-adopted version of the game – but the Legendary Edition has a larger mod catalog, and some are too good to ignore.
A great example is this accurate Kirito preset created by modder Emtana.
Any attempt at making Kirito in vanilla Skyrim will fail miserably, as you can’t really put a baby face on Skyrim’s burly, rough and tough men.
Once you have Kirito running around Skyrim, you’ll need to get him some weapons.
He won’t be getting too far with just any steel blade, even with his supernatural swordsmanship.
One of my favorite options is the SAO Weapons Pack, which introduces 6 different weapons based on Kirito’s Elucidator.
This black sword serves as his signature weapon throughout most of the series, and now it will help the Dragonborn as well.
Along with the sword, there’s also a dagger, a greatsword, a mace, a war axe, and a battle-axe, all of which share design characteristics like the jet black color and decorative white crosses.
If you don’t care so much about weapon variety and would prefer to make your character as close to Kirito as possible, then Mr. Flopsie’s Elucidator & Dark Repulser pack is for you.
These blades are a fantastic option for any dual-wielding swordsman.
Both the Elucidator and Dark Repulser are exquisitely modeled, and the author nailed the color on the Dark Repulser.
The Elucidator and Dark Repulser may have been Kirito’s best weapons during his time trapped in SAO – but when it came to rescuing Asuna in Alfheim Online, he needed to level up.
The solution would be found deep within the frosty realm of Jötunheimr, protected by giants and powerful beasts.
But don’t worry, you’ll just have to download it.
The Holy Sword Excalibur grants the wielder unstoppable power.
Considering the Dragonborn kills ancient primordial beasts on the regular, this mod by BasaraStyle seems like a perfect fit.
Whether you’re playing as Kirito or not, I’m sure you’ll love an opportunity to travel the land with the second biggest bad-ass in Sword Art Online: Asuna Yuu.
It’s easy to see why Kirito chooses to stay with Asuna despite a new girl throwing herself at him with every new arc of the anime. She’s smart, gorgeous, and generally acts like a normal adult – something most anime characters fail at.
On top of that, she’s dangerous with a rapier, which will definitely come in handy during her time in Skyrim.
Nelson Chitty is a Venezuelan expat living in Argentina. He’s a writer and translator passionate about history and foreign cultures. His ideal weekend is spent between leisurely playing games of Civilization VI and looking for the next seinen anime to marathon.
