Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk is set to release in Fall 2022 and we’re hyped for it! Sword Art Online Progressive released its first movie in the Fall 2021 anime season and is returning with yet another story with Kirito and Asuna in the world of Aincard.
Sword Art Online is a familiar name for those who followed the series in the early 2010s. Sword Art Online: Progressive takes upon retelling the storyline of Sword Art online while also expanding on the universe. The original Sword Art Online novel series by Rei Kawahara began in 2002 and also received an anime adaptation in 2012. Sword Art Oline Progressive light novel began its run in 2012. The anime is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year!
The first anime movie from the series, Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night released in 2021 and is rated 8/10 on My Anime List!
Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk Trailer
What is Sword Art Online Progressive About?
Sword Art Online: Progressive begins with the virtual reality MMORPG Sword Art Online that ropes in thousands of players using NerveGear technology and traps them in the world of Aincard. Only the ones who can clear all 100 levels of Aincard can escape the game. Death in the game or attempts of forceful removal of the gear results in death in real life. Kirito is one of the beta testers of the game and is known as of the beaters. He meets Asuna Yuuki, a young girl and an excellent player whom he befriends and later marries in the game.
Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night adapted the first volume of the light novels and introduced the initial arc of the SAO Progressive series.
What will be the Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk plot?
The Sword Art Online Light Novels pick up the original series to retell the story again. The first movie in the new series Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night adapted the first volume of the light novel series and covers the story of Kirito and Asuna on the first floor of Aincard. The upcoming movie Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk is expected to cover the 4th volume of the light novels.
Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk will begin in Level 4 of Aincard and may also dabble in the previous arcs which have not been covered in the animation of the SAO Progressive movie Series. There are 3 arcs between the two movies that are consecutive. The announcement videos and first poster of Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk have been released!
Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk Release in the West Predictions
Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk is set to release in Japan in the Fall 2022. The release date for the movie was confirmed for September 10th, 2022.
However, in a recent development on the 22nd of August, Sword Art Online: Progressive – Scherzo of Deep Night movie’s official website announced that due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Japan, the release scheduled for 10th September has been postponed. Further date of Sword Art Online Progressive – Scherzo of Deep Night has yet to be announced. The preview has also been postponed!
SAO Movie “Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night” theatrical premiere date in Japan has been leaked to be 22nd October.
Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night had a run time of 97 minutes. It is likely that the upcoming movie will also have a similar runtime.
Anime movies often get an international release a few months following their release in Japan. An international release date for Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk will also get an English Dub and will likely get a release in the first quarter of 2023. Sword Art Online has a huge fanbase which only fuels the speed and quality of a US and Canada release.
When Will Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk Release in the West?
Aniplex of America has officially confirmed Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk will get a theatrical release in select North American theaters starting from February 2023. This was followed by another Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk trailer in English dub.
Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk Characters, Cast and Staff
The cast from the first movie as well as the production team is set to return for this movie! The confirmed voice cast of the anime movie includes:
- Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Kazuto Kirigaya
- Haruka Tomasu as Yuuki Asuna
- Inori Minase as Mito
- Sayaka Kobayashi as Akiyo Sada
Ayako Kono is directing the movie at A-1 Pictures, Kento Toya is the character designer, Yasuyuki Kai is the action director and Yuki Kajiura is the music composer.
Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk English dub cast has also been disclosed and is listed below
- Asuna: Haruka Tomatsu/Cherami Leigh
- Kirito: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka/Bryce Papenbrook
- Mito: Inori Minase/Anairis Quiñones
- Argo: Shiori Izawa/Kimberly Anne Campbell
- Agil: Hiroyuki Yasumoto/Patric Seitz
- Kibaou: Tomokazu Seki/Derek Stephen Prince
- Liten: Kaede Hondo/AmaLee
- Shivata: Yuusuke Nagano/Griffin Puatu
- Lind: Takeo Otsuka/Howard Wang
- Yamata: Shinya Takahashi
- Wolfgang: Yohei Azakami/Young Yea
- Lobacca: Yuki Tamai/ Bill Butts
- Naijan: Koji Seki/ Xander Mobus
- Joe: Ryota Osaka/ Alejandro Saab
- Morte: Yusuke Kobayashi/ A.J. Beckles
In the meantime check out a key visual of ‘Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk’ Movie shared 3 months ago
FAQs – Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk Edition
Q. Will SAO Progressive be a series?
A. SAO Progressive light novel series is in the middle of an anime adaptation. It is not an episodic anime series but rather a series of movies that are adapting different volumes of light novels. Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk is the second movie in the SAO Progressive adaptation series. The SAO Progressive series has also started discussions on the possibility of SAO Season 5!
Q. Is SAO Progressive finished?
A. The SAO Progressive light novel series began in 2012. Season 1 of the Sword Art Online anime series was also released in the same year! The light novel series has been ongoing since then and currently has 8 volumes. The movie adaptations of the light novels are currently releasing.
The first movie is titled Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night which was released in Fall 2021. The second movie scheduled for release in Fall 2022 is Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk. The light novels as well as adaptation of the SAO Progressive series is far from over!
Stay tuned for updates on Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of a Dark Dusk and all the good stuff from your favourite titles. It is hoped that SAO movies will continue to top all Light Novel as well as Anime charts.
In the meantime, don’t forget to let us know your picks from Spring 2022 anime releases and let us know all you plan to watch in the upcoming season!