Sword Art Online | Episode 13

The episode is famously split into two halves that couldn't be more different:

The tone shifts abruptly when Heathcliff calls the couple back to the front lines for the 75th-floor boss battle. The encounter with the Skull Reaper , a terrifying skeletal centipede, is praised for its "slick" animation and "top-notch" choreography, ending on a massive cliffhanger as the team struggles to survive. Critical Highlights Sword Art Online Episode 13

“I think we're given a tremendously important and well-written character (as far as SAO goes, anyway) in Nishida.” www.reddit.com · r/anime · 10 years ago The episode is famously split into two halves

“Ahh, episode 13, containing probably my favourite scene of the series... It was certainly enjoyable, and next episode we get to what this one was building up to!” www.reddit.com · r/anime · 13 years ago It was certainly enjoyable, and next episode we

The episode reminds both the characters and the audience of the "real-world consequences" of their imprisonment. The realization that their physical bodies in the real world have a time limit adds a desperate, emotional edge to the coming battle.

Reviewers from sites like The Glorio Blog and Operation Rainfall argue this episode features a noticeable bump in animation and pacing compared to the preceding "filler-ish" Yui arc. What the Fans Are Saying