Kirito and Asuna are one of the most celebrated couples in both anime and the isekai genre—so much so that they are consecutively the first choice for couples who both cosplay. No matter if some fans disagree with their relationship, one thing is for certain—they love each other dearly.

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However, certain aspects of their relationship could not be translated into the various anime, manga, and even the original light novels. Here are 10 things only light novel fans—as well as Sword Art Online: Progressive fans—would know about Asuna and Kirito's relationship.

10 Asuna Was The Only Person Who Knew Why Kirito Called Himself A Beater

Kirito Announcing He's A Beater Sword Art Online

When Sword Art Online first began, Kirito and Asuna were mere strangers. However, Asuna was also very observant after they worked together to fight against the 1st Floor Boss. After Diavel lost his life and cemented that this was no ordinary game, Kirito declared himself as a Beater—a beta tester and cheater—in an arrogant way, causing others to hate him.

It turns out he did this to create distance between himself and the other beta testers so they would not garner all of the hatred for having more experience than everyone else. Despite not knowing anything about Kirito at the time, Asuna was the only one who knew the kind truth behind why he did this.

9 Kirito Was The Reason Why Asuna Took A Liking To Cooking In-Game

Asuna And Kirito's First Meeting In SAO

Kirito may not remember the first time he encountered Asuna, but it was a big moment for her. After the villain who trapped them in the game declared that a death game would begin, Kirito sat beside a person in a red hood in one of the beginning areas.

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Despite this being a game, everyone still became hungry. As he saw the hooded person eating the bread, he gave that person a pot of cream to taste better. When they fought against the 1st Floor Boss, later on, he discovered it was the person he gave the pot of cream to—and after settling into the online world, Asuna began cooking, striving to make the online food inside the game taste as good as she could.

8 They Argued A Lot Whenever They Would Meet At First

SAO Progressive Kirito And Asuna Fighting

In the rewritten world of Sword Art Online: Progressive, Kirito and Asuna did not get along. Asuna and Kirito would often have differences in plans and fighting skills, so Asuna would often lash out at Kirito, to which he would actually snap back at her.

The people around them would often jest about how whenever they were together, they would fight horribly. Although they actually argue a bit in the original light novel, it was never to the extent shown in the revised ones.

7 They Formed A Party Once Before Splitting Up

Asuna Scared In Progressive

This is another change introduced in Sword Art Online: Progressive. In the light novel, Kirito and Asuna actually formed a party after Kirito declared himself a Beater. Although it was only for a short while, they were known as an odd duo within the game.

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While Asuna was at first creeped out and feared the various enemies that came her way, Kirito would mostly react calmly, as he played for longer than she did. Asuna eventually gets over the fear of their appearance and replaces it with the fear of death instead, which showed more character development than the first light novel.

6 Kirito Would Buy Asuna Various Accessories To Help Boost Her Stats

Lisbeth Teasing Asuna Sword Art Online

This was shown briefly when Lisbeth, one of Asuna's good friends who was a blacksmith in the online world, noticed that she had some new earrings. Asuna was shy at first but admitted that it was a present from someone.

Although Lisbeth teased Asuna because of this, it was shown that Kirito would give Asuna presents to help her survive in battle. It could have also been a simple gesture to show how much he loved her, but that was left to fans' imaginations.

5 It Took A Year For Them To Trust Each Other

Asuna Watching Kirito Sleeping Under A Tree

In both the original light novels and Sword Art Online: Progressive, both Kirito and Asuna did not trust anyone around them. This was a wise choice, as anyone could have put them in danger at any time. It took a year of online game time for them to feel comfortable around each other finally.

The best example is when Kirito is sleeping beneath a tree, and Asuna watches him sleep peacefully. In the light novel, this signifies that they are relaxed enough around each other to show themselves when they are defenseless.

4 They Go On Multiple Dates Throughout The Light Novel

Kirito And Asuna On A Date Sword Art Online Progressive

Kirito and Asuna become a couple, but in the original light novel and the anime, they hardly have any time for dates when they're trying to survive. The most they ever did was take time off to go on a honeymoon after getting married inside the game.

However, the Sword Art Online: Progressive light novels show them leisurely climbing each Floor at their own pace. This makes it easier to understand why they fell in love with each other and the various dates they went on when they have a moment of peace. From dinner dates to boat rides, they enjoyed themselves whenever they didn't need to think about survival.

3 Kirito Helps Asuna Have Less Nightmares

Kirito And Asuna In Bed Sword Art Online

Asuna had horrible nightmares about what would happen if she did not survive. It isn't stated explicitly, but Asuna had shown signs of PTSD from being trapped within the game and losing those around her from various enemies and the guilt from killing others when she had to do anything to survive.

She had stated that being near Kirito—and sleeping beside him—caused her nightmares to disappear.

2 They Were Co-Dependent In The VRMMORPG World

Kirito And Asuna At The Wood Cabin Sword Art Online

The reason is simple—after being stuck in an online world for so long, it's hard to live without the person who grounds you. Kirito and Asuna were very serious about each other, as well as their relationship.

They became so co-dependent that they both stated they would take their own life if the other died. This could especially be seen when Asuna "dies" after Kayaba kills her, to which he threw away his life, thinking that he could not live with Asuna.

1 In The Progressive Light Novel And Manga, Their Relationship Is Very Different

Kirito And Asuna In Progressive

Sword Art Online: Progressive changes many things, and one of the most vital things is the character dynamic between Kirito and Asuna. It shows their relationship evolve from love to hate and how they begin as friends before any romance happens. In the manga, Kirito's personality is eccentric, and Asuna is more of a tsundere.

The light novel shows Kirito being more boyish and Asuna acting more eccentric and amateur-like than Kirito. Whatever the case, it fills in the gaps and makes their relationship more relatable is perhaps the best part of the light novels.

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