When 10,000 video game players were trapped in the VRMMORPG Sword Art Online by Kayaba Akihiko, many everyday people had to toughen up to survive in a world where death was always a threat. It was a desperate time, and fans got to see both men and women grow up to the task and grow stronger.
Many strong female charactersーas well as villainsーstood in the player's way and fans loved how versatile characters were in the Sword Art Online franchise. After watching the anime, fans were wondering who is the strongest female character in Sword Art Online. From Alice from the Alicization Arc to the heroine Asuna, here they are, ranked.
10 Sakuya
The Lord of the Sylph race in ALfheim Online was an extremely skilled swordsman. She could beat most of her opponents, and while she was seen with guards on her side due to her rank, Sakuya wouldn’t need help.
She wielded her Katana like no one else in the game, and thanks to her height, she could often reach her opponents from a distance and avoid getting hit. Fans were hoping to see a little more of her since her character had a lot of potentials.
9 Yuuki
Sleeping Knights guild’s founder and second in command, Yuuki, was a very skilled player in the SAO universe.
She was known as Absolute Sword in ALfheim Online. Showcasing her exceptional abilities, she created the 11-hit Original Sword Skill known as Mother's Rosario. It was suitable for one-handed swords and allowed players to speed up their attacks. Yuuki was very kind but knew in some cases. Violence was the only solution.
8 Silica
She was another powerful supporting character, who alongside Lisbeth and Asuna, got a spot in the Girls Ops spinoff.
In Sword Art Online, she was a Beast Tamer as Silica managed to befriend a little feathered dragon called Pina. Fans loved both Silica’s character and the cute creature, but only a few knew how strong the girl was. Later, in Alfheim Online, she played with a Caith Sith avatar and was seen unstoppable even when fans thought she would not stand a chance.
7 Sinon
Sinon’s character was among the most admired by fans as she showed a lot of improvement over time. She started in Gun Gale Online to get over her fear of guns. In this world, she perfected her gaming skills and became an adept sniper. She defeated a powerful boss, which earned her a rare rifle.
In GGO, she was among the strongest characters, while she also showed her capabilities in Project Alicization.
6 Quinella
She was one of the toughest antagonists to beat in the Alicization arc. Quinella was every villain’s role model; she was manipulative, narcissistic, and brutally sadistic.
She ruled the Human Empire in a totalitarian way. Quinella referred to herself as an administrator, and thanks to being immortal, she didn’t worry about much. She had many special skills, but her fight against Alice, Eugeo, Chudelkin, and Kirito proved fatal.
5 Leafa
Leafa was a huge fan-favorite because she had a captivating personality. She appeared to be very energetic and friendly, who also lost it in a moment when someone angered her.
Fans saw her become the complete opposite of her original self in no time. If she was harassed or treated inappropriately, Leafa became extremely violent. She had magical abilities, which came in handy in numerous situations. Fans were often wondering if she was the strongest female character in SAO. Leafa was definitely among the best players in Alfheim Online.
4 Alice
One of Alicization Arc’s main characters was Alice, whom fans were exceptionally fond of. She looked like a fairy tale princess with her large blue eyes and long blonde hair, but her personality made her a true heroine. Alice was marvelously brave, who never thought twice about risking her life.
Others felt motivated just by seeing how determined she was. Viewers were convinced, Alice was by far the strongest in the Alicization Project, especially after seeing her fight against Kirito.
3 Yui
It was a fascinating episode when Kirito and Asuna were looking for a ghost in the forest near Castle Aincrad. They found a little girl who lost all her memories and didn’t know who she really was. Asuna and Kirito looked after her for a while, and it turned out the little girl was Yui, an AI.
Her powers were unmatchable by humans as she could jump between worlds and even had the ability to rewrite certain things in the program. Furthermore, she could find the player's real-life location.
2 Rika
Rika’s fellow players knew her as Lisbeth, the blacksmith. While she wasn’t a fighter, her avatar played a significant role in the story’s development.
For a supporting character, it is definitely a huge achievement. The generally friendly girl got a little violent sometimes but wasn’t seen to be dangerous. Her remarkable skills as a blacksmith helped Kirito and many other players progress in the game; therefore, she is considered among the strongest SAO characters.
1 Asuna
The strongest and most beloved female character in the series was definitely Asuna. She was an exciting player as she didn’t care about dying initially, but as she found love upon meeting Kirito, everything changed.
She was utterly determined, and her extraordinary sword skills were stronger than most players' in the game. Most fans were happy to see her become a lead character as she was very supportive of others and always helped the weak.