a third season, titled "sword art online: alicization", began airing on october 7, 2018, with a one-hour world premiere which aired in japan, the united states, australia, france, germany, russia and south korea on september 15, 2018. it will air for four cours (around 50 episodes) and will adapt from the novel's ninth volume, "alicization beginning", to the eighteenth volume, "alicization lasting". the english dub of the third season premiered on february 9, 2019 on adult swim's toonami.