Story, Bosses & Partners
The backbone of the platinum — 20 trophies for climbing Aincrad, exploring its towns, unlocking floor maps, bonding with the whole cast and clearing bosses. Almost all of it comes just from playing the campaign; the only real tests are the two golds: reaching the ending and beating the superboss, the Tezca Death Wielder.
How to approach it
- Follow the main quest first — it naturally walks you through the towns, floor maps, partner introductions and boss fights, popping most of these along the way.
- Say yes to party invites — becoming partners with each character is usually tied to their introduction or a short bonding side quest, so don't skip their dialogue.
- Save the two golds for when you're strong — the ending and the Tezca Death Wielder both want a leveled, well-geared character, which you'll have after the collection grind.
Welcome to Sword Art Online
BronzeFull guideCollapseVisit Town of Beginnings for the first time.
Welcome to Sword Art Online
BronzeFull guideCollapseHow to earn it
Unlocks the moment you first set foot in the Town of Beginnings at the very start of the game. Unmissable.
Beyond the Plains
BronzeFull guideCollapseVisit Horunka for the first time.
Beyond the Plains
BronzeFull guideCollapseHow to earn it
Unlocks when the main story first takes you to Horunka. Unmissable.
Town on the Lake
BronzeFull guideCollapseVisit Tolbana for the first time.
Town on the Lake
BronzeFull guideCollapseHow to earn it
Unlocks on your first visit to Tolbana as you progress the story. Unmissable.
City of the 2nd
BronzeFull guideCollapseVisit Urbus for the first time.
City of the 2nd
BronzeFull guideCollapseHow to earn it
Unlocks on your first visit to Urbus on the 2nd Floor. Unmissable.
Info Hunt
BronzeFull guideCollapseVisit Marome for the first time.
Info Hunt
BronzeFull guideCollapseHow to earn it
Unlocks on your first visit to Marome as the story opens up the floor. Unmissable.
Seeking Sanctuary
BronzeFull guideCollapseVisit Taran for the first time.
Seeking Sanctuary
BronzeFull guideCollapseHow to earn it
Unlocks on your first visit to Taran. Unmissable — the story routes you there.
1st Floor Trailblazer
BronzeFull guideCollapseUnlock a variety of maps on the 1st Floor.
1st Floor Trailblazer
BronzeFull guideCollapseHow to earn it
Unlock a set number of the 1st Floor's map areas by exploring. Walk into each region to reveal it on the map.
Tip
Fully explore each floor before you clear its boss — it also feeds Treasure Hunter and the databases.
2nd Floor Pioneer
BronzeFull guideCollapseUnlock a variety of maps on the 2nd Floor.
2nd Floor Pioneer
BronzeFull guideCollapseHow to earn it
Unlock a set number of the 2nd Floor's map areas by exploring the floor thoroughly.
The Black Swordsman
BronzeFull guideCollapseBecome partners with Kirito.
The Black Swordsman
BronzeFull guideCollapseHow to earn it
Kirito joins you automatically through story progression. Unmissable — just play the campaign.
Together with Lightning
BronzeFull guideCollapseBecome partners with Asuna.
Together with Lightning
BronzeFull guideCollapseHow to earn it
Asuna joins automatically through the story. Unmissable.
Ever Dependable
BronzeFull guideCollapseBecome partners with Klein.
Ever Dependable
BronzeFull guideCollapseHow to earn it
Klein joins automatically through the story. Unmissable.
Partner in Business
BronzeFull guideCollapseBecome partners with Agil.
Partner in Business
BronzeFull guideCollapseHow to earn it
Agil joins automatically through the story. Unmissable.
Never Alone
BronzeFull guideCollapseBecome partners with Silica.
Never Alone
BronzeFull guideCollapseHow to earn it
Silica joins automatically through the story. Unmissable.
Mace to Meet You!
BronzeFull guideCollapseBecome partners with Lisbeth.
Mace to Meet You!
BronzeFull guideCollapseHow to earn it
Lisbeth joins automatically through the story. Unmissable — all six partners are recruited just by playing the campaign.
Boss Killer
BronzeFull guideCollapseDefeat 100 bosses.
Boss Killer
BronzeFull guideCollapseHow to earn it
Defeat 100 bosses across the game. Field and Ark bosses on cleared floors can be fought repeatedly, so you don't need 100 unique ones.
Tip
Farm a quick, repeatable boss on a cleared floor — this ticks over naturally on the way to Level 100.
Seal Breaker
BronzeFull guideCollapseDefeat a variety of Ark bosses.
Seal Breaker
BronzeFull guideCollapseHow to earn it
Defeat a variety of different Ark bosses. Seek out the distinct Ark bosses spread across the floors rather than farming the same one.
Prismatic Powerhouse
SilverFull guideCollapseObtain all Key Stones.
Prismatic Powerhouse
SilverFull guideCollapseHow to earn it
Obtain every Key Stone. Key Stones are earned as you progress and clear content across Aincrad's floors — collect the full set.
Tip
Don't skip floor content; a missing Key Stone usually means an area or objective you haven't finished yet.
Aincrad's Beacon
SilverFull guideCollapseComplete a variety of side quests.
Aincrad's Beacon
SilverFull guideCollapseHow to earn it
Complete a set number of side quests. Pick them up from NPCs in each town as you pass through.
Tip
Grab side quests whenever you reach a new town so they're already active while you explore that floor.
The Order of the Cherry Blossom
GoldFull guideCollapseReach the ending.
The Order of the Cherry Blossom
GoldFull guideCollapseHow to earn it
Reach the ending of the game by finishing the main story. Unmissable.
Those Who Transcend Death
GoldFull guideCollapseDefeat the Tezca Death Wielder.
Those Who Transcend Death
GoldFull guideCollapseHow to earn it
Beat the Tezca Death Wielder, the game's optional superboss and the single hardest trophy in the platinum. It's a four-phase fight, and the thing that actually kills you isn't raw damage — it's instant-death buildup. Several of its attacks add to a hidden death gauge, and once that meter fills, the fight can end in one stroke no matter how much HP you have.
Prep — beat the death gauge
- Stack Intelligence and status-resistance gear. High INT plus equipment that lowers status effects is what keeps the instant-death accumulation from overwhelming you — this matters more than pure attack.
- Come in near max level with your best-upgraded weapon and a mastered Sword Skill set.
- Carry a full stock of Healing Crystals (and max your crystal capacity first — see A Strong Lifeline).
- Bring Asuna and fire off both of her partner skills whenever they're available — they add a chunk of damage each round and speed the fight up.
The phases
Play the opening phase normally. After phase 1, Tezca starts summoning floating orbs — destroy every orb the instant it appears before you go back to hitting the boss. Ignore them and you lose all momentum (and they feed the death buildup), so treat orb-clearing as the priority for the rest of the fight. Keep chipping through the remaining phases, healing on cooldown and re-applying partner skills, and the death gauge stays manageable.