So, I stumbled upon this SAO poster and something feels off, or at least super interesting. The art style and character designs clearly scream around 2012—like, during the Aincrad arc era of the anime. It looks like a classic anime poster, not one from a light novel or anything.
But here’s the weird part: the rings featured on the poster look exactly like the ones from the very last arc of SAO, the Unital Ring arc. That’s like, way later in the timeline, like 14 years after the anime first aired.
So, my question is: Did Reki Kawahara actually have the whole story and ending planned out all along, way back when Aincrad first aired? Or is this poster actually a recent creation, made after Unital Ring? Because I distinctly remember seeing this poster long before Unital Ring even started.
Maybe I’m totally wrong, or maybe there’s some hidden meaning or secret behind this poster. Has anyone else noticed this or have any insight?
Would love to hear your thoughts!
P.S. I honestly don’t even know who made this poster or where it originally came from. I tried searching for its author or source but couldn’t find anything—maybe I didn’t look hard enough, but still, no luck. If anyone knows, please share!
