Character Creation
Echoes of Aincrad character creation guide — body types, appearance, whether your choices affect gameplay, and how your created avatar fits alongside Iori, Kirito, Asuna and Argo.
Echoes of Aincrad takes you back to the launch of SAO with a character you create yourself — your own avatar, your own story, alongside Iori, Argo, Kirito and Asuna. The beta phase includes the creator so you can build your look before the full game.
Body type & appearance
You choose a body type plus face, hair, eyes and colours. Body type is one of the most-discussed topics on the Steam forums (“Body types” is among the hottest threads) — the creator is more flexible than some expected, but expect more options to be tuned for the full release.
Does it affect gameplay?
Appearance is cosmetic — your strength comes from your weapon class and sword-skill proficiency, not your looks. So build the character you want to roleplay; you won't be locked out of any build by your choices.
Your character vs. the cast
You play an original avatar (not Kirito). The story pairs you with the original character Iori and weaves in the canon cast — Argo the info-broker, plus Kirito and Asuna — so it reads as your own SAO story rather than a retelling.
Does it carry to the full game?
No — the beta phase is a standalone slice. Treat the creator as a preview; you'll remake your character at launch on July 10, 2026.
Your build comes from your weapon, not your looks — pick a class on the Weapon Types guide, then jump into the walkthrough.