One of the many complaints the Hatedom has of the series is its tendency to have characters break in-game logic for no explained reason, and have out-of-nowhere plot developments.
Aincrad
- Asuna is able to break free of in-game paralysis through The Power of Love to take a blow for Kirito, and then Kirito when loses all of his HP fighting Kayaba, he is able to disobey the System's orders for him to die through sheer willpower, and delays his Fading Away just long enough to return the favor. Some explanation is offered later by Kayaba that willpower overrides the power of the system, but this is never stated as even a possibility before it happens. note
Phantom Bullet
- During the climax, Yui is able to hack a real-life hospital TV screen to show the MMO Tomorrow live streaming of the Bullet of Bullets Tournament. This is quite ridiculous considering that not only does Yui no longer have admin privileges, but some random TV screen doesn't have any connection to the Seed or Kirito's computer. There's also the fact the nurse doesn't appear shocked that their security system has been so easily compromised.
Ordinal Scale
- While the Final Boss fight is for the most part very positively received, fans have still pointed out the sheer ridiculousness of Yui being able to bring in players from different games (ALO and GGO). The different game avatars are all designed for different gameplays and game mechanics, so it's extremely unlikely all of them were compatible to be brought together into one map note . However fans are forgiving of this one due to it being a Continuity Cavalcade that results in lots of nostalgic cameos from supporting characters throughout the entire series.
Alicization
- Sinon suddenly having a magical Pocket Protector, an amulet fashioned after the chest piece who saved Kirito himself in the real world, which happens to have the power to deflect Gabriel's high caliber bullets. There's no foreshadowing, no explanation other than some presumable case of The Power of Love, the whole thing happens twice, and even more bizarrely, Sinon had no idea she was carrying such a thing.
- In the same fight, a moment of drama is played when Sinon's Hecate rifle runs out of its seven bullets, while Gabriel's has three more, which allows him to cripple her and send her falling to her death. Sinon explicitly accepts her defeat...only that then, after witnessing the second effects of her Pocket Protector, she gets suddenly motivated again and reveals the ability to shoot powerful Annihilation Rain blasts made of "resources from the terrain", without any need for bullets at all.
- Yuuki's ghost somehow appearing to give Asuna a pep talk to keep fighting.
- Similarly, Eugeo's ghost appearing to help Kirito against PoH, performing a double Release Recollection spell with him. It happens again when Kirito fights Gabriel, only this time Eugeo intervenes physically to parry Gabriel's blade, and he's also accompanied by the spirits of Quinella, Cardinal, Bercouli and other dead characters.
- Kirito and the spirit of Eugeo being able not only to negate PoH's ability to power himself through the dark energy, but turning it in their favor by transforming it into sacred energy to absorb through Kirito's sword.
- Due to the anime's lack of explaining anything besides "Incarnation did it", Kirito and Gabriel becoming Physical God tier through sheer force of will and self-confidence that outstrips everyone else in the setting. The novels explain more of what's going on, but anime-only viewers are left with a nigh-incomprehensible New Powers as the Plot Demands note . This is also in sharp contrast to not only the heroine's actual Underworld God accounts that are supposed to be stronger than any normal characters but got chumped by PoH and Gabriel, and Gabriel inexplicably becoming stronger as his GGO avatar after losing his equivalent Vecta account.
Alternative Gun Gale Online
- In the first Squad Jam, LLENN got spared from death because she conveniently had the Satellite Scan Terminal in her chest pocket when Eva unloads her gun where its located. Since the terminal was an Immortal Object it No Selled the kill shots. This wouldn't be an issue except the viewers weren't told about its status as an Immortal Object prior to this.
