Despite his death in the real world, Sword Art Online's main antagonist, Kayaba Akihiko, remained relevant throughout the series. Despite the little screen time Kayaba Akihiko had in the anime, he remained a crucial focal point in the series. After all, he was SAO’s creator and the main developer behind NerveGear.
Kayaba is one of the show’s background characters, responsible for setting the story in motion. However, unlike the usual villain with a power-hungry appetite, or a nasty goal who gets busted by the story’s hero, Kayaba appears to be more complex.
Sword Art Online: Best Order To Watch All The Series & Movies
A bugging question that resurfaces throughout the series is, “What was Kayaba’s reason for creating SAO?” Surprisingly, Kayaba explained to Kirito that he doesn’t remember his reason for creating the VR world. However, after Kirito clears the game, he vaguely recalls a dream about an animated castle in a series and his desire to re-create it. He achieves this goal by creating the SAO world.
He creates SAO, a deathtrap that imprisons thousands of players that could only escape by clearing the game. Despite the number of in-game deaths, Kayaba showed no remorse. He was even amused at this fact because it made the game more realistic. Even though Kirito grieved at this revelation, they both shared a similarity: the love for computers. Despite Kayaba's shortcomings, Kirito respected him since he was more honorable and fairer compared to any villain he had encountered.
Sword Art Online: Why Were Kirito & Asuna’s Memories Erased After Leaving Underworld?
Throughout the series, Kayaba's role changes depending on his preferences. Generally, he rarely intervenes in any situation involving the characters in the series.
Read more on gamerant.com