The first Sword Art Online (SAO) Progressive movie successfully brings back the excitement of the fans about the franchise that has gotten quite old in recent years. The fact that SAO Progressive is not only an expanded version of the original Aincrad Arc, but also expands it into a much bigger and denser arc by introducing new characters, new places and new gameplay mechanics makes it that much more interesting to watch.
One of the new characters that only exist in the progressive version of Aincrad arc is a girl named Argo. Her name is mentioned several times in the first movie, but we never really get a chance to see her. That said, Argo is set to play a more pivotal role in the second film, which is slated to be released in September 2022. So before you go and watch that film, here are some things you should know about Argo.
Who is Argo the Rat?
Hosaka Karina Tomo, or better known in the world of Sword art online as Argo the Rat is someone who plays an important and very influential role in the game. In fact, it’s safe to say that without her contribution, many players will lose their lives and it will be harder for all of them to complete the game. In the following paragraphs we will talk about the different roles she has.
She earned the nickname “The Rat” because of the whisker-like mark on her cheek. This mark actually comes from one of the quests in SAO that she had not completed at the time, but later decided to keep it as it has become her trademark.
The beta tester
Argo is one of the few players to participate as a beta tester ahead of the official launch of Sword art onlinejust like Kirito. It’s unclear how far she managed to climb the Aincrad Tower during her days as a beta tester, but one thing’s for sure: this experience gave her a much better preparation than the average players.
One of the things Argo learns during her Beta Testing days is the fact that she’s not fit to be a frontline fighter. So this time she approached her in-game character to not focus on fighting. Make no mistake, Argo is a very capable fighter, but she’s actually more akin to a thief/scout in terms of regular RPG games. That’s why she may not excel in strength, but her agility and speed are among the best in the game.
The information broker
Argo is one of the few characters in SAO who manages to use her knowledge as a beta tester and her scout-like ability to create an original profession that doesn’t exist in SAO, an information broker. Because while there are some differences here and there between the beta and the final version of Sword art onlinethe similarities are still pretty eerie.
That means that her knowledge about the game, such as the location of important missions, items and places, is still very relevant and valuable. So she decided to sell that information to earn some money, influence and connections. Many high-ranking players, including Kirito and Asuna, are her loyal customers. Which means she also knows a lot about them like their current level, items, objective, location, etc. So she sells that information too. Incidentally, one of the most popular information that people have always asked from her is anything related to Asuna.
The travel guides
Now we finally come to the biggest contribution Argo has made to the betterment of its fellow SAO players. The Strategy Guides. Once she has enough information about each floor of the Aincrad tower, from the most basic floor layout to how to fight the boss, she would publish Strategy Guides that can be purchased by any player at a relatively low cost.
These books prove to be extremely crucial to the life and death of countless players. After all, information such as monsters that can be found on a particular floor and what kind of attacks they have allows low-level players to have a better preparation that can ultimately save their lives.
No one forced Argo to create these guides. And if we look at the time-to-earnings ratio, it’s actually more beneficial for her to simply sell this kind of life-saving information to select players at a high price, rather than collecting it in books and selling it at a cheap price. But Argo didn’t do it out of her desire to make money. This is her way of helping the other players who, like her, are trapped in this world.
That’s why, while Kirito, Asuna, and other frontline players are the ones who always fight the boss first and open the gate to the next floor, Argo is the one always on the lookout for those who have to stay in the back.
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