The Accel World light novel, manga and anime series features a large cast of characters created by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by HIMA. Set in Tokyo in 2046 when devices known as Neuro-Linkers have enabled fully integrated augmented reality, the main character Haruyuki Arita is offered a virtual reality massive multiplayer online (VRMMO) fighting game called Brain Burst by Kuroyukihime, the student council vice-president at his school. Together with Kuroyukihime and his other friends, Haruyuki fights as a Burst Linker to ultimately attain level 10, the highest attainable level, and meet the creator of Brain Burst to learn its true purpose.
The main characters are members of Nega Nebulas, also known as the Black Legion.
is the main protagonist of Accel World. Commonly referred to as Haru by his close friends, he is a short and overweight boy with low self-confidence until he meets Kuroyukihime. Although he is generally smart and careful when it comes to everyday life, Haru tends to get reckless while protecting Kuroyukihime. He views her as a mentor, friend, and lover simultaneously, which has given him the utmost respect and loyalty toward her and her army. His non-accelerated avatar is a small pig that was originally forced on him by one of the delinquents, only keeping it because Kuroyukihime finds it "cute." While in Akihabara, Blood Leopard gives him a different avatar to fit in, taking the form of a small pink lizard.
Haru's Brain Burst avatar,, has a tall, thin, fragile metallic frame that is completely devoid of weapons, forcing Haru to fight barehanded. His avatar was created by his desires to be thinner and fly away into the sky in order to escape his miserable life. The avatar possesses a mouth underneath its visor, allowing Silver Crow to eat while in the game world. Silver Crow is the first and only avatar with the ability to fly, sprouting wings on its back when its special ability is activated. Lacking in both physical strength and defensive capability, Silver Crow is dependent on Haru's squash-honed speed and reflexes in order to survive fights. Silver Crow's default finishing move is a basic headbutt, typically ineffective in most circumstances. Haru eventually learns how to utilize the Incarnate System (IS) to focus his willpower, gaining the ability to form energy blades from the bracers on Silver Crow's forearms, a technique he names "Laser Sword", and later refines into more powerful and far-reaching versions called "Laser Lance" and "Laser Javelin". He also gains eventually another Incarnate Skill called "Light Speed" that sharply increases the speed of his flight for a short time.
For a period of time, Silver Crow has the Disaster Armor Enhanced Armament and becomes the 6th Chrome Disaster. In this form, he can predict the attacks of his opponents and use all the abilities of previous Chrome Disasters. In one battle, he can partially summon the uncorrupted form of The Destiny, which is one of the Seven Arcs used to form the Chrome Disaster Armament that was created by Chrome Falcon.
is the leader of the Nega Nebulas legion. Her real name is (although Sky Raker calls her "Sacchan"). Her pseudonym is Japanese word play with Snow White . Beautiful and popular, she is also the Student Council Vice-President at Umesato Junior High School. She has been a Burst Linker since she was eight years old. Kuroyukihime was formerly the Black King, although she was driven into hiding after beheading the first Red King, Red Rider, while trying to defeat the other kings to reach level 10. She values Haru as more than a subordinate and is often the voice of reason to him when he is willing to go to extremes to protect her. Prior to her hospitalization, she confesses to Haru that she fell in love with him. Her non-accelerated avatar is her real-world self dressed in black and sporting red and black butterfly wings. She is estranged from her family since she injured her sister, who is also the White King, out of anger after learning that she was tricked by her.
Her Brain Burst avatar is, also known as "World End," a slender robot with a feminine form which features limbs ending in sharp blades. These weapons instantly cut anything they touch due to the Absolute Cutting Property the avatar possesses, which has the side effect of permanently removing whatever is cut from an opponent's avatar. However, the blades have a frail lateral portion that breaks after receiving too much damage. To compensate for this weakness, Kuroyukihime developed a technique she calls "Soft Act". Black Lotus has three special abilities: Death by Barraging; Death by Embracing, which was used on Red Rider; and Death by Piercing, a one-hit-kill direct attack. She also has three incarnate system skills: "Vorpal Strike", "Star Burst Stream" and "The Eclipse", that she learned from her former subordinate Graphite Edge. Lotus also displays an ability called Overdrive: Mode Green, which causes the purple parts of its body to turn green and increase its speed and attack power for a limited time. Lacking feet, Black Lotus hovers slightly off the ground via air jets on the legs, with which it is able to achieve incredible speeds.
is Haru's childhood friend and Chiyuri's boyfriend at the start of the series, nicknamed "Taku." Being smart and athletic, he attends a prestigious school. His non-accelerated avatar is the tin man. Initially, he abuses the enhanced reflexes he obtains while accelerated to have an advantage in the kendo tournaments he attends in real life. After Kuroyukihime is hospitalized, Takumu attempts to assassinate her until he is stopped by Haru, who convinces him to join forces. After confessing to Chiyu about what he's done, it seems they've broken up. Despite that he is waiting to see if Chiyu would get back together with him.[1] He is a mentor figure to Haru due to his advanced knowledge of the Accelerated World. After teaming up with the Nega Nebulas, he transfers to Umesato Junior High School and begins wearing glasses despite the Neuro-Linker's ability to correct vision problems, wanting to see the world through his own eyes. Takumu was bullied throughout elementary school, possessing a scar on his neck from the beatings he would receive from the kendo team.
His Brain Burst avatar,, features a large frame reminiscent of a knight. Its primary weapon is a large pile driver Enhanced Armament mounted on the right forearm, which is able to extend its spike to incredible distances. Upon learning the Incarnate System, Taku obtains the ability to transform it into a huge sword, which he calls "Cyan Blade". Cyan Pile also has access to Splash Stinger, a series of needle guns hidden under the chest armor. Cyan Pile's special ability is "Lightning Cyan Spike," which charges the pile driver weapon with electrical energy before firing.
is Haru and Takumu's childhood friend. At the start of the series she is dating Takumu, but after Haru and Takumu confess about the Cyan Pile incident they seem to have broken up. It is implied that she cares for Haru as more than a friend. Her non-accelerated avatar is a catgirl. After Takumu and Haru come clean with her and tell her about the Accelerated World, she demands the program for herself, wanting to show her friends how to enjoy the game and not take it too seriously. Fearing the game is tearing them apart, her main goal as a Burst Linker is to rekindle the close friendship she, Taku, and Haru once shared as children. Kuroyukihime wonders if she is mentally strong enough to use Brain Burst, but the group eventually gives in and gives her the program. To her friends' surprise, the program installs successfully.
Her Brain Burst avatar,, appears as a witch girl with an Enhanced Armament resembling a large bell containing a clock face replacing the left forearm. Her avatar was created from her desire to return to the life she had when she, Haru, and Takumu had a very close friendship. Lime Bell's special ability is known as "Citron Call," a healing ability which can fully recover any Duel Avatar it targets. However, in the final battle with Dusk Taker, Chiyuri reveals the true ability of Citron Call: to reverse time on the target so that the damage never existed. This also applies to the target's special abilities as well, demonstrated by Lime Bell reversing time on Dusk Taker so that he never took Silver Crow's wings. Lime Bell is the third avatar with a healing ability, the first being one of the current kings and the second having retired after uninstalling Brain Burst because healers are coveted and fought over in Accel World. In Vol 15, she used IS on her own due to her overwhelming feelings of love for her friends, a situation that is the complete reverse to how Chrome Falcon used Negative IS due to intense anger and despair.
Also known as, is a Burst Linker associated to the element of the water who works as a "bodyguard" tag match partner for players level 2 and under. Initially, her gender is unknown. After Haru accidentally trips over her bag, he as well as the customers in the dining area of their meeting place distinguish her as female. Her avatar on the non-accelerated network is a bespectacled weasel with a necktie. Her duel avatar is Aqua Current, a mass of water with a feminine form, possessing properties of pure water such as being an excellent insulator against electrical attacks. Aqua Current is endowed with great skill and experience, proving the rumors about her helping players with dangerously low Burst Point levels.
Aqua Current has been a Burst Linker for a long time, but refuses to level up in order to continue her work. Originally one of Nega Nebulus' "Elements", Aqua Current fell prey of a monster in the Unlimited Field, which also reduced her level to 1. Her whereabouts after the battle alongside Silver Crow are unknown, as is her real world identity after selectively erasing herself from Haru's memory with her Incarnate System ability. In volume 12, she saves Silver Crow from Argon Array and begins a duel with her, and subsequently rejoins Nega Nebulus full-time once her avatar is saved from the Unlimited Enemy Kill (UEK) caused by the God-class enemy Genbu.
is a retired Burst Linker known as, associated with the element of wind. She is also the vice-commander of Nega Nebulus. Sky Raker is Ash Roller's "guardian" (the one who gave him Brain Burst) and the only person in Accel World he shows respect towards. Before Silver Crow existed she was known as "the person closest to the sky" in the Accelerated World, gaining the nicknames "Astro", "ICBM" and "Icarus". She became obsessed with the desire to fly and as a result was abandoned by her friends and "parent." Eventually, she gets the help of her only remaining friend and master Black Lotus to reach level 8. Having spent several level up bonus points trying to obtain the ability to fly, she eventually asks Black Lotus to cut off her avatar's legs to reduce her avatar's weight and increase her will. She is introduced to Silver Crow by Ash Roller in the Unlimited Neutral Field to help him control his willpower and use the Incarnate System to fly without his wings. After meeting her in the real world, Haru realizes she has mechanical prosthetic legs. Sky Raker later rejoins Nega Nebulus before the Hermes’ Cord Vertical Race and regains her legs near the end of the race.
Her Brain Burst avatar appears as a silver-blue robot modeled after her real world self, lacking legs below the knee and confined to a wheelchair she powers through the Incarnate System. She keeps the wheelchair even after she regains her legs. Sky Raker is one of the only Brain Burst avatars that wears clothes, in her case a wide-brimmed summer hat and dress. Sky Raker owns an Enhanced Armament known as Gale Thruster, a rocket pack that, while not granting true flight, temporarily allows for incredibly long jumps and midair dashes. She lends the Gale Thruster to Haru to help him regain Silver Crow's wings. Later on, Silver Crow shows her that the Gale Thruster is for flying in space as wings become useless without air.
A level 7 Burst Linker associated with the element of fire, is a fourth grader attending Matsunoki Elementary. Her avatar,, has a Japanese priestess-like figure and has the ability to purify objects with parasitic attributes, she also possesses a powerful wide range Incarnate System ability, however it takes a long time to activate due to its complexity.
Her Brain Burst avatar is, a small red robot with the appearance of a young girl, armed with a laser pistol typically stored on the hip. She is the current Red King and her nickname is "The Immobile Fortress" thanks to her special ability, which summons her Enhanced Armament, a massive stationary artillery unit with which Scarlet Rain connects. Though unable to move and slow to turn, the artillery unit is outfitted with scores of weapons, giving it enough firepower to effortlessly take out legions of opponents from all directions. Scarlet Rain possesses two Incarnate System abilities: the Over Ray, a flamethrower attack, and the ability to teleport short distances.
Ash's real identity is, a girl who has had a crush on Haruyuki since being defeated in their second duel, confessing to him her identity and feelings when they first met in volume 9. The relationship between Rin and her duel avatar persona is complex; the neurolinker she has Brain Burst installed on belonged to her currently comatose brother Rinta, so his neurological data is imprinted on it, and Rin can only use it since she often was made to wear it as an infant. Thus, in the Accelerated World, Ash Roller is a separate entity formed from Rinta's hopes and fears instead of Rin's. While he is uncertain as to what he is exactly (a "ghost" or an extension of Rinta), Ash behaves like an over-protective brother, becoming violent towards Silver Crow whenever he perceives his rival to be flirting with Rin.
During the fall of the original Nega Nebulus, he became trapped in an unlimited enemy kill by one of the Castle's God-Class enemies, thus he could only appear in regular duels. He defected to serve under Green Grandee in exchange for sheltering the remaining survivors of Nega Nebulus. After this is discovered by his former legion members, it is also revealed that Graphite Edge somewhat escaped his UEK; though he managed to breach the castle's gate, his avatar is now confined to within the castle's walls, and that he is also the parent of the mysterious new burst linker Trilead Tetroxide/Azure Air.
Being what is known as a "perfect match" avatar, Pound is one of the few burst linkers whose avatar is designed to reflect their real-world skills, in his case, boxing. While this gives him the advantage of being able to apply his fighting skills perfectly, Pound finds it difficult to adjust to sudden melee attacks that defy standard boxing rules (such as being attacked from behind). In the film Infinite Burst,
The Acceleration Research Society is a secret organization involved in using hacking and other underhanded tactics to obtain any advantage they can in the Brain Burst game. Its members include:
A first year student at Umesato Junior High School, a Burst Linker (though he detests the term), and member of the Kendo Club who abuses the Physical Burst command to cheat. Seiji believes he is above other people and is disgusted by those he deems "lower" than himself to the point that he will clean his hands with a handkerchief if he touches someone. Seiji blackmails Haruyuki and Chiyuri and takes Silver Crow's wings in an attempt to force the two into becoming his "pets." He is eventually double-crossed by Chiyuri, who temporarily joins forces with him just to level up enough to perfect her abilities and return Silver Crow's wings. He lost the resulting sudden death fight and has Brain Burst forcefully uninstalled, taking his memories of having the program with it, thus proving Kuroyukihime's theory that Burst Linkers who have the program uninstalled also lose any memories of ever having the program. Much to Haruyuki and the others' surprise, Seiji becomes a kind person after he loses his memories from the game, forgetting not only all the harm he caused but all the suffering inflicted on him by his brother, who used to abuse him and force him to play Brain Burst in order to steal his Burst points to himself before Seiji defeated him for good by his own.
Seiji's Brain Burst avatar,, appears as a featureless black humanoid with a large red orb in place of a face. His avatar was created from his desire to take everything back that his older brother stole from him. Though lacking in significant combat ability on its own, Dusk Taker has an ability known as "Demonic Commandeer," the power to steal any finishing move, reinforced exterior, or ability from other Burst Linkers. This ability has no time limit, meaning Dusk Taker can possess up to three stolen abilities for as long as he desires. So long as Dusk Taker possesses an ability, the Burst Linker he took it from will be unable to use it. Using this ability, he has managed to incorporate body parts and weapons from other Burst Linkers into his own avatar, including a large scissor weapon on the right arm and a set of red tentacles replacing his left arm. Dusk Taker is also able to utilize the Incarnate System to create claws made of bright purple energy.
His abilities change based on which of his personalities is active. When his second or the third personality activates, one of his shoulder armor pads opens and acts as the head. His first personality has the ability "Physical Immunity", which compresses his tungsten-hard armor to remove his weak points, preventing him from being harmed by melee attacks, though he remains vulnerable to throws. His second personality has the ability "Wolf Down" to bite the opponent and temporarily copy the abilities of the opponent in the process. His third personality is a copy of Dusk Taker (somehow resurrected from Brain Burst's Central Server) and has the same "Demonic Commandeer" ability. The Research Society seems to have some control over Cerberus's personalities, and were also able to briefly incorporate a copy of Orchid Oracle's personality and ability into the avatar.
One of the smaller legions in the Accelerated World, it consisted of a trio of girls who were in the same "Desert Lovers Club" before they later disbanded to join Nega Nebulus. Their members included:
Magenta Scissor was first mentioned in volume 7, in which she gave Cyan Pile an ISS Kit, and later appeared properly in volume 12, at which point she had begun forcibly parasitizing other avatars with the kits, such as Petit Paquet's Plum Flipper and Mint Mitten. After battling Silver Crow, she was defeated and decided to retreat, but allowed him to take a pair of ISS Kits for examination. She later encountered and fought against Nega Nebulus with her comrades, but when the Legend-class Enemy Metatron attacked both sides, she helped Silver Crow stand his ground long enough to redirect its laser attack. Having seen the lengths the Black Legion had gone through to overcome the Kits, Rui started to re-evaluate her perceptions, and was later convinced by Chocolat Puppeteer to join Nega Nebulus in order to help undo the damage caused by the ARS.