Cover of the first Japanese volume of Attack on Titan

Manga

Attack on Titan

進撃の巨人

Story & art
Hajime Isayama
First chapter
Status
Completed (139 chapters)
Volumes
34
Magazine
Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine
Publisher
Kodansha
Genres
Action, Dark fantasy, Post-apocalyptic

Other names: Shingeki no Kyojin

Description

Set in a fictional world of walled cities, Attack on Titan follows Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman, and Armin Arlert after man-eating giants break through their hometown’s defenses. They join the military, whose soldiers fight with blades and special gear that lets them swing through the air on cables. Eren wants to destroy the Titans and see the world beyond the walls.

Survival horror gradually opens into a larger mystery and a conflict over freedom, power, and inherited hatred. Early clues gain new meaning as the story changes perspective, making it harder to draw a clean line between heroes and enemies. The tone is grim and emotionally heavy, with frequent tragedy, graphic injuries, dismemberment, and psychological trauma. Close friendships and occasional jokes offer relief, but this is an intense read.

Pros

  • Early clues and reveals make rereading rewarding.
  • Battles feel dangerous, with real consequences for the cast.
  • Shifting perspectives give enemies motives of their own.

Cons

  • The early artwork can feel rough and uneven.
  • The ending may leave some readers unsatisfied.

Awards

Wins

  • AnimaniA Awards — Best International Manga · Won (2015)
  • Sugoi Japan Award — Best Manga — 1st place · Won (2015)
  • Attilio Micheluzzi Awards — Best Foreign Series · Won (2014)
  • Harvey Awards — Best American Edition of Foreign Material · Won (2014)
  • Manga Barcelona Awards — Shōnen · Won (2014)
  • Pochi Awards — Best International Manga · Won (2014)
  • AnimeLand Anime & Manga Grand Prix — Best Upcoming Manga · Won (2013)
  • Manga Barcelona Awards — Shōnen · Won (2013)
  • Kodansha Manga Award — Shōnen · Won (2011)

Nominations

  • Seiun Awards — Best Comic · Official selection (2022)
  • Manga Barcelona Awards — Shōnen · Nominated (2021)
  • Goodreads Choice Awards — Best Graphic Novels & Comics — 3rd place · Finalist (2015)
  • Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize — Grand Prize · Nominated (2014)
  • Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize — Grand Prize · Nominated (2012)
  • Japan Media Arts Festival — Manga Division — Jury Selection · Official selection (2011)
  • Manga Taishō — 7th place · Nominated (2011)
  • Japan Media Arts Festival — Manga Division — Jury Selection · Official selection (2010)

Main characters

  • Eren Yeager, a character in Attack on Titan

    Eren Yeager

    エレン・イェーガー

  • Mikasa Ackerman, a character in Attack on Titan

    Mikasa Ackerman

    ミカサ・アッカーマン

  • Armin Arlert, a character in Attack on Titan

    Armin Arlert

    アルミン・アルレルト

  • Levi, a character in Attack on Titan

    Levi

    リヴァイ

  • Erwin Smith, a character in Attack on Titan

    Erwin Smith

    エルヴィン・スミス

  • Hange Zoë, a character in Attack on Titan

    Hange Zoë

    ハンジ・ゾエ

  • Jean Kirstein, a character in Attack on Titan

    Jean Kirstein

    ジャン・キルシュタイン

  • Sasha Braus, a character in Attack on Titan

    Sasha Braus

    サシャ・ブラウス

  • Connie Springer, a character in Attack on Titan

    Connie Springer

    コニー・スプリンガー

  • Reiner Braun, a character in Attack on Titan

    Reiner Braun

    ライナー・ブラウン

Examples of Manga Pages

Anime

  • Attack on Titan — TV series (2013–2023)Adapts the main manga, including The Final Season and its concluding specials.
  • Attack on Titan: Ilse’s Notebook — OVA (2013)A side story from the main manga.
  • Attack on Titan: A Sudden Visitor — OVA (2014)An original story set during military training.
  • Attack on Titan: Distress — OVA (2014)An original story set during military training.
  • Attack on Titan: No Regrets — OVA (2014–2015)Based on the Levi prequel manga.
  • Attack on Titan: Lost Girls — OVA (2017–2018)Based on Hiroshi Seko’s spin-off novel.
  • Attack on Titan: Junior High — TV series (2015)A comedy based on the Junior High spin-off manga.
  • Attack on Titan: Crimson Bow and Arrow — Compilation film (2014)
  • Attack on Titan: Wings of Freedom — Compilation film (2015)
  • Attack on Titan: Roar of Awakening — Compilation film (2018)
  • Attack on Titan: Chronicle — Compilation film (2020)
  • Attack on Titan: THE LAST ATTACK — Compilation film (2024)Reworks the 2023 concluding specials.

Live action

  • Attack on Titan — Film (2015)An alternate take on the manga.
  • Attack on Titan: End of the World — Film (2015)Sequel to the first live-action film.
  • Attack on Titan: Counter Rockets — Web miniseries (2015)A spin-off of the live-action films.
  • Attack on Titan — FilmHollywood adaptation announced in 2018; release date unconfirmed.

Novels

  • Attack on Titan: Before the Fall (2011–2012)A prequel by Ryō Suzukaze, set before the main manga.
  • Attack on Titan: The Harsh Mistress of the City (2014–2015)A side story by Ryō Kawakami in the same world.
  • Attack on Titan: Lost Girls (2014)Hiroshi Seko’s stories about Mikasa and Annie.
  • Shōsetsu Eiga Shingeki no Kyojin: Attack on Titan (2015)Touji Asakura’s novelization of the first live-action film.
  • Shōsetsu Eiga Shingeki no Kyojin: End of the World (2015)Touji Asakura’s novelization of the second live-action film.
  • Shōsetsu Shingeki no Kyojin: Hangeki no Noroshi (2015)Shuka Matsuda’s novelization of the live-action miniseries.
  • Attack on Titan: Garrison Girl (2018)An original English-language novel by Rachel Aaron.