What are the major divergences between the anime and Hajime Isayama’s popular manga, Attack of the Titans, brilliantly produced by Wit Studio?
In the Japanese fantasy world of Attack of the Titans, the last bastion of humanity survives by residing within vast territories surrounded by gigantic walls. These protective walls are the only barrier separating the remaining humans from the Titans, huge man-eating creatures that strike terror into the hearts of the inhabitants. The anime’s third season, consisting of around 22 episodes, faithfully adapts the “Uprising” and “Return to Shiganshina” chapters from the original manga.
Hajime Isayama, the creative mind behind Attack of the Titans, has seized an opportunity to redeem himself and correct the mistakes he made during the recent third season. Apparently, Isayama wasn’t entirely satisfied with the manga’s volumes, particularly volumes 13 to 16, which correspond to the third season’s arc.
After writing the previous 12 volumes, Isayama felt a certain general dissatisfaction with the quality of his popular work. However, following his disappointment with these volumes, the creator of Attack of the Titans is proud to have replaced this narrative arc with something he is genuinely satisfied with.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]🔥PRODUCTS OF THE MOMENT🔥
10. The structure of the story
The creator of Attack of the Titans has held discussions with the series’ writers to reorganize the plots of volumes 13 to 16 according to his wishes. Due to his exhaustion caused by the pressure of production deadlines and the constant need to illustrate, Isayama found that certain plot elements were suffering and seemed poorly developed.
Changes were made to accommodate Isayama’s wishes, improving the pace and making the emotional arc more satisfying. The crucial scenes from the manga are still present, but they are now introduced earlier in the anime. Using flashbacks and flash-forwards, these bold changes in story structure were designed to exceed the creator’s original vision.
9. A political enemy
The man-eating Titans weren’t the biggest threat in the recent third season. The first episode, titled “Smoke Signal” for American audiences, introduced viewers to a new enemy, a human antagonist. As a priest was tortured by the malevolent hands of the special brigade, the Exploration Battalion regiment found itself unwillingly involved in a conspiracy and unearthed secrets buried for generations.
Rather than a simple tale of survival in the face of monsters, the anime’s third season feels more like a political thriller, with complex plots and political stakes.
8. Less Eren
Despite his importance in previous seasons, Eren doesn’t play a major role in the third season, particularly in its first half. Other characters, such as Historia, occupy a much more central place.
However, although his screen time is reduced, Eren is given the opportunity to develop and mature. Struggling with his pride and arrogance, Eren’s emotional journey pushes him to confront his personal problems. He stops feeling superior to others, as he no longer firmly believes that his Titan powers give him divine purpose.
7. The key change
The third season begins with a never-before-seen scene not found in the manga. Viewers see Eren standing alone in a grassy field, staring up at the sky and allowing himself to be bathed in sunlight. This entirely new scene added to the anime immediately underscores the way the adaptation departs from its source material.
Then there’s an exchange of roles between Connie and Historia in the cabin scene. The dialogue is tightened up and some elements are removed, considerably reducing exposition, while Eren discusses experimenting with his Titan power.
6. Historia’s history
Readers familiar with the manga know more about Historia’s history than those who watch the anime. As one of the last members of the Reiss family, Historia was raised in isolation, far from the rest of civilization, until the fall of the Maria Wall. The manga reveals that Historia’s grandparents abused her, while spoiled neighborhood children threw rocks in her face.
The anime’s tight adaptation makes viewers feel as if they’ve been deprived of the emotional impact behind Historia’s sense of loneliness and sadness. The anime condenses Historia’s original story, which alters the narrative tone, but highlights the emotional after-effects of her tragic upbringing.
5. The Titan’s training
A major change between anime and manga occurs when Eren unsuccessfully attempts to experiment with his Titan power. During the training session, Eren’s solidification tests were more thorough in the manga, leading to his failures. The manga’s detailed tests revealed that Eren’s Titan power had limits, especially after repeated transformations.
In the interest of advancing the story, Eren’s first two attempts were omitted and only the third attempt appeared in the anime. What mattered most in the narrative was to establish that when Eren was tired or vulnerable, his Titan was weaker and more unstable.
4. Motivations
In the second episode of the third season, the full confession of the atrocities committed by Djel Sannes is revealed, although these atrocities are described in much greater detail in the manga. Sannes explains that the murders of Eren’s father, Armin’s parents and Historia’s mother were all linked. They were all involved in the advancement of weapons technology, which could be a major problem for the tyrannical special brigade.
Their deaths prevented the development of firearms, which would have made revolvers effective against the Titans. The motivations of the special brigade may not be entirely clear in the anime.
3. The Rebellion
In the manga, “The Revolt” follows Erwin Smith, the commander of the Exploration Battalion, as he leads a rebellion against the royal rulers. Ordinary citizens gather with the aim of overthrowing the ruling authorities. Historia is the rightful queen of the kingdom, which is why the special brigade wants to get rid of her.
.The anime presents the rebellion as a military coup, rather than a reflection of society rebelling against a higher authority. The anime focuses more on Eren, who must face both human and titanic opposition.
2. A darker ending
The changes made from manga to anime were intended to captivate unsuspecting viewers, who were unprepared for a dark ending. By keeping the narrative more concise and the pace brisk, the major twist comes as a shock to anime viewers, manga readers and the characters themselves.
The final revelation of the world’s secret history forces Eren and the rest of the Exploration Battalion to question everything they’ve learned. The lie is a crushing defeat, and the truth represents a heavy burden to bear. Knowing that everything he believed was a lie, Eren discovers that he is descended from the “Subjects of Ymir”, individuals born with the ability to transform into Titans.
1. The mid-credits scene
The fourth season of Attack of the Titans presents its final series of episodes, concluding all remaining storylines. This type of teasing is particularly effective in anime and less so in manga.
The teasing for the fourth season mixes sounds and images that overlap randomly. It begins with screams, then reveals glimpses of a burnt body, Eren’s key and various dead soldiers. With so many corpses, some characters won’t survive to the end of the series. We’ll certainly find out whether the manga’s ending will be similar to or different from the anime’s.
And you, which version did you prefer, the manga or the anime? Share your opinion with us in the comments!
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]🔥PRODUCTS OF THE MOMENT🔥
