Warning: Spoilers ahead for Attack on Titan.
The live-action live-action Japanese movies around the same time they get an anime adaptation. This happened to Attack on Titan, whose live-action adaptation started to be developed in 2011. The Attack on Titan anime would premiere in 2013, with the two movies arriving in 2015. The AoT anime ended in 2023, two years after the manga’s conclusion.
’s ending was somewhat controversial, but its anime adaptation was a huge event regardless. Despite the multiple promises of a “final season” that kept being split into parts, Attack on Titan ended on a high note thanks to two feature-length specials that arguably elevated the manga’s final chapters. In many ways, Eren was the final antagonist of Attack on Titan. While we would eventually learn the truth behind his Rumbling plan, Eren went from the traditional shonen protagonist with a dream to one of the most complex anime characters ever. This is something the movies couldn’t capture.
Shikishima Was The Final Villain In The Attack On Titan Films, Not Eren
Eren Considered Helping Shikishima But Turned Against Him Eventually
When the Attack on Titan films were made, the idea that Eren was going to become the biggest threat to humanity was most likely only known by the author. The movies had the difficult mission of telling a complete, satisfying story based on a series that hadn’t ended yet. However, while changes to the source material were expected, the Attack on Titan movies told a story that was way too different from the manga from start to finish. Shikishima, an original character, was the primary antagonist and the ultimate threat to be faced instead of Eren.
While Attack on Titan: Part 2 ended on a cliffhanger, a third movie never happened.
While the Colossal Titan was technically the final Titan fought in the second movie, Shikishima was the main antagonist of the story. Pulling elements from Levi, Reiner, and Zeke, none of whom were in the movie, Shikishima was the best soldier among the Scouts but was hiding a sinister secret. Not only was he Eren’s older brother, but he was also the “White Titan,” the movie’s version of the Armored Titan. Believing the government should’ve done more against the Titans, Shikishima planned to breach the wall and force the government into dealing with the creatures once and for all.
The Attack On Titan Movies Diverged From The Manga Right From The Start
Eren And Mikasa’s Dynamic Was Completely Different In The Movies
The conclusion of the Attack on Titan films may have been wildly different from what we got in the manga, but the live-action adaptation diverged from the source material right from the opening minutes. For example, Mikasa got separated from Eren and Armin at the beginning of the movie during the Colossal Titan’s attack, after which they thought she was dead. Mikasa, now a Scout working with Shikishima, would reunite with Eren and Armin a few years later. Mikasa and Eren’s relationship in the movie could not have been more different from the manga.
Attack on Titan is returning to the big screen with Attack on Titan: The Last Attack, a compilation film based on the anime's final episodes.
The structure of the story and the chronology of the events are also very different. While Eren does turn into a Titan and becomes both a weapon and a liability in the movie like his manga counterpart, nothing after that matches the source material. Eren is kidnapped by Shikishima, who wants Eren to help him with his plan. The origins of the Titans are also not quite like we would eventually find out in the manga, with the creatures having been created after an experiment got wrong and a virus was released.
Hajime Isayama’s Endgame For Attack On Titan Was Impossible To Predict
Attack On Titan’s Actual Ending Took Everyone By Surprise
Hajime Isayama was involved in the production of the Attack on Titan films, meaning he most likely carefully chose what pieces of information should be disclosed or not. It has been rumored that the mangaka vouched for the movies to be different enough from the manga so that the same story would not be told twice, but it’s difficult to know which of those changes came from him. Regardless, from the audience’s perspective, predicting the ending of Attack on Titan back in 2015 was virtually impossible.
All 11 Titan Types In Attack On Titan Explained
Hajime Isayama's Attack on Titan features many iconic Titan types, and each Titan variant is unique. Here are all 11 types of AoT Titans explained.
Attack on Titan started as a relatively new story as survivors of a monster attack trained to be ready for the day the monsters would return. Eren Yeager’s plan was simple – he was going to kill every Titan. However, after the series starts to reveal more about how the Titans work and where they came from, the line between heroes and villains becomes very blurry. Interestingly, the live-action Attack on Titan movies came out around the same time the Historia plot from the manga was happening, after which the tone of the story changed drastically.
- Created by
- Hajime Isayama
- First Film
- Attack on Titan: The Crimson Bow and Arrow
- Latest Film
- Attack on Titan: The Final Chapters (2023)
- First TV Show
- Attack On Titan
- Latest TV Show
- Attack On Titan
Attack on Titan is a globally successful manga and anime franchise created by Hajime Isayama. The story is set in a world where humanity lives inside walled cities, threatened by giant humanoid creatures called Titans. The series follows Eren Yeager and his friends as they fight to uncover the truth about the Titans and the world. First serialized in 2009, the franchise has expanded into anime series, films, video games, novels, and live-action adaptations.
- First Episode Air Date
- April 7, 2013
- Cast
- Yûki Kaji, Yui Ishikawa, Marina Inoue, Hiroshi Kamiya, Daisuke Ono, Romi Park, Kazuhiro Yamaji, Takehito Koyasu, Yoshimasa Hosoya
- TV Show(s)
- Attack On Titan
- Video Game(s)
- Attack on Titan, Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle
