Shingeki No Kyojin

Attack on Titan Overview

• Created by Hajime Isayama, a Japanese manga series about humanity's struggle against Titans.
• Set in a world where humans live behind massive walls to protect themselves from man-eating humanoids.
• Follows Eren Yeager, who vowed to destroy the Titans after their attack on his hometown, killing his mother.
• Serialized in Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine from 2009 to 2021, collected in 34 volumes.
• Had an anime adaptation with seasons produced by Wit Studio and MAPPA.
• The series has achieved significant commercial and critical success, selling over 140 million copies worldwide.
• Won several awards, including the Kodansha Manga Award.

Story Summary

• Humanity's civilization is enclosed within protective walls, believed to be the last vestiges of human existence.
• Titans, humanoid giants, once threatened humanity, pushing them to seek refuge behind the walls.
• Characters, particularly Eren Yeager, encounter various Titan types, from Pure Titans to more formidable Shifters like the Colossal, Armored, etc.
• The story unfolds revealing the true nature of the Titans and the outside world.

Eren's Journey

• Lives in Shiganshina, the outermost wall.
• His mother is killed during a Titan attack.
• Eren swears revenge on Titans and joins the military.
• He discovers an ability to transform into a sentient Attack Titan, regaining memories of his father.
• His talents are put to use to reclaim lost territories and reveal underlying information.
• Eren is connected to extraordinary powers which further drives the storyline's complexities.

Titan Types and Abilities

• Pure Titans: Generic, predictable behavior, easily defeated.
• Abnormal Titans: Pure Titans with unpredictable behaviors.
• Nine Titans: The strongest, Titan Shifters who can switch between human and Titan form; each with distinctive abilities.
• Abilities include hardening parts of the body; certain advantages during combat.
• Pure Titans are created by injecting Eldians with Titan spinal fluid. Consuming a Titan Shifter may bestow the ability to that particular Shifter and curse the entity to live only 13 more years

Revelation of Truth and Conflict

• Eren discovers the true nature of the Eldian's existence, including the threat of the Marleyans.
• Eren, Mikasa, and Armin uncover that they are not the last humans but rather a confined enclave within a larger world.
• The Eldians are oppressed by Marley due to their unique physiology (ability to transform and be injected with spinal fluid.)
• A conflict ensues leading to an invasion by Marley.
• Eren and Zeke, Eren's half brother, lead to the "Rumbling" which is the unleashing of Titans to cause genocide on those outside their walls.
• The series culminates with Eren's death and the end of Titan powers.

Production and Adaptation

• The series initially faced opposition, but gained popularity.
• Several adaptations including an anime series.
• Various spin-offs, light novels, and other media.
• A live-action film project was attempted with creative differences and changes.

Success and Impact

• Attack on Titan has an enormous presence, reflected in sales and awards.
• It has influenced several other media.
• The series' themes have attracted criticism and analysis, such as comparisons to historical events.