Attack on Titan: Why You Should be Ready for Season 3
Updated: Jan 12, 2019
Japanese Anime has been gaining popularity over the years, with the fan base growing worldwide and streaming services like Crunchyroll becoming more popular amongst younger audiences. Attack on Titan is one of, if not the most, popular Japanese anime worldwide currently, with season two wrapping up earlier this summer and its third season confirmed for July 2018, it’s fair to say that there has been a lot of hype around this show. On top of all of that, there has recently been a sequel confirmed for the popular video game Attack On Titan: Wings of Freedom that was released in 2016 and followed the events of the first season of the anime. It was played by popular YouTubers Pewdiepie and Jacksepticeye, also big fans of the anime, on their YouTube channels following its release. The two YouTubers also tweeted their support during the airing of the anime’s second season.
Attack on Titan is an anime with such reach that many of the fan base are actually non-anime fans, leading it to be labelled as “the best anime of all time” considering anime is still quite obscure across western culture. This label is debatable, depending on how many other anime the viewer has watched. For example, older anime fans may argue that shows like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is better written and has much more epic storylines than that of Attack on Titan. Though there are a lot of similar themes, a civilisation living inside a circle (or many circles) who’s fate lies with the corrupted government who seems to be keeping everything about the land a secret.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood wrapped up in 2010 with five seasons and Attack on Titan is still ongoing, meaning the fate of the show’s reputation is still up in the air. However, this just shows how many boundaries have been broken by the show, attracting viewers from across the world, anime fans and non-anime fans alike. As well as the show’s wide reach, Attack on Titan also includes great well-written characters, including a strong LGBT couple.
If you haven’t seen the show, Attack on Titan is an animated show about giant humanoid beings called titans who eat people, leading humanity to hide and reside inside a community protected by three walls. Nobody seems to know where the walls came from or how they were built, though there is a group of religious believers who claim that God built the walls and they should never be tampered with, even if this later puts humanity in danger (spoilers, it does). The show follows the three characters Eren, Armin and Mikasa, three children who are witnesses to the outermost wall being breached by an abnormally large titan and a large portion of humanity being devoured, including family members.
The fiery young Eren vows to kill all of the titans, yes, all of them and free humanity from the ‘cage’ they had been forced into. Fast forward a few years, the trio enlist to join the military in order to honour Eren’s promise to himself and to finally have a taste of life outside the walls. This show is not afraid of putting character’s lives on the line, including the main protagonist himself, and you can expect many of your favourites to be killed off at any point during the series. Attack on Titan really is the Game of Thrones of the anime world.
Aside from the many plot twists and abundance of action, another thing that makes the show so popular is the diverse and interesting characters. The main character of the series, Eren Jaeger has been through so many traumas and has grown up with all odds stacked against him, yet he is most known for his complete determination and ability to keep going no matter who tries to stop him. I personally sympathise a lot with Eren and admire his guts, even if he is slightly too stubborn at times.
Armin Arlert, Eren’s best friend growing up, is the typical smart best friend who always has the solutions the team needs to push through any situation. What sets him apart from the nerdy friend trope is the development and strength he gains throughout the series. He may start out screaming and standing on the side lines while his friends are killed, but by the end of the first season, Armin is not only an amazing strategist for the army but his skills in battle also improve greatly, making him a valuable soldier.
Mikasa Ackerman, the final member of the main trio, is the badass female character that viewers both male and female idolise for her tough attitude, battle skills and of course, her abs. The only Asian character in the show and second to none at titan killing, she is often described as being worth 100 soldiers in battle and may even be more skilled than Captain Levi, the army squad leader. Levi is another fan favourite, known for his speed, skill and quick thinking when up against an enemy. Captain Levi is also surprisingly short and exceptionally blunt, so fierce that he sparks fear even in his higher ups.
On top of all of this, the show includes a lot of surprising character backstories and shocking revelations as the seasons progress. In season 2, we learned even more about the titans and even about the walls themselves, after a full season of battles, plot twists and questioning what the hell was going on. Season 2 having being left on another cliff-hanger, it’s easy to assume that season 3 will bring more questions, hopefully more answers, and lots more action. You can catch the first two seasons on Crunchyroll now free or £4.99 a month without ads, and remember to keep an eye out in July for the weekly Simulcasts of season 3!
Crunchyroll did not sponsor this article and Funimation, Wit Studio and Production I.D own all of the rights to Attack On Titan.
