TV SERIES · 2013–2022 · JAPAN
Attack on Titan
- Network
- MBS, NHK G, Tokyo MX
- Seasons
- 4
- Episodes
- 87
- Studio
- Production I.G, MAPPA, WIT STUDIO
- Original title
- 進撃の巨人
56 archived facts 7 topics 2 sources Last reviewed Nov 2026
100 years ago, the last remnants of humanity were forced to retreat behind the towering walls of a fortified city to escape the massive, man-eating Titans that roamed the land outside their fortress. Only the members of the Scouting Legion dared to stray beyond the safety of the walls – but even those brave warriors seldom returned alive. Those within the city clung to the illusion of a peaceful existence until the…
56 Interesting Facts About Attack on Titan
Interesting Facts (11)
- #001
In both the anime and the manga, the Titans appear completely naked, though this isn't all that offensive since they are portrayed as not having any sexual organs. However, due to censorship laws, the Malaysian version of manga portrays the Titans as wearing pants.
- #002
Reiner Braun's Titan form was inspired by the body of former UFC heavyweight champion and professional wrestler Brock Lesnar.
- #003
Annie often makes sounds like 'vjj' while sleeping. This is because she dreams of memories from her early infancy in Marley, when she practiced by kicking trees.
- #004
In the original Japanese manga and anime production notes, Hajime Isayama (creator) wanted Hange Zoë's gender to remain ambiguous. The voice actors were instructed to play the character without leaning too far toward male or female traits.
- #005
Contains a major spoiler — show
Armin's Colossal Titan does not have ears because he does not want to hear the screams of people dying.
- #006
Contains a major spoiler — show
The artists modeled Eren's Titan physique on professional MMA fighter Yushin Okami.
- #007
Contains a major spoiler — show
While asleep, Annie can often be heard making noises such as "woosh". That is because she dreams about her early toddler days in Marley, where she would practice her kicks on trees.
- #008
Contains a major spoiler — show
During season 1, in episode 3, Eren hit his head against the floor. Later, he appears with a bandage around his head and it seems smoke coming out of his head, revealing his titan abilities a few episodes before is fully revealed.
- #009
Contains a major spoiler — show
During season 1, Commander Erwin gives a speech for the new Survey Corps recruits, saying that 30% of them will die.
- #010
Contains a major spoiler — show
During Zeke and Eren meet in Marley, is seen that both shadows have no head, foreshadowing thier death in the final episode, where their heads are cutted off by Levi and Mikasa Ackerman
- #011
Contains a major spoiler — show
Colossal Titan was the very first titan to be drawn by Hajime Isayama, so Bertholdt, the original wielder of the titan, was drawn in his likeness, and not the other way around like Reiner and the Armored Titan and Annie and the Female Titan, who were drawn first his human versión.
Production Story (9)
- #012
The Season 3 Part 1 opening "Red Swan" was a massive departure for the series. It was a collaboration between Yoshiki (X Japan) and Hyde (L'Arc-en-Ciel), two of the biggest rock stars in Japan, which was kept a secret until the day the episode aired.
- #013
The manga artist Hajime Isayama got the idea for the Titans when he encountered a drunk customer at a coffee shop he worked in. He was inspired by the inability to communicate and realised the most dangerous thing was the human race.
- #014
MAPPA studio took over production for the final season when producers had wanted to take the production to another studio by the third season. Producers Toshihiro Maeda and Kensuke Tateishi said they shopped around but most studios weren't up to their standards or declined due to the expected work volume except for MAPPA who responded with a "we'll think about it." The people at WIT Studio whom had produced the show since 2013 have reportedly said they're comfortable with MAPPA taking over production.
- #015
Marina Inoue, who voices Armin Arlert, also provides the narration for the entire series. This was a deliberate choice by the production team to imply that the story is being told by Armin from the future.
- #016
Isayama has stated that part of the reason he chose the name "Eren" for the character is because it sounds feminine, which would make it easier to remember.
- #017
Isayama named Mikasa after a famous Japanese battleship (the Mikasa), following a superstition that series with female characters named after battleships tend to be successful.
- #018
The architecture of the Walls was inspired by the real-life city of Nördlingen in Germany, which is one of the few remaining medieval cities in the world that still has an intact city wall.
- #019
Contains a major spoiler — show
Sasha Blouse was originally supposed to die in Volume 9 (Season 2). However, Isayama's editor reportedly cried in the bathroom after reading the draft, which convinced Isayama to keep her alive until the final season.
- #020
Contains a major spoiler — show
Reiner Braun's titan form is based on the body of former UFC heavyweight champion and professional wrestler Brock Lesnar.
Behind the Scenes (8)
- #021
For the iconic scene in Season 3 where Levi fights Kenny's squad, the animators had to manually draw the rotating backgrounds because digital CGI at the time couldn't capture the "gritty" hand-drawn feel the director wanted.
- #022
The movement of the 3D Maneuver Gear was heavily inspired by the physics of Spider-Man. The animators at WIT Studio studied Peter Parker's web-swinging to understand how to maintain a sense of momentum and gravity during the Titan fights.
- #023
Sound designers for the Final Season used recordings of actual rockslides and amplified earthquake tremors to create the sound of the Rumbling, rather than using traditional synthesized bass.
- #024
The animators were instructed to give the "Pure Titans" movements based on toddlers or drunk adults. The idea was to make them look "innocent" yet terrifyingly unpredictable.
- #025
Daisuke Ono (Erwin's VA) stated that the "My Soldiers, Rage!" speech was the most physically exhausting scene of his career. He recorded it in a single take to maintain the raw emotional energy.
- #026
Yuki Kaji (Eren's voice actor) famously lost his voice multiple times during the recording of the "scream" scenes. During the Season 2 finale, his performance was so intense that he reportedly damaged his vocal cords and had to undergo medical treatment.
- #027
When production shifted to MAPPA for the Final Season, they used rotoscoping (tracing over live-action footage) for some of the civilian crowd scenes to create a more realistic, "uncanny" feeling that matched the darker tone of the story.
- #028
Contains a major spoiler — show
The crying baby held above the crowd in the finale was voiced by Yuki Kaji's own newborn daughter.
Characters & Cast (12)
- #029
Despite his youthful appearance, the production team confirmed that Levi is actually in his mid-30s. His height was kept short as a reference to Astro Boy, as Isayama wanted a "small but strongest" character.
- #030
Jean is the artist Hajime Isayama's favorite character.
- #031
In the anime, the character Hange Zoe is voiced by a woman. However, in the manga, Hange's gender is unknown to the reader. This is because the writer, Hajime Isayama, felt that Hange's gender didn't matter to the storyline and left it up to the reader to decide.
- #032
The character of Dot Pixis was modeled after the real-life Japanese General Akiyama Yoshifuru. This actually caused a massive controversy and death threats toward Isayama from international fans due to the General's historical background.
- #033
Isayama revealed that Gabi Braun's design and personality were based on a sketch he made of a "female version of Eren Yeager."
- #034
The combat styles of the Titans are based on real MMA fighters. Eren's Titan form is modeled after Yushin Okami, while the Armored Titan's fighting style is directly inspired by Brock Lesnar.
- #035
Aspects of Levi's design and personality were based on Rorschach from Watchmen.
- #036
In an interview Hajime Isayama made fun of the character Armin Arlert by saying that Armin was a girl.
- #037
Yelena is the tallest character in the Reconnaissance Corps; her height (202 cm, or 6"7) is followed by Jean (190 cm, or 6"3) and Eren (183 cm; 6 feet).
- #038
Contains a major spoiler — show
The oldest Titan is Ymir. Not much is known about her past or where she came from. Her birthday is on February 17th and she could potentially be over 60 years old. She explained that she had turned into a Titan and wandered around for over 60 years until coming to Paradis, which makes her the oldest member of the Corps.
- #039
Contains a major spoiler — show
Colossal Titan was the very first titan to be drawn by Hajime Isayama, so Bertholdt, the original wielder of the titan, was drawn in his likeness, and not the other way around like Reiner and the Armored Titan and Annie and the Female Titan, who were drawn first his human versión.
- #040
Contains a major spoiler — show
When she was asked who did she see Mikasa getting together with at the end of Attack On Titan, her dub actress Trina Nishimura answered: "Historia. It's surprising but it just makes sense for the two characters since they're both similar and have been through so much".
Easter Eggs & References (11)
- #041
Isayama has been vocal for his love of shows like Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad. He even revealed that Falco Grice is based on Jesse Pinkman, played by Aaron Paul. The show's Saul Goodman, as well as many Game of Thrones characters even made "cameos" in the manga where they appeared as Titans.
- #042
In the first opening theme "Guren no Yumiya," there is a hidden German lyric that translates to "Are you the food? No, we are the hunters!" This was written specifically to set the defiant tone of the series.
- #043
Captain America and Spider-Man once fought the Titans. In a crossover comic titled "Attack on Avengers," the eight-page adventure plays out the scenario of what happens when the Titans invade the Marvel universe. It was written by Hajime Isayama and illustrated by Gerardo Sandoval.
- #044
Many of the Mindless Titans in the background of the anime are actually "Titanized" versions of Isayama's friends, editors, and even some famous Japanese TV personalities who were fans of the manga.
- #045
Despite his youthful appearance, the production team confirmed that Levi is actually in his mid-30s. Keeping his height short was a nod to Astro Boy, because Isayama wanted a 'small but strongest' character.
- #046
Contains a major spoiler — show
During season 1, Commander Erwin gives an speech for the 10 new members of the Survey Corps, saying that the 30% will die, being in this way that 3 members will die, being Bertholdt, Ymir and Sasha.
- #047
Contains a major spoiler — show
During season 1, in episode 3, Eren hit his head against the floor. Later, he appears with a bandage around his head and it seems smoke coming out of his head, revealing his titan abilities a few episodes before is fully revealed.
- #048
Contains a major spoiler — show
During Zeke and Eren meet in Marley, is seen that both shadows have no head, foreshadowing thier death in the final episode, where their heads are cutted off by Levi and Mikasa Ackerman
- #049
Contains a major spoiler — show
Bertholdt peculiar way to sleep with his feet up reference to The Hanged Man from Tarot, because the position of the card represents the punishment of traitors, thus anticipating his future betrayal alongside Reiner in the second season.
- #050
Contains a major spoiler — show
Ymir gets her name by pretending to be a mythical figurehead that was known to be the first Titan shifter. This name comes from a creature in Norse mythology, who is said to be "The Father of all Giants," foreshadowing Ymir's transformation into a Titan in Season 2.
- #051
Contains a major spoiler — show
Bertholdt peculiar way to sleep with his feet up reference to The Hanged Man from Tarot, because the position of the card represents the punishment of traitors, thus anticipating his future betrayal alongside Reiner in the second season.
Deeper Meaning (3)
- #052
Reiner is Hajime Isayama's favorite character because he suffers the most, and the character truly represents both sides of Marley and Eldia.
- #053
Contains a major spoiler — show
Armin's Colossal Titan does not have ears because he does not want to hear the screams of people dying.
- #054
Contains a major spoiler — show
Reiner is Hajime Isayama's favorite character, because he has suffered the most and his character truly represents both sides of Marley and Eldia.
Life & Family (2)
- #055
Levi's mother, Kuchel Ackerman, was a prostitute in the underground city. When she became pregnant by a client, she decided to raise Levi. But Kuchel died of an illness caused by a client. So Kuchel's brother, Kenny Ackerman, raised Levi and kept their relationship secret. Levi's father is unknown; there is even a chance his father did not know he was a father.
- #056
Contains a major spoiler — show
Levi's mother, Kuchel Ackerman, was actually a prostitute in the underground city. One time she was impregnated by one of her clients, Kuchel decided to take care of Levi. But then Kuchel died from a illness caused by one of her clients. So Levi was taken care of by Kenny Ackerman, the brother of Kuchel, and revealed nothing about their relationship. As for Levi's father, he is unknown, there is even a possibility Levi's father doesn't even know that he is a father.
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work