Despite Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan conclusion, the mangaka is responsible for one of history’s most popular anime franchises, captivating fans for over a decade. From watching Eren’s ambition for freedom to turning into the final villain, AoT fandom was left speechless by Isayama’s narrative at the end of the final season.
Since the beginning of Eren’s journey to avenge his loved one’s death, fans were enthralled by several iconic moments that left a lasting impression on the audience. Attack on Titan is one of the few anime series with multiple episodes that have earned 9+ ratings on IMDb, highlighting its immense popularity. Surprisingly, Isayama was initially skeptical about Season 3, leading him to alter the narrative from the manga to deliver a better experience for viewers.
How Hajime Isayama’s Adjustments Shaped Attack on Titan‘s Season 3
Attack on Titan‘s thrilling action scenes followed by the complexities of morality kept the audience engaged for over a decade. Eren’s ambitions to be a hero, yet little did he know, he would be playing the final villain at the same time was one of the biggest plot twists in anime history.
AoT Season 3 dropped one of the biggest bombshells, where Eren and his friends discover the truth about Titans and Marley Island. Fans were shocked when Hajime Isayama revealed that the bloodshed, once thought to be the work of Titans, was actually orchestrated by the people of Marley Island.
Although Season 3 left fans worldwide with tons of mysteries, Isayama had to alter the manga’s narrative to deliver a cinematic experience for the audience. In an interview, the AoT creator opened up about all the insecurities he felt while working on the manga volumes 13 to 16. He revealed:
After writing Volume 12, in the period between 13 and 16 was when I felt the most disappointed with my work. Hopefully, now that season 3 is being made, I’ll have the chance to wipe away that regret and replace it with something I’m proud of.
Isayama disclosed that he wasn’t most proud of his work during the creation of the manga. Since AoT Volumes 13-16 revealed the biggest secrets about Titans and Eren’s twisted future, the mangaka wanted to rework his flaws before the production of Season 3. Hajime Isayama has never missed a publication deadline; however, the mental stress took a heavy toll on his work, something he deeply regretted.
Despite all the regrets, Isayama never doubted his in-depth work behind all of Attack on Titan‘s characters, especially Levi. Many fans believe that portraying Levi as a short character hindered his popularity. Interestingly, the AoT creator intentionally never intended to draw Levi as a tall character.
Attack on Titan‘s Creator Unveils the Concept Behind Levi Ackerman’s Design
Among all the characters introduced in Attack on Titan, Levi Ackerman is undoubtedly the most feared character in the series. Isayama portrayed Levi as so immensely powerful that every Titan Shifter was afraid of Levi. Not to forget, ‘Levi VS Beast Titan’ is one of the most iconic moments.
After losing his best friend, Erwin Smith, the scary look on Levi’s face made fans go berserk during his battle with the Beast Titan. Interestingly, Isayama once revealed that designing Levi as a six-foot-tall character wouldn’t have made him stand out in the community.
Since Levi wasn’t the protagonist of the story, Isayama didn’t want our beloved character to steal the spotlight from Eren. Regardless, we can’t deny that seeing Levi as a short and cocky character lets viewers connect deeply with his character.
Attack On Titan is available to stream on Crunchyroll as of August 18, 2024.