9 Manga Like ATTACK ON TITAN for When You’ve Finished the Series
If you follow the world of manga and anime in any capacity, you’ve probably at least heard of Attack on Titan. The wildly popular manga by Hajime Isayama recently ended an 11-year run with its final chapter released in April 2021 (and the final volume in English released in October). The anime series, which also boasts a large following, will soon conclude as well, with part two of its final season scheduled to air starting in January 2022.
Attack on Titan is a post-apocalyptic dark fantasy about the remnants of humanity after the emergence of giant humanoid creatures called Titans that wiped out much of the world’s population. For a hundred years, what remains of humankind have lived in a single civilization contained within three concentric walls to protect them from the Titans. However, after a Colossal Titan breaks through the first wall, the territory up to the second wall is overrun by Titans in an attack that takes many lives and forces any survivors to retreat within the last two walls. The story follows Eren Yeager, a teenager who survived the tragedy and vows to seek revenge on the Titans, who killed his mother in the attack. Eren, together with his foster sister Mikasa and his childhood friend Armin, completes military training in hopes of joining the Survey Corps, a special group of soldiers that ventures outside the walls in an attempt to defeat the Titans and reclaim the world.
For those who will inevitably miss this series after finishing it, here are nine manga like Attack on Titan to dive into next.
Manga Like Attack on Titan
Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa
Fullmetal Alchemist is another hugely popular manga that many readers have likely already delved into, but it’s worth a mention still. Brothers Edward and Alphonse journey in search of the Philosopher’s Stone to restore their bodies after an attempt to bring their mother back to life with alchemy goes wrong. Another dark fantasy featuring secrets and conspiracy, it’s certain to appeal to fans of Attack on Titan.
The Promised Neverland by Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu
Speaking of dark fantasy with secrets and conspiracy, look no further than The Promised Neverland! Emma is one of the oldest of a group of orphans living at Grace Field House, living a seemingly idyllic life as they wait for the day they are adopted. However, when the orphans discover the truth — that Grace Field House is actually a breeding farm in the demon world, established to provide humans for the demons to eat — they set out to escape and try to find the human world.
Parasyte by Hitoshi Iwaaki
In this science fiction horror manga, small worm-like aliens called Parasites invade Earth and take over the brains of human hosts. Shinichi, a 17-year-old high school student, happens to wake up while one of these Parasites attempts to enter his body through his nose, interrupting it and causing it to instead burrow into his arm. Shinichi and the Parasite, called Migi, each retain their own personalities and consciousness and must learn to coexist in the same body while battling other Parasites. Much like Attack on Titan, Parasyte explores the complexities of humanity against a backdrop of fear and hopelessness.
Tokyo Ghoul by Sui Ishida
College student Ken Kaneki goes on a date that turns into a near-fatal encounter when the woman he was with turns out to be a ghoul, a creature that appears to be human but must feed on human flesh. Though he is spared from becoming the ghoul’s next meal thanks to a freak accident, Ken ends up receiving organs from the ghoul in a transplant and becomes half-ghoul himself. As Ken deals with the daily struggle of fitting into the secret ghoul society that hides among the human population, he must also contend with the duality of his new identity, fighting his ghoul side to retain as much of his humanity as possible.
86 by Asato Asato and Motoki Yoshihara
The Republic of San Magnolia and the Empire of Giad have been engaged in a long war, but one that supposedly no longer has casualties due to both sides’ development of autonomous weapons. In reality, however, the Republic’s weapons are piloted by the Eighty-Six, a persecuted minority group that have been stripped of their humanity. This ongoing manga adaptation of Asato Asato’s light novel series has military and conspiracy themes that definitely parallel Attack on Titan.
Dorohedoro by Q Hayashida
Caiman, a man who was left with a reptile head and no memory of himself due to a magic attack, is on a search for his true identity. Alongside his friend Nikaido, Caiman hunts down sorcerers, looking for the one responsible for his current form. It’s a great choice for another dark, post-apocalyptic story with built-in mystery.
Gantz by Hiroya Oku
Kei Kurano and Masaru Kato both die by being hit by a subway when trying to save a man who fell onto the tracks. In death, they find themselves part of a “game” in which they and other recently deceased participants must score points by killing alien targets living on Earth. For readers who were able to take the brutality in Attack on Titan in stride, Gantz, which certainly isn’t shy with its violence and gore, would be a good pick for another intense read.
Attack on Titan: Junior High by Saki Nakagawa
A lighthearted and absurd parody on Attack on Titan, this manga reimagines the characters as students who attend a junior high school split into two sides, one for humans and one for Titans. Eren holds a massive grudge against the Titans after one of them stole his lunch five years ago, and he vows to defeat them now that he has entered junior high.
Attack on Titan: Lost Girls by Ryōsuke Fuji
A manga adaptation of a spinoff light novel by the same name by Hiroshi Seko, Attack on Titan: Lost Girls follows Mikasa and Annie in side plots that occurred around pivotal moments of the first major arc of the main series. By zooming in on these two female characters, this spinoff explores and sheds more light on their backstories, giving readers a more intricate view of their perspectives and motivations.
Attack on Titan is a series with, in addition to the two mentioned on this list, quite a few spinoffs. If you haven’t yet checked them all out, take a look at this guide to reading Attack on Titan for some background on the others to be able to dive even deeper into the world of the series. And once you’ve satisfied your craving for manga like Attack on Titan, jump over to this list of the best manga to read now to find your next favorite.
