Not making an Attack on Titan sequel was Isayama’s wisest decision

As the Attack on Titan series entered its final chapters, talk of a sequel swept through the town. While it was not a prominent topic during the anime’s run, manga fans were eagerly anticipating the possibility of a follow-up to the series.

Despite fans’ demands for a sequel due to unanswered questions in the series’ climax, author Hajime Isayama recently announced a new one-shot in collaboration with Yuki Kaji, the voice actor of Eren Yeager. However, this one-shot was not a continuation of Attack on Titan.

Creating a follow-up series carries its own set of risks, as it may not garner the same level of popularity as its predecessor. Furthermore, a work of fiction does not necessarily need to provide all the answers in order to be considered a successful story. In fact, leaving some questions unanswered and ending on a mysterious note can add depth and refinement to the narrative, even if the original author does not fully explore all the mysteries within it.

The Success and Impact of Ending Attack on Titan at the Perfect Time

Eren Yeager, as seen in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

Hajime Isayama’s manga series, Attack on Titan, is an action-drama that he both wrote and illustrated. It is considered his magnum opus, as he devoted over ten years to its creation. The series was first published in September 2009.

Despite its potential for publication in Weekly Shounen Jump, Japan’s most popular magazine, Isayama’s Attack on Titan faced a hurdle. The magazine’s editors requested that he alter the art style and storyline to better appeal to their audience.

To avoid his series losing its unique style, Isayama chose to publish in a different magazine and began creating his first original series. This series would go on to become one of the most renowned in history.

After being published for four years, Isayama’s story was adapted into an anime by Wit Studio. The initial season of Attack on Titan was met with a lukewarm response from the fanbase, as it marked the beginning of Eren Yeager’s quest for vengeance against the Titans who had taken his mother’s life.

Eren Yeager (left) and Zeke Yeager (right) as seen in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

As a result, the production team held off on creating a sequel series until 2017, when Attack on Titan finally gained the worldwide recognition it had been lacking. The shocking revelation that two of Eren’s closest friends, Reiner and Bertholt, were actually Titans, caused a stir among fans and fueled their curiosity for the secrets that lay within the series.

It was expected that season 2 would be a huge success, and it was. This prompted the studio to quickly produce a sequel just one year after the previous one. Season 3 was well-received worldwide, despite being split into two parts. However, the show had to switch studios due to financial constraints, with animation studio MAPPA taking over.

After the new studio began working on the series’ last season, its initial portion was released in December 2020. Just a month following the finale of the first part, the manga came to an end, leading fans to clamor for an Attack on Titan sequel as Isayama left some unanswered questions in the series.

The manga series concluded its final season after nearly two years, leaving many fans eagerly anticipating a sequel. However, in multiple interviews, the author made it clear that he had no plans to continue the Attack on Titan story, as he was satisfied with how it had concluded.

Among the enigmatic puzzles of Attack on Titan are the source of the tree that turned Ymir into a Titan, the resolution of the Ymir’s curse, the strange apocalyptic conclusion of the story, and the possibility of the cycle repeating as evidenced by a child standing before the mysterious tree.

Similarly to Attack on Titan, Naruto was also a widely popular anime that gained global acclaim. However, its successor series, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, premiered after its conclusion. Regrettably, the sequel did not achieve the same level of success as its predecessor.

Therefore, embarking on a follow-up to a beloved series carries its own set of challenges, as fans anticipate it to be just as exceptional as its predecessor. This puts pressure on the author to meet these expectations and can result in heightened stress. Perhaps this is why Isayama chose not to take the risk of producing a sequel to his treasured masterpiece, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in its brilliance.

Additionally, Attack on Titan was a fictional series that intentionally left behind unanswered questions, a common technique used by some of the most successful fiction series. A prime example that comes to mind for fans is Game of Thrones, where the fate of numerous characters remained uncertain. This decision was made to give the series a lasting impact, allowing fans to continue theorizing and reminiscing about it over time.

One possible explanation for the lack of a sequel to Attack on Titan following its finale may be that it had already provided answers to all the lingering questions, leaving little room for speculation. Additionally, a sequel could potentially have detracted from the impact of the series’ ending. It is possible that these factors influenced Hajime Isayama’s decision not to continue the story.

Is a sequel for Attack on Titan in the works? Let’s explore the potential possibilities.

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