Attack on Titan is a manga series by Hajime Isayama about a fantasy world in which cities are under constant attack from human-eating giants. Originally released in 2009, it has led to spin-off series (including the parody Attack on Titan: Junior High), light novels, anime, video games, and live action movies. Once you’re done with all with those, try some of the titles from the following list.
[Note: Publishers and dates provided are for English publications.]
Deadman Wonderland
Written and drawn by Jinsei Kataoka and Kazuma Kondou
Published: 2014 – 2016 (Viz)
Number of volumes: 13
ISBN: 9781421555485 (vol. 1)
Elevator pitch: Set in a semi-post-apocalyptic Tokyo, middle schooler Ganta Igarashi witnesses the horrific, brutal slaughter of his entire class by a mysterious evil being called the Red Man. Framed for the attack, Ganta is sentenced to death by public execution in Tokyo’s new murder theme park, Deadman Wonderland. Ganta must fight to survive the prison’s deadly attractions and prove his innocence, but the inmates are just as deadly as the insane theme park itself.
Why this next: If Attack on Titan‘s action and violence was a winning factor, man-eating giants have nothing on a prison that makes The Hunger Games look like an afternoon stroll at Disneyland. Deadman Wonderland is great for readers who loved the dark futility that permeates Attack on Titan and there’s a sense of creative ingenuity to the sharp and deadly instruments of death that make up the courses prisoners are forced to run through for public entertainment.
(Recommended by Allen K and Sara Dempster.)
I Am A Hero
Written and drawn by Kengo Hanzawa
Published: 2016 – ongoing (Dark Horse)
Number of volumes: 22 (8 double volumes in English)
ISBN: 9781616559205 (vol.1)
Elevator pitch: Hideo Suzuki is an assistant manga artist with a mundane life sleepwalking through the motions of his sedentary routine. When a zombie epidemic shatters everyday life, his fight-or-flight instincts—as well as his prized rifle—become more valuable than ever.
Why this next: Attack On Titan is often called “the manga version of The Walking Dead,” well, here’s a bonafide street-level zombie apocalypse manga! Between bouts of horrific suspense are biting observations about Japanese norms and which parts of society may be worth leaving behind. Identifying with “losers” a plus.
(Recommended by Thomas M.)
Parasyte
Written and drawn by Hitoshi Iwaaki
Published: 2011 – 2012 (Kodansha)
Number of volumes: 8
ISBN: 9781612620732 (vol. 1)
Elevator pitch: Shinichi is taken by surprise when a sentient alien worm wriggles into his body, taking control of his right hand. He and the alien become a rare symbiotic pair that must work together to survive a grisly alien invasion that seeks to feed on all living things.
Why this next: To meet a parasyte is to encounter your own mortality and reckon with being toppled in the food chain. Just as there are Titans hiding in wait to attack humanity, parasytes breed paranoia and fear over who will die next and who will stand up to them.
(Recommended by Thomas M.)
Psyren
Written and drawn by Toshiaki Iwashiro
Published: 2011 – 2014 (Viz)
Number of volumes: 16
ISBN: 9781421536767 (vol. 1)
Elevator pitch: When Ageha Yoshino’s tries to find his missing friend Sakurako, he discovers Psyren, a deadly game where individuals must fight using their new psychic powers in order to return to their world. As they come to understand the world and their abilities, Ageha and his new allies realize that the stakes go beyond their own lives.
Why this next: The high stakes action and apocalyptic setting (complete with terrifying monsters) will appeal fans of Attack on Titan.
(Recommended by Megan Rupe.)
Seraph of the End
Written by: Takaya Kagami and Daisuke Furuya
Art by: Yamato Yamamoto
Published: 2014 – ongoing (Viz)
Number of volumes: 17 (15 in English)
ISBN: 9781421571508 (v.1)
Elevator pitch: After an apocalyptic plague that kills most of the human race, vampires have taken over the earth and enslaved the remaining humans. Yuichiro grew up in an “orphanage” that was actually keeping children alive to feed the vampires, and one day he manages to escape to realize his dream of joining the Vampire Defense Force—but his escape comes at a terrible price.
Why this next: Like Eren in Attack on Titan, Yuichiro is a boy who comes from nothing to become a hero during dark times for humanity. Readers who enjoyed Attack on Titan for its portrayal of the vestiges of humanity fighting against terrible odds in can enjoy more of the same in Seraph of the End.
(Recommended by Sara Dempster.)
The Strain
Written by David Lapham (adapted from the novels by Chuck Hogan and Guillermo del Toro)
Art by: Mike Huddleston & Dan Jackson
Published: 2012 – 2017 (Dark Horse)
Number of volumes: 7
ISBN: 9781616550325 (vol. 1)
Elevator pitch: Vampires have been introduced in several parts of the world that are woefully unprepared for the invasion about to take place. Will humanity figure out what’s really going on in time, or perish like sheep surrounded by wolves?
Why this next: The borderline nihilistic terror of an overwhelming supernatural invasion combined with a secret history and multiple perspectives makes this a cousin of Attack On Titan‘s brand of hope in the face of certain doom.
(Recommended by Thomas M.)
Tokyo Ghoul
Written and drawn by Sui Ishida
Published: 2015 – 2017 (Viz)
Number of volumes: 14
ISBN: 9781421580364 (v.1)
Elevator pitch: One day, Kaneki Ken is in a freak accident with a beautiful woman who turns out to be a ghoul (a being that appears human in every way but for their craving for human flesh). After he endures an organ transplant where he is given her organs, he finds that he has inherited both her power and her insatiable hunger.
Why this next: Tokyo Ghoul will scratch the itch for dark, gritty horror, and readers who loved following Eren’s journey in Attack on Titan will be just as invested in watching Ken as he discovers his true power.
(Recommended by Sara Dempster.)
Vinland Saga
Written and drawn by Makoto Yukimura
Published: 2013 – Present (Kodansha)
Number of volumes: 21 (10 double volumes in English)
ISBN: 9781612624204 (vol.1)
Elevator pitch: After his father is killed, Thorfinn follows the Viking leader Askeladd in order to gain the opportunity to duel the crafty man and avenge his father. In his quest for vengeance, Thorfinn is swept into an epic journey filled with political games and personal growth.
Why this next: Like Attack on Titan, this series portrays a gritty, well-developed setting and features plenty of strong action and gore. Readers who enjoyed Attack on Titan‘s teenage characters will also likely be interested in Thorfinn, whose character arc is well thought-out and fascinating.
(Recommended by Megan Rupe.)
World Trigger
Written and drawn by Daisuke Ashihara
Published: 2013 – 2017 (Viz)
Number of volumes: 18
ISBN: 9781421577647 (vol.1)
Elevator pitch: In the future, a gate to another dimension has burst open, and hostile beings called the Neighbors have invaded the earth. Osamu is one of the fighters that uses otherworldly technology to fight back against them—but what happens when it turns out that his new classmate is one of the Neighbors, and he looks and acts just like a human?
Why this next: Similar to Attack on Titan, World Trigger features humans banding together to fight a seemingly unstoppable foe, and it has all of the epic battles without much of the extreme gore. That makes it a great title for younger readers who have heard of and are interested in Attack on Titan but aren’t ready to give it a try just yet.
(Recommended by Sara Dempster.)
