What is the Fate of the Attack on Titan Franchise?

*Contains mild information from all episodes aired.*

Fans of the manga and the anime Attack on Titan have anticipated part two of the finale season for a whole year now. Mappa, the studio that has taken over “Attack on Titan” for its finale season, has a lot riding on this part.

Attack on Titan has been premiering every Sunday for six weeks now. During part one of the finale season, Mappa received countless complaints about their animation style, saying that it looked ‘rushed.’ However, during part two of the season finale, Mappa has outdone themselves on the animation aspect. They have also done a great job on pacing, including every panel from the manga and animating a chapter an episode. There are 139 chapters in the Attack on Titan manga. The anime so far has kept many on the edge of their seat, with almost every episode ending on a cliffhanger, leaving fans excited for next Sunday. The past two episodes have even received perfect ten stars on IMBD, ranking up there with a Breaking Bad episode.

However, all good things must come to an end. With the announcement of Attack on Titan ending their episodes on March 27, curious fans are still asking the same question: how will “Attack on Titan” end? 

The Possibility of a Movie

A serious possibility for Attack on Titan is a movie coming out within two years. Because there are only six episodes left but fifteen chapters of the manga remaining, many fans have concluded that a film is a real possibility. Mappa happens to be infamous for making movies instead of seasons. This is most likely because anime movies have been successful.

Demon Slayer: Mugen Train movie poster

The “Demon Slayer: Mugen Train” was Japan’s biggest box office film. After a result like that, it’s only natural for a big studio like Mappa to follow in the same footsteps. 

The most recent Mappa movie made is the “Jujutsu Kaisen: Volume 0” movie. Its box office is 95 million dollars. It premiered on December 24 and will be released in the US on March 18. This is pivotal because even a massive movie like Demon Slayer took nearly a year and a half to be released in the US. This could ease Attack on Titan fans’ concerns, as the primary concern over Attack on Titan’s finale chapters being made into a movie is the wait. Fans, and rightfully so, don’t want to wait a year and a half to know how their favorite anime ends. The Attack on Titans fandom has a notorious reputation for explicitly spoiling the show for non-manga readers. “Attack on Titan” is a show with great plot twists and arcs, so it is understandable to have these concerns.

 On a more optimistic outlook, because “Attack on Titan” is such a big show, an international release could be on the horizon. And because the studio realizes fans are ready for the finale and do not want it to be so spaced out from the manga ending that has been out since April 2021.  

Will a Movie be Better?

The beginning of the animation adventure of animating so many titans.
The beginning of the animation adventure of animating so many titans
A close-up shot of a colossal titan from season 1

Besides looking at it from an economic standpoint, there are other benefits to a movie. Mappa has taken on many different projects that even fans have noticed. Reports have even come out of employees not going home for three days.

Mappa was Attack on Titan’s superhero. When another studio, WIT, dropped Attack on Titans because the final season would be too big a project for the studio. Mappa swept Attack on Titans and its fans off their feet by taking on the project. Due to time restrictions, though, the animation was a bit messy for part one. But, with a movie, this would give Mappa time to do justice with the final chapters. In episode five of Attack on Titans, season four, part two revealed that Eren, the main character, will be setting off the rumbling. This is an extermination of the world using millions of colossal titans. It is already challenging to animate one colossal titan but so many once on-screen will be even more difficult. Since “Attack on Titan” is such a big anime, it has a to live up to. The manga has a great ending. One that fans will want the best animation possible for.  

The Verdict

The real verdict is viewers won’t know until Mappa announces their plans for the franchise. We can conjure up conspiracies with evidence, but we aren’t the studio at the end of the day, so it is still a mystery to us. However, a movie will not be the worst thing for the franchise. It is very possible that an Attack on Titan movie could be the best thing for the franchise.