Attack on Titan Editor Discusses How the Series Has Changed Since it Began

It's no secret that Attack on Titan has begun laying down the groundwork for the series finale, and series creator Hajime Isayama himself has been preparing fans for the end for quite some time. It might be surprising fans that the series is so close to its end, but in retrospect, the series has been running for nearly a decade now and looks much different from when it first began.

Editor for the series Shintaro Kawakubo recently opened up about how the series has changed over the years in a special interview commemorating the release of the latest volume in Japan. And through his eyes, the series has come a long way since the beginning.

When asked about how much of the story was set in stone when the series began, Kawakubo explained, " First of all, the secret roles of the characters in the first volume were all already finalized. Within the ranks of Eren and his fellow trainees, there were traitors, as well as characters from certain bloodlines. Those concepts had already been decided."

As for how much of the world's concept was set, "Of course not all the specific details, but the idea that the protagonist's world and the outside world treat history differently, and what both sides think about those within the Walls - these two points were set back then."

There was even some thought put into who would die before it all began, "We hadn't decided who would perish, since there would be so many variables involved. But those who would betray the rest was determined, since their affiliations were different. On another note, the world that exists outside of the Walls was decided from the get-go as well."

But as the series comes closer to its end, Kawakubo compares how long Isayama felt the series would go when it first began to where it is now, "A long, long time ago Isayama-san kept saying, 'It'll end in three years' - it has been five or six years since then. But recently he can finally say, 'It's almost time to end this well.' This time, I really don't think we have much longer to go. Everyone please anticipate it."

Attack on Titan was originally created by Hajime Isayama for Kodansha's Bessatsu Shonen Magazine in 2009. It's set in a world where the last remnants of humanity live within a walled city in order to escape the danger of the Titans, a race of giants monsters that eats humans. The lead character, Eren Yeager, ends up joining the military with his two childhood friends Mikasa and Armin after the Titans break through the wall and attack his hometown. Now Eren, Mikasa, and Armin must survive in a world where they not only have the Titans to fear, but the very humans they are trying to save. You can currently find the series streaming on Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Saturday nights on Adult Swim's Toonami block.

via SNK News