Will Attack On Titan Be Ending Soon?

05/18/2017 09:33 pm EDT

In September 2009, Kodansha ushered in a new era of manga fanaticism when it first published Attack on Titan. The story was the result of Hajime Isayama's deep-dive into human psychology, and the franchise saw its popularity skyrocket when Wit Studio gave it an anime adaptation. This year, the acclaimed series debuted its second season after a long hiatus, and Isayama is still working on new chapters as always. Still, fans are starting to chitter online about the future of Attack on Titan. And, most importantly, readers are asking if the series is about to reach its end.

With over 90 chapters under its belt, Attack on Titan is not the longest manga out there by any means - but Isayama is particular about the story's length. As of late, fans have been buzzing about whether the creator will make good on a promise he told fans several years back. In an interview with Da Vinci back in 2014, Isayama admitted he felt Attack on Titan would end in three years.

"In the beginning, I estimated I'd need about 16 volumes to wrap everything up," he confessed. "But there are more characters involved now, and to do the story justice, it's going to need to be more longer than that...If each character doesn't change into someone different between the start and end, then I don't think there's any point to a story, so I want to show readers the moment when they change."

"Personally, I think the manga will continue for three more years. I'd like to end things quickly, with a tight pace of story developments...and then I always end up feeling like I should qualify that with a 'but,' so for now, I can't say anything more specific."

This September will mark the three-year anniversary of the interview, leaving fans to speculate that Attack on Titan may be winding towards an end. Currently, the manga is in an arc which fans refer to as 'Return to Shiganshina." The story is following Eren and the Survey Corps as they piece together a secret plaguing humanity. After learning what was in the basement of Eren's home, the military is faced with a stunning truth: humanity is not extinct, and the Titans have been nothing more than weapons used by Marley to undermine Paradis. With a climatic battle in place, Isayama could wrap up Attack on Titan by the year's end if his team so chose - but readers should get too upset yet.

As Attack on Titan continues to grow in popuarity, more story avenues have surely presented themselves to Isayama. While the creator has said he's determined to end the series on a pre-planned note, Kodansha is certainly invested in making Attack on Titan run as long as possible. When the series does run up to its end, the manga will be heavily publicized, making it impossible for even casual fans to ignore the impending finale. So, for now, Attack on Titan fans can only read new chapters as they come along and put Isayama's interview out of their heads.

If the Titans have mercy on fans, then readers might squeeze another year or more out of Attack on Titan before Levi puts everyone out of commission.

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