Attack On Titan has a lot of death and destruction, but did you know that some of the pre-planned deaths didn’t come to pass? The website SNKNews.com had the opportunity to interview the editor of Attack On Titan, Kawakubo Shintaro, who spilled the beans not just on the process that went into creating the series by Hajime Isayama, but also which characters were originally on the chopping block to meet their untimely ends. Kawakubo revealed the shocking fact that the most ridiculous member of the Survey Corps, Sasha, was supposed to die early on in the series’ franchise.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The section of the interview that describes the thought process, and eventual new plan, behind Sasha’s end is revealed here:
“Q: Are there concepts that were interesting but ended up not being included?
Kawakubo: Well, I’m not sure if this counts as “interesting,” but around SnK volume 8 or 9, Sasha was already supposed to die in the original storyboards. The idea was that she would sacrifice herself in the process of pushing back the invading Titans. Isayama-san even already drew the rough draft. I then engaged in discussion with him, asking, “Should Sasha die here and now?” “Does she have to?” “What’s the purpose of her death?” After changing things up, he ended up feeling that Sasha could be utilized more after all, so he allowed her to live on. I’m not sure if that storyboard would count as “interesting,” but that period definitely left a deep impression on me.”
Despite the series’ nihilistic tone, it has managed to be one of the most popular franchises in the world of anime and manga. The franchise is deciding however, despite its popularity, to end shortly with the next season of the anime being its last and the manga moving closer and closer to its conclusion.
Sasha of course is the most hilarious member of the Survey Corps thanks in part to her constant hunger, nearly bowling over her friends on a regular basis to get to her next meal.
What do you think of the original idea to kill off Sasha early on in the franchise of Attack On Titan? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and Titans!
Attack on Titan was originally created by Hajime Isayama, and the series has since been collected into 23 volumes as of 2017. 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.
