History of Attack on Titan in Timeline

Attack on Titan, a manga series by Hajime Isayama, depicts humanity's struggle for survival against gigantic, man-eating humanoids called Titans. Forced to reside within walled cities for protection, the story centers on Eren Yeager, who vows to eliminate all Titans after his hometown's destruction and his mother's death. The manga was serialized from 2009 to 2021 and compiled into 34 volumes.

May 27, 2013: Coverage of anime on front page of am730

On May 27, 2013, coverage of the Attack on Titan anime appeared on the front page of the Hong Kong free newspaper am730, concerning its popularity within Hong Kong as well as in mainland China and Taiwan.

September 9, 2013: Release of Inside guidebook

On September 9, 2013, the guidebook to the manga, titled Inside, was released, featuring concept art, character profiles, and interviews.

October 13, 2013: Attack on Titan volumes chart on The New York Times Manga Best Seller list

For the week of October 13, 2013, six of the seven English Attack on Titan volumes published in North America charted on The New York Times Manga Best Seller list, with volume one remaining on the list for 81 weeks straight.

October 2013: Volume one tops Nielsen BookScan list

In October 2013, volume one of Attack on Titan was number one on Nielsen BookScan's list of top 20 graphic novels in American bookstores, and for the month of September, the series had more volumes on the list than any other series.

2013: Shōnen Tournament 2013

Attack on Titan won the "Shōnen Tournament 2013" by the editorial staff of the French website Manga-News.

2013: Attack on Titan second highest selling manga series

In 2013, Attack on Titan was the second highest selling manga series, with 15,933,801 copies sold in a single year.

January 2014: Drama CD included with Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine

In January 2014, a 16-minute drama CD created with the anime's staff was included in the January 2014 issue of Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine.

April 2014: Manga sales reach 30 million volumes

In April 2014, Oricon reported that 30 million volumes of the Attack on Titan series had been sold.

September 16, 2014: Release of combined guidebooks in North America

On September 16, 2014, the Inside and Outside guidebooks were combined into one volume and released in North America by Kodansha USA.

November 3, 2014: Crossover with Marvel Comics revealed

On November 3, 2014, American writer C. B. Cebulski revealed that a crossover between Attack on Titan and Marvel Comics was in development. The crossover would feature Spider-Man, the Avengers, and the Guardians of the Galaxy facing Titans in New York City.

November 2014: Manga reaches 45 million copies in print

By November 2014, the Attack on Titan manga had 45 million copies in print.

2014: Attack on Titan tops Da Vinci magazine

In 2014, Attack on Titan topped the Da Vinci magazine "Book of the Year" list for two consecutive years.

2014: Attack on Titan tops manga sales chart in first half of 2014

In the first half of 2014, Attack on Titan topped the manga sales chart, ending One Piece's five-year reign as the highest selling series. By the end of the year, it was the second best selling manga with 11,728,368 copies sold.

May 10, 2015: End of Attack on Titan attractions at Universal Studios Japan

On May 10, 2015, the Attack on Titan attractions at Universal Studios Japan concluded. The attractions featured a life-size Eren titan engaging a female titan in combat.

June 2015: Volume one reaches 100 weeks on top 10 chart

In June 2015, the first volume of Attack on Titan reached its 100th week on the top 10 chart, having sold 2.5 million copies.

2015: Attack on Titan ranked third in manga sales for 2015

In 2015, the Attack on Titan series sold 8.7 million copies, ranking third for the year.

2015: Attack on Titan banned in China

In 2015, the Chinese Ministry of Culture listed Attack on Titan as one of the 38 anime/manga titles banned in China.

2016: Attack on Titan ranked fourth in manga sales for 2016

In 2016, the Attack on Titan series sold 6.5 million copies ranking fourth for the year.

January 17, 2017: Warner Bros. in negotiations for film rights

On January 17, 2017, Deadline Hollywood reported that Warner Bros. was in negotiations to secure the film rights to Attack on Titan, with David Heyman producing a proposed two-film project remaking the 2015 Japanese live-action films.

September 3, 2017: Cancellation of Live Impact stage play

On September 3, 2017, the Attack on Titan stage play Live Impact, which had been running since July 28, was cancelled due to a staff member being involved in an accident.

2017: Attack on Titan ranked second in manga sales for 2017

In 2017, Attack on Titan was the second best-selling manga, with 6.6 million copies sold.

October 29, 2018: Warner Bros. Finalizes Deal for Live-Action Adaptation

On October 29, 2018, Warner Bros. and Kodansha finalized a deal to produce a live-action adaptation of Attack on Titan, with Andy Muschietti signed on to direct the film.

November 2018: Manga reaches 86 million copies in circulation worldwide

By November 2018, the Attack on Titan manga had over 86 million copies in circulation worldwide.

July 3, 2019: Attack on Titan featured on Fuka Yomi Dokushokai

On July 3, 2019, the NHK BS Premium television station program series Fuka Yomi Dokushokai (Reading Too Much Into the Series Book Club) featured a discussion of the Attack on Titan manga series, making it the first manga ever featured on the program.

July 5, 2019: Colossal Titan mascot appears at baseball game

On July 5, 2019, before the start of the San Diego Padres–Los Angeles Dodgers game, the Colossal Titan mascot made an appearance and performed the ceremonial first pitch before taking a photo-op with Dodgers pitcher Kenta Maeda who sported the Colossal Titan baseball glove.

August 25, 2019: End of Attack on Titan attractions at Universal Studios Japan

On August 25, 2019, Universal Studios Japan concluded its Attack on Titan attractions as part of the "Cool Japan" program, which included immersive effects.

December 2019: Manga reaches 100 million copies in circulation worldwide

By December 2019, the Attack on Titan manga had increased to 100 million copies in circulation worldwide.

2019: Attack on Titan labeled as the best manga of the 2010s

In 2019, Comic Book Resources labeled Attack on Titan as the best manga of the 2010s.

2020: Attack on Titan identified as favorite of alt-right communities

In 2020, Shaan Amin, writing for The New Republic, identified Attack on Titan as a favorite of alt-right and white nationalist internet communities.

2021: Attack on Titan was the fourth best-selling manga in 2021

In 2021, Attack on Titan was the fourth best-selling manga with over 7.3 million copies sold, while its thirty-third volume was the 26th best-selling manga volume.

2021: Attack on Titan ranked sixth on TV Asahi's Manga Sōsenkyo 2021 poll

In 2021, on TV Asahi's Manga Sōsenkyo 2021 poll, in which 150,000 people voted for their top 100 manga series, Attack on Titan ranked sixth.

September 2022: Manga exceeds 110 million copies in circulation

By September 2022, the Attack on Titan manga had over 110 million copies in circulation.

September 2023: Manga reaches 120 million copies in circulation

By September 2023, Attack on Titan had over 120 million copies in circulation.

November 2023: Manga exceeds 140 million copies in circulation

By November 2023, Attack on Titan had over 140 million copies in circulation.

December 16, 2023: Fanbase demographics revealed in Nikkei Entertainment survey

On December 16, 2023, a survey by Nikkei Entertainment revealed that the Attack on Titan fanbase within Japan has an average age of 33 years, and a male-to-female ratio that skews 40:60.

May 2, 2024: Release of Fly art book

On May 2, 2024, the art book Fly was released, bundling a booklet Attack on Titan Volume 35, which contains the one-shot manga "Bad Boy" focusing on Levi's childhood.

2024: International performance of the musical adaptation at the New York City Center

In 2024, the Attack on Titan musical adaptation was performed internationally at the New York City Center from October 11–13, with the cast and staff returning to reprise their roles.