8 Best Manga To Read if You Like Attack on Titan

Discover 8 manga series with intense action, dark themes, and narratives similar to Hajime Isayama’s manga series.

By Levin Plassery

Published on Aug 04, 2024 | 10:01 AM IST | 54.5K

Attack on Titan: 8 Must-Read Manga [PC - Crunchyroll - Netflix]

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for various animes.

Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan series has gone down as one of the best manga works of all time. With over 140 million manga copies in circulation, there is no question about the popularity of the series. Set in a dystopian world where Humanoid Giants terrorize the lands, the saga of Eren Yeager and his fight to defend mankind is truly peak manga.

If you enjoyed Hajime Isayama’s intricate storytelling, complex characters, and intense battles, you’ll love our list of manga with similar themes and narratives. From Gods to Symbiotes growing inside a person, these are some of the best manga to read. Make sure to save them for later!

1. Berserk

The manga from the late Kentaro Miura follows the story of a lone swordsman, Guts, whose life changes dramatically when he comes across Griffith, a leader of a mercenary band called ‘Band of the Hawk’. Set in a brutal medieval world, the series is known for its dark themes, graphic violence, and sinister plot.

In the series, Griffith is quite similar to Eren, as both characters are driven by the pursuit of power. The only difference is that Griffith sacrificed those who once saved him from death. He even went as far as doing some heinous things to the protagonist Guts, similar to Eren, who hurt those that were closest to him.

Berserk [PC - Crunchyroll - Studio OLM]

2. Neon Genesis Evangelion

Neon Genesis Evangelion is written and illustrated by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto and follows a similar narrative to Attack on Titan. Humanity lies in the hands of kids who pilot giant bio-machines named ‘Evangelion’ to fight against supernatural beings named ‘Angels’. Some of the battle scenes are as intense as the ones in Attack on Titan.

The protagonist's story, Shinji Ikiari’s, is similar to Eren's, as both are fighting entities about whom they do not know anything. As the plot progresses further, sickening revelations are made, which forces the protagonists to think whether or not they are doing the right thing. The apocalyptic nature of their worlds is similar as well.

Neon Genesis Evangelion [PC - Crunchyroll - Netflix]

3. The Promised Neverland

The Promised Neverland tells the story of children who do not know the outside world, similar to the humans who lived behind the walls of Paradise Island in Attack of Titan. In the manga, the children are raised as orphans and fed to demons when they come of age, as part of The Promise pact between humans and demons. With themes of betrayal, survival, and impending doom, the manga from Shuhei Miyazaki has similar tones to Attack on Titan.

The Promised Neverland [PC - Studio CloverWorks - Adult Swim]

4. Black Bullet

Another manga series in which mankind is threatened by a parasitic virus and forced to live within monolithic walls. However, those who are born with the virus obtain supernatural abilities and are labeled as "cursed children." The story follows Rentaro and Enju, who are tasked with fighting the Gastrea. The only difference is that in this manga, the protagonists fight to protect their kind and not commit mass genocide. With similar dystopian themes, we highly recommend this series if you haven't read it already.

Black Bullet [PC - Crunchyroll]

5. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress

Instead of Titans, in this manga, humans must fight off zombies (Kabane) after a mysterious virus outbreak turns humans into Kabane. Similar to Attack on Titan, the people of the island country Hinomoto have built a fortress-like station to shelter themselves from the creatures. The manga follows the life of Ikoma, who becomes a human-kabane hybrid (Kabaneri). Their relentless fight for survival draws strong parallels to Attack on Titan. Both series focus on humanity surviving against monstrous threats.

Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress [PC - Wit Studio - Crunchyroll]

6. Claymore

This is another manga that takes place on a medieval island where humans are plagued by Yoma (shape-shifters). Written and illustrated by Norihiro Yagi, the manga follows the lives of humans and Yoma hybrids who kill the Yoma for a fee. The journey of the Yoma and Claymore warriors is similar to that of the Armed Forces of Eldia in Attack on Titan. A slight heads-up: the manga does contain some disturbing scenes that readers may find uneasy.

Claymore [PC - Studio Madhouse - Crunchyroll]

7. Tokyo Ghoul

In Sui Ishida’s manga, life takes a drastic turn for the protagonist, Kaneki Ken, when a date goes bad. He turns into a Half-Ghoul, a creature that can survive on human blood and a normal human diet. His actions were similar to Eren’s Rumbling, with Kaneki’s kagune, Dragon, destroying large portions of Tokyo. Unlike Eren, Kaneki does realize his mistakes and the manga ends with humans and ghouls living together in peace.

Tokyo Ghoul [PC - Netflix]

8. Parasyte

In Hitoshi Iwaaki’s Parasyte, the protagonist, Shinichi Izumi, is infected by a parasitic alien. As other parasites take over humans, Shinichi must work with his parasite, Migi, to survive and stop the invasion. The threat of non-human forces is similar to the Titans in Hajime Isayama’s manga. Shinji’s experience with Migi causes him to question whether Humans can claim morality over the parasites, similar to what Eren thought about the Titans.

Parasyte [PC - Studio Madhouse - Crunchyroll]

Each of these manga series offers its own unique narrative, with the theme remaining the same: survival against all odds. Be it demons, zombies, or even Gods, the characters in these mangas are forced to battle it all out, and that’s why they make compelling stories that will keep you hooked to the end. Stay tuned for more fun articles about your favorite manga and anime.

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