Hajime Isayama is the mangaka of Attack on Titan. Three years after the end of the story, he published a 35th volume of the manga. It depicts the backstory of a popular character, but originally something completely different was meant to be shown in the 35th volume.
What was the 35th volume supposed to be about? In the 200-page “Shingeki No Kyojin Gashu FLY” artbook released alongside the 35th volume, Isayama spoke about the idea for the additional chapter. He originally wanted to tell the backstory of Attack on Titan in it.
On X, a user pasionDGBLN3s posted a translation of what could have happened in the 35th volume:
The events would have taken place about 100 years before the start of the first manga chapter. Thus, Eren, Mikasa, and all the other Titan hunters would not have been born yet. Presumably, we would have learned something about the origins of the Titans. However, Isayama did not reveal what exactly would have been shown in the chapter.
Find out in the following trailer how everything began with the first season of Attack on Titan:
Isayama decided on Levi’s backstory
Why did Isayama change his mind? The mangaka explained that there were several reasons why he ultimately decided on Levi’s story as the 35th volume:
- The backstory could have had a significant discrepancy with the main story. Therefore, Isayama was concerned that the stories would not fit together.
- He did not have the determination to draw the backstory. As a result, he would have gotten stuck while writing the story.
- At a fan festival, he came up with the idea that the top priority should be to make the fans happy with the one-shot.
For these reasons, he decided instead to tell the backstory of a popular character. Thus, we at least know why Levi holds his tea cups so strangely.
What is Isayama currently working on? Isayama has already stated that the story of Attack on Titan is complete. Instead of working on a new story related to the Titans, he is dedicating himself to a new story with Eren Jaeger’s voice actor.
In his new manga called Soyogi Fractal, Isayama is responsible for the story. Another person will be the illustrator. The story is set to revolve around the titular protagonist Soyogi. He represents an artificial intelligence based on the voice of Eren Jaeger’s voice actor.
Currently, it does not seem like the Titans will receive a sequel. However, it could still be that Isayama decides to write a sequel to Attack on Titan in the coming years. If that were to happen, there could be bizarre changes in a country again: Attack on Titan received an absurd change, wrapping Titans in cycling shorts
