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Known asAttack on Titan: Volume 0, it was Isayama’s very first draft as a mangaka at 19 years-old in 2006. Upon its release, the work won theFine Workaward in theMagazine Grand PrixbyKodansha. Aphysical copy of the bookwas included with purchases of the anime’s first DVD in mid 2013.
With thesame premiseof humanity being trapped inside an enclosed space by giant humanoids, this time around they were surrounded by trees. In a similar feat to the live action movies from 2015, Titans were created to be weapons of war, but quickly got out of hand.
Eren’s Will
WhileMikasa is creditedas being the first character for the currentAttack on Titan,Volume 0has Murakumo, the main protagonist of the story, who shares similar traits to Eren. His protégé, a young girl, Tsubaki, is passionate about avenging her parents. They both have similar traits to Eren, in the way that they’re both passionate and want to join the Vanguard Corps.
However, it’s easy to see where the origin ofmost of the main characterscame from. Murakumo has the honor and resilience of Erwin, blunt like Levi, and quick on his feet like Mikasa. Tsubaki also has similar traits to both Gabi and Eren, in the way that they’re passionate and want to be taken seriously. Moreover, her character design resembles the former.
In the small community they live in, it’s widely believed that Titans who ate humans have the ability to take their human form and replace them, living among humans without their knowledge. Due toMurakumo’s assertive personalityand proficiency, he becomes a suspected Titan. But when it’s revealed that one of the guards who accused him was a Titan in disguise, Murakumo himself transforms and sacrifices his life to protect everyone in the process.
The Differences and Similarities
It goes without saying that, since this was initially a pilot chapter released 3 years beforeAttack on Titan’s official serialization, there are a lot of differences to be had. For example, rather than the Titans being a result of a supernatural power, they came about through government experiments, turning people into war weapons.
Those without a pure heart orstrong willpowersuccumb to it, rather than being able to maintain their human forms. As a result, a fraction of humanity retreated into a society set back hundreds of years in civilization. The “walls” are also trees instead, that are dense enough to keep Titans out.
Curiously, the storyline and content ofVolume 0has a lot in common with the 2015 movie adaptation. In the movie, it’s revealed that there are indeed people outside the wall, but a small fraction had to retreat behind the Walls, as Titan experiments got out of control. In a similar feat, the story takes place in the modern day and countries opt to experiment on humans to make biological weapons in the form of Titans. For most shifters, they couldn’t control their abilities and became mindless, while only a handful could maintain their consciousness and change back at will, Eren being one of them.In all versions ofAttack on Titan, there’s a weak spot that immediately kills them, but inVolume 0, it’s a small orb in the arm called a nucleaus.
There is also an instance in which Murakumo fixes a radio for a child. In the live action, Armin fixes a broken electronic. What’s more, live actionEren is well knownfor taking jobs and getting fired shortly thereafter. While Murakumo doesn’t have theworstreputation, he is known for taking up petty jobs here and there.
Is it Canon?
Isayama did play a large part in the production of the live action movie, so it’s safe to say that he may have used inspiration fromVolume 0when creating the narrative. While it is different from thefinal product(the manga), it’s a welcome addition to the world ofAttack on Titan.
Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan is a post apocalyptic themed anime where the world is plagued by monstrous creatures called titans. People live in walled cities to avoid the danger of the man eating titans. After they destroy his home, main character Eren Yeager swears to exterminate all titans off the face of the earth.
