Attack On Titan's Little-Known 3-Part Prequel Is Worth Your Time

Fans who finish Attack on Titan often end up with the same question: where next? The obvious next step is diving into Hajime Isayama’s original manga, which offers a lot of detail and worldbuilding that the anime would often condense. It's the fullest version of one of the defining stories in modern anime, and reading the manga rewards longtime AoT fans with extra context about the Titans, the walls, and humanity’s desperate fight for survival.

What many fans may not realize, however, is that Attack on Titan’s on-page world extends beyond Isayama’s core manga. One of the franchise’s most interesting expansions is Attack on Titan: Before the Fall, a three-part prequel manga and light novel series set decades before Eren’s story begins. Written by Ryo Suzukaze and illustrated by Satoshi Shiki, Before the Fall lacks the same level of mainstream attention as the main series, but fleshes out the saga’s world in ways that make it essential for serious Attack on Titan fans.

What Attack On Titan: Before The Fall Is About & When It's Set

Attack on Titan: Before the Fall is set roughly 70 years before the beginning of the main Attack on Titan story, taking place from the years 778 to 793 of the franchise's calendar. Humanity is still trapped behind the walls, terrified of the Titans that roam outside, but the world is very different from the one AoT’s Eren inhabits. The Survey Corps exists in a far more primitive form, and humanity has not yet developed the advanced combat systems that later become essential to survival.

The main story of the Attack on Titan prequel primarily follows Kuklo, a boy discovered as a baby inside vomit spewed by a Titan. Because of the horrifying circumstances of his birth, Kuklo is labeled the “Titan’s Son” and treated as an outcast for most of his life. His journey overlaps with the development of the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment, the precursor technology of AoT's iconic Omni-Directional Mobility Gear.

Throughout its two stories, the three-volume prequel also paints a clear picture of how hopeless humanity’s situation once seemed. In the anime, characters regularly launch daring Titan-killing missions, but Attack on Titan: Before the Fall shows a period when fighting Titans effectively still felt impossible. This makes it distinct and able to still feel connected to Attack on Titan without simply repeating the same story beats, giving it a unique identity within the franchise.

Why Attack On Titan: Before The Fall Is Worth Your Time

Attack on Titan: Before the Fall adds enough depth to the world of AoT that fans should absolutely consider it essential reading. The main series moves at an intense pace, but Before the Fall slows things down and spends more time examining the society inside the walls before humanity gained even a small advantage against the Titans. The development of ODM gear is particularly fascinating, as the AoT prequel reveals the trial-and-error process behind the invention, including the skepticism surrounding it and the dangers faced by its early users.

Before the Fall also captures the oppressive atmosphere that made early Attack on Titan so compelling. Fear dominates everyday life, and many civilians have completely accepted extinction as inevitable. For fans who loved the mystery and world-building elements of Attack on Titan, Before the Fall fills in historical gaps, expands the franchise’s lore, and makes the timeline feel much larger than the central manga alone suggests.

Is Attack On Titan: Before The Fall Considered Fully Canon?

One reason some fans overlook Attack on Titan: Before the Fall is because AoT creator Hajime Isayama did not directly write the series. Instead, the original Before the Fall light novels were written by Ryo Suzukaze in 2011 before being adapted into manga form by Satoshi Shiki from 2013-2019. Despite having different authors, the Attack on Titan prequel is generally considered part of the official canon.

The series was officially licensed and published as an expansion of the AoT franchise, and its events fit neatly into the established timeline without contradicting the core story. Rather than rewriting existing lore, it builds around details that were only briefly mentioned in the original manga and avoids making drastic revelations that would undermine Isayama’s narrative. It expands the universe carefully instead of trying to outdo the original story or disrupt the existing story.

There is always some debate among fans whenever a franchise expands beyond its original creator, but Attack on Titan: Before the Fall has largely earned acceptance because of how seamlessly it integrates with the established lore. It does not feel like a detached side story, but an important chapter in the long and tragic history of humanity’s struggle against the Titans. For viewers who finished Attack on Titan and still want more from that world, Before the Fall is easily one of the franchise’s most rewarding hidden gems.