Most Attack on Titan fans treat the spin-offs like background noise. They shouldn't. If you’ve finished Hajime Isayama’s main series and felt that specific, hollow ache of wanting more, you’ve probably stared at the cover of Attack on Titan: Before the Fall and wondered if it’s just a cash grab.
It isn't.
But it’s also not what you think. Honestly, it’s a weird, gritty prequel that functions more like an industrial thriller than a high-octane shonen. It’s set roughly 70 years before Eren Jaeger ever saw the Colossal Titan peek over Wall Maria. Back then? Humans were basically helpless. No ODM gear. No knowledge of Titan weak spots. Just terrified people living in a cage, waiting for a miracle.
The Messy Origin of the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment
The core of Attack on Titan: Before the Fall isn’t actually the Titans. I mean, they're there, and they're terrifyingly "old school," but the real protagonist is the technology.
Think about it. In the main series, we see Eren and Mikasa flying through the air like it’s second nature. We never really stop to ask: Who was the first person to strap high-pressure gas cylinders to their hips and hope they didn't explode? The light novel (and subsequent manga adaptation) introduces us to Angel Aaltonen. He’s a weapon smith. He isn't a "chosen one" or a shifter. He’s just a guy trying to figure out how to kill something that doesn't die. This part of the lore is fascinating because it highlights the sheer trial and error involved in human survival. They didn't even know about the nape of the neck at first. Imagine that. People were firing cannons at Titans' chests and wondering why they just kept walking.
Angel’s journey to creating the "Device" (the precursor to ODM gear) is filled with failure. People die testing it. The bamboo used for the blades—Iron Bamboo—is a specific environmental detail that Isayama hinted at but never fully explored. Here, it’s the backbone of the military-industrial complex.
Kyklo: The Boy Who Shouldn't Have Survived
Then there’s Kyklo. His story is... dark. Even by AoT standards.
He’s known as the "Titan's Son" because he was cut out of the vomit of a Titan that had eaten his pregnant mother. Yeah. It’s a lot. Because of the superstitious, fear-driven society within the Walls, Kyklo is treated like a monster. He’s kept in a cage, sold, and beaten.
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His character arc is basically a middle finger to destiny. He wants to prove he’s human. And how does he do that? By joining the Survey Corps—which, at the time, was considered a suicide cult even more than it was in Eren’s era.
What’s interesting about Kyklo compared to Eren is the motivation. Eren wanted freedom and revenge. Kyklo just wants his humanity acknowledged. It’s a smaller, more intimate stake that makes the world feel lived-in. The stakes aren't the end of the world; they're the beginning of a fighting chance.
Why the Art and Tone Feel So Different
If you’re reading the manga version illustrated by Satoshi Shiki, you’ll notice the style is way more "traditional" than Isayama’s raw, scratchy early work. It’s polished. The Titans look a bit more like classic monsters and less like uncanny valley nightmares.
Some fans hate this. I get it. Part of the charm of the original series is how "off" everything looks. But in Attack on Titan: Before the Fall, the cleaner art helps ground the mechanical aspects. When Angel is tinkering with gears and wires, you can actually see how the machinery is supposed to work.
The pacing is also slower. Much slower.
If you go in expecting a Titan fight every three pages, you’re going to be disappointed. This is a story about the Industrial City. It’s about the politics of the Smith Guild. It’s about Sharle Inocencio—a girl from a wealthy family who helps Kyklo—and her realization that the Walls are a prison of the mind as much as the body.
The Canon Debate: Does It Actually Count?
Let’s be real for a second. The "canon" status of Before the Fall is a bit of a gray area for some purists. It started as light novels written by Ryō Suzukaze, then got the manga treatment.
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Isayama didn't write it.
However, it fits perfectly into the timeline without breaking the main story’s internal logic. It explains the "Iron Bamboo" and "Iceburst Stone" that become vital later on. It shows the first successful kill of a Titan by a human. That moment in the manga is genuinely moving because it represents the first time humanity stopped being prey and started being hunters.
It fills in the blanks of the Great Titan War’s aftermath. We see a society that has forgotten what it’s like to fight. The military is corrupt, but not in the systemic way the Interior Police are later; they're just lazy and scared.
What You Should Look Out For
If you decide to dive in, keep an eye on these specific details that enrich the main series:
- The Blacksmiths: The technical struggle to create a blade that doesn't snap on Titan skin is a major plot point.
- The Early Survey Corps: They didn't have horses for outside expeditions yet. They used heavy, slow carriages. It was a disaster.
- Wall Cult Origins: You see the early seeds of the religious fanaticism that eventually becomes the Church of the Walls.
The series is 17 volumes long in manga form. That’s a commitment. If you’re a casual fan, maybe just stick to the first few arcs to see the invention of the gear. But if you’re a lore nerd? You need the whole thing.
Addressing the "Boring" Allegations
I've seen plenty of Reddit threads calling this series "filler."
That’s a bit harsh. It feels like filler if you only care about the mystery of the Basement or the paths. But if you care about the worldbuilding—the actual logistics of how a medieval society survives giant monsters—it’s gold.
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It’s a different genre. It’s "Steampunk Survival."
The dialogue can be a bit wordy. Sharle and Kyklo’s relationship is a very traditional "kind girl saves the misunderstood boy" trope. It doesn't have the subversion that Isayama is famous for. But it has heart. It shows that even before the "hero" arrived, regular people were bleeding and dying to pave the way.
How to Get the Most Out of Before the Fall
Don't binge it right after finishing the main series. You’ll get tonal whiplash. The stakes in Before the Fall are technically lower because we know humanity survives for another 70 years.
Instead, read it when you’re craving that specific "Early AoT" feeling. That feeling of being small, trapped, and desperate.
The best way to experience it is actually the light novels if you can find them. They’re tighter. The manga expands on things that don't always need expanding, but the art is undeniably pretty.
Actionable Steps for the AoT Historian
- Check the Light Novels First: If you prefer prose, the original three volumes of the light novels are the "purest" version of this story.
- Focus on the Technical Arcs: Volumes 1-3 of the manga cover the "Titan's Son" backstory and the initial breakthrough with the gear. These are the most essential for lore.
- Cross-Reference with the Main Series: Look at the technology used in the "No Regrets" (Levi’s backstory) OVA/manga. You can see the evolution of the gear from Angel’s prototypes to the streamlined version Levi uses.
- Visit the Industrial City: Pay attention to the setting of the Industrial City. It’s one of the few times we see how the Walls actually function as an economy, which is rarely touched upon in the main show.
This isn't just a story about killing giants. It’s a story about the humans who refused to stay in the dirt. It’s about the engineers, the outcasts, and the suicidal volunteers who decided that "good enough" wasn't enough when your species is on the brink of extinction.
If you want to understand why the Survey Corps has that "Wings of Freedom" badge, you need to see the people who first tried to fly.