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There are some shows with which you share chemistry. You develop human-like emotions for the characters and are never bored if you have to watch them again and again. Attack on Titan is an ideal of such a series that reaches directly to one’s core emotions.
With never-ending cliff-hangers, this series lies among the top charts. Its anime adaption has everything that a good anime series needs. With a strong plot, character development, and good direction and animation, this series is still among the most likable series among anime fans.
The skyrocketing success of the series, just after it surfaced, has resulted in a solid development of its merchandise. Its official merchandise offers many of the most famous products popular among anime fans. But before I take you on a journey about it and the products offered therein, let us briefly go through the series to see what makes it so remarkable.
The Plot Of The Series
The story behind this series takes place in Paradis Island, a beautiful evergreen island. The island is protected by three gigantic walls that surround the Eldian Empire. The Outermost Wall is called Wall Maria, the Middle Wall Rose, and the Innermost Wall is known as Wall Sina.
These walls protect from the giant human-eaters called Titans. These titans are spread throughout the island and devour every human they see. These creatures usually have no cognitive capacity but have a strong impulse for living creatures.
Paradis island has its military, which is divided into three sub-divisions. The Garrison Regiment, the Military Police Brigade, and the Survey Corps. The first two divisions are concerned with the protection of the city. The survey corps, the most revered corps of the military, is the most adventurous and powerful division of the military, tasked with expeditions and clearing the city of any external threats.
This corps usually hunts down the titans in the periphery of the empire. However, Survey Corps is the most in danger division. They have to operate in the areas where the presence of a commoner is subjected to punishment if they make it back alive.
Eren Yeager is the main protagonist of the series. He was a lively kid who had to witness the gormandizing of its village by the titans, which were unleashed on the city when Armored Titan pierced through Wall Maria. Watching his mother devoured by the Titan left a life-lasting scar in his heart. From thereon, he decided to avenge the death of his mother by destroying every Titan until none left.
Eren, with his friends, joined the 104th training corps to take his rightful revenge. He was inducted into the Garrison Regiment but was later taken into Survey Corps. During a fight, Eren perceived that he could transform into a Titan.
After accepting the cold hard truth and overcoming the thought of every Titan being his sworn enemy, Eren Yeager learned the capability of humans to transform into Titans. This revelation was found in the remnants of his father’s manuscripts. These later led to the science behind the transformation of the Subjects of Ymir into Titans.
Meanwhile, it was revealed that the Titans that attacked Wall Maria are course mates of Eren and brothers in arms. They were the spies working for the Marleyan Empire across the sea. They have come to obtain the powers of the Founding Titan, living in Eldia.
Eldians soon started to put the missing pieces together. And realized that their enemy is not the Titans but Marleyans that inject the Titan fluid into the bodies of the downtrodden Eldians living in Marley and release them on Paradis Island. Determined to teach them a lesson, Eren attacks Marley to bring glory back to Eldians.
The Popularity And Development Of AOT Merchandise
Attack on Titan has become one of the most favorite animes of the overall animeverse. Not only is it one of the most-watched anime series in the world, but its manga was also a great success. As of 2019, the manga has sold over 100 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time.
It has won several awards, including the Kodansha Manga Award, the Attilio Micheluzzi Award, and the Harvey Award. It was also charted on The New York Times Manga Best Seller list for the week of October 13, 2013. Although the manga was a success, the significant role in the evolution of AOT merchandise is attributed to its anime adaptation.
The Adaptation of Attack on Titan Manga into Anime
The series on Attack on Titan was materialized in Kodansha’s monthly Shōnen manga magazine, Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine. This manga was serialized from September 2009 to April 2021. This series was then collected into 37 volumes.
After a successful start of the manga production, an anime television series was also launched after an ever-increasing demand from its fanbase. The first season, consisting of 25 episodes, was broadcast from April to September 2013. The second season of the series was broadcast from April to June 2017; however, the episodes of this season were quite limited, i.e., around 12 episodes.
After the far-spread success of its first two seasons, the third season was launched in 2018. This season, nevertheless, was split into two parts, with the first 12 episodes airing from July to October 2018 and the last 10 episodes airing from April to July 2019. The fourth and final season was split into two parts. The first part was broadcasted in December 2020, while the second part would premiere in January 2022.
As the show is still going on, the merchandise of the Attack on Titan series has never ceased expanding. Many new products are introduced in the market every day. Every new episode adds a fascinating addition to its merchandise.
My Experience With The Merchandise
This is close to impossible for an anime fan to not like the merchandise offered by this anime series. Since its airing in 2013, its merch has stretched out like a fire in local and international markets. I came across its products around the same era.
Not only is its’ merch is offered online, many department stores and convenience stores also have a variety of these products. Albeit big retail stores have a wide variety of Attack on Titans merch. You can also come across some articles on the Attack on Titan merchandise in any shop that sells related products.
Most of the collective items of merchandise that I have found around the market include keychains and figures. My first collection was of keychains that I still have because of their reasonable prices.
The Mind Behind The Series
Hajime Isayama is a young talent in the manga industry who climbed the ladder of success when we were not aware of this expression. He was a manga writing enthusiast. He loved to write down short stories when he was still studying. When he was 20 years old, he published a one-shot version of Attack on Titans, which developed into a manga series just after three years.
He is also famous for his other works, i.e., Heartbreak one and Orz, and is one of the most celebrated writers in Japan.
General Merchandise By Character
Before moving any further to the main topic, let me give you a brief overview of the main characters of the series in case you have not watched it.
Ymir Fritz
Ymir was a prisoner who set free some of the king’s animals and was ordered to run for her life while his forces hunted her down in the forest. While looking for shelter, she stumbled upon a big tree with a chasm at its base. Upon entering it, a spine-like creature entered into her body, giving her the powers of the Founding Titan.
When the king came to know about the incident, he pardoned her and later made her his concubine, with whom he bore three daughters. With the help of her titan ability, he was able to expand his empire and topple the Marleyen Empire. Ymir remained subservient to the king despite the Titan’s power and died while protecting the king.
Emotions Conveyed By The Merchandise
The character of Ymir is very unique. It portrays the emotions of innocence, subservience, and loyalty. Are you planning to send an Attack on Titan fan merchandise based on Ymir? You can now be confident about it as you know what it would mean to them.
Products
The most common products based on Ymir Fritz include T-shirts, deals with the devil wall art, Founding Titan stickers, and face masks.
Karl Fritz
Karl Fritz was the 145th ruler of the Eldian Empire. He inherited the powers of Founding Titan and was under the constant guilt of his ancestor’s sins. He was so fed up with the miseries that they had laid, and having to experience an epiphany, he tried overthrowing his family’s reign in Marley.
To achieve the absolution, he gave rise to a civil mutiny by conspiring with the Tybur family. After the success of his scheme, he fled to Paradis Island with the ‘Subjects of Ymir’ and made three walls around his empire, wherein he erased the memory of these Subjects of Ymir.
Emotions Conveyed By The Merchandise
The character of Karl Fritz portrays a man living under a pang of constant guilt and is looking for absolution. The merchandise related to him conveys a mix of sadness and remorse.
Popular Range Of Products
Although Karl has a prominent place in the plot of the series, he has the tiniest developed merchandise, which contains wall art and posters.
Eren Kruger
Eren Kruger, aka the Owl, was a restorationist spy, working among the ranks of Marley warriors. He blew his secret identity when the Marleyen unit punished the arrested restorationists.
Since Owl possessed the powers of Attack Titan and was close to the end of his life term of 13 years, Owl made the leader of the movement Grisha Yeager eat him and get his powers. Eren asked him to go to Paradis Island and find the Founding Titan, whose power could succeed in the restoration movement.
Emotions Conveyed By The Merchandise
Kruger is the favorite character of anyone who is a patriot and wants to do something for the people he loves, even if it involves making hard decisions. His character is all about passion, case-hardened, and loyalty.
Popular Range Of Products
The product related to Kruger includes shirts, wall art, stickers, and baseball caps. These products instill a new spirit in the hearts of the beholder and are easily found.
Grisha Yeager
Grisha was the restorationist who was saved by Owl. After obtaining the powers of the Attack Titan, Grisha Yeager reached Paradis Island. He encountered Frieda Ross, the possessor of Founding Titan, and devoured her, getting the Powers of Founding Titan.
Grisha then injected his son Eren Yeager with the Titan fluid and subsequently consumed him, obtaining the powers of both Titans. However, Eren’s memory was altered, and he didn’t remember that he was the possessor of the Attack Titan until later.
Emotions Conveyed By The Merchandise
The character of Grisha portrays the emotions of partisanship, devotion, and resolution. Any product that has his reference is liked by the fans, who are goal-oriented and are always enthusiastic about playing their part for the greater good.
Popular Range Of Products
Although his merchandise is not that developed like other main protagonists of the series, it usually includes face masks, basement key keychains, and chibi stickers.
Levi Ackerman
Levi Ackerman, the most hardcore fighter of the series, is the star of every Attack on Titan fan. With his unmatchable sword-wielding skills, he is the most fearsome character among the enemies. His fame is not limited to humans, but Titans also dread him. He is the leader of the Survey Corps, with great reverence in his unit.
Emotions Conveyed By The Merchandise
To be honest, Captain Levi is my favorite character. His overall abilities, swordsmanship, leadership, relentlessness, and team spirit make him the hero of almost every battle. Levi’s merchandise is a perfect fit for any anime fan. Be they, children or adults.
Popular Range Of Products
Levi’s merchandise is among the most popular of the series. However, some products are easy to get in the market. They include scarfs, spiral notebooks, mugs, and figurines.
Mikasa Ackerman
Mikasa’s character is closely related to Ymir Fritz. A timid child, who was faced with ferocious incidents involving her parents’ murder and her abduction, was brought up by Grisha Yeager. Eren and Mikasa shared a bond from the beginning. And this bond became indestructible when Eren obtained the powers of Attack Titan.
Mikasa is the second-best swordsman, after Levi. And is also a vital member of the Survey Corps. She has only one purpose, i.e., to serve and protect Eren Yeager at all costs.
Emotions Conveyed By The Merchandise
With qualities such as care, protection, obedience, and fighting spirit, Mikasa highly influences almost every girl anime fan. Her merchandise is the most famous among girls and children.
Products
Out of the wide range of available products, table lamps, hoodies, stickers, and keychains are the most popular products among Attack on Titans fans.
Titans
Titans are humanoid giants that are fond of human meat. These creatures, which were portrayed as the biggest enemies of mankind, became their biggest allies as the story progressed. The titans are divided into two types: Pure Titans and Founding Titans.
The 9 Founding Titans are the most powerful creatures of the series. The possessors of these titans have many abilities ranging from super strength to regeneration. Each of these Founding Titans has a unique set of skills. Making their merch more famous and diversified.
Emotions Conveyed By The Merchandise
Each Titan is famous for its distinctive abilities. The merch, based on Titans, represents common emotions of power, fear, ferociousness, firmness, and courage.
Popular Range Of Products
Some of the trending products offered by this merchandise include T-shirts, blankets, phone cases, sweatshirts, posters, face masks, and toys.
What Makes Attack On Titan Merchandise Better Than The Others?
Attack on Titan is inspired by a personal incident in writer Hajime Isayama’s life. According to Isayama, once, when he worked at an internet café, an angry customer rushed towards him. And in a moment, grabbed him by his collar.
While still processing the situation, Isayama was stunned and could not do anything. The Titans in this series portray such persons who instill fear among the hearts of innocent people, who, when confronted, cannot communicate with these fearsome people.
George Wada, the producer of the anime series, also conveyed his views about the production. According to him, the series revolves around fighting inner battles, mainly against fear. However, this feeling of fear is also what keeps a man going.
Attack on Titan offers its fans a mélange of human strength and Titans’ power. Not only are the Titans fancied by fans, but some of the human characters also have a strong fanbase. It makes its merchandise better than the other merchandise. It provides an array of items based on characters to fulfill the needs of almost every fan.
Common Problems Associated With The Merchandise And Their Possible Solution
The merchandise of AOT in itself does not cause any problem. However, when it comes to purchasing an item of the merchandise, we have to keep some things explained below in our minds to save ourselves the trouble.
The Grass Is Always Greener On The Other Side
One of the biggest problems a shopper can face while making a purchase online is the quality of the product. The pictures are usually edited to give products a better look. It is hurtful to see that your product is not what you anticipated.
Even if the sellers do not intentionally alter the images of the product, the real-life product may vary from the pictures because of the lighting scheme or 2D picture capturing. Well, there is no 100% solution to this problem. The shopper can ask the seller for unedited pictures to get a better view of the quality of the product. He can also watch videos of the product on the internet.
Bad UX Design Of The Shopping App Or Website
Some shopping application developers do not focus on the user interface. Some websites are designed, in such a way, that they make a person annoyed when he navigates through them.
A person should have the best user experience while using an app or navigating through the website. However, some websites are designed very poorly that it takes a lot of time to place an order or understand what an icon means.
These apps or websites waste one’s time by not allowing one to add to a cart, check out, or enter bank details. If some app or website is giving you a hard time, it is better to resort to other apps to save time and money.
Fake Reviews On The Products
One of the persistent problems in online shopping is fake reviews on the products. Most shoppers look for reviews when they are placing their order. However, some reviews might be a scam. Some aspiring sellers ask the people in their circle for reviews and even pay them in some cases.
This charade works in attracting some shoppers but, in the end, results in a loss for the seller. These reviews are clear and are usually written in the same flattering tone. Buyers should be aware of these fake reviews when searching for their products online.
To make a good purchase, you must be conscious while navigating through the seller profile and avoid purchasing from the one with limited reviews that are all good and cliché in nature.
Insufficient Product Information
One of the most common issues when making an online purchase is the lack of available information on the advertisement. Some ads do not reveal sufficient information to the buyers. This lack of information not only makes it difficult to purchase, it even misguides a person.
This insufficient data mislead a buyer into believing things that may not be present in the actual case. A buyer decides on the available data, and he sometimes gets his hopes up by imagining facts that might not be true. A buyer can contact the seller and ask him to provide the necessary details to make his purchase productive and better.
Top 10 Best Products Offered By The Merchandise
By now, you have seen the variety of products that this merchandise has offered. Everyone has a different taste when it comes to these products. I, however, have enlisted the top 10 best products based on their availability in the market and the demand of anime fans.
#1 Ymir Printed Face Mask
Due to the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, daily life normal activities took a break. We have to follow Standard Operating Procedures when we go in public. The most common precautionary measure involves the use of face masks. This mask with Ymir and the Founding Titan figure allows you to go out in style.
The mask is made of 95% polyester and 5% spandex fiber. The double-layer allows it to work like any other ordinary mask. The elastic nature of the ear straps lets you breathe comfortably. And its washable quality makes it easy on the pocket.
#2 Eren Kruger Wall Poster
If you are a patriot, who always wants to do something for the people, you do not want to miss the Eren Kruger Wall Poster. With its sharp colors and the background of Attack Titan, it is, without doubt, a perfect fit for the bedroom wall of every fan of Attack on Titan.
The poster is made up of paper with a semi-gloss finish. It comes with a good-quality adhesive that does not peel off the wall easily. This poster is available in three different sizes. However, the most appropriate sticker is the medium one, which is almost 33 inches tall.
#3 Mikasa Ackerman Hoodie
Attack on Titan merchandise does not leave its girl fans alone. It would be impossible to find a girl fan who is not inspired by Mikasa Ackerman. This Mikasa Hoodie makes it a must-have for every girl enthusiast.
This fleece hoodie comes with a zipper that makes it a perfect fit for the winter. The high-quality print does not fade away on washing. With large pockets at the front, this hoodie offers cozy wearing. The hoodie is available in XS, S, M, L, XL, 2XL. However, this hoodie is priced at around $100, making it difficult for everybody to buy.
#4 Levi Ackerman Backpack
It would be wrong to keep talking about the other things and overlook Levi Ackerman Backpack. As a hero to almost every kid, Levi is one of the most charismatic characters of the series.
A backpack with Levi Ackerman printed on it would be the perfect Christmas gift for a kid. How better it can be to have Levi watching your back. This backpack is made with 100% polyester, with adjustable straps. It also provides sufficient space for carrying laptops.
But, because of its white, shiny background, this backpack is susceptible to dirt and dust, so you have to take extra care of your backpack.
#5 Survey Corps Baseball cap
If you are a grown-up Attack on Titan fan, you do not want to miss a baseball match without a Survey Corps cap. This cap is plain, yet it depicts your affiliation to the most powerful unit, the Survey Corps.
This cap, unlike other caps, does not lose its color when exposed to scorching heat, making it a perfect pick for summers.
#6 Levi Ackerman Action Figure
A true fan of Attack on Titan would never want to miss the Levi Ackerman Action Figure, and why would he? The world has never seen such a powerful swordsman before.
This action figure has all that an Attack on Titan fan looks for in merchandise. Levi Ackerman, dressed in Survey Corps uniform, with his Omni-Directional Mobility gear and wielding blades, portrays a perfect battle scenario. With 11 inches in height, this figure can be placed at any conspicuous place of the house.
#7 Grisha’s Basement Key Keychain
This key, though seem, dispensable and ordinary, turned the whole story. This key led to many discoveries, and the once-feared Titans were seen working at hand with the humans.
This Basement Key Keychain is made up of Zinc alloy. It is almost 2.75’’ in length. The 100% metal composition makes this keychain a durable and long-lasting item.
#8 Attack Titan Lamp
One of the most unique products offered by the merchandise includes the Attack Titan Lamp. The intricate details on the plexiglass are worth applaudable. This lamp is 19 cm tall and 17 cm wide and has a wooden base.
One of the fascinating things about this lamp is its light colors. The lamp offers different light combinations and can be controlled by a remote. The intensity of the lamp can also be varied with the remote. With a price range between 35-40 USD, this lamp will never be the reason for a waste of money.
#9 Armored Titan Funko Pop
Funko Pops are very famous these days. These chibi figurines are equally liked by both adults and children.
Armored Titan, the main antagonist, is considered the most powerful Titan by some fans. The Armored Titan Funko Pop is among the top-selling products of the merchandise. It is almost 6 inches tall and weighs around 0.3 Kg. However, being a super-sized pop, this Funko Pop is pretty expensive.
#10 Colossal Titan Mug
No Attack on Titan fan can forget the first entry scene of the Titans in the series. This entry of Colossal Titan in the series had the fans in awe.
With a reasonable price of around 23 USD, this mug entails a detailed sculptured head of the Colossal Titan. This coffee mug is made up of Ceramic and is no less than any other coffee mug. With the dimensions of 5.1 x 4.8 x 5.2 inches, this mug will not bother you to refill your coffee.
FAQs
Question: Are all the Titans depicted as the antagonists in the series?
Answer: It all depends upon your perspective. However, the series portrays the Titans fighting for the Eldia as the protagonists.
Question: Can I gift a product of Titan merchandise to a child?
Answer: Yeah, why not. These titans are not only ferocious beasts but are human as well. The series shows the strong character development of these Titans. It would be wrong to associate them with violence only.
Question: What is the best product offered by the merchandise?
Answer: Well, it is a difficult question to answer. Nevertheless, if you are uncertain about which character’s merchandise you should choose from, I suggest Levi Ackerman. No fan would dislike that terrific blade wielder.
Best Attack on Titan Merch: Closing Remarks
Attack on Titan series is, no doubt, among the best Japanese productions. Its plot, characters, and animation all complement each other.
The merchandise of this series offers an array of items containing clothing items, home decors, accessories, toys, figurines, etc. If you are unsure of what to buy for an Attack on Titan fan, you can choose from the products listed above, as they are the most popular items among the fanbase. However, you have to keep possible issues in mind when you purchase. By keeping these problems in mind, you can save yourself the unexpected trouble that may impede your purchase.