Attack on Titan is Naruto’s One True Successor

Naruto is one of the most iconic anime of all time, and has played a large part in the medium’s growth outside of Japan. Part of what fans love so much about the adaptation of Masashi Kishimoto’s seminal manga is that it’s so much more than just a simple action series.

Throughout Naruto’s run, the series explores themes of revenge, war, trauma, and isolation while delivering some of the most jaw-dropping fights in anime history. Given the series’ massive fandom, many have been searching for a successor ever since Naruto Shippuden ended in 2017.

Though many fans are looking high and low for anything that can match the sheer epic scale of Naruto, another massive series may be the true Naruto heir that many have searched for. As unlikely as it sounds, Attack on Titan may be the Naruto follow-up fans didn’t know they needed.

Attack On Titan Takes Naruto’s Themes Even Further

First released in 2009, Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan is a massive series that needs little introduction. The series received buzz on release and exploded in popularity when the first season of its anime adaptation aired in 2013. That adaptation of Attack on Titan has been called the greatest anime of all time by some, and it’s easy to see why.

Attack on Titan shares many themes in common with Naruto, such as the cyclical nature of violence and the psychological damage inflicted by a life spent seeking revenge.

Where the two series differ, however, is where Attack on Titan truly flourished.

Attack On Titan’s Differences From Naruto Are What Make It Such a Worthy Follow-up

While Naruto isn’t afraid to tackle adult subject matter and get dark, there are limits to how dark Masashi Kishimoto was willing to make his series. Specifically, there is a certain hesitation to broadly condemn the ninja world that the series is based around.

Despite the fact that Naruto is built around the exploits of child-soldiers, the series famously ends with that system ultimately upheld. This is reflective of the title character’s innate optimism and faith in those around him, contrasting well with Sasuke, a character far more bitter about the world.

In Attack on Titan, however, Eren is much more in the mold of Sasuke than Naruto. Eren’s anger at the world and system that created him is so great that, by the end of the series, he becomes the ultimate villain.

Main anime heroes becoming villains is uncommon, so watching Eren’s descent is riveting and unnerving in equal measure. Typically, as is the case in Naruto, there is someone to pull the hero back, someone to be the voice of reason as Naruto was for Sasuke.

In Attack on Titan, however, all attempts to pull Eren back fail. In this way, Attack on Titan provides an interesting counterpoint to Naruto. Both Naruto and Attack on Titan are truly incredible, but when looking at them next to each other, it’s difficult not to see different perspectives on a similar story.