True to a number of speculations, the first official trailer for Attack on Titan Season 2 has been released. True to fans’ expectations, every second of the brief teaser looked as glorious as it could possibly get. New titans were featured in the trailer, as well as revelations that would solve numerous mysteries that were brought up during the final moments of Attack on Titan Season 1. Though the trailer did not reveal any spoilers, the scenes that it featured has given fans a pretty good idea which story arcs would be covered by AoT Season 2.
One dominant theme in the Attack on Titan Season 2 trailer is the premise that there are titans which fight for and against humanity. These were shown in various scenes involving a small yet nimble titan battling the deadly giants in a castle and Eren’s Rogue Titan going head to head against the Armored Titan. All these scenes come from one long and very intricate arc in the manga, the Clash of the Titans arc, which is arguably the manga’s most intense saga to date. The Clash of the Titans arc is comprised of 16 chapters in the source material, and it contains some of the most significant revelations in the AoT universe so far.
Over the course of the Attack on Titan Clash of the Titans saga , the mystery behind the identity of the Armored and Colossal Titans would be revealed. Another titan shifter from the 104th Training Corps is also set to make a debut. However, perhaps the most significant plot point in the entire arc would be the battle between the Rogue Titan and the Armored Titan, which eventually culminates in a daring, winner-takes-all rescue mission that would see memorable moments from characters like Mikasa, Erwin, Sasha, and Eren’s reunion with the very same titan that devoured his mother.
Basing on the number of chapters that were covered in Attack on Titan Season 1, there is a good chance that Season 2 would also cover the same number of manga chapters. Fortunately, this coincides with two very elaborate sagas, the Clash of the Titans arc and the longer Uprising arc. The latter, which involves an attempt to overthrow the government within Wall Sina by none other than the Survey Corps leader himself, is a lot lighter on action but a lot heavier on plot. For one, the mysteries behind the titans, as well as the answers behind the titans within the walls, would be fully discussed and revealed.
While the Uprising arc is significantly slower paced than the Clash of the Titans saga, fans of Attack on Titan nonetheless consider it as one of the manga’s strongest arcs to date. This is because, among the sagas that have been covered so far, Uprising is the one which revealed the most about the Attack on Titan universe. Apart from this, Uprising is also responsible for shifting the overall tone of the manga into a much more mature story, with graver, darker themes being introduced to the plot.
The Uprising arc contains 20 chapters from the manga, and avid fans of the franchise believe it is probably the arc that Attack on Titan Season 2 would conclude with. This would actually make a lot of sense, considering that the Uprising saga ends with a massive shift in the AoT world, signified by the new heir to the throne’s rise to power and the beginning of the Survey Corps’ new expedition to retake Wall Maria. However, fans of Attack on Titan must take note, especially since the Uprising arc, while slower-paced than its predecessors, contains numerous disturbing imagery, even for AoT standards.
Among the most disturbing concepts that were explored in the Uprising arc is the theme of physical torture and abuse. While Attack on Titan Season 1 is no stranger to a generous amount of bloodshed, mutilation, and gore, the disturbing imagery in the story is set to take a turn for the worse in Season 2. Thus, while Attack on Titan Season 2 would most certainly be a tour de force for the viewers’ senses, some of its parts would probably be an experience akin to watching a bloody horror movie such as Saw .
Contrary to previous speculations, Attack on Titan Season 2 seems to be designed to cover only two very long and expansive arcs. This means that the currently ongoing saga in the manga, the Return to Shiganshina arc, would most likely be reserved for Attack on Titan Season 3. In a lot of ways, this makes perfect sense, especially since the manga is wrapping up the Return to Shiganshina arc and approaching what appears to be its final, most definitive saga. If this is indeed the case, AoT Season 3 would end up covering the last two arcs of the manga as well, which would make it no less than perfect for fans of the long-running and acclaimed franchise. If any, plot points of Attack on Titan Season 3 were teased in the Season 2 trailer when it was mentioned that the Rogue Titan’s hardening ability might become the key to retaking Wall Maria.
Attack on Titan is an anime series that takes its time. Fully debunking numerous false news and outlandish rumors involving filler arcs and unnecessary character deaths, the first official trailer for AoT Season 2 has practically confirmed that the anime would religiously follow the manga once more. This means that not only would the anime keep the integrity of the story intact, but it would also provide one of the purest adaptations of a manga ever done. Considering that Attack on Titan has practically become a modern classic in the world of Japanese comics at this point, a direct manga adaptation for the anime is really the only way to go.
[Featured Image by Wit Studio ]