Published Jun 25, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT
Hannah is a senior writer and self-publisher for the anime section at ScreenRant. There, she focuses on writing news, features, and list-style articles about all things anime and manga. She works as a freelance writer in the entertainment industry, focusing on video games, anime, and literature.
Her published works can be found on ScreenRant, FinanceBuzz, She Reads, and She Writes.
Sign in to your ScreenRant account
For decades, shōnen anime followed a familiar formula. No matter how dark the story became, audiences could usually count on one thing: the protagonist would remain the hero. Characters might struggle, make mistakes, or flirt with morally questionable choices, but they ultimately fought for the greater good. Then Attack on Titan shattered that expectation in spectacular fashion.
The turning point arrived in 2018 during the finale of Attack on Titan Season 3. What seemed like a quiet scene of Eren Yeager kissing Historia Reiss’ hand after the battle to reclaim Wall Maria would eventually become one of the most important moments in modern anime. In that instant, Eren gained access to memories that revealed the future, setting him on a path that transformed him from humanity’s savior into one of anime’s most controversial villains.
At first glance, the hand-kissing scene did not appear especially dramatic. There were no Titans, no battles, and no major revelations explained to viewers. Yet Eren’s horrified expression told audiences that something had fundamentally changed. He had witnessed memories connected to the* *Attack Titan’s unique ability to transcend time.
Before that moment, Eren fit many classic shōnen protagonist archetypes. He was passionate, reckless, determined, and driven by a desire to protect others. His mission was straightforward: destroy the Titans and secure freedom for humanity. Even when he made questionable decisions, viewers still saw him as the story’s central hero.
The seasons that followed revealed the true significance of Historia’s coronation ceremony. Eren learned that the world was far more complicated than he had imagined. Rather than embracing a heroic solution, he chose a path that would eventually lead to the Rumbling, a cataclysmic event capable of wiping out most of humanity. By the series’ conclusion, Eren had become the primary threat facing the world he once sought to save.
Shōnen series have occasionally featured protagonists who flirt with darkness. Characters such as Naruto Uzumaki, Ichigo Kurosaki, and Monkey D. Luffy have all wrestled with dangerous powers or difficult choices. However, these stories ultimately reinforce their status as heroes. The genre traditionally avoids permanently turning its lead character into the villain.
Interactive Quiz
Weekly Shonen Jump · Ultimate Edition How Well Do You KnowShonen Jump Anime?
ClassicsLegendary ⚡Power SystemsUnleash ☠VillainsMenace
POWER UP! →
QUESTION 1 / 8CLASSICS
Dragon Ball, created by Akira Toriyama, is one of the most influential manga ever published in Weekly Shonen Jump. The series follows Goku on his journey from a child to the universe’s greatest fighter. What is Goku’s original Saiyan name?
✓ Correct! Goku’s birth name is Kakarot, given to him on Planet Vegeta before he was sent to Earth as a baby. His Saiyan rival Vegeta famously refuses to call him “Goku” and always refers to him by his true Saiyan name, Kakarot. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Kakarot. Vegeta is the Saiyan prince, Bardock is Goku’s father, and Raditz is Goku’s older brother. Kakarot is the Saiyan name given to Goku at birth before he was sent to Earth.
QUESTION 2 / 8HEROES
Naruto Uzumaki dreams of becoming the Hokage — the leader of his village. Throughout the series, Naruto carries a powerful entity sealed inside him since birth. What is sealed within Naruto?
BThe Curse Mark CKurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox
✓ Correct! Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox, was sealed inside Naruto by his father, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, on the day of his birth. What began as a source of fear and isolation for Naruto eventually became his greatest ally and friend. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox. The Ten-Tails is a different, more powerful beast. The Curse Mark is Orochimaru’s seal, and the Rinnegan is a legendary eye technique. Kurama was sealed in Naruto at birth by the Fourth Hokage.
QUESTION 3 / 8POWER SYSTEMS
In the manga Bleach by Tite Kubo, the main character Ichigo Kurosaki gains the powers of a Soul Reaper. Soul Reapers wield unique weapons that have names and special abilities. What are these signature weapons called?
✓ Correct! Zanpakuto are the signature weapons of Soul Reapers in Bleach. Each Zanpakuto has its own spirit and name, and a Soul Reaper must learn that name to unlock its Shikai (initial release) and eventually its Bankai (final release) forms. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Zanpakuto. Sacred Gears are from High School DxD, Nen is the power system from Hunter x Hunter, and Bankai is actually a Zanpakuto’s final release form — not the weapon’s name itself. Zanpakuto literally means “soul-cutting sword.”
QUESTION 4 / 8VILLAINS
In Dragon Ball Z, Frieza is one of the most iconic villains in anime history. He is a tyrannical galactic emperor responsible for destroying the Saiyan homeworld. What is the name of the planet Frieza destroyed?
✓ Correct! Planet Vegeta, named after King Vegeta, was the homeworld of the Saiyan race. Frieza destroyed it with a single energy blast because he feared the growing power of the Saiyans and the legend of the Super Saiyan. Only a handful of Saiyans survived, including Goku and Vegeta. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Planet Vegeta. Planet Namek is the home of the Namekians and the Dragon Balls, Planet Sadala is the Saiyan homeworld in Universe 6, and Earth is where Goku was raised. Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta out of fear of the Saiyan race’s potential.
QUESTION 5 / 8CLASSICS
My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia) by Kohei Horikoshi is set in a world where most people have superpowers. What is the term used for these superpowers in My Hero Academia?
DCursed Techniques
✓ Correct! In My Hero Academia, about 80% of the world’s population possesses a Quirk — a unique superpower that manifests in childhood. The protagonist Izuku Midoriya was born Quirkless but inherited the powerful Quirk “One For All” from the greatest hero, All Might. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Quirks. Stands are from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Jutsu are techniques from Naruto, and Cursed Techniques belong to Jujutsu Kaisen. In My Hero Academia, superpowers are called Quirks, and they vary wildly from person to person.
QUESTION 6 / 8POWER SYSTEMS
Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami features a power system based on negative human emotions that manifest as dangerous supernatural beings. What are these beings called?
CCursed Spirits
✓ Correct! Cursed Spirits in Jujutsu Kaisen are born from the accumulation of negative emotions like fear, hatred, and sadness leaked by humans. Jujutsu sorcerers like protagonist Yuji Itadori use cursed energy to exorcise these dangerous beings and protect humanity. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Cursed Spirits. Hollows are from Bleach, Demons are from Demon Slayer, and Titans are from Attack on Titan. In Jujutsu Kaisen, negative human emotions give rise to Cursed Spirits that jujutsu sorcerers must exorcise.
QUESTION 7 / 8HEROES
In Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) by Koyoharu Gotouge, protagonist Tanjiro Kamado uses specialized sword techniques called Breathing Styles. What is the first Breathing Style that Tanjiro learns?
BWater Breathing CFire Breathing DThunder Breathing
✓ Correct! Tanjiro learns Water Breathing from the former Water Hashira, Sakonji Urokodaki. Water Breathing is known for its fluid, adaptable movements. While Tanjiro later discovers his connection to the legendary Sun Breathing (Hinokami Kagura), Water Breathing was his first and foundational combat style. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Water Breathing. Sun Breathing is the original style that Tanjiro discovers later through his family’s Hinokami Kagura dance. Fire Breathing and Thunder Breathing are used by other Demon Slayers. Tanjiro trained under Sakonji Urokodaki to master Water Breathing first.
QUESTION 8 / 8LEGACY
Weekly Shonen Jump has been the home of many of the biggest manga series in history. Which of these series has sold the most copies worldwide as of 2024?
✓ Correct! One Piece by Eiichiro Oda holds the record as the best-selling manga series of all time, with over 500 million copies sold worldwide. Running since 1997, the series follows Monkey D. Luffy and his crew on their quest to find the legendary treasure, the One Piece. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is One Piece. While Naruto (~250 million), Dragon Ball (~260 million), and Demon Slayer (~150 million) are all massive sellers, One Piece stands alone with over 500 million copies sold — making it the best-selling manga in history by a wide margin.
REVEAL MY SCORE →
Battle Complete Your Power Level
Are you a Shonen Jump master — or still stuck in filler episodes?
↻ POWER UP AGAIN
That is what made* Attack on Titan* so revolutionary. Eren did not simply lose control temporarily or fall under an evil influence. His transformation was deliberate. He understood the consequences of his actions and moved forward anyway, believing that his horrific choices were necessary to secure freedom for his friends.
The scale of the change also mattered. Attack on Titan was not a niche manga experimenting with genre conventions. By 2018, it was already one of the biggest anime franchises in the world. Taking such a massive risk with a globally recognized protagonist challenged assumptions about what mainstream shōnen storytelling could accomplish.
While darker shōnen stories existed long before Attack on Titan, Eren’s transformation helped normalize morally ambiguous protagonists in blockbuster anime. Audiences proved they were willing to follow characters who made terrible decisions, operated in ethical gray areas, or even became antagonists within their own stories.
The years that followed saw series like Chainsaw Man and Jujutsu Kaisen gain enormous popularity. Their protagonists and supporting casts inhabit worlds where victory often comes at a terrible cost. Heroes fail, beloved characters die, and happy endings are far from guaranteed. The emotional safety net that once defined much of shōnen storytelling became increasingly rare.
As part of MAPPA’s 15th anniversary festivities, a brand-new Attack on Titan poster of Mikasa after the Rumbling has been officially revealed.
Attack on Titan did not single-handedly create this trend, but it demonstrated that mainstream audiences were ready for something different. Seven years later, the image of Eren staring in shock after kissing Historia’s hand remains one of anime’s defining turning points. It marked the moment a genre built around heroic ideals embraced a far darker future, and anime has never looked quite the same since.
Attack on Titan ](/tag/attack-on-titan/)
Video Game(s)
Attack on Titan, Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle
Attack on Titan: The Crimson Bow and Arrow
First TV Show
Yûki Kaji, Yui Ishikawa, Marina Inoue, Hiroshi Kamiya, Daisuke Ono, Romi Park, Kazuhiro Yamaji, Takehito Koyasu, Yoshimasa Hosoya