Synopsis
Attack on Titan: No Regrets - Prologue is a single-chapter one-shot manga that serves as the opening piece of the No Regrets storyline, a prequel branch of the wider Attack on Titan world. Released in 2013, the chapter was distributed in a separate booklet bundled with the limited special edition of the first collected volume. Its focus is narrow and self-contained: it introduces readers to Levi before his days as a soldier, back when he lived as a criminal in the underground city.
At the center of the chapter are Levi and his two closest companions, Isabel Magnolia and Farlan Church, a small circle whose survival depends on nerve, skill, and mutual trust. Their world is the cramped and lawless underground, where opportunity and danger arrive together. The prologue sets up the encounter that will bring Levi into contact with Erwin Smith and the possibility of joining the Survey Corps, planting the question of whether an offer from the surface can be trusted or must be treated as another trap.
As a brief opening installment, the chapter establishes the mood and relationships that the larger No Regrets story builds on, trading large-scale action for a grounded look at loyalty, ambition, and the price of choosing a different life. Readers meet the figures at the heart of the tale without learning where their choices ultimately lead.
Should You Read It?
Read it if you enjoy
- Read if you want a short, character-focused look at Levi's life in the underground before he joins the Survey Corps.
- Read if you are following the No Regrets prequel and want its opening beat before the main manga run.
- Read if you enjoy crime-tinged, loyalty-driven set-up over large-scale Titan action.
It may not suit you if
- May not suit readers wanting a complete, standalone story, since this is a single prologue chapter.
- May not suit newcomers to Attack on Titan, as it assumes some familiarity with Levi and the franchise.
- May not suit those seeking big action, as the chapter focuses on mood and relationships.
The primary starting work is a one-shot, so reading the complete story is the natural Volluble Test Drive rather than stopping after an arbitrary chapter count.
Why It Connects With Audiences
Why people love it
- Levi's bond with Isabel Magnolia and Farlan Church gives the prologue a grounded loyalty-and-trust core.
- The underground-city setting brings a crime and survival atmosphere distinct from the main series.
- The Erwin Smith encounter plants a key recruitment question for the wider No Regrets arc.
Common criticisms
- Its one-chapter length can leave the story feeling like set-up rather than a complete arc.
- Being bundled with a limited edition of No Regrets volume 1 may make it hard to find.
- Readers already familiar with Levi's later story may find the prequel material slight.
Volluble DNA
A quick profile of the title’s dominant storytelling ingredients.
Characters4 characters
Levi
Main characterFurlan Church
Main characterIsabel Magnolia
Main characterErwin Smith
Supporting characterManga Staff3 credits
Production Background
Attack on Titan: No Regrets – Prologue is a one-shot manga chapter that was released in 2013, with a single chapter dated September 28 of that year. It was written by Gun Snark and illustrated by Hikaru Suruga, working from a visual novel of the same name, and it serves as a prequel spin-off tied to Hajime Isayama's Attack on Titan manga. The chapter was produced as a prologue rather than a standalone serialized story, which distinguishes it from the longer No Regrets manga run.
The one-shot had an unusual release model. It was not issued as a standard magazine chapter or tankobon volume, but was instead included only in a separate booklet sold together with the limited special edition of the first collected volume of No Regrets. Publishing for the broader No Regrets line was handled by Kodansha in Japan and by Kodansha USA in North America. The installment columns for this entry list a single chapter and no volumes, matching its booklet-only distribution.
Because it was packaged as a limited-edition bonus, the Prologue occupies a distinct place in the production history of the No Regrets material. Its story follows Levi during his time as a criminal in the underground city, alongside his companions Isabel Magnolia and Farlan Church, before Erwin Smith recruits him into the Survey Corps. The chapter is classified with Action and Fantasy genres and carries themes including Crime, Male Protagonist, and Shoujo, and it is recorded in the catalog as the main manga installment within its entry group.
Where This Fits in Attack on Titan
A spoiler-light guide to where this exact work fits within the broader Attack on Titan franchise.
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Step 1
Begin with the main Attack on Titan manga so Levi is already familiar, since this one-shot is a prequel side story and not a standalone entry point.
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Step 2
If you specifically want Levi's early days, turn to the No Regrets manga, because this prologue is a bonus chapter bundled with the limited edition of that series' first volume and reads as its opening beat.
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Step 3
Read the prologue before or alongside the start of No Regrets. It is optional material, so skipping it costs nothing if the limited booklet is not available to you.
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Step 4
Continue with the No Regrets manga itself and, if you prefer animation, its two-part OAD adaptation, then return to the main Attack on Titan storyline as the larger franchise.
Franchise Path
- Optional prequel one-shot: start with the main Attack on Titan manga so Levi is already familiar.
- Then read the No Regrets manga, whose first volume bundled this prologue chapter.
- If you prefer animation, the two-part No Regrets OAD covers the same prequel branch.
- Return to the main Attack on Titan manga afterward.
After You Finish
Continue with
- Continue with the No Regrets manga, the serialized expansion of this prologue.
- Then watch the two-part No Regrets OAD for the animated version.
- After No Regrets, resume the main Attack on Titan storyline.
Community Verdict
Quick reader and viewer signals from the Volluble community.
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