Overview
Attack on Titan: No Regrets is a two-volume side story that sits inside the wider Attack on Titan world rather than standing in for it. Across eleven chapters, it turns back to the earlier lives of Levi and Erwin, giving two of the franchise's most consequential figures a shared history the main storyline only gestures toward. Readers already familiar with the series will find their later choices and conflicts gain a sharper edge when seen against this groundwork.
What this manga offers is a tighter, more intimate register than the main saga. With a smaller cast and a focused arc, it trades sprawling battlefield scale for something closer to a crime story: uneasy bargains, divided loyalties, and the question of who gets to decide what a life is worth. The military intrigue and dystopian texture are present, but they press in through character rather than spectacle.
For newcomers, this is a compact and relatively low-commitment entry, two volumes that read quickly and ask little in the way of encyclopedic background knowledge, though familiarity with the parent series will sharpen the payoff. Readers drawn to Levi and Erwin, or to stories about hard choices made under pressure, are likely to get the most from it. Those after the full sweep of the franchise should treat this as a companion piece rather than a starting point.
Synopsis
Set in the years before the Survey Corps became the force it is remembered as, this two-volume manga centers on a younger Erwin Smith, an officer whose reputation for cold calculation is already taking shape. Above ground, the Corps remains humanity's main line of defense against the Titans, while beneath the capital lies the Underground, a neglected district where the poor live among what the surface throws away.
The other focal figure is Levi, a young man who survives in that underground world through speed, nerve, and a willingness to do violence when it is required. Where Erwin thinks in terms of strategy and long odds, Levi trusts instinct and a very small circle of people. Their paths cross when the officer's plans reach into territory no soldier has claim to, and the encounter puts two very different kinds of ambition in the same room.
The conflict turns on recruitment and leverage. Erwin wants something from the Underground, and Levi has good reason to refuse being made into an asset for a military he does not serve. What develops is a story of bargains and wary partnership, in which loyalty, self-interest, and the price of picking a side are weighed against the freedom each man believes he is owed.
Should You Read It?
Read it if you enjoy
- You want the earlier shared history of Levi and Erwin before their Survey Corps roles.
- You prefer a compact two-volume side story over a sprawling main-series commitment.
- You like Underground crime texture: uneasy bargains, divided loyalties, and hard choices.
It may not suit you if
- You want large-scale Titan battles; this focuses on character and intrigue instead.
- You have not started Attack on Titan, since familiarity sharpens the payoff.
- You prefer stories without morally fraught bargains and violence.
This automatic starting point balances the series length, pacing, time commitment, and available Volluble research data. Editors can override it when firsthand knowledge suggests a better entry point.
Why It Connects With Audiences
Why people love it
- Adds background to Levi and Erwin, giving their later conflicts more weight.
- A tight, focused arc with a smaller cast that reads quickly.
- Mixes military intrigue with the Underground's dystopian, crime-tinged atmosphere.
Common criticisms
- Some readers may find it a supplemental side story rather than essential plot.
- Two volumes leave parts of the supporting cast lightly sketched.
- The payoff may feel thinner without prior familiarity with the parent series.
Volluble DNA
A quick profile of the title’s dominant storytelling ingredients.
Characters13 characters
Levi
Main characterErwin Smith
Main characterFurlan Church
Main characterIsabel Magnolia
Main characterMike Zacharias
Supporting characterHange Zoe
Supporting characterDarius Zackly
Supporting characterKeith Shadis
Supporting characterMoblit Berner
Supporting characterFlagon
Supporting characterNicholas Lovof
Supporting characterYan
Supporting characterNarrator
Background characterManga Staff8 credits
View all 4 additional credits
Production Background
Attack on Titan: No Regrets is a manga side story released under the Japanese title 進撃の巨人 外伝 悔いなき選択. Its serialization ran from September 28, 2013 through June 28, 2014, and the finished work was gathered into 11 chapters and 2 collected volumes. Within the Volluble catalog it is catalogued as an individual manga entry belonging to the wider Attack on Titan franchise, and the record notes its source material as a visual novel.
The collected edition is documented as carrying a prologue along with two additional chapters beyond the main run, which is why the chapter and volume counts sit slightly above the primary serialization. For English-language readers the series has been made available through K MANGA, and a German-language release appears in the Carlsen catalog. Its production background therefore centers on a compact two-volume side story that was completed within roughly nine months from its debut.
Franchise Context
Attack on Titan: No Regrets is a completed manga side story within the larger Attack on Titan franchise. It is not the main series beginning or a direct continuation of the central narrative. Instead, it functions as a spin-off and prequel, focusing on Levi and Erwin Smith before the roles they hold in the main storyline. The work ran for 11 chapters collected in two volumes, with its Japanese publication beginning in 2013 and ending in 2014.
The record classifies its source material as a visual novel, so this manga is best understood as an adaptation or franchise expansion rather than an original alternate version of Attack on Titan. Its story sits alongside the main manga and anime, adding background to key Survey Corps figures while remaining a distinct, self-contained entry. Readers can approach it as supplemental material, but it does not replace or encompass the franchise as a whole. An English edition is available through K MANGA. Its placement in the franchise is therefore that of a focused side story, not the core installment.
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 to meet the world, the Survey Corps, and the central cast.
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Step 2
Read Attack on Titan: No Regrets after you have started the main series and know a little about Levi and Erwin, since this two-volume side story focuses on a younger Erwin and Levi in the Underground.
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Step 3
Treat No Regrets as an optional supplement rather than a required main-story volume; it adds character background but does not replace the core Attack on Titan narrative.
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Step 4
After finishing it, return to the main Attack on Titan manga or move on to other franchise side stories if you want more material.
Franchise Path
- Begin with the main Attack on Titan manga to learn the world, the Survey Corps, and the central cast.
- Read Attack on Titan: No Regrets after starting the main series, once Levi and Erwin are familiar.
- Treat this two-volume manga as an optional side-story supplement, not a required main-story volume.
After You Finish
Continue with
- After finishing No Regrets, return to the main Attack on Titan manga for the core narrative.
- No direct sequel is needed; No Regrets is a completed two-volume side story.
Community Verdict
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