Attack on Titan: No Regrets

Volluble Essential

進撃の巨人 外伝 悔いなき選択

Anime2015Finished

Synopsis

Attack on Titan: No Regrets is a prequel side story set before the events of Attack on Titan. It follows Levi, long before he earns a reputation as humanity's strongest soldier, when he lives as a criminal in the underground city beneath the Walls. There he survives alongside his two closest companions, Isabel Magnolia and Farlan Church, in a place the surface world would rather ignore.

The central conflict begins when Erwin Smith, a commander of the Survey Corps, approaches Levi and his friends with an offer that could change the course of their lives. Accepting it pulls them out of the underworld and into the war against the Titans, where trust is scarce and every decision carries a heavy price. Levi must weigh loyalty to the people he grew up with against the possibility of a different future.

As the story moves between the underworld and the Survey Corps, it examines how a street criminal and a calculating military leader come to be bound by a shared purpose. The tale was told as a manga written by Gun Snark and illustrated by Hikaru Suruga, based on a visual novel, and was also adapted into a two-part original animation.

Trailer

Should You Watch It?

Watch it if you enjoy

  • For Attack on Titan fans who want Levi Ackerman's pre-Survey Corps backstory, set in the underground city with Isabel and Farlan.
  • For viewers and readers curious about how Erwin Smith's offer pulls Levi from a criminal life into the Survey Corps and shapes their bond.
  • For those who enjoy a compact action-drama-fantasy with military, anti-hero, tragedy, gore, steampunk, and swordplay themes.

It may not suit you if

  • Those seeking the main Attack on Titan storyline may find this side-story prequel limited; it does not retell or replace the parent narrative.
  • Viewers sensitive to gore, tragedy, survival violence, or bleak military conflict may want to approach with caution, as these themes are listed.
  • It lands hardest for audiences already familiar with Levi and Erwin, so newcomers without that context may get less emotional payoff.
Volluble Test Drive Try 1 episode About 28 minutes

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

  • Levi's journey from underworld criminal to the Survey Corps' strongest soldier gives fans the backstory of a pivotal franchise figure.
  • The relationship between Levi and Erwin Smith, and how trust forms between them, gives the prequel its dramatic center.
  • Isabel Magnolia and Farlan Church add personal stakes by representing the companions Levi must weigh against a different future.

Common criticisms

  • As a two-part OVA running about 28 minutes per episode, some may find the format too brief to fully develop its supporting cast and conflict.
  • Because it is a prequel side story outside the main storyline, it may feel optional to those wanting major plot progression or Titan-scale revelations.
  • Some audiences may wish the underground city and Survey Corps transition had more room beyond this compact adaptation.

Volluble DNA

A quick profile of the title’s dominant storytelling ingredients.

Action
85
Comedy
10
Emotion
80
Mystery
25
Romance
10
Horror
40
Philosophy
55
Anime/Manga Convention Intensity
60
Characters and Voice Actors33 characters

Levi

Main character
  • Japanese: Hiroshi Kamiya
  • English: Matthew Mercer

Eren Yeager

Main character
  • Japanese: Yuuki Kaji
  • English: Bryce Papenbrook

Erwin Smith

Main character
  • Japanese: Daisuke Ono
  • English: J. Michael Tatum

Mikasa Ackerman

Main character
  • Japanese: Yui Ishikawa
  • English: Trina Nishimura

Furlan Church

Main character

Armin Arlert

Main character
  • Japanese: Marina Inoue
  • English: Jessie James Grelle

Isabel Magnolia

Main character

Mike Zacharias

Supporting character
  • Japanese: Kenta Miyake
  • English: Jason Douglas

Sasha Blouse

Supporting character
  • Japanese: Yuu Kobayashi
  • English: Ashly Burch

Hange Zoe

Supporting character
  • Japanese: Romi Park
  • English: Jessica Calvello

Reiner Braun

Supporting character
  • Japanese: Yoshimasa Hosoya
  • English: Robert McCollum

Keith Shadis

Supporting character

Connie Springer

Supporting character
  • Japanese: Hiro Shimono
  • English: Clifford Chapin

Moblit Berner

Supporting character

Bertolt Hoover

Supporting character
  • Japanese: Tomohisa Hashizume
  • English: David Matranga

Flagon

Supporting character

Annie Leonhart

Supporting character
  • Japanese: Yuu Shimamura
  • English: Lauren Landa

Nicholas Lovof

Supporting character

Hannes

Supporting character
  • Japanese: Keiji Fujiwara
  • English: David Wald

Yan

Supporting character

Narrator

Background character

Jean Kirstein

Supporting character
  • Japanese: Kishou Taniyama
  • English: Mike McFarland

Darius Zackly

Background character
  • Japanese: Hideaki Tezuka
  • English: John Swasey

Carla Yeager

Supporting character
  • Japanese: Yoshino Takamori
  • English: Jessica Cavanagh

Grisha Yeager

Supporting character
  • Japanese: Hiroshi Tsuchida
  • English: Chris Hury

Marco Bott

Supporting character
  • Japanese: Ryouta Oosaka
  • English: Austin Tindle

Krista Lenz

Supporting character
  • Japanese: Shiori Mikami
  • English: Bryn Apprill

Thomas Wagner

Supporting character
  • Japanese: Shigeyuki Susaki
  • English: Duncan Brannan

Dot Pixis

Supporting character
  • Japanese: Masahiko Tanaka
  • English: R. Bruce Elliott

Petra Ral

Supporting character
  • Japanese: Natsuki Aikawa
  • English: Caitlin Glass

Nick

Supporting character
  • Japanese: Tomohisa Asou
  • English: Francis Henry

Keiji

Supporting character
  • Japanese: Shuuhei Matsuda
  • English: Orion Pitts

Marlo Freudenberg

Supporting character
  • Japanese: Tomokazu Sugita
  • English: Todd Haberkorn
Production and Staff26 credits
Animation StudioWIT STUDIO
Original CreatorHajime Isayama
DirectorTetsurou Araki
Series CompositionYasuko Kobayashi
Character DesignKyouji Asano
Sub Character DesignTomomi Ozaki
Sub Character DesignMasashi Koizuka
Sub Character DesignAyumi Yamada
Prop DesignMasashi Koizuka
Main AnimatorAyumi Yamada
Main AnimatorKyouhei Tezuka
Color DesignSatoshi Hashimoto
View all 14 additional credits
Art DirectorShunichirou Yoshihara
Art DesignYuuho Taniuchi
Director of PhotographyKazuhiro Yamada
CG DirectorShuuhei Yabuta
Sound DirectorMasafumi Mima
MusicHiroyuki Sawano
Animation ProducerTetsuya Nakatake
Chief Animation DirectorSatoshi Kadowaki
Chief Animation DirectorKyouji Asano
Action Animation DirectorYuuko Sera
Assistant DirectorHiroyuki Tanaka
Assistant DirectorMasashi Koizuka
EditingAya Hida
EditingManabu Kamino

Production Background

Attack on Titan: No Regrets originated as a manga written by Gun Snark and illustrated by Hikaru Suruga, based on a visual novel of the same name. It is a prequel spin-off of Hajime Isayama's Attack on Titan and was published in Japan by Kodansha, with Kodansha USA handling the North American release.

The work was adapted into a two-part original animation DVD. The installments were released between December 9, 2014 and April 9, 2015, and the production is listed with two episodes running about 28 minutes each. An English dub was produced, and the OVA has been available through Crunchyroll.

As a prequel, the production focuses on Levi's earlier life, following him during his time as a criminal in the underground city alongside Isabel Magnolia and Farlan Church before Erwin Smith recruits him into the Survey Corps. This places the work's production context in the period before the main Attack on Titan narrative, with the source credited as a visual novel.

Franchise Context

Attack on Titan: No Regrets sits outside the main storyline of Hajime Isayama's Attack on Titan, functioning as a prequel spin-off rather than a continuation of the central narrative. Its events precede the main series, so it can be approached independently, though its weight lands hardest for audiences already familiar with Levi Ackerman and Erwin Smith.

The work exists in several linked forms. It originated as a visual novel, then became a manga written by Gun Snark and illustrated by Hikaru Suruga, published by Kodansha. A two-part original animation DVD followed, released in 2014 and 2015, representing the anime side of this entry's record.

Because it is a side story, it does not replace or retell the parent Attack on Titan story. Instead it supplies character backstory for figures who matter greatly to the wider franchise. Readers and viewers can treat it as an optional but rewarding companion piece within the broader Attack on Titan catalog.

Franchise Path

  1. Attack on Titan: No Regrets is a prequel side story set before Attack on Titan, focused on Levi's life in the underground city and Erwin's recruitment of him.
  2. Treat it as an optional companion piece: it can be viewed before the main story for backstory or after for added context, but it does not replace or retell Attack on Titan.

After You Finish

Continue with

  • After No Regrets, continue with Attack on Titan, the main franchise entry, to follow the Survey Corps war against the Titans and Levi's later role.
  • There is no direct sequel to No Regrets; the parent Attack on Titan story is the natural continuation.

Community Verdict

Quick reader and viewer signals from the Volluble community.

Would you recommend this?

Be firstNo community votes yet · 0 votes

Did the ending satisfy you?

Be firstNo community votes yet · 0 votes

Would you watch it again?

Be firstNo community votes yet · 0 votes

Sources3 sources
  1. shingeki.tv
  2. AniList - Attack on Titan: No Regrets
  3. Wikipedia: Attack on Titan: No Regrets

0 Comments

Be the first to comment.

Join the Discussion

Choose an avatar
Wrap spoilers in [spoiler]...[/spoiler].
Which one grows on a tree?