6 Best Books by Hajime Isayama for Japanese Comic Fans

Do you want to enjoy some Japanese comics? Here are some of the best books by Hajime Isayama. Check out the artwork and storylines of these Isayama books.

Hajime Isayama is an award-winning anime artist and author from Japan. He was born in Oyama, Oita Prefecture, Japan, and he started submitting his manga works to contests while still in high school. He entered the Kyushu Designer Gakuen manga design program and won an award for a short version of his work Shingeki no Kyojin, which later became Attack on Titan. 

Attack on Titan was so popular that it was quickly translated into English. Isayama published 139 chapters across 34 volumes, completing the entire manga in 2021. In addition, the story inspired several spinoffs, including Attack on Titan: Junior High, written by Saki Nakagawa, and the novels Attack on Titan: Before the Fall by Gun Snark and Attack on Titan: No Regrets by Ryō Suzukaze. Attack on Titan has sold over 30 million copies and has been compiled into several larger volumes for collectors.

As one of the most famous Japanese authors of modern times, Isayama has won multiple awards for his Attack on Titan work, including a “Fine Work” nomination from Magazine Grand Prix, “Best Shonen Manga” from Kodansha, and the Best Hope Manga from Anime and Manga Grand Prix. In addition to Attack on Titan, Isayama has published Attack on Avengers and The Killing Pawn. If you want to explore this artist for yourself, check out the top 6 Hajime Isayama books.

1. Attack on Titan Omnibus 1

Attack on Titan Omnibus 1 includes Attack on Titan 1, Attack on Titan 2, and Attack on Titan 3. This compilation of works is the best way to get a thorough introduction to Isayama’s world. The story sets the stage for the story of the entrance of the titans, the monsters who destroyed most of humankind. The introductory volumes tell what happens when the remaining humans who were safe behind a wall finally get attacked by the Titans.

These first volumes introduce Eren and his friends Mikasa and Armin, the members of the 104th Cadet Corps, who are ready to take on the Titans. The omnibus is a collected volume that is about 600 pages in length. Buying the omnibus gives fans of Isayama’s anime world a chance to put multiple volumes into one bound book.

If you are curious about why Attack on Titan continues to be a bestseller in the comic book world, then this collection is an excellent place to start your reading. If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you might enjoy our guide on the best JK Rowling books. You can also use the search bar at the top right of the page to search for other best book genre you are interested in.

“We don’t have to go outside the world for our whole lives. We can eat, sleep and survive just fine here, but isn’t that like being a caged animal?”

Hajime Isayama

2. Attack on Titan 30

Also called Shingeki no Kyojin 30, the 30th volume of the manga is considered the greatest by many. It tells what happens when the Marley army invades Paradis, and Eren must find his brother, Zeke, and convince him to work with Eren. Yet it appears Eren is going rogue as the story unfolds, leaving readers wondering what is happening. 

This book brings quite a bit of backstory into the manga. Fans discover the origin of the Titans, learn that Eren may not be as innocent as they thought, and are left with a cliffhanger that makes them beg for the next installment. Many reviewers on Goodreads indicate this is a mind-blowing volume, which is why it is on the list of the best Hajime Isayama books. You might also like these authors like Yoko Ogawa.

“You are not a slave. You are not a god either. You are just a human being.”

Hajime Isayama

3. Attack on Titan 6

In this volume, the Survey Corps run into a female Titan on their way to find Eren’s home. However, they find that this particular Titan is different from the others. While she does kill, she doesn’t kill to eat. Instead, she only kills to protect herself. They then conclude that she is a human stuck in a Titan’s body, just like Eren. 

Be forewarned that this volume has quite a lot of death in it, but it also has quite a bit of action. When reading it for the first time, don’t let the violence at the beginning turn you off to the book. Keep pushing through to get to the meat of the story. It has plenty of surprises to keep you turning the pages.

“There’s something I firmly believe in: the people who have the ability to change something in this world. All, without exception, have guts to abandon things important to them if they have to. They are those who even abandon their humanity if they’re pressed hard to outdo monsters. People who can’t throw away something important can never hope to change anything!”

Hajime Isayama

4. Attack on Titan Season 2 Manga Box Set

The Attack on Titan Season 2 Manga Box Set combines volumes nine through 12 into one box set. It also has a collection of short stories set in the universe. This set is a great gift option for the Attack on Titan fan, combining several volumes into one convenient package. In the Season 2 Manga Box Set, the stories open with Eren resting from a fight at the end of volume eight.

However, he quickly must rise to the challenge when the Wall Rose is breached, and Titans are streaming into the humans’ fortress. This particular season delves into where the walls came from and what can be done to put them back in place before it’s too late for humanity.

“I know that people like you exist. I respect that. Going against the flow, it takes a lot of courage. Maybe people who can do it are just stupid, but what I’m sure of is that people like that are rare. So you can’t call them common. You can’t call them normal either. People like you get called special.”

Hajime Isayama

5. Attack on Titan 4

Can humanity trust Eren even though they know he is a Titan in human form? This question is raised in volume four of the manga. The Survey Corps asks Eren to try to repair the wall to help protect it from the monsters, only to find that he goes on a Titan-like rampage. This volume asks what happens when a Titan, albeit one with human tendencies, is asked to shoulder the responsibility of protecting humankind. Will Eren pull through, or is humanity destined to fall to the Titans? This volume also develops many of the manga’s supporting characters, making it an important one for this list.

“When we’re born. . . All of us. . . Are free. People who reject that, no matter how strong they are. . . Don’t matter.”

Hajime Isayama

6. Attack on Titan: Colossal Edition 6

Attack on Titan: Colossal Edition 6 is a compilation of volumes 26 through 30. It is a 900-page volume in a larger size that lets the reader truly appreciate the artwork. Many consider this volume to be a collector’s edition for fans. 

In these volumes, Attack on Titans goes to a new land called Marley. Here, enslavement camps, brainwashing, and using children as pawns are all part of the course. This opens the world to a view of political warfare not found in the earlier volumes. If you are looking for reading material to bring on your upcoming beach trip, check out our round-up of the best comics!

“You must’ve been real popular with the ladies. It’s not nice to make assumptions about other people’s feelings, you know.”

Hajime Isayama

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