It sounds unbelievable, but the first season of Attack on Titan came out almost five years ago. We had to wait three whole years for the second season to roll out, but thankfully, the third season is just around the corner. Today, Attack on Titan is one of the most popular shounen anime -- or anime -- in general. It has an extremely large following across the globe, which is reflected in the overwhelming amount of fan art, cosplay, fanfiction and memes that have been created around it. In this brave new world, where anime mostly lives season to season, Attack on Titan managed to amass such a huge fanbase and remain more than just relevant five years after its season one release.
As a testament of Attack on Titan's popularity, you need not look further than the fact that its first season is listed as the second most popular anime on MyAnimeList, preceded only by Death Note. Attack on Titan has spawned a number of spin-offs, recap movies as well as a live-action adaptation. However, if you want to remain an Attack on Titan fan we'd advise you to steer clear of the live-action movies. Your time would be better spent checking out these 19 hilarious Attack on Titan memes.
19 THE POTATO GIRL
Sasha Blouse has established herself as the Potato Girl very early on in the story. On the first day of training, she was caught red-handed eating a potato during initiation. As penance, she had to run around the premises for five hours. After this little incident, we’re given a number of examples illustrating how far Sasha would go to procure food.
Isayama has stated himself that one of Sasha’s biggest fears is running out of food. While Sasha likes all food, her infatuation with potatoes in that one scene has branded her the Potato Girl of Attack on Titan. A clever internet comedian decided to have some fun with Sasha and replaced a titan in this screenshot with something far less ominous. You better act fast people, otherwise she’ll eat it all by herself.
18 WE SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE
The names of Attack on Titan characters have been subject to much debate. Especially since a great number of them seem to have German origin. Mikasa Ackerman, is said to be born to a white father, presumably German, and a Japanese mother. Hence, the German surname and Japanese first name. The name Mikasa has a few significant links in Japanese culture. However, what most of us westerners associate with the name Mikasa is the sports equipment company, mostly known for its volleyballs.
Apparently, an Attack on Titan fan had one on hand and decided to make themselves a Mikasa figurine -- well sort of. It's unbelievable what a difference a scarf can make. Needless to say, this hilarious meme spread like wildfire across the Attack on Titan fandom.
17 BEST GIFT EVER
Hange Zoe is an oddity. While we can say with certainty that all of the characters in Attack on Titan are offbeat, Hange is by far the most quirky and mysterious one. On the surface, Hange appears to be a mad scientist obsessed with titans to an unhealthy degree, driving her to put herself in unnecessary danger in order to cozy up to her pet-titans. However, in season two we caught a glimpse of Hange’s more serious and responsible side.
But that is not to say she still isn’t crazy about titans. The extent of her fascination with titans was evident when upon discovering Eren she felt at bliss. This hilarious meme, does an excellent job at depicting Hange’s reaction to the shape-shifting Survey Corps recruit. Well, it was nice knowing you, Eren.
16 KILLING TITANS 101
If you’ve watched Attack on Titan, and chances are you have since you clicked on this list, you know that there is only one known sure-fire way to slay an angry and hungry titan -- by making a very specific cut along the nape of their neck. This will sever their central nervous system and result in their death. However, a group of members of the 104th Cadet Corps seem to have found a new, more creative way, of laying waste to their enemy.
In season one, a group of 104th Cadet Corps members where attacked by what can only be described as a small army of titans. Debating their options and strategies, it was Reiner who suggested a somewhat more extreme measure for dealing with titans.
15 SWIGGITY SWÄGER UND WIR SIND DIE JÄGER
Be it the first opening, Guren no Yumiya, the second opening Jiyuu no Tsubasa, or the latest season two opening Shinzuou wo Sasageyo!, Attack on Titan is bound to have you singing along, even if you don’t really know the lyrics. Linked Horizon’s catchy tunes are not only hard to resist, but they also fit the anime to a T. On top of that, the visuals are absolutely breathtaking with lots of action, foreshadowing, and eye-catching shots -- all wonderfully directed and set perfectly to the music.
You’d have to be pretty hard pressed to find an Attack on Titan fan who doesn’t like the show’s openings. It’s too easy to get hooked on these songs, and once you’re hooked there’s absolutely no way you’re gonna skip the opening.
14 BAD SASHA
At the end of episode four, moments before the Colossal Titan’s surprise appearance, Sasha revealed to her friends that she "borrowed" some meat from the officers’ morning rations. Naturally, everyone freaked out at her, until she gave a speech about how they will have more meat once they take back their territory from the titans. The scene was hilarious, until the Colossal Titan decided he wants a piece too.
The person who made this silly meme saw some similarities between the way Sasha hid the "borrowed" meat and the way people sneak food into the movies, which as we all know is a big no-no. However, a few brave souls still attempt the Sasha Blouse method. Not that we’d recommend it -- rules should be respected.
13 RUNNING
Attack on Titan has featured some pretty ridiculous titans. Among the funniest is this guy who, for some reason, runs in a very hilarious fashion. Which, of course, is in stark contrast to Usain Bolt-like running technique of the Colossal Titan. Naturally, the fans saw this as an excellent opportunity to create all kinds of memes, such as the one featured above.
This is perhaps the most relatable Attack on Titan meme out there. After all, we’ve all tried to take up jogging at some point in our lives, only to fail miserably. It’s easy to picture yourself striding with elegance and grace -- wind in your hair and headphones in your ears. However, once you find yourself out in the open and overzealously march forward, you soon start to realize that running is not as easy as you might have naively believed. And you end up looking foolish.
12 MIKASA TO THE RESCUE
The relationship between Mikasa Ackerman and Eren Yeager is an odd one, to put it mildly. After losing both her parents and being saved from kidnappers by Eren, Mikasa was adopted by the Yeager family. Mikasa sees Eren as her only family member and would do anything to protect him.
Over the course of the story, it becomes obvious that Mikasa is a force to be reckoned with, even more so than Eren. As evidenced by the fact that a group of bullies ran frightened upon seeing her and not Eren. In her desperate need to protect Eren, Mikasa sometimes comes off as overly attached. However, when you consider how many times she’s saved his sorry bottom, it becomes clear that, despite being a titan, Eren does need Mikasa. Of course, fans use this to mock Eren. Exhibit A: this meme.
11 CAPTAIN CLEAN FREAK
A lot of popular works include a character who encompasses the so-called neat freak trope. Monica from Friends, Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory and Ryuji from Toradora! all make us laugh with their obsessive cleanliness. In Attack on Titan, this trope can be found in Levi. As demonstrated in a number of scenes, Levi absolutely hates getting dirty and can’t stand being in a place that is not clean.
In episode 15 of the first season, we see Levi and the rest of his unit cleaning an old headquarters. This is the moment we realized just how obsessed with cleaning the Captain is. He even makes Eren re-do the upper floor, because he didn’t do a thorough enough job the first time around. So, perhaps the fearless Captain Levi isn’t so fearless after all.
10 SHINZOU WO SASAGEYO!
The lore of any work of fiction is a detrimental factor to its popularity. Building a world, especially like the one in Attack on Titan, is a challenging task. In order for the audience to get invested in the story and its characters the audience must first understand the world in which it all takes place. And this is one of the things Attack on Titan does well. From the very first episode, you’ll find yourself rooting for these characters.
Over time, you become so engaged with the story and start caring so strongly about the characters that you find yourself wanting to show your support. If, at least, with something as simple as their military salute. So, many Attack on Titan fans will probably identify with this meme. We’ve all pretty much done this. At least during the opening.
9 KILL, KILL, FALL IN DEATH
If you’re an avid anime fan you must have noticed that cherry blossoms are a very common motif in anime. Cherry blossoms are a big part of Japanese culture and tradition. They even have a festival to celebrate cherry blossom season. In anime, cherry blossoms are usually associated with spring, the start of the school year and young love.
However, Attack on Titan is not most anime. If you’ve seen even one episode, you know that this anime has nothing to do with the everyday lives of high school students whose only problem in life is that their crush doesn’t like them back. In Attack on Titan, instead of watching cherry blossoms float through the air, we’re treated to the beautiful sight of rich and gory blood splatter.
8 DISCOVERING THE WONDER KNOWN AS FANFICTION
Fanfiction has become an essential part of every fandom. If you visit AO3 you will find over 300,000 works in the Attack on Titan section. And believe it or not about 16,000 of those revolve around the ship known as "Eremin" between Eren Yeager and Armin Arlert. Eremin is a pretty popular ship, and even Hajime Isayama himself has stated that this is his favorite pairing.
In the manga and anime, Eren and Armin are portrayed as very close friends. Ever since childhood, Armin has been telling Eren about the outside world and the ocean -- stuff he found in his grandpa’s book. This meme uses a screenshot of the two boys looking at said books to hilariously imply that they had just stumbled upon fanfiction.
7 ARM-FALL-OFF-BOY
Is it too far-fetched to suggest that Hajime Isayama chose the name Armin just to have fans make this joke for him? We definitely think that it's possible. Still, one can’t help but admire the serendipity of having a character named Armin have his arm almost bitten off by a titan, only to be saved by Eren -- whose arm does indeed end up being bitten off by the titan.
This hilarious meme takes advantage of Armin’s name to poke fun at a devastating and horrific scene in the most punny and hilarious way. Not to downplay the weight of this heartbreaking moment, but we just can't help but laugh at this meme. We blame Isayama for giving Armin such a punny name. He really should have known better.
6 WHO TAUGHT YOU MATH?
On the first day of training, Sasha Blouse stole a steamed potato from the kitchen and proceeded to eat it during initiation. The head instructor was baffled as to why she was eating a potato during training. Sasha then started explaining that potatoes should be eaten while they're hot. Upon realizing that the man was still staring down at her in utter disbelief she tried offering him "half" of said potato.
Of course, anyone with eyes could have easily concluded that what she offered didn’t amount even close to 50%. This gave the fans all the more reason to poke fun at Sasha, now permanently dubbed "The Potato Girl." As to whether Sasha wanted to break the potato in two differently sized pieces or it just broke off unequally, remains uncertain.
5 THE REAL SUICIDE SQUAD
In episode 16, the 104th Cadet Corps were put in front of the most important choice they will ever make. Deciding whether to join the Military Police Brigade, the Garrison or the notorious Survey Corps will determine their future. And as we watched Eren, Mikasa, Armin and the others take the high road by staying put after Commander Erwin’s speech we felt chills.
Almost all of them were scared to death. Some even wanted to leave but couldn’t will their legs to move. But they did stay, promising to dedicate their hearts for the glory of humanity. A fan of the show noticed parallels between the Survey Corps and the Suicide Squad and somehow made us laugh with this tragicomic meme, even at a moment like this.
4 WE WANT ANSWERS
Attack on Titan is far from being the kind of show that outright tells you everything you so desperately want to know the story and the characters. In fact, even after two seasons we’re still none the wiser when it comes to the truth about the unusual world in which the events of this anime take place. And just when we dare to hope that we might finally be getting some much-needed answers we end up with even more questions.
And even if you read the manga, you’ll still find yourself with more questions than answers. A frustrated fan found a very creative and hilarious way to demonstrate just how the Attack on Titan fans feel about their futile and exasperating pursuit of answers about their favorite anime.
3 THAT’S THE SPIRIT
Maintaining high spirits is important in any given situation, especially when you live in such a desolate place like the Attack on Titan universe. No matter how dark the world around you gets and how grim the future may seem, it’s crucial that you never lose hope and keep those optimism levels on an all-time high. Of course, this isn’t always easy to do. After all, we can’t all be a Pollyanna.
Sasha Blouse, best-known to her friends as the Potato Girl, is usually a cheerful individual with unbound optimism that should be contagious. However, the cruelties of living a caged life in constant fear of titans have taken a toll on her as well. Good job, Potato Girl, that’s the spirit. You have found the silver lining.
2 MUST HAVE BEEN SOME ALCHEMY
Eren is far from being the first anime protagonist to lose his arm and leg. Although, while Eren got his limbs back, others were far less fortunate. In case you’re wondering who the hell is Edward Elric, we suggest you binge Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood at your earliest convenience. Edward Elric is the protagonist who, through a series of unfortunate events, loses his right arm and left leg.
However, unlike a certain hot-headed member of the Survey Corps, Ed didn’t have the ability to just magically grow his limbs back. Now, imagine what would happen if poor Ed found out that this idiot can grow limbs like it’s no big deal. Well, if anime characters had social media accounts, this meme pretty much sums up how their meeting would go down.
1 I CAME IN LIKE A WRECKING BALL
The fact that the first season of Attack on Titan was released in the spring of 2013, while Miley Cyrus’s song "Wrecking Ball" came out in the summer of the same year is just a bit too convenient to be a coincidence. In case you’ve been living under a rock, the song’s lyrics speak of breaking walls with, you guessed it, a wrecking ball.
Granted, the song is metaphorical. However, if you decide to give literal interpretation to the lyrics, then you put a gross looking titan on the wrecking ball instead of a half-naked Miley, you will have yourself a pretty hilarious meme. And here you were thinking nothing good could ever come out of a Miley Cyrus song, when in fact all you have to do is get creative.