Mohsin Lag 
Today is Attack on Titan Day. Not a fan holiday someone made up on Twitter — an actual, officially registered anniversary. The Japan Anniversary Association has stamped September 9 as Attack on Titan Day, and honestly, the date had it coming: exactly 17 years ago today, on September 9, 2009, Hajime Isayama’s manga launched in the very first issue of Bessatsu Shonen Magazine, and a story built on the Nine Titans spent the next decade and change making the number nine feel threatening.
Kodansha is celebrating with a campaign that includes 99 announcements — nine times eleven, because of course it is. I went through the whole pile so you don’t have to. Here’s everything that actually matters.
Why September 9 Is Now Attack on Titan Day
The math is clean. The manga debuted on 9/9, the entire mythology runs on the Nine Titans, and the Japan Anniversary Association officially registered the date, so this repeats every year from now on. 2026 is the 17th anniversary — and the first one with the official stamp.
The anniversary visual leans all the way into it: all Nine Titans — Founding, Colossal, Attack, Armored, Female, Beast, Jaw, Cart and War Hammer — arranged into a giant 9/9 silhouette. There’s also a dedicated Attack on Titan Day logo inspired by Eren’s final Doomsday Titan form, the colossal skeleton from the endgame of the story. Subtlety has left the building, and I respect it.
99 Chapters, 99 Hours, Zero Yen
The headline gift: the first 99 chapters of the manga are free to read on Kodansha’s Magazine Pocket app, for 99 hours only, starting September 9 at midnight JST. That covers everything from the fall of Wall Maria through the Return to Shiganshina arc and into the early Marley chapters — roughly a third of the entire series, free.
The 99-hour window is already running, so if you’ve been putting off a reread since the anime ended, this is the universe handing you a coupon. It wraps up early on September 13 JST.
Isayama Drew a New Illustration (and Went Full Comfort Content)
The man himself marked the day with a new celebratory illustration showing the cast dressed in formal attire. Beyond the art, the campaign rounds up Isayama’s personal updates, which are gloriously off-topic: his recent interest in romantic comedy manga, plus thoughts on movies, driving, saunas and food. Seventeen years of nightmare fuel, and the creator is out here talking about saunas. King behavior.
An Official YouTube Channel and a Cast Livestream Tonight
Attack on Titan now has an official YouTube channel, and it’s promising limited-time anime streams alongside exclusive videos, so keep it bookmarked even after today.
The main event is the anniversary livestream, tonight at 9:30 p.m. JST (8:30 a.m. EDT / 12:30 UTC), with Yuki Kaji (Eren), Yui Ishikawa (Mikasa) and Hiro Shimono (Conny) all appearing. If the day has one more surprise left in it, that’s where it lands. I’ll be watching.
The Movies Are Coming Back to Theaters
Two theatrical projects are in the batch. Attack on Titan Part 1 -Guren no Yumiya-, the compilation film, returns to Japanese theaters on October 23, 2026 in ScreenX, 4DX and ULTRA 4DX. And Attack on Titan THE LAST ATTACK — the 2024 film that wrapped up the anime — gets the same treatment in 2027, marking its first-ever ScreenX release.
Watching the Rumbling in a format where the chair shakes isn’t a viewing experience, it’s a survival event. Sign me up anyway.
Attack on Titan 3 Gets a MAPPA Opening
Koei Tecmo’s upcoming Attack on Titan 3 game showed up with a new opening animation key visual handled by MAPPA, and it’s still on track for December 10. Between the omni-directional gear gameplay the series is known for and MAPPA animating the opener, this one just moved up several spots on my wishlist.
Everything Else in the 99
The rest of the pile is merch and collaborations, but the names are worth a scroll: tie-ups with Sanrio Characters, Team Liquid, MSI and ROUND1; new figures from Good Smile Company, Kotobukiya and MEDICOS ENTERTAINMENT; and events and product launches across Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia, Europe and Africa. The Shonen Magazine Shop also has commemorative goods featuring the anniversary visual and Isayama’s formal-attire illustration.
While You Wait for Tonight’s Stream
If all this anniversary energy has you in the mood, Eren’s whole arc is basically the poster child for our list of anime where the villain actually wins, and he sits near the top of our picks for anime where the MC turns evil. And if you somehow still haven’t done the full rewatch, our 16 anime that will emotionally destroy you list has you covered.
Seventeen years in, Attack on Titan officially owns a day of the calendar now. Happy Attack on Titan Day — dedicate your hearts, and your Magazine Pocket storage.
