Which Attack on Titan Box Set Should You Buy First?
There are 7 manga box sets that together cover all 34 volumes of Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan — the complete story from start to finish. Each box set is organized by anime season, so if you’ve watched any of the anime, you’ll know exactly where you are.
Start with Season 1 Part 1 (Volumes 1–4) and buy them in order. That’s the simplest answer. Each set picks up right where the last one left off, so there’s no confusing overlap or gaps to worry about.
If Season 1 Part 1 is temporarily out of stock on Amazon, don’t worry — it reprints regularly. While waiting, you can start with the first omnibus edition (a single book collecting Volumes 1–3) to begin reading right away, then pick up the box set later for the exclusive bonus items.
If you’re planning to collect the entire series, all 7 box sets get you every volume plus exclusive bonus items — short story booklets, stickers, and a poster — that aren’t available in any other edition. These bonuses alone make the box sets the go-to choice for collectors.
But if you just want to read the story and don’t care about extras, the omnibus editions (3-in-1 volumes — meaning three regular volumes combined into one thicker book) will save you money. More on that comparison later.
Here’s the quick cost breakdown: all 7 box sets run about $373.66 total at retail price (as of April 2026), while the 12 omnibus editions total around $240 (as of April 2026). There’s no bundle discount for buying all 7 sets together — each set is sold individually. Street prices on Amazon are often lower than retail, so check current listings before deciding.
Every Attack on Titan Manga Box Set — What’s Inside Each One
All 7 box sets come in collectible slipcases (a protective cardboard box designed to hold and display the volumes together) and are organized to match the anime seasons. Here’s a full breakdown of what’s inside each one.
A quick note on terminology: each box set covers a story arc — meaning a self-contained storyline within the larger series. The arc names below (like “Fall of Shiganshina” or “Female Titan”) refer to the major events or conflicts that happen in those volumes.
Season 1 Part 1 (Volumes 1–4)
This is where it all starts. Volumes 1–4 cover the Fall of Shiganshina and the Battle of Trost — the opening storylines where humanity’s walled cities come under attack by giant humanoid monsters called Titans. You’ll meet the three main characters — Eren, Mikasa, and Armin — and watch as a massive Titan (the “Colossal Titan”) breaks through the walls that have protected humanity for a century.
The box set includes 2 exclusive sticker sheets as a bonus. Retail price: $43.96 (as of April 2026). If you’re new to the series, this is the only starting point you need.
Attack on Titan Season 1 Part 1 Manga Box Set (Vols. 1–4)
Season 1 Part 2 (Volumes 5–8)
Volumes 5–8 pick up with the training arc and the Female Titan arc — a storyline where a mysterious intelligent Titan infiltrates the military. This is where the series starts pulling the rug out from under you — alliances shift, secrets surface, and the world gets a lot more complicated than “humans vs. Titans.”
Bonus: 2 exclusive sticker sheets. Retail price: $43.96 (as of April 2026).
Attack on Titan Season 1 Part 2 Manga Box Set (Vols. 5–8)
Season 2 (Volumes 9–12)
The Clash of the Titans arc. Volumes 9–12 ramp up the mystery — who are the Titans inside the walls? This set covers some of the most jaw-dropping reveals in the series, and it’s impossible to put down once the truth starts coming out.
The bonus here is the best physical extra of any box set: an exclusive 20×30-inch reversible poster with Eren on one side and Titan Eren on the other, featuring original art by Hajime Isayama. You can’t get this poster anywhere else. Retail price: $43.96 (as of April 2026).
Season 3 Part 1 (Volumes 13–17)
The Uprising arc shifts the story from Titan battles to political intrigue. Volumes 13–17 dig into the corrupt power structures behind the walls and the truth about the royal family. It’s a slower burn than the earlier storylines, but every reveal here pays off massively later.
This set includes 5 volumes instead of the usual 4, and the bonus is a major upgrade: a 64-page book of exclusive short stories never published in English outside of this box set. The short stories explore side characters from the main cast in scenes that add real depth to the story. Retail price: $54.95 (as of April 2026). The price bump from earlier sets reflects the extra volume.
Season 3 Part 2 (Volumes 18–22)
The Return to Shiganshina arc — widely considered the peak of the entire series. Volumes 18–22 deliver some of the most intense and emotionally devastating chapters Isayama ever wrote. The main characters return to where the story began, and the consequences are staggering. If there’s one stretch of Attack on Titan that leaves you staring at the ceiling afterward, it’s this one.
Bonus: another 64-page book of exclusive short stories. Retail price: $54.95 (as of April 2026).
The Final Season Part 1 (Volumes 23–28)
Everything changes. Volumes 23–28 expand the story far beyond the walls into the outside world — revealing new nations, new conflicts, and new perspectives. Characters you thought you understood become completely different people. This is where Attack on Titan transforms from a survival story into something much bigger.
Bonus: exclusive short stories book. This set contains 6 volumes. Retail price: $65.94 (as of April 2026).
The Final Season Part 2 (Volumes 29–34)
The conclusion. Volumes 29–34 bring the entire 139-chapter saga to its end. Whether you love the ending or debate it endlessly (and people do both), there’s no denying that Isayama commits fully to his vision. These 6 volumes close the story of Eren, Mikasa, and the world of the Titans.
Bonus: exclusive short stories book. Retail price: $65.94 (as of April 2026).
Box Sets vs. Omnibus vs. Colossal Edition — Which Format Saves You Money?
Attack on Titan is available in three different collected formats. They all contain the same core story, but they differ in price, size, and bonus content. Here’s how they compare:
| Format | Units Needed | Total Retail Price | Exclusive Bonuses | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Box Sets | 7 sets (34 vols) | ~$374 (as of April 2026) | 4 short story books, stickers, poster | Collectors, display |
| Omnibus (3-in-1) | 12 volumes | ~$240 (as of April 2026) | None | Budget readers |
| Colossal (5-in-1) | 7 volumes | Higher than box sets | Color pages | Art lovers, premium experience |
Box sets give you the standard individual volumes (the same ones sold separately) in a collectible slipcase, plus exclusive bonus items. The slipcases look great on a shelf, and the short story booklets are genuinely worth reading — more on those below.
Omnibus editions combine 3 volumes into one thicker book (the last two omnibus volumes are 2-in-1 instead of 3-in-1). No slipcases, no bonuses — just the story at a lower price. The pages are slightly larger than the individual volumes, which is nice. If your main goal is simply reading Attack on Titan and budget matters, this is the way to go.
Colossal Editions are oversized 7×10.5-inch books that pack 5 volumes each (7 Colossal Editions total). They include color pages not available in other English formats. The downside: they’re heavy and take up serious shelf space.
The bottom line: go with box sets if you want the bonuses and a shelf-worthy collection. Pick omnibus editions if you want to save money. Choose Colossal Editions if you want the best possible art experience with color pages.
How Each Box Set Lines Up with the Anime
One of the best things about how Kodansha (the publisher of Attack on Titan in English) organized these box sets is that they map directly to the anime seasons. If you’ve watched some of the anime and want to pick up where you left off in the manga — or if you want to read alongside the anime — this table makes it easy:
| Box Set | Anime Season | Chapters | Key Story Arcs |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 Part 1 + Part 2 (Vols 1–8) | Season 1 (25 eps) | 1–33 | Fall of Shiganshina, Battle of Trost, Female Titan |
| Season 2 (Vols 9–12) | Season 2 (12 eps) | 34–50 | Clash of the Titans |
| S3 Part 1 + Part 2 (Vols 13–22) | Season 3 (22 eps) | 51–90 | Uprising, Return to Shiganshina |
| Final S. Part 1 + Part 2 (Vols 23–34) | Final Season (all parts) | 91–139 | Marley, War for Paradis, Finale |
If you finished the anime and want to start reading the manga: you might be tempted to pick up where the anime left off, but honestly, reading from Volume 1 is worth it. The manga includes scenes, internal monologues, and details that the anime cut or condensed. Isayama’s pacing in the manga hits differently — some moments land harder on the page than they did on screen.
That said, if you really want to jump ahead: after Anime Season 2, start with the Season 3 Part 1 box set (Volume 13). After the anime’s Final Season Part 1, start with the Final Season Part 2 box set (Volume 29). The box set names match the anime season names, so you won’t get lost.
Are the Box Set Exclusive Short Stories Worth It?
Four of the seven box sets include exclusive 64-page short story booklets:
- Season 3 Part 1 — side stories featuring supporting characters
- Season 3 Part 2 — additional short stories
- The Final Season Part 1 — short stories book
- The Final Season Part 2 — short stories book
These stories have never been published in English outside of these box sets. You can’t buy them separately, and they don’t appear in the omnibus or Colossal editions. If you care about side content — the kind of character moments that flesh out the world beyond the main plot — the box sets are the only way to get them in English.
The standout is the Season 3 Part 1 booklet. It features scenes between supporting characters that the main series only hints at, plus backstory content that gives you a closer look at events leading up to the main storyline. For fans who’ve finished the series and want more, it’s genuinely rewarding stuff.
These box sets reprint periodically, but they can sell out between print runs — particularly the later sets with the short story booklets. If a set you want is in stock and you’re planning to buy it eventually, it’s worth grabbing sooner rather than waiting for a price drop that may not come.
The earlier box sets (Season 1 Part 1, Season 1 Part 2, and Season 2) don’t include short story books — they come with sticker sheets and the reversible poster instead. These are fun collectibles, but they’re decorative rather than story content. If the exclusive short stories are the main thing pulling you toward box sets, you could theoretically buy the first three sets in omnibus format and switch to box sets starting at Season 3 Part 1. But if you like the look of a matching set on your shelf, going all-in on box sets from the start is the way to go.
Attack on Titan ran for 139 chapters across 34 volumes (each volume collects several chapters) from 2009 to 2021. It’s complete, it’s all available in English from Kodansha Comics, and whether you go with box sets, omnibus editions, or Colossal Editions, you’re getting one of the most talked-about manga series ever made. Grab Volume 1 in whatever format appeals to you and see what all the fuss is about — you’ll understand by the end of the first chapter.
For the latest pricing, please check Amazon.