Attack on Titan composer Hiroyuki Sawano nearly turned down the anime
The composer initially rejected Attack on Titan because of scheduling concerns, until the director and a producer made a personal second pitch.
Composer Hiroyuki Sawano has revealed that he initially turned down the chance to score Attack on Titan, before director Tetsuro Araki and a producer visited his office to ask him again. The disclosure came during a stage greeting for the new Attack on Titan the Movie: Part 1 - Crimson Bow and Arrow release in Japan.1
Why Sawano initially said no
Sawano told the event that his schedule was unclear when the offer first arrived. He worried that his other projects would make it impossible to take on the anime, so he declined the first approach. Araki and the producer did not leave it there: they travelled to Sawano’s office in person, and he ultimately accepted the job.1
That decision became central to the sound of the adaptation. Sawano’s score helped give Attack on Titan its scale, from its orchestral battles to the tracks that became inseparable from individual characters and scenes. The composer said he would not be where he is today if he had not taken the second offer.
The panel also revisited “The Reluctant Heroes”. Sawano explained that he originally wrote the track as a battle theme, rather than specifically for Levi. Araki nevertheless chose it for Levi’s entrance, a decision that helped turn the song into one of the series’ most recognisable musical moments.1
A different route for the anime
Araki and Sawano had already worked together on Guilty Crown, and later reunited on Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress and Bubble. The second invitation therefore preserved a creative partnership that had already proved useful, while giving Attack on Titan the composer whose work would define much of its atmosphere.
An official Attack on Titan audio release also highlights Sawano’s music, including “The Reluctant Heroes”, reinforcing how closely the soundtrack remains tied to the franchise’s identity.2
Our opinion
The story is a useful reminder that famous creative pairings are often less inevitable than they appear. Attack on Titan did not simply find Sawano; its director had to persuade him to reconsider. That small piece of behind-the-scenes persistence makes the finished soundtrack feel even more significant, because the series’ musical identity depended on one decision going the other way.