„She Covered Her Face with a Muffler Late at Night.” Hajime Isayama Shared What Inspired Him to Design Mikasa from Attack on Titan
The creator of Attack on Titan, Hajime Isayama, explained in an interview what inspired him to create one of the best female anime characters.
The characters in Attack on Titan are notably unique, though they do share certain familiar traits and occasional clichés that are hard to avoid. In an interview, Attack on Titan creator Hajime Isayama shared some insight into what inspired him to create one of the most iconic characters in the series: Mikasa Ackerman, who plays a major role throughout the story. Interestingly, the mangaka revealed who (or what) inspired Mikasa’s design.
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What inspired Isayama to create Mikasa?
WARNING: Below you’ll find some major spoilers form Attack on Titan manga and anime.
Some time ago, we discussed why Isayama avoided overt romance themes in Attack on Titan. This time, however, we’ll focus on the inspiration behind Mikasa's character design. But first, let’s look at Mikasa herself. We know that her parents were killed by kidnappers who targeted her and her mother due to their race—a theme that becomes more central later in the story. From the first chapter, it's clear Mikasa comes from a country resembling Japan.
After her parents' deaths, she moved in with Eren's family and lived there until the "fateful day." During her time with the Yeagers, Mikasa became known for her protectiveness toward Eren. Later, during the training arc, we get to know that she’s incredibly tough (also because of her blood), proving herself as one of the best soldiers. Altogether, she embodies a strong person who fiercely cares for her loved ones.
In the interview, Isayama shared that while working in an internet café, he often encountered drunkards who also inspired his depiction of Titans. One day, he noticed a woman covering her face with a muffler, and that very image sparked the idea for Mikasa's character design. As the mangaka himself put it:
That fear I possessed from the unpleasant feeling of not being familiar with them [drunkards] ended up becoming a big influence in the SNK story. Also at that time, one of the clients I met [by chance] became the model of Mikasa. She covered her face with a muffler late at night, and I thought this look of hers was endearing [cute]. When she came to the store, I felt something and quickly started to sketch on the memo pad I had in my hand. The sketch from that time was the original drawing of Mikasa.
Why name Mikasa though?
In the same interview, Isayama also shared what inspired him when choosing the name Mikasa. Initially, the choice wasn’t obvious, as he wanted to follow a trend found in iconic classics like Neon Genesis Evangelion and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.
I got Mikasa’s name from the old Japanese navy’s battleship “Mikasa.“ I followed the legend that if you name the female character with one of the battleship names, your work will become famous. For example, Neon Genesis Evangelion’s Ayanami Rei & The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya’s Yuki Nagato.
Isayama also admitted that there’s a lot of Casca, the heroine from the cult classic Berserk, in Mikasa—somewhat confirming fan theories. According to the Attack on Titan creator, Mikasa showed incredible courage both physically and mentally, especially when faced with making some of the toughest decisions in the entire story.
