Board Thread:Theories/@comment-26472215-20160222034906/@comment-26472215-20160301025542

GodKingReiss wrote: I've just recalled a detail from the manga that supports the idea that AOT takes place in a far future rather than in an alternate past.

In Chapter 44, Hange compares the Armored Titan's plated skin to plated armor used "in wars long ago". Hange appears to be describing European plate armor. Based on Isayama's illustration, she's specifically referring to the variety used in the 15th and 16th centuries, long after the 9th century.

It's unlikely that she's referring to any period of time of humanity's history within the walls, since the Interior Military Police Brigade was keeping heavy restrictions on technological progress and nearly everything we see in AOT is more advanced than early medieval technology.

Hmm, very good observation, I'd forgotten about that part of the manga. Though, this confuses me. If they live after the 15th and 16th centuries, then why didn't they just ship off to North and South America at the titan outbreak, like I suggested? It seems like the most probable thing Humanity would do if such a monster as titans began showing up. I guess the First King was able to bring Humanity within the walls before any plan or even any thought of evacuating the European continent ever came about. Either that, or Humanity has been within the walls WAY longer than the central military police and the Kings were able to fool them into thinking.