Hajime Isayama's enjoyment of Mixed Martial Arts is no secret, and this influence shines throughout Attack on Titan. Many characters are modeled after real fighters and have unique fighting styles. The Omni-Directional Mobility Gear itself is a fantastical method for fighting the Titans -- a fantasy that Koei Tecmo tapped into with its Warriors spin-off series that gave players a role in the Scout Regiment.
However, displaying the Wings of Freedom is not the only source of adrenaline Attack on Titan can offer. The Nine Titans themselves are a ready-made fighting game roster. Dragon Ball, Naruto and One Piece have shown that anime can be successful material for fighting games, and Attack on Titan is a logical candidate to join that lineup.
Attack, defense and speed -- three basic attributes when classifying character strengths and weaknesses -- are distributed differently among the Titans so that no single Titan is the same as another. For example, the Jaw and Cart Titans are both attackers with great speed, but Jaw is a close-range fighter and Cart is more appropriate as a ranged support fighter. The Beast Titan, which is a wild card, has fighting capabilities that depend on the animal as which it manifests.
Additionally, Titans can heal their wounds over time. This cooldown method naturally enforces an attack limit, as does the shape-shifting human's strength and endurance to transform in the first place. These factors all work well to supply strategy to the proceedings, especially when implementing an all-out brawler.
Fans have had plenty of opportunities to see these Titans in action against each other throughout Attack on Titan's story, and the victor hasn't always been the one fans might have expected. That's in large part thanks to the humans who control the Titans. An Attack on Titan fighter could focus only on the Titans, but the humans behind the Titans deserve to share in the spotlight.
An Attack on Titan fighter wouldn't have to stick with established characters, although it would be much more fun for fans to play as Pieck, Annie, Reiner and the rest. The Ackermans would also be an enjoyable inclusion, as they can handle fighting these Titans on their own thanks to their superhuman nature.
So far, Attack on Titan games have focused on letting gamers play as soldiers of Paradis. An Attack on Titan fighter, however, would make more sense if it included a view into the life of the warriors of Marley. The Eldians have been competing against each other to become Honorary Marleyans for so long, that it would be a natural fit for this bloody history to be applied to a fighting game.
Although the world of Attack on Titan is bloody, it's not necessary to lean into the grotesque to pull off a successful fighter featuring Titan and human characters. Brawlers like Super Smash Bros. or PlayStation All-Stars are plenty violent without including blood splatters. However, a more realistic, gory Attack on Titan fighter could give Mortal Kombat a run for its money. Unfortunately, that could alienate fans who prefer the sanitized fantasy violence of the former over the gratuitous anatomy tearing of the latter.
Whether they prefer a Titan for its abilities or because of its corresponding human, Attack on Titan fans have long argued over which Titans are the best and which are the worst. A brawler could help them settle that score.
