What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedI Kill Giants
Anders Walter · Film · 2017
If you loved I Kill Giants, start with Violet Evergarden (2018) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to I Kill Giants across media.
If you loved the way I Kill Giants uses fantasy to process heavy, real-world emotional trauma, these selections will resonate.
Books on the same thread
Bridge to Terabithia
Katherine Paterson · Book · 1979
Shares 2 threads with I Kill Giants: Escapism, Social Isolation.
Like I Kill Giants, this story explores how children create intricate imaginary worlds to cope with the crushing weight of sudden, life-altering grief and profound personal loss.
Kill Your Darlings
L. E. Harper · Book · 2022
Explores: Mental health, Depression, Author-protagonist.
This book mirrors the internal struggle found in I Kill Giants, showing how a protagonist uses a constructed fantasy realm as a necessary shield against debilitating depression.
Ender's Game
Orson Scott Card · Book · 2013
Explores: Child Soldiers, Alien Invasion, Moral Ambiguity.
The intense pressure placed upon the child-hero here reflects the isolation felt by the protagonist of I Kill Giants as they navigate a world that misunderstands them.
A Wizard of Earthsea
Ursula K. Le Guin · Book · 2012
Shares a thread with I Kill Giants: Coming-of-Age Fantasy.
Just as Barbara must confront her giants in I Kill Giants, this coming-of-age tale forces a young protagonist to face the consequences of the shadows they have unleashed.
Series on the same thread
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
Series · 2023
Explores: Mortality, The Value of Time, Regret and Remembrance.
This story captures the same melancholy atmosphere present in I Kill Giants, exploring how we carry the weight of our past and the people we have lost.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Series · 2011
Explores: Existentialism, Loss of Innocence, Deconstruction.
You will recognize the same jarring collision between innocent childhood and dark, existential threats seen in I Kill Giants, where magical encounters serve as metaphors for emotional reality.
Attack on Titan
Series · 2013
Explores: Survival, Existential Horror, Loss of Innocence.
The literal giants in this series serve a similar function to the threats in I Kill Giants, acting as symbols for the overwhelming monsters hidden within human trauma.
Violet Evergarden
Series · 2018
Explores: Coming-of-age, Emotional healing, Post-war trauma.
Much like the journey of Barbara in I Kill Giants, this narrative focuses on the slow, painful process of emotional healing after experiencing the trauma of war.
Podcasts on the same thread
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts · Podcast · 2026
Explores: mental health awareness, female friendship, coping mechanisms.
This podcast provides a space for processing difficult experiences through community and storytelling, mirroring the way I Kill Giants uses narrative to externalize complex personal mental health struggles.
The Truth
The Truth · Podcast · 2026
Explores: human condition, experimental storytelling, moral ambiguity.
These cinematic audio stories mirror the thematic depth of I Kill Giants, using speculative fiction to examine the human condition and the ambiguity of our emotional lives.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is I Kill Giants based on a true story?
The 2017 movie I Kill Giants is a fictional story about a high school student named Barbara who believes she protects her hometown from giants. It is not based on actual historical events or real-life occurrences.
What is the main plot of I Kill Giants?
In I Kill Giants, a new student named Sophia attempts to befriend Barbara. Barbara claims she spends her time killing giants to protect the local inhabitants. The townspeople do not understand Barbara's strange behavior or her commitment to this task.
Who directed the movie I Kill Giants?
The 2017 film I Kill Giants was directed by Anders Walter. The narrative follows the interactions between a new student, Sophia, and Barbara, a girl who insists that she is responsible for protecting her town from giants.
Why do the townspeople in I Kill Giants misunderstand Barbara?
The townspeople in I Kill Giants do not understand Barbara because of her strange behavior. While she believes she is actively killing giants to protect the town and its inhabitants, others view her actions as unusual and disconnected from reality.