Eren's Hidden Motives Unveiled: The Defining Finale of Attack on Titan

The highly anticipated conclusion of Attack on Titan, which debuted over ten years ago with the impactful entrance of the Colossal Titan, has finally reached its climax on November 4, 2023. Spanning more than an hour, this finale is packed with intense action, gripping suspense, and profoundly moving moments that could easily fill the pages of a whole book.

Continuing from the events of part three in Attack on Titan: The Final Chapter, the finale unravels as the Scout Regiment urgently races against time to halt further devastation caused by The Rumbling. Their daunting task is met with formidable resistance, as Eren proves to be a formidable opponent, testing their limits at every turn.

Attack on Titan's finale leaves a Titan-sized, bittersweet hole in its wake

A battle on the Attack Titan

The Scouts plan goes south fast in Attack on Titan's finale (Image via Our Website)

After a turbulent landing, the Scouts initiated an intense battle to prevent Eren from gaining any more ground. Chaos ensued as Titans clashed and fragments of ODM gear and bones soared through the air. Their initial strategy of swiftly descending and eliminating Zeke proved ineffective, leading to the adoption of a second plan: unleashing Armin as the Colossal Titan to demolish the colossal bone structure, aiming to lure both Eren and Zeke towards it.

However, this plan encountered a setback when previous generations of the Nine Titan users intervened and successfully captured Armin. This presented multiple complications, as it meant the Scouts would face an overwhelming number of duplicates of the Nine Titans. Even Levi, standing at the pinnacle of his physical condition, openly declared his reluctance to enter such a chaotic scenario, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation.

The original content The plan was further derailed when Pieck tried to destroy Eren's neck using all of their high yield explosives and was gutted by a copy of the War Hammer Titan. The plan shifted to rescuing Armin, but the situation deteriorated fast as Jean and Reiner were hanging by threads. Their ODM gear jammed, and everyone was being overwhelmed by the seemingly endless horde.

Returns, reprieves, and resolves

Rewritten

The original plan faced a major setback when Pieck attempted to use all available high yield explosives to destroy Eren's neck but ended up being fatally injured by a replica of the War Hammer Titan. Consequently, the focus of the plan shifted towards rescuing Armin. However, the situation quickly worsened as Jean and Reiner found themselves in a precarious state. Their ODM gear malfunctioned, leaving everyone vulnerable to the never-ending swarm.

Returns, reprieves, and resolves

The finale of Attack on Titan brings back Annie, Gabi, and Falco (Image via Our Website).

Relief washed over the group as Falco, Gabi, and Annie made their triumphant return to the battlefield, with Falco soaring through the air on his Titan's newfound wings. Their mission? To rescue the Scouts. However, their daring feat came at a cost, as they had to sacrifice the Azumabito boat in their ambitious experiment.

This provided a temporary respite for everyone and allowed them to strategize. Levi devised a two-pronged plan - one group would rescue Armin, while the other would save Pieck and attempt to destroy Eren's vulnerable spot. Their strategy involved simultaneous attacks on the skull and tailbone, aiming to divide the seemingly endless enemy forces and achieve success.

However, the challenge arose when everyone's determination started wavering. Mikasa, in particular, was deeply disturbed by the thought of killing Eren, but Annie supported her by urging her to concentrate on rescuing Armin. Even Levi experienced his own internal crisis, questioning whether their struggle had any value, but he quickly dismissed those doubts himself.

Aid from The Paths

In Attack on Titan's darkest hour, Armin reaches The Paths (Image via Our Website)

The chaotic fights outside became even more unbearable when Armin caught sight of himself, cursing and desperately trying to move. Despite the difficulties, Armin managed to make his way towards The Paths, where he witnessed the horrifying scenes unfolding all over the world as the Colossal Titans relentlessly trampled over everything and everyone in their path.

Inside The Paths, Armin engaged in a heated debate with Zeke about the meaning of life in Attack on Titan. They deliberated on the struggle to procreate versus the pursuit of survival. The Paths served as a realm where Death held no power, and The Founder Ymir, who aligned herself with Eren, was immortal. Zeke embraced nihilism wholeheartedly, believing that nothing held significance except death and liberation from the burdens and tyranny of life.

The tide shifts (Image via Our Website)

However, Armin adamantly rejects this notion. He instead directs his attention towards the value of even the smallest treasures, such as withered leaves dancing in the wind. Zeke too undergoes a transformative shift, realizing the preciousness of a baseball. This realization compels Zeke to assist the resistance by awakening as many Eldians as he can, bolstering their cause and ultimately sacrificing himself to Levi.

That extraordinary endeavor, along with Eren's nape detonating due to the tremendous efforts of team 1, followed by Armin undergoing a transformation atop him, effectively halted The Rumbling. For a brief moment, everyone rejoiced, a rarity in the world of Attack on Titan.

One final gambit, one last push, one final fight

Despite the halt of the Rumbling, the battle was far from over. The Source of All Living Matter, an enormous and peculiar creature resembling a centipede, miraculously withstood the onslaught and transformed the remaining individuals positioned on the hilltop into Titans. This unexpected turn of events unveiled its ultimate effort to reach Eren.

Eren didn't go down without a fight, emerging in a slimmer form of his Attack Titan. As the Scouts grew more exhausted and desperate, they made one last effort to put an end to the relentless chaos.

While Reiner, Pieck, and Annie struggled to contain the anomaly, Armin, Falco, Levi, and Mikasa pressed forward, slicing through the Attack Titan and beheading Eren. Finally, the threat was eradicated, and even Founder Ymir seemed content as Eren's reign was halted.

Final words from Eren

Attack on Titan's main characters say goodbye (Image via Our Website)

In the Paths, Eren, the protagonist of Attack on Titan, shares his final words with Mikasa and Armin. In a hallucination caused by Ymir, Eren urges Mikasa to forget about him, move on with her life, and find someone else. The second encounter is a flashback where Armin and Eren discuss their childhoods and the events leading up to the present. Eren reveals that he has always acted in the best interest of his friends and has felt powerless since being captured by the Reiss family.

The farewell moments in Attack on Titan continued (Image via Our Website).

Following a powerful punch to Eren's face, Armin assists in enlightening Eren that life has a remarkable way of persevering and will forever do so. He comprehends that regardless of the hardships or horrors faced, their paths will cross once more. Armin, alongside the others, has undergone both the erasure and restoration of their memories, rendering the Power of the Titans extinct in the world.

As a bonus, the discovery was made of the underlying reason behind Founder Ymir's extensive actions, mirroring Eren's actions, driven by an intense love for King Fritz. Ymir expressed gratitude to Mikasa for liberating her from two millennia of subjugation. Consequently, with Ymir's departure, the Titans vanished from existence.

Hatreds cast aside

Burial of long-standing animosities in Attack on Titan (Image via Our Website)

On par with Armin's resolute defense of Eren's survival amidst a plethora of blades and cannons at the commencement of Attack on Titan, Armin once again emerged as a steadfast figure when confronted with the remaining armed Marleyans, poised to unleash gunfire on everyone during the story's culmination. Fans hailed this moment as a poignant tribute to Armin.

Earlier on the conflict, the Marleyans ceased their combat as their CO discharged his pistol into the air. This occurred following a tense standoff between armed Eldians and Marleyans, both accusing each other for the unfolding disastrous events. However, when the world was at risk, as previously promised in Attack on Titan's final chapters, they managed to set aside their differences.

Armin's stance, then and now (Image via Our Website)

The deep-seated animosity between Eldia and Marley could not be wiped away in an instant. Despite the growing strength of the Jaegerists, their animosity was counterbalanced by Historia's inspiring words and the Scouts' efforts to become ambassadors to the world. It was a challenging task, but a necessary one.

The importance of breaking free from the endless cycle of revenge and hatred has been consistently emphasized in Attack on Titan. From Gabi's journey of releasing her own hatred, to Reiner's struggle to humanize his once-dehumanized enemies, the series has consistently highlighted this point. The fact that one of the top Marleyan officers was able to break free was the ultimate culmination of these efforts.

Can there be peace?

Peace in progress (Image via Our Website)

The Scouts, who were mentioned earlier, transform into heroes and ambassadors, which is demonstrated through a three-year time jump. During this period, the anime presents a scene where Gabi and Falco contribute to the restoration and healing of the land. They even assist in planting trees near the colossal footprints left behind by the Colossal Titans.

The purpose of this ending, with its improved structure and wording, is to highlight the central message of Attack on Titan - the significance of long-lasting peace and the pointlessness of violence and blindly following the cycle of vengeance. The heroes effectively negotiate for peace, particularly after being visited by the apparitions of their fallen comrades one final time.

Peace is finally achieved (Image via Our Website)

The epilogue of the Attack on Titan manga surpasses the original in its eloquence, structure, and impact. The depiction of the Scouts as advocates for peace, Levi's gesture of handing out candy, and Mikasa's poignant visit to Eren's grave culminating in her being laid to rest beside him carry even greater significance in the anime adaptation.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of years of peace on Paradis are guaranteed before any form of retaliation occurs. Moreover, it is illogical to attribute the establishment of this peace to Eren and his comrades, as it is immensely distant from their current circumstances. As a result, these courageous heroes are able to create families and find solace in tranquility.

The music and sound design

The voice acting and animation by Studio Mappa are truly exceptional. However, the standout feature is the remarkable sound design that effectively enhances the mood of specific scenes. The use of the Attack on Titan theme, starting with orchestral arrangements and later transitioning into full lyrical brilliance during the intense fights, is truly captivating.

The highlight amidst the remarkable sound design lies in a particular scene. While the Colossal Titans unleash havoc upon humanity, the relentless masses being thrust off cliffs and into the ocean briefly shift their focus to a mother and her baby. Tragically, the mother succumbs to the chaos, but the baby receives assistance from the surrounding crowd.

The scene is completely silent and devoid of color, except for the piercing cries of a baby being held up, as if trying to save a life. The absence of sound, except for the baby's cries, amplifies the impact of its return and adds to the gut-wrenching experience when depicted in animation.

This highlights the fact that merely reading about a moment on a page fails to evoke the same level of emotion as witnessing it in motion. The inclusion of sound brings a sense of suspense and captivates the audience more effectively, drawing them in and engaging their emotions.

Final thoughts

The finale of Attack on Titan is a remarkable, emotional, and poignant conclusion to an anime that started more than a decade ago. It is likely to be regarded as a superior ending compared to the controversial manga version. With Hajime Isayama's contribution in addressing the flaws of the original manga, it is evident that Attack on Titan's finale is more effective as an anime.

Above everything else, Attack on Titan's finale embodies a labor of love when viewed as a cohesive whole. The series, which commenced with the Colossal Titan demolishing Wall Maria, concludes with the process of rebuilding, addressing the aftermath of significant loss, and conveying the notion that even in the darkest of times, peace can triumph.

Editor's P/S

Attack on Titan's finale is a masterpiece. It is a thrilling, emotional, and thought-provoking conclusion to one of the greatest anime series of all time. The action is intense, the characters are complex and well-developed, and the story is both heartbreaking and hopeful.

I was particularly impressed by the way the finale explored the themes of freedom, responsibility, and the cycle of violence. Eren's journey is a tragic one, but it is also a reminder that we all have the power to choose our own path. The ending of Attack on Titan is a powerful reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope for a better future.