Featured Photo by Crunchy Roll
Story by Alyssa Williams
This article contains spoilers for Attack on Titan.
The ending of the hit anime “Attack on Titan” was all too purposeful from the creator, Haijime Isayama.
On Saturday, the final episode of “Attack on Titan” aired on Crunchyroll and Hulu, which concluded the show’s 10-year run that started in 2013.
“Attack on Titan” starts out simple enough. The main story is about a boy named Eren Jaeger, who simply wants revenge on the humanoid monsters that ate his mother and destroyed his town called Shiganshina.
In the first season, the viewer assumes that the Colossal Titan will be the main villain that the characters would fight against throughout the rest of the series, but that idea couldn’t be more wrong. In season four, the main season seems to be Eren Jaeger himself, as he attempts to carry out a worldwide genocide to protect the ones that he loves.
It was an instant phenomenon, and in 2022-2023 it became the most popular anime show in the world, according to Parrot Analytics. Its popular demand has only been highlighted by live-action movies, video game adaptations, spinoffs, and even crossovers with other popular media such as Marvel and Fortnite. Its fame has caused streaming servers to crash, and its season 4 opening ‘The Rumbling’ even hit the U.S. Billboard charts.
Isyama crafted the ending of the show to reflect some key plot points and themes within the show, spanning over nine arcs, representing the nine Pure Titans. The arcs took place over 13 years, which represents the maximum years of the life of a Pure Titan after shifting the first time. There are also 139 episodes, with the number 139 often symbolizing the end of cycle and death, which reflects the main theme of the show.
The episode begins with the last battle in the series, starting after Eren Jaeger initiated The Rumbling which involves thousands of Colossal Titans that would trample 80% of humanity’s population on earth. Two opposing groups, the Scouts from Paradis Island and the Warriors from Marley, must come together to stop this mass genocide. In the end, Eren’s friends realize that they have to decapitate him to guarantee freedom for the rest of the world.
Since season 4 part 3 episode 1 released in March 2023, people have been deliberating in social media whether or not the anime will stay true to the ending in the manga or have its own original ending, and I’m glad that the animation studio MAPPA stayed true to Isayama’s original ending.
The main theme of “Attack on Titan” surrounds this concept of freedom and what it takes to obtain that, especially within season 4 part 3. The last episode highlights that there is no true freedom, as individual freedoms will always clash and oppose one another. This clash leads to conflict. As long as there is more than one person living, humanity will continue to be in conflict. The manga ending reflected this, and this is why MAPPA continued with Isayama’s vision.
As a long time fan of this franchise, I have been looking forward to this episode since season 4 part 3 episode 2 released in March. I rewatched the entire series to prepare for the ending, and I reread the manga series as well to see what the episode missed. At first, I was hesitant of the last five chapters being condensed into one movie-length episode, but it was everything that I imagined and more.
The animation of the fight scenes are stunning and fluid. It is easy to imagine yourself flying in the air next to the characters, experiencing the same carnage and destruction, and losing people you love to the battle. It is fast paced and tense, and I found myself on the edge of my seat even if I knew how the story would end.
The destruction of the world is haunting, and looking upon the arc where the Scouts visit Marley for the first time, I saw some familiar faces in the background of the crowd. For example, the pregnant lady seen in Marley is seen handing her baby to the crowd cornered by titans as she falls off a cliff, a final attempt to protect her child. It is small details like this that make this show truly amazing to watch, and this episode is no different.
It reinforces that the only thing greater than conflict and carnage is love, and this is also true of the tale of Eren and Mikasa. These two characters have been hinted at to have romantic feelings for each other throughout the show. They fight for each other, even when they fight on opposing sides. In the end, it was Mikasa’s love for Eren that caused the end of the Rumbling. In the end, because killed Eren in spite of her love for him, the goddess Ymir renounced the curse of the titans from the world.
The world gained peace, even though it was temporary.
The episode not only let viewers say goodbye to their favorite characters, but it also allowed for the characters to say goodbye to those they lost along the way. It was a bittersweet end to a great story, as the characters we have come to love finally found happiness. They no longer had to fight, but that does not mean the war was over.
The end credits are imperative to watch, as they hammer in Isyama’s purpose of telling this story. In the last moments of “Attack on Titan,” Eren’s grave is depicted over time. He is buried underneath the same tree we see in the first scene in the entire series. Behind the tree, we witness the world grow, advance and become more modern. However, that city is torn apart by war time and time again, until the tree itself is destroyed by a nuclear bomb.
Finally, a boy comes upon a large tree that viewers recognize from the origin story of how titans were created. It is the tree that the goddess Ymir sought shelter from, letting her turn into the first titan in human history. The boy, living in a post-apocalyptic world, seeks shelter in the hole at the base of the tree. The episode ends. The titans will return once more, and humanity will be doomed to repeat itself once again.
To contact Lifestyles Editor Destiny Mizell, email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com. For more news, visit www.mtsusidelines.com, or follow us on Facebook at MTSU Sidelines or on X at @MTSUSidelines.
