Attack on Titan aired its last episode in 2023, but it will live on as the anime we all gave our hearts to. After ten years, this series about a boy who sought freedom reached its bittersweet conclusion. Even manga readers like myself, who already knew the ending, were brought to tears in the last episode.
Based on plot value and animation, these are the best episodes of Attack on Titan. There are great fight scenes here with unforgettable action sequences, but that’s not all that makes a great episode. Many of these are remembered as pivotal turning points in the story.
10. Season 3, Episode 18 – “Midnight Sun”
“Midnight Sun” launched probably the biggest debate in Attack on Titan history. After retaking Wall Maria, Levi had to make a choice between his friend and commander, Erwin, and his subordinate, Armin. Perhaps even up to now, fans still have some reservations regarding the choice Levi made in this episode.
Whether or not Armin is the right choice is only something that Eren would know. Given how things panned out in the end, Levi made the right choice—even if it meant costing him his own friend.
9. Season 1, Episode 1 – “To You, 2000 Years in the Future”
There’s no such thing as a perfect circle, but the very first episode of Attack on Titan begs to differ. Hajime Isayama, the author of Attack on Titan, had everybody fooled into thinking that the story was simply about giants ripping through walls and eating humans in “To You, 2000 Years in the Future.”
There were many hints about the major spoilers of the story in the first episode, like Dina Reiss’ appearance as a titan. Eren’s older version was even seen in the second part of the first episode, which implies the setup for Eren’s ability to access memories of the past and future.
8. Season 2, Episode 6 – “Warrior”
Imagine opening up about the trauma of having your mother eaten by a titan to the titans responsible for breaching Wall Maria itself. That couldn’t be us, but that’s exactly what happened to Eren when Reiner and Bertholdt transformed into the Armored Titan and the Colossal Titan in “Warrior.”
This doesn’t mean none of us anime watchers didn’t feel betrayed. Reiner and Berthold were portrayed as caring figures towards their fellow scouts, and we’d grown to love them as characters. To see both of them transform into the very monsters that Eren loathed from the start solidified this episode as one of the best betrayals in anime history.
7. Season 3, Episode 21 – “Attack Titan”
You went into Attack on Titan thinking that the last of humanity was surviving behind walls because of mysterious giants who ate humans. But the “Attack Titan” episode changed everything, and it turns out that humans are infinitely scarier than mindless titans.
This episode made Eren see his father’s memories. It elaborated on how Grisha got the powers of the Attack Titan and how his little sister was brutally killed by cruel Marleyan officers. The real reason that Eldians are behind walls isn’t because of titans, but because of Marley and the other nations that couldn’t accept Eldians.
6. Season 4, Episode 20 – “Memories of the Future”
“Memories of the Future” isn’t just a meme, although it’s what this episode is widely remembered for. The biggest plot twist in Attack on Titan history was encapsulated by a meme of the future version of Eren manipulating his father, Grisha, into murdering the Reiss Royal Family for the Founding Titan.
Although Grisha’s not getting the best dad of the year award, it was clear that he loved Zeke and Eren. Maybe in another life, these three would’ve gotten along—but it wouldn’t be Attack on Titan if Eren’s will wasn’t fulfilled by the end of it all.
5. Season 3, Episode 2 – “Pain”
Don’t lie, Levi screaming “Kenny” and the action sequence in “Pain” live in your head rent-free. This chase singlehandedly proved why Levi Ackerman was “humanity’s strongest soldier.” Wit Studio gave everything they had in terms of animation, but that’s not the only reason why this episode is one of the best in the series.
This was a major turning point in Attack on Titan, wherein humans, instead of titans, became the central villains of the story. It’s no longer just a story about man-eating giants, but about complicated power struggles.
4. Season 4 – Part 3, Episode 1
Your heart was broken after this episode. The first episode of season 4, part 3 featured some of the most meaningful deaths in the series. Theo Magath, who was formerly training Marley’s Warriors, and Keith Shadis, who trained the Scouts, would be remembered by fans for sacrificing themselves to stop the Yeagersists.
They’re not central to the story, but their sacrifice affirms the complexity of humanity. Attack on Titan is a story about humanity, and while it certainly shows the worst sides of humanity, this episode is able to prove that humans can overcome differences to achieve the common good.
3. Season 4, Episode 5 – “Declaration of War”
Eren brought Reiner’s war back to him at Marley, in his very own hometown. They’ve both done terrible things, but the conversation that took place in “Declaration of War” was able to show how both Eren and Reiner were just boys who became victims of their circumstances.
The first part of season four showed Eren’s drastic personality shift, and this episode alone showed how manipulative and unnerving Eren has become. Eren has gone rogue, and as he said to Reiner, he’s accepted that he’s the bad guy in the story.
2. Season 3, Episode 16 – “Perfect Game”
It might be a crime for “Perfect Game” to be ranked in second place only, considering how Erwin’s death charge against Zeke makes for one of the series’ most memorable episodes. This episode also featured Levi’s brutal takedown of Zeke, but Erwin’s speech stole the spotlight.
Erwin was able to convince the remaining scouts that their deaths would serve as inspiration to the living. Everybody dies, but Erwin was able to persuade everybody to make meaning out of their deaths. To say that Erwin was a great leader is an understatement, given that he was able to make even the most cowardly characters sacrifice themselves in their last stand against Zeke.
1. Season 4 – Part 3, Episode 2
Not everybody loves Attack on Titan’s ending, and some argue that it could’ve been better. That might be the case, but it would be a lie to say that the last episode wasn’t satisfying.
The last episode was a rollercoaster of emotions. There were moments of desperation, and just when everything felt hopeless, many of us were swept into the Paths and witnessed Eren’s last heartbreaking messages. Eren fulfilled all his promises by dying as a slave to freedom, and it was only in his death that everyone he held dear was saved.
(featured images: MAPPA/Wit Studio)
