Attack on Titan is Finally Over

We kept joking that Attack on Titan would never end. Yet here it is. It’s finally, truly over.

Attack on Titan has been one hell of a rollercoaster. It was constantly growing and evolving. Season one was the ultimate hook, an action horror thrill ride that took the world by storm. Season two was a dark mystery that fleshed out the world and its characters. Season three was an intense political drama, packaged with one of the most insane plot twists of all time. Season four was an all-out war that made us question just what was right and wrong.

Now here we are at the finale. For real this time. Where does this ride go for the final stretch?

The only place it could have: into the darkest depths of hell.

The final episode picks up right where the last special left off. Armin, Mikasa, and the remaining Scouts and Warriors land on Eren’s back to put an end to the Rumbling once and for all. But our protagonist turned antagonist isn’t going to make it easy. Armed with the full power of the Founding Titan, he unleashes a hoard of immortal elite Titans to defend himself. The rules are clear: it’s kill or be killed. But can Armin or Mikasa bring themselves to see it through?

Right out the gate, this is an all-out battle for survival. Our heroes have to fight tooth and nail for every single inch of progress. For every one step forward they earn, they’re pushed back another ten. A single mistake can be the death of them. It truly feels like a fight for their lives. Every moment they get to catch their breath feels like a monumental triumph.

The animators certainly didn’t shy away from how brutal this confrontation is. Every single second of this fight is beautifully animated. No corners were cut here. From beginning to end, this finale is drop dead gorgeous.

Things only grow more twisted and disturbing as it progresses. Attack on Titan began as a horror anime and by god does it end as one. Eren and the Founding Titan don’t just lay the lands to waste, they find all kinds of twisted ways to hurt our heroes. It’s a hell on Earth forged by Eren’s will. It’s nightmare fuel!

It’s especially prevalent with what happens to Armin. How does Ymir deal with the greatest threat to the Rumbling? With the coldest, most effective way possible: take his power away, lock him in a dark room by himself, and let him self-destruct. That’s some messed up stuff.

But even in the face of hell itself, with Eren as the devil, the Scouts don’t give in. We’re treated to one last stand, the battle to end all battles. And holy hell, the animation in this sequence is insane! Industry legend Arifumi Imai came back for this scene, and it’s his best work yet! The final battle is easily one of the most beautiful sequences of animation I’ve ever seen!

Finally, we come to the ending. The grand finale to what is undoubtedly the biggest anime of the 21st century. This was it. Make or break. This was the moment that would decide whether Attack on Titan became an all-time classic or an over-hyped disappointment.

Don’t worry, I won’t spoil anything. This is the kinda ending you just gotta experience for yourself.

Having read the manga, I wasn’t particularly impressed with the ending. I didn’t think it was bad by any means. More that it was underwhelming. It felt like something was missing.

This same ending was adapted beat for beat in the anime. But this time around, they added a few extra details and shots that add so much more to the narrative. It’s the exact something that the manga was missing. It’s a beautifully tragic conclusion, a love story written in blood. Not everything is wrapped up in a neat little bow. Yet it isn’t entirely grim. Rather, it’s optimistic. Bad as things are for our remaining characters, there is hope for them to improve.

Then there’s the credits scene. Accompanied by one last banger song by Linked Horizon, we get a gorgeously animated sequence that perfectly encapsulates the core themes of the story. No matter what you do, there will always be violence and conflict. The cycles are forever doomed to repeat themselves. But in the same vain, there will always be love and hope.

Attack on Titan absolutely stuck its landing. I’m confident in saying that this is a modern classic, an anime masterpiece that will go down in history alongside the best of the best. Action, horror, tragedy, hope, it’s got it all.

And now… it’s over. God, that’s a strange feeling. I’ve kept up with Attack on Titan since I was in middle school. It’s been a part of my life for so long that it feels bizarre for it to have actually ended. But I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

Thank you, Hajime Isayama. Thank you to the amazing animators at both WIT and MAPPA.

Thank you, Attack on Titan.