The final season of Attack On Titan is set to premiere in 2023, and longtime fans are sad to see the show’s end. Now is a great time to look back on the story overall and catch anything we might have missed while we wait for the finale. As you reminisce through each season, it is clear to see which episode stands out from all the rest, but for now, here are some honorable mentions before we get to the greatest one.
***SPOILER WARNING: This article and its contents contain considerable spoilers for the entirety of Attack On Titan. If you aren’t fully caught up on the anime yet, then come back once you are.***
Honorable Mention: Assault (S4, E7)
The “Devils of Paradis” finally get their revenge on their enemy with this epic episode after a relatively slow beginning of this season. Marley continuously had the upper hand by attacking their homeland prior, but now it is the Scout Regiment that brings the fight to them.
A spiteful Eren Yeager stands his ground by battling against his rivals and acquiring the War Hammer’s abilities, while Levi Ackerman and the rest of the group aid him. For the first time, we also get to see Armin Arlert use his Colossal Titan capabilities; powers that were used beforehand to obliterate the people of Paradis.
This catastrophic event is the one we’ve all been waiting for, and all that patience had a huge payoff as the Scout Regiment thrives in their vengeance.
Honorable Mention: Warrior (S2, E6)
So, let’s get this straight. Eren is a Titan; then we learn Annie Leonhart and Ymir have the same ability too. Surely no one else in the 104th could be one, right? Wrong. “Warrior” is an episode in season two where Reiner Braun confides in Eren and reveals that Bertholdt Hoover and himself are the Colossal and Armored Titan, the very two beings that destroyed the wall in the first place.
When Reiner begins to tell Eren their plan, it is brought up so casually, to the point where even Bertholdt gets completely caught off-guard. Fans of the series have found humor in this particular episode since he talks about his diabolical plan of slaughtering countless humans in a way where it sounds like, “Yes, we planned to wipe out humanity, and we are the reason your mom and others have died, but Eren, could you come with us anyway?”
Because of this moment and what comes after that, this will go down as one of the most memorable scenes in anime history.
Honorable Mention: Hero (S3, E17 )
The fight between the fierce Levi and the Beast Titan was the first time we see Zeke Yeager actually frightened for his life. This squad captain proves his worth to humanity by single-handedly taking down the Beast with his graceful movements and stunning precision. As the battle goes on, the Colossal Titan and the Armored Titan continue to put pressure on the rest of the Scout Regiment as they try to take back Shiganshina.
Armin, as usual, makes a strategic plan to stop the both of them but ultimately sacrifices his body in the heat that Bertholdt conjures around him. What makes this episode extraordinary is the fact that everyone is willing to give it their all, and while they were able to eventually win, it wasn’t without great sacrifice.
This was the episode where humanity stopped not one but two extremely powerful Titans, and where we finally learn the secrets within the basement in Shiganshina District.
Now that we have honored these three Attack On Titan episodes, it’s time to finally reveal which one is considered the best.
Winner: From You, 2,000 Years Ago (S4, E21)
Everything makes sense with the release of this amazing episode because it references all the way back to the very first one: “To You, 2,000 Years in the Future -The Fall of Shiganshina (1)”. Hajime Isayama had already mapped out the entire story from the very first episode to episode 80, resulting in a massive payoff for fans who have been following the show since day one.
This is where fans get to see Grisha Yeager plead with Zeke about how terrifying Eren really is, the origins of Ymir Fritz, and her rebellion against the prison she’s been enslaved in all these years that starts the Rumbling. All of these different storylines were packed into this one incredible episode, and that payoff easily makes this the best episode we’ve seen in the series yet.
The Attack On Titan community has always wondered about the meaning before the title of the first episode, and we finally have an answer in this episode, showing Eren causing the chain of events throughout the series. We also learned of Ymir Fritz from seasons beforehand, but this episode truly drives home just what life was like under the rule of King Fritz.
“From You, 2,000 Years Ago” is almost like a love letter to the fans who have stuck around since the beginning. The release of this particular episode just makes it even sadder to know that the series is coming to an end next year.
Even if this Attack On Titan episode is considered the best, there are so many more out there that are a close second. Honestly, picking one to be the greatest is like choosing a favorite child; they are all amazing in their own ways.
While you’re on this nostalgic train of the series, you can check out the relevant links below and more of the anime’s content on Twinfinite.
Featured Image Source: Wit Studio
