‘Attack on Titan’ Just Let Historia Take Her Rightful Place

Attack on Titan latest episode was about as epic as any movie at the box of right now, and it wasn’t just because of the battle to save Orvud District from the gruesome Rod Reiss Titan! Episode 46, “Ruller of the Walls” saw some key players from Attack on Titan step up in a big way – and that meant seeing Historia finally embrace the full scope of her destiny!

As you can see above: Historia has finally embraced her true identity as a member of the Reiss family, proclaiming herself as the “true ruler of the walls.” In other words: all hail Queen Historia!

As stated, this episode of Attack on Titan brings the epic character arc of Historia into a bold new chapter. Gone is the meek girl we met as “Christa Lenz” in the early seasons – and the changes haven’t just been in name! Historia has truly come into her own during Attack on Titan season 3, stepping in two critical moments, to end the threat of the Reiss family – even it meant turning on her own flesh and blood.

The first moment of Historia awesomeness that got fans hyped was the scene where she is seemingly about to accept her father Rod Reiss’ titan serum in order to devour Eren and steal the Founding Titan power. Instead of surrendering to her father’s silver-tongued persuasion, Historia pimp-slapped the syringe out of her father’s hand, revealing that she saw right through the B.S. Rod Reiss was trying to push, framing the Reiss royalty as saviors of humanity. If Historia’s rejection of her family’s power-hungry nature wasn’t proof enough of her growth into what fans have dubbed “Badass Historia,” then this latest episode certainly sealed the deal!

Historia had already earned mad respect for herself in the eyes of the Scout Regiment and citizens of Orvud District, by forcing Erwin and Levi to open a spot on the squad for her. Historia wasn’t content – or naive – enough to believe that the Reiss name would earn her the power and stature of royal rule: she knew she had to earn that respect, and jumped right into the proverbial fire to prove herself by suiting up as a Scout soldier and fighting alongside Eren, Levi, Erwin and the rest, on the front lines. Most importantly, however, it was Historia who dealt the killing blow to her own father, Rod Reiss, once Eren used his titan form and a cluster of bombs to blow the Rod Reiss Titan apart. It wasn’t just revenge, it was a savvy political move, and it sure paid off! After cutting Rod Reiss down for good, Historia landed in bale of hay, with many witnesses to her heroic and (personally painful) act. With the citizens in awe of her, Historia took up the reigns of power, proclaiming herself humanity’s rightful ruler.

Fans of the Attack on Titan manga have a bit more foresight as to what kind of new challenges Historia’s rule as queen will bring – but for now, Eren can take a breather, because Attack on Titan has a new badass warrior at its center.

Attack on Titan airs every Monday on TokyoTV, with simulcasts on Hulu, Crunchyroll and AnimeLab in North America. New episodes are typically available by Monday at 2 p.m. ET.