Attack on Titan Reveals Important Flashback for Survey Corps

Attack on Titan's final arc began with a major war declared on everyone outside of the island of Paradis. When it was revealed that the fight with the Titans stemmed from a very human war between races, the nature of the series changed as Eren and the rest of the Survey Corps set their sights on the outside world. The latest chapter of the series actually explores this a bit by featuring an important flashback to when they first stepped outside the bounds of their island home and saw how Eldians were being treated everywhere else.

In order to get reconnaissance for what they will actually be dealing with in the future, Chapter 123's flashback sees the members of the Survey Corps head to the continent of Marley and realize how much different it really is from their home.

First they are shocked to see a car for the first time, mistaking it for some kind of cow or animal. They buy ice cream and other sweets for the first time, but all the while, Eren continues to act strange and disconnected at the sight they are witnessing in Marley. But when an Eldian immigrant pickpocket gets pointed out, Levi and the others see just how quickly the Marleyans would do terrible things to the young boy.

The subjects of Ymir are increasingly persecuted, and even having their blood tested, as they get put into camps. This flashback also leads to an emotional moment between Eren and Mikasa, who nearly confesses how she feels about Eren but is interrupted. But this flashback also cements when Eren began his current villainous turn. Now that he's aiming to destroy the entire world outside of the island of Paradis, and will save the persecuted subjects of Ymir, this first glance at the life in Marley. and just how much of a disparity there is between it and Eldia, Eren saw all he needed to in order to truly enforce his ideals.

Attack on Titan was originally created by Hajime Isayama for Kodansha's Bessatsu Shonen Magazine in 2009. It's set in a world where the last remnants of humanity live within a walled city in order to escape the danger of the Titans, a race of giants monsters that eats humans. The lead character, Eren Yeager, ends up joining the military with his two childhood friends Mikasa and Armin after the Titans break through the wall and attack his hometown. Now Eren, Mikasa, and Armin must survive in a world where they not only have the Titans to fear, but the very humans they are trying to save. You can currently find the series streaming on Crunchyroll and Funimation.