'Attack on Titan' Doubles Down On Erwin's GOAT Status

Commander Erwin continues his reign as the survey corps' G.O.A.T. in season 3, episode 5 of Attack on Titan.

Things looked pretty bad for Erwin as this week's new episode opened up, but someone how the stoic leader managed to pull all the strings -- even with just one arm. Fans rushed to social media and message boards in the following days to marvel at Erwin's machinations.

To recap, Commander Erwin was dragged before the king, as well as a council of military leaders and noblemen to be tried for treason. He was accused of violating the Humanity Charter by prioritizing his own personal gain over the fate of humanity. He maneuvers the conversation nimbly, leading the others into rhetorical traps where they prove his points for him.

Finally, Erwin proposes using Eren Jaeger's power to reclaim Wall Maria. He explains that this is the only practical way to prevent civil war, pointing out that if refugees from wall Rose rush into Wall Sina, the scarcity and tight space will almost certainly breed resentment. The noblemen say that they would rather house all of humanity in one wall than accept the risk of working with titans in the military.

However, this plan backfires, as Erwin, Pyxis and Commander-in-chief Dahlis Zachary have contrived a false titan invasion to see how their leaders will react. Immediately, the nobles order the gates close, leaving all of the residents of Wall Rose to be devoured outside.

This is all the proof Pyxis and the others need to initiate a coup d'etat, and allow the military to assume control of the government. Erwin's death sentence is reversed, and the king is revealed as a false figurehead controlled by his advisers.

"A cool detail is that Erwin specifically asked to confirm that MP leader's family lived in the east side, where the fake titan attack happened," one Redditor pointed out. "F—ing savage."

"WOW, basically ensured that when the royals commanded Nile to close the gates (on his own family) that he'd refuse and join Erwin's side," replied another in awe. "I didn't catch that at all, crazy."

"Erwin citing the same violation he was accused of against those lords was the most satisfying line ever," wrote a third. "All hail commander Erwin."

Attack on Titan is having its most exciting season yet, as series creator Hajime Isayama has altered the story to speed up the pace. The show simulcasts on Hulu and Crunchyroll in Japanese with English subtitles every week. New episodes are available on Mondays at 2 p.m. ET in the U.S.