Attack On Titan Just Found Where Rock Bottom Is for Its Heroes

By Kofi Outlaw

Attack On Titan has just brought its heroes to what can only be called their most rock bottom moment of the series. Season 4 of Attack On Titan's anime just aired an episode called "Sunset", and it certainly lived up to its title. Episode 82 of the anime was pretty bleak, as Eren Jaeger's close friends (and even his biggest rivals) all try to cope with the reality that Eren has unleashed The Rumbling on the world. 

For Mikasa and Armin, Eren's choice to become the Founding Titan and unleash The Rumbling nearly drives them both of them over the brink, emotionally. Despite everything that has happened, Mikasa is still worried about Eren first and foremost; Armin nearly snaps in his emotional divide: he cares about Eren, but can't weigh that bond against all the people Eren has condemned to die. In the end, Armin only knows one thing for sure: the Survey Corps should've resurrected Erwin instead of him. Jean is utterly broken and defeated by what has become of the friends he knew; Connie has gone down the dark road of heading back to find his Titan mother so that he can feed the new Jaw Titan, Falco, to her and restore her human form.

Things don't get any easier for any of our Survey Corps heroes from there: Mikasa and Jean are cornered by the Jaegerists faction and their leader Floch – who is demands that the Survey Corps members either opt to retire as heroes – or get executed as traitors (a threat he confirms is very real). We even get reunited with Hange and Levi (who is barely alive), only to find them at the wrong end of guns held by Marlyean Warriors Gabi and Magath.

This is, without a doubt, the lowest we've ever seen the main character ensemble of Attack On Titan, for various reasons. The weight of the drama surrounding the Eren-Mikasa-Armin triangle is to be expected – but the larger impact on even third-tier characters like Jean and Connie adds so much more unexpected weight to things. Connie's subplot is especially dark, as his verbal chess game with Falco (whose memory is still fuzzy after becoming a Pure Titan and being restored) is such a dark turn for the character. In general, Attack On Titan's Final Season is proving to be a tale where there are few "heroes" to be found (in any traditional sense) – but it has to be leading to some kind of redemption and happy ending right?... 

Attack On Titan is streaming on Funimation and Hulu. 

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