The penultimate chapter of Attack On Titan’s manga has arrived, shattering the expectations of many fans for what some might consider to be a “happy ending”, as we see the Survey Corps suffer some serious losses before Hajime Isayama’s franchise comes to a close. As is the case with the previous chapters of this dark series, not everything is as it appears, with the final panel of Chapter 138 perhaps being one of the most disturbing in the franchise’s history which is sure to spurn more than a few discussions when/if it eventually makes its way to the anime.
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Big Warning. If you have yet to read the latest chapter of Attack On Titan’s manga, Chapter 138, and don’t want the finale of the series spoiled, turn back now.
In the latter half of the chapter, we bear witness to Mikasa apparently imagining a separate timeline in her head, in which both she and Eren are able to escape from the military and the nation of Marley to live out Jaeger’s final days before his life comes to an end as a result of harboring the power of the Attack Titan. Unfortunately, Mikasa’s imagined alternate life smashes into the real world in one of the most disturbing ways possible, as she decapitates Eren from his Titan and kisses him in the final panel.
Many who have been following Attack On Titan from its start believe that the very first pages of the series hint at this split timeline that is shown here, with Mikasa waking Eren up as children and seemingly referencing this new series of events. The idea of being able to venture into the past, or even look into the future, has been something that has appeared a few times over the course of the series, so it definitely isn’t a surprise to see it rear its ugly head once again as we race toward the finish line.
The chapter didn’t just see Eren Jaeger seemingly being killed by Mikasa, it also featured Gabi, Connie, and Jean being transformed into Titans, which is a fate worse than death. With only one more chapter to go in the manga, it will definitely be interesting to see how the story of the Survey Corps finally wraps.
What did you think of this nightmarish penultimate chapter? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Titans.